tour de france route 3 july

These are all the stages awaiting Tom Pidcock at the Tour de France

Part of this story

Tom Pidcock

Tom pidcock is a talented multi-threat of a cyclist, equally at home on a mountain bike as he is on the road or a cyclo-cross circuit..

Wout Van Aert

A winner of uci cyclocross world cup series title in 2021, belgian rider wout van aert also is also a regular stage winner on the tour de france..

• 1 A start on the other side of the Alps
• 2 Back to France
• 3 Heading for Western France
• 4 In the heart of the Pyrenees
• 5 The home stretch

The official route of the Tour de France 2024

© Tour de France

A start on the other side of the Alps

• Stage 1: Saturday, June 29 - Florence to Rimini - 206km - Accidental
• Stage 2: Sunday, June 30 - Cesenatico to Bologna - 199km - Accidental
• Stage 3: Monday, July 1 - Piacenza to Turin - 230km - Flat
• Stage 4: Tuesday, July 2 - Pinerolo to Valloire - 140km - Mountain

Tom Pidcock is parking his mountain bike to race the Tour de France

© Bartek Wolinski/Red Bull Content Pool

Back to France

• Stage 5: Wednesday, July 3 - Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Saint-Vulbas - 177km - Flat
• Stage 6: Thursday, July 4 - From Mâcon to Dijon - 163km - Flat
• Stage 7: Friday, July 5 - Nuits-Saint-Georges to Gevrey-Chambertin - 25km - Time trial
• Stage 8: Saturday, July 6 - Semur-en-Auxois to Colombey-Les-Deux-Églises - 183km - Flat
• Stage 9: Sunday, July 7 - From Troyes to Troyes - 199km - Accidental

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What is red bull junior brothers, wondering what red bull junior brothers is all about find out more about the pro cycling program here., red bull junior brothers, red bull junior brothers aims to build the next generation of road cycling professionals., heading for western france.

• Stage 10: Tuesday, July 9 - Orléans to Saint-Amand-Montrond - 187km - Flat
• Stage 11: Wednesday, July 10 - Évaux-Les-Bains to Le Lioran - 211km - Mountain
• Stage 12: Thursday, July 11 - Aurillac to Villeneuve-Sur-Lot - 204km - Flat
• Stage 13: Friday, July 12 - Agen to Pau - 165km - Flat

Wout van Aert on Stage 9 of the 2023 Tour de France

© Kristof Ramon/Red Bull Content Pool

In the heart of the Pyrenees

• Stage 14: Saturday, July 13 - From Pau to Saint-Lary-Soulan - 152km - Mountain
• Stage 15: Sunday, July 14 - Loudenvielle to Plateau de Beille - 198km - Mountain

Who will come out top at the 2024 Tour?

The home stretch

• Stage 16: Tuesday, July 16 - Gruissan to Nîmes - 189km - Flat
• Stage 17: Wednesday, July 17 - From Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux - 178km - Mountain
• Stage 18: Thursday, July 18 - From Gap to Barcelonnette - 180km - Accidental
• Stage 19: Friday, July 19 - Embrun to Isola 2000 - 145km - Mountain
• Stage 20: Saturday, July 20 - Nice to Col de la Couillole - 133km - Mountain
• Stage 21: Sunday, July 21 - Monaco to Nice - 33km - Time trial

Tour de France 2024 preview: Full schedule, teams and how to watch live

The Tour de France 2024 is almost upon us with the world’s most prestigious cycling race getting underway on Saturday 29 June.

All eyes are on the duel between Slovenian rider Tadej Pogačar and defending champion Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark. The pair have won the last four titles between them with each aiming to win a third Tour de France.

After his emphatic victory in the Giro d'Italia, Pogačar goes into the event as favourite to add to his two wins from 2020 and 2021. It could be an incredible few weeks for the Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist with the Tour de France ended just days before the Olympic Games Paris 2024 .

Meanwhile, Vingegaard has made a late comeback from injury to be fit for the Tour as he seeks to become the sixth rider - and the first Scandinavian - to win three consecutive yellow jerseys.

This year’s race is unique for a number of reasons. It will be the first edition to begin in Italy , marking 100 years since Ottavio Bottecchia became the first Italian winner of the Tour de France.

The 'Grand Départ' is in Florence with the field traversing the Italian Alps before crossing the border into France during Stage 4. This will also be the first Tour to finish outside of Paris - due to its proximity to the Olympic Games - with the final stage an individual time trial from Monaco to Nice which will decide overall victory.

Here is everything you need to know about this year’s Tour de France.

• How to qualify for road cycling at Paris 2024. The Olympics qualification system explained
• Giro d'Italia 2024: Pogacar claims the title in Rome - daily stage and general classification results

Riders to watch at the Tour de France 2024

As well as the big two - Pogačar and Vingegaard - other challengers for the yellow jersey include Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič .

Evenepoel has played down his chances of general classification success on his Tour debut, but his pedigree suggests he will be a threat. The Belgian has some impressive results to his name including winning the 2022 road race world title, and GC at the 2022 Vuelta a España in 2022. He also boasts two Liège-Bastogne-Liège victories.

Roglič, the 2020 runner-up behind compatriot Pogačar, will take some confidence from his overall victory at the Critérium du Dauphiné.

Jasper Philipsen is the favourite to retain the sprinters' green jersey after winning Milan-San Remo and finishing second at Paris-Roubaix. Denmark's Mads Pedersen , road race world champion five years ago, is among his main challengers while Mark Cavendish needs just one stage win to break his tie with Eddy Merckx (both on 34) for the most stage victrories in race history.

Old cyclocross rivals Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert will also be in the mix for stage wins. The latter is back as one of Vingegaard's chief lieutenants in the Visma Lease a Bike team after sustaining multiple fractures in a crash at March's Dwars door Vlaanderen.

The 2024 Tour features seven mountain stages, including four summit finishes, and will suit the climbers. Pogačar (2020, 2021) and Vingegaard (2022) are past winners of the King of the Mountains' polka-dot jersey and are likely contenders once more.

Tour de France 2024 route and important stages

Also among the 21 stages of the 2024 Tour de France are two individual time trials and gravel sectors covering a total distance of 3,492km.

Starting from Florence, the 2024 Tour will complete three full stages in Italy traversing the Italian Alps before crossing the border into France from Pinerolo.

With no Alpe d'Huez or Mont Ventoux on this year's route, the Queen stage is the penultimate stage - a testing 132km cycle from Nice to the summit of the Col de la Couillole .

In recent years, the final individual time trial has been held on the penultimate day with the finale a procession on the Champs-Elysées on the Sunday. But, due to preparations for Paris 2024, this year's race will conclude with a 33.7km time trial from Monaco to Nice.

That means the yellow jersey could potentially be decided on the final day. The last time the Tour ended with a time trial was in 1989 when Greg Lemond overturned a 50-second deficit to Laurent Fignon to take victory by just eight seconds, still the smallest winning margin in race history.

Day-by-day route of the 2024 Tour de France

• Saturday 29 June: Stage 1 - Florence - Rimini (206 km)
• Sunday 30 June: Stage 2 - Cesenatico - Bologne (199.2 km)
• Monday 1 July: Stage 3 - Plaisance - Turin (230.8 km)
• Tuesday 2 July: Stage 4 - Pinerolo - Valloire (139.6 km)
• Wednesday 3 July: Stage 5 - Sant-Jean-de-Maurienne - Saint-Vulbas (177.4 km)
• Thursday 4 July: Stage 6 - Mâcon - Dijon (163.5 km)
• Friday 5 July: Stage 7 - Nuits-Saint-Georges - Gevrey-Chambertin (25.3 km, individual time trial)
• Saturday 6 July: Stage 8 - Semur-En-Auxois > Colombey-les-Deux-Églises (183.4 km)
• Sunday 7 July: Stage 9 - Troyes - Troyes (199 km)
• Monday 8 July: Rest Day
• Tuesday 9 July: Stage 10 - Orléans - Saint-Amand-Montrond (187.3 km)
• Wednesday 10 July: Stage 11 - Évaus-les-Bains - Le Lioran (211 km)
• Thursday 11 July: Stage 12 - Aurillac - Villeneuve-sur-Lot (203.6 km)
• Friday 12 July: Stage 13 - Agen - Pau (165.3 km)
• Saturday 13 July: Stage 14 - Pau - Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d'Adet (151.9 km)
• Sunday 14 July: Stage 15 - Loudenvielle - Plateau de Beille (198 km)
• Monday 15 July: Rest Day
• Tuesday 16 July: Stage 16 - Gruissan - Nîmes (188.6 km)
• Wednesday 17 July: Stage 17 - Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux - Superdévoluy (177.8 km)
• Thursday 18 July: Stage 18 - Gap - Barcelonnette (179.5 km)
• Friday 19 July: Stage 19 - Embrun - Isola 2000 (144.6 km)
• Saturday 20 July: Stage 20 - Nice - COl de la Couillole (132.8 km)
• Sunday 21 July: Stage 21 - Monaco - Nice (33.7 km, individual time trial)

Tour de France 2024 - Teams: Provisional list (subject to change)

Team visma | lease a bike.

• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN)
• Sepp Kuss (USA)
• Tiesj Benoot (BEL)
• Matteo Jorgenson (USA)
• Christophe Laporte (FRA)
• Jan Tratnik (SLO)
• Wout van Aert (BEL)
• Wilco Kelderman (NED)

Alpecin - Deceuninck

• Jasper Philipsen (BEL)
• Mathieu van der Poel (NED)
• Gianni Vermeersch (BEL)
• Silvan Dillier (SUI)
• Robbe Ghys (BEL)
• Soren Kragh Andersen (DEN)
• Axel Laurance (FRA)
• Jonas Rickaert (BEL)

Astana Qazaqstan Team

• Mark Cavendish (GBR)
• Michael Mørkøv (DEN)
• Davide Ballerini (ITA)
• Cees Bol (NED)
• Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ)
• Yevgeniy Fedorov (KAZ)
• Harold Tejada (COL)
• Michele Gazzoli (ITA)

BORA - hansgrohe Team

• Jay Hindley (AUS)
• Aleksandr Vlasov
• Danny van Poppel (NED)
• Nico Denz (GER)
• Matteo Sobrero (ITA)
• Primoz Roglic (SLO)
• Bob Jungels (NED)
• Marco Haller (AUT)

EF Education - EasyPost

• Richard Carapaz (ECU)
• Neilson Powless (USA)
• Ben Healy (IRL)
• Marijn van der Berg (NED)
• Alberto Bettiol (ITA)

INEOS Grenadiers

• Thomas Pidcock (GBR)
• Geraint Thomas (GBR)
• Carlos Rodriguez (ESP)
• Michal Kwiatkowski (POL)
• Egan Bernal (COL)
• Laurens De Plus (BEL)
• Ben Turner (GBR)
• Jonathan Castroviejo (ESP)

Lidl - Trek

• Carlos Verona (ESP)
• Giulio Ciccone (ITA)
• Jasper Stuyven (BEL)
• Julien Bernard (FRA)
• Mads Pedersen (DEN)
• Ryan Gibbons (RSA)
• Tim Declercq (BEL)
• Toms Skujinš (LAT)

Soudal Quick-Step

• Remco Evenepoel (BEL)
• Mikel Landa (ESP)
• Ilan van Wilder (BEL)
• Louis Vervaeke (BEL)
• Casper Pedersen (DEN)
• Yves Lampaert (BEL)
• Gianni Moscon (ITA)

Team Jayco AlUla

• Dylan Groenewegen (NED)
• Luka Mezgec (SLO)
• Simon Yates (GBR)
• Elmar Reinders (NED)
• Luke Durbridge (AUS)
• Chris Harper (AUS)
• Christopher Juul-Jensen (DEN)
• Michael Matthews (AUS)

Israel - Premier Tech

• Guillaume Boivin (CAN)
• Jake Stewart (GBR)
• Jakob Fuglsang (DEN)
• Stephen Williams (GBR)
• Pascal Ackermann (GER)
• Derek Gee (CAN)
• Hugo Houle (CAN)
• Krists Neilands (LAT)

Uno-X Mobility

• Magnus Cort (DEN)
• Johannes Kulset (NOR)
• Rasmus Tiller (NOR)
• Odd Christian Eiking (NOR)
• Alexander Kristoff (NOR)
• Soren Waerenskjold (NOR)
• Tobias Halland Johannessen (NOR)
• Jonas Abrahamsen (NOR)

Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team

• Felix Gall (AUT)
• Dorian Godon (FRA)
• Oliver Naesen (BEL)
• Sam Bennett (IRL)
• Nicolas Prodhomme (FRA)
• Paul Lapeira (FRA)
• Bruno Armirail (FRA)
• Nans Peters (FRA)

Arkea - B&B Hotels

• Arnaud Demare (FRA)
• Kevin Vauquelin (FRA)

Bahrain - Victorious

• Matej Mohoric (SLO)
• Wout Poels (NED)
• Pello Bilbao (ESP)
• Phil Bauhaus (GER)
• Santiago Buitrago (COL)
• Jack Haig (AUS)
• Fred Wright (GBR)
• Nikias Arndt (GER)
• Bryan Coquard (FRA)
• Guillaume Martin (FRA)
• Piet Allegaert (BEL)
• Axel Zingle (FRA)
• Alexis Renard (FRA)
• Simon Geschke (GER)
• Jesus Herrada (ESP)
• Ion Izagirre (ESP)

Groupama - FDJ

• David Gaudu (FRA)
• Valentin Madouas (FRA)
• Romain Gregoire (FRA)
• Stefan Kung (SUI)

Intermarche - Wanty

• Louis Meintjes (RSA)
• Biniam Girmay (ERI)
• Laurenz Rex (BEL)
• Hugo Page (FRA)
• Mike Teunissen (NED)
• Georg Zimmermann (GER)
• Kobe Goossens (BEL)
• Gerben Thijssen (BEL)
• Vito Braet (BEL)
• Lorenzo Rota (ITA)
• Rein Taaramae (EST)
• Gijs van Hoecke (BEL)
• Adrien Petit (FRA)

Movistar Team

• Enric Mas (ESP)
• Oier Lazkano (ESP)
• Nelson Oliveira (POR)
• Davide Formolo (ITA)
• Alex Aranburu (ESP)
• Fernando Gaviria (COL)
• Javier Romo (ESP)
• Gregor Mühlberger (AUT)

Team dsm-firmenich PostNL

• Fabio Jakobsen (NED)
• Romain Bardet (FRA)
• Warren Barguil (FRA)

UAE Team Emirates

• Tadej Pogacar (SLO)
• Juan Ayuso (ESP)
• Joao Almeida (POR)
• Adam Yates (GBR)
• Pavel Sivakov (FRA)
• Marc Soler (ESP)
• Tim Wellens (BEL)
• Nils Politt (GER)

Lotto Dstny

• Arnaud De Lie (BEL)
• Victor Campenaerts (BEL)
• Maxim van Gils (BEL)
• Cedric Beullens (BEL)
• Brent Van Moer (BEL)
• Jarrad Drizners (AUS)
• Harm Vanhoucke (BEL)
• Sebastien Grignard (BEL)

TotalEnergies

• Mathieu Burgaudeau (FRA)
• Steff Cras (BEL)
• Anthony Turgis (FRA)
• Jordan Jegat (FRA)
• Thomas Gachignard (FRA)
• Matteo Vercher (FRA)
• Sandy Dujardin (FRA)
• Fabien Grellier (FRA)

How to watch the 2024 Tour de France live

The Tour de France will be shown live in 190 countries. Here is a list of the official broadcast partners across different territories.

• Basque Country - EiTB
• Belgium - RTBF and VRT
• Czech Republic - Česká Televize
• Denmark - TV2
• Europe - Eurosport
• France - France TV Sport and Eurosport France
• Germany - Discovery+ and ARD
• Ireland - TG4
• Italy - Discovery+ and RAI Sport
• Luxemburg - RTL
• Netherlands - Discovery+ and NOS
• Norway - TV2
• Portugal - RTP
• Scandinavia - Discovery+
• Slovakia - RTVS
• Slovenia - RTV SLO
• Spain - RTVE
• Switzerland - SRG-SSR
• United Kingdom - Discovery+ and ITV
• Wales - S4C
• Canada - FloBikes
• Colombia - CaracolTV
• Latin America & Caribbean: ESPN
• South America - TV5 Monde
• United States - NBC Sports and TV5 Monde

Asia Pacific

• Australia - SBS
• China - CCTV and Zhibo TV
• Japan - J Sports
• New Zealand - Sky Sport
• South-East Asia - Global Cycling Network and Eurosport

Middle East and Africa

• The Middle East and North Africa - BeIN Sports and TV5 Monde
• Subsaharan Africa - Supersport and TV5 Monde

Related content

Tour de France 2023 route: Every stage of the 110th edition in detail

This year's race has kicked off in Bilbao, in Spain's Basque Country. It looks like it'll be a Tour for the climbers, with the Puy de Dôme returning and 56,400 metres of climbing in all

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• Stage summary
• The stages in-depth

The 2023 men's Tour de France began in Bilbao, Spain on Saturday, July 1, with a route that looks set to be one for the climbers. It features four summit finishes, including a return for the iconic Puy de Dôme climb for the first time since 1988.

There is just one time trial across the three-week event, a short uphill race against the clock from Passy to Combloux over 22km. There are also returns for other epic climbs like the Col de la Loze and the Grand Colombier, with 56,400 metres of climbing on the Tour de France 2023 route.

The race started on foreign soil for the second year in a row, with a Grand Départ in the Spanish Basque Country , the setting for the race's 120th anniversary. There were two hilly stages in Spain, before the peloton crossed the border into France for a stage finish in Bayonne on day three. 

After visiting Pau for the 74th time on stage five, the race's first real mountain test came on stage six, leaving Tarbes and cresting the Col d’Aspin and Col du Tourmalet before a summit finish in Cauterets. 

On stage seven, the Tour’s second most visited city, Bordeaux, will welcome its first stage finish since 2010, when Mark Cavendish claimed his 14th of a record 34 stage wins. Leaving nearby Libourne the next day, stage eight will head east on a 201km slog to Limoges. 

Before the first rest day, the riders will wind up to the summit of the Puy de Dôme, a dormant lava dome which hasn’t featured in the Tour for 35 years. They’ll then enjoy a well-earned day off in Clermont-Ferrand before continuing their passage through the Massif Central. 

France’s national holiday, 14 July, will be celebrated next year with a summit finish on the Grand Colombier, the site of Tadej Pogačar ’s second stage win back in 2020. From there, the mountains keep coming. The riders will climb over the Col de Joux Plaine to Morzine on stage 14, before another mountaintop test in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc the next day. 

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The sole individual time trial of the Tour de Franc route comes on stage 16, when a hilly 22km dash from Passy to Combloux will give the GC contenders a chance to force time gaps. The following day will bring the stage with the highest elevation gain, counting 5000m of climbing en route to the Courchevel altiport, via the Cormet de Roselend and the monstrous Col de la Loze. 

On stages 18 and 19, the sprinters are expected to come to the fore, with flat finishes in Bourg-en-Bresse and Poligny. 

The penultimate stage will play out in the country’s most easterly region, ascending the Petit Ballon, Col du Platzerwasel and finishing in Le Markstein, as the Tour de France Femmes did last year. 

The riders will then undertake a 500km transfer to the outskirts of Paris for the curtain-closing stage. The final day will start at France’s national velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, the track cycling venue for the 2024 Olympics, and will conclude with the customary laps of the capital’s Champs-Elysées. 

The 2023 Tour de France will begin on 1 July, with the winner crowned in Paris on 23 July. 

2023 Tour de France stage table

Jonas Vingegaard raced in the Basque Country this year

Tour de France route week summary

Tour de france week one.

The race began in Bilbao, starting in the Basque Country for the first time since 1992, when the Tour started in San Sebastian. The first two stages are packed full of climbs, with ten classified hills in over the opening couple of days, meaning there will be a fierce battle for the polka-dot jersey. Watch out for Basque fans going crazy on the roadside.

Stage three saw the race cross into France, which it will not leave for the rest of the 18 days. As expected we saw a sprint finish in Bayonne, even after four categorised climbs en-route. Nothing is easy this year.

The fourth day was another sprint, on a motor racing circuit in Nogaro, as the race moved, ominously, towards the Pyrenees. The Hors Categorie Col de Soudet on stage five was the first proper mountain of the race, and was followed by the Col de Marie Blanque, which has tough gradients. A GC day early on, although they are all GC days, really.

Stage five was a mountain top finish in Cauterets-Cambasque, but its gradients didn't catch too many out; it is the Col d'Aspin and Col du Tourmalet that will put people through it.

The seventh day of the race was a chance for the riders to relax their legs as the race headed northwest to an almost nailed-on sprint finish, before another opportunity for the the remaining fast men presented itself on stage eight - after two category four climbs towards the end, and an uphill finish.

The long first week of the race - which will have felt longer because last year had a bonus rest day - ended with the mythical Puy de Dôme.

Tour de France week two

Magnus Cort in the breakaway on stage 10 of the Tour de France 2022

The second week begins with a lumpy road stage around Clermont-Ferrand, starting from a volcano-themed theme park. This will surely be a day for the break. The next day could also be one if the sprint teams fail to get their act together, with two early categorised climbs potential ambush points.

Back into the medium mountains on stage 12, with a finish in the wine making heartland of the Beaujolais, Belleville. Another day for the break, probably, but none of the five categorised climbs are easy.

The following day, stage 13, is France's national holiday, 14 Juillet. The Grand Colombier at the end of the day is the big attraction, with its slopes expected to cause shifts on the GC. Stage 14 is yet another mountain stage as the Tour really gets serious, with the Col de la Ramaz followed by the Col de Joux Plane. The latter, 11.6km at 8.5%, will be a real test for a reduced peloton, before a downhill finish into Morzine.

The final day of week two, stage 15, is yet another day in the Alps before a rest day in Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc. There is nothing as fearsome as the previous days, but 4527m of climbing should still be feared.

Tour de France week three

Tadej Pogačar in the final time trial at the 2022 Tour de France

The third and final week begins with the race's only time trial, 22km long and with a lot of uphill. It is not a mountain event, but it is certainly not one for the pure rouleurs .

Stage 17 looks like the race's Queen Stage, with the final climb up to the Col de la Loze looking incredibly tough on paper, and in real life. That follows the Col de Saisies, the Cormet de Roselend and the Côte de Longefoy, adding up to 5,100m of climbing. The race might be decided on this day.

After that, there is a nice day for the sprinters on stage 18, with a flat finish in Bourg-en-Bresse surely one for the fast men. The next day, stage 19 could be a breakaway day or a sprint finish, depending on how desperate teams are feeling, or how powerful the remaining leadout trains are.

The final mountainous day comes on the penultimate stage, with the men following the Femmes lead and finishing in Le Markstein. However, there's no Grand Ballon, just the Petit Ballon, and so unless something chaotic happens, there should not be great time switches on this stage.

Then, at last, there is the usual finish on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, after the race heads out of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, which has a long-term deal to host the start of Paris-Nice too. ASO country.

Remember, this will be the last time Paris hosts the Tour de France until 2025. So, be prepared.

Tour de France 2023: The stages

Stage one: Bilbao to Bilbao (182km)

The opening stage is very lumpy

There was no easing into the Tour de France for the peloton this year, with a tough, punchy day in the Basque Country. Adam Yates took the first yellow jersey of the 2023 Tour de France after a scintillating stage in the Basque Country that saw the overall battle for the Tour take shape at the earliest opportunity.

The Briton emerged clear over the top of the final climb of the stage, the short and steep Côte de Pike, with his twin brother Simon a few seconds behind him. The pair worked well together to stay clear of the chasing bunch of GC contenders before Adam rode his brother off his wheel inside the final few hundred metres to claim victory.

Stage two: Vitoria-Gasteiz to Saint Sebastian (208.9km)

Still in the Basque Country, there is a Klasikoa theme to stage two

This was the longest stage of the Tour, surprisingly.  Five more categorised climbs meant  it was unlikely to be a sprint stage, including the Jaizkibel, famous from the Clasica San Sebastian, tackled on its eastern side 20km from the finish. This second stage from Vitoria Gasteiz to San Sebastian on the Basque coast followed many of the roads of the San Sebastian Classic, held here every summer.

An early break was soon established in the first 50km and established a three-minute advantage. However, the break was reeled in and a group, including the yellow jersey Adam Yates, pressed towards the finish with Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) clearly hoping it would finish in a sprint. 

Victor Lafay (Cofidis) had other ideas however, and with all and sundry already having attacked Van Aert, Lafay finally made it stick with a kilometre to go, holding off the reduced bunch all the way to the line.

Stage three: Amorebiata-Etxano to Bayonne (187.4km)

Still some hills, but this should be a sprint stage

The third stage took the riders from Amorebieta-Etxano in the Basque Country and back into France, finishing at Bayonne in what was always tipped to be a bunch sprint.  Ultimately, despite a very strong showing in the leadout by Fabio Jakobsen's Soudal-Quick Step team, it was Jasper Philipsen who triumphed , having benefited from a deluxe leadout by team-mate Mathieu Van Der Poel.

Mark Cavendish, who is hunting for a record 35th stage win in what will be his final Tour de France, was sixth.

Stage four: Dax to Nogaro (181.8km)

A nailed on bunch sprint, surely. Surely!

Now this one was always going to be a sprint finish, right? It finished on a motor racing circuit in Nogaro, meaning teams have a long old time to sort their leadout trains.  After a sleepy day out all hell broke lose on the finishing circuit with a series of high speed crashes. Jasper Philipsen was one of the few sprinters to still have a lead-out man at his disposal and when that lead-out man is of the quality of Mathieu van der Poel he was always going to be very difficult to beat. So it proved with Australian Caleb Ewan chasing him down hard but unable to come around him.  Philipsen's win handed him the green jersey too .

Stage five: Pau to Laruns (162.7km)

The first proper mountain, and the first sorting out, as early as stage five

The first Hors Categorie climb of the race came on stage five, the Col de Soudet, which is 15.2km at 7.2%, before the Col de Marie-Blanque and its steep gradients. It certainly ignited the GC battle!  

A break that at one point contained 37 riders was never allowed more than a few minutes, but that proved unwise for Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar behind. Ultimately, with the break already splintering on the final big climb – the Col de Marie-Blanque – Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), riding his first Tour de France, attacked. 

With Hindley time trialling the largely downhill 18km to the finish, Vingegaard attempted to chase him down – and put time into Pogačar as he did so.

Picking up strays from the early break on the way, Vingegaard got to within 34 seconds of Hindley, but it wasn't enough to stop the Australian from taking the stage win, and the yellow jersey .

Stage six: Tarbes to Cauterets-Cambasque (144.9km)

While in the Pyrenees, why not tackle a few more mountains?

A day of aggressive racing in the Pyrenees towards the first summit finish saw Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) take the yellow jersey but Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates) win the stage .

Having had his team set a blistering pace on the Col du Tourmalet, Vingegaard attacked with 4km until the summit. Only Pogačar could follow him as yellow jersey holder Jai Hindley dropped back to the peloton

Having joined up with super domestique Wout van Aert over the top, the group of favourites were towed up the first half of the final climb before Vingegaard attacked. Once again Pogačar followed and with two kilometers to go the Slovenian counter-attacked.

He clawed back nearly half a minute by the line, making the race for yellow a three horse race between those two and Hindley in the process. 

Stage seven: Mont-de-Marsan to Bordeaux (169.9km)

Bordeaux is always a sprint finish

Renowned as a sprint finish town, Bordeaux didn't disappoint the hopeful fastmen –except perhaps for Mark Cavendish, who had to concede victory to hat-trick man Jasper Philipsen, despite a very strong charge for the line from the Manxman .

With Cavendish hunting that elusive 35th record stage win, and having won here last time the Tour came visiting in 2010, many eyes were on the Astana Qazaqstan rider, with on-form Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) who has won twice already, starting as favourite.

The day began with Arkéa-Samsic's Simon Gugliemi forging what turned out to be a solo break that lasted 130 kilometres. He was joined by Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies) and Nans Peters (Ag2r-Citroën) halfway through the stage, the trio forming a purposeful triumvirate of home riders.

However, with the sprinters and their teams on the hunt and few places to hide on what was a hot day crammed with long, straight roads, the break served only as a placeholder for the day's main action in Bordeaux.

A technical finish with roundabouts aplenty, first Jumbo-Visma (in the service of GC leader Jonas Vingegaard) and then Alpecin-Deceuninck took the race by the scruff of the neck in the final. Philipsen enjoyed a marquee leadout from team-mate Mathieu Van Der Poel, but when Cavendish turned on the afterburners at around 150m and leapt forward, the whole cycling world held its breath.

That 35th stage win had to wait for another day though, with Philipsen sweeping past in what was yet another command performance from the Belgian.

Stage eight: Libourne to Limoges (200.7km)

Three categorised climbs in the final 70km could catch people out

Mads Pedersen powered to victory up a punchy finish on stage eight of the  Tour de France , managing to hold off green jersey  Jasper Philipsen  in the process.

Pedersen, the Lidl-Trek rider, now has two Tour stage wins to his name, in a finish which mixed pure sprinters and punchier riders. Alpecin-Deceuninck's Philipsen was third, with Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) in third. To prove how mixed the top ten was, however, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) finished behind the likes of Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech) and Bryan Coquard (Cofidis).

On a day which could have been one for the breakaway, the race was controlled expertly by Jumbo, Trek and Alpecin for their options, and so the escapees were never allowed much time. Sadly, stage eight turned out to Mark Cavendish's last - the Astana-Qazaqstan rider crashed heavily and was forced to abandon .

Stage nine: Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat to Puy de Dôme (184km)

The Puy de Dôme is back, and is vicious

In a north American showdown it was Canada that came out on top as  Michael Woods  beat American rival  Matteo Jorgenson  to the win atop the legendary Puy de Dôme.

Jorgenson had gone solo form a breakaway with 40km left to race. However, on the slopes of the Puy de Dôme where the gradient remains over 105 for more than four kilometres, Woods closed the gap and came around Jorgenson with just 600m left to go.

In the final kilometre, of what had been a blisteringly hot day with temperatures north of 30 degree Celsius, Tadej Pogačar managed to drop Jonas Vingegaard but the Jumbo-Visma captain dug deep to minimise his losses and came across the line eight seconds down.

Stage 10: Vulcania to Issoire (162.7km)

Five categorised climbs over this Volcanic stage

The breakaway had its day in Issoire, as Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) won beneath the scorching sun in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. 

After a frantic start, the mood finally settled and a 14-rider move went clear. Krists Neilands (Israel Premier Tech) launched a solo bid with around 30km remaining, but was caught in the closing moments by a chasing group led by Bilbao. The Spaniard then policed attacks in the finale, before sprinting to his team's first victory at this year's race. 

"For Gino," Bilbao said afterwards, dedicating his win to his late teammate, Gino Mäder .  

Stage 11: Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins (179.8km)

The flat finalé hints at a sprint, but it could be a break day

After a difficult previous day that was hot and hilly, the bunch allowed the break to go very quickly, with Andrey Amador, Matis Louvel and Daniel Oss quickly gaining three minutes. They were kept on a tight leash though, with the sprinters' teams eyeing a bunch finish. And this they delivered, with Jasper Philipsen winning a fourth stage after a tricky finale.

Stage 12: Roanne to Belleville-en-Beaujolais (168.8km)

Hills return, with some steep, punchy ones towards the end

Just like stage ten, Thursday's stage 12 was a fast and frenetic affair on the road to Belleville-en-Beaujolais. A strong group of puncheur type riders eventually got up the road after the breakaway took more than 80 kilometres to form. Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) came out on top at the finish, soloing to the line after a big attack on the final climb of the day. 

Stage 13: Châtillon-Sur-Chalaronne to Grand Colombier (138km)

Welcome to the Alps, here's an hors categorie climb

Michał Kwiatkowski took an impressive solo victory on the summit finish of the Grand Colombier. The Polish rider caught and passed the remnants of the day's breakaway which included Great Britain's James Shaw to grab his second-ever Tour stage win. Behind the Ineos rider, Tadej Pogačar attacked and took eight seconds back on Jonas Vingegaard in the fight for the yellow jersey. 

Stage 14: Annemasse to Morzine Les Portes du Soleil (151.8km)

Five categorised climbs, four of which are one and above. Ouch.

Carlos Rodríguez announced himself on his Tour de France debut on stage 14 with a career-defining victory in Morzine. While all eyes were on Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar, the Spaniard broke free on the descent of the Col de Joux Plane and descended as if on rails to the finish. 

Stage 15: Les Gets Les Portes du Soleil to Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc (179km)

Back to a summit finish, there is no escape at this Tour

The breakaway had its day at the summit of Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc. After dedicating his career to domestique duties, the victory went to Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious), who launched a late attack on the steepest slopes and held off Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) to the line.

Stage 16: Passy to Combloux ITT (22.4km)

A time trial! But not a flat one

Stage 16 brought the fewest time trial kilometres at the Tour de France in 90 years. On the uphill test to Combloux, Jonas Vingegaard proved the strongest , and by quite a way, too. The Dane's winning margin of 1-38 over Tadej Pogačar left him in the driving seat to taking his second Tour title.

Stage 17: Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc to Courchevel (165.7km)

Back to  the proper mountains, and there will be no let up on the final Wednesday

The Queen stage brought a career-defining victory for Austrian Felix Gall (AG2R Citroën), but all eyes were on the GC battle, and the demise of Tadej Pogačar. The UAE Team Emirates rider cracked on the slopes of the Col de la Loze, losing almost six minutes to Jonas Vingegaard, and slipping to 7-35 in the overall standings.

Stage 18: Moûtiers to Bourg-en-Bresse (184.9km)

Two category four climbs on the road to a chicken-themed sprint

Denmark's Kasper Asgreen put in one of the best performances of the race to grab his first-ever Tour victory . The Soudal Quick-Step rider was part of a four man breakaway that managed to hold on all the way to the line by just a handful of seconds ahead of the peloton.

Stage 19: Moirans-en-Montagne to Poligny (172.8km)

Another sprint, maybe, or a heartbreaking chase which fails to bring the breakaway back

Matej Mohorič of Bahrain Victorious took an emotional victory in Poligny after a chaotic day of racing. The Slovenian rider launched an attack with Kasper Asgreen and Ben O'Connor on the final climb of the hilly stage before beating his breakaway compatriots in a three-up sprint for the line. It was Mohorič's third-ever Tour victory.

Stage 20: Belfort to Le Markstein Fellering (133.5km)

One last chance. Six categorised climbs, will it shake up the GC?

The race might be very near Germany at this point, but Belfort remained French after the Franco-Prussian War, unlike the territory the penultimate stage travels into. 

This is the last chance saloon for all teams and riders who aren’t sprinters, especially those with GC ambitions. However, it is not quite the task of the previous Alpine days, with the six categorised climbs not the most testing. Still, there will be a lot of people trying to make things happen.

Stage 21: Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to Paris (115.1km)

The classic Parisian sprint. Lovely.

This will be the last time the Tour heads to Paris until at least 2025, so make the most of those shots of the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées. The classic procession will happen for the first 55km until the race hits the Champs for the first time 60km in. From that point on, anything goes, although that anything will probably be a bunch sprint.

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Adam is Cycling Weekly ’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling on tarmac, he's happy. Before joining Cycling Weekly he spent two years writing for Procycling, where he interviewed riders and wrote about racing. He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds. Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to cycling.

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Tour de France 2024 schedule: Stages, dates and times

Your complete guide to watching the Tour de France, with details including dates, times and the full schedule for each stage.

• Michael Potts
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The Tour de France 2024 goes ahead with a fresh starting point and unprecedented finish line in a Grand Tour with a twist this year.

It is not uncommon for the event to begin in another country. This year's Tour de France will begin in Florence, Italy, for the first time in history.

And that's not all. Forget the iconic final stage as riders traditionally zoom towards the Champs-Elysees. Instead, the final stage will be held in Nice, the first time the event has finished in a city away from Paris.

• Watch the Tour de France on discovery+ Standard or discovery+ Premium including TNT Sports

There's a perfectly reasonable explanation for it all, as Paris will be preoccupied setting up for the Olympic Games, which formally starts on Friday 26th July.

The eyes of the world will rest on France this summer, and you can get a feel for the surroundings early by soaking up the most prestigious cycling event of them all.

More like this

RadioTimes.com brings you all the dates and times you need to know in the Tour de France 2024 schedule.

When does Tour de France 2024 start?

The race begins on Saturday 29th June 2024 in Florence, Italy.

The event will come to an end on Sunday 21st July 2024 , with the final stage to be held in Nice, France.

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Tour de France 2024 route and schedule

All UK time. Subject to change.

Saturday 29th June – 10:30am

Stage 1: Florence to Rimini, 206km

Sunday 30th June – 11am

Stage 2: Cesenatico to Bologna, 199km

Monday 1st July – 10am

Stage 3: Plaisance to Turin, 230.5km

Tuesday 2nd July – 12pm

Stage 4: Pinerolo to Valloire, 140km

Wednesday 3rd July – 12pm

Stage 5: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Saint-Vulbas, 177.5km

Thursday 4th July – 11:30am

Stage 6: Mâcon to Dijon, 163.5km

Friday 5th July – 11:30am

Stage 7: Nuits-Saint-Georges to Gevrey-Chambertin, 25.3km (Individual Time-Trial)

Saturday 6th July – 12pm

Stage 8: Semur-en-Auxois to Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, 183.5km

Sunday 7th July – 12:15pm

Stage 9: Troyes to Troyes, 199km

Monday 8th July

Rest Day: Orléans

Tuesday 9th July – 12pm

Stage 10: Orléans to Saint-Amand-Montrond, 187.5km

Wednesday 10th July – 10:15am

Stage 11: Évaux-les-Bains to Le Lioran, 211km

Thursday 11th July – 11:30am

Stage 12: Aurillac to Villeneuve-sur-Lot, 204km

Friday 12th July – 12:30pm

Stage 13: Agen to Pau, 165.5km

Saturday 13th July – 11am

Stage 14: Pau to Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet, 152km

Sunday 14th July – 11am

Stage 15: Loudenvielle to Plateau de Beille, 198km

Monday 15th July

Rest Day: Gruissan

Tuesday 16th July – 12pm

Stage 16: Gruissan to Nîmes, 189km

Wednesday 17th July – 11:30am

Stage 17: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Superdévoluy, 178km

Thursday 18th July – TBC

Stage 18: Gap to Barcelonnette, 180km

Friday 19th July – TBC

Stage 19: Embrun to Isola 2000, 145km

Saturday 20th July – TBC

Stage 20: Nice to Col de la Couillole, 133km

Sunday 21st July – TBC

Stage 21: Monaco to Nice, 33.7km (Individual Time-Trial)

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2024 Tour de France begins June 29 and includes historic firsts. Everything to know

The Paris Olympics and Paralympics will not be the only prestigious international sporting event held in France this summer. 

The Tour de France, the preeminent event on the men’s cycling calendar, will return for its 111th edition from June 29 to July 21. During the three-week ride, 176 cyclists, representing 22 teams of eight, will complete 21 stages across hilly, flat and mountainous terrain. The course includes a grueling 52,230 meters (over 170,000 feet) of elevation gain and is 3,492 kilometers (2,170 miles) long. The taxing schedule includes only two rest days. 

This year’s race will start in Florence, Italy, and conclude at the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France. It will be the first time the finish line is not in or near Paris because the city will be hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games. And the first time since 1975 the race will not finish on the Champs-Élysées.

The final stage will also break from tradition as it will be one of two time trial stages, which means the leader could be determined in the final leg. The last time the Tour de France ended with a time trial was in 1989.

In addition to Italy and France, the route passes through San Marino and Monaco. The route is famous for its picturesque scenery, from quaint rural villages to the towering Alps. 

Each stage is timed, and the rider with the lowest cumulative time across all stages wins the acclaimed maillot jaune, or yellow jersey, to signify the general classification winner. Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard, 27, hopes to seek a coveted three-peat but is still working his way back from a serious crash that hospitalized him for 12 days in April. If he does race, he will face fierce competition from a talented field that includes 2020 and 2021 winner Tadej Pogača of Slovenia.

Separate awards are also given to the best sprinter, climber and young cyclist. 

Sepp Kuss, who finished as the top American in 12th place at last year’s Tour de France, is also set to return. Like last year, he will race on the same team as Vingegaard. 

How to watch the 2024 Tour de France live

All stages of the Tour de France, as well as pre- and post-race coverage, will be available to stream live on Peacock. USA Network will also stream some of the stages. 

NBC will simultaneously broadcast select stages of the event. 

Stage 1 will begin June 29 at 6 a.m. ET. The rest of the stages typically start between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. ET. 

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Tour de France 2023 stage-by-stage guide: Route maps and profiles for all 21 days

A closer look at every day of the race from bilbao to paris, article bookmarked.

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The 2023 Tour de France has all the ingredients of a classic: two leading protagonists ready to tear lumps out of each other in reigning champion Jonas Vingegaard and the deposed Tadej Pogacar; entertaining multi-talented stage hunters Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, Julian Alaphilippe and Tom Pidcock; the great Mark Cavendish chasing a historic 35th stage win; all facing a brutal route with 56,000m of climbing and four summit finish.

The Tour began in the Spanish Basque country on Saturday 1 July, where Adam Yates edged twin brother Simon to win the opening stage, and these hilly routes will throw open the yellow jersey to a wide range of contenders. The race crosses the French border for some flat stages and an early jaunt into the high Pyrenees, where the Col du Tourmalet awaits. The peloton takes on the Puy de Dome volcano on its journey across France towards the Jura Mountains and the Alps, and it is in the mountains that this Tour will ultimately be decided. It all ends on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Sunday 23 July.

Here is a stage-by-stage guide to how the race will unfold.

Stage 1: Bilbao to Bilbao, 182km

The 2023 Tour de France starts outside Bilbao’s iconic Guggenheim Museum, and winds north to the Bay of Biscay coastline before returning to the city where the stage winner will take the yellow jersey. This 182km opening stage is a hilly route with 3,000m of climbing featuring five categorised ascents, of which the final two are sharp and testing: they are tough enough to shake off the dedicated sprinters and open up early glory for the best puncheurs – those riders with the legs to get over short climbs and the power to surge away on the other side.

The profile of this stage is a great choice by organisers as it could suit just about anyone, from the speed of Wout van Aert to the climbing strength Tom Pidcock or Simon Yates – even two-time champion Tadej Pogacar.

• Jumbo’s Death Star and Pidcock’s dog: Inside the Tour de France’s Grand Depart

Stage 2: Vitoria Gastiez to Saint Sebastian, 209km

The peloton will head east from Bilbao, touching more picturesque Basque coastline before arriving at the finish in San Sebastian. At more than 200km this is the longest stage of the 2023 Tour and, with the sizeable Jaizkibel climb (8.1km, 5.3% average gradient) shortly before the finish, this is even more tough on the legs than the first day. Another puncheur with the climbing strength to get over the steeper hills can capitalise, like two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe.

• ‘ Coup du kilometre’: How to win a Tour de France stage hiding in plain sight

Stage 3: Amorebieta to Bayonne, 187km

Stage three starts in Spain and ends in France, and the finale in Bayonne is ripe for a bunch sprint. Mark Cavendish will get his first shot of this race at trying to win a historic 35th Tour de France stage, but he will be up against a stacked field including former QuickStep teammate Fabio Jakobsen and the awesome speed of Wout van Aert. It will be fascinating to get a first glimpse of how the power riders stack up.

• ‘Jasper the Disaster’ rebuts Netflix nickname with controversial win

Stage 4: Dax to Nogaro, 182km

Another flat day and an even faster finish in store on the Circuit Paul Armagnac, a race track in Nogaro. The 800m home straight will almost certainly tee up a showdown between the Tour’s serious fast men.

• Cavendish falls short as Philipsen wins crash-laden sprint

Stage 5: Pau to Laruns, 163km

The first major mountains of the Tour come a little earlier than usual, as the peloton heads up into the high Pyrenees on day five. The Col de Soudet (15km, 7.2%) is one of the toughest climbs of the race and rears up halfway through this 163km route from Pau to Laruns. The category one Col de Marie Blanque (7.7km, 8.6%) guards the finish 20km out, and holds bonus seconds for those first over the top to incentivise the major contenders to come to the fore and fight it out.

• Hindley grabs the yellow jersey as Vingegaard punishes Pogacar

Stage 6: Tarbes to Cauterets, 145km

This has the potential to be a thrilling day: the 145km route takes on the double trouble of the category one Col d’Aspin (12km, 6.5%) followed by the monstrous hors categorie Tourmalet (17.1km, 7.3%), before a fast ascent and a final climb to the summit finish at Cauterets (16km, 5.4%).

It is a day with several possible outcomes. The general classification contenders could fight it out in a showdown to the summit. Then again, a breakaway could be allowed to escape which would open up victory – and perhaps the yellow jersey – to an outsider. The last time the Tour finished in Cauterets in 2015, breakaway specialist Rafal Majka surged clear of his fellow escapers to win. Keep an eye on Ineos’s Tom Pidcock, who could use the long, fast descent from the Tourmalet summit to speed to the front, as he did before winning atop Alpe d’Huez last year.

• Pogacar responds to send message to Vingegaard

Stage 7: Mont de Marsan to Bordeaux, 170km

The first week of racing finishes in the Tour’s second most visited city, Bordeaux, and it’s a third flat day for the sprinters to contest. Much will depend on who has best preserved their legs through the high mountains when they come to this tight, technical finish on the banks of the Garonne river in the city centre.

• Philipsen pips Cavendish in thrilling finish to deny Brit all-time record

Stage 8: Libourne to Limoges, 201km

A long, hilly day will see the peloton head 201km east from Libourne outside Bordeaux to Limoges. The lumpy stage should suit a puncheur but it is not a particularly taxing set of climbs – only three are categorised and the toughest of those is just 2.8km at 5.2%. So could a determined team carry their sprinter to the finish and the stage win? Look out for Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel, superstars with the all-round talent to conquer the climbs and still finish fast.

• Cavendish crashes out to end Tour de France record hopes

Stage 9: Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat to Puy de Dome, 184km

The final stage before the relief of the first rest day is relatively flat and gentle – until a brutal finish atop the iconic Puy de Dome volcano, a 13.3km drag at a gruelling 7.7% average gradient that last appeared in the Tour in 1988. The summit finish will require a serious climber’s legs to clinch the stage win, and the general classification contenders may well let a breakaway get ahead and fight for that prize.

• Woods takes win as Pogacar hits back at Vingegaard

Rest day: Clermont-Ferrand, Monday 10 July.

Stage 10: Parc Vulcania to Issoire, 167km

The race resumes in the centre of France from Vulcania – a volcano-themed amusement park – where riders will embark on a hilly 167km route through the Volcans d’Auvergne regional park, finishing down in the small town of Issiore. With five categorised climbs, including the sizeable Col de Guery (7.8km at 5%) and the Croix Saint-Robert (6km at 6.3%), it will be a draining ride with virtually no sustained flat sections, and a long descent to the finish town. It looks like a good day to plot something in the breakaway, as the big GC contenders save their legs for bigger challenges to come.

• Bilbao dedicates emotional stage win to late Gino Mader

Stage 11: Clermont Ferrand to Moulins, 180km

The final flat stage before the hard Alpine climbs will present an opportunity for those fast men who managed to haul themselves through the Pyrenees to get here – although there is still some climbing to be done including three category-four leg-sappers along the 180km route. The day begins in the university city of Clermont-Ferrand before the riders wind north and then east to Moulins, a small town on the Allier river. Any breakaway is likely to be reeled by those teams with dedicated sprinters eyeing their only opportunity for a stage win between the two rest days.

• Philipsen continues flat-stage dominance even without van der Poel

Stage 12: Roanne to Belleville-en-Beaujolais, 169km

The race caravan will shift east to start stage 12 in Roanne in the Loire region, before taking a 169km route to Belleville, situated on the Saone river north of Lyon. This has been categorised as a hilly or medium mountain stage, but it might feel harder than that by the time the peloton reaches the foot of the fifth categorised climb of the day, the Col de la Croix Rosier (5.3km at 7.6%). That should be enough to put off the best puncheurs like Van der Poel and Van Aert, because the stage winner will need strong climbing legs. The GC riders will want to conserve energy, so expect a breakaway to stay clear and fight amongst themselves.

• Izagirre solos to victory

Stage 13: Chatillon-Sur-Chalaronne to Grand Colombier, 138km

The first of three brutal stages that could decide the destiny of this year’s yellow jersey is only relatively short – 138km – but will provide a stern enough test to reveal any weaknesses in the major contenders. The peloton will enjoy a relatively flat and gentle first 75km from Chatillon-sur-Chalaronne before entering the Jura Mountains. A short climb and fast descent precedes the big climax: all 17.4km (7.1%) of the Grand Colombier providing an epic summit finish. This could be another day for a breakaway away to get free, but the overall contenders like Pogacar and Vingegaard will also fancy stage glory and the chance to stamp their authority on the race.

• Kwiatkowski wins as Pogacar eats into Vingegaard’s lead

Stage 14: Annemasse to Morzine, 152km

Part two of this triple header of mountain stages sees the peloton ride into the Alps with a 152km route from Annemasse to Morzine ski resort. Three tough category one climbs line the road to the hors categorie Col de Joux Plane (11.6km at 8.5%), a brutally steep grind where bonuses await the first few over the top – and stage victory is the prize at the bottom. This is another potential spot for yellow jersey fireworks.

• Rodriguez wins first Tour stage as Pogacar thwarted by motorbike

Stage 15: Les Gets to Saint Gervais, 180km

The last ride before the final rest day will take the peloton further east into the Alps, towards the French border with Italy. The 179km route is almost constantly up and down, with a fast descent before the final two climbs, and the summit finish atop Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc will require strong climbing legs once more.

• Pogacar and Vingegaard in stalemate as Poels wins stage

Rest day: Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, Monday 17 July.

Stage 16: Individual time trial from Passy to Combloux, 22km

This year’s home stretch begins with the only time trial of the race: a short, relatively flat 22km from Passy to Combloux in the shadow of Mont Blanc. The route includes one categorised climb, the steep but short Cote de Domancy (2.5km at 9.4%). There is an opportunity here to make up crucial seconds for those that need them.

• Vingegaard takes control of yellow jersey

Stage 17: Saint Gervais to Courchevel, 166km

Put Wednesday 19 July in the diary: this will surely be the most brutal day of the entire Tour de France and it could be decisive. The 166km route features four big climbs, the last of which offers up this year’s Souvenir Henri Desgrange for the first rider over the highest point of the race. To get there the riders must endure a 28.1km slog averaging 6% gradient to the top of the Col de la Loze, towering in the clouds 2,304m above sea level. There are bonus seconds up here too, before a short descent down to the finish at Courchevel.

A breakaway will probably form, but can they last the distance? Whatever happens up the road, the fight for the yellow jersey will be fierce – only the strongest handful of riders will be able to stand the pace and this will likely be the day that the 2023 winner is effectively crowned.

• Vingegaard dominates to put seal on Tour de France

Stage 18: Moutiers to Bourg en Bresse, 186km

After a potentially explosive stage 17, stage 18 is classified as “hilly” but is really a relatively sedate 185km which the sprinters are likely to contest if their teams can haul in the inevitable breakaway. The big question is whether there will be many sprinters left in the peloton after such a demanding set of stages in the Alps. For those fast men still in the race, the descent into Bourg-en-Bresse precedes a technical finish, with roundabouts and a sharp corner before a swinging right-hand turn on to the home straight where the stage will be won and lost.

• Breakaway stays away as Asgreen takes win

Stage 19: Moirans-en-Montagne to Poligny, 173km

Another flat day gives a further opportunity for those sprinters left in the field, as the peloton travels 173km from Moirans, near Grenoble, north to Poligny. The general classification contenders will be happy to rest their legs before one final push to Paris.

• Matej Mohoric takes photo finish to win stage 19

Stage 20: Belfort to Le Markstein, 133km

The final competitive stage of the Tour is a 133km ride from Belfort to Le Markstein ski resort in the Vosges mountains, and it offers just enough for one final attack to steal the yellow jersey, should the overall win still be on the line. The last two climbs of the day are both steep category one ascents: first the Petit Ballon (9.3km, 8.1%) followed by the Col du Platzerwasel (7.1km at 8.4%). Whoever is wearing yellow just needs to hang on to the wheel of their fiercest rival here, and that should be enough to see them home.

• Chapeau, Thibaut Pinot

Stage 21: Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to Paris Champs-Elysees, 115km

As is tradition, the peloton will transfer to Paris and ride a truce to the Champs-Elysees. The stage will start at France’s national velodrome, home of cycling for the 2024 Paris Olympics. It will finish with one final sprint: Cavendish has won four times in Paris and it would be a fitting way to end the race that has defined his career if he were to repeat the feat one last time. And once the race is done, the winner of the 2023 Tour de France will be crowned.

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What to know about the 2023 tour de france: route, teams, rules, prize money.

Since 1903, the Tour de France has encaptured the beauty, rigor and passion of cycling. The race that embarked over a century ago, however, bears many differences to the 2023 Tour de France we will see shortly.

The Tour de France has catapulted to popularity since its early days, becoming the pinnacle of the sport of cycling and inspiring riders for generations to come. The 110th Tour de France is mere weeks away, with NBC and Peacock providing full coverage of the thrilling event. See below for everything you need to know about the highly anticipated 2023 Tour de France.

RELATED: Tadej Pogačar, Jai Hindley among cyclists to watch at 2023 Tour de France

When is the 2023 Tour de France?

The 2023 Tour de France will take place from July 1-23. The riders will embark on the first stage in Bilbao on Saturday, July 1, with coverage on NBC Sports and Peacock from start to finish.

As the riders venture along the difficult course, the race will find its finish as it has since 1975, on the street of Champs-Élysées in Paris.

What is the Tour de France schedule and route?

How long is this year’s route.

This year’s Tour route is a total of 3,404 km (2,115 miles) that is spread out over a span of three weeks. The riders will complete one stage per day, with two rest days on July 10 (between stages 9 and 10) and July 17 (between stages 15 and 16).

What are the rules of the Tour de France?

While the Tour de France is an event known well by most, fully understanding how the race works can sometimes pose a challenge.

The Tour de France is a team race, featuring a total of 198 cyclists from 22 different teams competing over a span of 21 days. Across these 21 days, riders will complete 21 stages: 6 flat, 6 hilly, 8 mountain and 1 individual time trial.

This year’s race will be the first year since 2015 that the Tour has only one individual time trial rather than two, with just 14 miles of time trial racing on the route.

Each stage winner receives €11,000, with every rider in the top 20 from each stage receiving a cash prize as well.

While the general classification champion of the Tour de France is the rider wearing the yellow jersey as the race concludes, there are numerous accolades to be granted to cyclists throughout the race and at the Tour’s end.

Aside from the yellow jersey, the most notable of these accolades are the green, polka-dot and white jerseys. These achievements all hold different meanings and are accompanied with a cash prize. It is possible for one rider to earn numerous jerseys at the conclusion of the Tour, such as last year’s winner Jonas Vingegaard, who took home both the yellow and polka-dot jerseys.

RELATED: 2023 Tour de France Jerseys: What do the yellow, green, white and polka dot jerseys mean?

What does the winner receive?

Throughout the years, the prize awarded to the winner of the Tour de France has varied. The first Tour de France ever staged in 1903 granted a prize of 20,000 francs, which amounts to approximately $22,280.

For 2023, a grand total of €2,308,200 is on offer ($2,526,735). This number, however, is not all given to one rider, but rather split among top general classification riders, stage winners, top sprinters and winners of other minor awards.

The largest share of the prize is granted to the winner of the maillot jaune (general classification), who will take home €500,000. The runner-up receives €200,000, third gets €100,000 and fourth is awarded €70,000.

If a rider is donning the green jersey ( maillot vert), however, the prize is divided as follows:

Other prizes are granted to riders, such as those wearing the “King of the Mountains” jersey and the white jersey, along with the cyclist dubbed “Most Aggressive Rider”. Numerous other small prizes will be distributed throughout the tour.

One of the most sought after prizes, however, is the team award. The team who wins the Tour de France is the group that contains the three fastest cumulative finishers on each stage. The amount granted to each team on the podium is as follows:

Last year’s winner was the group hailing from Denmark in Team Jumbo-Visma.

How many teams are in the Tour?

22 teams will make up the peloton of the Tour de France. Of these teams are the 18 UCI WorldTeams that received an automatic invite and four UCI ProTeams.

UCI WorldTeams

• AG2R Citroën Team (Fra)
• Alpecin Deceuninck (Bel)
• Astana Qazaqstan Team (Kaz)
• Bora-Hansgrohe (Ger)
• EF Education-Easypost (Usa)
• Groupama-FDJ (Fra)
• Ineos Grenadiers (Gbr)
• Intermarché-Circus-Wanty (Bel)
• Jumbo-Visma (Ned)
• Movistar Team (Esp)
• Soudal Quick-Step (Bel)
• Team Arkea-Samsic (Fra)
• Team Bahrain Victorious (Brn)
• Team Cofidis (Fra)
• Team DSM (Ned)
• Team Jayco AlUla (Aus)
• Trek-Segafredo (Usa)
• UAE Team Emirates (Uae)

UCI ProTeams

• Lotto Dstny (Bel)
• TotalEnergies (Fra)
• Israel-Premier Tech (Isr)
• Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (Nor)

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Be sure to follow OlympicTalk for the latest news, storylines, and updates on the 2023 Tour de France!

Tour de France 2023: Route and stages

Read about the entire route of the 2023 Tour de France.

Please click on the links in underneath scheme for in-depth information on the individual stages.

Tour de France 2023 stages

Tour de france 2023: route, profiles, more.

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More about the Tour de France

Tour de france 2023: the route, tour de france 2023 route stage 1: bilbao - bilbao.

Tour de France 2023 Route stage 2: Vitoria-Gasteiz - San Sebastián

Tour de France 2023 Route stage 3: Amorebieta-Etxano - Bayonne

Tour de France 2023 Route stage 4: Dax - Nogaro

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2026 GRAND DÉPART: THE CROWNING GLORY OF BARCELONA

The Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, hosted the director of the Tour de France, Christian Prudhomme, at an official ceremony held this morning to announce that the 113th edition will get under way in the Catalan capital on Saturday, 4 July 2026. The host city of the 1992 Olympic Games has already rolled out the red carpet for the Tour de France on three occasions (1957, 1965 and 2009). It also provided the backdrop for the opening of the Vuelta in 2023. The 2026 route will feature two stages inside Catalonia and the start of a stage finishing on French soil.

South we go. The venue chosen for the Grand Départ of the 2026 Tour de France will set a new record in the history of the event, as Barcelona, straddling the 41st parallel, will edge out Porto-Vecchio as the southernmost start of the race by a dozen minutes of latitude. The Grande Boucle has already graced the streets of the Catalan capital, most recently in 2009, when Thor Hushovd outsprinted the Spanish speedsters Óscar Freire and José Joaquín Rojas to take stage 6 right next to Montjuïc Stadium. Since that fleeting Spanish sojourn, the Tour has gone through the wild experience of a Grand Départ in the Basque Country in 2023 and is now gearing up for another equally intense adventure on the shores of the Mediterranean. The Grande Boucle will share a momentous occasion with the people of Barcelona, as the Sagrada Família is slated to finally reach completion in 2026. The cathedral, whose silhouette has become an iconic symbol of Barcelona, sprang from the brilliant mind of the architect Antoni Gaudí, who adorned the city with numerous buildings and part of his whimsical spirit before he died, as fate would have it, in 1926. Barcelona is a global architecture hub and a nexus of sport in Spain. Long before the 1992 Olympic Games, Montjuïc Hill was the scene of a street circuit that hosted events such as the Formula 1 Spanish GP in the 1970s. Even more importantly, the city is the focal point of one of the oldest and most prestigious races on the cycling calendar: the Volta a Catalunya, first held in 1911. The Vuelta a España has visited Barcelona 40 times over the years, including two starts in 1962 and 2023. French fans of a certain age will no doubt recall a blink-and-you-miss-it 3.8 km time trial in 1978, which Bernard Hinault won en route to his first Vuelta a España triumph. There is something for the tifosi too, with Felice Gimondi's world championship victory here in 1973, as well as the poignant memory of Fabio Casartelli's Olympic gold in 1992. The Belgian Claude Criquielion topped the podium when the Worlds returned to Barcelona in 1984. Meanwhile, Spanish cycling maniacs will remember one of their all-time greats, Alejandro Valverde, and his two stage wins in Barcelona in the Volta a Catalunya, a race he won four times. Last but not least, Catalan aficionats have plenty of time to watch the local talent Juan Ayuso continue developing into an even finer rider, primed to shine on home roads in 2026.

Tour de France stages in Barcelona

2009 Stage 6 — Girona > Barcelona, 181.5 km (Thor Hushovd, NOR) Stage 7, Barcelona > Andorra Arcalís, 224 km (Brice Feillu, FRA) 1965 Stage 11 — Ax-les-Thermes > Barcelona, 240 km (José Pérez Francés, ESP) Stage 12 — Barcelona > Perpignan, 219 km (Jan Janssen, NED) 1957 Stage 15a — Perpignan > Barcelona, 197 km (René Privat, FRA) Stage 15b — Barcelona > Barcelona, 9.6 km ITT (Jacques Anquetil, FRA) Stage 16 — Barcelona > Ax-les-Thermes, 220 km (Jean Bourlès, FRA)

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5 narratives that will light up this year’s tour de france, tour de hoody: a unique course, four favorites on uncertain form, and a peloton chasing history will make this tour de france one for the ages..

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

FLORENCE, Italy (Velo) — Tadej Pogačar and the Giro-Tour double. Mark Cavendish chasing the Eddy Merckx record. And Jonas Vingegaard , Remco Evenepoel, and Primož Roglič all on a desperate race against time to hit Tour de France peak form.

What’s not to love in the 2024 Tour de France?

Anchored around an atypical course, one that finishes beyond the realm of greater Paris for the first time in race history, coupled with the prestigious allure of the Olympic Games on the back of every racer’s mind, the 2024 Tour will be one for the ages.

And that is still the case despite a rash of pre-Tour crashes, illnesses, and drama that’s part and parcel of any elite men’s racing season.

If anyone is thinking that this year’s Tour might somehow be a lesser race due to three of the “Big 4” crashing hard at Itzulia Basque Country, don’t be fooled.

In fact, this Tour could be even better because of it.

And every Tour packs enough plot lines, treachery, and intrigue to fill a John le Carré spy novel — just cue the latest edition of the Netflix docuseries “Unchained” for a preview of what’s to come.

There is more than just the “Big 4” and Cavendish, and each and every rider and team are under intense pressure and expectations to deliver something, be it helping out their captain, reeling in breakaways, or chasing personal glory for themselves.

Here are the five storylines that will drive the narrative of this Tour:

1. Pogačar and ‘The Double’

“The Double” is one of cycling’s most elusive milestones, and Pogačar is looking prescient in his decision to race the Giro d’Italia this spring.

With a Giro course that was relatively “light,” and racing against a relatively “thin” GC field, Pogačar made relatively “easy” work of the Giro. No rival directly took it to him, and the one that tried to follow his wheel — Ben O’Connor in the first week — paid a heavy price across the rest of the race.

The Giro was about as easy for Pogačar as a three-week grand tour could be. He didn’t suffer any serious crashes or illnesses, never went into a base-burning red zone, and he danced his way to pink as if he were on a three-week training camp.

Now we will see if Tour will extract its price.

And the Tour always does. No race demands as high a toll as the grand boucle , and it’s no wonder that no one since Marco Pantani in 1998 has won both in the same season.

For a long time, no serious Tour de France contender even tried. Lance Armstrong — though his results are now officially scratched from the record book — never once started the Giro until his doomed comeback.

There were a few Giro winners along the way who won pink and pedaled into the Tour almost as a “why-not” jolly, like Ivan Basso or Vincenzo Nibali, only to run out of gas long before Paris.

The most serious Giro-Tour attempt came with Chris Froome in 2018. He recently told me at the Critérium du Dauphiné before finding out he would not be racing this year’s Tour that the huge dig required to win the 2018 Giro cost him what might have been a record-tying fifth yellow jersey.

Froome, of course, crashed in 2019, and that 2018 Giro marks his last professional victory, and he missed out on selection for the second year in a row. Froome’s Tour story looks finished.

No more white jersey for Tadej at Le Tour After winning the youth classification four times in a row at the Tour de France, Tadej Pogačar is now too old to compete for the white jersey at this year’s race Getty Images ______________ #TDF2024 pic.twitter.com/Mynl2pIghm — Road Code (@RoadCode) June 22, 2024

The list is long why not to race the Giro first — the demands of the race, the short window of recovery before the Tour, and financial and sponsor importance placed on the Tour — and there is the risk not hitting the Tour with the best possible options of victory.

Pogačar is snubbing his nose at those nay-sayers, and proving that in modern racing that old-school records can still fall. Or at least he’s putting a very solid foot forward.

The crashes of his rivals coupled with the relatively low cost of the Giro places Pogačar in pole position to win back the yellow jersey.

Get out the popcorn. Even when Pogačar is on cruise control he is capable of making things interesting.

2. Cavendish chasing Merckx

Mark Cavendish and quest to break the “Merckx mark” will carry the suspense into the other half of this Giro. Normally, the sprinters and the hunt for the green jersey is a secondary story line that only occasionally hits headline status.

That will change this year as Mercurial Mark and his Cavendish Express hunt for one — just one — victory to surpass Eddy Merckx on the all-time victory list.

Of course, some detractors will argue that Cavendish’s wins have only come in the bunch sprints, and point out that Merckx won in all disciplines, from sprints and time trials to mountaintop finales and breakaways.

And that’s true. But to win 34 of anything in the hyper-competitive, worldwide peloton of modern cycling is also arguably harder than when Merckx was racing against a handful of Belgians, French, Italian, and Dutch riders, some of whom were not even on full-time salaries.

Today’s peloton represents that the absolute best of the 1 percent of the 1 percent across the globe, with riders from the Americas, Australia, the former Eastern Bloc, and, as Cavendish represents, the UK.

It’s impossible to compare eras, and there’s no arguing that Merckx isn’t the GOAT, but no one should take anything away from Cavendish’s accomplishments.

Will he win one more? It won’t be easy.

Though on paper he has the best leadout train in the Tour, this year’s Tour isn’t ideal for Cavendish.

A brutal opening weekend could even see some riders getting time cut. Cavendish and Co. should see four chances in the first half — stage 3, 5, 6, and 10 — and the common consensus is that if he’s going to do it, he needs to do it before the race dips into the Pyrénées and Alps in the back-half of the race.

Of course, everyone says they’d be happy to see popular Cavendish get the record, but none of his direct rivals will be squeezing the brakes to let him win.

Jasper Philipsen and Mathieu van der Poel represent the most mortal danger to the Cavendish quest, with Fabio Jakobsen, Dylan Groenewegen, Michael Matthews, Sam Bennett, Mads Pedersen, Arnaud De Lie, and a host of others are just as desperate for the win.

I am a huge fan of the bunch sprint, and if Mercurial Mark can get that one W, more power to him.

Part of me would like to see him stay tied with Merckx, and force him to race one more season. Let the circus roll on!

3. Remco and Roglič drama

Perhaps no two riders deliver more drama-per-kilogram than Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič.

These two are natural-born showmen, and bring a bit of football-style bravado from the pitch to the bitumen.

Both are desperate for Tour de France success, with Evenepoel under huge pressure in his Tour debut. At the other end of the spectrum is Roglič, out to prove he can win on a new team at Bora-Hansgrohe and take on not only his former bosses at Visma-Lease a Bike but also beat his bête noire in the form of Pogačar, who stole his Tour crown in 2020.

The fact that both are also coming off injuries, more so for Evenepoel than Roglič, will only make them more unpredictable and dangerous.

The opening weekend across the Apennines should set things up for a firecracker-laden opening salvo that will quickly illuminate the field about where everyone stands. Both will be swinging for the fences.

Staying power will be the biggest question mark for these two.

Evenepoel always seems to find trouble, be it his own doing or others, and Roglič showed woeful hints of a late-race collapse at the Critérium du Dauphiné that nearly saw Matteo Jorgenson ride away with the win.

Roglič will be a fan favorite, especially with time running out for the former ski jumper who’s had an extraordinary career despite coming very late to the sport. Supported by a very strong “Band of Brothers” at the newly backed Red Bull team, Roglič will be racing with nothing to lose.

Evenepoel has time on his side, and if he’s unable to follow the Pogačar flares in the high mountains, he could quickly transition into stage-hunter mode similar to what happened in last year’s Vuelta a España.

No one knows what will happen with these two, and that’s what will make this Tour even greater.

4. How far can Vingegaard go? Enter GC Kuss and Jorgo

Evenepoel and Roglič all enter this Tour a touch off their ideal best, but at least they raced at the Dauphiné showing signs of their glittering potential.

Vingegaard will race into the great unknown.

The two-time Tour-winning Dane is a late addition to the “Killer Bees” lineup that’s lost a bit of its sting due to a seemingly endless string of crashes and bad luck. Wout van Aert and Christophe Laporte are also coming off the injury ward for late-hour bids to chase elusive Tour magic.

Sometimes that uncertainty can be liberating.

Since there’s no pressure or expectations, the two-time defending champion will be free to race on instinct and feeling. Mystery can also mess with a rider’s head.

Vingegaard is logical to his core, and if he knows he doesn’t have the numbers to win, he will accept it without drama, and either will methodically race for the podium, or even tune down the ambitions even more.

After missing so much training and racing ahead of this Tour, it’s hard to imagine him having the legs to hold out across three weeks against a finely tuned Pogačar.

Last year, the tables were turned, and a recently injured Pogačar accepted his fate in the Alps. The same thing could happen to Vingegaard.

Will ‘GC Kuss’ take off this week at the Dauphiné? Or at the Tour de France next month? Velo sits down with the Vuelta a España winner to find out —> https://t.co/uG6vmquD9f — Velo (@velovelovelo__) June 2, 2024

And if he does fade, what about Sepp Kuss or Matteo Jorgenson stepping into the void?

On paper, Vuelta a España winner Kuss has the GC credentials to stand and deliver, but looking at performances so far this season, it’s Jorgenson who could emerge as the team’s best GC alternative.

Visma-Lease a Bike will be on eggshells trying to nudge all of its leaders out of Italy and back into France with GC options fully intact.

Pogačar, Roglič, and Evenepoel will surely attack not just to win but to try to eliminate Vingegaard in the opening two stages if they can.

5. Non-traditional Tour route to spice things up

The Olympics in Paris put a spanner in the works for Tour de France organizers ASO.

French officials were too worried about security risks and logistical problems associated with the looming Olympic Games that the Tour de France was forced to end the race beyond the realm of greater Paris for the first time in race history.

ASO turned that Olympic hurdle into a blessing thanks to some maneuvering that sees the Tour bringing its grand départ road show to Italy for the first time as well as reviving the closing-day time trial.

Since the Tour ended on the Champs-Éysées in 1975, the race ended every year with all the pomp and circumstance of a royal wedding, capped by a tidy bunch sprint, except one.

In perhaps the Tour’s most famous finale, Greg LeMond nipped the pony-tailed Laurent Fignon in a brutal and historic reversal of fortunes in 1989, the last year the Tour concluded with a time trial.

Could this year see a repeat on the Promenade des Anglais? Very much so.

While it’s likely that Pogačar could very well have a commanding grip on yellow, the closing podium spots — and perhaps even the maillot jaune — could be up for grabs.

The 34km course tackles La Turbie and Col d’Eze in a technical, challenging route that could crush the dreams of anyone riding on fumes and deliver nirvana to a rider on a rocketship.

Between Florence and Nice, this year’s Tour also delivers some unique wrinkles that will make the race deliver plenty of surprises.

Let the hype begin!

Elite men’s road racing’s most important month is about to begin. Follow Velo’s coverage from start to finish, with Andrew Hood and Andy McGrath reporting from the ground beginning this weekend.

It’s Tour de France week! Le #TDF2024 commence cette semaine ! pic.twitter.com/HR1VrHsssR — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) June 24, 2024

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Tour de France 2021: The Essential Race Guide

All you need to know, from the contenders to race and stage-by-stage analysis

The 2021 Tour de France is almost upon us with the Grand Départ set for June 26, and 21 mouth-watering stages to look forward to as the race takes in Brittany, two individual time trials, a double assault on Mont Ventoux and the customary finish on the Champs Élysées in Paris on July 18.

The 108th edition of the race will see defending champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) aim to defend his crown against Primoz Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) and a host of other yellow jersey contenders over what is an intriguing and multi-layered route profile. 

After a mountain-heavy Tour de France in 2020, race organisers ASO have opted for a more traditional and classic affair this time around, with the race reverting to hosting two long individual time trials for the first time since 2013.

In fact, on the face of it, the profile and route of the 2021 edition of the Tour de France is somewhat of a throwback to a Jean-Marie Leblanc style of race – in that the route suits a strong time triallist and puts the pure climbers on the back foot almost immediately. However, there are deeper levels and dimensions to Christian Prudhomme’s opus. 

There are just three summit finishes in total, 58km of time trialling – a lot for a modern-day Tour – and eight stages for the sprinters. Prudhomme has also moved away from packing the route with a barrage of new climbs or prolonged periods in the Jura, Massif Central or Vosges mountain regions. 

That being said, Prudhomme has cleverly concocted a route that marries some of the most iconic of French cycling furniture – Mount Ventoux, Brittany, the Col de Port, Pau, and the Tourmalet – and blended those ingredients with several truly engaging aspects. 

There may only be three summit finishes, and many of the staple Alpine climbs are missing, but there are stages that could be defined just as much for their descents as the climbs they included, with ASO attempting to nullify the typically late mountain-top attacks by encouraging riders to go on the offensive even earlier.

Prudhomme may have built this Tour on traditional foundations, with two days in the Alps and five in the Pyrenees, but he has also taken risks too – something Leblanc rarely did. His 2021 route is peppered with stages that could easily be turned upside down by crosswinds and potential ambushes, especially around Narbonne, Nimes, and Carcassonne. The four days in Brittany – although a replacement for the Copenhagen Grand Départ – could see the race lead change almost daily, while the first time trial on stage 5 has enough road to create a pecking order and draw out the climbers ahead of the Alps.

Overall, this is a route that perhaps doesn’t ignite the immediate excitement or glamour that some of Prudhomme’s recent ventures have. Ventoux aside, there are no gimmicks, but this is still a highly engaging route and one that provides all the landscape the riders need to make compelling Tour de France.

The Tour de France contenders – Pogačar, Roglič and Ineos

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) comes into the race as the reigning champion so the young Slovenian starts his Tour defence under completely different circumstances to last year, when he was somewhat of an underdog. His smash and grab at La Planche des Belle Filles last summer was nothing short of astonishing but it’s fair to say that he benefitted from the fact that he and his team didn’t need to control any of the race. Instead, they wisely allowed Jumbo-Visma to wear themselves out, but this time around Pogačar will not be afforded such comforts and from the moment he arrives in Brest for the Grand Départ the entire race will be watching his every move. That said, Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates squad are far from average. In Marc Hirschi, David de la Cruz, Brandon McNulty, Davide Formolo, and Rafal Majka, the defending champion has the core of an excellent team. They aren’t the strongest team in the race but they don’t necessarily have to be. 

On paper, Pogačar’s main threat is the rider he crushed in the final time trial last year, Primoz Roglič . The Jumbo-Visma leader has spent the last few months secluded up at altitude, shunning the standard pre-Tour race programme for a tailor-made and extended period of training. He has not been seen at a race since Liège-Bastogne-Liège back in late April but the 31-year-old will no doubt bring his best condition to the race. There are reasonable questions over the current form of his team but while the Dutch outfit may not have the same sparkle they had last year, they are far from mediocre, with Sepp Kuss, Wout van Aert and Steven Kruijswijk providing worthy cover.

The strongest ensemble in this year’s race comes from Ineos Grenadiers who line up with 2018 winner Geraint Thomas , Richard Carapaz and Richie Porte among their cast. The British team, smarting from last year’s defeat, will be looking to win back-to-back Grand Tours after Egan Bernal’s Giro d’Italia success in May, and while they do not have a contender as lethal as Pogačar or Roglič, their collective muscle could be just as important. When the leading group are down to 10 riders in the mountains it’s possible that half of that contingent could be made up of Ineos riders and that's a level of dominance that cannot be ignored. Roglič and Pogačar cannot chase every move and while attacking might be the Slovenian pair’s best form of defense, they could just as easily become isolated.

For Ineos Grenadiers, the dilemma comes in the form of which leader to back. Thomas has the better Tour record, of that there’s no doubt, but he looked below his best at the Dauphiné while Carapaz dominated the Tour de Suisse. Porte is somewhat of a dark horse but the two time trials along the route probably edge Thomas ahead in the team pecking order.

Outside of the Ineos, UAE and Jumbo stables, there are a number of overall contenders with hopes of challenging for the podium. Marc Soler, Enric Mas , Miguel Angel Lopez and Alejandro Valverde are in line for protected spots at Movistar – although it’s surely Mas who leads the line after his fifth place last year. Julian Alaphilippe will shoulder Deceuninck QuickStep’s ambitions but will once again be forced to fend for himself in the mountains, while Rigoberto Uran (EF Education-Nippo) looks to be back to his 2017 level when he finished on the podium.

There are three Australians – leaving Porte aside – with genuine top-ten hopes. Ben O’Connor has finished top ten in his last two weeklong WorldTour stage races and it’s little wonder that AG2R Citroën recently extended his contract. Lucas Hamilton has been given the responsibility of leading Team BikeExchange's GC bid with Simon Yates targeting stage wins, while Jack Haig was fifth in the recent Dauphiné and has an in-form Bahrain Victorious at his disposal.

Wilco Kelderman forms part of a very strong Bora-Hansgrohe squad that includes Emanuel Buchmann and Patrick Konrad , and Nairo Quintana (Arkéa-Samsic) remains a threat even if his star has been waning for some time.

Along with Alaphilippe, the French have real hope via Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), who looks to be peaking on time this year after he faded in the second half of last year’s race, but it’s David Gaudu at Groupama-FDJ who instills the most belief from the home nation. With Thibaut Pinot still on the sidelines, Gaudu has the chance to stake his claim as a Tour de France contender in his own right. He was mightily impressive at the Vuelta last year, winning two stages and finishing eighth overall. This year the 24-year-old has been consistent and the next natural progression for him would be a top-five in Paris.

Israel Start Up-Nation arrives at the race with Michael Woods as their protected GC asset. That leaves four-time Tour winner Chris Froome to act in the unfamiliar role of road captain. 

Below those riders there are a number of talented outsiders worth watching, with Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), Jakob Fuglsang (Astana-Premier Tech), Esteban Chaves (Team BikeExchange), Michael Woods (Israel Start–Up Nation), Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers), Dan Martin (Israel Start–Up Nation) and Warren Barguil (Arkéa-Samsic) are all flying under the radar.

The Tour de France sprinters – Ewan, Démare, Merlier, Cavendish or Bennett?

With up to eight stages within this year’s race intended for the sprinters, there’s no hiding away from the fact that the fastest riders in the world will be hogging their fair share of headlines in this year’s race. The first dedicated sprint stage arrives on stage three and other than the block of stages in the Pyrenees, the rest of the flat days are liberally dotted throughout weeks 1, 2, and 3. 

There are question marks over the participation of Sam Bennett , who is still recovering from a knee injury, and while Deceuninck-QuickStep boss Patrick Lefevere publicly announced that he has no ‘plan B,’ that’s not strictly true. Mark Cavendish – a 30-time stage winner – is waiting in the wings and after his recent exploits in Belgium, he looks like the fiery, competitive rider of old. Michael Mørkøv needs someone to lead out after all, and if Bennett proves unable to prove his fitness in time, the veteran Manxman could prove the perfect tonic for Lefevere’s unease. 

The fastest rider in the race, however, is likely to be Caleb Ewan , who looks like a prime contender for the green jersey, let alone a stage win or two. The Australian has almost the entire Lotto Soudal team at his disposal and, after his double at the Giro d’Italia, looks well on course to add to his tally of five Tour stages. 

When it comes to the WorldTour, Arnaud Démare has been a pale imitation of the rider who dominated the Giro sprints last year but his flat-track bully performances in recent months suggest that the Groupama-FDJ rider is approaching something like his best form just in time. Tim Merlier looks like a rider to watch after his stunning start to the year, while his Alpecin-Fenix teammate and leader Mathieu van der Poel can no doubt play a part on any stage that isn’t in the mountains or a time trial. 

Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) can sprint with the best riders but his disrupted run-in and operation to remove his appendix has left question marks over his condition. Even a Van Aert at 80 per cent is a threat but Peter Sagan – the seven-time Green jersey winner – remains the biggest threat for Bennett’s title defence if the Irishman does make it to Brest. Sagan won a stage in the Giro and the points competition and, despite Bora-Hansgrohe’s insistence on stacking a team with climbers, looks like the favourite for all but the flattest of stages. Sonny Colbrelli has never won a Grand Tour stage but was in blistering form at the recent Dauphiné, while Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix), Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates), Mads Pedersen (Trek–Segafredo), Nacer Bouhanni (Arkéa-Samsic), Michael Matthews (Team BikeExchange) and Bryan Coquard (B&B Hotels p/b KTM) are all worth a mention. 

The Tour de France Route – a stage by stage guide

All times local – CEST. All finish times according to the earliest predicted schedule. 

Stage 1 / Saturday June 26 / Brest - Landerneau, 197.8km / Times: 12:10 - 17:00

The 2021 Tour de France kicks off with what could be a thrilling stage between Brest and Landerneau. This is the first time since 2008 that the Tour has started in Brest but rather than opting for a prologue or short time trial ASO have decided to cram six climbs within the opening 197.8km of this year’s race. Although none of the ascents will worry the peloton too much, this has all the makings of a difficult day in the saddle with the pace likely to be relentless throughout. With no yellow jersey or pecking order established, tensions will run high, while the added complication from possible cross-winds will leave several overall contenders nervous.

Crashes, splits and tactical mistakes will all play a part but the gradient on the final climb does at least ease in the final 500 metres before the line. That said, many of the pure sprinters will have been distanced by that point and it should be a puncheur who comes out on top to take the stage and the first maillot jaune of this year’s race.

Stage 2 / Sunday June 27 / Perros-Gueirec - Mûr-de-Bretagne, 183.5km / Times: 13:10 - 17:30

Stage 2 of the Tour de France is a day of two halves. Unlike the opening day of racing, when the climbs were evenly spread out, stage 2 between Perros-Guirec and the top of the Mur-de-Bretagne has most of the six categorised climbs crammed into the second half of the stage, with two ascents of the Mur-de-Bretagne thrown in for good measure. That said, there’s relatively little in the way of flat roads between the start and the first climb at 72.8 kilometres.  

The finale is technical and we’re likely to see the same riders who contested stage 1 once again take centre stage. Assuming the peloton starts the final climb in one piece, the gaps between the overall contenders should be relatively small come the line but last time the race finished here, back in 2018, Daniel Martin attacked with around one kilometre to go and everyone of the top-three finishers in Paris lost time. Once again, this isn’t a day for the peloton to relax.

Stage 3 / Monday June 28 / Lorient - Pontivy, 182.9km / Times: 13:10 - 17:24

After two days that catered for the puncheurs the sprinters of this year’s Tour de France will be finally let off the leash. The stage departs Lorient, the hometown of former King of the Mountains winner Warren Barguil, but that’s where any attention directed towards the talismanic Frenchman ends, with the race hugging the coastline before heading inland, through the department of Morbihan, but before reaching the finish in Pontivy the peloton must climb the Côte de Cadoudal – known as the Breton Alpe d’Huez – and where stages have taken place in both 2008 and 2015. All the fine-tuning and training before the race will count for little in the heat of the finale and with such a huge prize up for grabs it may well come down to which sprinter, and his leadout, make the fewest mistakes.

Stage 4 / Tuesday June 29 / Redon - Fourgères, 150.4km / Times: 13:25 - 16:52

The Tour de France’s mini Tour of Brittany ends on stage 4 with another outing for the sprinters. At just 150.4 kilometres in length, this is shorter than the previous day and its part of ASO’s plan to increase the intensity within the race on days that might ordinarily set out as slow burners before igniting in a fierce sprint battle to the line. There are no categorised climbs to speak of between the start in Redon and the finish in Fougeres but this is a must-watch stage nonetheless. The entire stage takes place in the Ille-et-Vilaine region. The last time the race ended in Fougeres was in 2015 with Mark Cavendish taking the stage. It’s an identical finish this time around with the sprinters set to enjoy their second straight day of action before the stage 5 time trial. 

Stage 5 / Wednesday June 30 / Changé - Laval, 27.2km / Times: 12:15 - 16:50

The Tour de France leaves Brittany on stage 5 and shifts up a gear with the first of two time trials in this year’s race, and while the opening two stages may have provided brief glimpses of a fight for the yellow jersey the 27.2 kilometre test between Changé and Laval Espace Mayenne will cause major changes to the overall standings. This is the longest individual time trial the Tour de France has held in the opening week since the 2008 edition. That year a vast amount of time separated the top contenders with the top 20 riders spread out over approximately a minute and a half and, in a race that has so far been judged by seconds, the aftershocks from this stage could determine the pattern of racing for the next two weeks.

Stage 6 / Thursday July 1 / Tours - Chàteauroux, 160.6km / Times: 13:55 - 17:26

After the stage 5 time trial and a reshuffling at the top of the overall standings the attention turns back to the sprinters. However, while the stage profile looks tailor-made for the fastmen, with a limited amount of climbing on the menu, there is a threat of crosswinds and echelon action in this region if the winds pick up.

The 160.6 kilometre stage leaves Tours and heads east. For the first few hours of racing there should be very little to trouble the peloton as the race heads out of the cathedral city and ventures into picture-postcard châteaux and vineyard country. This should be a day for the sprinters, and Mark Cavendish won his first-ever Tour stage in the finish town of Châteauroux back in 2008.

Stage 7 / Friday July 2 / Vierzon - La Creusot, 249.1km / Times: 11:00 - 17:05

Stage 7 of the Tour de France is a day that should be finely balanced between a break succeeding or a reduced group of all-rounders deciding the day’s honours. The stage, which sees the race head east from Vierzon is the longest Tour stage in 21 years, totalling a whopping 249.1 kilometres.

This may not look like a day for the GC riders but this has potential ambush written all over it. The distance, coupled with the demanding second half will ensure only a small group contest the finish, and we could potentially see yet another change in race leadership.

Stage 8 / Saturday July 3 / Oyonnax - Le Grand Bornand, 150.8km / Times: 13:10 - 17:06

The hills on stage 7 were mere an appetizer for what’s in store on stage 8 of the Tour de France as the race heads into the Jura and Alpine mountain ranges for the first time this year. There may not be a summit finish in store for the peloton but with five categorised climbs, plus an uncategorised uphill start, this will be a rude awakening for the riders after a week of relatively flat racing broken up by the odd short, sharp ascent.

The stage culminates with the first category ascent of the Col de la Colombière and a finish at Le Grand-Bornand but before then the peloton will tackle some rugged terrain and obstacles in just 150.8 kilometres of racing. 

The addition of the Cote de Mont-Saxonnex, new compared to the 2018 version of this finale, just adds another level of difficulty to the stage. Back in 2009, when the race also climbed the Romme-Colombière combo several GC contenders, including Lance Armstrong, were dropped with Frank Schleck taking the honours.

Stage 9 / Sunday July 4 / Cluses - Tignes, 144.9km / Times: 13:00 - 17:30

Two years after a stage on the Tour de France to Tignes was washed away by flash floods ASO have made true on their promise of bringing the race back, and this should be another mountain blockbuster with five climbs peppered along the 144.9-kilometre route between Cluses and the ski station at Tignes.

After taking in some of the most stunning scenery of the race so far the riders begin the long descent down into Bourg-Saint-Maurice followed by the long steady climb of the Montée de Tignes. It’s 21 kilometres in length and starts off relatively steadily but as the road continues the climb the gradient really digs in around the point of the Les Brevières. This a brute of a climb and the gaps between the overall contenders could stretch into minutes, and while this isn’t a summit finish – with the road flattening out with 2 kilometres to go – it’s still the hardest stage of the Tour so far. 

Rest day 1 / Monday July 5

Stage 10 / Tuesday July 6 / Albertviille - Valence, 190.7km / Times: 13:05 - 17:23

  Following the first rest day in this year’s Tour de France the racing recommences with a 190.7km stage from Albertville to Valence. The race takes us away from the Alps and it’s a day for the sprinters but the threat of potential crosswinds and echelons in the final part of the stage makes this anything but an easy day in the saddle. Michael Matthews won a stage in these parts back in 2017, beating Edvald Boasson Hagen and John Degenkolb to the line in Romans sur Isère, on a day that was also hit by crosswinds. That day Chris Froome and Team Sky put Dan Martin and Alberto Contador to the sword and even though their time losses were manageable every second counts at this point.

However, assuming that the sprinters’ teams remain in contention this could be a hugely important day in the battle for the Green jersey with a flat run into Valence perfectly suited to a bunch gallop. Chepe González – who certainly wasn’t a sprinter – won from a breakaway in Valence all the way back in 1996.

Stage 11 / Wednesday July 7 / Sorgues - Malaucène, 198.9km / Times: 12:00 - 17:18

Stage 11 is all about the climbers with the race taking on the highly anticipated doubled ascent of Mont Ventoux. Before the riders get to the first ascent they leave Sorgues and take on two small fourth category climbs, the Cote de Fontaine-de-Vaucluse followed by the first category Col de la Liguière. The riders will then descend into Sault before beginning the first ascent of ‘the Giant of Provence’. The first time up takes the easiest of three possible routes to the top but it’s also the longest, with 24.3 kilometres of climbing facing the riders. The toughest gradient come into view around Chalet Reynard with the riders emerging from the tree-covered landscape and reaching the barren slopes that make Mont Ventoux so revered. At the summit the riders drop down into Malaucène for the first time via one of the fastest descents they’ll face in the entire race before taking a short uncategorised climb to Bédoin and then the final ascent of the Ventoux. At 15.7 kilometres long, and with an average 8.8 per cent, the road is simply relentlessly steep from the very start. At Chalet Reynard they hit the roads they climbed earlier before cresting the summit and taking on a second breakneck descent into Malaucène for the finish.

Stage 12 / Thursday July 8 / Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux - Nîmes, 159.4km / Times: 13:30 - 17:12

After the double ascent of Mont Ventoux on stage 11 the race returns to less testing terrain with a 159.4 kilometre stage from Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Nîmes. As with stage 10, however, appearances can be deceptive and despite only one short climb positioned mid-way through the stage there’s another chance that echelons and crosswinds could play their part in proceedings. At Vallon Pont d’Arc the stage heads south and into the Gard department. The exposed roads at this point could be a key if the wind picks up before the peloton hits the third cat climb of the Côte du Belvédère de Tharaux. With less than 30 kilometres to go the road heads due south to Nîmes for the expected bunch sprint, where Alexander Kristoff and Caleb Ewan are both past winners. This could be either a relatively quiet day in the Tour or one of the most intense battles of the race so far.

Stage 13 / Friday July 9 / Nîmes - Carcassonne, 219.9km / Times: 12:05 - 17:15

After finishing in Nimes on stage 12, the riders still left in the Tour de France will leave the same city in the Occitanie region of southern France and head towards the historical city of Carcassonne. On paper this looks like a relatively straightforward transition stage as the race tip-toes towards the Pyrenees but the finer details of this 219.9 kilometre jaunt tell a different story. Once more the threat of crosswinds loom large and while there is only one fourth category climb between the start and Carcassonne the majority of route is rolling. It’s no coincidence that no stage has ever ended in a bunch sprint in Carcassonne with Magnus Cort Nielsen winning from the break last time the race reached the walls of the medieval citadel that dominate the hill-top town, back in 2018.

Stage 14 / Saturday July 10 / Carcassonne - Quillan, 183.7km / Times: 12:15 - 16:48

For a second day in a row the Tour de France departs from the previous day’s finish and stage 14 of the race heads out of Carcassonne for a 183.7 kilometre journey south to the small town of Quillan. On paper this looks like a nailed on day for the breakaway with five categorised climbs peppering the route all the way towards the 17 kilometre descent from the top of the last ascent into the finishing town. The most likely scenario will see the sprinters’ teams sit back after the last few days of hostilities while the GC riders opt for a calm day given what’s ahead of them in the coming days.

The stage could be decided by the final climb of the stage, the Col de Saint-Louis. The ascent is 4.7 kilometres long and has an average gradient of 7.4 per cent and will provide the perfect launch pad for the remnants of the break to attack each other before the final descent to the line.

Stage 15 / Sunday July 11 / Céret - Andorre-La-Vieille, 191.3km / Times: 12:20 - 17:28

Stage 15 from Ceret to Andorre-La-Vieille is one of the hardest in this year’s race. There are four categorised climbs along the 191.3 kilometre route but three of them are first category ascents, while the riders will reach the highest point in this year’s race, topping out at over 2,400 metres. What’s more the final climb of the day, the Col de Beixalis, has the potentially to blow the entire race apart. From the intermediate sprint at Olette the road continues to climb towards the summit of the Montee de Mont-Louis. A descent follows but there’s little valley road before the riders begin to climb the secondary Cole de Puymorens – a 5.8 kilometre climb with an average gradient of 4.7 per cent. That climb will bring the riders to just under 2,000 metres, and there’s only a short descent before the first category climb of the Port d’Envalira – with the Souvenir Henri Desgrange going to the first rider to reach the Tour’s highest point. The following descent brings the race deep into Andorra before the assault of the Col de Beixalis looms into view. At the summit the road plummets back towards the centre of Andorra with a steep and highly technical descent towards the line.

Rest day 2 / Monday July 12

Stage 16 / Tuesday July 13 / Pas de la Case - Saint-Gaudens, 169km / Times: 13:05 - 17:21

Stage 16 sees the race head back into France, and while the 169 kilometre jaunt from Pas de la Case to Saint-Gaudens is far from easy, the profile suggest that the win could be decided by a break. That said, racing after a rest-day can often throw up some surprises and if one of the riders in the top-ten is showing any signs of weakness or fatigue, expect no mercy from their rivals. After the Col de la Core the riders will descend into the valley before hitting the Col de Portet-d’Aspet. They then descend – passing the Fabio Casartelli memorial – before the last and shortest climb of the day, the Côte d’Aspret-Sarrat. It’s only 800 metres in length but there are certainly some difficult stretches and with the finish just a few kilometres away it should provide an excellent launchpad for any last minute attacks.

Stage 17 / Wednesday July 14 / Muret - Saint-Lary-Soulan Col du Portet, 178.4km / Times: 11:50 - 16:49

The Col du Portet, first introduced to the Tour de France in 2018, returns this year and comes at the end of a crucial day in the Pyrenees. Starting in Muret, the route heads southwest and the opening 115 kilometres or so are relatively flat until the peloton reach Bagnères-de-Luchon – exactly where the 2018 Tour stage started. From there the riders will on the first of three major ascents with the Col de Peyresourde first up. The riders will then make a breakneck descent into Loudenvielle before tackling the Col d’Avet. It’s shorter than the Peyresourde but with a gradient averaging 8 per cent it’s a severe test. Another fast but this time technical descent follows before the road kicks up for the final climb and the summit finish atop the Col du Portet. The 16-kilometre ascent suits the lightweight pure climbers perfectly with a tough opening section as the road climbs towards Espiaube. At that point the gradient briefly eases before the riders turn right, thus avoiding the road towards Pla d’Adet, and take on a relentless section of switchbacks. The gradient reaches over 10 per cent in the final kilometre and the time gaps here could be race defining.

Stage 18 / Thursday July 15 / Pau - Luz Ardiden, 129.7km / Times: 13:35 - 17:19

Stage 18, the final mountain stage of this year’s Tour de France is arguably one of the hardest days in the race, with two massive Pyrenean climbs – the Col du Tourmalet and a blockbuster finish at the top of Luz Ardiden. What’s more, the stage is just 129.7 kilometres in length, meaning that there will be little to no respite.

There are two small fourth category ascents in the first 54 kilometres of racing – the Côte de Notre-Dame de Pietat, and the Côte de Loucrup, before an intermediate sprint at Pouzac From there the race heads through Bagnères-de-Bigorre and gently rises south through Campan and Saint-Marie-de-Campan before the race really starts on the slopes of the Col du Tourmalet. There’s then a rapid descent through Barèges and into Luz-Saint-Sauveur before the race reaches the Pont du Napoleon bridge. The riders then start the second straight HC-category climb of the day to the summit of Luz Ardiden. The climb is 13.3 kilometres in length, and while the opening few hundred metres are relatively easy the climb ramps up drastically after the first kilometre.  

Stage 19 / Friday July 16 / Mourenx - Libourne, 207km / Times: 12:20 - 17:06

With the Pyrenees in the rearview the attention turns back to the sprinters on stage 19 with a 207 kilometre stage from Mourenx to Libourne. However it will be a tough day for the sprinters to control. The distance, coupled with the fact that peloton will be exhausted from five days in the mountains, will leave a number of teams somewhat unwilling to control a peloton for a long day in the saddle. This could also be the last chance for teams without a sprinter or a GC rider to potentially rescue their race and with a lumpy opening 50 kilometres a bunch sprint is far from a certainty. 

Stage 20 / Saturday July 17 / Libourne - Saint-Emilion, 30.8km / Times: 13:05 - 17:19

At 30.8 kilometre in length, the individual test between Libourne and Saint-Emilion is a flat affair with small rises and long drags that will perfectly suit the time trial specialists. 

This is the course for the power specialists and even the technical sections along the route should be no problem for them. Any concerns will be purely reserved for the climbers, who after three weeks of racing could see their advantages obliterated in a painfully short amount of time. 

Stage 21 / Sunday July 18 / Chatou - Paris Champs-Élysées, 108.4km / Times: 16:15 - 19:00

After three weeks of drama and excitement the Tour de France arrives in Paris for the final stage and a showdown between some of the best sprinters in the world on the Champs-Élysées. For the fourth year in a row the final stage of the race starts in Chatou, just west of the capital, but the route initially heads east for a brief while before doubling back on itself. At this point the pace will be relaxed with teams and riders soft-pedalling through the opening kilometres and using the opportunity to celebrate their achievements and reaching Paris to complete the Tour.

How to watch the 2021 Tour de France – live TV and streaming

Read on to find out how to watch the Tour de France   via live stream, no matter your location, with  ExpressVPN .

The 2021 Tour de France will be broadcast around Europe and Eurosport. A subscription to  Eurosport Player  costs £6.99 for a single month, £4.99 for a year-long monthly pass, or £39.99 for a 12-month pass.

GCN+  will also air the race in the UK and in  select other territories  around Europe. A year’s subscription to GCN+ now costs £39.99 / €39.99 / $49.99 after the end of a promotional price in February. 

ITV4  will also be showing the race in the UK, with full full live coverage and highlights available. In Wales,  S4C  will be airing the race.

The Tour de France will be available to view in the USA on  Peacock Premium . A seven-day free trial is available, while a subscription to Peacock Premium will set you back $4.99 (or $9.99 without ads) per month.

FloBikes  will air the Tour de France in Canada. An annual subscription will set you back $149.  SBS  will air the race in Australia.

Around Europe, broadcasters include  France TV  in France,  ARD  in Germany,  Sporza  and  RTBF  in Belgium,  Rai  in Italy, and  RTVE  in Spain

If you live outside a broadcast zone or are on holiday outside your country and find that the live streams to be geo-restricted, you can get around this by getting access to them by simulating being back in your home country via a 'virtual private network', or VPN, for your laptop, tablet or mobile.

Our sister site TechRadar tested hundreds of VPNs and recommends the number-one VPN currently available as Express VPN. With  ExpressVPN , you can watch on many devices at once including Smart TVs, Fire TV Stick, PC, Mac, iPhone, Android phone, iPads, tablets, etc.

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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.

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Tour de France 2024 start: Date, time and how to watch Grand Depart on TV

The Tour de France promises plenty of intriguing with a peloton packed with storylines battles across three weeks of racing.

For the first time, the Grand Tour will begin in Italy, with Florence hosting the Grand Depart and San Marino becoming the 14th country to be visited by a stage.

The finish to the race will look rather different, too, as a time trial in Nice replaces the traditional Champs-Elysees sprint due to the ongoing preparations for Paris 2024.

The individual time trial will be the first to conclude the Tour since 1989, when Greg LeMond memorably pipped Laurent Fignon in the closest edition in history.

Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the 2024 Tour de France.

When is the Tour de France?

The 2024 Tour de France will be held between June 29 and July 21 and consist of 21 stages, with two rest days included in the itinerary. The race will not finish in (or near) Paris for the first time since its inception as Nice is instead utilised — the French capital is out of action due to the Olympics later this summer.

Where is the Grand Depart?

The Grand Depart will be held in Italy for the first time, with Florence in Tuscany selected to begin the route. Stage 1 will finish in the coastal resort of Rimini, while the next three stages will also begin in Italy before the race crosses the border.

How long is the Tour?

In all, the peloton will cover 3,492km (2,170 miles) across 21 days of racing. Stage 3 (Piacenza to Turin) is the longest stage at 229km (142 miles), while the 133 km (83 miles) route on Stage 20 (Nice to Col de La Couillole) is the shortest road stage. There are two individual time trials: Stage 7 is 25km (16 miles), and the final stage from Monaco to Nice will be contested over 34km (21 miles).

How can I watch it?

Viewers in the United Kingdom will again have the choice of two broadcasters. ITV will provide free coverage on ITV4 and ITVX, while the Tour de France will also be available to subscribers on Eurosport and discovery+.

Eurosport’s coverage of the opening stage begins at 10.30am BST on Saturday 29 June, while ITV viewers can tune in from 10.45am.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

Who are the favourites for victory?

There are set to be four main contenders for general classification victory, though each of the quartet arrives with significant questions about their readiness for the year’s second Grand Tour. Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) will seek a three-peat but has not raced since sustaining a broken collarborne and other injuries in a serious crash at the Tour of the Basque Country in April.

Primoz Roglic (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) were also injured in the incident, though the pair returned to racing at the recent Criterium du Dauphine as Roglic took overall victory.

Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) meanwhile enters attempting a Giro-Tour double having secured the maglia rosa in Italy earlier this year — no male rider has won both races in a single season this century.

We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.

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How to Watch the 2024 Tour de Suisse Women

What happened last year, riders to watch, race history.

The women’s iteration of the 87-year-old Tour de Suisse race was first added in the late 1990s but only existed for four years. A new women’s race was added in 2021.

The race is well known for its brutal (but picturesque) climbs up mountains in the Swiss Alps, such as the famed Gotthard Pass.

There are four stages in the Tour de Suisse Women, including one mountain stage, a mountain time trial, and two hilly stages. While the women will only cover 330 kilometers—just over 200 miles—in the four stages, they’ll climb a whopping 6,600 meters over the course of the race, making it a climber’s paradise. Stage 1, a circuit starting and ending in Villars-sur-Ollon—where the UCI headquarters is located— is considered the most difficult stage in the race, with over 1500 meters of climbing in just 35 miles.

• Stage 1: Villars-sur-Ollon - Villars-sur-Ollon (58.6 km)
• Stage 2: Aigle - Villars-sur-Ollon time trial (15.7 km)
• Stage 3: Vevey - Champagne (125.6km)
• Stage 4: Champagne - Champagne (127.5 km)

>> Watch a YouTube video preview of the 2024 Tour de Suisse route here.

If you’re in the U.S., Canada, or Australia, FloBikes ($29.99/month or $150 annually) is the best way to watch the Tour de Suisse Women. All four stages are available live and on-demand on FloBikes.com , the FloSports iOS app, and the FloSports app for Amazon FireTV, Roku, and Apple TV.

The Tour de Suisse Women will also be televised throughout the week on Discovery+ in the UK and Europe. However, there will be no Eurosport coverage.

Last year’s race was shorter by 30 kilometers, with similar opening and time trial stages followed by two hilly stages of 100km and 120km. It was an SD Worx podium, with Marlen Reusser taking the win and Demi Vollering just over a minute behind her in the GC. But just behind them came Elisa Longo-Borghini, then of Trek-Segafredo, followed by Canyon//SRAM teammates Kasia Niewiadoma and Elise Chabbey.

Compared to the men’s race, which comes only two weeks ahead of the start of the 2024 Tour de France , the women’s peloton will have more recovery time between stage races since the

The Giro d’Italia Women doesn’t begin until July 7. That means, unlike the men’s race, which is missing some of the top competitors, like Tadej Pogačar , this field is seriously stacked with all of the top favorites.

Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) : Last year, Vollering was second behind her teammate Marlen Reusser in this race. This year, she’ll likely be looking for her first GC title at the Tour de Suisse, and without Reusser in the mix, she’ll almost certainly be the rider that the team is working for.

Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon//SRAM) : Niewiadoma is always a threat in stage races and certainly has podium potential, but this year, she seems to be on a whole new level.

Niewiadoma also just had a break in Colorado for some altitude training and will likely be well-rested and ready to go head-to-head with Vollering. If you recall last year’s Col du Tourmalet stage at the Tour de France Femmes … things could get exciting on these mountain stages!

Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek) : The Lidl-Trek team is sending a sold squad to back Longo-Borghini, who’s had a great season when it comes to one-day races but hasn’t quite put together a great stage race yet. She’s been on eight one-day race podiums this season and certainly will be hunting a solid stage race performance ahead of the Giro d’Italia Women and Tour de France Femmes.

Juliette Labous (dsm–firmenich PostNL) : Labous is always a bit of a sleeper in races, rarely getting the win, but also rarely far from the top five. She’s been on the podium in seven stage races in the last two years, including a fourth at this year’s Vuelta España Femenina . Certainly expect to see her on the podium, if not the top step.

Kristen Faulkner (EF Education-Cannondale) : Faulkner just got named to the U.S. Olympic Track Team, but she’s still working hard on the road. She was second at the Tour de Suisse in the GC back in 2022, so a podium finish is well within her capabilities. She’s had some great results, including a stage win at the Vuelta España with her new team this year, and could certainly be going for more at this race before she shifts focus to the track.

Yara Kastelijn (Fenix-Deceuninck) : With the amount of climbing in this race, Kastelijn could be poised for a breakout result. She was third in the climber’s jersey standings at Vuelta España, and a race like this one is great for climbers who love punchy courses.

Jolana Neff (Switzerland): The Swiss enter a national team in this race, and it’s being led by mountain bike superstar and Olympic gold medalist Jolanda Neff. She’s a wildcard in this race—though admittedly, she’s using this race as a substitute for racing a World Cup MTB race at altitude in order to work on some breathing issues, so she may not be in top form. Still, she’s a super-strong rider and could send some shock waves through the peloton thanks to her formidable handling skills.

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Stage wins, polka dots, domestique duties? What to expect from the 3 Americans at the 2024 Tour de France

T he 2024 Tour de France gets underway in Florence, Italy, on Saturday, June 29, with a peloton of 176 riders spread across 22 teams.

This year, only three American riders are among them, but based on their strong performances of late, this small contingent holds great promise. As the tireless lieutenant for Jonas Vingegaard, Sepp Kuss had been on the roster for Visma - Lease a Bike but caught Covid and was replaced last minute by Dutchman Bart Lemmen.

 Here are the three U.S. riders competing in this year's Tour de France .

Matteo Jorgenson (Visma - Lease a bike)

If Sepp Kuss is considered Jonas Vingegaard 's lieutenant, then Matteo Jorgenson may just be his sergeant. The 24-year-old Idahoan is new to the Visma - Lease a Bike squad this year, but he has already proven himself a capable and versatile asset. He claimed the top step of the podium after an impressive solo ride at Dwars Door Vlaanderen and became the third American ever to win a stage in the Paris-Nice race this spring.

Despite his young age, Jorgenson is making his third Tour de France appearance. Expectations are high after his exciting performances last year, when he cleverly rode himself into several breakaways. And who can forget his stage nine performance? He captured the hearts of American fans that day, attacking solo and racing up the Puy de Dôme , only to be caught by the race leaders in the last 500 metres. Whether serving his team leader or hunting for a stage win, Jorgenson will be an exciting rider to watch at the Tour.

Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost)

Matteo Jorgenson wasn't the only American flying up the climbs at last year's Tour.  In his fourth Tour de France in service of the EF Education-EasyPost team, Neilson Powless rode himself into the dotted King of the Mountain's jersey on stage two –the first American to wear the jersey since 2017 – and managed to hold onto it until stage 15, proving himself as one of the best climbers in the pack. 

Due to a nagging knee injury, we've seen quite little of the California native this 2024 season, though he did appear to be in strong form at the USA Cycling National Road Racing championship . Here, he helped his teammate Sean Quinn take home the title while he himself walked away with a bronze medal in both the national road race and time trial championship. 

Whether he'll be going for another stint in the polka dot jersey or going for stage wins has yet to be seen. Either way, he'll be a rider to watch from the get-go, as the opening stage looks to be rather hilly already. 

Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost)

Twenty-four-year-old Sean Quinn will be making his Tour de France debut this year. Sporting his newly earned stars-and-stripes jersey, the U.S. national road racing champion will likely ride in service of E.F. Education's more senior riders, such as Richard Carapaz, Rui Costa, Alberto Bettiol and Powless.

Without a G.C. contender to challenge riders like Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar , the American team will focus on securing individual stage wins. As a strong climber with a powerful sprint, Quinn is well-equipped to contribute to his team's quest for its first stage victory since 2022.