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Results have arrived, tour de france explained: how you win & how it really works.

What do the Yellow, Green, and Polka-Dot Jerseys mean? How do you win? How do cycling teams work? Who are the favorites? We explain the basics of bike racing in this guide to the Tour de France.

Written by: Spencer Powlison & Bruce Lin

Published on: Jun 18, 2024

Posted in: Features

Did you recently get bit by the  road bike  bug? Did you watch Tour de France: Unchained and feel hungry for more? Or have you always been puzzled by the daily deluge of Tour de France news? This guide is for you.

We’ll cover the fundamentals of how this “game” is played. Also, we’ll delve into cycling’s paradoxical balance between being simultaneously a team sport and an individual sport, and many ways riders and teams play to win. 

• How the Tour de France Works
• How To Win The Tour de France - the Yellow Jersey

Other Ways to "Win" at the Tour de France

How cycling is actually a team sport... sort of.

• What Types of Riders Make Up a Team?

What Types of Stages Are in the Tour?

Strategies and tactics, three tips to watch like a pro, more fun tour de france info.

[button] Shop Road Bikes [/button]

How The Tour de France Works

The tour de france: infographic.

What is the Tour de France?

• The Tour de France is the world's most prestigious bike race which has been running for over 100 years. 
• The Tour takes riders all across France, through the Alps and the Pyranees, and finishes in Paris. 
• This year it will take place: June 29 - July 21, 2024
• The total race distance this year: 3,492 Km / 2,170 Mi 
• The Grand Départ - The Tour de France often starts somewhere outside of France so other cities and countries can experience the excitement of the Tour. This year, the Tour will start in Florence, Italy. The first 3 stages will head north, back into France. 

Key Details 

• 22 pro cycling teams will compete with 8 riders each ( 176 riders total )
• The race is split into 21 stages
• Riders race 1 stage per day
• Each stage has a stage winner. Winning a single stage at the Tour is a big deal. 
• On average, racers will ride over 100 miles per stage .
• Riders will get 2 rest days , one after the first week, and another after the second week.  
• The overall winner of the Tour de France is the rider with the fastest time after all 21 stages . 

How To Win The Tour de France - the Yellow Jersey

The winner of the Tour de France is the rider who has the fastest time after all 21 stages. Every stage is timed from start to finish, and every second counts toward the race's General Classification (GC). Every day, the current leader of the race will wear the Yellow Jersey so they are easy to spot. The rider wearing the Yellow Jersey when the race reaches the last stage Paris is the winner . 

Yellow Jersey Favorites & Riders to Watch:

The big favorite this year is  2020 & 2021 winner Tadej Pogačar. He is on good form and his top rival,  2022 & 2023 winner Jonas Vingegaard , suffered a bad crash/injury this spring that affected his preparation. 

The two other main favorites this year are Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel .  Carlos Rodriguez is also looking very good, but has yet win or podium a 3 week Grand Tour. This could be his breakout year and he's my dark horse pick. 

Outside contenders include Jonas Vinegaard's teamates, Sepp Kuss  (edit: Sepp won't be going due to illness) and Matteo Jorgenson , and Tadej Pogačar 's teammates, Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates . They'll really only have a chance at Yellow if their team leaders struggle or drop out.  

[newsletter]

The Yellow Jersey is the biggest prize, but there are multiple secondary prizes on offer too. Some teams and riders don’t even bother racing for the Yellow Jersey and instead focus on these prizes . 

Just like the Yellow Jersey, the current leader in each classification wears a special jersey color so they're easy to spot.

Points Classification - the Green Jersey

Also known as the sprinter’s jersey , this award goes to the rider who scores the most points throughout the race. Points are earned by finishing in the top-15 in a stage.

This classification favors “pure” sprinters (riders who don't compete on mountain stages), and more points are offered for winning flat stages. Riders can also earn points in mid-stage "intermediate sprints" that are usually stationed in towns to please the fans.

Green Jersey Favorites & Riders to Watch:

Jasper Philipsen dominated the sprint stages last year and he is currently the fastest sprinter in the world. He's already taken some big wins this spring, showing that he's in great form. I wouldn't bet against Philipsen, but t he best-ranked sprinters behind him are Arnaud De Lie and Dylan Groenewegen .

Other contenders include all-rounders like Mads Pedersen , who could go for green by nabbing consistent finishes on hilly and mountain stages where pure sprinters might struggle and stealing points throughout the race in  intermediate sprints.  Wout van Aert  is similar, and he has also won green before (and 9 stages), but his form is unknown after a major crash/injury sidelined him this spring. 

One sprinter to watch is Mark Cavendish . He is currently tied with Eddy Merckx for the all-time Tour de France stage win record (34 wins) and is coming back for one last year to try and score a record-breaking 35th win. 

King of the Mountains Classification - the Polka-Dot Jersey

The Tour gives the Polka-Dot “ King of the Mountains ” Jersey to the rider who collects the most points over the course of the race by reaching the summit of categorized climbs first.

The climb categorization system is opaque and subjective. What you need to know is that there are five climb categories. From easiest to hardest they are: category 4,  category 3,  category 2,  category 1, and hors category (HC - French for “beyond categorization”). Riders get more points on harder climbs. Riders also get more points on mountaintop stage finishes, especially if they win.

Polka-Dot Jersey Favorites & Riders to Watch:

Giulio Ciccone beat Neilson Powless last year for the Polka-Dots. Photo: A.S.O./Pauline Ballet

This one is tough to call until you reach the high mountains. Because the Yellow Jersey winner tends to gain the most time on climbs, anyone who’s in contention for the Yellow Jersey is a good bet. I'd put my money on Tadej Pogacar .

However, some riders might specifically target the Polka-Dot Jersey — 2023 winner,  Giulio Ciccone,  battled over the Polka-Dots with Neilson Powless last year. Maybe they will go for it again. 

Other Prizes

Best Young Rider Classification - White Jersey

This classification works the same way as the Yellow Jersey but is awarded to the highest-placed rider under 26 years of age. On rare occasions, a phenomenal young rider will win both the Yellow and White Jerseys. 

White Jersey Favorites & Riders to Watch:

Tadej Pogačar . This is an easy pick. Tadej is still 25, and as the favorite for the  overall win, it's doubtful anyone else can challenge him. 

Time to pick a new favorite since Tadej is finally too old! (The rule is " cyclists who will remain below 26 in the year the race is held are eligible" and Tadej turns 26 in September.)  In that case, Remco Evenepoel , Carlos Rodriguez , and Juan Ayuso are likely candidates. 

If the White Jersey leader also happens to be the overall leader (this happened in previous years when Tadej was in Yellow), then the next highest placed rider under 26 will generally wear the jersey during the race (this is mainly ceremonial).

Best Team Classification - Yellow Helmets

Like the Yellow or White Jerseys, this award is given based on overall time in the race and the team with the lowest overall time wins this prize . Each team tabulates the finish times of its three best riders on every stage. The team leading this classification usually wears yellow helmets, helping them stand out in the bunch.

Teams don't necessarily target this, but if a team realizes they're leading in week two or three, they definitely fight to try and hang on to it. 

Most Aggressive Rider - Red Number

Also known as the Combativity Award , this is likely the most mysterious prize in the Tour. In every stage (except time trials), a jury decides which rider in the race was most aggressive — usually, that means attacking a lot or gambling on a breakaway. Late in the broadcast, the announcers usually note which rider was given the combativity prize. If you spot a rider with a red number on their jersey, then he was named most aggressive the stage prior. At the end of the Tour, one rider gets the Super Combativity award.

Why are there teams if only one rider can win the Tour de France? Professional road cycling has a curious tension between the team and the individual. The key thing to remember is this: If a cyclist wins a stage or holds one of the leader’s jersey for a single stage, it is viewed as a team success . 

So if only one rider “wins,” what do the other seven riders on the team do to contribute to this elusive concept of teamwork? Here are some ways a group of individual cyclists comes together as a team to support their leader:

• Getting into breakaways (small groups that attack off the front of the main group) — that way his team doesn’t have to work to chase the breakaway down.
• Chasing down breakaways — to give the leader a chance to win or place well.
• Retrieving food and water for the leader or other key riders — bottle service on the road … what could be more luxurious!
• Pacing the leader up key climbs — although drafting isn’t as crucial, it can be a psychological advantage to have a teammate at your side.
• Pacing the leader back to the peloton in the event of a crash, mechanical, or split in the group — without teammates to draft, it might be nearly impossible to rejoin the peloton on some fast-paced stages.
• Giving the leader their bike or a wheel in the event of a mechanical — this can often be quicker than waiting for a team car or neutral support to show up with a spare.

What Types of Riders Make Up a Team? 

GC (general classification) riders - These are the riders vying for the Tour de France overall win. They need to be solid all-rounders who are also good climbers and time trialists. They are usually the team leader and the rest of the team works to support them. 

Sprinters - Sprinters don’t contend for the overall win, and are more interested in winning individual stages. They often wait to attack at intermediate sprints and the finish line of each stage. Some teams are built entirely around a sprinter and focus on winning stages or the Green Jersey. 

Climbers - Climbing specialists excel at going uphill. Climbers compete for stage wins on the tough mountain stages or work to support their GC leader in the mountains. 

Domestiques - Most riders on the team will work as “domestiques” to support their team leader. They allow their leaders to draft behind them to conserve energy, pace them up climbs, cover attacks from competitors, keep them in a good position, bring them food and water, and provide support in case of crashes or mechanicals. Good domestiques are essential for success. 

Time Trialists - Some riders specialize in time trialing. They can compete for wins on time trial stages or work as powerful domestiques on flat and hilly stages.  

The Tour de France route is different every year. Each stage is unique and offers different challenges to the riders. Here are the types of stages riders will contend with over three weeks:

Flat Stages - Flat stages are the ideal hunting ground for sprinters. Teams with sprinters will often work to keep the peloton together on flat stages, to ensure it ends in a bunch sprint where their sprinter has the best chance of winning. 

Hilly Stages - Hilly stages mix it up with rolling hills that make it more difficult for the peloton to stay together. These types of stages can be won by sprinters, climbers, or breakaway specialists. 

Mountain Stages - This is often where the Tour de France is won and lost. Mountain stages climb up into the high mountains in the Alps and the Pyrenees and it's where GC contenders will fight to gain time on their rivals.  

Time Trials - The Tour de France always features at least a couple of time trial stages. Riders set off individually to set the fastest time on a set course. With no riders to draft, it’s less about race tactics and more about pure speed and power.

So we just covered some team dynamics, rider types, and stage types. How does it all fit together? Teams often settle on strategies prior to the race. They assess their strengths and weaknesses and find ways to succeed — whether that means winning the yellow jersey or simply wearing a King of the Mountains jersey for just one stage. Here are some examples of how teams might set their strategies, and how they might execute them with the right tactics:

Team with a top GC rider: Naturally, they’ll try to win the yellow jersey. This means surviving inconsequential flat and rolling stages to conserve energy for key mountain stages and individual time trials. The leader’s teammates will try to get into breakaways so that their team won’t spend energy chasing all day. They’ll also set up the team leader to attack on key climbs or at least follow his rivals to defend his position.

Team with top sprinter: To win the green jersey, they’ll target the flat stages. This means controlling the peloton and chasing down breakaways to set up a sprint finish. Like the GC team, they might also put a rider in the breakaway to ease the burden on the team, forcing rival sprint teams to chase. On mountain stages, the team might have to call riders back from the peloton to help pace their sprinter to the finish so he doesn’t get time-cut.

Team with top climber: Winning the King of the Mountains (KOM) classification is often less of an obvious team effort. These pretenders to the throne tend to be opportunistic. However, it is advantageous to have a teammate in the breakaway on a key mountain stage when points are up for grabs. Also, when defending the polka-dot jersey, teammates can contest the climbs and finish ahead of KOM rivals to spoil their attempt to take over the classification lead by scoring points.

Smaller team without top leader: These are the teams that always try to put a rider in the day’s breakaway. This could earn them the Combativity Prize, or if they play their cards right, a stint in a leader’s jersey or even a stage win. This strategy requires constant attacking in the early kilometers of the race — something most fans rarely see on the broadcast. It is a hectic, painful part of the stage, but it’s crucial in establishing a break. Meanwhile, a breakaway rider’s teammates might patrol the front of the peloton to disrupt the chase.

Now that you understand the basics of how the Tour de France is raced, what do you, the new cycling fan do? There are daily stages for three weeks. That’s a lot of cycling!

Even if you don't have a way to watch the TV broadcast, it's easy to find highlights and extended highlights on YouTube. Fortunately, you don’t have to put your life on hold to watch the Tour de France. There are some reliably important stages you can focus on to catch the key action.

Can’t watch daily? Pick the key mountain stages. There are usually about 5-8 key mountain stages when the overall race is won and lost. Most of them are summit finishes, and they’re split between France’s two key mountain ranges: the Alps and Pyrenees. The first few ordinarily come in stages 6-9 before the first rest day, and the second round is often scheduled for the final week of racing. Occasionally, another summit finish, such as Mont Ventoux in Provence, will be on the list of important stages.

Watching daily? Tune in when things really heat up. On most flat stages, you can wait until the final 20 kilometers to tune in and see the sprinters fight it out. Some rolling stages might be entertaining in the final 50-60 kilometers if late breakaways occur. On mountain stages, it’s best to start watching as early as possible because sometimes, crazy things happen on the day’s first climbs.

Watching a LOT of TDF? Look for the nuances. If you’re going to have the race on all day, every day, you’ll need to dig a little deeper to enjoy the subtleties of the race. Try keeping track of riders who are often making the breakaway. Watch the sprint teams work together — or not — to chase an escape. Who looks to have strength in numbers, and who is not present at the front of the race? Are the GC riders staying out of trouble or tail-gunning at the dangerous back of the peloton? Usually, at any given time in the race, any given rider is positioned where they are for a specific reason. Look for clues to sort out what is happening.

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• Tour de France

Tour de France coverage from Cycling Weekly, with up to date race results, rider profiles and news and reports.

The Tour de France 2024 began on Saturday 29 June and marks the 111th edition of cycling's flagship race. In the first Grand Départ for Italy, the race started in Florence and traced a path east across the country, before heading back west towards France and into the Alps. 

The riders will also take on the Apennines, Massif Central and Pyrenees mountain ranges, and pass through Italy, San Marino, Monaco and France.

With Paris busy preparing for the Olympic Games in August there will be no room for the Tour de France's traditional final stage finish on the Champs-Elysées. Instead the race will finish in Nice – the first time it has ever finished outside the capital.

The world's best riders are locked into a battle for victory, with newly crowned Giro d'Italia winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) taking on Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease A Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step) – both of whom are currently returning from injury – and Primož Roglič (Red-Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe).

The three-week event is the second in the trio of Grand Tours, coming after the Giro d'Italia and before the Vuelta a España .

Check out our page on the  Tour de France 2024 route  for everything you need to know about the 21 stages from Florence to Nice, and look at  complete start list for the race .

This will be the first Tour since  GCN+ closed down , so make sure you read our how to watch the Tour de France guide carefully to make sure you can be fully tuned in. 

Tour de France 2024 reports

• Romain Bardet snatches first stage of the Tour de France as Mark Cavendish struggles
• Kevin Vauquelin secures first ever Tour de France stage victory for Arkea-B&B Hotels, while Tadej Pogačar claims the yellow jersey on stage 2
• Biniam Girmay becomes first black African to take a Tour de France win in stage 3 sprint
• Tadej Pogačar wins stage 4 duel with Jonas Vingegaard to reclaim yellow at the Tour de France
• Mark Cavendish breaks Tour de France stage win record with victory on stage five
• Dylan Groenewegen edges home first in bunch dash for Tour de France stage six
• Remco Evenepoel powers to time trial victory on Tour de France stage seven , as Tadej Pogačar keeps yellow
• Biniam Girmay powers to second Tour de France win on stage 8
• Anthony Turgis pips Tom Pidcock to win stage 9 of Tour de France after breathless day on the gravel
• Jasper Philipsen finally has his moment, winning Tour de France stage 10 bunch sprint
• Jonas Vingegaard outsprints Tadej Pogačar to claim victory on stage 11 of the Tour de France
• Biniam Girmay sprints to third win of the Tour de France on stage 12
• Jasper Philipsen outsprints Wout van Aert to win stage 13 of the Tour de France in Pau
• Tadej Pogačar wins stage 14 of the Tour de France and tightens his grip on the yellow jersey
• Tadej Pogačar dominates stage 15 of the Tour de France to extend his lead

Tour de France 2024: Overview

Tour de france 2024: the route.

One for the climbers, the 2024 Tour de France route incorporates four summit finishes, spans four mountain ranges, and features the hilliest opening stage in Tour de France history.

One of the most interesting and intriguing routes of recent years, sitting between the predominantly hilly week one and week three sits a flatter week two, and stage nine – with an abundance of white roads; 14 sectors in total.

There's plenty for the sprinters as well as the general classification and climbing specialists, although there are going to be some tough mountains to get over to reach the sprint stages, and to finish the three weeks.

For the first time in 35 years, a final stage means the yellow jersey won't be decided on the penultimate day, but with a time trial in Nice.

• Tour de France 2024 route: Two individual time trials, five summit finishes and gravel sectors
• Opinion: Is the 2024 Tour de France too hard?
• FAQs of the Tour de France: How lean? How much power? How do they pee mid-stage? All that and more explained

Tour de France 2024 route: Stage-by-stage

Tour de france 2024: the teams.

The Tour de France peloton consists of 22 teams of eight riders. This includes all 18 UCI WorldTour teams, as well as the two best-ranked UCI ProTeams, and two further squads invited by the organiser, ASO. 

The teams racing the 2024 Tour de France are:

• Alpecin-Deceuninck
• Arkéa-B&B Hotels
• Astana-Qazaqstan
• Bahrain-Victorious
• Bora-Hansgrohe
• Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale
• dsm-firmenich PostNL
• EF Education-EasyPost
• Groupama-FDJ
• Ineos Grenadiers
• Jayco-AlUla
• Intermarché-Wanty
• Israel-Premier Tech
• Lotto Dstny
• Soudal Quick-Step
• TotalEnergies
• UAE Team Emirates
• Uno-X Mobility
• Visma-Lease a Bike

Tour de France 2024: General classification riders

When it comes to potential yellow jersey winners, there are four riders to watch out for.

The quartet comprises Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), who has just won the Giro d'Italia; Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step), Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease A Bike), and Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe) . 

Reigning champion Jonas Vingegaard is the only rider over whom hangs a significant question mark for the race. Along with Roglič and Evenepoel, he came down in a nasty crash on stage four of the Itzulia Basque Country in April. All were injured but the Dane came off worst, and he only began riding outside in May. All three made it to the start line, but how their form will progress over the Tour remains to be seen. 

Following the route announcement in October, Tadej Pogačar said that the "end of the journey makes me smile", with the final two stages starting and finishing close to his home in Monaco. Pogačar is hoping to take back the top step in 2024 after two years of missing out on yellow to Vingegaard. The Slovenian won the Giro earlier this year.

Remco Evenepoel will make his Tour de France debut in 2024. Although he took a win in 2022 at the Vuelta, his performance in other Grand Tour races has been either inconsistent or blighted by illness. If he's to compete against the likes of Vingegaard and Pogačar, he'll have to up his game. After coming 5th overall and taking a stage win in his Tour debut in 2023 , Carlos Rodríguez will lead Ineos Grenadiers .

Tour de France 2024: Sprinters

It's going to be a tough year for the sprinters. Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck was one of the star men of last year's Tour de France, taking four stage wins and the green sprinter's jersey at the end of the three weeks. He has had a fine season so far, with a win at Milan-San Remo and second at Paris-Roubaix and is likely to be the rider to beat at the Tour.

Like Philipsen, Mads Pederson of Trek-Segafredo has enjoyed a successful early season, with a win at Gent-Wevelgem and (unlike Philipsen) a hatful of sprint victories. He's likely to be the Belgian's main rival in the bunch finishes.

All eyes will be on Mark Cavendish in the 111th Tour de France after he postponed retirement to target the Tour win record, currently shared with Eddy Merckx, and gain his 35th win. He said, however, that he was "in shock" and that this was the "toughest course" he had ever seen , when it was revealed in October. 

Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty), Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla) and Fabio Jakobsen (dsm-firmenich-PostNL) are also challenging for wins.

Tour de France 2024: On TV

As you'd expect the Tour de France is being broadcast in several different places throughout July. 

The race is being live-streamed on Discovery+ and Eurosport , as well as ITV4, in the UK and in Europe. Subscription costs are £6.99/month or $8.99/month, and £39.99 or $49.99 for a year.

A Flobikes  annual subscription will cost you $209.99 if you want to watch in Canada, while in the USA  NBC Sports  via Peacock Premium ($4.99 per month) will show the race. Australians can can watch the Tour for free on SBS on Demand.

And, of course, if you want to watch your local stream from anywhere in the world you'll need a VPN from a trusted company like ExpressVPN .

Tour de France: The jerseys

Much like every year in recent memory, the Tour de France jerseys and classifications are yellow for the overall leader, green for the leader in the points standings, polka-dot for the mountain classification, and white for the best young rider.

Along with the jersey prizes, there is an award for the most combative rider of each stage, with the winner wearing a red number on the following day. This is awarded each day, with a 'Super Combativity' award decided by a jury at the end of the race for the most active rider throughout the entire event.

There is also a team classification where the time of the first three riders from each team is put together to create a single time. This is then done in a similar way as the individual general classification.

In addition, there are plenty of bonus seconds up for grabs at the race. There are ten, six and four bonus seconds available at the end of each stage for the first three riders, as well as bonus sprints that are dotted throughout the race on key climbs to try and make the racing more entertaining for spectators.

Of course, there's also prize money up for grabs. For winning the 2023 edition of the race, Jonas Vingegaard collected €535,220 (£463,100), a sum which is customarily shared out among the team's riders and staff.

Tour de France past winners in the last 12 years

• 2012: Bradley Wiggins (GBr) 
• 2013: Chris Froome (GBr) 
• 2014: Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) 
• 2015: Chris Froome (GBr) 
• 2016: Chris Froome (GBr) 
• 2017: Chris Froome (GBr) 
• 2018: Geraint Thomas (GBr) 
• 2019: Egan Bernal (Col) 
• 2020: Tadej Pogačar (Slo) 
• 2021: Tadej Pogačar (Slo)  
• 2022: Jonas Vingegaard (Den)
• 2023: Jonas Vingegaard (Den)

Tour de France FAQ

How does the tour de france work.

The Tour de France is one of a trio of races that are three weeks long, known as the Grand Tours, alongside the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España. The Tour is the best known and arguably the most prestigious.

It is the second of the three races in the calendar with the Giro taking place in May, the Tour usually in July, and the Vuelta in August and September.

The Tour, like all Grand Tours, takes on varying terrain with flat days for sprinters, hilly days for puncheurs and mountains for the climbers and GC riders, along with time trials, so that a winner of the race has to be able to perform on all types of road.

The main prize in the race, known as the general classification, is based on time with the overall leader wearing the yellow jersey. The race leader and eventual winner is the rider who has the lowest accumulated time over the 21 days of racing. Riders can win the Tour de France without winning a stage, as Chris Froome did in 2017. Time bonuses of 10, six, and four seconds are given to stage winners though, creating incentive for those general classification riders to chase individual victories and lower their overall time.

In 2020 it took race winner Tadej Pogačar 87 hours 20 minutes and 5 seconds to complete the race with the second-place rider overall 59 seconds slower. That continues all the way down to the last place rider, which was Roger Kluge (Lotto-Soudal) who finished 6 hours 7 minutes and 2 seconds behind.

The white best young rider's jersey is worked out in the same way but only riders under the age of 26 are eligible for the jersey.

The polka-dot mountains jersey and the green points jersey are based on a points system and not time. The only reason time would come into account would be if riders are tied on points, then it would go to who is the best placed in the general classification.

The team classification is based on the general classification times of the first three riders of a team on each stage. The time of those three riders is added up and put onto their team's time, creating a GC list much like in the individual classifications. The leading team gets to wear yellow numbers and helmets on each stage.

The final classification available is the combativity prize. This is decided by a race jury or, in more recent years, Twitter. This takes place just before the end of each stage and often goes to a rider from the breakaway who has put in a daring performance or attempted to liven up the stage by attacking. The winner of the combativity award gets to wear a special red race number on the following day's stage.

There is a final prize added to this with the Super Combativity prize being awarded on the podium in Paris. This is decided in a similar fashion to pick out the most aggressive, entertaining, and daring rider of the whole three weeks. Again, usually going to a rider who has featured regularly in the breakaway.

Stage winners do not wear anything special the day after apart from getting a small yellow jersey to stick on their number on their bike, this can be replaced if they win multiple stages.

Teams used to come to the race with nine riders but the UCI, cycling's governing body, decided that nine riders from each team was too dangerous and dropped it to eight, however more teams now take part.

How long is the Tour de France?

The Tour de France takes place over 23 days with 21 of them being race days. The riders get two days of resting; they usually fall on the second and third Monday of the race.

This year's race is 3,492km long, which is 2,170 miles, around the same distance from Washington DC to Las Vegas, or Helsinki to Lisbon. 

Road stages can range from anything around 100km to something approaching 250km, sometimes more. This year the shortest road stage is stage 20, from Nice to Col de la Couillole, with the longest being 229km on stage three in Italy, from Plaisance to Turin.

Road stages often take around four to five hours with the longer days sometimes nudging over seven hours.

Time trials are always much shorter. Team time trials have long since gone out of fashion in the world of road racing so individual time trials are the main focus these days. 

In 2024, the Tour has two individual time trials for the riders to tackle, the first on stage seven at 25km long from Nuits-Saint-Georges to Gevrey-Chambertin, and the second on the final stage from Monaco to Nice, at 34km long.

When does the Tour de France start?

The 2024 Tour de France starts on June 29 in Florence, Italy, with a road stage. There will be three full stages in Italy, before the fourth heads into France. The race finishes in Nice three weeks later.

The 2024 edition of the race runs from 29 June - 21 July, covering 21 stages. 

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The Complete Guide to Every Tour de France Winner Through History

A rider-by-rider list of champions, from Maurice Garin in 1903 to Jonas Vingegaard in 2022.

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. How we test gear.

Ever wondered what Tour de France champions were like more than 100 years ago, when the race began? How about the youngest winner in Tour history? The oldest? The first to wear the yellow jersey from start to finish? The first to be accused of cheating?

We’ve got you covered with this complete list of every rider who has ever won an overall Tour de France title.

To learn more about the stories behind these athletes and their victories, Bill and Carol McGann’s two-volume The Story of the Tour de France and Les Woodland’s The Unknown Tour de Franc e are two of the best English-language resources out there.

Maurice Garin

Country: France Team: La Française Year(s): 1903

A chimney sweep-turned-champion, Garin led the inaugural Tour de France from start to finish, winning by almost three hours over the second-place rider. He earned the equivalent of about $40,000 for his efforts, money he later used to buy his own gas station.

Henri Cornet

Country: France Team: Conte Year(s): 1904

Cornet was declared the winner of the 1904 Tour after the first four finishers (including Garin) were disqualified for various forms of cheating. Only 19 at the time, Cornet remains the youngest winner in Tour history.

Louis Trousselier

Country: France Team: Peugeot–Wolber Year(s): 1905

Trousselier had to go on leave from the French army to compete in the 1905 Tour, so he made sure he invested his time wisely, winning three stages on his way to the overall victory. The night before winning the final stage, “Trou-Trou” spent all night drinking and gambling, losing the money he was set to win. He returned to the army the day after being crowned champion.

René Pottier

Country: France Team: Peugeot–Wolber Year(s): 1906

One year after becoming the first man to abandon the Tour while leading it, Pottier got his revenge by winning five stages and the overall title. Sadly, he hanged himself in his team clubhouse the following January after learning that his wife had had an affair while he competed in the race.

Lucien Petit-Breton

Country: France Team: Peugeot–Wolber Year(s): 1907, 1908

The Tour’s first two-time winner, Petit-Breton’s name is actually Lucien Mazan. Trying to keep his occupation a secret from his father—who didn’t want him to become a cyclist—Mazan raced under a pseudonym. In earning the second of his two Tour victories, he won five stages and never finished outside the top four. He was killed while serving as a driver for the French army in World War I.

François Faber

Country: Luxembourg Team: Alcyon–Dunlop Year(s): 1909

The first foreigner to win the Tour de France, Faber was incredibly large by contemporary standards. Nicknamed the “Giant of Colombe” after the Parisian suburb in which he lived, Faber measured six feet tall and weighed more than 200 pounds. He was shot in the back and killed while trying to carry a wounded comrade across no-man’s-land during a battle in WWI.

Octave Lapize

Country: France Team: Alcyon–Dunlop Year(s): 1910

To win his only Tour de France, Lapize had to overcome both his teammate Faber, the defending champion, and the Tour’s first visit to the Pyrenees. Luckily, Lapize was a much better climber than Faber, so the high mountains played to his strengths. He is perhaps most famous for shouting, “You are assassins!” at Tour organizers while climbing the Tourmalet. While serving as a fighter pilot in WWI, he was shot down and killed over Verdun.

Gustave Garrigou

Country: France Team: Alcyon–Dunlop Year(s): 1911

Despite complaints from racers, Tour organizers considered the Pyreneean stages such a success that they added the Alps in 1911. Faber again lost to a teammate, the climber Garrigou, who needed a bodyguard and disguise to finish the race after accusations that he poisoned a fellow competitor. He was later found innocent.

Odile Defraye

Country: Belgium Team: Alcyon–Dunlop Year(s): 1912

The first Belgian to win the Tour de France, Defraye rode the Tour six times and only finished once (in the same year that he won).

Philippe Thys

Country: Belgium Teams: Peugeot–Wolber, La Sportive Year(s): 1913, 1914, 1920

The Tour’s first three-time winner, Thys was the last rider to win before the start of WWI, and one of only a few prior champions to survive the conflict and continue his career.

Firmin Lambot

Country: Belgium Teams: La Sportive, Peugeot-Wolber Year(s): 1919, 1922

When the Tour started again after the war, Lambot continued Belgium’s run of success, taking the lead just two stages from the finish after Eugène Christophe—for the second time in his career—had his Tour ruined by a broken fork. Lambot won his second title at age 36, making him the oldest winner to date.

Léon Scieur

Country: Belgium Team: La Sportive Year(s): 1921

Discovered by Lambot, who hailed from the same town in Belgium, Scieur was nicknamed “the Locomotive” in the press for the way he relentlessly consolidated his lead. His wheel broke on the penultimate day and he carried it more than 300K on his back to show officials that he was justified in taking a replacement (rules at the time limited outside support for riders).

Henri Pélissier

Country: France Team: Automoto–Hutchinson Year(s): 1923

The oldest of three brothers, all of whom were cyclists, Pélissier finished only two of the eight Tours he started, placing second in 1914 and finally winning in 1923. Talented but ill-tempered, he dropped out mostly by choice. His most famous DNF came in 1920, when rather than accept a two-minute penalty for throwing away a flat tire, he abandoned the race in protest.

Ottavio Bottecchia

Country: Italy Team: Automoto Year(s): 1924, 1925

In 1924, Bottecchia became Italy’s first Tour de France champion and the first rider to wear the yellow jersey from start to finish. His initial win was made easier thanks to the departure of the Pélissier brothers on Stage 3. Discovered to be wearing two jerseys at a time, then a violation of the rules, Henri, his brother, and another teammate abandoned—you guessed it—in protest.

Lucien Buysse

Country: Belgium Team: Automoto–Hutchinson Year(s): 1926

Buysse rode selflessly for Bottecchia in 1925 and was rewarded with a chance to win the Tour for himself in 1926. Tragically, the Belgian received news that his daughter had died early in the race, but his family convinced him to carry on to victory.

Nicolas Frantz

Country: Luxembourg Team: Alcyon–Dunlop Year(s): 1927, 1928

Fourth in 1925 and second in 1926, Frantz set the foundation for his first Tour victory by winning Stage 11, a mountainous day that tackled the Pyrenean “Circle of Death,” a route with four challenging climbs including the Col d’Aubisque and Col du Tourmalet. He led the 1928 Tour from start to finish, becoming only the fifth rider (at the time) to win the overall twice.

Maurice De Waele

Country: Belgium Team: Alcyon–Dunlop Year(s): 1929

Second in 1927 and third in 1928, De Waele overcame several flat tires—riders were then required to change their own flats—and illness to win in 1929. He wasn’t a popular champion, which caused organizer Henri Desgrange to remark, “A corpse has won my race!”

André Leducq

Country: France Teams: Alcyon–Dunlop, France Year(s): 1930, 1932

The year 1930 brought a change to the Tour: National and regional teams, instead of sponsored trade teams, would now compete. This shifted the power back to France, with Leducq winning two of the decade’s first five Tours (all of which went to the French).

Antonin Magne

Country: France Team: France Year(s): 1931, 1934

Third behind Leducq in 1930, Magne took advantage of new three-minute time bonuses given to stage winners—as well as a mysterious letter tipping him off to the tactics of a competitor—to win in 1931, his first of two victories.

Georges Speicher

Country: France Team: France Year(s): 1933

Historians consider the French team at the 1933 Tour to be one of the strongest collections of pre-war riders ever assembled. Speicher was joined on the start line by former winners Leducq and Magne, as well as future winner Roger Lapébie.

Since getting hooked on pro cycling while watching Lance Armstrong win the 1993 U.S. Pro Championship in Philadelphia, longtime Bicycling contributor Whit Yost has raced on Belgian cobbles, helped build a European pro team, and piloted that team from Malaysia to Mont Ventoux as an assistant director sportif. These days, he lives with his wife and son in Pennsylvania, spending his days serving as an assistant middle school principal and his nights playing Dungeons & Dragons.

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Tour de France winning bikes: Which brand has won the most Tours in history?

A history of the most successful bike brands at the Tour de France

With 21 stages covering thousands of kilometres of flat, rolling and mountainous terrain, accompanied by the staccato efforts of the puncheurs, the enormously high power efforts of the sprinters, and the high-speed cornering that accompanies the descents, the Tour de France is one of the biggest tests a bike can face. 

While no bike could win the race alone without a deserving rider, the same can also be said the other way round; any Tour de France winning bike has earned its place on the top step of the podium. 

Over the years, the basic design of all Tour de France bikes hasn't changed all that much. There are still two wheels, two triangles, gears, a chain, and pneumatic tyres, but the technology supporting each part has advanced by lightyears. We can’t help but wonder what the race would look like if you took today’s riders, and made them race the three-week tour on the bikes ridden in the 1903 edition of the race — or the other way around. 

With WorldTour teams using the equipment provided by their sponsors, many of the brands that are racking up stage wins in the modern race are still comparatively young compared to the Tour de France itself. But even while certain brands sponsor multiple teams, some of which are dominant, these young teams may never rack up the same number of TDF general classification wins as many of the now-defunct bike brands of old. 

We’ve combed through the results of every edition of the Tour and tabulated which brands have dominated the race over the last century. Because of the unavoidable shadow cast by doping over the sport during this time, we've listed the total number of wins per brand based on any retrospective action that was taken, such that our list tallies with the Tour's own records. 

Further complicating matters is the historically common practice of frames being built by a different brand than the one displayed on their tubes. The most significant of these instances concerns the French manufacturer Alcyon. Between 1930 and 1939, every bike ridden in the Tour was labelled L'Auto, as decreed by the race organisers. It is widely assumed that these were built by Alcyon in each year except 1938, which would add 9 victories to the company's tally. But, since there was no competition, these wins could be judged to be by default. To simplify matters here, we're sticking with the brand name on the winning frame.

1. Pinarello - 16 wins

By now, we’ve all heard Dave Brailsford’s infamous quote about ‘marginal gains,’ and with the number of Tour wins his Pinarello sponsored team has racked up, it’s hard to argue with this philosophy. But Pinarello was winning the Tour de France long before Brailsford started his tenure at Sky/Ineos or British Cycling. 

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Pinarello earned its first TDF overall classification in 1988, piloted by Pedro Delgado riding with Team Reynolds. This race was marred with controversy, as Delgado tested positive for Probenecid, which at the time was considered a performance-enhancing drug by the IOC, but was not yet banned by the UCI. 

In the early 1990s, Pinarello road bikes were ridden to six consecutive TDF General Classification victories by Miguel Induráin, Bjarne Riis — he was removed from then reinstated to the winner's list after admitting to taking PEDs, with an asterisk to acknowledge the offence — and Jan Ulrich who finished second in the 1996 tour behind Riis, and won his only Tour in 1997. 

Some of the Pinarello-branded bikes ridden in the Tour in the late '80s and early '90s were actually manufactured by TVT, though this was a pretty common practice of the era. In the interest of names on frames, we count 16 in total for the Italians. 

2. Peugeot - 10 wins

Peugeot has been making bicycles since the early 1800s, and while today it is best known for its cars, the French brand still produces a range of road, commuter, and mountain bikes, and even sponsor an eMTB team.

Originally from Sochaux, France, the French brand earned its first Tour de France victory in 1905 with French rider Louis Trousselier and most recently in 1977 with Bernard Thévenet riding a Peugeot PY-10.

While Peugeot’s official Tour de France count is 10, they were also part of the collective of French automotive manufacturers that banded together after World War I under the moniker La Sportive to provide bikes for the race between 1919 and 1921. La Sportive has won in all three of these editions, which in part can be attributed to Peugeot.

3. L’Auto - 10 wins

In 1903, Henri Desgrange, the editor of the newspaper L’Auto, founded the Tour de France as a publicity stunt for his waning publication - spoiler alert, it worked.

As Desgrange was running the race and setting the rules, in 1930, he banned trade teams and only allowed national teams to participate, stipulating that each rider had to use a generic bicycle. For those 10 pre-war years, every rider from the yellow jersey winner to the lanterne rouge competed on a yellow road bike with L’Auto painted on the downtube. 

 4. Gitane - 9 wins

With nine Tour de France victories, French outfit Gitane made the bikes which Laurent Fignon and Bernard Hinault rode to their wins. The brand was widespread in the professional peloton from the 1960s through to the 1980s and was also well known for producing motorcycles, also supporting moto racing teams during this period as well. 

In 1972, Gitane produced the “Tour de France”, which was a lightweight (for the time) frame, made from Reynolds 531 tubing and served as the brand's race bike, until it went on hiatus from the WorldTour. 

After a few name changes and transfers of ownership, Gitane ended up as part of the same brand portfolio as Peugeot and B.H, under the umbrella of Cyclegroup — which later was purchased by a Swedish firm that now also owns Bianchi. 

Gitane purchased the Helyett company in the 1960s, and also claimed their three Tour victories, which were achieved by Jacques Anquetil in 1957, 1961 and 1962. The Helyett frames may well have been built by Gitane too, but since we're sticking to names on frames, Gitane remains on nine victories.

5. Alcyon - 7 wins

With seven wins to its name, Alcyon, like so many of the brands that provided bikes to early Tour teams, made bikes, cars, and motorcycles. The brand’s first-ever win in the Tour de France came from the Luxembourgian François Faber, who also clinched five stage victories in that edition. 

Alcyon sponsored a team through the 1920s and was becoming a force in the peloton winning the 1927, 1928 and 1929 editions, but the visibility of the Alcyon name ended there due to Desgrange’s ban on trade teams in 1930.

6. Merckx - 5 wins

If we are going by what was written on the down tube, Merckx would be the next on our list, though by all accounts, the Cannibal was riding bikes built by Masi and Kessels. Despite a storied history, and recent sponsorship of AG2R, Merckx isn't a presence at the 2022 Tour. Its recent history involves financial difficulty and a takeover by Ridley Bikes , so we don't expect this number to grow for a while.

7. Automoto - 4 wins

French outfit Automoto was founded in 1902 and like so many others of the era, was in the business of two-wheeled vehicles, both human-powered and motorised. 

The brand won four consecutive Tours de France under Henri Pélissier in 1923, Ottavio Bottecchia in 1924 and 1925, and Lucien Buysse in 1926. A few years later, in 1930, the brand was purchased by Peugeot but still produced bikes and motorcycles under the Automoto brand name until 1962, when it was discontinued.

8. La Sportive - 3 wins

While La Sportive may only have three Tour wins under its belt, and was only in existence for a handful of years, it’s one of our favourite stories in cycling history. 

World War One left Europe in bad shape, and many of the factories that produced bicycles had been reduced to rubble. The continent was in a depression, and spending money on sporting teams was hardly a priority at the time.

So to make sure the race would not be yet another casualty of the war, Alcyon, Armor, Automoto, Clément, La Française, Gladiator, Griffon, Hurtu, Labor, Liberator, Peugeot and Thomann banded together to provide equipment to half the peloton, and sponsored the race from 1919-1921. Given that half the riders were on La Sportive bikes during these years, it’s no surprise they came away with the General Classification each time, with Firmin Lambot winning in 1919, Philippe Thys winning in 1920 and Léon Scieur in 1921.

The group disbanded in 1922 when each respective company restarted their own teams. 

9. Bianchi - 3 wins

The last time a Bianchi was ridden down the Champs-Élysées at the top of the general classification was in 1998 when Marco Pantani had the yellow jersey on his shoulders. This edition was drama-filled not only because of the racing, as the 85th edition was also the year of the Festina affair that marred the race with police raids, rider strikes, and teams pulling out of the race.

Bianchi’s other Tour de France victories were with Fausto Coppi in the saddle, in 1949 and 1952.

The brand came within a hair's width of doing it again in 2020, but Primož Roglič's untimely implosion on the stage 2020 time trial up La Planche des Belles Filles handed the race to Tadej Pogačar, resulting in Colnago's first-ever maillot jaune. 

10. Trek, Colnago, Specialized, Frejus, Stella and Geminiani - 2 wins

For a brand with a history so ingrained in cycling culture, it does seem out of sorts that until 2020, Colnago had never won a Tour de France. Of course, thanks to Tadej Pogacar, it's won two in a row and is the bookies' favourite for the 2022 edition too. His hat trick would see Colnago step up the standings and sit alongside Italian rivals Bianchi.

Snapping at Colnago's heels are five other brands, each with two wins to their name: Frejus, Stella, Geminiani, Trek and Specialized. 

Trek has a tumultuous history with the Tour de France; its bikes have 'won' a total of nine Tours de France, however, with all of Lance Armstrong’s 'victories' being officially stricken from the record, the big red barn in Wisconsin can only officially claim Alberto Contador’s 2007 and 2009 wins. In 2022, none of the Trek Segafredo riders are expected to fight for GC, so don't expect Trek to get another this year.

Given Frejus, Stella and Geminiani no longer operate in the sport, Specialized is the only other brand able to climb above Colnago. However, despite sponsoring three of the teams in this year's race, Specialized's hopes would fall on Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora Hansgrohe) as the only of their riders at the race with any serious GC ambitions. 

Elsewhere, BMC has also crossed the line 1st in Paris on two occasions, but while Cadel Evans' 2011 title is irrefutable, soon after the 2006 Tour, Floyd Landis was found to have doped, was removed from the results, and Óscar Pereiro confirmed as the race winner, thus adding to Pinarello's victory total.

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Based on the Gold Coast of Australia, Colin has written tech content for cycling publication for a decade. With hundreds of buyer's guides, reviews and how-tos published in Bike Radar, Cyclingnews, Bike Perfect and Cycling Weekly, as well as in numerous publications dedicated to his other passion, skiing. 

Colin was a key contributor to Cyclingnews between 2019 and 2021, during which time he helped build the site's tech coverage from the ground up. Nowadays he works full-time as the news and content editor of Flow MTB magazine. 

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The 5-minute essential guide to the Tour de France

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Reading time: 0 min Published on 8 January 2024

It is the biggest cycling race in the world: a national event that France cherishes almost as much as its Eiffel Tower and its 360 native cheeses! Every year in July, the Tour de France sets off on the roads of France and crosses some of its most beautiful landscapes. Here’s everything you should know in advance of the 2018 race…

‘La Grande Boucle’

In over a century of existence, the Tour has extended its distance and passed through the whole country. Almost 3,500 kilometers are now covered each year in the first three weeks of July, with 22 teams of 8 cyclists. The 176 competitors criss-cross the most beautiful roads of France in 23 days, over 21 stages. More than a third of France’s departments are passed through, on a route that changes each year.

A little tour to start

The first ever Tour de France took place in 1903. It had just six stages – Paris-Lyon, Lyon-Marseille, Marseille-Toulouse, Toulouse-Bordeaux, Bordeaux-Nantes and Nantes-Paris – and 60 cyclists at the start line. At the time, the brave cycled up to 18 hours at a stretch, by day and night, on roads and dirt tracks. By the end, they’d managed 2,300 kilometers. Must have had some tight calves!

Mountain events are often the most famous and hotly contested. Spectators watch in awe as the riders attack the passes and hit speeds of 100 km/h. In the Pyrenees and the Alps, the Galibier and Tourmalet ascents are legendary sections of the Tour, worthy of a very elegant polka dot jersey for the best climber…

The darling of the Tour

In terms of the number of victories per nation, France comes out on top, with 36 races won by a French cyclist. In second place is Belgium with 18 wins, and in third is Spain with 12. The darling of the Tour remains Eddy Merckx, holding the record of 111 days in the yellow jersey. This Belgian won 5 times the Great Loop as Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault and Michael Indurain.

‘Le maillot jaune’

The yellow jersey is worn by the race winner in the general classification (calculated by adding up the times from each individual stage). This tradition goes back to 1919. It has nothing to do with the July sunshine or the sunflower fields along the roads; it was simply the colour of the pages of newspaper L’Auto, which was creator and organiser of the competition at the time.

The Tour de France is the third major world sporting event after the Olympic Games and the World Cup, covered by 600 media and 2,000 journalists. The race is broadcast in 130 countries by 100 television channels over 6,300 hours, and is followed by 3.5 billion viewers.

The Champs-Élysées finish

Each year the Tour departs from a different city, whether in France or in a neighbouring country. Since 1975, the triumphal arrival of the cyclists has always taken place across a finish line on Paris’ Champs-Élysées. It’s a truly beautiful setting for the final sprint.

And the winner is…

Seen from the sky and filmed by helicopters or drones, the Tour route resembles a long ribbon winding its way through France’s stunning landscapes: the groves of Normandy, the peaks of the Alps, the shores of Brittany and the beaches of the Côte d’Azur. In 2017, it was the Izoard pass in Hautes-Alpes that was elected the most beautiful stage, at an altitude of 2,361 metres. Which one gets your vote?

Find out more on the official Tour de France site: https://www.letour.fr

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23 Fun Facts You Didn't Know About the Tour de France

• By Marc Lindsay

Have you ever wondered how many calories riders burn during the Tour de France, or how many tires they go through? Check out these 23 fun facts to learn more about the largest sporting event in the world—one for each day of the race.

1. The Longest Tour

Photo Credit: Anders

The length of the 2017 Tour route is 2,200 miles. The 1926 edition was the longest route in history, totaling 3,570 miles.

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2. water bottles.

There will be more than 42,000 water bottles used by teams in this year’s race.

3. Most Stages Won

Photo Credit: AP Photo

The most stages won by a single rider at the Tour de France is 34 by Eddy Merckx.

4. TDF Nickname

The nickname for the Tour de France is La Grande Boucle , which means the "big loop," and refers to the route taken around France.

5. Calories Burned

The average cyclist will burn around 4,000 and 5,000 calories during each stage of the Tour. That’s 123,900 calories for the entire race, the equivalent of eating 252 McDonald’s double cheeseburgers.

6. Revolutions Per Minute

The average number of pedal strokes during the three-week race is 486,000 (at 90 revolutions per minute).

Until the 1960s , it was common for participants to drink alcohol during the race to numb the pain. Alcohol consumption was soon banned because it was considered a stimulant.

Over the course of a Tour de France route, cyclists will sweat enough to flush a toilet 39 times.

9. Spectators

Photo Credit: Tristam Sparks

Over 12 million spectators line the route each year, making it the largest sporting event in the world.

10. Least Number of Finishers

In 1919 , there were only 10 finishers, the least of all time.

11. Rest Days

On the Tour’s rest days , most cyclists don’t rest. They ride for at least 2 hours to flush out lactic acid and keep their minds focused on racing.

12. Winning Margin

The smallest winning margin in the history of the race is 8 seconds by American Greg LeMond in 1989 over Frenchman Laurent Fignon.

13. Amateurs

Five-time winner Bernard Hinault of France once said of the Tour de France, “An amateur should think long and hard before attempting one of these stages. Two would probably necessitate a visit to a doctor, and three would require a psychiatrist – any more and you should be checking if that person has written a will."

14. Total Prize Money

The total prize money awarded for the entire race (stages, sprints, overall classification) is $4.3 million .

15. TDF on TV

There are 3.5 billion people that watch the Tour de France on television around the world each year.

The peloton uses 790 tires over the three-week race.

17. Number of Rest Days

In the early years of the Tour de France, there were 14 rest days instead of two. Stages often ran into the night and cyclists needed the following day to recover.

18. Lead Water Bottles

Photo Credit: Georges Menager

The winner of the 1947 Tour de France Jean Robic was known for taking water bottles filled with lead at the top of climbs to descend faster.

19. Days in Yellow

Photo Credit: ta_do

The most days any cyclist has spent wearing the leader’s yellow jersey is 96, held by Eddy Merckx.

20. Women's TDF

Photo Credit: Epping Forest DC

On July 23rd, women will race the last stage of the Tour de France separate from the men. Though a landmark event, it isn’t the first time women’s race has taken place. Between 1984 and 1989, the Tour Cycliste Feminine was an 18-stage race. The first winner was American Marianne Martin.

21. The First Tour Winner

The first winner of the Tour de France was Maurice Garin. He won again in 1904, but was later disqualified for cheating. Garin was caught taking a train to victory in the Alps.

22. Fastest Average Speed

Photo Credit: Steve Selwood

The f astest average speed of a Tour de France was 25.7 miles per hour (mph), set in 2005. In 1919, the average speed was just 14.9 mph.

23. The Winner

Photo Credit: Peter Dutton

The winner of the Tour receives a cash prize of $609,525. The long-standing tradition of the race dictates that winners split this money evenly with each of his teammates.

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2022 Tour De France: When Does the Race End, How to Watch

As the 2022 tour de france concludes, here's everything you need to know about the final stages of the event., by julia elbaba • published july 19, 2022 • updated on july 20, 2022 at 6:34 am.

2022 Tour de France: When does the race end, how to watch originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

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The final stages of the 2022 Tour de France are underway and the ongoing competition is heated.

In the 24 days of intense riding, cyclists are set to complete 21 stages that consist of different distances and terrain. Cyclists get three rest days throughout the prestigious event.

As the race comes to a close, here's everything you need to know about the final stages of the 2022 race and what to expect:

When does the 2022 Tour de France end?

The prestigious event ends on Sunday, July 24.

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You can catch the final stages on Peacock , the NBC Sports app and USA Network.

Who is leading the 2022 Tour de France?

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As of July 19, Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard is rocking the yellow jersey as the race's leader.

He is up 2:22 on second place's Tadej Pogačar of Slovenia. Pogačar is the two time defending champion.

In third place is England's Geraint Thomas (2018 Tour de France winner), with 2:43 behind first place.

Which riders have a chance of winning?

While the 2022 Tour de France is up for grabs, Vingegaard and Pogačar have pretty much locked in the first two spots of the podium.

The following riders are on the top-five leaderboard:

Overall ( Yellow Jersey )

1. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN): 64:28:092. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) : +2:223. Geraint Thomas (GBR): +2:434. Nairo Quintana (COL): +4:155. David Gaudu (FRA): +4:24

What can we expect in the last few stages? 

The last five days of the 2022 Tour de France will feature two mountain stages, two flat stages and one individual time trial (ITT) stage.

We can certainly expect Pogačar to go on the attack at an attempt to steal that first place spot from Vingegaard in the mountain stages.

Stages 17 and 18 will feature some of the race's hardest climbs, giving Pogačar to make up some time.

Stage 19 will highlight a hardcore sprint with a slight uphill drag to the finish line.

The stage 20 time trial will be the longest there has been at the Tour since 2014, giving riders the chance to make some big jumps on the leaderboard.

Stage 21 will be the final stretch and shortest road stage packed with celebration before the 2022 Tour de France concludes.

How much does the Tour de France winner get?

The winning rider in the 2022 Tour de France will earn $528,000.

What are the 2022 Tour de France stages?

The 21 stages of the 2022 Tour de France are as follows:

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Tadej Pogacar says he was right to skip Paris 2024 Olympics after Tour de France win - 'I was completely destroyed'

Published 12/09/2024 at 10:38 GMT

Tadej Pogacar's withdrawal from the Paris 2024 Olympics was a disappointment for cycling fans, but the Slovenian says he was right to make the call as he felt "completely destroyed" after winning the Tour de France. In his absence, Remco Evenepoel claimed a historic time trial and road race double. Pogacar is back in action this week at the GP Quebec and Montreal, live on Eurosport and discovery+.

Pogacar’s Top 5 moments from his third Tour de France win

Vuelta leader O'Connor says it is 'a lot more enjoyable' racing without Pogacar and Vingegaard

02/09/2024 at 21:53

'An iconic image' - Evenepoel with memorable celebration after sealing double gold

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'Fighting for big results' - Yates, Almeida to lead UAE at Vuelta with Pogacar, Ayuso absent

12/08/2024 at 15:45

Vuelta a Espana stage to begin from Carrefour supermarket

01/08/2024 at 10:45

'Greatest rivalry Tour has ever seen' - Reaction as Pogacar usurps Vingegaard

See you on 29th October for the announcement of the routes for the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes with Zwift in 2025.

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TOTAL: 3 498 km

This will be the first Grand Départ in Italy and the 26th that’s taken place abroad  First finale in Nice. Due to the Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place in Paris, the race will not finish in the French capital for the first time.

Two time trials. 25 + 34 = 59km in total, the second of them taking place on the final Monaco>Nice stage. This will be the first time the race has seen a finale of this type for 35 years, the last occasion being the famous Fignon - LeMond duel in 1989.

Apennines (Italy), the Italian and French Alps, Massif Central and Pyrenees will be the mountain ranges on the 2024 Tour route.

The number of countries visited in 2024: Italy, San Marino, Monaco and France. Within France, the race will pass through 7 Regions and 30 departments.

The number of bonus points 8, 5 and 2 bonus seconds go to the first three classified riders, featuring at strategic points along the route (subject to approval by the International Cycling Union)these will have no effect on the points classification. Bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds will be awarded to the first three classified riders at road stage finishes.

Out of a total of 39, the locations or stage towns that are appearing on the Tour map for the first time . In order of appearance: Florence, Rimini, Cesenatico, Bologna, Piacenza, Saint-Vulbas, Gevrey-Chambertin, Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, Évaux-les-Bains, Gruissan, Superdévoluy, Col de la Couillole.

The number of sectors on white roads during stage nine, amounting to 32km in total .

The number of stages: 8 flat, 4 hilly, 7 mountain (with 4 summit finishes at Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet, Plateau de Beille, Isola 2000, Col de la Couillole), 2 time trials and 2 rest days.

The number of riders who will line up at the start of the Tour, divided into 22 teams of 8 riders each.

The height of the summit of the Bonette pass in the Alps, the highest tarmac road in France, which will be the “roof” of the 2024 Tour.

The total vertical gain during the 2024 Tour de France.

PRIZE MONEY

A total of 2,3 million euros will be awarded to the teams and riders including € 500,000 to the final winner of the overall individual classification .

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