death of tour de france cyclist

• Race Previews
• Race Reports
• Race Photos
• Tips & Reviews

Live: 2024 Flèche Wallonne Femmes

Anna van der breggen expresses concern over flèche wallonne route changes, anna shackley to retire from professional cycling due to health concerns, unpacking all of the demi vollering transfer rumours, imogen cotter announces retirement from pro cycling.

Email: [email protected]

Which riders have died at the Tour de France?

Mathew Mitchell

• Published on June 9, 2021
• in Men's Cycling

Over the years, there have been a few Tour de France deaths, by riders and non-riders. It’s an unfortunate part of bike racing that the combination of high speeds and only thin lycra for protection sometimes doesn’t end well. Thankfully it’s a very rare occurrence with no deaths in the last 25 years of racing the Tour de France.

Table of Contents

How many riders have died in the Tour de France?

There have been 4 Tour de France deaths for riders across its long history.

Tour de France Deaths by Rider

• Adolphe Hélière (1910)

Starting with the first death on the Tour de France, it’s one that’s unlikely to ever be repeated. Adolphe Hélière, aged 19, joined the race as one of the 80 or so independent riders, effectively amateurs joining in, hoping to be noticed by the major teams. His day job was as a car mechanic but he had been racing bikes for a while. Before the 1910 Tour de France, Hélière finished 13th in Paris-Le Mans.

The 6th stage of the 1910 Tour de France saw riders head out of Grenoble down to the coastal city of Nice. Hélière completed the stage in 63rd place. Many of the independent riders saved money by sleeping outside rather than paying for hotel rooms. Reportedly Hélière spent the night after Stage 6 sleeping on the beach at Nice. The following day, the riders were treated to a rest day in Nice and Hélière was recorded as saying he was looking forward to riding through his hometown in the coming days.

What exactly happened to Hélière isn’t clear. One version suggests that he simply succumbed to exhaustion whilst swimming after 6 days of racing. Another version says that a jellyfish in the sea stung Hélière. Then he drowned due to a bad reaction to the sting. The local paper reported that after a large meal, Hélière suffered some form of attack or congestion as soon as he got into the water. Whatever the reason, despite the speed with which he was brought back to shore, doctors were unable to save the young rider’s life.

Francisco Cepeda (1935)

Grenoble also gets a mention in the first on-road death in the Tour de France. That day’s race from Grenoble to Gap was the 8th Stage of the 1935 Tour de France. Francisco Cepeda crashed into a ravine whilst descending the Col du Galibier and suffered a fractured skull. Cepeda died shortly afterwards on the way to the hospital. He never regained consciousness.

Cepeda was 29 years old at the time of the crash and had had a solid racing career. He was 3rd in the 1927 Spanish National Road Race and twice won the Circuito de Getxo race which continues to this day.

Writing a report on the death in the L’Auto newspaper Dieudonne wrote the following tribute and cast light on the mindset of riders and sportsmen when faced by a tragedy to one of their own.

“Poor little Cepeda, who met his destiny on the road to Bourg-d’Oisans. Other riders, when they heard of his death, reflected for a moment, thought about all the dangers they faced but, like a driver who slows up when he sees a car with its wheels in the air, they set off again 10 seconds later thinking ‘not me!’. They quickly forget the tragedy because if they thought about it, they would never ride again. Goodbye, little rider without glory but not without merit, your cards were marked and you tried to rebel in vain.”

• Tom Simpson (1967)

The most famous Tour de France death belongs to that of British rider Tom Simpson. The highest-profile rider on this list, Simpson was, without question, the most successful British road cyclist until recent years. The 1965 World Champion also won the Tour of Flanders , Milan San Remo and Il Lombardia. Mark Cavendish is the only other Brit to be World Champion and win Milan San Remo , with no other British rider able to match Simpson’s Flanders and Lombardia wins since.

Simpson aimed to do well in the 1967 Tour de France. This was to earn more from the post-Tour criteriums where professionals earned a large bulk of their yearly wage in appearance fees. One week into the race, Simpson was 6th Overall with no serious rivals ahead of him. However, he began to suffer from a stomach upset whilst riding across the Col du Galibier. He suffered through the next couple of stages, riding on empty and losing chunks of time. Heading into Stage 13, he was 7th Overall, but now rivals had overtaken him in the classification. His teammates began to suggest that Simpson quit the race.

Stage 13 saw the riders take on the legendary Mount Ventoux on a very warm day. Already dropped from the group of favourites, Simpson began to zig-zag back and forth across the road. 1 kilometre from the summit, Simpson fell and despite protestations from the team manager to stop, Simpson pushed on. Almost 500 metres further on, he began to wobble and spectators caught him before he crashed again. Gently lowered to the side of the road, Simpson was already unconscious and had to have his hands pried from the handlebars. Despite the best efforts of those on the scene, including the Tour’s medical team, he didn’t regain consciousness. 40 minutes afterwards, a helicopter took him off the mountain. Simpson was taken to the hospital in Avignon, where he was pronounced dead.

The death of Tom Simpson is attributed to a combination of amphetamines (that were rife in the peloton at the time), alcohol, stomach upset and the heat. The lethal combination allowed Simpson to push himself past his body’s limits, particularly one already run down with an illness.

Tommy Simpson rode to his death in the Tour de France so doped that he did not know he had reached the limit of his endurance. He died in the saddle, slowly asphyxiated by intense effort in a heatwave after taking methylamphetamine drugs and alcoholic stimulants. J.L. Manning reporting on Tom Simpson’s death in the Daily Mail (31st July 1967)

The day following Simpson’s death, the peloton had to ride. They agreed that a British rider should cross the line first. Barry Hoban was given the honour and he went on to marry Simpson’s widow a couple of years later.

• Fabio Casartelli (1995)

Almost 30 years passed before the next death of another rider on the Tour de France. Fabio Casartelli was the reigning Olympic champion, after taking the victory at Barcelona in 1992. The last Olympics where only amateurs could race. Casartelli turned pro the following year and completed that year’s Giro d’Italia. Team Motorola selected him for the 1995 Tour de France. The team included big names like Sean Yates, Lance Armstrong, Steve Bauer and Frankie Andreu.

Riding in the days before helmets were mandatory, Casartelli and other riders crashed on the descent of the Col de Portet d’Aspet on Stage 15. Casartelli was the only rider to make contact with his head on the concrete blocks that lined the roadside. A medical team was there to stabilise Casartelli within 10 seconds. Afterwards, the helicopter came to take him to the nearest hospital. Whilst on the helicopter Casartelli stopped breathing and could not be resuscitated.

Casartelli’s death sparked a debate on the mandatory use of helmets in the peloton. Doctors argued that the injuries wouldn’t have been as severe with a helmet. Particularly as the impact was made with on the top of the head. It took another 8 years for helmet-wearing to be made compulsory. The death of Andrey Kivilev during Paris-Nice finally tilted the scales towards this act of safety.

Non-rider Tour de France deaths

Unfortunately, it’s not just riders who have died during the Tour de France.

The first three non-rider deaths were motorcycle related. The very first was in 1934 when a rider performing pre-race entertainment in a velodrome crashed at high speed. In 1957 one of the race-following motos crashed off the road in the Pyrenees killing the rider and the journalist he was transporting.

The following year, a race official died after making contact with Andre Darrigade. This was in a sprint at the Parc des Princes in Paris. The largest death toll from a single event was when 9 people died. Their supply van hit a bridge in 1964. The pre-race advertising caravan has claimed the lives of a pair of children in the early 21st Century. Most recently, another spectator died in 2009 when hit by a police motorcycle.

Who died in the Tour de France?

• Francisco Cepada (1935)

Related Posts

Shelagh Fogarty 1pm - 4pm

Now Discussing

Shelagh Fogarty is Leading Britain's Conversation.

Use the Global Player app to listen to live radio for LBC & LBC News

Cyclist dies after falling into a ravine in Tour de France warm-up race, as tributes pour in

16 June 2023, 12:23 | Updated: 16 June 2023, 12:52

By Kit Heren

A professional cyclist has died after plunging into a ravine during a warm-up event for the prestigious race.

Listen to this article

Swiss rider Gino Mäder, 26, died after the fall during stage five of the Tour de Suisse on Thursday. The Tour de Suisse is widely considered a warm-up event for the Tour de France.

Mr Mäder was flown to hospital after the horrifying crash.

His team Bahrain Victorious confirmed on Friday that he had died from his injuries.

A team statement said: "It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we have to announce the passing of Gino Mäder.

Listen and subscribe to Unprecedented: Inside Downing Street on Global Player

On Friday 16th June, following a very serious crash during stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse, Gino lost his battle to recover from the severe injuries he sustained.

"Our entire team is devastated by this tragic accident, and our thoughts and prayers are with Gino’s family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.

"Despite the best efforts of the phenomenal staff at Chur hospital, Gino couldn’t make it through this, his final and biggest challenge, and at 11:30am we said goodbye to one of the shining lights of our team."

Read more: French police hunt Tour de France spectator who caused major crash with sign

Read more: Police arrest woman after spectator caused major Tour de France crash with sign

Team managing director Milan Erzen said: "Not only was he an extremely talented cyclist, but a great person off the bike.

"Bahrain Victorious will race in his honour, keeping his memory on every road we race. We are determined to show the spirit and passion Gino displayed, and he will always remain an integral part of our team."

Mr Mäder became a professional road cyclust in 2019, joining Bahrain Victorious two years later. He was previously a road cyclist.

He had won stage six of the Giro d'Italia and finished top of the young rider classification at the Vuelta a Espana.

American rider Magnus Sheffield also needed treatment after going off the side off the road during the Tour de Suisse, though he was less seriously hurt.

The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) paid tribute to Mr Mader.

They said: "The UCI is devastated to learn of the death of professional cyclist, Gino Mäder."Our thoughts are with his family, friends and everyone connected with Gino who was a rising star within the professional ranks of cycling."

The Tour de Suisse added: "We are heartbroken! Gino you've been an excellent rider but even more a wonderful person!

"Always smiling and making people happy around you! Rest in peace! Our thoughts are with Gino's family!"

Mr Mader's fellow cyclists joined in the tributes.

Geraint Thomas wrote on Twitter: "I can't believe what I'm reading. Such a sad sad day. Thoughts with everyone who knew and loved Gino."

Former world champion Alejandro Valverde wrote: "There are no words. Terrible news. My support and love to his colleagues in @BHRVictorious as well as family and friends."

Race organisers said a doctor was at the scene of the crash within two minutes of it happening. It occurred with 14 kilometres of the 211km stage from Fiesch to La Punt remaining.

After the incident there was immediately criticism of a route that ended with a fast technical descent off the mountain to the finish line.

Former professional Adam Hansen, now president of the cyclists' union the CPA, wrote on Twitter on Thursday night that such finishes were a "concern for riders" and said he has been working on a presentation to put to governing body the UCI and race organisers to better ensure rider safety.

More Latest News

See more More Latest News

IAEA inspects treated radioactive water release from Fukushima nuclear plant

Man and woman charged with fraud after dine-and-dashers 'left £329 bill unpaid at restaurant', horses spooked by 'big bang' when builders' concrete clattered to the ground sparking rampage that left five injured, ukrainian officials thank us for military aid to help stop russian onslaught, three arrests after five migrants, including child, die trying to cross channel, 'it’s so dangerous': mum forced to walk in road with pram leaves notes for 'inconsiderate' drivers blocking pavements, biden seeks to navigate israel-hamas war protests on us college campuses, why has the 21st century been such a disappointing period for business and uk stock markets, mystery as long-lost security card is discovered under antarctica iceberg 13 years after going missing, boeing posts £286m loss amid safety scrutiny, three people including teacher injured after 'knife attack’ at welsh school as classrooms locked down and one arrested, cisco systems joins vatican pledge to ensure ethical use and development of ai, eerie images show athens engulfed in orange haze as saharan desert dust cloud descends, five injured as household cavalry horses - including one covered in blood - smash through london in six-mile rampage, suspect targeted los angeles mayor karen bass in home break-in, official says, china prepares to send three astronauts to tiangong space station, latest news.

See more Latest News

Two Premier League footballers, 19, arrested over rape claim suspended by their club

Devastated zoe ball says 'sleep tight dear mama' as she announces her mother's death from cancer, terrified taxi driver describes moment bloody household cavalry horse smashed into his mercedes van, china blasts ‘dangerous situation’ over us military aid to taiwan, live updates: five people injured as bloodied horses tear through central london crashing into cars and bus, japan’s moon lander survives third long freezing lunar night, prabowo subianto declared indonesian president-elect as rivals’ appeal rejected, spooked household cavalry horses bolt through traffic in central london injuring five people in three locations, petrol prices hit 150p per litre on average for first time since november, in blow for drivers, seven teenagers arrested as part of sydney bishop stabbing investigation, the news explained.

See more The News Explained

Rishi Sunak facts: Height, wife, children and policies revealed

Arctic blast sets off government's cold weather payment - but are you eligible for the £25 off energy bills, armistice day: what is it about and when will the two-minute silence be held.

See more Royals

King Charles honours Princess Kate with new title to thank her for taking on 'more responsibilities'

"happy 6th birthday, prince louis" kate shares her adorable birthday snap of young prince, kate stays silent for prince louis' sixth birthday, with no new photo published in break with tradition, highlights & opinion.

See more Highlights & Opinion

Princess Kate: Now close the door, draw the curtains and focus on you!

Generation sicknote: if gen z are struggling to work then that’s a reflection of the lack of support available to them, sunak is blaming the fallout of his political losses on protests - and cutting off the lifeblood of our democracy, be careful what you wish for is a phrase coined for humza yousaf, small businesses shouldn't have to bear the brunt if royal mail axes saturday post, rishi sunak's rwanda woes are far from over as he faces lords challenge and tory critics circle, lbc caller tells shelagh fogarty that the channel islands are the answer to 'illegal immigration', 'rishi sunak chooses to do the self-interested party politics': shelagh fogarty reflects on tories' migration policies, met police chief is right to put the boot into the premier league, writes henry riley, red sea clashes with the houthis must not be just a fight for freedom of navigation - but for freedom from iran’s hostile actions too, more topics.

See more More Topics

War in Ukraine

Cost of living crisis, immigration, crime & police.

The Deadly Turn: A History of Deaths in the Tour de France

le de Tour France 4 Cyclists have died in the Tour de France During its history 4 competitors have died during the tour de France but several spectators have also been fatally injured. Professional cycling is a dangerous sport for sectors as well as competitors. Cyclists-competing 3 Cyclists-non-competing 1 Spectators 27 Officials 1 1910 One of the competitors, Adolphe Hellere drowned whilst swimming in Nice on a rest day. 1934 A motorcyclist crashes at high speed and dies during a motorcycle demonstration to occupy the crowd prior to the arrival of the cyclists. 1935 During the 8th stage of the race Spanish cyclist Francisco Cepeda plunged down a ravine having lost control of this bike on a steep descent. 1957 A journalist from Radio Luxembourg and his pillion passenger are both killed when their motorbike veered off a mountain road. 1958 A collision between a competitor and an official sadly led to the death of the official, Constant Wouters. 1964 Tragically twenty people were killed when a van carrying supplies hit a bridge. 1967 Tom Simpson from Great Britain died from fatal heart failure during 13th stage of the race on the climb up Mont Ventoux. 1995 Olympic gold medallist Fabio Casartelli died from fatal head injuries after crashing and hitting his head whilst descending the Col de Portet d'Aspet during the 15th stage of the tour. 2000 A 12 years old boy was killed when he was hit by a car which was overtaking the media caravan. 2002 A 7 year old boy was killed having been run down by the media caravan whilst running across the road. 2009 A Women in her 60s was hit a police motorcycle whilst crossing the road. ACCIDENT CLAIMS www.accidentcalims.name Osbornes solicitors LLP Cyclists le TOR fRonce de have died in the Tour de France aarrr During its history 4 competitors have died during the Tour de France but several spectators have also been fatally injured. Professional cycling is a dangerous sport for spectators as well as competitors. Cyclists - competing Cyclists - non-competing Spectators (27 Officials One of the competitors, Adolphe Helière drowned whilst swimming in Nice on a rest day. A motorcyclist crashes at high speed and dies during a motorcycle demonstration to occupy the crowd prior to the arrival of the cyclists. During the 8th stage of the race Spanish cyclist Francisco Cepeda plunged down a ravine having lost control of his bike on a steep descent. Ajournalist from Radio Luxembourg and his pillion passenger are both killed when their motorbike veered off a mountain road. A collision between a competitor and an official sadly led to the death of the official, Constant Wouters. 20 Tragically twenty people were killed when a van carrying supplies hit a bridge. Tom Simpson from Great Britain died from fatal heart failure during 13th stage of the race on the climb up Mont Ventoux. Olympic gold medallist Fabio Casartelli died from fatal head injuries after crashing and hitting his head whilst descending the Col de Portet d'Aspet during the 15th stage of the tour. 40% A 12 year old boy was killed when he was hit by a car which was overtaking the media caravan. A7year old boy was killed having been run down by the media caravan whilst running across the road. POLIZEI A woman in her 60s was hit by a police motorcycle whilst crossing the road. POLICE FRANCE Est SR ACA ACCIDENT CLAIMS www.accideniclaims.name osbornes Solicitors LLP 1967 Design: Bite Digital (www.biteus.n 1958 1910 1934 2002 1935 000 1964 6007 1995 1957 Sources: www.totalprosports.com I www.wikipedia.org

You may also like...

For hosted site:

For wordpress.com:

Tour de France 2023: Tom Pidcock - I love descending but Gino Mader death hit home

• Published 28 June 2023

The Tour de France begins in Bilbao, Spain, on 1 July

Britain's Tom Pidcock says he loves descending but that the death of fellow cyclist Gino Mader has hit him hard.

Mader died aged 26 following a high-speed crash during a descent at the Tour de Suisse this month, where Ineos Grenadiers' Pidcock was also competing.

Pidcock, 23, won stage 12 of last year's Tour de France with several descents in excess of 60mph.

"Descending is something I love, but someone I race with died descending and it hit home quite hard," he said.

'Shock but no surprise as cycling looks for answers'

Pidcock will contest this year's Tour de France - which begins in the Spanish city of Bilbao on 1 July - and will aim to win mountainous stages again, including the first stage. But he admits the risks remain.

"Risks are involved in cycling. [Serious accidents] don't happen often but it can go wrong and I guess we do what we can to mitigate those risks. But they'll never be gone," he said.

Swiss Mader, of the Bahrain Victorious team, was descending the Albula Pass at the end of stage five of the Tour de Suisse - a traditional warm-up for the Tour de France, in which he was also scheduled to compete.

Pidcock's Ineos team-mate Magnus Sheffield, of the United States, also crashed - separately from Mader - at the same corner, suffering concussion and spending three days in hospital.

'Descending is part of our sport'

"Obviously, it was a very emotional day for everyone in cycling and especially in Suisse and his team-mates and family," added Pidcock.

"Descending is part of our sport and, unless we all want to race around motor racing circuits, we have to accept we will be racing down descents and I guess this was a bit of a fluke - a tailwind into a corner that wasn't so sharp, but then it closed in a little bit."

It is 12 years since the sport lost a rider on a descent at such a high level. Belgium's Wouter Weylandt died in a crash descending at speed during the 2011 Giro d'Italia.

Pidcock's team boss at Ineos, Rod Ellingworth, signed Mader for the Bahrain team when he was in charge there in 2020.

"It's tragic. In that moment Magnus [Sheffield] was in a separate crash and dealing with that post-incident has been quite traumatic," said Ellingworth.

"Gino was a good character - everyone knew him.

"The key here is that the [sport's world governing body] UCI and race organisers move together. We, as a team, work closely with the UCI on safety aspects. We are very active, constantly feeding back on anything in which safety could be improved.

"This sport is what it is - it's got beauty because of the mountains and everything. We all have a part to play to encourage the sport to get safer.

"But look at where they race - it's always going to have that element of danger I think."

This video can not be played

To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser.

Tour de Suisse: Leading riders come together to honour Gino Mader

Related Topics

Related internet links.

British Cycling

International Cycling Union

• Athlete Index

How Many People Have Died at the Tour De France?

The Tour De France is the crown jewel of cycling for a reason. The race not only tests riders’ skills and endurance, but it also tests their mettle. Racing at speeds in excess of 50 miles an hour down a rain-slicked road on the edge of a mountain is beyond dangerous. Sadly, those conditions have resulted in fatal accidents in years past, not only for the riders, but spectators as well. How many people have died in the Tour De France ?

The history of the Tour De France

The Tour De France started in 1903 in an effort for a local newspaper to increase sales. Since that original race, the Tour has morphed over time to its current form. The current race includes 21 stages that are run over 23 days.

The race, which is generally contested in July, includes up to 22 teams with eight riders on each team. The format is consistent each year and includes time trials, passage through the mountain chains of the Pyrenees and the Alps, and a finish on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

There are inherent dangers with cycling by itself, but those risks increase dramatically on the Tour De France. And it’s not just one thing, it’s a combination of challenging factors, including dozens of riders jockeying for position, and doing so on streets that can sometimes be dirt roads, cobblestone, oil-stained, and often very slick due to rainy conditions. Add in the fact that spectators are lining the streets and each team’s chase vehicles are cruising on the route, and it can be a recipe for disaster. Sometimes, that disaster can be fatal.  

How many riders have died at the Tour De France?  

The first death during the actual race occurred in 1935 when Spanish racer Francisco Cepeda plunged down a ravine on the Col du Galibiera, a mountain pass in the southern region of the French Alps that is the highest point of the Tour de France. Cepeda suffered serious injuries and died while being transported to the hospital.

The next death during the Tour happened more than thirty years later in 1967. During Stage 13, Tom Simpson, who was considered to be one of Britain’s most successful professional cyclists, died of heart failure during the ascent of Mont Ventoux. Amphetamines and alcohol were later discovered in Simpson’s blood, and this cocktail ultimately resulted in his death.

The most recent Tour De France rider to die occurred in 1995. On Stage 15 as the Tour descended through the Col de Portet d’Aspet, a mountain pass in the central Pyrenees, Fabio Casartelli and several other riders were traveling at 55 miles per hour when they were involved in a serious crash. Casartelli, who was an Olympic gold medalist and 24 years old at the time, sustained heavy facial and head injuries. He lost consciousness. While being transported by helicopter to a nearby hospital, he stopped breathing, and after numerous resuscitation attempts, the Italian was declared dead.

Additional people who have died at the Tour De France

The Tour De France, unfortunately, isn’t only perilous for riders. Seven other fatal accidents have occurred in the race’s history involving others outside of the racers. The most deadly happened in 1964 when nine people died after a supply van hit a bridge.

Since 2000, there have been three deaths during the 23-day long race. In each case, it’s been a spectator hit by a vehicle. In 2000, 12-year-old boy was struck by a car in the Tour de France publicity caravan. In 2002, a seven-year-old boy, also died after being hit by the caravan. The most recent death occurred in 2009 when a woman in her 60s was killed after a police motorcycle struck her. 

While the Tour De France is known as the most prestigious cycling race in the world, it’s also the most dangerous.

Lance Armstrong Fell From Tour de France Champion to America’s Most Hated Athlete

Spurs Sensation Victor Wembanyama Is Having An Incredible Statistical Season

Who Can Stop Nikola Jokic From Winning NBA MVP?

More Than 200,000 Condoms Will Be Handed Out At The 2024 Olympic Village

Kyle Dalton

Kyle Dalton began covering sports in 1992 after he graduated from the University of Texas school of journalism. He published his book Burned Orange: Tom Penders and 10 Years at the University of Texas in 2000, and joined Sportscasting in 2020. Kyle expertly covers the NFL, NASCAR, and NCAA football.

Kyle finds inspiration in the unscripted drama of sports, the compelling journeys and life stories of the athletes who play the games, and he enjoys reading the work of Mitch Albom. He is a rabid consumer of all sports on all platforms: TV, Twitter, podcasts, live events, and more.

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Paul Sherwen, Renowned Cycling Commentator, Dies At 62

Vanessa Romo

Paul Sherwen's voice became almost inextricable from the Tour de France for English-speaking fans after a stellar career as a competitor. He covered the world's most famous cycling event for 33 years. Morne de Klerk/Getty Images hide caption

Paul Sherwen's voice became almost inextricable from the Tour de France for English-speaking fans after a stellar career as a competitor. He covered the world's most famous cycling event for 33 years.

Paul Sherwen, one of the best-known pro-cycling commentators who is widely credited with introducing the English-speaking world to the sport, died on Sunday at his home in Uganda. He was 62.

Sherwen's voice became almost inextricable from the Tour de France and other major cycling events after a stellar career as a competitor. He rode in the Tour seven times during the 1970s and 1980s, twice becoming the British national champion. But the British cyclist is best known for his 33 years commentating on the world's most famous and grueling cycling competition — many with co-commentator Phil Liggett.

Over more than three decades, Sherwen spread his passion for cycling across British, Australian and American television and radio to new generations of fans. He covered the sport during five Olympic Games as an analyst for NBC Sports.

"We are saddened to offer our condolences to the friends and family of Paul Sherwen, who passed away this morning at his home in Uganda," the news outlet said in a statement on Sunday.

"Paul was synonymous with the Tour de France in the U.S. and will be greatly missed by his legions of fans and the NBC Sports family, which was honored to be part of Paul's 40th Tour last July," NBC wrote. "Our thoughts are with Paul's wife, Katherine, their children, and all of those in the cycling community who became Paul Sherwen fans over his many years calling the sport he loved."

Members of the cycling community, including his longtime broadcasting partner, were blindsided by the news of Sherwen's sudden death.

"I went to bed in Africa with a heavy heart last night feeling sadness like never before," Liggett wrote on Twitter. "My team mate for 33 years was no longer with me. Your hundreds of messages showed how well @PaulSherwen was loved."

I went to bed in Africa with a heavy heart last night feeling sadness like never before. My team mate for 33 years was no longer with me. Your hundreds of messages showed how well @PaulSherwen was loved. Let's think of Katherine and his children with love just now. — Phil Liggett (@PhilLiggett) December 3, 2018

British Cycling also noted the loss of the former national champion in a tweet , calling him "a great voice of our sport."

We were truly saddened by the news of the passing of @PaulSherwen . A former national champion and a great voice of our sport, our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time. — British Cycling (@BritishCycling) December 2, 2018

Lance Armstrong, who won the Tour seven times before being stripped of his championships after a major doping scandal, wrote about meeting Sherwen in 1992, when he worked as a press officer for Team Motorola. "He was always a class act and a great friend," Armstrong said.

Completely shocked and saddened to hear of Paul Sherwen’s passing. Met Paul in 1992 when he worked as our press officer for Team Motorola. He was always a class act and a great friend. My deepest condolences go out to his family. RIP Climber. — Lance Armstrong (@lancearmstrong) December 2, 2018

"The soundtrack to our July and our sport has been silenced," Australia's Cycling Central wrote on Twitter. "We are too gutted for words right now."

The soundtrack to our July and our sport has been silenced. Paul Sherwen died overnight at his home in Uganda. We are too gutted for words right now, but we tried some https://t.co/5x0jQZRBqY pic.twitter.com/fSjX0xdarm — SBS Sport (@SBSSportau) December 2, 2018

Sherwen was born in Lancashire in the U.K. and raised in Uganda since age 7, NBC Sports reported. "He helped create Paul's Peloton , which brought bicycles to Africa, and advocated for African wildlife as a chairman of the Ugandan Conservation Foundation and supporter of the Helping Rhinos initiative."

The cause of Sherwen's death is not yet known.

• Paul Sherwen
• Tour de France

MORE SECTIONS

• Dear Deidre
• Visual Stories

MORE FROM THE SUN

• Newsletters
• Deliver my newspaper
• Sun Vouchers
• The Sun Digital Newspaper

Who was Tom Simpson and how did the cyclist die on Mont Ventoux riding the 1967 Tour de France?

This year's Tour marks the 50th anniversary of his untimely, controversial death at the world's biggest bike race

• david hughes
• Published : 14:31, 13 Jul 2017
• Updated : 14:31, 13 Jul 2017

TOM Simpson was Britain's first road cycling world champion, a rider whose success earned him the Sports Personality of the Year award – before it all ended in tragedy and controversy.

With this year's Tour de France marking the 50th anniversary of his untimely death, here's the lowdown on a forgotten British sporting icon .

Who was Tom Simpson?

Tom Simpson was a professional cyclist who became Britain's first superstar in the sport.

Born in 1937 in County Durham, he rode his first bike at the age of 12 and enjoyed success as a junior growing up in Nottinghamshire.

Simpson gained a bronze medal at the 1958 Olympics in Melbourne, and went pro the following year while still a teenager.

In 1961, he won the Tour of Flanders, one of the five "monuments" – professional cycling's most prestigious one-day races.

Simpson's audacious, aggressive racing would deliver two more, Milan-San Remo in 1964 and the Giro di Lombardia a year later.

Indeed, 1965 proved a remarkable season for the Brit – he won the World Road Race Championships, and was crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Simpson remained the only road cyclist to earn either accolade for almost half a century, before Mark Cavendish repeated the trick in 2011.

While he spent 1966 plagued with injury as he rode in the coveted rainbow jersey of world champion, Simpson started the 1967 season in superb form.

With a string of high-profile victories under his belt, he entered July as one of the overwhelming favourites for the world's biggest bike race – the Tour de France.

When did Tom Simpson die?

After making a strong start to the 1967 Tour, Simpson fell ill with diarrhoea as the race entered the high mountains and slipped down the race rankings.

Ignoring calls to abandon, the 29-year-old struggled through until the 13th stage on July 13, which scaled Mont Ventoux – a fearsome climb dubbed the "Giant of Provence".

Riding in intense heat, Simpson lost contact with the leaders and began zig-zagging across the road.

Around a kilometre from the summit of the climb he fell, but remounted, brushing off his mechanic's pleas to quit the race.

He managed another 500 yards before collapsing again, and despite repeated attempts to resuscitate him, was pronounced dead after being airlifted to hospital.

Simpson's last words were famously reported to be "put me back on my bike", as he urged his mechanic and manager to set him on his way.

However, while his desperation to continue his doomed ascent is unquestioned, it's now thought that he simply said: "On, on, on."

What was Tom Simpson's cause of death?

Officially, Simpson's cause of death was heart failure caused by exhaustion.

A post-mortem revealed he had taken large quantities of amphetamines and alcohol, which proved lethal combined with the heat and his existing stomach problems.

The former World Champion was found with empty amphetamine tubes in his jersey's back pocket, and was seen filling his drinks bottle with brandy.

Although performance-enhancing drugs had been criminalised in 1965, they were still rife in the world of professional cycling, with authorities turning a blind eye.

The results of Simpson's autopsy – and the controversy that followed – helped lead to tighter drug testing, although the sport's uneasy relationship with doping exists to this day.

MOST READ IN CYCLING

Former pro cyclist Alexey Tsatevich sadly passes away aged 34

Highest paid cyclists in Pro Cycling from Tadej Pogacar to Jonas Vinegaard

How Armstrong made £16m from Uber after losing fortune in doping scandal

Triathlete shunts OWN TEAM-MATE off bike into barriers & fans aren’t buying excuse

• Tour de France

Crash Kills Cyclist in Pyrenees : Tour de France: Casartelli fails to make a turn at 55 m.p.h. and becomes third to die in 92-year history of race.

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

One of the worst accidents in the 92-year history of the Tour de France sent shock waves through the international cycling community Tuesday as Italian rider Fabio Casartelli died after crashing into a concrete pylon at high speed.

Casartelli’s death was the third in the race’s history, and the accident is expected to rally support for a controversial helmet rule. Headgear probably wouldn’t have saved Casartelli, 24, who rode for the American Motorola team. He was traveling about 55 m.p.h. when he missed a turn along the steep, narrow road down the Col de Portet d’Aspet in the Pyrenees Mountains of southern France.

Several other riders also failed to negotiate the steep curve and two were injured.

“It was a fairly fast descent,” French rider Francois Simon, who was behind Casartelli, told the Associated Press. “At a certain point, there was a longer curve than the others. Casartelli couldn’t make the turn. I think it was his back wheel that hit the side, and he flew in the air.”

Unconscious, Casartelli was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Tarbes, where he was pronounced dead 30 minutes later. Physicians said Casartelli had three cardiac arrests during the trip.

“Some riders went off the edge,” said George Noyes, Motorola’s chief mechanic, in Tarbes for today’s 16th stage to Pau. “Some riders went through the pylons [marking the edge of the road]. Fabio hit one directly.”

Casartelli’s was the first Tour death for a competitor since 1967, when British world champion Tom Simpson collapsed during a mountain climb on a hot day. In 1935, Spanish rider Francesco Cepeda was killed when he fell into a ravine.

Casartelli was the father of a 4-month-old boy. The 1992 Olympic road race champion from Cuomo was competing in his first Tour after having missed most of last season because of knee surgery.

Motorola’s riders and support crew decided during a team meeting after Tuesday’s stage to continue today.

“That’s what Fabio would want us to do,” Noyes said.

Richard Virenque of France won the 128-mile stage, and overall leader Miguel Indurain of Spain finished eighth, with second place Alex Zulle of Switzerland ninth.

Also injured during the crash were Dirk Baldinger of Germany, who broke a hip; and Dante Rezze of Italy, who suffered a bruised thigh.

“Sometimes, we don’t realize the risks we take on the descents,” France’s Laurent Maduoas told VeloNews after finishing Tuesday’s stage.

Like most of the cyclists on the hot, clear day in the mountains, Casartelli did not wear a helmet.

“It’s an issue that will come to the forefront again,” said Alfredo Martini, head of the Italian national cycling team. “It’s time to deal with this issue seriously.”

Helmets are mandatory in U.S. races, and the International Cycling Union tried to institute a helmet rule in 1991, but riders protested by boycotting a race in Belgium.

The world’s best riders turned the safety rule into an issue of choice, said Davis Phinney, a former Tour de France rider who lives in Boulder, Colo. It was more a statement of the young riders’ sense of invincibility, he added.

Now that Phinney is on the sidelines, he has a clearer picture of the chances riders take.

“Having been knocked out of my bike [with a] helmet on, [you] realize your head is like an eggshell,” he said. “All you have to do is slap it down on the pavement ever so slightly the wrong way and you snuff yourself out.”

More to Read

This 5-year-old from Gaza is learning to live with one leg and untold loss

April 24, 2024

After Hamas killed his mother, an Israeli man chooses peace over vengeance

Biden signs $95-billion war aid measure that includes path to ban TikTok

Start your day right

Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

More From the Los Angeles Times

World & Nation

Ex-police officer wanted in 2 killings and kidnapping kills himself in Oregon, police say

Homeless encampments are on the ballot in Arizona. Could California, other states follow?

Tennessee lawmakers pass bill to allow armed teachers, a year after deadly school shooting

April 23, 2024

U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania set; pro-Palestinian congresswoman fends off primary challenge

Vingegaard discharged from hospital after Basque Country crash

• Medium Text

Sign up here.

Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

The Tour of Britain Women will return in June after last year's edition was called off due to a lack of funding, organisers British Cycling said.

Sports Chevron

Report: Trophy Trust to return 2005 Heisman to Reggie Bush

Due to an evolving landscape in college football, the Heisman Trust is set to return the 2005 Heisman Trophy to Reggie Bush, ESPN reported on Wednesday.

Tour de France and Olympic rider Colin Lewis dies aged 79: Tributes pour in for champion Devon cyclist

On the 1967 Tour de France he rode with and shared a room with Tom Simpson, who died during the race while climbing Mont Ventoux

• 15:07, 4 MAR 2022
• Updated 15:11, 4 MAR 2022

Tour de France and Olympic cyclist Colin Lewis, whose Paignton bike shops were a Mecca for riders from all over Devon, has died at the age of 79.

He was the president of the Mid Devon Cycling Club, and died after a short illness.

Tributes began to pour in on social media after the club announced the news today.

Read more: Cricket legend Shane Warne dead at 52 after suspected heart attack

A spokesman said: “It’s with great sadness that we share the news that Colin Lewis passed away this morning after a short illness with cancer.

“Colin started his racing career with the Mid Devon and went on to become our most prolific cyclist, as a twice British National Professional Champion, Olympian and Tour De France cyclist.

“For many years Colin ran his bike shop from Manor Corner in Paignton which became a Mecca for local cyclists.

“Colin was a keen supporter of young riders and acted as a mentor to many who aspired to follow in his footsteps.”

One social media post described him as “a great ambassador for the sport” while another said: “He was a great cyclist, and was always uber-helpful”.

“Another giant gone,” wrote another.

Born in Abertysswg, just outside Caerphilly in South Wales, he finished seventh in the 1960 Milk Race - the forerunner of the Tour of Britain - at the age of just 19.

He represented Britain a number of times in Europe, and came 25th, the best British rider, in the individual road race at the 1964 Summer Olympics.

After racing in France he turned professional with the small British team Mackeson-Condor for £4 per week.

In 1967 he finished the Tour de France 84th and won the national road championship, and in 1968 he won the road championship again, the only rider to win it in successive years.

He moved to the Holdsworth-Campagnolo team in 1969 and stayed with them until he retired from professional racing in 1975.

On the 1967 Tour de France, Lewis rode with and shared a room with Tom Simpson, who died during the race while climbing Mont Ventoux.

Lewis said later: “On the climb, I heard that Tom had fallen off about a kilometre from the summit, then I saw a commotion and saw him lying on the ground.

“The team manager told me to go on and that everything was all right. I was expecting him to catch me on the descent and that we would work together.

“I was tucked up in bed after the stage, feeling pretty rough, when I heard the news. I couldn’t believe it, he was so light-hearted before the start.”

Lewis was the last Welshman to ride the Tour de France, in 1968, until Geraint Thomas in 2007.

He had 250 victories, 38 professional.

He opened a cycle shop in Manor Road, Preston in 1976, and later expanded to open a second shop beside Paignton bus station.

His wife, Pam, died in August 2010.

Mr Lewis’ death comes soon after that of another Mid Devon Cycling Club stalwart Ken Robertson, who died just before Christmas.

• London 2012 Olympics
• Most Recent

• Streetsblog Chicago Facebook
• Streetsblog Chicago X (formerly Twitter)

Legendary Chicago bicycle traveler and writer George Christensen killed by truck driver in South Carolina

8:55 AM CDT on April 24, 2024

• Share on Facebook
• Share on X (formerly Twitter)
• Share on Reddit
• Share on Email

Christensen, left, visiting former Active Transportation Alliance staffer Randy Warren in San Luis Obispo, California, during a bike trip on the Pacific Coast. Photo: Facebook

As a longtime bicycle courier, and one of Chicago's most adventurous bike riders and writers, George Christensen did extensive cycling trips in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. These included biking the length of three continents and one subcontinent, India. Starting in 2001, he eloquently documented his travels on his well-read blog, George the Cyclist .

But tragically, on Monday night Christensen's life was cut short at age 73, when a truck driver fatally struck him as he rode through the southeastern United States.

Yesterday morning sources notified Streetsblog Chicago that Christensen was the bike rider that a semi operator struck and killed last night near Ridgeway, South Carolina, a small town about 25 miles north of Columbia, the state capital. According to a report in The State by Noah Feit , on Monday, April 22, around 7:30 p.m. Christensen was cycling west on Highway 34, about three miles southeast of Ridgeway, near Autumn Drive. The sun would set a little after 8 p.m. that night.

South Carolina Highway Patrol Master Trooper Gary Miller told The State that the driver of a westbound 2022 Mack truck with a trailer hit the back of Christensen's bike, killing him. The trucker was uninjured, and no other injuries were reported.

Miller told The State that information about what caused the crash was not available yet, but the highway patrol was still investigating the case. There was no word on whether the trucker was issued charges or citations. Streetsblog has contacted the highway patrol to request an update on the case if it becomes available.

This morning, Fairfield County Coroner Chris Hill released the name the bicyclist killed in Monday's crash. "George Christensen, age 73, of Countryside, Illinois, was traveling west on Highway 34 in Ridgeway, SC when he was struck by a truck [driver] also traveling west on Highway 34," the coroner stated. "Mr. Christensen succumbed to his injuries on the scene of the [crash]. This incident continues to be investigated by Fairfield County Coroner’s Office and South Carolina Highway Patrol."

Christensen often wrote blog entries while pursuing one of his many passions , visiting historic Carnegie libraries across the United States. That was the case on this trip. Entries from earlier this month state that he recently rode Amtrak from Chicago to Washington D.C., took another train route to Orlando, Florida, then biked north near the Atlantic coast, stopping at libraries along the way. Here's a rough approximation of his route based on his April posts .

In the final entry of his blog on Sunday, April 21, Christensen, a hardcore cinephile, wrote that he traveled to Wilmington, North Carolina to visit old friends who are fellow Telluride Film Festival fans. After camping at their house, "I headed west out of town over the Cape Fear River once again towards South Carolina for six Carnegies [libraries] inland from the coast," he wrote.

Christensen blogged that after a few hours of cycling in 80-degree weather that day he stopped to buy a cold drink at a gas station mini mart. As he was sitting out front cooling off, the clerk came outside and offered him three boxes of chicken wings. "I see you’re biking," she said. "Here’s some chicken wings for you."

Christensen pedaled on into ominous weather. "Ninety minutes before dark clouds moved in and shortly there was thunder and lightning in the distance," he wrote in the last paragraph. "I was hoping the storm might bypass me, but when a few scattered drops of rain began to fall, I started looking for an easy access into the forest. I came upon a slightly overgrown path that led to an abandoned farmhouse, the first I had camped beside in these travels, setting up my tent having to only absorb a few drops of rain before it came down in earnest. I still had some chicken wings to mix in with my ramen." Fittingly, the last words of his blog highlighted the goodwill he often encountered from people he met on the road.

Christensen's longtime partner Janina Ciezadlo graciously shared some thoughts with Streetsblog. "I trust people who know George, or are just learning about him, know that he was a legendary touring cyclist traveling everywhere from Oman to Madagascar to Iceland. He was an inspiring, encouraging ambassador of the bike. He wanted everyone to ride. Needless to say, he kept my bike in working order."

"He lived simply and devoted himself to cycling," she added. "He visited the Tour De France for almost 20 summers and followed the course [on bicycle]. He was an expert on its history and culture; He died with a plane reservation for this year’s Tour. Much of his touring life was centered on visiting and documenting all the Carnegie libraries in the world. Photographs of these beautiful early 20th century buildings can be found on his blog. He loved libraries."

"George had an extraordinary range of interests," Ciezadlo concluded. "As a volunteer he gave of his time at Facets Multimedia here in Chicago and at the Telluride Film Festival; he had a tremendous amount of knowledge about film and film festivals. He was a reader. Among other books, he recently had read all of Balzac and Zola, and of course watched every classic film adaption of those novels. Lately he had been volunteering in restoration projects in the Cook County Forest Preserves. Some people will know that he was an incurable dumpster diver and distributed recovered food to others." 

Elizabeth Adamczyk, organizer of the Chicago Ride of Silence and a longtime friend of Christensen, said they met through her work at Northwestern University, where he was an alumnus. "We both had a love of learning and a love of bicycling, and we became fast friends. George was integral to me becoming a year-round cyclist. He was a voracious reader, very knowledgeable about Carnegie libraries, pro cycling, his next bike adventure, and anything else that he decided to learn about."

"In recent years he got to know my mother and, helped her out with random household tasks," she added. "He was always there to lend a hand, and he loved to help."

According to Adamczyk, 2022 was the first year Christensen was in Chicago for the Ride of Silence, which honors fallen cyclists. "He was thrilled to participate in person." She said he will be honored and memorialized at this year's event on Wednesday, May 15. The location and other details will be announced soon and publicized by Streetsblog.

Just two weeks ago, when I was traveling by car in a location where year-round high winds make bicycle touring seem like a thankless task, I thought of George Christensen, an old bike messenger colleague of mine. I told my companion that, impressively, Christensen had done the same route on two wheels more than 20 years ago.

Hopefully it will be some comfort to George's loved ones to know that his life ended while he was doing something he obviously loved.

Read The State's report here .

Check out George Christensen's blog George the Cyclist here.

Read a 2006 profile of Christensen in the Chicago Reader here.

Read a guest post he contributed to the pre-Streetsblog Chicago transportation news website Grid Chicago here.

Did you appreciate this post? Please consider  making a tax-deductible donation  to help Streetsblog Chicago keep publishing through 2025. Thank you.

In addition to editing Streetsblog Chicago, John writes about transportation and other topics for additional local publications. A Chicagoan since 1989, he enjoys exploring the city on foot, bike, bus, and 'L' train.

• Bike Fatalities ,
• Bike Touring ,
• George Christensen ,

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog Chicago

It’s electric new divvy stations will be able to charge docked e-bikes, scooters when they’re connected to the power grid.

The new stations are supposed to be easier to use and more environmentally friendly than old-school stations.

Today’s Headlines for Tuesday, April 23

Keating Law Offices

Communities United: Reports of Bikes N’ Roses’ death have been greatly exaggerated

According to the nonprofit shop's parent organization, BNR has paused its retail component, but is still doing after-school programming and looking for new staff.

Today’s Headlines for Monday, April 22

2-FOR-1 GA TICKETS WITH OUTSIDE+

Don’t miss Thundercat, Fleet Foxes, and more at the Outside Festival.

GET TICKETS

BEST WEEK EVER

Try out unlimited access with 7 days of Outside+ for free.

Start Your Free Trial

Powered by Outside

Prize Money at the Classics: Who Cleaned Up and How it Compares to the Tour de France

Top riders topped up their bank accounts with generous payouts during the one-days, but the tour de france remains cycling's biggest payday..

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 .

Prize money payouts meant that Mathieu van der Poel was the big winner across the spring classics in more ways than one.

Not only did MVDP win three big races across his abbreviated, six-race spring racing calendar, he also brought home the bacon.

The Alpecin-Deceuninck star was the spring king in prize money as well, topping a list across the spring classics that ran from late February through this weekend’s Liege-Bastogne-Liege .

According to Sporza , which added up the prize pots across the major races, the world champion pocketed nearly 80,000 euros (about $85,000) this spring. Not bad for six days of work.

Everyone knows that most top pros earn most of their money on salaries and sponsorship deals. Van der Poel recently penned a long-term deal worth well into seven figures that will make him one of cycling’s highest-paid riders in the men’s WorldTour.

Yet prize money still counts.

With victories at E3 Saxo Classic (16,000 euros), Tour of Flanders (20,000 euros), and Paris-Roubaix (30,000 euros), not to mention other top placings, including third at Liège and second at Gent-Wevelgem, Van der Poel will have some extra ching in his bank account.

Will he buy another super-car? That remains to be seen.

Mathieu van der Poel in the Monuments: 4-13-10-6-1-5-2-3-3-1-9-1-2-1-10-1-1-3 — CafeRoubaix (@CafeRoubaix) April 21, 2024

Jasper Philipsen, a winner at Milan-San Remo (20,000 euros) and Brugge De Panne (16,000 euros), along with podiums at Paris-Roubaix, Scheldeprijs, and Danilith Nokere Koerse, earned about $70,000 this spring.

A few strong rides can help fill the vault. Nils Politt enjoyed his best spring of the past few seasons, and won about $25,000 with podiums in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Tour of Flanders, and fourth at Paris-Roubaix.

Looking further down the prize list, a few star riders didn’t help the cause very much this spring, with Julian Alaphilippe, hampered with injury, only earning 1,000 euros, and Arnaud De Lie, also sidelined with injuries, cashing in 1,150 euros.

Equal pay in classics is growing

The top women riders also brought home some very nice paychecks across the past few weeks.

With Flanders Classics, the organizers of the top Flemish classics, committed to equal or raise prize money at their events, that means that the prize money payout in the one-days is significant for the women’s peloton.

Elisa Longo Borghini (Lidl-Trek), who hit the top-6 in every race this spring except for Gent-Wevelgem, enjoyed a big spring that saw her cashing some nice checks. She won Flanders (20,000 euros) and Brabantse Pijl, hit second at Liège (3,000 euros) and Strade Bianche, and hit the top-5 across the excellent spring campaign.

World champion Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) brought home 20,000 euros for winning Paris-Roubaix Femmes, and Grace Brown (FDJ-Suez) won 12,500 euros Sunday in Liège.

Flanders Classics to offer equal prize money in all its spring races https://t.co/k3CzFGoIFy pic.twitter.com/ZgcteJdGeL — The Cycle Collective (@cyclecollective) February 23, 2023

Relegations proved costly in more ways than way. Michael Matthews (Jayco-AlUla) was relegated in a controversial decision from second on the Tour of Flanders podium to last in the first group. That jury ruling cost him 10,000 euros.

Prize money also reflects top performances.

Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) punched into the top-10 earner’s list wit a haul of 17,600 euros in the spring classics, a number that does not include prize money from winning Paris-Nice in March of an additional 16.000 euros.

In cycling, prize money is typically split among teammates, with staffers, mechanics, and soigneurs also receiving a cut.

There’s a long tradition of the big winners forfeiting their entire prize pot to be shared out among the team, meaning that everyone shares a bit of financial payoff for what’s a team effort behind every singular winning performance.

Tour de France remains cycling’s biggest paycheck

How do the spring classics compare to the Tour de France ?

Both the men’s and women’s edition of the “grande boucle” boast the biggest prize pots in elite racing .

In the men’s Tour, the overall winner of the maillot jaune wins €500,000, with runner-up taking home 200,000 and third receiving 100,000. The major classification winners in the Points, King of the Mountains, and the young rider’s jerseys each win 25,000 euros, and the top team’s classification earns 50,000. The total purse in 2023 was about $2.5 million.

Again, the women’s purse is lighter. For its second year in 2023, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift packed 250,000 euros ($265,000) in the total prize purse, with the overall winner earning 50,000, with second at 25,000 and third earning 10,000 euros. The Tour Femmes packs the biggest payout on the women’s WorldTour calendar.

Of course, a men’s grand tour is three weeks long, so the prize purse will naturally reflect more race days.

Top earners in the 2024 men’s spring classics

1. Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), 79,500 euros ($84,270) 2. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), 66,035 euros 3. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), 41,000 euros 4. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), 33,900 euros 5. Tim Merlier (Soudal Quick-Step), 23,830 euros 6. Nils Politt (UAE Team Emirates), 22,100 euros 7. Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers), 20,300 euros 8. Luca Mozzato (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), 18,905 euros 9. Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike), 17,600 euros 10. Stephen Williams (Israel Premier Tech), 16,000 euros

Popular on Velo

What’s it like to be an American cyclist living in France? Watch to get professional road cyclist Joe Dombrowski’s view.

Related content from the Outside Network

One way south, mountain bikers react to their first taste of non-alcoholic craft beer, video review: bmc urs 01 two gravel bike, kiel reijnen vuelta video diary: the painful decision to abandon.

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Remembering the Tour de France riders who died in the first world war

The Tour de France lost great champions, characters and cyclists to the war that swept through Europe in 1914. They will be honoured this summer during the first world war centennial

Do you remember that hour of din before the attack And the anger, the blind compassion that seized and shook you then As you peered at the doomed and haggard faces of your men? Do you remember the stretcher cases lurching back With dying eyes and lolling heads – those ashen-grey Masks of the lads who once were keen and kind and gay? Have you forgotten yet?... Look up, and swear by the green of the spring that you’ll never forget.

- Aftermath, by Siegfried Sassoon (1919)

Every French town and village has one – from the simple soldier leaning on his rifle to overblown celebrations of mass slaughter. And each one of the estimated 30,000 war memorials that pepper the French landscape lists the names of the sons and brothers, fathers and uncles who travelled to the great slaughterhouses of the Western Front and lie forever under the mud of the Somme and Ypres, Verdun and the Marne. Their sacrifice marked forever by those simple words " Mort Pour La France".

On 9 July 2014 the Tour de France will leave the shadow of the Menin Gate in Ypres, where the Last Post still sounds at sunset, and wend its way over nine sections of cobbles shadowing the route of the "Hell of the North", Paris-Roubaix, before threading its way east and into the once disputed territories of Alsace and Lorraine. Passing the Menin Gate, Arras, the Chemin des Dames , Verdun and Douaumont, the 2014 Tour will pay its respects to the fallen of the first world war – and in doing so it will remember the riders of the Tour de France who died in the "war to end all Wars".

The 1914 Tour should be remembered for Philippe Thys’s second victory (and he would go on to win a third in 1920), but Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip on the 28 June as Thys was stamping his authority on the race by winning the first stage – from Paris to Le Havre – and the events that unleashed the hell of the first world war escalated rapidly throughout the month of July. Six days after the Tour finished, France ordered military mobilisation and, by 3 August, France and Germany were at war.

Despite Desgrange’s desire to run the race in 1915, the Tour was suspended until 1919, when it would return to the battle-scarred roads of France with stages to Strasbourg "le jour de gloire" and Metz "the day of memory". And there would be a new symbol of renewal and rebirth: Le Maillot Jaune . Imagine how the Yellow Jersey must have blazed and glowed as the Tour entered those devastated territories of eastern France.

The Belgians would go on to dominate the postwar years but the reason for their domination may have more to do with the way the guerre mondiale played out than any supposed physical superiority on behalf of the Belgians. While the French lost 1,397,800 young men in combat, the Belgians lost just 58,637.

Belgium was neutral in 1914 and, though her tiny army chose to fight – and created a breathing space for the British and French forces to organise their campaigns in doing so – the country was swiftly occupied. While the French lost a generation of champions on the battlefield, the Belgians endured the German occupation – the "Rape of Belgium".

It hardened attitudes and crystallised a resistance around the idea of Flemish nationalism. And so began the rise of the Flahutes , the hardmen, who were older, tougher and wiser, inured to hardship and with a point to prove. The average age of a Tour de France winner rose sharply from 1919 and didn’t begin to fall again until 1930, when a 26-year-old called André Leducq triumphed for France.

There was one other huge impact on the race. With trade teams unable to individually organise the equipment they needed for their riders to mount an assault on the Tour – so much had been sequestered for the war effort and the market for new bicycles was slim – they were forced to co-operate and ride for the conglomerate La Sportive team in uniform grey jerseys, their team allegiances denoted only by different coloured epaulettes: purple for Peugeot, dark green for Automoto, blue for Alcyon and so on.

It is almost impossible now to imagine the 1914 Tour continuing against the backdrop of the escalating political crisis. During his 200km solo breakaway on stage 13, Francois Faber was followed for part of the way by an armed soldier from one of the French bicyclist battalions yet in the images of the time he rides on oblivious. Desgrange, editorialising in l’Auto on 3 August 1914, was typically bullish:

“It’s a big match that you have to fight: make good use of all your repertoire. Tactics should hold no worries for you. Use your guile and you’ll return…you know all that, my lads, better than me who you’ve been teaching for nearly 15 years. But be careful! When your rifle is pointed at their chest, they’ll ask your forgiveness. Don’t give it to them. Crush them without pity.”

Desgrange stood behind his words and volunteered for the French army as a poilou and served with the infantry, though he was in his fifties by then. He would win the Croix de Guerre for his efforts and continue to write for l’Auto throughout the war. Already his thoughts were turning towards the next Tour de France.

Many of the riders who had competed in the first 11 years of the race would not live to see the 1919 Tour, including three of the great pre-war Tour champions who never returned from the battlefield.

Francois Faber (who won the Tour in 1909 to become the first foreign champion) was killed Mont-Saint-Eloi on 9 May 1915. The Luxembourgeois was fighting in the First Regiment of the Foreign Legion. His body was never found. A monument to him exists in Albain-Saint-Nazaire. He was the "Geant de Colombes" who won six stages, including an unbeaten record five in a row in the 1909 Tour de France to seal the victory and take his place in the history books.

The word panache might have been coined for Faber's exploits in that race; he took one stage with a 255km solo escape to finish 33 minutes ahead of his rivals; he won another by passing over the Ballon d’Alsace, then he raced along the cols Porte, Laffrey and Bayard in first place while the heavens threw all they could muster at him. He was hoisted shoulder high by the crowds in Paris when he sprinted across the final line in the Parc des Princes , his bike on his back, having broken his chain 3km from the finish. Of such stuff was the Geant de Colombes made.

Octave Lapize, who won the Tour in 1910, was shot down on Bastille Day in 1917. Lapize – nicknamed Le Frise for his mop of curls – won the first historic raid through the Pyrenees in 1910 and encapsulated all his anger and frustration in that one word "Assassins!" Lapize was the first rider ever to cross the summit of the Tourmalet – his steel statue , le Geant , is towed to the summit on the first Saturday of June every year. You can ride up alongside him as he makes his way to the top of the climb, into the rarefied air at 2,122m.

Lapize would go on to win that 1910 Tour and the go up in a biplane on a rest day for his bapteme de l'air , the start of a love affair with flying that ended in the skies over the French border. Mortally wounded, he died a few days later of his injuries. He was 29.

Lucien Petit-Breton, the winner 1907 and 1908, was killed in a car crash on 20 December 1917. Petit-Breton had been involved in the "taxis of the Marne" operation in 1904, when French troop reinforcements were sent to the front line in a fleet of Paris taxi cabs. He was part of a bicycle battalion before driving vans for la Poste . Legend says he was on a secret military operation behind the lines when he met his death but it seems he simply had a head-on collision, one moment of bad luck.

Raised in Argentina, Lucien Mazan rode under a pseudonym to escape his father's vilification and won his back-to-back Tours as a poinconnee – it was his skills as a mechanic as much as a rider that sealed his victories. Petit-Breton was the first real superstar of the Tour, his image adorning Peugeot posters and young female fans naming their kittens after him. Crashing out of the 1913 Tour, his kneecap shattered, he would never win the race again.

Marcel Kerff, the Belgian who finished sixth in the 1903 Tour, raced resplendent in a white safari suit, was either hanged or shot as a spy by the Germans in August 1914.

Emile Engel, the winner of stage three on 2 July 1914, died in the Battle of the Marne later that year.

Francois Lafourcade , who lit up the first Pyreneean stages and poisoned Paul Duboc in 1911, died in 1917. Duboc was luckier; he survived the attempted poisoning but died in the second world war at the age of 57.

Henri Alavoine, the brother of Gars Jean , who won 17 stages of the Tour and died of injuries sustained in aerial combat in 1916.

Anselme Mazin, Lucien Petit-Breton’s brother, fell victim to the recklessness of General Nivelle in 1915. It was in protest against Nivelle’s tactics that the infantry advanced into No man's land bleating like lambs to the slaughter. Was Mazin among them?

Anthony "the Tortoise" Wattelier, who died on the Somme.

Charles Privas , who had shone in the 1913 Tour, died in the first few weeks of the conflict.

Pierre Marie Privat, a talented caricaturist who died two days after brothers-in-law Leon Hourlier and Leon Comes fell from the skies together in an aerial accident in 1915.

German cyclists Willy Honeman and Willy Schmitter, who were killed on the same day as Hourlier and Comes.

René Cottrel, Jean Perreard, Marius Villette, François Cordier, Frédéric Rigaux, René Etien, who all died in the Battle of Gallipoli.

Georges Bronchard, the 1906 Lanterne Rouge, who died in 1918

Pierre Vuge, the most gifted of a family of cycling brothers, who died in 1918

Albert Niepceron, who rode the 1904 Tour de France and served in the infantry, died in the final days of the war

Camille Fily, the youngest ever rider in the Tour, who was shot and killed on the Kemmelberg in Belgium in May 1918

Emile Guyon, who was Swiss by birth but French by adoption, died in the skies in October 1918.

Franck Henry, the young hope of French cycling; Philippe Alary, who only turned professional in 1913; and the young 21-year-old André Batilly, who all died in 1915.

Emile Besnier, Vincent Buisson and Albert Cartigny, who died in the early days of the war in September 1914 aged 21.

Marcel Chanut, Louis Constans and Maurice Dejoie, who rode the Tour for Clement-Dunlop in 1914 and died in Greece in 1915.

Albert Delrieu, who rode as an individual in 1913 and 1914;Raymond Didier another individual who rode four Tours from 1908 until 1911 and was no longer a professional when he died in 1915.

Auguste Garnier, who rode as a professional in 1914.

Roland Garros, after whom the French Open tennis stadium is named, was a cyclist in his youth who rode under the pseudonymous anagram Roland Danlor and died in aerial combat a month before the war ended.

Paul Gombault, who was born in Reims and died in Picardie in 1916.

Ernest Haillotte, who rode against Petit-Breton in 1908 for the Fortunat team.

Adrien Heloin who rode for the mighty Alcyon team, Herve.

Emile Lachaise, who was 20th in the 1909 Tour

Eugene Lacot, who spent a year as a professional in 1908

Louis Lecuona, a Parisian who rode the controversial 1904 race.

Emile Maitrot, the 1901 world speed champion, who died on the Somme in 1916.

Francois Marcastel, who died in Hannover, Germany at the beginning of the war.

Gabriel Mathonat, who finished 31st in the 1910 Tour and he died on 22 August 1914.

Marceau Narcy, an Alcyon rider who died almost at the outbreak of war in September 1914.

Armand Perin, who rode as an individual in the first ever Tour in 1903 and again in 1908 for the Perin Cycles team.

Jean-Marie Perreard, who died in Lisieux, France in 1914 aged 31.

Charles Ponson, who finished 48th in the 1909 Tour riding for the French Indiana team.

Felix Pregnac, who turned professional in 1914 aged 34 and was killed later that year in Lorraine.

Pierre Stabat, a first year professional when he rode the 1914 Tour as an individual.

Georges Tribouillard, who was seventh in the 1913 Paris-Tours and died of his injuries after the war had ended in 1919.

Edmond Heliot, Leon Dupoux, Emmanuelle Fillon, Francois Julien, Francis Lebars, Eugene Leonard, Auguste Meziere, Rene Michel, Maurice Petit, Aguste Pierron and Marcel Robert.

They all rode the Tour de France and all have their names inscribed on war memorials around the French countryside: Mort Pour la France . They swapped the Hell of the North and the mud of the unmade roads of the Tour for the hell and the mud of No man’s land. They are les disparus : the "disappeared" – how curiously beautiful and moving, as if they simply rode into the dust clouds of the paves or the lost and secret corners of the mountains and never came back.

• Tour de France
• Guardian Sport Network
• Tour de France 2014
• First world war

Comments (…)

Most viewed.

Home Explore France Official Tourism Board Website

• Explore the map

Our favourite cycle routes in France

Inspiration

Cycling Tourism Nature and Outdoor Activities

Reading time: 0 min Published on 14 February 2024, updated on 15 April 2024

if the sunny days are making your legs tingle, saddle up! In the land of the Tour de France, there is no shortage of beautiful escapes. With 22,800 km of cycle routes and greenways, 5,500km of regional tourist routes, 3,000 road and mountain bike circuits inviting you to enjoy gentle pedalling as a couple, with your family or with friends. In the countryside, along a canal, by the sea, in the vineyards or in the mountains, from Northern France to the Côte d'Azur and from Brittany to Alsace... here's a small selection of the most beautiful tours and detours and discover France by bike.

In chateaux country in Centre-Val de Loire

Between Orléans and Tours, the Loire à Vélo is one of the most beautiful cycling routes in France. In the Loire Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage site, history has sown fairy-tale chateaux, enchanting parkland and remarkable gardens. Chambord, Chenonceau, Blois and Azay-le-Rideau, the gems come one after the other along the royal river. For charming diversions and day trips, we recommend the Châteaux à Vélo routes and circuits. And for something new, the small country roads and gentle curves of the Indre. Whether you are cycling through Châteauroux, the medieval fortress of Montbazon, the Royal City of Loches, the Chateau of Palluau-sur-Indre or the ponds of the Brenne, the Indre by Bike is full of little-known treasures.

The Loire à Vélo Châteaux à Vélo routes and circuits The Indre by Bike

The GT20 in Corsica

For you information, Corsica is an island but also a mountain in the sea. So if you want to cycle there, it's preferable to do so in spring or autumn to avoid the heat and opt for electric assistance. This will allow you to enjoy the panoramic views and the intoxicating smell of the maquis, without setting foot on land. Like the GR20, its famous hiking counterpart, the GT20 (for Grande Traversée), inaugurated in 2019, criss-crosses the island of beauty from north to south. From Bastia in Haute-Corse to the Bonifacio gorges, this 600km cycle route takes place in 12 stages, via the sumptuous Cap Corse. Villages overlooking the Mediterranean, refreshing mountain streams, dizzying passes and dreamy beaches, you'll definitely be amazed.

The Corsica Grande Traversée (GT20)

The vineyard route in Alsace

With 2,500km of cycle routes, 11 legendary passes, 15 regional circuits, 55 local circuits and 3 EuroVélo, Alsace is at the head of the pack for cycling trips. Strasbourg, the French capital of cycling, it's easy to go off on a tangent, from pretty flowery villages to farm inns, from abbeys to gourmet cellars. If you had to choose just one route, it should be the Véloroute du Vignoble d'Alsace from Marlenheim to Thann. Traced in parallel with the famous Wine Route which celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2023, it winds its way along 143km, taking old railway lines, parts of the ancient Roman road and paths through the vineyards without hurrying. The Kaysenberg Valley cycle route comes a close second.

Explore Alsace by bike

From bays to capes in Northern France

A dozen lighthouses, fortified sites, six UNESCO-listed belfries, charming Belle-Époque seaside resorts and from Le Touquet to Malo-les-Bains, the Velomaritime in the Hauts-de-France region, over 190km between Mers-Les-Bains and Dunkirk, will have you pedalling with enthusiasm. We love all the sections - but especially the one in the Baie de Somme with its beautiful views. Or to the north of Boulogne-sur-Mer, the site of the two Capes, Cap Gris-Nez and Cap Blanc-Nez, where you can ride at gull height and admire the beaches below. Another route goes between Arras and Amiens, on the Véloroute de la Mémoire. On this 90km route, which can be extended along the towpaths of the Somme Valley cycle route, you will come across the moving remains and memories of the First World War.

The Vélomaritime The Véloroute de la Mémoire The Véloroute Vallée de Somme

On the flax route in Normandy

Cycling from Paris along the Seine Valley is a way to discover Normandy as far as Le Havre and the famous beaches of Deauville. On the way, the Seine à Vélo cycle route invites you to discover Giverny, the birthplace of Impressionism, or the famous Château Gaillard. There is also Rouen and the luminous Jumièges Abbey before Honfleur and the green meadows of the Auge region. Are you looking for a sweet alternative? In June, when the flowers are in bloom, pedal in an ocean of blue on the Véloroute du Lin, 7km or so of greenways that wind through the hinterland of the Côte d'Albâtre, from the small resort of Pourville-sur-Mer to the cliffs of Fécamp.

The Seine à Vélo The Véloroute du Lin The Vélo Francette

Between vineyards and the ocean in Nouvelle Aquitaine

Bordeaux and its Cité du Vin, the Entre-deux-Mers, the Bassin d'Arcachon and the Dune du Pilat, the Atlantic beaches and the Gironde estuary, the fishing villages and small oyster ports, the Landes de Gascogne with their fragrant forests of maritime pines and, of course, the vineyards and great châteaux of the Médoc. This is an ideal environment for a cycling trip in Nouvelle Aquitaine. The Tour de Gironde à Vélo, 480km, is divided into peaceful stages according to your own pace, taking in part of the route of the Canal des Deux Mers. Meanwhile the Vélodyssée is an invigorating cycle route which crosses Brittany and then follows the Atlantic to the Basque coast. Saddle up!

The Vélodyssée The Tour de Gironde à Vélo The Canal des Deux Mers à Vélo

Along the Canal du Midi in Occitanie

Cycling from Toulouse to the Mediterranean, via the proud city of Carcassonne, following the Canal du Midi in the shade of great plane trees, is one of the holy grails of cycling in Occitanie. The last few kilometres to Sète on the exceptional Lido greenway will leave you suspended between land and sea. You'll just have to get back on your feet to choose the swimming beach. Prefer to get some height? Passa Païs, the greenway of the Haut-Languedoc, on the mountainside, straddling the watershed, is a must. From the foothills of the Montagne Noire to the Massif du Caroux, via charming villages and a succession of bridges and tunnels of the old railway line, the pedalling has a lovely southern accent.

Cycle rides in Occitanie The Canal des Deux Mers by bike The Passa Païs greenway

Estuary artworks in Pays de la Loire

Between the Atlantic coast and the Loire Valley, Pays de la Loire will blow you away. Here, the Loire à Vélo ends its long journey from Nevers in Burgundy-Franche-Comté. After Angers, the last section, which leads from Nantes to Saint-Brévin-les-Pins after the large bridge in Saint-Nazaire, is especially beautiful. And art is also on the agenda, as you can admire installations created by the Voyage à Nantes for 60km along the estuary. Any other good ideas? We recommend the Loire Valley, a well-kept secret halfway between Le Mans, Angers and Tours. And then of course, invigorating cycling trips to the Vendée islands: to Noirmoutier, from marshes to mills, or to the island of Yeu, between dunes and enchanting creeks.

Explore Pays de la Loire

From the Luberon to the Baie des Anges in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur

The most courageous will include the Tour du Mont-Ventoux on their list, a giant of Provence which can be admired from all sides as you spin along small roads lined with garrigue and lavender. Try the Calavon greenway, on the Mediterranean bike route. You will enjoy riding along the small roads of the Luberon to discover the hilltop villages and electric assistance is obviously a good option. To have the Mediterranean at your feet, there's nothing better than the Littorale. Between Cannes and Nice or the other way round, this cycle path along the Baie des Anges and the Promenade des Anglais allows you to admire the most famous seafront in France. The Côte d'Azur is beautiful!

The Mediterranean by bike Bike rides in Provence The coast, from Nice to Cannes The ViaRhôna

Find out more about routes or themes across several regions, in particular the Vélo & Fromages label :

France Vélo Tourisme The Accueil Vélo label Fédération française de cyclotourisme The Vélo & Fromages label

By Rédaction France.fr

The magazine of the destination unravels an unexpected France that revisits tradition and cultivates creativity. A France far beyond what you can imagine…

Labels to know for sustainable travel

Get in touch with Nouvelle-Aquitaine in South West of France

Biarritz-Basque Country

Loire Valley, Champagne and beyond, The perfect blend

Alsace and Lorraine

100% nature road trip in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes with Worldelse

Alps - Mont Blanc

How I never quite made it to Chambord Chateau

Loire Valley

Along La Loire à Vélo

What to do on the Atlantic coast?

The essentials

Atlantic Coast

What to do in Atlantic Loire Valley?

Atlantic Loire Valley

Lotte Kopecky to skip Tour de France Femmes after Olympics, SD Worx confirm

World Champion will finish Omnium one day before start in Rotterdam

SD Worx manager Danny Stam confirmed that World Champion Lotte Kopecky will not take part in the Tour de France Femmes this year.

Kopecky was unsure whether she could race the Tour this year because the Olympic Games in Paris finish one day before the Tour de France Femmes Grand Départ in Rotterdam. Winning a medal at the Olympic Games is one of Kopecky's top priorities this season.

"The omnium ends on Sunday afternoon, the Tour starts on Monday morning. It is almost impossible to do that properly," Stam told Sporza .

"Combining those two events would also be a very difficult task mentally."

Kopecky won the opening stage of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift in 2023 and held the maillot jaune until the penultimate stage to the Col du Tourmalet when she lost touch on the final climb and the overall lead passed to teammate Demi Vollering.

Lotte Kopecky names Paris-Roubaix and Olympics as main 2024 targets Lotte Kopecky to ride Giro d'Italia Women ahead of Paris Olympics World champion Lotte Kopecky aims high in 2024 with Paris-Roubaix, Olympic goals

At the Tour de France route presentation, Kopecky said she wanted to race the Tour because it has two stages that run on Belgian roads - stage 3 uses part of the Liège-Bastogne-Liège course and stage 4 departs from Bastogne.

"When I see the course, I definitely want to ride. The fact that it goes through Belgium is also a very nice thing. On the other hand, the Tour is every year while the Olympic Games are only once every four years. There are also very nice goals coming up after the Tour, so it is very unclear at the moment," said Kopecky.

Get The Leadout Newsletter

The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

"The switch from track to road is not a problem in itself, that is not my biggest fear. The Tour in itself is simply very tough and after such an omnium you have not only been physically very deep, but also mentally."

Kopecky put an emphasis on the Spring Classics this year knowing the decision on whether to race the Tour or not would come after. She won Strade Bianche, Nokere Koerse and Paris-Roubaix this year as well as the UAE Tour Women in February.

Her schedule includes the Tour of Britain Women (6-9 June) and Giro d'Italia Women (7-14 July) before the Olympics in Paris. She will set her sights on the World Championships in Zurich in the latter part of the season.

Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*

Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets

After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59

Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Laura Weislo has been with Cyclingnews since 2006 after making a switch from a career in science. As Managing Editor, she coordinates coverage for North American events and global news. As former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track, Laura has a passion for all three disciplines. When not working she likes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads, paths and gravel tracks. Laura specialises in covering doping, anti-doping, UCI governance and performing data analysis.

Ruth Edwards seals two-year extension with Human Powered Health

Absence of Cyclocross World Cup in US 'a step back' but could boost USCX

Wiebes, Vollering aiming for Tour de France Femmes repeat on home soil

Most Popular

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• AP Buyline Shopping
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• Auto Racing
• 2024 Paris Olympic Games
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Pogačar beats Van der Poel in a dominant win at Liège–Bastogne–Liège classic

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Emirates team crosses the finish line to win the Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Liege Bastogne Liege, in Liege, Belgium, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Emirates team after crossing the finish line to win the Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Liege Bastogne Liege, in Liege, Belgium, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

• Copy Link copied

LIEGE, Belgium (AP) — Tadej Pogačar proved too strong for Mathieu Van der Poel as he won the Liège–Bastogne–Liège cycling classic with a solo breakaway on Sunday.

Pogačar attacked 35 kilometers (22 miles) out to win cycling’s oldest classic for the second time, after victory in 2021, and made up for last year when he broke his left wrist in a crash.

“I’m happy that I can finally win this race again,” the 25-year-old Slovenian said. “It’s beautiful to finish like this.”

The two-time Tour de France champion waved to the crowd as he approached the finish line well clear. French veteran Romain Bardet finished second and Van der Poel led a mass sprint to the line to finish third.

Liège–Bastogne–Liège is one of the five “monuments” in one-day cycling with the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of Lombardy and Milan-San Remo. Van der Poel won Roubaix two weeks ago but has not won Liège and Lombardy.

Pogačar beat Van der Poel last year to win the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) and they have won six monuments each.

The 254.5-kilometer (157.8-mile) trek, starting and finishing in the eastern Belgian city of Liège in chilly conditions, featured 11 small hills and played to Pogačar’s elite climbing skills. He pulled ahead in a small group with Van der Poel one minute behind.

Van der Poel’s group caught Pogačar with 70 kilometers remaining to form a main peloton. But with Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates setting a fast tempo at the front, Pogačar attacked again and no rival could catch him.

He clocked 6 hours, 13 minutes, 48 seconds with Bardet 1:39 behind and Van der Poel 2:02 back.

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

• Race calendar
• Tour de France
• Vuelta a España
• Giro d'Italia
• Dare to Dream
• All Competitions
• Football Home
• Fixtures - Results
• Premier League
• Champions League
• Europa League
• All leagues
• Snooker Home
• World Championship
• UK Championship
• Major events
• Olympics Home
• Tennis Home
• Calendar - Results
• Australian Open
• Roland-Garros
• Mountain Bike Home
• UCI Track CL Home
• Men's standings
• Women's standings
• Cycling Home
• Alpine Skiing Home
• Athletics Home
• Diamond League
• World Championships
• World Athletics Indoor Championships
• Biathlon Home
• Cross-Country Skiing Home
• Cycling - Track
• Equestrian Home
• Figure Skating Home
• Formula E Home
• Calendar - results
• DP World Tour
• MotoGP Home
• Motorsports Home
• Speedway GP
• Clips and Highlights
• Rugby World Cup predictor
• Premiership
• Champions Cup
• Challenge Cup
• All Leagues
• Ski Jumping Home
• Speedway GP Home
• Superbikes Home
• The Ocean Race Home
• Triathlon Home
• Hours of Le Mans
• Winter Sports Home

Tour de Romandie - Road race Men - Stage 2

• Overall standings

General Standing

Previous stage, current stage.

LIVE: Fribourg - Salvan

Tour de Romandie - April 25th, 2024

Follow the Tour de Romandie Fribourg - Salvan stage live with Eurosport. Fribourg - Salvan starts at 11:00 AM on April 25th, 2024.

Catch the latest cycling news and find Tour de Romandie results , standings and routes. After Fribourg - Salvan is done, be sure to check out the full schedule of stages and get live updates for the next stage. You can also find a list of previous winners .

Follow Rui Costa, Mathieu van der Poel, Mark Cavendish and other key riders to see who is dominating this season. See the hottest cycling teams in action - Bora-Hansgrohe, Ineos Grenadiers and Cofidis to name a few.

Cycling fans can read breaking Tour de Romandie news headlines, interviews, expert commentary, replays & highlights. Keep up with all of this season’s top events, including the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España.

Make Eurosport your go-to source for sports online from cycling to football, tennis, snooker and more. Enjoy live updates from the biggest sports competitions.