tour de france teams wiki

Tour de France 2021: Team-by-team guide

All you need to know about each team's lineup for the Tour de France

The 2021 Tour de France gets underway in just two days so as the riders gather in Brittany for the Grand Départ, Cyclingnews takes a look at the 23 teams that will partake in this year's race. 

We highlight the contenders as well as some of those who just could surprise us over the coming three weeks.

AG2R Citroën Team

Team Leader : Greg van Avermaet Objective : stage wins Rider to watch : Ben O'Connor

The French team does not have an overall contender after Romain Bardet left for Team DSM but does have a number of baroudeur riders, who can dynamite different stages, and win.

Van Avermaet is always a threat in the hilly stages of the south and second week, while Naesen makes for a talented Flemish combo. Cosnefroy, Peeters, Paret-Peintre and Godon fly the flag for France and could join Julian Alaphilippe when he attacks. Peeters won in Loudenvielle last year, while Godon won Paris-Camembert last week.

Australia's Ben O'Connor makes his Tour de France debut but has improved significantly since winning back to back stages at the 2020 Giro d'Italia. He may start the race thinking of the overall classification but if that plan fails he will be a threat in the Pyrenees.

Full line-up : Benoit Cosnefroy, Greg van Avermaet, Aurelien Paret-Peintre, Nans Peters, Oliver Naesen, Michael Schär, Dorian Godon

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Alpecin-Fenix

Team Leader : Mathieu van der Poel Objective : stage wins Rider to watch : Tim Merlier

After animating the Classics and weeklong stage races, Mathieu van der Poel turns his many talents to the biggest race of all: the Tour de France.

The Alpecin-Fenix Tour team will predominantly revolve around him and be directed to ensuring a stage win and perhaps even the yellow jersey in the first week. Winning stage 1 in Landerneau would be huge even by Van der Poel's high standards but is possible.

Alpecin-Fenix have selected a team packed with sprinters with Tim Merlier offering an alternative to the Dutchman for the high-speed flat sprints. Jasper Philipsen is a valid alternative, and Kristian Sbaragli is a good understudy and an experienced lead-out man.

Meurisse finished 21st overall in the 2019 Tour de France when riding for Wanty-Gobert, while Vakoč and Dillier are strong enough to help with any chase work if Van der Poel does pull on the leader's yellow jersey.

Silvan Dillier will stand out in the team due to his red Swiss national champion's jersey but beyond Van der Poel, Merlier is the rider to watch. He has won six times so far in 2021 and has the speed and sprint craft to step up a level and win in the chaotic Tour sprints.

Full line-up : Mathieu van der Poel, Silvan Dillier, Tim Merlier, Xandro Meurisse, Jasper Philipsen, Jonas Rickaert, Kristian Sbaragli and Petr Vakoč.

Astana-Premier Tech

Team Leader : Jakob Fuglsang Objective : stage wins Rider to watch : Omar Fraile

The boys in sky blue have lost team leaders like Vincenzo Nibali and Miguel Angel Lopez in recent years and, with the Olympic Games on the horizon, leader Jakob Fuglsang and the team are more focussed on winning stages than chasing a top 10 in the overall classification.

Fuglsang, Alexey Lutsenko, Ion Izagirre, new Spanish national champion Omar Fraile and even Alex Aranburu could all win hilly and mountainous stages, while Canada's Hugo Houle loves going in long-range attacks.

Fuglsang finished third overall at the Tour de Suisse and perhaps starts the Tour with even better form. Lutsenko's second place at the Critérium du Dauphiné confirmed he could repeat his stage win of 2020, while Ion Izagirre won the Spanish time trial title and clearly has his motor fine-tuned for the month ahead.

24-year-old Stefan de Bod is perhaps a surprise selection but he was fifth in the best young rider competition at the Tour de Suisse and a name to remember. So is the fast-finishing Aranburu, who went close to victory on two stages in the Critérium du Dauphiné.

Fraile is aggressive and fast and his Spanish road race title confirms he is on form and ready to race.

Full line-up : Jakob Fuglsang, Alexey Lutsenko, Ion Izagirre, Omar Fraile, Hugo Houle, Dmitriy Gruzdev, Stefan de Bod and Alex Aranburu.

B&B Hotels p/b KTM

Team Leader : Bryan Coquard Objective : stage wins Rider to watch : Pierre Rolland

The French ProTeam is riding the 2021 Tour de France thanks to one of the three wildcard invitations and will be looking to pay back their golden ticket with sprint wins and a placing by Bryan Coquard plus attacks and possible success in the mountains from veteran Pierre Rolland.

Coquard has won 45 times but rarely at WorldTour level and never at the Tour de France. He was in the top 10 seven times in 2020 and surely a sprint will go his way one day. He was second to Caleb Ewan in the Baloise Belgium Tour and so it could be his year.

Rolland is now 34 and last won a stage at the Tour in 2012 and at the Giro in 2017. He won the Mont Kigali stage at the Tour de Rwanda in May so his hunger is still there.

Full line-up : Pierre Rolland, Bryan Coquard, Quentin Pacher. Maxime Chevalier, Franck Bonnamour, Cyril Barthe, Cyril Gautier and Cyril Lemoine.

Bahrain Victorious

Team Leader : Jack Haig Objective : stage wins, green points jersey and general classification Rider to watch : Sonny Colbrelli

Bahrain Victorious have finally lived up to their moniker in recent weeks, with a transformation and string of success.

Gino Mäder and Damiano Caruso set the ball rolling at the Giro d'Italia and now it is up to Jack Haig, Wout Poels and Sonny Colbrelli at the Tour de France, with Pello Bilbao, Dylan Teuns and Matej Mohorič all possible stage winners.

In the absence of Mikel Landa, after his nasty crash at the Giro d'Italia, Haig and Poels get the leadership they have craved for most of their careers. Haig was fifth at the Dauphiné, while Poels was aggressive at the Tour de Suisse but failed to make a mark on the overall. One will eventually have to help the other but starting with two leaders is always better than with one.

Colbrelli showed his form at the Dauphiné and again on Sunday when he won the Italian national title on the hilly Imola course used for the 2020 world championships. He is suited to the early uphill finishes in Brittany and has the consistency to challenge for the green jersey.  

Full line-up : Jack Haig, Wout Poels, Sonny Colbrelli, Pello Bilbao, Dylan Teuns, Matej Mohorič, Fred Wright and Marco Haller.

Bora-Hansgrohe

Team Leader : Wilco Kelderman Objective : GC podium, stage wins Rider to watch : Peter Sagan

In recent seasons Bora-Hansgrohe have transformed their identity as a Tour de France team purely built around the ambitions of Peter Sagan. Their team at this year's race continues this trend, balancing Wilco Kelderman's designs on the GC with Sagan's pursuit of an eighth green jersey and stage wins.

There was no room for Pascal Ackermann's aspirations for a maiden Tour de France stage win as strong rides by Sagan and Kelderman strengthened their command of support riders. Sagan has Daniel Oss to drop him off in the sprints and ride in the mountain grupetto, while Emanuel Buchmann can help Kelderman as he recovers from his Giro d'Italia crash and finds his best form. Nils Politt and Ide Schelling offering interesting breakaway alternatives.

Kelderman has only raced the Tour de France once since 2016 but achieved his first Grand Tour podium at last year's Giro d'Italia and a string of top 10 results in stage races this season.

There are signs that Sagan's reign as the omnipresent green jersey favourite may be fading but he proved at the Giro d'Italia that he is not done yet. With his team for 2022 still to be confirmed and a suggestion that Sagan may even stay at Bora-Hansgrohe, the new Slovakian national champion has lots of reasons to keep on winning.

Full line-up : Emanuel Buchmann, Wilco Kelderman, Patrick Konrad, Daniel Oss, Lukas Pöstlberger, Nils Politt, Peter Sagan, Ide Schelling.

Team Leader : Guillaume Martin Objective : stage wins Rider to watch : Jesús Herrada

Without their sprinter, Elia Viviani, who has chosen to target the Tokyo Olympics after riding the Giro d'Italia, Cofidis has opted for a different Tour de France strategy.

Christophe Laporte will try his hand in the uphill sprints, while Guillaume Martin focuses on the GC and mountain stages depending on how his race unfolds.

Martin was not happy with his ride and 20th place overall at the Critérium du Dauphiné but is capable of finishing in the top 10 at the Tour if he can stay healthy and consistent. In the absence of Thibaut Pinot and Romain Bardet, philosopher Martin could become France's best hope of success in the mountains.

Cofidis have always bet on riders outside of France and Belgium and Jesús Herrada is their Spanish stalwart, having been in Cofidis red and white since 2018. He was second in the Spanish national championships and impressed at the Route d'Occitanie in the Pyrenees. Watch for him in the mountain breakaways, acting as an alternative or key help for Martin.

Full line-up : Guillaume Martin, Jesús Herrada, Christophe Laporte, Anthony Perez, Simon Geschke, Pierre-Luc Périchon and Jelle Wallays.

Deceuninck-QuickStep

Team Leader : Julian Alaphilippe Objective : stage wins Rider to watch : Mark Cavendish

After a relatively disappointing Giro d'Italia, compared to their usual strike rate, Deceuninck-QuickStep will be seeking to return to their usual winning ways at the Tour de France.

Led once again by the charismatic Julian Alaphilippe who has delighted French crowds for the past three years, Deceuninck-QuickStep will target punchier stages and an early spell in the yellow jersey with the world champion.

With Tour of Flanders winner Kasper Asgreen, fast finisher Davide Ballerini and the ever-aggressive Mattia Cattaneo in the team, the Belgian team has a number of tactical solutions and strong support for Alaphilippe.

In the absence of Sam Bennett, Deceuninck-QuickStep gave Mark Cavendish a chance in the sprints via an extraordinary and fascinating return to the race that catapulted his career into the sprinting stratosphere.

Parachuted into the team after a knee injury prevented Sam Bennett from defending his green jersey, Cavendish has an opportunity to add to his 30 Tour de France stage victories. He has Michael Mørkøv as a lead-out man and no doubt the hunger and determination to show what he can do. A stage win would be special after his illness and emotions but just making it back to the Tour de France is a huge success for the 36-year-old Manxman.

Full line-up : Julian Alaphilippe, Mark Cavendish, Michael Mørkøv, Kasper Asgreen, Davide Ballerini, Mattia Cattaneo, Tim Declercq and Dries Devenyns.

EF Education-Nippo

Team Leader : Rigoberto Uran Objective : general classification and stage victories Rider to watch : Stefan Bissegger

Rigoberto Uran's strong performance at the Tour de Suisse has forced EF Education-Nippo to review their overall hopes for the Tour de France and include the general classification as a possible goal. They will also target stage victories and the two time trials with Swiss rider Stefan Bissegger.

Uran finished second in the 2017 Tour de France but illness and injury have stopped him repeating anything like that since. He finished eighth in last year's Tour despite coming back from a serious crash at the 2019 Vuelta, where he broke his left collarbone, shoulder blade, ribs, two vertebrae and suffered lung damage. An early season of light racing and fatherhood seems to have given some spring to his pedal stroke.

Dani Martínez and Mike Woods have all left EF and so Uran carries the team on his fun-loving shoulders, with fellow Colombian Sergio Higuita his wingman in the mountains.

The USA's Neilson Powless and Michael Valgren will hunt for stage wins from breakaways, while Magnus Cort is always a threat in the tougher sprint finishes.

Stefan Bissegger was second in the opening time trial at the Tour de Suisse behind compatriot Stefan Küng but then won the hilly stage to Gstaad, confirming his talents and aggression. He could do something similar at the Tour de France and so even have a shot at the yellow jersey after the stage 5 time trial around Laval.

Full line-up : Rigoberto Urán, Neilson Powless, Stefan Bissegger, Magnus Cort, Ruben Guerreiro, Sergio Andres Higuita, Jonas Rutsch, Michael Valgren

Groupama-FDJ

Team Leader : David Gaudu Objective : stage and sprint wins, general classification Rider to watch : Arnaud Démare

In the past, the absence and physical woes of Thibaut Pinot would have left Groupama-FDJ rudderless and team manager Marc Madiot miserable. However, the French team have slowly hedged their bets in the last two seasons, using their growing budget to retain Démare, sign Küng and give Gaudu time to develop.

Now, in the absence of Pinot, they all get a chance to shine in their home race, with Madiot no doubt proud to be in Brittany for the Grand Depart.

Gaudu crashed hard at a Tenerife altitude camp but bounced back at the Dauphine to finish ninth overall and get his preparation back on track. Now 24 and wise beyond his years, Gaudu's two mountain victories at last year's Vuelta a España convinced him he can compete at the Tour de France. He is not afraid to attack or be the French favourite, so a top-five placing and a stage win are possible despite a lack of mountain support.     

Küng will be a favourite for the time trials and then help with Démare's lead-out train. The French sprinter won four stages and the points jersey at the 2020 Giro d'Italia and is hungry to be back at the Tour with full support from Ignatus Konovalovas, Miles Scotson and precious lead-out man Jacopo Guarnieri.

Démare may struggle on the early uphill sprints but should come into his own from stage 6 to Chateauroux, across the south of France and especially in Paris.

Full line-up : David Gaudu, Arnaud Démare, Stefan Küng, Bruno Armirail, Valentin Madouas, Ignatas Konovalovas, Miles Scotson and precious leadout man Jacopo Guarnieri.

Ineos Grenadiers

Team Leader : Geraint Thomas Objective : overall victory Riders to watch : Richard Carapaz and Tao Geoghegan Hart

Ineos Grenadiers boasts three Grand Tour winners in its eight-rider roster in Geraint Thomas, Richard Carapaz and Tao Geoghegan Hart, as well as Richie Porte who finished third in last year's Tour de France.

It is a veritable Grand Tour assortment of riches and, though the politics of managing so many protected riders may prove difficult, this strategy of utilising multiple contenders has yielded success for the Ineos Grenadiers in the past.

The team's strength extends beyond the quartet and whoever becomes the eventual protected leader will be able to count on the experience of Michal Kwiatkowski, Luke Rowe, Jonathan Castroviejo and Dylan van Baarle.

For all their strength in depth, Ineos Grenadiers perhaps lack a leader able to go shoulder to shoulder with Primož Roglič and Tadej Pogačar, hence Dave Brailsford's claim they will race hard for every kilometre of the race.

However, the last time they won a stage race with Roglič in the peloton was the 2018 Tour de France, and they have never won a stage race with Tadej Pogačar on the start line.

Full line-up : Richard Carapaz, Jonathan Castroviejo, Tao Geoghegan Hart, Michał Kwiatkowski, Richie Porte, Luke Rowe, Geraint Thomas, Dylan van Baarle

Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux

Team Leader : Louis Meintjes Objective : stage wins Rider to watch : Danny van Poppel

The Belgian team bought their way into the 2021 WorldTour and the Tour de France by taking over the CCC team licence.

They struggled for success until Taco van der Hoorn leapt away to win at the Giro d'Italia in Novara and will surely be hoping to pull off a similar surprise victory in the Tour de France.

Meintjes may forgo the overall classification for a chance of a stage victory, while Jan Bakelants and Loic Vliegen will try their hand in breaks.

Danny van Poppel, with support from his brother Boy, will no doubt dive into the sprint finish in the hope of taking his first win of 2021.

Jonas Koch was second in the German national championships and on form, so he could do what Taco did.

Full line-up : Louis Meintjes, Jan Bakelants, Jonas Koch, Lorenzo Rota, Danny van Poppel, Boy van Poppel, Loic Vliegen, Georg Zimmermann.

Israel Start-Up Nation

Team Leader : Michael Woods Objective : stage wins, general classification Rider to watch : Chris Froome

Much of the pre-race coverage of Israel Start-Up Nation centred on whether four-time champion Chris Froome would be selected for the Tour de France. The team eventually confirmed that he will form part of their squad, though as the road captain rather than the team leader, with Michael Woods given protected status and the role of responsibility.

Froome's intended return to Tour winning form after his career-threatening crash two years ago has not yet materialised, and so in truth, he is being deployed as a highly-paid domestique. It remains to be seen how he will fare in this unfamiliar position.

Woods will have to fulfil the role of team leader, seeking to target both stage wins and a high position on the general classification. His racing pedigree is now sound, having achieved both these objectives at the Vuelta a España in recent years, though not during the same edition of the race. A top ten in the Tour would be considered a success for the likeable Canadian.

Israel Start-Up Nation's other options and their hopes lie in Dan Martin for mountain stage wins and with André Greipel in the sprints. The veteran has won 11 Tour stages over the years and is back on form and so has been given a chance, alongside fellow German Rick Zabel.

Full line-up : Michael Woods, Dan Martin, Chris Froome, Guillaume Boivin, Reto Hollenstein, André Greipel, Rick Zabel, Omar Goldstein.

Jumbo-Visma

Team Leader : Primož Roglič Objective : overall victory, stage wins Rider to watch : Wout van Aert

Jumbo-Visma will be seeking to banish the horrors of the time trial defeat at La Planche des Belles Filles in which Primož Roglič conceded nearly two minutes and the yellow jersey to his younger compatriot, Tadej Pogačar.

Their team is calibrated around Roglič's tilt at overall victory, with Sepp Kuss, Steven Kruijswijk, Jonas Vingegaard and Robert Gesink providing support in the mountains. Kruijswijk and Kuss are possible alternative leaders if Roglič crashes out or suffers under the weight of expectation.

The multi-talented Wout van Aert will likely act as both super-domestique and stage win hunter, able to compete equally as adeptly in the sprints, time-trials and hillier terrain.

His rivalry with Mathieu van der Poel will find a new arena at the Tour, fascinating observers.

Full line-up : Robert Gesink, Steven Kruijswijk, Sepp Kuss, Tony Martin, Primoz Roglic, Mike Teunissen, Wout van Aert, Jonas Vingegaard.

Lotto Soudal

Team Leade r: Caleb Ewan Objective : sprint and stage wins Rider to watch : Thomas De Gendt

Caleb Ewan's stated objective for this season is to win stages in all three Grand Tours. He accomplished the first step of this at the Giro d'Italia and will expect to add to his existing five Tour de France stage wins in July.

This year's route is especially generous to sprinters, offering perhaps seven opportunities for a sprint finish, giving Ewan ample opportunity to win at least one more Tour stage. Some are uphill and in the third week but Ewan has shown he can fight for every chance of victory.

Although the Lotto Soudal team is predominantly built around Ewan, via Roger Kluge, Jasper De Buyst and Australia's Harry Sweeny, it is not entirely dependent upon him for success. Thomas de Gendt is a formidable breakaway contender when at his best, whilst Philippe Gilbert has proved his quality time and time again.

If given the opportunity, any one of these could achieve their own stage win.

Full line-up : Caleb Ewan, Roger Kluge, Jasper De Buyst, Harry Sweeny, Philippe Gilbert, Tosh Van der Sande, Brent Van Moer and Thomas De Gendt.

Movistar Team

Team Leader : Miguel Angel López Objective : stage victories and overall classification Rider to watch : Alejandro Valverde

Destiny means that Movistar will throw their full force at the Tour de France yet again, with Miguel Angel López and Enric Mas leading the general classification challenge while Alejandro Valverde and Marc Soler are also in the final eight.

Iván García Cortina, Carlos Verona, Imanol Erviti and Jorge Arcas complete the experienced lineup that will show off a new kit for the race.

López is in his first season at Movistar after joining from Astana last winter. The Colombian placed sixth overall on his Tour debut last September, winning atop the Col de la Loze but his poor time trial skills saw him drop off the podium in the final time trial to La Planche des Belles Filles. Despite a bout of COVID-19 early in the season, he is now on form and proved this by winning the recent Mont Ventoux Dénivelé Challenge.

Mas has also recently come good and is usually consistent, while Soler is in the team and on form after riding half of the Giro d'Italia until crashing out.

Valverde is now 41 but refuses to retire and is using the Tour as a launchpad towards the Tokyo Olympics and a final season in the 2022 peloton. His solid Ardennes campaign and stage win at the Dauphiné shows there is life in the old dog yet.

Full line-up : Miguel Angel López, Enric Mas, Alejandro Valverde, Marc Soler, Iván García Cortina, Carlos Verona, Imanol Erviti and Jorge Arcas.

Team Arkéa-Samsic

Team Leader : Nairo Quintana Objective : stage and sprint victories Rider to watch : Nacer Bouhanni

Team Arkéa-Samsic are based in Rennes in southern Brittany and will be racing with pride during the early stages, hoping that Nacer Bouhanni can strike early before Nairo Quintana and Warren Barguil take over in the mountains.

Bouhanni has never won a stage at the Tour de France and only recently made his comeback from a two-month ban for dangerous sprinting. He suffered the psychological effects of racial abuse but was fifth in the final sprint at the Baloise Belgium Tour and so could be on the way back to his best. 

Both Bouhanni and Quintana can expect to receive support from Connor Swift. The former British champion was praised for the way he guided Quintana through the treacherous flat stages last year and showcased his form with victory at the recent Tro Bro Léon. Dan McLay will be a key lead-out man and alternative for Bouhanni, while Elie Gesbert can help Quintana and Barguil in the absence of Winner Anaconda.

Full line-up : Warren Barguil, Nairo Quintana, Nacer Bouhanni, Elie Gesbert, Connor Swift, Clement Russo, Dan McLay and Anthony Delaplace.

Team BikeExchange

Team Leader : Lucas Hamilton Objective : overall classification and stage wins Rider to watch : Michael Matthews

The Australian team focused on the overall classification at the Giro d'Italia with Simon Yates winning a stage and finishing third overall but the big goal for the Tour de France will be stage victories with Yates, Michael Matthews and Esteban Chaves.

Matthews is a real contender for the opening uphill sprint finishes and has the class to wreck the ambitions of Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, Peter Sagan and anyone else. Consistency would also give him a shot at a second green points jersey

Yates is clinical in the way he rides and wins and there are a number of mountain stages that suit his climbing style and fast finish. Chaves is Yates' alter ego but can win in the same way.

Lucas Hamilton has the role of protected GC rider but with little pressure on his young shoulders and focus on learning for the future. It will be fascinating to watch as the 25-year-old discovers his Grand Tour limit. He was fourth in the 2017 Tour de L'Avenir and fourth in this year's Paris-Nice so the stage racing ability is there to be nurtured and developed.

The rest of the team is experienced and Grand Tour ready, with Luke Durbridge, Christopher Juul-Jensen, Luka Mezgec, Amund Grøndahl Jansen completing the roster.

Full line-up : Luke Durbridge, Christopher Juul-Jensen, Luka Mezgec, Simon Yates, Esteban Chaves, Michael Matthews, Amund Grøndahl Jansen, Lucas Hamilton.

Team Leader : Søren Kragh Andersen Objective : stage wins Rider to watch : Mark Donovan

The victors of three stages in last year's Tour de France, Team DSM will be looking to replicate that success in this edition of the race despite the loss of Marc Hirschi and the absence of Romain Bardet and Jai Hindley.

Their team is packed with stage-hunters, spearheaded by Søren Kragh Andersen and Tiesj Benoot and will direct all its resources towards the pursuit of stage victories on virtually every terrain of this year's race.

In the sprints, Cees Bol will be aiming to improve upon his four top-10 finishes in last year's race, offering another option for taking a stage win. Watch for Team DSM's well-drilled lead-out train take on Deceuninck-QuickStep and Lotto Soudal in the final kilometres of the flat stages.

Britain's Mark Donovan makes his Tour debut at just 22 after impressing at last year's Vuelta a España.

Full line-up : Søren Kragh Andersen, Tiesj Benoot, Cees Bol, Mark Donovan, Nils Eekhoff, Joris Nieuwenhuis, Casper Pedersen and Jasha Sütterlin.

Team TotalEnergies

Team Leader : Pierre Latour Objective : stage wins Rider to watch : Anthony Turgis

The French ProTeam have undergone a name change and bright brand refresh and team manager Jean-Rene Bernaudeau will be hoping his Tour de France results stand out as much as the rainbow-coloured clothing.

Pierre Latour was signed as team leader for 2021 and seemed to be finding form at the Tour de Suisse. He can time trial, climb and race aggressively and was 13th in the 2018 Tour and won the best young rider's white jersey.

Edvald Boasson Hagen can never be written off for a stage win, while Fabien Doubey, Cristian Rodriguez, Jérémy Cabot and Victor de la Parte all make their Tour debut.

Anthony Turgis, second in this year's Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne and fourth in last year's Tour of Flanders is the rider to watch in the first week's Classics-like stages.

Full line-up : Pierre Latour, Anthony Turgis, Edvald Boasson Hagen  Fabien Doubey, Cristian Rodriguez, Jérémy Cabot, Victor de la Parte and Julien Simon.

Qhubeka Assos

Team Leader : Sergio Henao Objective : stage victories Rider to watch : Nic Dlamini

Nic Dlamini will make history as the first Black South African to compete at the Tour de France as Qhubeka Assos look for opportunities and exposure with attacks and adventure as they did so successfully at the Giro d'Italia.

For the Tour, the African team will be hoping Sergio Henao, Simon Clarke, Michael Gogl, sprinter Max Walscheid and the ever aggressive Victor Campenaerts can all sniff out the best occasions and repeat what Mauro Schmid, Giacomo Nizzolo and Campenaerts did in those five emotional days in May.

The USA's Sean Bennett could be the surprise of the Tour team while Henao brings his Team Sky and Grand Tour experience. Carlos Barbero was a late replacement for Fabio Aru after the Italian struggled to find form for the Tour.

Full line-up : Nic Dlamini, Simon Clarke, Sergio Henao, Simon Clarke, Michael Gogl, Max Walscheid, Victor Campenaerts, Sean Bennett, Carlos Barbero.

Trek-Segafredo

Team Leader : Bauke Mollema Objective : overall classification and stage wins Rider to watch : Mads Pedersen

Trek-Segafredo endured three second places and three third places across the 21 stages of the 2020 Tour de France but got to celebrate Richie Porte's podium spot in Paris. They hope to change their placing into victories in 2021, with Bauke Mollema stepping up to fill Porte's shoes and target the GC this year.

Stages of every kind will be hotly contested at this year's Tour but Trek-Segafredo have Milan-San Remo winner Jasper Stuyven, former world champion Mads Pedersen and Edward Theuns for the different fast finishes, while Vincenzo Nibali, Kenny Elissonde, Toms Skujiņš and Julien Bernard will target the mountain stages.

Mollema chased stages at the Giro d'Italia but will change roles for the Tour and look to find the consistency that has given him five Grand Tour top tens over the years.

Full line-up : Julien Bernard, Kenny Elissonde, Bauke Mollema, Vincenzo Nibali, Mads Pedersen, Toms Skujiņš, Jasper Stuyven and Edward Theuns.

UAE Team Emirates

Team Leader : Tadej Pogačar Objective : overall victory Rider to watch : Marc Hirschi

Analyses of the 2020 Tour de France frequently highlighted that Tadej Pogačar, while ultimately the strongest rider in the race, benefitted massively from the strength of rival team Jumbo-Visma rather than his own UAE Team Emirates squad.

In the intervening nine months, UAE Team Emirates have strengthened their roster considerably for this year's defence of the yellow jersey. Pogačar can count on the USA's Brandon McNulty, Mikkel Bjerg, Rafał Majka, Vegard Stake Laengen, Davide Formolo, veteran Rui Costa and new signing Marc Hirschi. 

Such is their focus on overall victory, there is no room for sprinter Alexander Kristoff despite him winning the opening stage last year.

Tadej Pogačar, meanwhile, has carried his imperious 2020 form into 2021, winning the UAE Tour, Tirreno-Adriatico, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour of Slovenia, all without seeming to suffer the weight of fame and expectation.

Such form, allied to an even stronger team than in September, will surely provide a counterweight to the strength of Jumbo-Visma and Ineos Grenadiers and spark a three-way super-team showdown.

Hirschi will return to the scene of his breakthrough race, albeit with very different objectives to his breakaway exploits of last year. Stage wins from the Swiss rider would be a bonus for this team with designs on a second overall victory in Paris.

Full line-up : Tadej Pogačar, Brandon McNulty, Mikkel Bjerg, Rafał Majka, Davide Formolo, Rui Costa, Davide Formolo, Marc Hirschi and Vegard Stake Laengen

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Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters , Shift Active Media , and CyclingWeekly , among other publications.

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

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

The race also tackles the Apennines, Massif Central and Pyrenees mountain ranges, and passes through Italy, San Marino, Monaco and France. This edition breaks from tradition, finishing not in Paris but in Nice, due to the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

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 .

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 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 day time trial means the yellow jersey won't be decided on the penultimate day. 

• 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.

There will be 22 teams of eight riders at the 2024 Tour de France. 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. 

Tour de France 2024: General classification riders

The general classification riders set to appear on the start line in Florence on June 29 are as of yet unconfirmed.

Reigning champion Jonas Vingegaard is extremely likely to be there to defend his title, and there should be no challenges from within the team since Primož Roglič's move to Bora-Hansgrohe. However, Roglič will be making his own bid for the win as the new team leader, with the route suiting him well. 

Following the route announcement in October, Tadej Pogačar said that the "end of the journey makes me smile", with the final 2 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.

Remco Evenepol intends to 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. It's not yet known who Ineos Grenadiers will hand the reins to, but, coming 5th overall and taking a stage win in his Tour debut in 2023 , Carlos Rogríguez seems a likely choice.

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. If the Belgian returns in 2024 then he will definitely be looking to defend his jersey.

Mads Pederson of Trek-Segafredo has won stages in all three Grand Tours and is likely to gain victory again in some of the harder sprint stages in 2024.

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. 

Tour de France 2024: On TV

As you'd expect the Tour de France will be avialable to watch in a lot of places this July.

The race is expected to be live-streamed on GCN +, 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 punchers 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. 

New study reveals impact of chest fairings in time trials - and it’s big

Objects stuffed in skinsuits offer ‘significant’ drag reduction and can save seconds against the clock

Will the Tour de France be won by the last man standing?

With Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič hitting the deck at Itzulia Basque Country, all three now face battle to get their seasons back on track

By Adam Becket Published 9 April 24

Tom Pidcock unable to bear weight on right leg after Itzulia Basque Country crash

British rider crashed during recon of opening stage time trial last weekend and injured his right hip

By Tom Thewlis Published 3 April 24

Mark Cavendish to miss Scheldeprijs as illness continues to affect schedule

Cavendish will ride Presidential Cycling Tour of Türkiye later this month, Astana Qazaqstan confirms

By Tom Thewlis Published 2 April 24

Mathieu van der Poel not intimidated by Tadej Pogačar’s form ahead of Milan-San Remo clash

Dutchman starts his 2024 road season at Italian Monument on Saturday

By Tom Thewlis Published 15 March 24

'We're thinking about it' - drone filming might be used at the Tour de France this year

France Télévisions to discuss drone broadcasts with Tour stakeholders

By Tom Davidson Published 11 March 24

'I pulled it off and turned everything around' - Brandon McNulty on the ride that changed him

US star grabbed his first ever Grand Tour win at last year’s Giro d’Italia

By Tom Thewlis Published 8 March 24

British bid to host Tour de France Grand Départ in 2026 abandoned

UK Sport confirms that Tour Grand Départ is now merely an "opportunity" in 2027

By Jeremy Whittle Published 5 March 24

Matteo Jorgenson, Visma-Lease a Bike’s new star, continues to impress at Paris-Nice

The American could step into the leaders yellow jersey on Tuesday evening after stage three’s team time trial in Auxerre

By Tom Thewlis Published 5 March 24

Ineos Grenadiers delighted with Egan Bernal’s late cameo on stage one of Paris-Nice

Colombian snapped up key bonus seconds in the general classification battle on run in to Les Mureaux

By Tom Thewlis Published 3 March 24

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Tour de France 2023: full team-by-team guide

Our in-depth look at every team, the main riders to watch and the cast of characters racing through France this summer

• Stage-by-stage guide to this year’s Tour de France

Ag2R-Citroën

Veteran French Tour battlers notorious for wearing brown shorts. Their Australian climber Ben O’Connor had a nightmare in 2022, ripping a muscle in a crash, but O’Connor is back on form this season so they need a repeat of his 2021 feats, with Paret-Peintre and Cosnefroy likely to target hilly stages.

Team Stan Dewulf, Clément Berthet, Felix Gall, Aurélien Paret-Peintre, Ben O’Connor, Benoît Cosnefroy, Oliver Naesen, Nans Peters

Main man Ben O’Connor – Aussie mountain man still out to prove 2021’s fourth overall was not a fluke

Alpecin-Deceuninck

From a relatively small cyclo-cross squad this cannily managed Dutch team has grown into a force to be reckoned with, mainly due to the presence of Mathieu van der Poel, the most charismatic racer in the bunch, but also because the team has recruited wisely around him. At the Tour they focus on Jasper Philipsen for the sprints and perhaps the green points jersey, with VdP targeting everything bar the high mountains; he will be a favourite on stage one’s short steep hills. Van der Poel took a long rest after his Classics campaign which seems to have paid off given his form in late June.

Team Silvain Dillier, Michael Gogl, Søren Kragh Andersen, Mathieu van der Poel, Quinten Hermans, Jasper Philipsen, Jonas Rickaert, Ramon Sinkeldam

Main man Mathieu van der Poel – flying this year, with two major Classic wins and a dominant display in the Tour of Belgium: expect fireworks.

Arkea-Samsic

This Breton-centred squad don’t have enough firepower to thrive in cycling’s most competitive milieu. Leader Warren Barguil was the future once but now looks like just another plucky contender. They will put riders in the daily daring moves but it’s hard to foresee a great deal more.

Team Warren Barguil, Clément Champoussin, Simone Guglielmi, Anthony Delaplace, Luca Mozzato, Jenthe Biermans, Matîs Louvel, Laurent Pichon

Main man Warren Barguil. “Wawa” was King of the Mountains and double stage winner in 2017, but there’s only so long you can live off past glories.

Astana Qazaqstan

Kakakhstan’s finest have changed tack by hiring Mark Cavendish; a stage win for the Manxman is the obvious target but there’s not a lot of sprint support here apart from Cees Bol, with Moscon for the grunt work beforehand. To hedge their bets, Federov and Lutsenko will target mountain stages.

Team Mark Cavendish, Aleksei Lutsenko, Cees Bol, David de la Cruz, Yevgeniy Federov, Luis Leon Sanchez, Gianni Moscon, Harold Tejada

Main man Mark Cavendish – the greatest sprinter of all needs one Tour stage win for the absolute record but it won’t be simple given the dearth of sprint stages.

Bahrain Victorious

Likely to be scarred mentally by the shocking death of Gino Mäder in the Tour of Switzerland, but if that tragedy brings them together, most of the riders look to be coming to form and they have a raft of chances to be “victorious” with new British champion Wright, Poels, Bilbao and Mohoric.

Team Niklas Arndt, Phil Bauhaus, Jack Haig, Pello Bilbao, Fred Wright, Mikel Landa, Matej Mohoric, Wout Poels

Main man Mikel Landa – the Basque climber is a cult figure due to his enigmatic, tragic mien; he could make the top five or fall apart. That’s “Landismo”.

Bora-Hansgrohe

Multiple opportunities for Germany’s finest, who pulled an excellently crafted Giro d’Italia win out of the bag last year with Australian climber Jai Hindley – quite the progression since their humble beginnings as team NetApp more than 10 years ago. Once again there is no place for the sprinter Sam Bennett, who has not ridden the Tour since winning two stages and the points prize in 2020. Around Hindley there’s plenty of climbing strength with Konrad, Buchman and Higuita plus a 2022 stage winner in Jungels, and a sprinter who can look after himself in Meeus.

Team Emanuel Buchman, Marco Haller, Jai Hindley, Bob Jungels, Patrick Konrad, Nils Politt, Jordi Meeus, Danny van Poppel, plus one to be named by Friday 30 June

Main man Jai Hindley. Fourth in the recent Criterium du Dauphiné bodes well but can he step up into cycling’s most hostile environment?

A team of options and caveats. Zingle, Martin, Lafay, Izaguirre and Geschke can hope for an opportunistic stage win, while Coquard is competitive in a small group finish. But they will struggle to rival the heavyweights so will probably end up with the French fallback: the daily suicide break.

Team Bryan Coquard, Simon Geschke, Ion Izaguirre, Victor Lafay, Guillaume Martin, Anthony Perez, Alexis Renard, Axel Zingle

Main man: Guillaume Martin – a cerebral climber who has written a book on philosophy; he could scrape into the top 10 overall but that looks like his limit.

DSM-Firmenich

This squad doesn’t have the biggest budget but it has a knack of landing key wins when it matters. They split neatly into a climbing half around the evergreen Romain Bardet, and Degenkolb, Edmondson and Eeckhoff in the sprint half in support of Sam Welsford – one of the surprises of this season.

Team Nils Eeckhoff, John Degenkolb, Kevin Vermaerke, Alex Edmondson, Sam Welsford, Matthew Dinham, Chris Hamilton, Romain Bardet.

Main man Romain Bardet. No longer the force he was when he finished second in the 2016 Tour but still capable of a solid top 10 overall.

EF Education-Easypost

The American team that loves to act the kooky underdogs but the facts belie this. They had a great Tour in 2022 thanks to Magnus Cort’s stage win; this year they had notched up 20 race wins by late June. The Olympic champion Carapaz, Bettiol, Uran and Powless could all land a stage.

Team Richard Carapaz, Rigoberto Uran, Neilson Powless, Alberto Bettiol, Esteban Chaves, Magnus Cort, James Shaw, Andrey Amador

Main man Magnus Cort – behind the (sponsored) fighter pilot moustache is a ruthless stage hunter chasing his 10th Grand Tour stage win.

Groupama-FDJ

In their 27th Tour, as usual it’s going to be fly or flop, with a bit more pressure after leader David Gaudu’s spat with sprinter Arnaud Démare sidelined this proven winner. Much loved Thibaut Pinot starts his final Tour; expect tears aplenty, hopefully on the Champs Elysées rather than before.

Team David Gaudu, Kevin Geniets, Stefan Küng, Olivier Le Gac, Valentin Madouas, Quentin Pacher, Thibaut Pinot, Lars Van den Berg

Main man David Gaudu – is France’s best hope for a podium finish but can he bear the weight of a nation?

Ineos Grenadiers

Once upon a time, the squad reputed to be the richest in cycling were the ones to beat in the Tour, but they have lost direction since Chris Froome’s departure and Egan Bernal’s horrific crash in 2022, and are now scrabbling to keep up with Jumbo and UAE. That’s reflected in a victory haul this season of around half that of the Big Two. A lot hangs on Tom Pidcock, winner at l’Alpe d’Huez last year; with Bernal struggling to return to his best, this line-up prompts a mild chin stroke rather than a sense of shock and awe.

Team Dani Martínez, Tom Pidcock, Michal Kwiatkowski, Jonathan Castroviejo, Carlos Rodriguez, Egan Bernal, Omar Fraile, Ben Turner

Main man Tom Pidcock. Super talented and a terrifyingly good bike handler, the 23-year-old Yorkshireman needs to build on a great 2022 race.

Intermarché-Circus-Wanty

Seamless progress for the Walloon team since their Tour debut in 2018. No Belgians in their squad which won’t go down well at home, but they have a real stage win hope in Girmay, a potential top 10 finisher in Meintjes and wildcards such as Calmejane, Costa and Teunissen.

Team Lilian Calmejane, Rui Costa, Biniam Girmay, Louis Meintjes, Adrien Petit, Dion Smith, Mike Teunissen, Georg Zimmerman.

Main man Biniam Girmay – after landing a sprint stage of the Giro last year, the Eritrean is a good bet to become the first black African Tour stage winner.

Israel-PremierTech

With only five wins this year, they need to buck that trend with climber Woods, the punchy Teuns, sprinter Strong or all-rounder Clarke. They will have to box clever, because none of these is the very best at their speciality. No place for Chris Froome after his poor start to 2023.

Team Guillaume Boivin, Simon Clarke, Hugo Houle, Krists Neilands, Nick Schultz, Corbin Strong, Dylan Teuns, Michael Woods

Main man Michael Woods – 36 years old and a four-minute miler in the past, the Canadian is a decent outside bet on any steep uphill finish.

Jayco-AlUla

All in for sprinter Groenewegen and climber Yates. Yates has had a lean 2023, but he’s notched up 10 Grand Tour stages since 2018 and will have plenty of chances in a very hard Tour. Harper and Craddock support him in the mountains; Mezgec will deliver Groenewegen in the sprints.

Lawson Craddock, Luke Durbridge, Dylan Groenewegen, Chris Harper, Chris Juul-Jensen, Luka Mezgec, Elmar Reinders, Simon Yates

Main man Dylan Groenewegen. Looking for his sixth career Tour stage win, the Dutchman has had a strong season with half a dozen wins to his name already.

Jumbo-Visma

One of the two “superteams” in the race; there are times when Jumbo seem to win when, how and where they want. Here it’s all in for Vingegaard with Küss, Van Baarle and Kelderman his mountain support crew. The biggest asset is Wout van Aert, the most powerful all-rounder in cycling, who could probably hope to win half a dozen stages if he was the team leader. What’s disconcerting is that Jumbo put out a strong squad to win this year’s Giro with Primoz Roglic, and they can afford to leave all of them out of the Tour including the Slovene.

Team Wilco Kelderman, Dylan van Baarle, Wout van Aert, Tiesj Benoot, Christopher Laporte, Nathan van Hooydonck, Sep Küss, Jonas Vingegaard

Main man Jonas Vingegaard – wraith-like Dane who had the climbing legs to break Tadej Pogacar when it mattered last year, but the second Tour win never comes easy

There’s plenty of value for money here. It’s all about stage wins. The 2019 world champion Mads Pedersen is the best bet, but Skjelmose took the recent Tour of Switzerland while Ciccone landed stages in Catalonia and the Dauphiné. They boast three newly crowned national champions in Skjelmose, Kirsch and Simmons.

Giulio Ciccone, Tony Gallopin, Alex Kirsch, Juan Pedro Lopez, Mads Pedersen, Quinn Simmons, Mattias Skjelmose, Jesper Stuyven

Main man Mads Pedersen – he has stage wins at the Giro and Paris-Nice to his name this year, and will have a good chance on the hillier days at the Tour

Lotto-Dstny

Relegated to the second division last season, Belgium’s oldest team put most of their eggs in a basket labelled Caleb Ewan. Most of the team will be dedicated to ensuring he is in the right place at sprint finishes; strongmen Vermeersch and Campenaerts may be let off the leash on the non-sprint days.

Team Caleb Ewan, Jasper de Buyst, Jacopo Guarnieri, Florian Vermeersch, Frederik Frison, Victor Campenaerts, Pascal Eenkhorn, Maxim van Gils

Main man Caleb Ewan – five Tour stages to his name so far, one more would make Lotto’s Tour.

There’s a mid-table look to cycling’s oldest team, a far cry from when Miguel Indurain won five Tours in a row. Mas can target the podium, and Jorgensen is one of the most exciting prospects in the sport, but the fact he’s rumoured to be moving on in 2024 speaks volumes.

Team Alex Aranburu, Ruben Guerreiro, Gorka Izaguirre, Matteo Jorgensen, Enric Mas, Gregor Mühlberger, Neilson Oliveira, Antonio Pedrero

Main man Enric Mas – often the bridesmaid never the bride, the Spaniard is one of the big group targeting third place behind the Big Two while aiming for better if they falter.

Soudal-Quickstep

Belgian winning machine have converted themselves to a Grand Tour team led by Remco Evenepoel, who sits this one out. Here it’s about fidgety Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe and sprinter Fabio Jakobsen. “Juju” is under pressure from manager Patrick Lefevère and needs to find his former magic touch, while Jakobsen needs to at least repeat his stage win of last year; his five victories this year suggest that’s on the cards with the support of top lead-out man Mørkøv. Asgreen, Lampaert and Cavagna will support Alaphilippe in the hills and go in the breaks when he’s having a recovery day.

Team Julian Alaphilippe, Yves Lampaert, Tim Decelercq, Dries Devenyns, Fabio Jakobsen, Kasper Asgreen, Michael Mørkøv, Remi Cavagna

Main man Julian Alaphilippe – double world champion endured a torrid 2022 but has won twice this year and will be a favourite for stage one.

TotalEnergies

Once a reservoir of developing French talent, now a home for stars past their sell-by dates such as Boasson-Hagen, Oss and Sagan, while French riders Turgis and Latour are no longer cutting edge. Between them they will deliver various near misses, while a stage win would be a miracle.

Team Edvald Boasson-Hagen, Mathieu Burgaudeau, Steff Cras, Valentin Ferron, Pierre Latour, Daniel Oss, Peter Sagan, Anthony Turgis

Main man Peter Sagan. Once a mega star, the multiple world champion, Tour stage winner and record points winner is now on his farewell Tour.

UAE Team Emirates

Cycling’s other “super team”, with a wealth of strong men to rival Jumbo-Visma in support of double Tour winner Tadej Pogacar, who had taken on another dimension this year with his wins in the Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold and Flèche Wallonne before his untimely crash in Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Behind “Pog”, Adam Yates has hit form in the Critérium du Dauphiné and won the Tour de Romandie back in May, so should prove a decent understudy. After illness ripped through their ranks in last year’s Tour, arguably contributing to Pogacar’s defeat to Vingegaard, every cough, sniffle and minor headache will be viewed with suspicion.

Team Mikkel Bjerg, Felix Grossschartner, Vejgard Stake Langen, Rafal Majka, Tadej Pogacar, Marc Soler, Matteo Trentin, Adam Yates

Main man Tadej Pogacar – cycling’s biggest winner is targeting a third Tour; wins in his national road and time trial titles suggests the form has returned after a hiatus to nurse a broken wrist.

Invited to their first Tour, the Norwegian squad have a solid reputation for developing new talent and making the most of their resources. They bring a promising line-up fronted by veteran sprinter Kristoff, climbers Johanneson and Traeen, a strong all rounder in Waerenschold, plus the gritty Rasmus Tiller at the helm.

Team Jonas Abrahamsen, Torsten Traeen, Søren Waerenschold, Anton Charmig, Jonas Gregaard, Rasmus Tiller, Tobias Halland Johannesen, Alexander Kristoff

Main man Alexander Kristoff – is long in the tooth but could still snag a stage win; in a team of Tour debutants his experience will be crucial.

Changes can be made until Friday 30 June. Team line-ups correct at time of publication

• Tour de France 2023
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2023 Tour de France Teams: How They Got There

Nearly 200 of the world's best cyclists line up each summer to begin a month-long challenge many consider to be unrivaled in sports.

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The Tour de France is the crown jewel of cycling’s Grand Tours. It pits riders against some of the most difficult terrain on the planet, offering only a couple of days spread throughout the race for riders to rest their utterly exhausted bodies.

Even achieving the honor of riding on a 2023 Tour de France team is a lifelong dream for many cyclists, and only those at the top of the sport — and in the right place at the right time — get the opportunity.

The field of nearly 200 racers is composed of 22 teams that gain entry into the race either by right as a Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) WorldTeams-licensed team, by qualification through the UCI ProTeam season, or through a special invitation from the organizers of the race, Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO).

No individual cyclists can enter the race, and even if they did, they’d have no chance of winning or even doing well. With that in mind, it’s important for world-class riders who hope to compete in the 2023 Tour de France to have earned a spot on a team that has a good chance to participate.

Here is a rundown of how teams qualify for the 2023 Tour de France.

UCI WorldTeams

The most clearcut way to ensure a spot in the Tour de France is to rank among the 18 current UCI WorldTeams. The vast majority of teams in the Tour de France and other UCI WorldTour events come from this category.

For 2023, those teams include:

• AG2R Citroën Team (FRA)
• Alpecin Deceuninck (BEL)
• Astana Qazaqstan Team (KAZ)
• Bora-Hansgrohe (GER)
• EF Education-Easypost (USA)
• Groupama-FDJ (FRA)
• Ineos Grenadiers (GBR)
• Intermarché-Circus-Wanty (BEL)
• Jumbo-Visma (NED)
• Movistar Team (ESP)
• Soudal Quick-Step (BEL)
• Team Arkea-Samsic (FRA)
• Team Bahrain Victorious (BRN)
• Team Cofidis (FRA)
• Team DSM (NED)
• Team Jayco AlUla (AUS)
• Trek-Segafredo (USA)
• UAE Team Emirates (UAE)

These teams represent the cream of the crop in global cycling; they all feature superstars, national champions in various disciplines, and a host of extremely strong riders who can work together to help their teammates win the race.

UCI rules only allow 18 teams to compete in the WorldTeams category, which is the highest category in professional cycling. Teams earn a spot in the WorldTeams field by collecting points in pro races throughout 3 years of racing.

Different types of races come with different point values, and the top 10 riders for each team, and the top eight for women’s teams , have the opportunity to compete in races to bolster overall team stats to get more points. At the end of the years-long cycle of racing, the UCI tallies points and awards WorldTeams licenses for those at the top.

The teams listed above earned their spots in the WorldTeams category in December 2022, so they can rest somewhat easy knowing they all have an assured spot in the Tour de France through 2025.

The Tour de France Femmes uses the same format for its selection. All 15 of the women’s WorldTeams groups are automatically in the race .

The 2023 selection includes:

• Canyon / / SRAM Racing (GER) 
• EF Education-Tibco-SVB (USA) 
• FDJ-Suez (FRA)
• Fenix Deceuninck (BEL)
• Human Powered Health (USA)
• Israel Premier Tech Roland (SUI) 
• Liv Racing Teqfind (NED) 
• Movistar Team Women (ESP) 
• Team DSM (NED) 
• Team Jayco Alula (AUS)
• Jumbo-Visma (NED) 
• Team SD Worx (NED)
• Trek-Segafredo (USA) 
• UAE Team ADQ (UAE) 
• Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (NOR)

For those who do not make the cut, all is not lost.

UCI ProTeams in the Tour de France

The second-highest category in cycling is the ProTeams category. As a complement to the 18 WorldTeams in the 2023 Tour de France, the race also offers spots to four ProTeams.

Those teams include:

• Lotto Dstny (BEL)
• TotalEnergies (FRA)
• Israel-Premier Tech (ISR)

The pathway for these teams to earn a spot in the 2023 Tour de France is not as clear cut. Lotto Dstny earned a spot in all WorldTour races, including the Tour de France, by finishing the latest season with the highest number of points among the ProTeams field, as did TotalEnergies.

Israel-Premier Tech and Uno-X Pro Cycling Team received invitations to compete from race organizer Amaury Sport Organization.

The 2023 Tour de France Femmes offers a few more spots for teams on the bubble.

The two top teams in the UCI Continental ranking in 2022 qualified for the race by right. These include:

• Ceratizit-WNT Pro Cycling Team (BEL)
• Lifeplus Wahoo (GBR)

Five additional teams earned invitations from the race organizers, including:

• AG Insurance – Soudal Quick-Step Team (BEL)
• Arkéa-Samsic Pro Cycling Team (FRA)
• Cofidis Women’s Team (FRA)
• St Michel Mavic-Auber93 (FRA)
• Team Coop-Hitec Products (NOR)

For these organizations, being a 2023 Tour de France team offers one of the biggest chances to rack up points that could lead to them promoting back into the WorldTeams category.

This year’s race takes on a particular bit of importance on the women’s side, as these teams will undergo the same selection process that solidified WorldTeams licenses for the men in 2022. For many teams, a strong performance in 2023 could mean the difference between remaining in the WorldTeams category or relegation.

Because only WorldTeam and ProTeam licensees are allowed to compete in World Tour Races, ending up in one of these places is the only way into the 2023 Tour de France. Everyone else will have to settle for spectating, which may be a lot more fun anyway.

Tour de France: 10 Wacky Rules of the Greatest Cycling Race in the World

The Tour de France has some strange rules. Sock height? Yep, that's regulated. Read about this wacky rule and others. Read more…

Mark Wilson is a freelance journalist for GearJunkie and BikeRumor. Mark has been writing about cycling, climbing, outdoor events and gear for more than a year. Before that, he spent more than a decade as a journalist at major daily newspapers in Texas covering crime, public safety and local government. Mark spent every free moment during that time carving up singletrack and gravel, or climbing with friends and family in Texas, Colorado and Mexico. Based in Texas, Mark is always looking for new trails, crags and gear to help navigate the outdoors. As a new dad, he is particularly interested in learning how to share his love of the outdoors with his son.

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• 1 VINGEGAARD Jonas
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• 111 GIRMAY Biniam *
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• 118 ZIMMERMANN Georg

• 121 MARTIN Guillaume
• 122 COQUARD Bryan
• 123 GESCHKE Simon (DNF #18)
• 124 IZAGIRRE Ion
• 125 LAFAY Victor (DNF #20)
• 126 PEREZ Anthony (DNS #18)
• 127 RENARD Alexis * (DNS #17)
• 128 ZINGLE Axel *

• 131 MAS Enric (DNF #1)
• 132 GUERREIRO Ruben (DNF #14)
• 133 ARANBURU Alex
• 134 IZAGIRRE Gorka
• 135 JORGENSON Matteo * (DNS #16)
• 136 MÜHLBERGER Gregor
• 137 OLIVEIRA Nelson
• 138 PEDRERO Antonio (DNF #14)

• 141 BARDET Romain (DNF #14)
• 142 DEGENKOLB John
• 143 DINHAM Matthew *
• 144 EDMONDSON Alex
• 145 EEKHOFF Nils *
• 146 HAMILTON Chris
• 147 VERMAERKE Kevin *
• 148 WELSFORD Sam

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• 171 BARGUIL Warren
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• 181 EWAN Caleb (DNF #13)
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• 192 BOL Cees
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• 196 MOSCON Gianni
• 197 SÁNCHEZ Luis León (DNS #5)
• 198 TEJADA Harold

• 201 KRISTOFF Alexander
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• 211 SAGAN Peter
• 212 BOASSON HAGEN Edvald
• 213 BURGAUDEAU Mathieu *
• 214 CRAS Steff (DNF #8)
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