french tour de france

2023 Tour de France: A visual guide to cycling’s most challenging race

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misstated the number of competing teams in the Tour de France. The correct number is 22.

The 110th edition of the Tour de France , the most challenging and best-known bicycle race in the world, starts July 1 in Bilbao, Spain, and ends 2,115 grueling and painful miles later on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris on July 23.

In France, the tour is more than a three-week race – it's a cultural phenomenon . Ten million to 12 million racing fans will line the roads of the course to cheer on 176 riders among 22 teams.

Around the world, millions will watch on broadcast TV or streaming services. 41.5 million viewed the 2022 race on the French public service broadcaster France Télévisions alone.

And while nearly 200 riders compete, only one will win.

The race: More than 2,100 miles in 21 days

The Tour de France is actually a collection of 21 single-day races, called stages, over 23 days. (Two rest days are built in.) The stages range from:

• Flat (8 stages): While the route is not always flat, racers usually ride together in a large group called a peloton . Flat stages end with riders breaking away by themselves or a large group sprinting together.
• Hilly (4 stages): Considered more arduous than a flat stage but less difficult than a mountain stage.
• Mountain (8 stages): First introduced in 1910, mountain stages are the most challenging. This year, riders will climb the 6,939-foot Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees.
• Time trial (1 stage): Individual riders race against the clock. The 2023 time trial is 13.7 miles. The other stages average to 105 miles, and the longest stage is 130 miles.

Tour route is different every year

The Tour de France has been held annually – except for war years – since 1903. While the format stays the same, the route changes every year, alternating between a clockwise and counterclockwise circuit of France.

It's designed by two men, Christian Prudhomme , a former TV journalist who is general director of the tour, and Thierry Gouvenou , a former pro racer who is the tour's race director. Prudhomme decides the general route and Gouvenou maps out details , linking towns and cities together.

The tour was confined to France in the early years but has expanded beyond French borders. The Grand Départ , the start of the race, was held outside France for the first time in 1954, in the Netherlands.

Other nations have hosted the Grand Départ, including the U.K. in 2007 and 2014.

Since 1975, the final stage has ended in Paris . In 2024, however, the race will finish in Nice .

Do women compete in the Tour de France?

Women have competed, but not directly with men and not over the same distances. Women have raced on smaller editions of the tour over the years, once in 1955 and again from 1984 to 1989. That series was canceled over financial problems.

Other equivalent events such as la Grande Boucle Féminin were held, but these did not last.

The women's tour was revived in 2022 with 144 women competing in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift , a smaller version of the men's event with 640 miles over eight days.

Femmes avec Zwift returns this year , with women riders racing eight days over a 594-mile course.

Which riders are favored to win this year?

The top three contenders according to Cycling News are:

How does a rider win the Tour de France?

The overall winner is the rider with lowest accrued time over the 21 stages of the race. It's possible to win the tour without winning a single stage – American rider Greg LeMond won in 1990 without a stage win. Roger Walkowiak of France won in 1956 without winning a stage.

Overall leaders wear a distinctive yellow jersey as long as they're in the lead. The jersey can be worn by a number of riders throughout the race. Its use was introduced in 1919.

There are also secondary honors, such as the award given to the rider who scores the most points, earned by finishing among the top 15 in a specific stage.

There's also the King of the Mountains award for the rider who gets the most points in categorized mountain climbs.

Domestiques are the tour's unsung heroes

Winning riders don't win by themselves. They get crucial support from teammates, called "domestiques," the French word for servants, who support the lead rider and the team overall.

Domestiques assist by:

• Bringing food and water to teammates.
• Helping leaders with flat tires and mechanical breakdowns, including giving top riders their own wheels or even bikes to continue the race.
• Riding in front of top riders to provide a windbreak.
• If a top rider falls behind, domestiques will lead him back to the pack.

The windbreak technique is called drafting, in which domestiques cut the wind ahead of the top rider. Cycling sources say the top rider conserves 15% to 40% of his energy in drafting.

Riding in front of the pack is exhausting. Domestiques often trade off places in front of the top rider.

How physically demanding is it?

The race is considered one of the most difficult athletic events in the world. Participants are:

Riders can be injured in collisions or crashes. Broken bones, concussions and dislocated shoulders are common.

What do the jersey colors signify?

Tour riders wear the distinctive uniforms of their teams, but you'll see four jerseys with special colors and significance.

Tour de France terms you should know

• Peloton: A French term meaning "group." It refers to the main pack of riders.
• Breakaway: One rider or a group of riders who have outdistanced the peloton.
• Attack: When a rider or riders race away from the group.
• Team leader: The best rider on the team.
• Time trial: A race against the clock.
• Rouleur: A steady rider with a consistent pace.
• Slipstream: The relatively still air behind a rider, used by followers to overcome air resistance.
• Drafting: Taking shelter in the slipstream of the rider ahead.
• Sag wagon: A vehicle that picks up riders who are no longer able to continue.

What do the riders win?

The tour says, "A total of  2.3 million euros  (about $2.5 million) will be awarded to the teams and riders including €500,000 (about $531,820) to the final winner of the overall individual classification."

Who are the legends of the Tour de France?

Past multiple winners include:

• Fausto Coppi | Italy, 1949, 1952
• Jacques Anquetil | France, 1957, 1961-64
• Eddy Merckx | Belgium, 1969-74
• Bernard Hinault | France, 1978-79, 1981-82, 1985
• Greg LeMond | U.S., 1986, 1989-90
• Miguel Indurain | Spain, 1991-95
• Chris Froome | Kenya, 2013, 2015-17

American Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France a record seven times from 1999 to 2005, but he was stripped of his victories by the International Cycling Union in 2012 over allegations of using illegal drugs. He admitted to years of performance-enhancing drug use to Oprah Winfrey in a televised interview. 

How to watch the Tour de France

Coverage of the 2023 Tour de France will be carried on :

• NBC Sports: Will broadcast select parts of race.
• Peacock : Will stream all race stages.
• USA Network: Will show condensed live coverage.

SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Associated Press; VeloNews; letour.com; bicycling.com; cyclingnews.com

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.

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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The Tour de France: A Brief History

The Tour de France is an undeniably remarkable cycling event that encourages riders from all over the globe to stretch their personal physical limits and resilience.

Beginning with the first edition in 1903, the race has been through many changes, such as adding new stages and routes, and has become the massive race we know today.

In this blog, we will explore the history of this thrilling race, including the early years, the golden age where French and Italian cyclists dominated, and the modern era of cycling. It’s an inspiring journey that celebrates human achievement’s incredible power.

Humble Beginnings

The Tour de France was an incredibly audacious venture brought to life by Henri Desgrange, editor of the French sports newspaper L’Auto from 1900-1932.

Inspired by his background in cycling and organising sports events, Desgrange saw great promise in the six-day races in the United States and decided to take a chance to do something even more remarkable – a multi-stage race around France!

So it all started with Desgrange’s race announcement in January 1903. Fast forward half a year, and the first race kicked off with six stages and 2,428 km of terrain to cover in 19 days.

It was a thrilling challenge of stamina, with riders overcoming tough terrain and unpredictable weather conditions. 60 riders embarked on the race, and only 21 completed it.

Maurice Garin, a Frenchman, emerged victorious, winning three stages and finishing over two hours ahead of the runner-up and fellow Frenchman, Hippolyte Aucouturier.

The Early Years

The wild ride begins, full of controversy, discontent, and chaos. Riders resorted to cheating and sabotage in a desperate attempt to gain an edge. At the same time, the race organisers worked fruitlessly to maintain order.

The government suspended the race during World War I and II. Yet, it still managed to experience tremendous growth in popularity.

Race organisers added new stages, new riders emerged as stars, and the race helped establish cycling as a major global sport.

The first official Tour de France race takes place, consisting of six stages covering 2,428 km. Maurice Garin of France wins the race.

Mountain stages are introduced, with riders navigating the Pyrenees and the Alps.

The Tour’s organisers introduced the yellow jersey to allow spectators to identify the race’s leader quickly.

However, it was in mid-July 1919, almost a month into the race, that the jersey was awarded.

Before the yellow jersey was introduced, the race leader would wear a green armband to signal their position.

What does the yellow jersey mean?

Organisers introduced the yellow jersey (Malliot jaune) as a means for spectators to identify the race leader quickly. Organisers introduced the yellow jersey (Malliot jaune) as a means for spectators to identify the race leader quickly.

However, in mid-July 1919, almost a month into the race, they awarded the jersey.

During the Dreyfus affair , a major political scandal in France, the cost of advertising space in a leading sports paper skyrocketed, causing advertisers to become unhappy.

Advertisers withdrew their support in response to the rising cost of advertising and dissatisfaction with the paper’s support of Dreyfus. Instead, they backed the rival publication L’Auto, funded by the same advertisers.

Interestingly, L’Auto used yellow newsprint, leading some to speculate that the iconic yellow colour of the Tour de France’s yellow jersey was to match the distinctive colour in the paper purposely.

The Golden Age

The golden age of the Tour de France was a time of unparalleled greatness. French and Italian cyclists reveled in glory and became the source of national pride.

People were out in droves, cheering their heroes on and relishing their country’s great success.

It was a breathtaking sight – all around, people seemed to have come out of their homes in masses, the air thick with their passionate cheers in honour of the cycling champions, a unified spirit of love and admiration for their nation reigning strong.

Golden moments

Gino Bartali, an Italian cyclist, had a moment of glory when he achieved his second victory.

This monumental achievement was met with extreme joy from the Italian people, especially after the sorrow following the end of World War II. His victory is heroic, and he remains celebrated as a national hero in Italy.

The world held its breath as Frenchman Louison Bobet accomplished unprecedented greatness.

Bobet made history with his remarkable feat of becoming the first rider ever to win three consecutive races, an incredible accomplishment that set him apart and pushed the boundaries of what others believe can be achieved.

The legendary Jacques Anquetil rose to the challenge and achieved the impossible!

His feat of a record-breaking 5th win is a remarkable testament to his skill and unyielding dedication, making him one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen!

His accomplishment will forever be remembered and celebrated.

The Modern Era

The Tour de France of today looks drastically different from the humble event that began in France many years ago.

Just think, what was once a mere French event is now a global phenomenon, attracting riders from all corners of the world, each showing remarkable finesse and high competition standards.

Unforgettable highlights

The triumphs of French rider Laurent Fignon in 1983 and 1984 were legendary!

Famed for his daring and unorthodox approach to cycling, Fignon utilised aerodynamic equipment and a low riding position for a unique advantage over his competitors.

His feats of cycling prowess remain the stuff of legends.

The cycling world was devastated by the doping scandal, with multiple riders testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

This led to urgent action from race organisers, taking necessary steps to prevent further cheating and bringing in stricter testing protocols and punishments for cyclists who violate the rules.

What an incredible moment for Australia when Cadel Evans, who had already tasted defeat twice in 2007 and 2008, finally won in 2011! This victory had a lasting impact on cycling in Australia, inspiring a new generation of riders and cycling enthusiasts.

The legend continues

The Tour de France stands head and shoulders above other sporting events – its real presence on the world stage continues its strength.

It remains the go-to competition for top cyclists worldwide, a gruelling challenge that tests every aspect of their skill and strength.

People come from near and far to witness this awe-inspiring event, and it continues to captivate the hearts and minds of millions across the globe.

New routes and stages

In recent years, organisers have updated the course design to make the race even more exciting and captivating, including the following:

On this historic day, the 109th edition marked its inaugural start in Yorkshire, England, thus beginning a new era for the world-renowned race.

Following the English Channel crossing, the riders continued through France, with a challenging mountain stage in the Vosges and a grand finale on the towering Puy-de-Dôme volcano.

The Tour de France included a particularly difficult stage that ended with a climb up the iconic Mont Ventoux. An unfortunate motorbike incident occurred at Challet Reynard near the summit.

Several riders, including overall race winner Chris Froome, had to run with their bikes to complete the stage.

The twenty-first stage provided a thrilling conclusion as riders faced a challenging ascent of the Col du Portet in the Pyrenees, with steep inclines and decreased oxygen levels at higher altitudes.

The race began in the enchanted region of Brittany and culminated in the City of Love – Paris, as is tradition! Yet, this year the cyclists were presented with new obstacles, including:

• The daunting Mont Ventoux
• The steep ascent up the Col du Portet in the Pyrenees!

With a booming start from Copenhagen, the 2022 tour began its epic 3,328km journey through Belgium, France and the Alps.

After battling six gruelling mountain stages and five altitude finishes, riders faced their final challenges in the Pyrenees mountains before the action-packed final stage on the Champs-Elysées in Paris.

This is a testament to how passionate the organisers are about creating a challenging and beautiful route that celebrates the diverse landscape of France and surrounding countries.

Experience the Ultimate Tour de France Tour

We are absolutely in love with France – the people, its unique art and culture, its incredible food and wine , its long and fascinating history, the beautiful outdoors, the magnificent mountains and its unparalleled enthusiasm for the world’s biggest sporting event.

We are excited to show you the dream Tour de France experience, including our loop rides of:

• Alpe D’huez
• Mont Ventoux, Paris
• Many more breathtaking locations around France.

View our Ultimate Tour de France cycling tour details for more information on an experience you won’t forget!

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Chris Froome: Another Tour de France stage win would be an 'amazing' way to end glittering career

Published 10/04/2024 at 10:20 GMT

Chris Froome was once the dominant force at the Tour de France, but after suffering serious injuries in a crash at the Criterium du Dauphine in 2019, his objectives have changed. Now 38, Froome has spoken about wanting to ride until he is 40 and also his hope to win another stage at the Tour de France. He has also given his thoughts on the "very impressive" Tadej Pogacar.

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Tour de France 2022

Latest news from the race.

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Tour de france 2022 overview, vingegaard crowned tour de france champion while philipsen wins stage 21.

Tour de France stage 21 - How it happened

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) blasted across the finish line on the Champs-Élysées in Paris to take his second stage victory at this year's Tour de France, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) won the Tour de France after finishing safely in the main field with his Jumbo-Visma teammates .

Results powered by  FirstCycling

Stage 20: Wout van Aert, Vingegaard go one-two in stage 20 time trial of Tour de France / As it happened

Stage 19: Laporte completes Jumbo-Visma domination with Tour de France stage win in Cahors / As it happened

Stage 18: Vingegaard soars to victory on Tour de France stage 18 to Hautacam / As it happened

Stage 17: Pogacar triples up on stage 17 mountain mayhem at Tour de France / As it happened

Stage 16: Hugo Houle wins stage 16 of Tour de France with solo attack in Pyrenees / As it happened

Stage 15: Philipsen blazes to victory in Tour de France stage to Carcassonne / As it happened

Stage 14: Michael Matthews takes solo win in Mende on Tour de France stage 14 / As it happened

Stage 13: Pedersen jumps from breakaway to win sprint on Tour de France stage 13 / As it happened

Stage 12: Pidcock claims sensational L'Alpe d'Huez victory on stage 12 of Tour de France / As it happened

Stage 11:   Vingegaard wins stage 11 of Tour de France as Pogacar cracks on Col du Granon / As it happened

Stage 10 : Cort takes breakaway sprint to win Tour de France stage 10 at Megève / As it happened

Stage 9: Jungels solos to stage 9 Alpine victory in 2022 Tour de France / As it happened

Stage 8: Van Aert surges to stage 8 victory in Lausanne / As it happened

Stage 7: Pogacar snuffs out Vingegaard's attack to win stage 7 / As it happened

Stage 6: Pogacar wins uphill sprint, takes yellow jersey / As it happened

Stage 5: Simon Clarke conquers cobbles to win stage 5 / As it happened

Stage 4: Wout van Aert takes stunning solo win in yellow jersey / As it happened

Stage 3: Groenewegen wins stage 3 sprint in Sønderborg / As it happened

Stage 2: Fabio Jakobsen wins crash-marred sprint stage 2 in Nyborg / As it happened

Stage 1: Lampaert stuns favourites to take yellow jersey / As it happened

Tour de France 2022 teams

• AG2R Citroen Team
• Astana Qazaqstan Team
• Bahrain Victorious
• Bora-Hansgrohe
• EF Education-EasyPost
• Groupama-FDJ
• Ineos Grenadiers
• Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
• Israel-Premier Tech
• Jumbo-Visma
• Lotto Soudal
• Movistar Team
• QuickStep-AlphaVinyl
• BikeExchange-Jayco
• Trek-Segafredo
• UAE Team Emirates
• Alpecin-Fenix
• Arkea-Samsic
• B&B Hotels-KTM
• TotalEnergies

• Tour de France past winners
• Tour de France 2022 route
• Tour de France 2022 – The Essential Preview

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Tour de France won’t finish in Paris for first time in more than a century because of the Olympics

This photo provided by the Tour de France organizer ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation) shows the roadmap of the men’s 2024 Tour de France cycling race. The race will start in Florence, Italy, on June 29, 2024, to end in Nice, southern France on July 21, 2024. (ASO via AP)

This photo provided by the Tour de France organizer ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation) shows the roadmap of the women’s 2024 Tour de France cycling race. The race will start in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Aug. 12 2024 to end in Alps d’Huez, French Alps, on Aug. 18, 2024. (ASO via AP)

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PARIS (AP) — The final stage of next year’s Tour de France will be held outside Paris for the first time since 1905 because of a clash with the Olympics, moving instead to the French Riviera.

Because of security and logistical reasons, the French capital won’t have its traditional Tour finish on the Champs-Elysees. The race will instead conclude in Nice on July 21. Just five days later, Paris will open the Olympics.

The race will start in Italy for the first time with a stage that includes more than 3,600 meters of climbing. High mountains will be on the 2024 schedule as soon as the fourth day in a race that features two individual time trials and four summit finishes.

There are a total of seven mountain stages on the program, across four mountain ranges, according to the route released Wednesday.

The race will kick off in the Italian city of Florence on June 29 and will take riders to Rimini through a series of hills and climbs in the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. That tricky start could set the scene for the first skirmishes between the main contenders.

Riders will first cross the Alps during Stage 4, when they will tackle the 2,642-meter Col du Galibier.

“The Tour peloton has never climbed so high, so early,” Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said.

And it will just be just a taste of what’s to come since the total vertical gain of the 111th edition of the Tour reaches 52,230 meters.

The next big moment for two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard and his rivals will be Stage 7 for the first time trial in the Bourgogne vineyards. The first rest day will then come after a stage in Champagne presenting several sectors on white gravel roads for a total of 32 kilometers that usually provide for spectacular racing in the dust.

Tour riders will then head south to the Massif Central and the Pyrenees, then return to the Alps for a pair of massive stages with hilltop finishes, at the Isola 2000 ski resort then the Col de la Couillole, a 15.7-kilometer (9.7-mile) ascent at an average gradient of 7.1%.

There should be suspense right until the very end because the last stage, traditionally a victory parade in Paris for the race leader until the final sprint takes shape, will be a 34-kilometer (21.1-mile) time trial between Monaco and Nice.

“Everyone remembers the last occasion the Tour finished with a time trial, when Greg LeMond stripped the yellow jersey from the shoulders of Laurent Fignon on the Champs-Elysees in 1989, by just eight seconds,” Prudhommne said. “Thirty-five years later, we can but dream of a similar duel.”

There are eight flat stages for the sprinters, leaving plenty of opportunities for Mark Cavendish to try to become the outright record-holder for most career stage wins at the sport’s biggest race.

The route for the third edition of the women’s Tour will take the peloton from the Dutch city of Rotterdam, starting Aug. 12, to the Alpe d’Huez resort. The race will feature eight stages and a total of 946 kilometers.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports

Tour de France after all? Wout van Aert said in December that is practically not an option

Wout van Aert won't be participating in the Giro d'Italia, missing his second major goal of the year after the most important spring classics, as he announced in a video message. The Belgian of Visma | Lease a Bike now has just one main goal left, out of the ones he listed during the team's day in December. And that is exactly why a simple assessment towards the Tour de France could now suddenly turn out quite differently...

Van Aert took a different approach last winter. He significantly cut down on his cyclo-cross season, focused even more on road racing, and made even more selective choices than before. Everything was focused on preparing for the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. No Paris-Nice or Tirreno-Adriatico for him, but instead, a high-altitude training camp. Then, everything went awry on just his eleventh race day of 2024, after a hard crash in Dwars door Vlaanderen. Van Aert broke a collarbone, seven ribs and his sternum.

The fractures are healing well, the superstar states on the official channels of Visma | Lease a Bike. "But my ribs are still a limiting factor. At this point, I cannot train at all. I'm trying to do my first pedal strokes on the bike, but it is not enough for serious training," he tells us, explaining why he is skipping the Giro.

Van Aert was set to ride the Tour of Italy for the first time, having participated in every edition of the Tour de France since 2019. After nine stage wins, wearing the yellow jersey, and securing the green jersey (2022), Van Aert felt it was time for a change. Jonas Vingegaard, his good friend and versatile teammate, was left disappointed. If he recovers in time from his crash in the Tour of the Basque Country, he will have to go for his third consecutive Tour victory without Van Aert's support.

Continue reading below the photo!

Will Van Aert stand by his earlier decision?

Or perhaps not? Now that Van Aert is missing the Giro, the Tour de France suddenly seems entirely possible. Just like for Vingegaard, this would obviously require sufficient time to train and get into top shape leading up to the Tour de France. The problem is that Wout's third and only remaining big goal for 2024 was (and is) not the Tour, but rather the time trial at the Olympic Games in Paris. He shared this in December during an open interview with IDLProCycling.com , among others. "In the championships, I often come across guys who have prepared 100 percent for the time trial, whereas I often came from another race and then did the best I could. I've never done a race like that with thorough preparation," he explained.

The Tour de France finishes on July 21, 2024, in Nice. The Olympic time trial is scheduled for July 27. "Without the Tour, I have the time to prepare 100 percent for the time trial. That's what I'm looking forward to," Van Aert honestly said. In fact, he even saw the Tour as an obstacle for his competitors to achieving the gold in Paris. "Because of the Olympic Games, I wanted to choose a different approach. The Olympic time trial is the Saturday after the Tour de France, so I don't think the guys who do the Tour can show the maximum of their capabilities in that time trial. A training camp leading up to the time trial is a much better preparation."

Jonas Vingegaard has collapsed lung, Tour de France defense in doubt

• Associated Press

BARCELONA, Spain -- Two-time defending Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard remained hospitalized in Spain a day after he broke his collarbone and several ribs in a bad crash with other top riders during the Tour of Basque Country.

The Danish rider's Visma-Lease A Bike team said Friday that further tests revealed the Vingegaard also suffered a collapsed lung and a pulmonary contusion. The team said that cycling's leading star was "stable and had a good night" but remains in a hospital in the northern Spanish city of Vitoria.

The accident comes less than three months before the start of the Tour on June 29 when Vingegaard is scheduled to to again face off against top rival Tadej Pogačar. That highly anticipated rematch is now in doubt.

Vingegaard was hardly moving as he was put in an ambulance wearing an oxygen mask and neck brace after the crash occurred on Thursday with less than 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) left in the race's fourth stage.

The pileup also took out cycling stars Primoz Roglič and Remco Evenepoel.

Evenepoel, considered one of the favorites for the road race at the Paris Games, broke a collarbone and his right shoulder blade and was set to undergo surgery when he returns to Belgium on Friday, his Soudal Quick-Step team said.

The accident happened as riders were making what looked to be a conventional right-hand turn going downhill when one rider's front tire appeared to slip out and send other cyclists off the road. There were some large rocks and trees in the area, though it wasn't clear if any of the riders hit them. There was also a concrete drainage ditch place on the edge of the curve.

Roglic, a three-time Spanish Vuelta winner, emerged with just scratches but he did have to abandon the race he was leading.

Vingegaard was trying to defend the title he won last year at the six-day Tour of Basque Country.

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Cycling: what if Tour de France winner Demi Vollering signed with the French team FDJ-Suez?

2024-04-15T20:51:52.528Z

Highlights: Demi Vollering, 27, has 29 victories, including the Strade Bianche, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Amstel Gold Race and the Flèche Wallonne. The only world-class French team FDJ-Suez refuses to confirm the signing of the Dutchwoman for 2025. But admits its interest in the world's best women's cyclist. Gazzetta dello Sport: "We could imagine that the French team, a little fed up by the leaks, is doing what is most urgent. Knowing that, as with men, the transfer market does not officially open until August 1st. Even if everything will be decided well before… ’We have still experienced much more scathing denials.’“There has been no concrete proposal,” denies the leader of the group based in Vienna. “This proves that the team has structured itself to be able to accommodate such an athlete. »

The only world-class French team refuses to confirm the signing of the Dutchwoman for 2025. But admits its interest.

Will one of the best cyclists in the world wear the colors of the best French women's cycling team? SD Worx, the number one team in the world rankings, announced a few days ago that Demi Vollering, 27, would no longer wear its colors next season. Vollering already has a very extensive track record. The Dutchwoman has 29 victories, including the Strade Bianche, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the Amstel Gold Race and the Flèche Wallonne. And especially the women’s Tour de France in 2023.

For several weeks, Gazzetta dello Sport, usually well informed about cycling transfer markets, has reported contacts between Vollering and the French team FDJ-Suez. Stephen Delcourt, the manager of the only French team playing in the Women's World Tour, did not respond with a strong denial to La Nouvelle République which asked him about the Dutch champion. He admitted to going to information

“like at least eight other teams on the Women's World Tour. »

“There has been no concrete proposal,” denies the leader of the group based in Vienna. We are, however, flattered that Demi Vollering is thought to be joining us soon. This proves that the team has structured itself to be able to accommodate such an athlete. » And Stephen Delcourt added: “We are currently 100% focused on the Flèche Wallonne, next Wednesday, then Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Sunday. However, our plan is also to build a team capable of winning the three major rounds in the future. »

We have still experienced much more scathing denials. Basically, we could imagine that the French team, a little fed up by the leaks, is doing what is most urgent. Knowing that, as with men, the transfer market does not officially open until August 1st. Even if everything will be decided well before…

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2024-04-15

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TOTAL: 3492 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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The Saturday Profile

Even Before the Olympics, a Victory Lap for a Fast-Moving French Mayor

Karim Bouamrane, the Socialist mayor of St.-Ouen, a Paris suburb that will host the athletes’ village for the 2024 Games, is leading a rapid transformation of the long-struggling city.

Karim Bouamrane in his office in St.-Ouen, France. “I’m using the Olympic Games as a political weapon,” he said. Credit... Dmitry Kostyukov for The New York Times

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By Catherine Porter

Reporting from St.-Ouen, France

• April 12, 2024

The mayor grew up in a building so decrepit — filthy hallways, no private toilets, no showers — that his friends in nearby concrete towers pitied him.

Five decades later, that building — in St.-Ouen, a Paris suburb — is a distant memory, and in its place rises France’s Olympic pride: the athletes’ village, with its architectural-showcase buildings that are outfitted with solar panels, deep-sinking pipes for cooling and heating, and graceful balconies from which to look down on the forest planted below. One-quarter will become public housing after the Games.

“All of a sudden, we have the same feeling of pride as people living in the hypercenter,” said the mayor of St.-Ouen, Karim Bouamrane, 51, using his personal shorthand for the glamorous downtown playgrounds of the elites . “There was Los Angeles, Barcelona, Beijing, London, Sydney and, now, there is St.-Ouen.”

Even before the Olympic Committee choose to invest in this economically depressed northern suburb, St.-Ouen was changing. But since then, and since Mr. Bouamrane’s election as mayor in 2020, the transformation seems turbocharged.

Dump trucks rumble throughout the small city, including in front of the 160-year-old City Hall, where jackhammers and excavators claw at the pavement, following plans to green the adjacent plaza with trees and benches.

At the center of the activity is Mr. Bouamrane, a member of the Socialist Party, who is in the news a lot these days as St.-Ouen prepares to welcome the Olympic athletes.

He’s announcing contracts with universities and colleges, signing partnerships with foreign governments and bringing the American ambassador into a local elementary school to meet students, who scream and wave in excitement during their arrival.

“Self-esteem, self-confidence,” Mr. Bouamrane said. “That’s what’s kids are getting through the Olympics.”

The middle child of an illiterate Moroccan immigrant who came to Paris to work on construction sites to support his siblings back home, Mr. Bouamrane is acutely aware of the power his image offers on classroom visits. But inspiration is not enough — he’s channeling the international spotlight of the Olympic Games to lure new programs, infrastructure and opportunities into his city, so kids, he said, can “become the architects, and not the passive victims, of their lives.”

“I’m using the Olympic Games as a political weapon, in a noble way, to raise awareness and empower a whole generation,” said Mr. Bouamrane, sitting beside Tony Estanguet, the head of the Paris Olympic Committee, at a recent lunch.

Interviewing Mr. Bouamrane feels a bit like racing through a fun house after devouring two cones of cotton candy. He starts stories in English, switches to French, suddenly launches into an impassioned Portuguese — the latest language he’s learning, his fifth. He peppers his breathless paragraphs with citations from Marx, Plato, Sartre, Spike Lee and Pink Floyd. He breaks into the chorus of Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days” and then, without warning, starts singing “A Question of Time,” by Depeche Mode.

In the heat of all his talking, he takes off the jacket of the blue three-piece suit he wears like a uniform, along with the beaded bracelets his daughter made him. He pounds one word repeatedly as he speaks: equality.

“He was born with character and confidence,” confided one of his childhood friends, Ahcen Goulmane, an actor.

Mr. Bouamrane enters his office at City Hall, pointing to myriad framed photos and posters crowding the walls. There’s Tommie Smith atop the 1968 Olympic podium in Mexico City raising up his gloved fist , and Sócrates, the Brazilian doctor and star soccer player who opposed the military dictatorship.

“He used football like a weapon, with the same philosophy behind it — equality,” said Mr. Bouamrane, who was the host of a large celebration last month to name a street in the Olympic Village after Sócrates, a stone’s throw from where the mayor’s dilapidated childhood home once sat. Sócrates became one of his inspirations back then and has stuck with him ever since.

“I put that photo first on the wall first day when I was mayor,” Mr. Bouamrane said. By chance, the Brazilian Olympic delegation came to visit and saw the photo. A connection was made, and soon not only was St.-Ouen the host village for the Brazilian team and fans during this summer’s Games, but Mr. Bouamrane also signed a twin-city agreement with Rio de Janeiro.

He has signed a flurry of other partnerships, including one to send young climate activists from St.-Ouen to Belém, Brazil, for next year’s COP30 conference on climate change.

One of the industrial suburbs built on the edge of the city to feed the country’s growth, St.-Ouen had factories that began to close in the 1970s, leaving behind poverty, unemployment and crime. If Parisians ventured there, it was usually for the sprawling flea market that was started by rag pickers chased out of Paris in the 1870s.

Growing up, Mr. Bouamrane and his friend Mr. Goulmane were part of a tight circle, all children of immigrant laborers, who spent their Saturdays together in the library, devouring classic books, newspapers, films and music. They have remained close.

“One thing that Karim taught us is that no one will determine our futures. It will be us,” said Madjid Aggar, 51, another member of their group, who is now an elementary school teacher. “To get there, you need culture and a base. That’s why he was always a good student. It was important for us — not just to succeed academically but to understand the world.”

They all expressed a sense of exclusion that came from living on the least glamorous side of the periphérique — the ring highway that encircles Paris, like the medieval walls that protected the elegant palaces, flowering gardens and prestigious universities. Instead of direct racism, they felt a vague social ostracism, they said, and with it, low societal expectations.

Correcting that sense is at the core of Mr. Bouamrane’s political program, which he calls “democratizing excellence.”

“Today in France, people who can evolve and choose their life are in the hypercenters,” said Mr. Bouamrane, who is married with three children. “You have the best schools, the best teachers, the best hospitals, the best connections. If you don’t, you need to work 10 times as hard, and justify yourself all the time.”

After graduating from university with a master’s degree in economics and European law, Mr. Bouamrane landed a management job in a cybersecurity company just as the internet was taking off. The profession offered years of travel, particularly to the United States, where he practiced his English and broadened his worldview, deepening his love for the generous French social security system. It was also, he said, “the first country where I felt respected for my qualities.”

Around the same time in 1995, he was first elected to the local council of St.-Ouen. Later, he joined the Socialist Party, and he would eventually become its spokesman.

Since becoming mayor, Mr. Bouamrane has lured companies, including Tesla, to open offices in St.-Ouen, which, through the additional taxes paid, have helped finance new elementary schools.

A few French colleges have been persuaded to open campuses here, including the respected business school Audencia, with special enrollment programs for local residents. The French American basketball superstar Tony Parker has come on board, agreeing to open an elite sports school in an abandoned sports complex that’s in the midst of a 14 million euro renovation ($15 million) for the Games. It was a social dinner with Mr. Bouamrane that clinched the deal, he said.

“I had a ‘coup de coeur’ — love at first sight — for his vision, his passion and what he wants to accomplish in his city,” said Mr. Parker, a former San Antonio Spurs point guard.

Mr. Bouamrane’s energy and vision have also caught the attention of the country’s Socialist power brokers, like Matthieu Pigasse.

“I want him to be the future of the French left, the social democrats,” said Mr. Pigasse, an investment banker once nicknamed the “Che Guevara of finance.”

Mr. Bouamrane doesn’t hide his national ambitions. He considers it a responsibility to fight against the increasing strength of far-right ideas and politics in his country.

But, for the moment, he’s focused on local people, who lean into his car window to congratulate him on the changes they see.

“This is the France we need to build together,” he said.

Ségolène Le Stradic contributed reporting from Paris.

Catherine Porter is an international reporter for The Times, covering France. She is based in Paris. More about Catherine Porter

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