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• Tour de France

How does a Tour de France team work?

From the domestiques to the massage therapists, every Tour de France team is made up of a million moving parts, any one of which could derail months of work.

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It takes much more than one supremely talented skinny man to win the Tour de France . That man matters, certainly, but Chris Froome would probably not be a four-time overall yellow jersey winner if he also didn’t have the best, most well-funded team in the sport surrounding him. (Maybe two or three times in that case — give or take a salbutamol inhaler).

It’s easy to lose sight of the importance of teammates in cycling. The Tour goes out of its way to make itself seem like an individual competition, giving the race leader a bright yellow jersey that can be seen from helicopters and propping him up on a podium after each stage to wave flowers and a plush lion at the cameras.

But don’t fooled. Cycling is about much more than pure physical effort. Yellow jersey contenders need teammates to make sure they use their energy as efficiently as possible while climbing some of the biggest mountains in the world. And in perhaps no other sport are the support staff — the team directors, soigneurs, mechanics, and chefs — so critically important to the mission, too.

Every Tour de France team is an intricate machine that could collapse if any part of it fails.

Teams are made up of eight riders who do everything together

Race, eat, recover, and repeat, for 21 stages and nearly 2,100 miles over 23 days. It should be noted that not all riders are the same. There are 22 teams in the Tour de France, each organized under a sponsor. The sponsors tend to be banks, energy companies, and bicycle companies.

Here’s a brief explanation of the most common types of riders you will see on the road.

The yellow jersey contender: The competition for the yellow jersey is based on the leader of the general classification, which ranks all 176 riders by time. The riders on top of the general classification at the end of the Tour tend to be strong climbers and time trialists, because mountain and time trial stages usually create the biggest time gaps. Teams can have multiple yellow jersey contenders — like Movistar this year with Nairo Quintana, Mikel Landa, and Alejandro Valverde — or one clear boss — like Team Sky and four-time Tour winner Chris Froome.

Teams like Sky are rigidly mechanical and deadly. They come into the Tour with a plan and follow it to the letter. Teams like Movistar function much more loosely, seemingly making up the gameplan on the fly.

The domestique: A domestique is essentially a helper rider, someone who sacrifices his chances to climb up the general classification or win a stage so that a teammate can succeed. Domestiques will often gather water bottles from team cars to pass out among teammates, or ride in front of a team leader to cut the wind for him, or even give up his bicycle if the team leader suffers a mechanical problem.

Depending on the type of stage, anyone — including the yellow jersey contender — could act as a domestique. For example, on a flat stage when there isn’t much time to gain, a pure climber might do domestique duties so that sprinters who are capable of winning the stage can focus on riding their fastest. When the terrain gets bumpier, those roles reverse.

The sprinter: Many casual fans understand the importance of the yellow jersey, but nearly as prestigious among riders is the green jersey, which is awarded to the rider who earns the most points from stage wins and intermediate sprints. These riders tend to be the fastest riders in terms of pure speed, because the biggest chunk of Tour de France stages take place on relatively flat land.

Other important types of riders include the puncheur — all-around riders who are best at courses that are not too steep, and not too flat — and the time trial specialist — also a good all-around rider and valuable domestique , but particularly well-suited for riding alone against the clock. The best yellow jersey contenders — Chris Froome, particularly — are often great time trialists.

Again, the important thing to note is that, at certain points during the Tour, any of these riders could act as a domestique . Everyone has to make sacrifices for the good of the team.

The key to any tactic on the road is drafting

Every move is based the fact that it is much easier to ride behind someone than in front of someone. Scientists don’t quite agree on the extent, but the effect of sitting on another rider’s wheel is a 27 percent to 50 percent reduction in wind drag . That’s why when you watch the Tour de France, you’ll often see the best riders sitting third or fourth wheel within a line of seven of their teammates.

The long leadout trains are most easily seen on the flat stages, when teams will work hard to move their sprinters to the front of the peloton — the big bunch of 100-plus riders sticking close together — and keep his legs fresh before he bursts forward to challenge for the stage victory. Teamwork is perhaps most critical in the mountains, however. When Team Sky takes to the Alps, expect to see riders like Geraint Thomas, Egan Bernal, and Wout Poels near Chris Froome at all times, doing as much work as they can for their team leader for as long as their legs will hold out.

Riders like Thomas are often called superdomestiques for being yellow jersey-caliber riders who nonetheless are willing to sacrifice for a team leader.

Having a teammate or two on difficult climbs is often what makes a great rider a champion. For the last several years, for example, Thomas has acted essentially as Froome’s guard dog. Whenever a rival would try to attack by accelerating from Froome up a steep slope, Thomas would chase and take Froome with him on his wheel, keeping the attacks at bay while insuring that Froome doesn’t have to expend more energy than necessary.

A great team can also go to the front of the peloton and drive the pace relentlessly high, snuffing out any idea of an attack before it begins. Not only is Sky ridiculously talented top to bottom, it is also incredibly well coordinated, sharing the energy load as equitably as possible and driving all of their rivals mad.

But no team can be great without proper support staff

In 2014, I spoke to a member of BMC Racing’s staff , and this is what the team brought to support its nine riders:

Minimum 17 staff: four soigneurs , four mechanics, a general manager, two race directors; a cook, a press officer, a hospitality manager, a technical director, a doctor and a photographer. 10 vehicles: one truck, one bus, one sprinter, one van and six cars. 27 road bikes, 18 time trial bikes and 80 pairs of wheels. 2,000 bottles 400 musettes 1,000 energy bars 1,500 gel packs The kit per each rider, which includes the following: four bibs, four short sleeve jerseys, two long sleeve thermal jerseys, two short sleeve thermal jerseys, three knee/leg/arm warmers, two wind vests, two rain jackets, five pairs of socks, two helmets, two aero helmets, 10 cycling caps, three pairs of gloves

Just like a domestique rider is expected to do everything for the team leader, a soigneur is someone who takes care of all the little things behind the scenes. Technically, soigneurs are massage therapists, but they will also pack the day’s musettes — bags that contain food, water, and energy drinks — that riders will grab as they ride through designated portions of every stage. If a rider misses a feed zone, his body could give out at a critical juncture of the race.

Then there are the mechanics. They get up early to make sure every rider’s bike is properly tuned, and pack the roofs of their support vehicles so that if an important riders suffers a mechanical problem, his replacement ride will be the most easily accessible. The mechanics can often salvage a bad day. On Stage 9 of this year’s Tour, for example, Frenchman Romain Bardet suffered three punctured tires on the cobblestones, and yet was able to minimize his time lost because AG2R La Mondiale’s mechanics were quick to give him a new wheel when he needed it.

Communication among everyone is critical during each stage

A system of radios makes everything go:

Race radio: A one-way feed run by Tour de France organizers. Team cars are stuck behind cyclists with limited visibility, so they rely on race radio to relay information about which riders have been involved in crashes or are pulling away from the peloton. Race radio gives clearance to team cars to break procession order and speed ahead to aid their riders. Car-to-car radio: A channel open to only the two team cars on the course. Amidst so much chaos, the two race directors must be in constant contact, communicating who will help which riders, and whether to pull over and swap rider-specific equipment based on which rider is in which part of the peloton. Car-to-rider radio: A channel that puts race directors directly in the ears of team riders. This communication line has been open since the mid-90s, though some want to abolish it, claiming that it has eliminated spontaneity during stages in favor of robotic coordination and tactics. Riders like it, however, and teams insist that the radio is used almost entirely for communicating times and potential hazards ahead, and that little collusion takes place.

Each team has two cars. All of the cars follow the peloton according to the team rankings, from best to worst, meaning that currently the top-ranked team, Quick-Step Floors, has the No. 1 and No. 23 cars in the procession, and the worst-ranked team, Cofidis, has the No. 22 and No. 44 cars.

Positioning is important, because any car near the front will be able to get to a down rider much more quickly. The positioning of the vehicles also incentivizes teams to get into breakaways. If a domestique pulls far enough ahead of the peloton, a team car is given a go-ahead to break procession order and drive up near its rider. Doing so might help the team’s yellow jersey hopeful later if he has a problem or desperately needs a water bottle as the breakaway is roped in and the vehicle is asked to rejoin the procession.

From the chefs dedicated to giving riders the perfect mix of simple carbs, proteins, and probiotics to recover from yet another grueling stage, to the communications director who keeps the atmosphere loose on the team bus for three stress-packed weeks, a Tour de France team is made up of dozens of moving parts, any of which could be the difference between success and failure.

If everything goes right, all that’s left for anyone to do is hope that the top guy doesn’t screw it all up

That’s the point of it all, really: to eliminate all possible complications until all that’s left is hope that your meal ticket — your one amazing rider who you’ve dedicated months of preparation for — can win the whole thing on his own, with, say, an incredible solo effort up to La Pierre-St. Martin , or a strangling performance on the cobblestones of Northern France .

And if that meal ticket bonks, or worse, crashes out of the Tour yet again , then all that effort will, cruelly, have been for naught.

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Has Pro Cycling Cleaned Up Its Act?

Tour de france.

Aside from a little controversy surrounding the inclusion of dangerous cobblestone sections in this year’s Tour de France route and the heatwave that made this year's competition even more grueling than usual, the world’s most prestigious cycling race made relatively few headlines that weren't directly related to what was happening on France's scenic country roads.

Considering its history marred in scandals that culminated in Lance Armstrong’s seven-year reign over La Grande Boucle (“The Big Loop”), the Tour’s organizing body can likely draw positives from a lack of headlines, as no headlines also means no doping revelations that have plagued the entire sport for so long.

As the following chart shows, the Tour de France and professional cycling as a whole appear to have cleaned up their act, with the share of participants found guilty of anti-doping violations dropping continuously over the past two decades. Given the sport’s history, you don’t have to be a cynic to at least put an asterisk to these numbers, however. Too often have allegedly clean champions later been found guilty of doping as anti-doping agencies caught up with the latest performance enhancing drug of choice.

Looking at the data compiled by French website cyclisme-dopage.com is sobering to say the least. It reveals that the Tour de France winner in 42 of the last 55 years has been found guilty of doping at some point in his career, many of which having retroactively been stripped of their Tour wins.

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This chart shows the share of Tour de France riders that have been involved in a doping case at some point in their career.

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Tour de France: Vingegaard vs. Pogacar Is the Race to Watch

The 110th edition of cycling’s greatest race begins Saturday in Spain. Here’s a primer on the stars, the squads and the story lines.

By Kevin Draper

The Tour de France, cycling’s most famous race, and perhaps its greatest competitive challenge, kicks off its 110th edition on Saturday.

Over three weeks, the field will traverse about 2,115 miles. It will not be fun for most of the cyclists. This year’s entrants — 22 teams of eight riders each — will open the race in Bilbao, Spain, before heading north and east through France: over the Pyrenees and the Alps (not to mention the Massif Central, the Jura Mountains and the Vosges) before finishing on July 23, a Sunday, with the traditional ride on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

🤩 Here it is, the official route of the #TDF2023 ! 🤩 Voici le parcours officiel du #TDF2023 ! pic.twitter.com/QPwvs91Ar6 — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) October 27, 2022

Maybe you are a die-hard cycling fan. Maybe you’re just a casual viewer who likes those great helicopter shots of the French countryside. Maybe you got into the sport because of the newly released Netflix documentary on last year’s race, “Tour de France: Unchained.”

Whatever brought you to the race, here’s what to know before the peloton rolls out of the starting gate this weekend.

How can I watch?

In the United States, Peacock, NBC’s streaming service, will show each stage in full, usually starting somewhere between 6 and 8 a.m., Eastern time. NBC and USA Network will sometimes broadcast the last two hours of each stage, and then air encore presentations late at night. Full details of NBC’s broadcast plans are here .

How does the Tour work?

The Tour de France consists of 21 stages held over 23 days — there are two rest days — with all but one ranging from 70 to 130 miles. (There is also one much shorter stage, an individual time trial that serves as Stage 16.) The Tour champion is the cyclist with the fastest combined time across those 21 days, and he will be easy to spot: The race leader wears the iconic maillot jaune, or yellow jersey, in each day’s stage.

What makes cycling stage races interesting — and why they are sometimes referred to as chess on wheels — is that unlike running races, which are mostly individual time trials, cycling is a team affair that features competing strategies and tactics.

Many teams are structured around a single rider who they believe can win the race’s overall title, known as the general classification. On teams like these, the other seven team members act as domestiques, or helpers, who work to protect that rider from the wind and other dangers, ferry them supplies, assist them through punishing mountain stages and chase down threatening breakaways. Other teams have more than one race contender, and will decide during the Tour which one has the best chance of victory.

But there are plenty of other prizes to compete for, too, and at any given time there are five or more competitions going on at once: among them battles for the title of best sprinter, best climber and best young rider. Then there is the pride in winning even a single day’s stage, which for many cyclists can rank as a career highlight.

Who are the favorites this year?

There are two overwhelming favorites: Jonas Vingegaard, a Danish cyclist on Team Jumbo-Visma who won last year, and Tadej Pogacar, the Slovene cyclist on UAE Team Emirates who won in 2020 and 2021. The overarching story line of this year’s race, and the battle that dictates much of the strategy, will be based around the assumption that Vingegaard and Pogacar will duke it out all the way to Paris.

If they perform as expected, the third spot on the podium will be contested by riders who aren’t quite as strong, including Enric Mas of Spain, David Gaudu of France, Jai Hindley of Australia, Richard Carapaz of Ecuador and others.

But there are plenty of other interesting stories.

Wout van Aert of Belgium and the Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel are two of the most exciting cyclists in the world. Neither is a contender to win — the Tour de France favors riders who excel in the mountains, which they do not — but each has the ability to win multiple stages.

Walk me through the stages.

Traditionally, the competition for the yellow jersey does not really solidify until the second, or even the third, week of the tour, when those focused on the overall win bide their time and stay close to the leaders as they conserve energy for the mountain stages, where they can put some real distance between themselves and their biggest rivals.

This year’s route , however, is front-loaded with a trip through the Pyrenees, and its mountain stages are somewhat evenly spread out. That means there could be attacks to gain minutes almost immediately. The first stage, for instance, features 10,000 feet of climbing and a final, steep climb called the Côte de Pike. If a yellow jersey contender tries to ease into the Tour and his competitors do not, he could be trailing immediately.

Which stages could turn the race?

Stage 6, Tarbes to Cauterets-Cambasque:  The first big uphill finish of the Tour, with three big climbs to tackle.

Stage 9, St.-Léonard-de-Noblat to Puy de Dôme: A relatively flat four hours will be capped with an explosive 30-minute climb up a lava dome, with the riders basically going straight up for the final half of the ascent.

Stage 13, Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne to Grand Colombier:  Normally one would expect one of the Tour’s main contenders to win this long, tough climb up the Grand Colombier, but French riders always try to make a splash on Bastille Day.

Stage 17, St.-Gervais Mont Blanc to Courchevel: The final big day in the Alps, with more than 16,000 feet of climbing. It will be tough to dislodge whoever holds the yellow jersey at the end of this stage.

Does everyone finish?

Absolutely not. Injury, illness, fatigue and the cruel reality of time take a toll every year; 41 riders dropped out of last year’s Tour, two by Stage 5. Danger lurks around every turn as well, something riders will need no reminder of this year.

Expect to see tributes to Gino Mäder, the Bahrain-Victorious rider who died on June 16 after crashing on a descent at the Tour de Suisse . Bahrain-Victorious had planned to bring Mäder to the Tour. HIs death has sparked criticism of courses with downhill finishes, which incentivize riders to push past their limits in a final bid for time, and for the introduction of safety netting on some mountain descents . The most dangerous finish on this year’s Tour comes on Stage 14, which cyclists will complete with five miles of downhill riding into Morzine.

You mentioned a documentary?

Modeled on the Formula 1 auto racing series “ Drive to Survive ,” the Netflix documentary “Tour de France: Unchained” has brought a similar dramatic focus to cycling. Released this month, the eight-episode series is focused on last year’s Tour de France. Helped by inside access to most of the teams, the series explores the competition for the yellow jersey, tensions within squads, aging riders trying to hang on and what it means to be a French team at France’s most famous race.

One of the dominant story lines is the tension between Wout van Aert’s individual ambitions — he won three stages and finished second four times — and his duties as a member of Team Jumbo-Visma to help Jonas Vingegaard win the overall race. Van Aert is portrayed as an unhappy participant, but he has said he believes his story line was manufactured for drama. “It is quite disturbing that stories were placed in the documentary that weren’t there,” he said this month. “For me, the series is focused on commotion.”

Are There Any Americans to pay attention to?

Seven riders from the United States are expected to start the Tour, though none of them are team leaders or expected to compete for the overall victory.

Matteo Jorgenson, riding for Movistar, and Neilson Powless, who will ride for EF Education-EasyPost, will be active in breakaways and could be contenders for a stage win. Powless could also sneak into the top 10 overall, though he will be expected to support his team leader, Richard Carapaz.

Kevin Draper is an investigative reporter on the Sports desk, where he has written about workplace harassment and discrimination, sexual misconduct, doping, league investigations and high-profile court cases. More about Kevin Draper

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Tour de France offers gripping third act in Vingegaard v Pogacar battle

Two favourites going head-to-head is an enthralling prospect in a Tour de France designed for climbers rather than sprinters

I t was quite the wait, but Netflix finally brought out its Tour de France 2022 series Unchained in early June to a mixed reception. From my sofa, it was a fun if lightweight view, long on histrionics in the team car and short on hard analysis, which led to some glaring gaps that will grate with aficionados.

There is one lacuna, however, which is no fault of the producers: Tadej Pogacar barely appears, because his team did not participate in the series. In Shakespearean terms this is not so much staging Hamlet without the ghost as putting on Hamlet without the prince of Denmark.

On its behalf, and on that of expectant viewers, let us hope Netflix already has the Slovene’s signature on the dotted line, as the 2023 Tour, which starts in Bilbao on Saturday, is likely to see “Pog” loom as large as he has in the past two editions.

On paper the 2023 race could be unique in recent Tour history, promising as it does a best-of-three battle between the 2021 winner, Pogacar, and his nemesis of 2022, the wraith-like Dane Jonas Vingegaard , who was runner-up to the UAE Team Emirates leader two years ago.

On close inspection, none of the Tour’s greatest rivalries has offered anything resembling the confrontation between Pogacar and Vingegaard. The French swear by the 1960s encounters between Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor – stage nine is the race’s tribute to them with its finish up the Puy de Dôme – but “Poupou” only looked like beating “Master Jacques” the once and never actually did.

Bernard Hinault was run close by Joop Zoetemelk in 1978 and 1979, but the Dutchman won the 1980 race only after “the Badger” departed with a knee injury. Claudio Chiappucci talked a good race in the early 90s, but never got near Miguel Indurain, and Jan Ullrich never won in a head-to-head with Lance Armstrong.

In contrast, Pogacar and Vingegaard have gone head-to-head twice: in 2021, when the Dane stepped in from stage left for the injured Primoz Roglic to finish second to the Slovene, and last year, when Pogacar took an early grasp on the race only for an outrageously well-orchestrated team effort by Jumbo-Visma to dislodge him on the stage to the Col du Granon.

Hence the best-of-three twist in this year’s race, which – assuming injury and Covid-19 spare the pair – will either confirm Vingegaard’s win of 2022 was no fluke or will give Pogacar the magic third victory that places him level, notably, with Greg LeMond, Phillipe Thys and Louison Bobet in the record books.

Vingegaard has enjoyed the better buildup. He has grown in confidence as the season has progressed, winning three stage races – the Gran Camino, the Tour of the Basque Country and the Critérium du Dauphiné , where he was never pushed anywhere near his limit – and landing eight stage wins along the way.

Pogacar has won more, won a greater variety of races, and has won bigger – notably Paris-Nice plus the Amstel Gold, Flèche Wallonne and Ronde van Vlaanderen Classics – but has just endured a layoff to recover from a wrist fracture sustained in a crash in Liège-Bastogne-Liège in late April. His win last week in his home time trial championships points to a return to form, but in terms of the Tour his imperious form this spring was more meaningful: only Eddy Merckx and Bobet have won the Tour de France and the Ronde van Vlaanderen.

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The pair are backed by the two strongest teams in cycling. In 2022 Jumbo-Visma secured Vingegaard’s victory by pulverising UAE Emirates – who had been shredded by Covid-19 – and Pogacar on the stage to the Col du Granon, while the strongest all-rounder in the sport, Wout van Aert, played a key role at critical moments.

Jumbo return with a similar squad to 2022, while UAE are strengthened by the addition of Adam Yates, a potential podium finisher if Pogacar stumbles, and the Austrian Felix Grossschartner. It all points to a titanic duel, with the other 20 squads struggling to make up the numbers in the overall general classification (GC).

“If you’re not one of those two, the first thing to do is acknowledge it,” says Steve Cummings, a double Tour stage winner who will head up Ineos’s management team at the Tour. “Based on what I’ve seen fifth to 10th on GC is realistic, perhaps the podium, but you have to ask if that’s enough for Ineos, then you have to think about stages and try to win a few. Winning the Tour this year is not realistic, but in the next three years, it is.”

Behind Pogacar and Vingegaard there are at least half a dozen contenders who have been nowhere near the dynamic duo’s level, but can aspire to third place at least: Jai Hindley, Ben O’Connor, Mikel Landa, David Gaudu, Romain Bardet, Enric Mas and perhaps the nominal Ineos leader, Tom Pidcock.

Cummings highlights stage one on Saturday as one that will suit the Yorkshire rider – although Mathieu van der Poel will also be eyeing it – but he admits to a dilemma over whether to rein Pidcock back and target a high overall position, or give him a free rein to target stages.

After day one, he said, Ineos “will get an idea of what is possible and what isn’t. Tom and Carlos [Rodríguez] are young, when you have younger, developing riders, that gives some uncertainty. It’s a cliche, but for them it’s about learning.”

If the Pogacar v Vingegaard head-to-head is enthralling – and Pidcock’s progress will be an intriguing subplot for British fans – the organisers have provided a daunting backdrop: the toughest opening week of the Tour since at least the second world war, a return to the Puy de Dôme after 35 years, and eight mountain or medium-mountain stages plus a time trial in the final two weeks.

The sprinters will hate it but the climbers will be licking their lips, while the unprecedented amount of early climbing could well lead to a scenario in which a strong outsider is permitted to hold the lead as a caretaker while Pogacar and Vingegaard watch each other like hawks.

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Egan Bernal Sets Sights on Tour de France Comeback with Strong Ineos Grenadiers Lineup

The Colombian cycling sensation aims for a triumphant return to the Tour, bolstered by a formidable team that includes Geraint Thomas and Tom Pidcock.

When the Colombian superstar won the Tour in 2019, he became the first Latin American rider to do so and the youngest winner since 1909.

Following an early season training accident in 2022, Bernal has been working hard to recover and get back to peak fitness. Last year, Bernal raced the Tour and the Vuelta a España .

So far this spring, he’s finally looking like he’s back in top form. He’s had seven top-10 results in the eight races he’s been part of. He even snagged podium spots at O Gran Camiño and the Volta a Catalunya . Most notably, he took second on the mountainous penultimate stage at the Volta a Catalunya—57 seconds behind Tadej Pogačar .

Earlier today, Bernal posted on Instagram , “With the blessings, I finished the first part of the season, now in Colombia for a few days to prepare for a good Tour De France!!”

Cyclingnews reported that Ineos Grenadiers will also be bringing 2018 race winner Geraint Thomas to the Tour, who will be taking on the Giro-Tour double for the second time in his career. “His first attempt in 2017, however, saw him crash out of both.

Carlos Rodríguez, who finished fifth overall in Paris last July, is also down to race for the British squad, while 2022 L’Alpe d’Huez stage winner Tom Pidcock will be heading to the Tour for the third time in his career.”

Bernal’s schedule for the remainder of the 2024 season wasn’t made public until now, though fans were hoping for a Tour appearance after so many top results this spring. This will certainly add to the excitement and make for some great matchups come July.

Micah Ling is a freelance writer who lives in the mountains of Colorado. She splits her free time between mountain biking and trail running.

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Tour de France 2023 team guide: Start list, star riders for Jumbo-Visma, UAE Team Emirates, Ineos and all 22 teams

Updated 30/06/2023 at 21:12 GMT

Our Tour de France 2023 preview series continues with a team guide looking at each of the 22 teams and weighing up their options, targets and best riders ahead of the 110th edition of the race. Felix Lowe also asks the important question on the tip of everyone’s tongues: what French thing would each of the participating teams be? Stream the 2023 Tour de France live and on-demand on discovery+.

'It’s pretty nuts!' – Cavendish explains why the Tour de France is 'above the sport'

Pogacar and Vollering star in top 10 riders of 2023 - but who gets top spot?

01/01/2024 at 11:01

• Tour de France stage guide as Pogacar and Vingegaard chase yellow

UCI WorldTeams

Ag2r citroen.

• Ben O’Connor
• Oliver Naisen
• Benoit Cosnefroy
• Nans Peters
• Felix Gall*
• Aurelien Paret-Peintre
• Stan Dewulf
• Clement Berthet*

ALPECIN-DECEUNINCK

• Mathieu van der Poel
• Soren Kragh Andersen
• Quinten Hermans
• Michael Gogl
• Jonas Rickaert
• Jasper Philipsen*
• Ramon Sinkeldam
• Silvan Dillier

'I feel like a new person' - Van der Poel 'confident' going into 2023 Tour de France

ASTANA QAZAQSTAN

• Alexey Lutsenko
• Gianni Moscon
• Yevgeniy Fedorov*
• Mark Cavendish
• David de la Cruz
• Luis Leon Sanchez
• Harold Tejada

'It’s going to be a fairytale!' – Cavendish wins Stage 21 after help from Thomas

BAHRAIN-VICTORIOUS

• Mikel Landa
• Matej Mohoric
• Pello Bilbao
• Fred Wright*
• Nikias Arndt
• Phil Bauhaus

BORA-HANSGROHE

• Emanuel Buchmann
• Marco Haller
• Jai Hindley
• Bob Jungels
• Jordi Meeus*
• Patrick Konrad
• Nils Politt
• Danny van Poppel
• Guillaume Martin
• Anthony Perez
• Ion Izagirre
• Simon Geschke
• Bryan Coquard
• Alexis Renard*
• Axel Zingle*
• Victor Lafay

EF EDUCATION-EASYPOST

• Richard Carapaz
• Alberto Bettiol
• Rigoberto Uran
• Neilson Powless
• Esteban Chaves
• Magnus Cort
• Andrey Amador

GROUPAMA-FDJ

• David Gaudu
• Valentin Madouas
• Thibaut Pinot
• Lars van den Berg*
• Olivier Le Gac
• Stefan Kung
• Quentin Pacher
• Kevin Geniets

INEOS GRENADIERS

• Egan Bernal
• Michal Kwiatkowski
• Carlos Rodriguez*
• Daniel Martinez
• Thomas Pidcock*
• Jonathan Castroviejo
• Ben Turner*
• Omar Fraile

‘Heart in your mouth’ – Pidcock flies past rivals at terrifying speeds on descent

INTERMARCHE-CIRCUS-WANTY

• Louis Meintjes
• Georg Zimmermann
• Mike Teunissen
• Adrien Petit
• Biniam Girmay*
• Lilian Calmejane

JUMBO-VISMA

• Jonas Vingegaard
• Wilco Kelderman
• Wout van Aert
• Tiesj Benoot
• Dylan van Baarle
• Christophe Laporte
• Nathan van Hooydonck

So then... can Wout van Aert win yellow?

• Giulio Ciccone
• Tony Gallopin
• Mattias Skjelmose*
• Jasper Stuyven
• Juan Pedro Lopez
• Mads Pedersen
• Alex Kirsch
• Quinn Simmons*
• Matteo Jorgenson*
• Ruben Guerreiro
• Nelson Oliveira
• Gorka Izagirre
• Gregor Muhlberger
• Antonio Pedrero
• Alex Aranburu

SOUDAL QUICK-STEP

• Julian Alaphilippe
• Kasper Asgreen
• Yves Lampaert
• Remi Cavagna
• Tim Declercq
• Michael Morkov
• Fabio Jakobsen
• Dries Devenyns

TEAM ARKEA SAMSIC

• Warren Barguil
• Clement Champoussin*
• Anthony Delaplace
• Laurent Pichon
• Simon Guglielmi
• Jenthe Biermans
• Luca Mozzato*
• Matis Louvel*

TEAM DSM-FIRMENICH

• Romain Bardet
• John Degenkolb
• Matthew Dinham*
• Alexander Edmondson
• Nils Eekhoff*
• Chris Hamilton
• Kevin Vermaerke
• Sam Welsford

TEAM JAYCO ALULA

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

UAE TEAM EMIRATES

• Tadej Pogacar*
• Vegard Stake Laengen
• Felix Grossschartner
• Mikkel Bjerg*
• Rafal Majka
• Matteo Trentin

‘Wow’ – Vingegaard allows Pogacar to catch up after crash in ‘incredible’ gesture

UCI ProTeams

Israel-premier tech.

• Michael Woods
• Dylan Teuns
• Nick Schultz
• Krists Neilands
• Simon Clarke
• Guillaume Boivin
• Corbin Strong

LOTTO DSTNY

• Victor Campenaerts
• Jasper De Buyst
• Pascal Eenkhoorn
• Frederik Frison
• Jacopo Guarnieri
• Florian Vermeersch*
• Maxim van Gils*

TOTALENERGIES

• Peter Sagan
• Edvald Boasson Hagen
• Pierre Latour
• Anthony Turgis
• Mathieu Burgaudeau
• Valentin Ferron*

UNO-X PRO CYCLING TEAM

• Alexander Kristoff
• Torstein Traeen
• Soren Waerenskjold*
• Jonas Abrahamsen
• Anthon Charmig*
• Jonas Gregaard
• Tobias Johannessen
• Rasmus Tiller

Roglic: Tour de France not an obsession, but my responsibility to go for it

18/10/2023 at 12:09

discovery+ and Eurosport break streaming records for Tour de France coverage

27/07/2023 at 14:07

Vingegaard has 'little way to go' before Merckx comparisons – McEwen

25/07/2023 at 16:44

• Cast & crew
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Tour de France: Unchained

Documentary on the journey of eight teams taking part in the world's most challenging Tour de France bike race. Documentary on the journey of eight teams taking part in the world's most challenging Tour de France bike race. Documentary on the journey of eight teams taking part in the world's most challenging Tour de France bike race.

• Alec Newman
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• 31 User reviews
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• Trivia The tour started in Denmark with 3 stages, with ca. 1,6 million spectators on the side of the road. 4 stages was won by Danes (Magnus Cort, Jonas Vingegaard, Mads Pedersen and Jonas Vingegaard) and ended With Jonas Vingegaard as the overall winner of the yellow and dotted jersey. On a side note, another dane won a stage in Tour the France Femmes ( Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig)

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Tour de france stage 19: a crucial day in the high mountains, second-last mountain stage will play major part in tour gc battle, with three peaks over 2,000 meters..

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

Stage 19 — Friday, July 19 Embrum to Isola 2000 Distance: 144.6km (90 miles) Profile: Mountain stage

Stage 19: Second-last mountain stage will play major part in GC battle

Tour de France organizers may be avoiding Paris for the first time ever, due to the Olympic Games being held there, but the final three days of the race will be suspenseful right up to the finish in Nice. Stage 19 will see the climbers go all out for success, with 4,500 meters of climbing in store.

The difficulty is further heightened by the fact that all three of the day’s climbs are over 2,000 meters, the level at which altitude really starts to have an effect.

The first half hour of racing is on rolling roads but from there the peloton will begin the climb of the Col du Vars. At 18.9km in length, it averages 5.7 percent but does top 10 percent early on. It summits at 2,105 meters and then the riders will plunge downhill for 22km before starting the Cime de la Bonette. This 23km brute is 6.9 percent average and ascends to 2,797 meters, the highest of this year’s Tour.

A 40km descent takes the riders to the day’s final climb, that of Isola 2000. It is another testing one, averaging 7 percent over 16.4km up to the finish.

The view of Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme: “The menu for this ultra-mountain stage could well make you dizzy, but it’ll also whet the appetite of the very best climbers. Although the stage is less than 150km long, the riders will climb above 2,000 meters on three occasions.

“The biggest test the climb to the summit of La Bonette, the highest road in France at an altitude of 2,802 meters. Its 360-degree panorama is breath-taking.”

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Incredible Act Of Sportsmanship At Tour De France From Leader Vingegaard

Yellow jersey holder Jonas Vingegaard  gifted us with a truly remarkable act of sportsmanship on today's stage 18 of the 2022 Tour de France.

Race-leader Vingegaard came into today's stage with a significant lead over Tadej Pogacar. The stage also featured the final major climb of this year's Tour de France, meaning Pogacar had to be aggressive and take risks in what would likely be his last opportunity to gain time on his rival.

Shortly after a near fall from Vingegaard, Podagcar went too quickly around a bend and crashed into a small grassy hill. Despite the title of cycling's greatest race being on the line and with no obligation to slow down for a crash which was Pogacar's own fault, Vingegaard waited for the Slovenian to catch up with him.

Upon catching up with the Dane, Pogacar held out his hand for him to shake and immediately began attacking again, in what was an unforgettable Tour de France moment.

😱 Jonas Vingegaard with a huge save 💥 Tadej Pogacar goes down 🤝 The yellow jersey waits for his rival to catch up and they shake hands There really is 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 else like the Tour de France 💛 #TDF2022 | @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/uavPNO9U7v — Eurosport (@eurosport) July 21, 2022

SEE ALSO: Unbelievable Scenes At Tour De France As Media Bike Causes Dangerous Crash

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Tour De France Teams Ask Fans to Behave Better After Mass Pileup in 15th Stage

Tour de France overall leader Jonas Vingegaard is calling on fans to behave better at cycling’s biggest race after another mass crash marred the 15th stage

Daniel Cole

Belgium's Nathan van Hooydonck crashed during the fifteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 179 kilometers (111 miles) with start in Les Gets Les Portes du Soleil and finish in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, France, Sunday, July 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

SAINT-GERVAIS MONT-BLANC, France (AP) — Tour de France overall leader Jonas Vingegaard is calling on fans to behave better at cycling’s biggest race after another mass crash marred the 15th stage on Sunday.

“I’d like to tell the spectators to enjoy the race and be there to cheer for us without standing on the road or pouring beers on us," Vingegaard said. "Please, just enjoy the race.”

The Danish rider leads Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia by only 10 seconds with the race about to enter its final week.

The incident, which involved around two dozen riders, led to appeals from several teams at the Tour.

“Please be careful. So that the party remains a party for the riders, but also for you. You don’t need a cell phone to create mind-blowing memories,” the Cofidis team said amid unverified reports that the spectator who caused the crash was taking a selfie.

The Ineos Grenadiers team said “please give the riders room to race.”

Photos You Should See - April 2024

A day after a big pileup forced several riders to abandon, the latest accident occurred after 52 kilometers (32 miles) when a spectator on the side of the road inadvertently touched American rider Sepp Kuss — a key teammate of Vingegaard — and sent him to the ground.

Fans gathering on the sides of roads and in villages as riders pass by is part of the tradition — and charm — of the Tour, but many spectators can take too many risks, including when they run alongside riders in mountain ascents.

Jumbo-Visma said Dylan van Baarle and Nathan van Hooydonck were among those who hit the tarmac on Sunday. Vingegaard was riding close to his teammates but escaped unscathed.

“The team felt pretty good today, although we of course had this crash that affected some of my teammates,” Vingegaard said.

Organizers also asked fans to “pay attention to the riders” after the incident which did not lead to any withdrawals.

Two years ago, a spectator brandishing a large cardboard sign while leaning into the path of oncoming riders led to a massive pileup during the opening stage.

Dutch veteran Wout Poels soloed to victory Sunday after the tough trek in the Alps.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

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'Time to change', says Vingegaard boss after Tour champ hospitalised

Compiègne (France) (AFP) – The boss of the team of stricken two-time Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard told AFP on Saturday the time to start making cycling safer is now.

Issued on: 06/04/2024 - 20:27 Modified: 06/04/2024 - 20:26

This week Vingegaard was hospitalised after a crash in the Basque country that appeared to be caused by the road surface, while the Visma-Lease a Bike team's other star rider Wout van Aert suffered a similar fate 10 days earlier.

"Jonas is still in the hospital. Wout is at home. They are recovering from everything," said Richard Plugge ahead of the Paris-Roubaix one-day classic.

"Hopefully, their health will be okay as soon as possible. And then we can fix some ideas for when they can come back. But in the first place they need to recover."

Described by former Ineos boss Dave Brailsford as one of cycling's most expansive thinkers, Plugge called for new measures to be taken.

"We have the start getting a solution ready. The organisation 'SafeR' is ready to go," he said of a group hoping to make cycling safer.

"And everybody is a little bit dragging... ego and politics and whatever. It's really time that we start with that.

"And I'm really fed up. We have been talking about this now already for four years."

Plugge called upon International Cycling Union leader David Lappartient to fast-track the needed changes.

"He is really in favour of it. But let's go, let's start. It will not be solved in a week. It will take time. So, the earlier we start the better it is."

Plugge said greater resources should be poured into pre-race planning.

"Let's start with the safer organisation and really listen through the recommendations. Look into the recons of the course and have professional commissaires, give them time to really be professional.

"If you see how professional the teams are and how let's say, not professional some organisers are. ASO is really one of the best together with Flanders Classics."

The section where Van Aert fell last week was removed from the Tour of Flanders, while ASO have implemented an unpopular but safety-minded solution for another perceived threat for Sunday's Paris-Roubaix.

"I applaud the idea to change at least something in the way we approach Arenberg. It's a really brave and courageous thinking," said Plugge.

After Van Aert broke his collarbone and several ribs in a high-speed mass fall during last week's Around Flanders one-day race, there was further carnage on the Tour of the Basque Country on Thursday.

Vingegaard was taken to hospital after suffering broken bones and lung damage during a crash which also took out Remco Evenepoel, who suffered a broken collarbone.

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As it happened: Philipsen beats Cavendish to take Tour de France stage 7

Philipsen the man to beat as Cavendish chases win 35

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Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of stage 7 of the 2023 Tour de France, 169.9km from Mont-de-Marsan to Bordeaux.

Riders are getting ready for the start in Mont-de-marsan with neutralised racing set to get underway at 13:15 CEST and our official start to be taken at 13:30 CEST. Two days of Pyrenean punishment are behind us and today should be another chance for the sprinters are we head north, at times alongside the river Garonne, and into the finish in Bordeaux for the first time in 13 years. 

The racing has been heating up throughout this incredible first week of racing, and it's actually heating up on the ground at the race in Mont-de-Marsan. Take a look at Danish national champion, Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek), doing the media rounds with an ice vest on to regulate his temperature before the action kicks off. 

Both of the bunch sprints at this year's Tour have been won by Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) who has combined perfectly with lead-out extraordinaire, Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), to come into the final few hundred metres a the head of the bunch, allowing the Belgian to hold off the oncoming charge behind. Will anyone be able to stop them and the rest of the well-oiled Alpecin lead-out on an incredibly flat day?

Here's an early look at our new yellow jersey, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) , as he prepares for stage 7 outside the Jumbo team bus as spotted by Stephen Farrand, one of the great Cyclingnews' team on the ground at the Tour. He took the jersey yesterday after Jai Hindley (Bora-hansgrohe) was dropped on the Tourmalet, but did lose time to his key rival Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates). 

Apart from the obvious hot and sunny weather, there is also meant to be a cross-tailwind for the majority of the route which should play a part in positioning and ensuring, if any splits form, you are on the correct side of them. Teams will need to be attentive throughout the day. 

We're underway from the neutral start, the départ fictif, with big crowds already lining the roads in Mont-de-Marsan. The town has a rich history of sport with a with-known team in both rugby and football sharing the same name: Stade Montois. 

We're in the former home of cycling legend, Luis Ocaña, the Spaniard who won the 1973 Tour de France and was a key rival for Eddy Merckx. Read more about his history and the contenders for the day in Stephen Farrand's great preview of the day's racing below. Cavendish growing in confidence as Tour de France sprint chances return - Stage 7 preview

169.9KM TO GO

We're underway on stage 7 of the Tour de France! We had no breakaway for over 100km on the last flat day, stage 4. Hopefully, we will see more riders chancing their hand at making the break today. 

Four riders have somewhat of a split for now, one from TotalEnergies, Arkéa-Samsic, Movistar and Uno-X. They are looking around, however, so may not be totally comfortable. 

Nelson Oliveira (Movistar) and Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X) have knocked off their effort already with Simon Guglielmi (Arkéa-Samsic) and Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) staying with the move for now. 

Shake of the head for Guglielmi as Burgaudeau is the next to stop trying. Both the Frenchman had conversations on the radio, but were clearly given different instructions. 

Right well that's the break of the day gone in just Guglielmi, who is probably not best pleased with his sports directors leaving him out there on his own. The gap to our lone leader is approaching three minutes already. 

Vingegaard is sitting calmly at the back of the relaxed peloton and waving to the cameras. Here he is at the startline with the other key protagonist of this year's Tour. Today won't be a day for them, however, with a bunch sprint well on the cards. 

150KM TO GO

Guglielmi, thankfully, has a tailwind as the only thing to help him on a day where he'll be all alone for a number of hours. He was in the break on the opening stage of this year's Tour as well and now has a gap of 6:31 over the peloton. 

The teams with big sprinters are taking up their positions at the head of the peloton, but without any impetus as a solo breakaway rider shouldn't be any threat to their ambitions for the day. 

Happy birthday to Lars van den Berg (Groupama-FDJ). The 25-year-old Ducthman is on Tour de France debut in this year's race. 

Fêter son anniversaire sur le Tour ✔️Happy birthday Lars! 25 ans 🎂 pic.twitter.com/UmQpdCiQbF July 7, 2023

Lotto-Dstny have clear ambitions of winning this stage as they are the team most prominent at the front of the peloton. Caleb Ewan will be their man for the final sprint, and the Australian has come the closest to beating Philipsen so far. On stage 3 he was third, but finished runner-up on stage 4 and was only beaten to the line by half a wheel. Can the Australian go one better today for his sixth Tour de France victory?

130KM TO GO

Guglielmi's gap at the front has been reduced to 4:07, not by any real acceleration, however, as the peloton is still completely calm with Alpecin-Deceuninck and Lotto-Dstny swapping turns. 

Here's another look at the day's very flat profile. There is one KOM point available at the top of the Côte de Béguey (1.2km at 4.4%), but that is far too easy to have an effect on our sprint field here. 

Guglielmi is chatting away to those on race vehicles alongside him at the front of the race as he toils away is pursuit of the combativity prize and gold race number for tomorrow. 

Here's an update from the CPA, the union that works to protect riders among other things, that today's 3km rule will be enforced earlier at 3.6km before two trick bends arrive into Bordeaux. The GC teams will race until this point before hopefully clearing the way for the lead-out trains to take up the mantle at the front and battle it out in the final sprint. 

Today, on behalf of the riders we have requested the jury of commissaires to obtain the last 3 KLM rule at 3klm600 before 2 tricky bends. Thank you @UCI_cycling and @LeTour for accepting our request for the safety of the riders 🙏👏👏#SafetyFirst pic.twitter.com/YrTgLxzjQv July 7, 2023

Today's finishing City, Bordeaux, has been visited in the Tour 85 times and is only second only to Paris in terms of appearances. We haven't been here for years, however, as the last time it was used was in 2010. On that occasion, the sprint was won by a certain Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) ahead of Julian Dean, Alessandro Petacchi, Robbie McEwen and Óscar Freire. On that day, the Manx Missile was still at the peak of his powers and was able to even enjoy a look back at the field as he eased to his fourth of five victories at the 2010 Tour. 

100KM TO GO

Thankfully there is a tailwind aiding the riders in their relaxed journey to Bordeaux today. It's time for a feed as the musettes and bidons begin to be passed throughout the pack. 

Guglielmi's advantage has dropped to 2:48 with Lotto, Alpecin and now Astana Qazaqstan all putting riders on the front to help chase. 

We're closing in on our intermediate sprint in Grignols which should act as a warm up for the grand finale in Bordeaux. Guglielmi should mop up the full 20 points available, but who in peloton will go for points to add to their green jersey classification total?

Here we go! Van der Poel hits the front for the lead-out with Philipsen on his wheel and Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), but it's Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) who takes the remaining top prize of 17 points over the rise to the intermediate sprint. Philipsen came over in third in the green jersey and Coquard in fourth. Girmay may feature in today's final, but tomorrow's more lumpy stage into Limoges should suit him better. 

As the pace kicks up and our solo escapee's advantage drops below a minute, here's a look at Guglielmi on his solo adventure of the day. 

Nans Peters (AG2R-Citroën) and Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies) have decided to move off the front as we enter the final 75km of racing on stage 7. 

We've now got three Frenchman at the front as the counter-attackers have joined their compatriot. Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal-Quick Step) is back within the cars having gone for a nature break as the peloton sped up. 

It sounds as if we're going to have a quite technical finish into Bordeaux, with people on the ground describing how the run in will be completed with narrow roads, cobbles, road furniture and constantly changing widths of barriers setting up a dangerous finish. Hopefully, everyone stays upright and we don't have similar carnage in the final to stage 4. 

Our three leaders have rebuilt their advantage to 1:16 as the stage is approaching its latter moments. Tim 'El Tractor' Declercq has hit the front for Soudal-Quick Step and will undoubtably be beginning his huge workload for the day all for Jakobsen's sprint ambitions. 

Cavendish is towards the back of the peloton and is looking for his team car. He's stopping at the side of the road now with two teammates waiting up for him. It was for a wheel change and he's chosen to stay on the specific race bike setup for today. Take a look at that special Willier bike below. Mark Cavendish's Wilier Filante: Is this bike going to make history?

There's some incredibly narrow roads for the breakaway trio as they pass through the town of Langon and cross over the Garonne river. 

Van der Poel has had a bike change onto a wonderful white bike at the back of the peloton. He'll chase back alongside the Astana trio containing Cavendish. 

The front of the peloton is awakening from a quiet start with teams beginning to line up in colour order at the head of the peloton. As the pace increases, it will become more and more difficult to move up in position. 

Cavendish and Van der Poel have safely returned to the bunch as they approach the only categorised climb of the day, the Côte de Béguey (1.2km at 4.4%).

Van Aert and Van der Poel have just shared a nice chat at the back of the bunch. They could both feature in today's finale in different roles, with the Belgian going for the sprint and the Dutchman performing the lead-out for Philipsen. 

Guglielmi was dropped on the climb by his two French compatriots and his solo day in the break has ended. He’s been reabsorbed now by the bunch, but Latour and Peters still have a 1:06 advantage. 

Here's a look at our remaining two escapees from the day's racing on stage 7 of the Tour de France, Latour and Peters flying the French flag on a sunny Friday. 

Dsm-firmenich are showing their faces in the wind at the front now for their sprinter, Sam Welsford. They've not got the first two bunch sprints right by any stretch of the imagination and will be desperately wanting to give him a chance at hitting out for glory in his debut Tour. It's been a good week for Australia already so he'll be hoping for some good luck. 

Latour and Peters are doing a great job for now and holding their advantage at 1:11. They still shouldn't be a threat come the finish in Bordeaux, but the peloton won't want to mess around.

Cyclingnews' Stephen Farrand is at the finish in Bordeaux and you can see in his tweet that we have some dreaded barriers with feet somehow making it into the final 2km. hopefully these won't play any role in the final, but it's not what you want to see at a bike race, let alone the biggest one in the world. 

I don’t understand why the feet of the barriers in the final 2km are in the road and not on the kerb. Any idea @BriSmithy @HansenAdam ? pic.twitter.com/2L9xlL42wq July 7, 2023

Graphics of the final 5km are showing a few roundabouts as they enter the famous French city. They will then turn back on themselves and cross the river Garonne inside the final 4km before they ride north along the riverside and finish adjacent to the Place des Quinconces - Bordeaux’s most famous square, on what should be an incredibly high-speed run to the line. 

Only 36 seconds remain of an advantage for our two remaining breakaway riders. 

It's 33 degrees at the finish in Bordeaux and already heating up in the peloton as the almighty fight for position is about to continue. Every team will want front position for each narrowing of the road and positioning will be vital in the finale, with so many chances to lose your lead-out's wheel with cobbles, turns and chicane all featuring. 

This is one of Cavendish's remaining chances to overtake Eddy Merckx's 34 stage wins and sit alone atop the record for wins at the Tour in his final appearance at La Grand Boucle before retiring. Cees Bol (Astana Qazaqstan) will be his last man in the final and will likely want to position him onto the wheel of either Philipsen of Jakobsen. Can the Manx Missile get it done in Bordeaux? We're about to find out with 12km to go. 

Splits are forming in the middle of the bunch. We've got single file lines behind the block of sprinters teams and GC teams lining the head of the race. An uneven roundabout has lost some of the sprinters vital positions, even this far out from the finish. 

Our two stragglers are still toiling away out in front, but the bunch is really starting to wind up for the third sprint finish of this year's Tour de France. 26 seconds is the gap now. Ineos, UAE and Jumbo are all doing a tremendous job of looking after GC hopefuls for now and remember, their finish line with be the moved 3.6km line, after which is where if any incident or crash occurs, all riders will be given the same time.  

We've had our first big bottleneck of the run in as the teams are squeezed into a very tight gap, not for the last time today. The riders won't want to see a roundabout for a while after this finale. Jayco AlUla are set up nicely for now with Dylan Groenewegen their option for the sprint.

Van Aert has dropped off the back of the peloton and will play no part in today's sprint. Unsurprising after two long days in the break and the incredible effort he put in yesterday. Latour has been patted on the back by Peters and he now leads solo at the head of the race. 

The GC riders have successfully crossed their safety marker at 3.6km and will hopefully now move out the way and let the big-men get to work in this difficult finish. Vingegaard is in second wheel. 

Jakobsen looks in great form even after two days and a heavy crash on stage 4. Philipsen is also right towards the front as they cross the bridge and the river Garonne. 

Philipsen has two riders to aid him and all the rest have one. Jakobsen, Groenwegen, Ewan, Bauhaus, Pedersen and Meeus are all sat behind Philipsen and waiting to strike. 

Alpecin-Deceuninck are set up absolutely perfectly with their incredible train. Can anyone overcome them and Philipsen?

All the sprinters are there, this is gonna be a hectic finale!

Cavendish is being moved up by Bol in the final kilometre.

Welsford has been dropped off onto the wheel and here we go the finale sprint launches!

Van der Poel is at the front and leading Philipsen perfectly, when will they go?

STAGE FINISH

Cavendish hits the front but Philipsen breaks his heart and overtakes the Manx Missile at the dying moment. So close to 35, but not to be as the Belgian flyer takes his third stage in the 2023 Tour de France. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) wins stage 7 of the Tour de France.

Philipsen had to react once Cavendish took a flyer and hit out for glory. Van der Poel had hit the front slightly early and the Belgian waited for the perfect moment to slip back into the Brits wheel and launch his own sprint as the line approached. Cavendish second and Girmay third. 

Here's what stage winner Jasper Philipsen had to say after completing his hattrick of wins at the 2023 Tour de France on only stage 7. "I think we can be proud enough on our team achievement, like without them it would never be possible to get this third stage win already so, I'm just really proud of them, how they worked together and how we find each other in the final to do everything we can and that leads to success. I'm super happy and proud." "I think were very well grouped in the final 3k and even Soren [Kragh Andersen] did an amazing pull and we still had Jonas [Rickaert] and Mathieu [van der Poel] there so I was always in a good wheel and never had to do a big effort before I could launch my sprint and that's how we win." This is what he said in response to if he could believe he'd already won three stages of the 2023 Tour de France: "No. If you told me this one week ago I would think your crazy, but so far it's a dream for us, a dream Tour and we just continue and hopefully we can add another one but  I think from now I'm looking to Paris also." "He [Cavendish] was really strong and I would have also loved to have seen him win, but I think everybody and for sure he will keep on trying and he's up there, in good condition, so it will be hard." He also extended his firm lead in the green jersey completion: "From now on I think it's a goal as well to try and take this to Paris, but we're only one week far so it's still a long and tough Tour and we'll see. I just enjoy the moment."

Here's the full results of today's bunch sprint, courtesy of FirstCycling.

Here's what Mark Cavendish had to say after his disappointing second-place finish on stage 7 of the Tour de France: "I was in a quite good position, might've looked like I was far back, but I was okay in where I wanted to be. It's a long straight finish. Cees [Bol] had moved me up with good speed into the last k[ilometre]. I was on the right wheels and then yeah I kicked, a little earlier than I'd liked, but actually, it was about the same time as I did in 2010." Cavendish then revealed how he had issues with his gearing come the final sprint, which hindered some of his ability to sprint. "But once I kicked, I started, my gears jumped from the 11 to the 12. I had to sit down. The cadence just whacks up, then it goes back to the 11 then I try and stand up again then it goes back to the 12 and you sit down." He's talking about the sprockets on his cassette there with the 11tooth being his biggest gear and the one he'd want to be in for the final sprint. With some of the bumps in the final, Cavendish's gears would've jumped from his biggest gear into the one below it which meant his cadence increased and it was harder to put the power down. The Manx Missile was forced to have a back wheel change with 40km long to go and even though both cassettes on his original and spare back wheel are meant to be set at the exact same place, it may have been a fraction off causing his chain to jump onto a different sprocket. "It was nothing you can do except kind of hope. I'm bitterly disappointed there, like majorly disappointed, but we keep on trying you know. Again you know, saw an improvement in how the boys were so you can be positive with it."

"What can I do, I'm happy. I'm sorry I can't be more happy about it, I'm a bit disappointed."

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) has taken, with this, his fifth straight win in a Tour de France bunch sprint. That record extending from the 2022 edition of the race into the 2023 Tour. He's well established now his dominance over the rest of the sprint field in the pro peloton and with that well-oiled Alpecin machine working non-stop to deliver him in the right spot, its no surprise. Today however was all about him and his ability to deliver once Cavendish flew by him on the right side of the road. Will we see anyone else win a bunch sprint at the 2023 Tour de France?

What's next? We may get an early answer to whether Philipsen can finally be beaten as we have a day that could be for the fast men from Libourne to Limoges across 200.7km. They will have to contend with three categorised climbs in the final 70 kilometres, however, the Côte de Champs-Romain (2.8km at 5.2%), Côte de Masmont (1.3km at 5.5%) and the Côte de Condat-sur-Vienne (1.2km at 5.4%) before the finish in Limoges. You may remember Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) coming painfully close to beating Marcel Kittel in a finish in Limoges in 2016, the last time it was in the Tour. Le Coq will be trying his hardest to go one better on a stage that suits him perfectly tomorrow. Look to see the teams with fast riders more accustomed to climbing, Intermarché for Girmay, Cofidis for Coquard, Trek for Pedersen and maybe even Jumbo for Van Aert set a high pace on the climbs to try and drop the purer sprinters. Sadly for them, Philipsen is far from poor at getting over hills and Alpecin could also let Van der Poel sprint if the green jersey does get dropped. It should be an interesting finale. 

That wraps things up for Cyclingnews' live coverage of stage 7 of the Tour de France in what was another thrilling bunch sprint. Check back tomorrow for live coverage of stage 8 and make sure to check out our whole host of other content coming out from the race. Also read Laura Weislo's full report and see the growing photo gallery from the day's action below. Tour de France: Philipsen denies Cavendish, completes hat-trick in Bordeaux

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Giro 2024 : Liste complète de tous les participants au Tour d'Italie 2024

C'est l'heure des grands tours en cyclisme sur route !

Le Giro se déroule du 4 au 26 mai 2024 sur les routes italiennes. Certains des meilleurs cyclistes de la planète ont fait de cette course mythique un objectif majeur de leur saison.

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Dans le peloton qui prendra le départ de cette course de trois semaines à Venaria Reale le samedi 4 mai, on retrouve aussi de nombreux Français dont Romain Bardet , Christophe Laporte ou Julian Alaphilippe .

Découvrez la liste complète des participants au Giro 2024 avec toutes les équipes et tous les cyclistes.

Giro 2024 : Équipes invitées et cyclistes inscrits au Tour d'Italie 2024

Liste actualisée au 26 avril 2024

Comment regarder le Tour d'Italie 2024 ?

Pour voir le Giro 2024 en direct, rendez-vous sur Eurosport si vous êtes en France et dans la majorité des pays européens.

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Alex Doltaire remporte le 18e tour cycliste juniors de Martinique

Alex Doltaire du team Véloce Vannetais Cyclisme (VVC) est le grand vainqueur du 18e tour cycliste junior de Martinique. 

On a tout donné jusqu'au bout car on savait que le tour pourrait se jouer lors de cette dernière étape. J'ai eu la chance d'avoir Gabin (Ndlr: Gabin Richard du VVC) mon coéquipier avec moi. Il a été d'une aide précieuse pour imprimer le rythme. Et puis le Guadeloupéen qui roulait avec nous (Ndlr: Jefferson Jacquet Cretides), je lui ai dit que s'il nous aidait en roulant on lui laisserait gagner l'étape. Et voilà. Alex Doltaire interrogé par Karl Sivatte

La 5e et dernière course du tour est remportée par Jefferson Jacquet Cretides de l’Union sportive Lamentinoise. Il s’agit de sa première victoire d’étape.

Je suis content. Depuis le premier jour, je la cherchais. Merci à tous. Depuis le premier jour, je suis malchanceux. Après, je me suis dit qu’il me fallait bien une victoire. J’ai roulé et ils me l’ont laissé. Merci à eux, merci à moi. Cette victoire était importante. Mes directeurs sportifs m’ont beaucoup aidé et accompagné. Merci à eux aussi.   Jefferson Jacquet Cretides interrogé par Karl Sivatte

Gabin Richard du VVC et le Martiniquais Loïs Jean-Baptiste Simone du TCMGP se classent respectivement 2e et 3e au classement général.

106,3km au programme des coureurs pour cette étape finale dès 8h30 de la Place du Courbaril au Robert. Le peloton prend la direction du giratoire Pelletier au Lamentin pour se rendre à Ducos.

Les cyclistes se dirigent vers le giratoire de Petit-Bourg à Rivière-Salée, avant d’arriver à Sainte-Luce. 

Ils progressent ensuite vers Rivière-Salée, Ducos avant de retourner au Lamentin en passant par l’échangeur de l’aéroport.

Après le giratoire de l’Union, le groupe fait route vers le Robert.

Arrivés au  sommet Augrain, les jeunes sportifs s'élancent vers le François, puis Ducos. Ils effectuent  les derniers kilomètres entre le giratoire de Carrère au Lamentin et le Hall des sports de Mansarde au Robert. 

Alex Doltaire succède à Dave Louison du CSC Abymes au palmarès des vainqueurs du tour cycliste junior de Martinique.

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