tour de france gcc

Tour de France 2023

Latest news from the race.

Vinokourov: Cavendish continuing is great news for all cycling, not just Astana Qazaqstan

How Jonas Vingegaard transformed from 'the little guy' to Jumbo-Visma leader

Jonas Vingegaard given hero's welcome in Copenhagen

Tour de france 2023 results.

Stage 21: Jonas Vingegaard crowned Tour de France champion in Paris / As it happened

Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) won the Tour de France for the second  year in a row after finishing safely in the main field with his Jumbo-Visma teammates. Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe) sprinted to victory on the Champs-Elysées, beating green jersey Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) by less than a tyre width to take his first stage victory of the Tour de France.

Vingegaard topped the general classification with a 7:29 ahead of Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and 10:56 on Pogačar’s teammate Yates.

Stage 20: Tour de France: Pogacar rebounds to take stage 20 victory as Vingegaard seals his second overall title / As it happened

Rebounding after a disastrous stage 17 on Col de la Loze, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) won the final mountain stage of the 2023 Tour de France. Crossing the line in third, with the same time, was Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) who is set to claim the overall victory for a second year, with just Sunday’s final parade stage to Paris left to race. Felix Gall (AG2R-Citroën) was second on the stage. Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), who delivered one final attack on his home roads to the delight of the huge crowds massing the roads, was caught on the final climb.

There were no changes in the top 3 on the general classification, Vingegaard, Pogačar and Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) are set to be on the final podium. Fourth on the stage, Simon Yates (Jayco-AlUla) moved up to fourth overall.

Stage 19: Tour de France: Mohoric outsprints Asgreen in drag race to stage 19 finish / As it happened

There was no rest and little recovery on a wickedly fast stage 19 of the Tour, where the winning breakaway took 100 kilometres to go clear. Three riders attacked from the 36-rider move, with Matej Mohorič giving Bahrain Victorious their third stage win after Pello Bilbao on stage 10 and Wout Poels on stage 15. The GC contenders all came in together almost 14 minutes behind.

Stage 18: Tour de France: Kasper Asgreen seizes stage 18 victory from all-day breakaway / As it happened

Kasper Asgreen (Soudal-QuickStep) won the closing sprint on stage 18 of the Tour de France to hold off his breakaway companions and a surging peloton. After 185 kilometres at the front of the race with Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny) and Kasper Asgreen (Soudal-QuickStep) and Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X), it came down to the final 200 metres to secure the win for Asgreen, leaving Pascal Eenkhoorn (Lotto Dstny), who had bridged across 58km earlier, in second and Abrahamsen third. 

There were no changes in the general classification on the largely-flat stage between Moûtiers to Bourg-en-Bresse, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) remaining in yellow.

Stage 17:   Tour de France: Vingegaard dashes Pogacar's GC hopes on stage 17 across Col de la Loze / As it happened

Felix Gall (AG2R Citroën) attacked from a reduced front group with under 13km to go and held on for a solo victory across the Col de la Loze on stage 17 of the Tour de France. Race leader Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) stamped his authority on the queen stage by dropping his main rival Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) on the final climb. Pogačar finished the stage 7:37 down – 5:45 behind Vingegaard – leaving him still in second place overall but a massive 7:35 back of the Dane.

Stage 16: Tour de France: Vingegaard removes all doubt, crushes Pogacar in stage 16 time trial / As it happened

After two weeks of racing for seconds, Jonas Vingegaard finally carved out a significant gap over second-placed Tadej Pogačar in the stage 16 time trial in Combloux. Vingegaard won the stage by 1 minute 38 seconds over his rival to extend his lead in the GC to 1:48.

Stage 15: Tour de France: Wout Poels blasts to blockbuster stage 15 solo victory / As it happened

The stalemate between Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) continued on the third mountainous day in a row at the Tour de France. The duo marked each other’s attacks on the final climb to Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc and ultimately crossed the finish line together. Attacking from the break, Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious) won stage 15 after an 11km solo ride to to claim his first Tour de France stage win.

Stage 14: Tour de France: Carlos Rodríguez strikes for win on stage 14 as Vingegaard gains valuable second on Joux Plane / As it happened

Rivals Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) continued their intense battle on the final climb on stage 14 of the Tour de France with the yellow jersey Vingegaard gaining one second in an evenly matched duel. Both riders used their respective teams to dispatch all the other riders before fighting it out on the Col de la Joux Plane. Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers) took advantage of the situation to fly down the descent to take the win in Morzine, and move up to third overall.

Stage 13: Tour de France: Kwiatkowski wins stage 13 on Grand Colombier as Pogacar closes in on yellow / As it happened

The Tour de France overall standings remained neck-and-neck between leader Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar on stage 13, the second hors-categorie summit finish of the race. Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos) won the stage from the breakaway, while UAE Team Emirates burned up the team to set up Pogačar. Vingegaard was on guard and fended his rival off until the final metres, losing eight seconds total but keeping the maillot jaune.

Stage 12:   Tour de France: Ion Izagirre secures solo victory on frantic stage 12 / As it happened

Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) won stage 12 of the Tour de France with a solo attack 30km from the line in Belleville-en-Beaujolais. His long-range breakaway rewarded the Basque rider with his second career Tour win, the last one coming in 2016. Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) outsprinted Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) 58 seconds back to complete the podium. 

The hectic first half of the hilly 168.8km stage saw lots of attack, including Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) who was rewarded as the most combative rider. There were no changes between the top GC leaders, with Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) still in yellow and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) in second and in the best young rider jersey.

Stage 11: Tour de France: Jasper Philipsen flies to fourth sprint victory on stage 11 / As it happened

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) showed more blistering speed, proving himself the best sprinter of the Tour de France on stage 11 to Moulins even without any lead-out from Mathieu van der Poel.

It was a squeaky clean sprint from the Belgian who has endured a flood of hate-mail about his previous sprints.

Daniel Oss (TotalEnergies) was the day's sole breakaway rider and caught with 13km to go. The GC standings remained the same as all of the contenders finished in the peloton.

Stage 10: Tour de France: Pello Bilbao scorches sprint from breakaway to win stage 10 / As it happened

Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) out-sprinted Georg Zimmerman (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) and Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroën) to win stage 10 of the Tour de France on a sizzlingly-hot day. The Spaniard was part of the day's breakaway that brought six riders into Issoire, where he claimed the first stage victory of his career.

The breakaway gained 2:53 on the group containing race leader Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), rival Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) third-placed Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers) to keep the top four in the GC standings the same.

Stage 9: Tour de France: Michael Woods triumphs with stage 9 victory atop Puy de Dôme / As it happened

The Tour de France reached the mythical ascent of the Puy de Dôme at the finish of stage 9 where Michael Woods (Israel Premier Tech) triumphed with the day's victory after being part of a large breakaway that gained upwards of 15 minutes on the main GC contenders during the stage.

On the upper slopes of the ascent, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) then surged with 1.5km to go, to put valuable seconds into Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma). Vingegaard now leads Pogačar by 17 seconds in the battle for the yellow.

Stage 8: Tour de France: Mads Pedersen beats Jasper Philipsen to win crash-marred stage 8 / As it happened

Stage 8 was a highly anticipated day for the puncheurs, even so, Mark Cavendish had his sights set on a 35th career stage win at the Tour de France, but it wasn't meant to be as the Manxman crashed with 60km to go and forced to abandon the event.

In a chaotic finish to the hilly run-in to Limoges, which saw a late-race crash take down Simon Yates (Jayco AlUla), Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) stormed to the victory in a close sprint ahead of Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma). Jonas Vingegaard finished safely in the field and carries the yellow jersey into stage 9 with a finish at Puy de Dôme.

Stage 7: Tour de France: Philipsen denies Cavendish, completes hat-trick in Bordeaux / As it happened

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) blasted across the line in Bordeaux to win stage 7 of the Tour de France, winning by one bike length over Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan). Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) finished third in the sprint.

For Philipsen, it was his third victory of the three sprint stages in the first week of the 2023 race. He bolted down the main avenue and passed Cavendish in the closing 50 metres, holding the Manxman's attempt at a record 35th Tour stage win  at bay.

Stage 6: Tour de France: Tadej Pogacar claws back time with victory at Cauterets / As it happened

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) won stage 6 with a massive attack across the final 2.7km and stormed back into the general classification mix. He distanced Jonas Vingegaard at the line at Cauterets by 24 seconds, while the Jumbo-Visma rider took the overall lead and yellow jersey away from Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), who was 2:39 back in sixth place. 

Vingegaard now has a 25-second advantage over rival Pogačar, while Hindley held the third spot in the overall, 1:34 back, after the massive 144.9km climbing day in the Pyrenees. 

Stage 5: Tour de France: Jai Hindley wins stage 5 as Vingegaard drops Pogacar in Pyrenees / As it happened

The first of the Pyrenean stages at the Tour de France had the potential to shake up the general classification, and it did just that as Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) went on a day-long attack, won stage 5 into Laruns and took the yellow leader's jersey in the process.

Hindley moved into the overall race lead by 47 seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and 1:03 on Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), as Tadej Pogaçar (UAE Emirates) slipped to 6th now at 1:40 back.

Stage 4: Tour de France: Jasper Philipsen wins two in a row in crash-marred stage 4 / As it happened

There was no doubt who won stage 4 at the Tour de France, with Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) securing his second-consecutive sprint stage win in Nogaro. A day for the sprinters ended in carnage, however, as several riders crashed along the motor speedway circuit that hosted the finish.

There were no changes to the overall classification as Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) finished in the field at the end of the 181.8km stage and will wear the yellow leader's jersey into stage 5.

Stage 3 - Tour de France: Jasper Philipsen wins stage 3 after impressive lead-out from Mathieu van der Poel / As it happened

Jasper Philipsen  (Alpecin-Deceuninck) rocketed across the line in a bunch sprint in Bayonne to win stage 3 of the 2023 Tour de France. A half a wheel behind, Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) claimed second and Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny) third.

All the general classification contenders, including Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) in the yellow jersey, finished safely in the field with no time changes after 193.5km from the hills of Spanish Basque territory to the roads of France.

Stage 2 - Tour de France: Victor Lafay gives Cofidis their first win since 2008 on stage 2 / As it happened

Victor Lafay (Cofidis) put in a stunning attack to claim stage 2 in San Sébastian. The Frenchman clipped off the front of a select group that formed after the Jaizkibel and stole the show from Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), who won the sprint for second.

Tadej Pogačar added to his tally with a time bonus for third and also won the five bonus seconds atop the Jaizkibel ahead of Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma). His teammate Adam Yates held the lead by six seconds.

Stage 1 - Tour de France stage 1: Adam Yates wins ahead of twin brother Simon in Bilbao / As it happened

Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) won stage 1 of the Tour de France in Bilbao, outsprinting his brother Simon Yates (Jayco-Alula)  after the duo escaped together after the final climb of the Pike. Adam Yates leads the general classification by 8 seconds over his brother, and 18 seconds over his teammate Tadej Pogačar who finished third on the stage.

Enric Mas (Movistar) abandoned the stage after crashing with Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) with 23km to go. Carapaz ultimately crossed the line, over 15 minutes from Adam Yates. Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) along with other contenders Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) and Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious) are 22 seconds down overall.

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Tour de France 2023 route

The full 2023 Tour de France route was revealed at the official Tour de France presentation on 27th October .

The race starts across the border in the Basque Country, the first time the race has started there since 1992. A handful of hilly stages open the action before the race crosses the Pyrenees into France.

The route features only 22km of time trialling, all coming on the hilly stage 16. Four summit finishes also feature, including the Puy de Dôme for the first time in 35 years and the Grand Colombier in the Pyrenees.

The mountainous course brings a tough final week, concluding with a final showdown in the Vosges to Le Markstein on stage 20.

Tour de France 2023 contenders

2022 champion Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) will return to defend his title after dispatching two-time winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) last July. The Slovenian is racing after recovering from a fractured wrist in April, while Vingegaard starts off the back of the Critérium du Dauphiné.

Other big-name GC men lining up at the start in Bilbao include David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Enric Mas (Movistar), Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroën), Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost), and Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious).

See: Tour de France 2023 – Analysing the contenders

Tour de France 2023 teams

The 2023 Tour de France will be made up of 22 teams, 18 WorldTour teams, the two top-ranked second-division teams, and two discretionary wild-card teams.

Lotto Soudal and TotalEnergies made the cut as the best ProTeams of 2022, while Israel-Premier Tech and Uno-X were chosen as the two wildcard teams for the 2023 Tour de France .

Tour de France 2023 schedule

Tour de france history.

Jonas Vingegaard is the reigning champion, having won his first Tour de France in 2022. The Danish rider denied Tadej Pogačar a trio of consecutive victories, the Slovenian having snatched the 2020 title before dominating the 2021 race. 

Pogačar himself broke a Ineos/Sky stranglehold on the race, with the British team having won seven of the previous eight Tours de France with Egan Bernal, Geraint Thomas, Bradley Wiggins and four-time winner Chris Froome . Vincenzo Nibali, then riding for Astana, was the other man to break the British squad's dominance with a win in 2014.

The Tour wins record is currently held by four men, with Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil and Miguel Indurain all on five titles.

Peter Sagan getting once dominated the green jersey for the points classification but has been usurped in the past three years, with Wout van Aert establishing himself as the dominant man of all terrains in 2022. Sagan still holds the all-time green jersey record with seven wins in nine participations. Erik Zabel's six jerseys lie second, ahead of Sean Kelly's four.

In addition to his yellow jersey, Vingegaard won the polka-dot jersey for the mountains classification in 2022, as Pogačar did the previous two years.  Richard Virenque holds the record for polka dot jersey wins at seven, and it won't be beaten anytime soon as Pogačar and Rafał Majka are the only current riders to have won more than one king of the mountains title, with two.

Pogačar has won the white jersey for best young rider three years in a row and, at 24, is still eligible for a fourth crack in 2023.

Read on for a list of the riders with the most wins of the Tour de France, the most stage wins, as well as the major jerseys.

Most Tour de France overall wins

• 5 – Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain
• 4 –  Chris Froome
• 3 – Phiilippe Thys, Louison Bobet, Greg LeMond
• 2 – Lucien Petit-Breton, Firmin Lambot, Ottavio Bottecchia, Nicolas Frantz, André Leducq, Antonin Magne, Sylvère Maes, Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi, Bernard Thévenet, Laurent Fignon, Alberto Contador, Tadej Pogačar
• 1 – Geraint Thomas , Egan Bernal , Jonas Vingegaard

Most Tour de France stage wins

• 34 – Eddy Merckx, Mark Cavendish
• 28 – Bernard Hinault
• 25 – André Leducq
• 22 – André Darrigade
• 20 – Nicolas Frantz
• 19 – François Faber
• 17 – Jean Alavoine
• 16 – Jacques Anquetiil, René Le Grevès, Charles Pélissiier ...
• 12 – Peter Sagan
• 11 – André Greipel
• 9 – Tadej Pogačar , Wout van Aert
• 7 – Chris Froome

Most Tour de France points classification/green jersey wins

• 7 –  Peter Sagan
• 6 – Erik Zabel
• 4 – Sean Kelly
• 3 – Jan Janssen, Eddy Merckx, Freddy Maertens, Djamolidine Abdoujaparov, Robbie McEwen
• 2 – Stan Ockers, Jean Graczyk, André Darrigade, Laurent Jalabert, Thor Hushovd, Mark Cavendish
• 1 – Michael Matthews , Sam Bennett , Wout van Aert

Most Tour de France polka dot jersey/mountains classification wins

• 7 – Richard Virenque
• 6 – Federico Bahamontes, Lucien Van Impe 
• 3 – Julio Jiménez
• 2 – Felicien Vervaecke, Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi, Charly Gaul, Imerio Massignan, Eddy Merckx, Luis Herrera, Claudio Chiappucci, Laurent Jalabert, Michael Rasmussen, Rafał Majka , Tadej Pogačar
• 1 – Nairo Quintana , Chris Froome , Warren Barguil , Julian Alaphilippe , Romain Bardet , Jonas Vingegaard

• 2023 Tour de France route
• Tour de France past winners
• Pogacar, Vingegaard and a duel far too close to call - Tour de France 2023 Preview

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Preview: Your guide to the 2022 Tour de France GC contenders, sprinters, and more

Here are the riders we expect to shine at the 109th edition of the world's biggest bike race..

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 .

It’s that time of year again. Time for the biggest race of them all: the Tour de France. As we gear up for the 109th edition of La Grande Boucle – which starts on Friday July 1 in Copenhagen – let’s talk about the contenders for the race overall, the sprinters, and other riders you’ll want to keep an eye on.

If you haven’t already, be sure to have a read of our stage-by-stage breakdown of the 2022 Tour de France route too, which includes our thoughts about who might win each stage.

The favourites

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, here’s who we rate as the top favourites for the 2022 Tour de France. Read on for more about each of these riders.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Pogačar ⭐⭐⭐⭐: Roglič, Vingegaard ⭐⭐⭐: Thomas, Martínez, Vlasov ⭐⭐: O’Connor, Haig, Quintana ⭐: Caruso, Bardet, Mas, Fuglsang

The GC contenders

At the time of writing, we’re yet to see confirmed rosters for all 22 teams on the startlist . If there are any substantial changes that affect what we’ve written below, we’ll update this preview.

One further caveat before we begin: as we saw at the recent Tour de Suisse , COVID is still very much a factor in professional bike racing. Unfortunately, there’s every chance COVID will have an impact on this year’s Tour and any rider could be forced to head home at any moment. Let’s hope the race isn’t shaped by COVID positives like the Tour de Suisse was.

Chief among the favourites for this year’s Tour is the winner of the past two editions and the best stage racer on the planet right now: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) . Just 23 years old, Pogačar has done three stage races this year (UAE Tour, Tirreno-Adriatico, and the Tour of Slovenia), and he’s won them all, taking two stages at each along the way. So he comes in with terrific form.

He’s a brilliant climber, wonderful against the clock, he’s got a handy sprint for picking up bonus seconds against his GC rivals, and he’s more than happy to go on the attack when he feels it’s of benefit.

Pogačar’s also got a strong team around him. Rafał Majka comes in with terrific form after two stage wins at the Tour of Slovenia, and Brandon McNulty and George Bennett are both super-strong lieutenants.

It’s a pretty simple equation really. If Pogačar rides to the best of his ability, and stays out of trouble throughout the three weeks, he should win a third-straight Tour. 

Pogačar’s greatest challenge will almost certainly come from the might of Jumbo-Visma, which brings two big threats for the race overall.

Primož Roglič is the more-decorated of the team’s contenders, having won the Vuelta a España three times, and finished on the podium at the Tour back in 2020 (behind Pogačar). This year he’s won Paris-Nice and the Criterium du Dauphine, putting him in great stead ahead of the Tour. And yet he’ll start in the shadow of his fellow Slovenian. 

Roglič is probably the better time-trialist on flatter courses, but in the mountains Pogačar probably has his number. Roglič at his best (and without any crashes like last year) will challenge Pogačar all the way to Paris.

And if he can’t, well Jumbo-Visma still has the guy who finished second behind Pogačar in last year’s Tour: Jonas Vingegaard . The Dane stepped up wonderfully after Roglič’s exit last year and he’s only gotten stronger since then. He finished second behind Roglič at the Dauphine this month (but arguably looked better uphill than Roglič) and was second at Tirreno behind Pogačar, among other strong results. Vingegaard’s climbing is his strong suit, and as he showed at last year’s Tour, he can match it with Pogačar on his day.

It will be intriguing to see how Jumbo-Visma deploys its resources during the race. It has a wonderful team in support of Roglič and Vingegaard, not least Steven Kruijswijk, and Sepp Kuss. Jumbo-Visma dominated the recent Dauphine and as noted in a recent episode of the CyclingTips Podcast , that’s not necessarily a bad thing – it means Pogačar is set to have a real fight on his hands.

On paper, there’s a bit of a step down from the leaders of UAE Team Emirates and Jumbo-Visma to the race’s other GC contenders, but there are a lot of riders at the Tour with overall ambitions.

The Ineos Grenadiers are set to start the Tour with three GC leaders in 2018 winner Geraint Thomas , the ever-improving Colombian Dani Martínez , and former white jersey winner Adam Yates .

Thomas has had a slow build-up into this season but he did win the Tour de Suisse off the back of a strong time trial which bodes well. Martínez won Itzulia Basque Country earlier this season, and in his three other stage races he finished third, third, and eighth. He was also top five at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Flèche Wallonne and eighth at Tour de Suisse in what has been the best season of his career so far.

Yates comes to the Tour after a winless season so far, and after leaving Tour de Suisse with COVID. In that sense it hasn’t been the ideal lead-up, but Yates does have two GC top-10s at the Tour to his name, so he shouldn’t be written off.

As with Jumbo-Visma, it’s going to be interesting to see how Ineos uses its GC leaders over the three weeks. On paper none of the three is strong enough to beat Pogačar (or indeed Roglič and Vingegaard) but races aren’t run on paper, and with the spectre of COVID looming over the Tour, who really knows what’s going to happen?

Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) continues to rise through the stage racing ranks and was leading the Tour de Suisse when he was forced to abandon the race with COVID. Before that he won the Tour de Romandie where he claimed a stage win, he was third at Flèche Wallonne, and he also finished third overall at Itzulia.

Assuming the Russian has recovered from COVID we can expect to see him riding with the best GC contenders at the Tour. A top five overall is more than possible, and the podium is a possibility.

Romain Bardet is enjoying something of a mid-to-late career renaissance after moving to DSM and should come to the Tour with ambitions of having an impact. He was sitting fourth overall at the Giro d’Italia earlier this year when he was forced to abandon due to illness, and he won the Tour of the Alps just before that.

It’s not yet clear whether Bardet will be focussing on GC or stage wins in his home Grand Tour, but he should be in the mix either way. Top five overall is a realistic target.

Speaking of riders who should be aiming for the top five overall, Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën) returns to the Tour after a breakout fourth place overall last year off the back of a wonderful stage win. The West Australian has had a very solid run-in, snagging top-seven finishes overall at the Ruta del Sol, Volta a Catalunya, Tour de Romandie, and most recently, at the Dauphine where he was third behind the Jumbo-Visma duo of Roglič and Vingegaard.

All going well, O’Connor could well finish top five again. And if his GC plans don’t unfold as he would like, he can easily switch to stage-hunting mode and be a real chance of another stage victory in the mountains of the second and third week.

Another Australian that comes to the race with high hopes is Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious) . Like O’Connor, Haig has had a string of strong stage-race results this year: sixth at Paris-Nice and Ruta del Sol, and fifth at the Dauphine. And let’s not forget he was third overall at the Vuelta last season.

Haig has unfinished business at the Tour. He was well placed in the early stages last year before crashing out. He wants a strong result at this race and with a bit of luck, the top five is very possible.

It’s worth mentioning that Bahrain Victorious will also have Damiano Caruso at the Tour. The Italian veteran was second overall at the Giro last year and has had a great season so far: seventh at Tirreno, victory at the Giro di Sicilia, sixth at the Tour de Romandie, and fourth at the Dauphine (just ahead of Haig). Two genuine leaders for Bahrain Victorious?

It’s been several years since Nairo Quintana (Arkéa Samsic) was at his very best, but he’s still a force to be reckoned with. This season he won the Tour de la Provence and the Tour des Alpes, and was fifth at Paris-Nice, fourth at the Volta a Catalunya, and seventh at Route d’Occitanie. Clearly he’s still doing something right.

The question will be: which version of Quintana will we get at this year’s Tour? If he’s in good form, as he seems to be, he could be among the race’s best climbers. If not, he could sail through the race anonymously. Let’s hope for our sake it’s more of the former.

It’s not 100% clear where France’s tragic hero, Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) , will direct his energies at this year’s Tour. He could be having another tilt at the GC, or perhaps stage wins and the KOM classification could be of more interest.

There’s a good argument to suggest he should just focus on stage wins and the polka dot jersey. Stage hunting has worked well for him this season, with stage wins at the Tour de Suisse and the Tour of the Alps.

It’s worth noting that Groupama-FDJ has quite a strong team for the mountains, with Dauphine and Volta a Algarve stage winner David Gaudu and two-time 2021 Vuelta stage winner Michael Storer on board. Expect the team to come away from the Tour with at least one stage win.

Enric Mas (Movistar) hasn’t had a spectacular year so far (his best stage race result was fourth at the Volta a la Valenciana) but the Spaniard shouldn’t be written off. He was fifth and sixth overall the past two years, and if he brings good form into the race, a similar result is very possible. He abandoned the Dauphine after a crash so here’s hoping he’s fit and healthy by the time the Tour starts.

For other riders targeting the GC fight, keep an eye on Colombian fan favourite Rigoberto Uran (EF Education-EasyPost) , who’s had an average season so far but knows how to turn up to a big race in good form, and philosopher- vampire -cyclist Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) , who was eighth overall last year and could well feature inside the top 10 again. 

The sprinters

Being the biggest race on the planet, it’s no surprise the Tour boasts the strongest sprint field of any race this year.

It’s difficult to pick a single favourite for the flat stages, but if we had to, it would probably be Fabio Jakobsen (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) . With 10 wins for the year, the Dutchman has the equal most victories of any male rider in the world (alongside Pogačar) and a stage win at the recent Baloise Belgium Tour sets him up nicely coming into the Tour.

The 25-year-old is yet to win a stage at the Tour, but that should change in the next few weeks.

Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) had hopes of winning at the Giro d’Italia before doing the same at the Tour, but he had what he described as a “Giro from hell” and left early without adding to his palmares. He has five wins at the Tour and in all likelihood will add to that tally this time around. But he is without key lead-out man Jasper De Buyst who hasn’t been able to recover from a hip fracture in time for the Tour. That could hamper Ewan’s chances somewhat.

It feels slightly strange listing Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) among the sprinters given he’s so much more than that. Who could forget his Tour last year: a stage win each on a massive mountain stage, in a time trial, and in the Champs-Élysées sprint? Incredible.

Van Aert comes into the Tour with imperious form once again: two stage wins and the points classification at the recent Dauphine among five stage wins for the year in just 22 race days. 

Perhaps most exciting for us watching is that Van Aert seems to have the all-clear to go for the green jersey this year. Which means we should see lots of Van Aert this Tour, not just contesting stage wins, but getting up the road in the mountains to snag points. If he does indeed go for green, he’s the hot favourite to win it.

One thing to note about Van Aert: he missed the Belgian Nationals last weekend after injuring his knee at a training camp the week before. Thankfully, it seems like he’s right to go for the Tour. Hopefully he’s not hampered in any way.

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) continues to rise through the sprinting ranks and has four wins to his name in 2022. One of those wins came at the recent Baloise Belgium Tour (where he snagged two other podiums) so he has every right to feel like a debut Tour stage win is on the cards.

Dylan Groenewegen (BikeExchange-Jayco) has five wins for the year but they’re all at smaller races. That said, the Dutchman is a proven winner at the Tour (four stage wins so far) so don’t be surprised to see him right in amongst it.

Note that BikeExchange-Jayco also brings Michael Matthews to the race. The Australian is another fast-finisher, but will likely get his chances on the tougher finishes. Matthews won the points jersey in 2017 and was second last year. Could he go for it again this year? We’d love to see it.

Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) has had some wonderful moments this season, with six wins for the year, including a victory at Paris-Nice, two at the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe, plus a stage and the points classification at the recent Baloise Belgium Tour. The former world champ might fancy his chances on the lumpier days that end with a reduced bunch sprint, but he’s a formidable rider in any sprint finish.

Speaking of formidable riders, how about Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) ? Like Van Aert, the Dutchman is so much more than a pure sprinter, but he can certainly be in the mix in the bunch kicks too. As with the likes of Matthews and Pedersen, Van der Poel will likely fancy his chances on the tougher days … not to mention on the cobbles on stage 5.

It’d be great to see Van der Poel target the green jersey – head to head battle with Van Aert anyone? – but that seems highly unlikely at this point. Van der Poel seems more interested in stage wins . 

Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) has shown several flashes of brilliance this year, not least his win at Scheldeprijs. In some ways it’s easy to overlook Kristoff, but do so at your peril – the Stavanger Stallion has a knack of peaking very well for the biggest races. A stage win is well within his range.

And then there’s Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) . Before this month, Sagan had had a pretty ordinary few seasons, but at the Tour de Suisse he managed his first WorldTour win in over a year. He then tested positive to COVID for a third time in 18 months.

Assuming Sagan has recovered in time, and assuming his Suisse win was a sign of improving form, we could see the Slovakian at the fore in yet another Tour de France. He already has the record for the most green jerseys with seven, and while it seems unlikely he’ll add to that this year, you just never know. Either way, let’s hope Sagan is fighting fit for the Tour – a healthy Sagan is good for the race and for cycling full stop.

For other riders that could be in the mix in the bunch sprints, consider the likes of Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) and Giro stage winner Alberto Dainese (DSM) . 

Other riders to consider

We’ve looked at the GC contenders and the sprint favourites, but there are many others on the startlist who will likely impact the Tour in a meaningful way. Here’s are some of the riders we’ll be keeping an eye out for.

The Trek-Segafredo duo of Bauke Mollema and Guilio Ciccone are worth watching. Both will likely be riding in search of stage wins at this Tour, something both riders do with great distinction.

Mollema won a stage at last year’s Tour and was on the move plenty at the Giro. And Ciccone won a stage of the Giro in May but is yet to win at the Tour (but did lead the race for a day in 2019). You’d have to imagine one of them will win a stage over the next few weeks.

Another rider we can expect to star from the breakaway in the mountains is Lennard Kämna (Bora-Hansgrohe) , a stage winner in 2020 and at the recent Giro d’Italia. He’ll likely have to split his time between riding for Vlasov and targeting stage wins, and is more than capable of doing both.

Four-time Tour winner Chris Froome (Israel-Premier Tech) is set to start the Tour and while there are no expectations of him winning a stage, let alone challenging on GC, it would be great to see him competitive again.

Froome will probably be riding in the service of Michael Woods or Jakob Fuglsang . Woods just won the Route d’Occitanie with an uphill stage win, which is a great sign ahead of the Tour. Woods could target GC, or maybe he’ll focus on stage wins. The latter seems his best chance of having a meaningful impact, but he’s one to watch either way.

Fuglsang, meanwhile, was third overall at the Tour de Suisse and maybe seems more likely to fight for a high GC placing than stage wins, but who knows how it will shake out.

Milan-San Remo winner Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) won two stages last year (both solo from the breakaway) and is just as likely to win again as any other opportunist on the startlist. He was second on a stage at the recent Tour of Slovenia (losing in a two-up sprint to Pogačar) so he’s got some decent form coming in.

Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) seems to have recovered from a bout of COVID and assuming he starts the race as planned, he’ll definitely be worth your attention. The young Brit is one of the most versatile and capable riders in the bunch, and well able to snag a stage win if he plays his cards right.

Speaking of Ineos, time trial world champion Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) will be among the favourites to win the stage 1 ITT in Copenhagen and don the first maillot jaune.

Keep an eye on Kasper Asgreen (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) in the opening TT too. Fast against the clock, the Dane would love to wear the first yellow jersey on home soil.

For other stage hunters worth a look, consider Matteo Trentin and Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) and Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) .

Who do you think will win the 2022 Tour de France? And which other riders are you most looking forward to watching?

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What does it take to be a Tour de France contender?

Relentless drive, unwavering resilience, exceptional fitness – all required just to make it to the startline of the Tour de France. What more, then, does it take to challenge for the win?

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1. Unbreakable work ethic

2. world-beating watts per kilo, 3. oxygen-burning furnaces, 4. lionhearted beats, 5. jack sprat fat levels, 6. endless appetite, 7. brimming carb tanks, 8. solid sleep patterns, 9. a-head for heights, 10. can stand the heat, what makes pogačar so special.

• How did Vingegaard and Remco win Grand Tours last year?

The Tour de France is an almighty undertaking. This year’s edition packs in 3,404km over 21 stages, with an accumulated elevation total in excess of 56,000 metres. Just getting selected for the start requires all the riders to be in peak physical condition, but winning the biggest race of all demands an even more finely turned body. The general classification (GC) contenders are arguably the fittest athletes on the entire planet – but what exactly does it take, in terms of talent and training, to get there? In other words, what makes them the best of the best?  

The basic description of a Tour de France winner – the last being Jonas Vingegaard ( Jumbo-Visma ) – won’t shock anyone: almost always European, typically aged between 24 and 34; usually with a height between 175 and 185cm (5ft 9in and 6ft 1in), and low body weight of between 60 and 66kg. But there have been exceptions: two-time champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) was only 21 when he claimed his first title in 2020 – 98 years after the race’s oldest winner, 36-year-old Firmin Lambot, took the title in 1922. The race’s first ever winner in 1903, Maurice Garin, was a petite 162cm (5ft 4in), while 2012 winner Bradley Wiggins was 190cm (6ft 3in). On the scales, five-time winner Miguel Induráin was 80kg, some 28kg heavier than his Spanish compatriot Luis Ocaña who won in 1973. As for non-Europeans, there have been three: American Greg LeMond won in 1986, 1989 and 1990; Australian Cadel Evans won in 2011; and Colombian Egan Bernal became the first South American winner in 2019. 

There are clearly no strict physical parameters, at least not on the surface, so what do we know about their habits – their monk-like devotion to their single objective – and how they get their bodies ready for the biggest challenge in sport? 

The road to a Grand Tour starts all the way back in the dark, cold winter months, when riders log 30-hour training weeks of low-intensity rides, building aerobic efficiency and reinforcing the body’s ability to burn fuel as fat – to push hard while using as little energy as possible. As spring nears, more tempo, sub-threshold and threshold work are introduced, and the work becomes ever more tailored and specific. 

“There are no sessions specifically for GC riders, but what is most important for them is that they’re able to recover from big loads,” says Bora-Hansgrohe ’s head of performance, Dan Lorang. “GC riders will train in a three-to-one rhythm: three weeks of load, one week of recovery. These riders do a lot more climbing, and they train to reproduce high-intensity efforts after four to five hours.” Putting in hard efforts after many hours of steady riding is bread-and-butter for prospective Tour winners. “An example would be four hours of training at Zone 2 , finishing off with 30 minutes of threshold climbing to simulate a final climb,” adds Lorang. “GC guys also train on their time trial bikes two or three times a week.” To simulate Grand Tour demands, many GC riders train intensely before heading straight into a one-week stage race, or extend a heavy block of training to imitate three weeks of racing. Two weeks before the Tour, they begin their taper with more rest periods and less intense work. 

To think of cycling as solely a watts per kilogram game removes the romance and the panache, but time gaps are made in the mountains and in time trials thanks to a rider’s power output. Put simply, if a rider wants to win the Tour de France, they need to be able to maintain an exceptional power output over a sustained period of around 30 minutes after several hours of attritional, varied-intensity riding. Not just exceptional, but better than every other cyclist in the world.

The numbers are mind-boggling. When Jonas Vingegaard crushed the field on Stage 11 to win atop the Col du Granon (11.3km at 9.2% gradient) at last year’s Tour, he averaged 6.1W/kg for 35 minutes 52 seconds. No one has gone faster. Six days later, on Stage 17, Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) climbed the Col d’ Azet (8.34km, 7.9%) averaging 6.58W/kg for a time of 22:24. Again, it was the fastest time ever recorded.

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Jump on Zwift and try riding at 6.5W/kg – then imagine sustaining it for 20 minutes. You’ll get a taste for just how hard GC riders are able to push. Over shorter periods of around 10 minutes, some riders, including former Tour winner Chris Froome ( Israel-Premier Tech ), have registered eye-popping figures of around 7.5W/kg. 

During a normal stage before any attacks go off, riders generally pedal along at 220 to 250 watts. That’s a stout effort for most of us amateurs, but bear in mind that Tadej Pogačar’s functional threshold power (FTP) – the highest power he can sustain for one hour – is as high as 415 watts. 

VO2max – very simply put – is the maximum rate at which the body can use oxygen during exercise, so it is used to measure an individual’s aerobic capacity. Measured in millilitres of oxygen per kilogram per minute, the relative figure in an averagely fit 30-year-old male is usually in the upper 40s. It can be improved substantially with training. 

What about VO2max in those who win the yellow jersey? Way, way higher. When Chris Froome was dominating Tours, he could intake 88.2ml/kg/min. Remarkably, that’s not the best. American Greg LeMond, winner of the Tour on three occasions, had a reported VO2max of 92. If your VO2max isn’t in the 70s, at least, you’re probably not going to the Tour.

During the 2020 Tour de France, the WorldTour team now known as EF Education-EasyPost released data on each of their riders’ heart rates and heart rate variability . Among their roster of eight, the average resting heart rate was 42bpm before the race began. During the race, this rose to 51bpm ahead of the first rest day, but after a day off it dropped to 40bpm, highlighting the power of recovery.

Chris Froome had a reported resting heart rate of 29bpm, and Miguel Induráin’s was claimed to be even lower, at 28bpm – about half the speed of a typical adult’s heart rate. A pro rider’s cardiovascular system is so efficient that this plodding heart rate is fast enough, at rest, to supply their body with all the blood and oxygen it needs. 

On intense days in the mountains, with full-throttle racing, GC riders spend as much as 50% of their day performing in the upper heart rate zones, at 80-90% of their maximum heart rate.

You only need to look at a Tour de France rider to know that they aren’t carrying so much as a twig’s worth of spare timber. A ‘normal’ man usually has body fat of between 18 and 24% – but for our Grand Tour cyclists, determined not just to make it over the mountains but to triumph up them, their body fat needs to be as low as possible, around 5-6%.

There is a danger, however, in going too low. The body needs between 3% and 5% of body fat to protect organs and to regular body temperature, so while there have been some reported cases of riders competing with less than 5% of body fat, that is the lowest they can go without jeopardising their health.

It’s become a cycling press cliche to quantify a Tour de France rider’s daily calorie intake by showing the equivalent number of McDonald’s Big Macs. Oh go on, then: it’s 12 to 18 Big Macs, depending on the stage. 

A Tour rider shovels anywhere between 6,000 and 9,000kcal of food down them per 24 hours during a stage race. While racing, up to six hours per stage, they burn around 1,000kcal per hour. Unsurprisingly, riders are prone to losing weight and shedding fat during a three-week race, since consuming enough – in food and carb-laden drinks – isn’t easy.

Dropping a little weight is sometimes in the plan: at the 2018 Giro, Chris Froome only ate 2,500 calories on stage 11 as he was attempting to drop to his ideal weight of 68.5kg in time for his famous late-race assault that secured him the maglia rosa. 

Riding relentlessly hard for three weeks is only possible to endlessly consuming huge amounts of carbohydrate – before and during each stage. Iñigo San Millán is UAE-Team Emirates’ head of performance: “A rider needs to absorb 500 grams of glycogen [stored carbohydrate] before the race starts,” he says. “They should be completely full before the race, and empty afterwards.”

Filling up the proverbial tank relies on mammoth breakfasts containing 200g carbs – equivalent to about 13 slices of bread – with similarly gut-busting amounts for dinner once the day is done. During the race they replenish their energy stores with about 100g carbs per hour, in various forms including energy gels , carb drinks and rice cakes. Over the course of a day, a rider imbibes a massive carb load of about 1,200g – compared to about 300g in a normal diet.

“ Sleep is the most important recovery resource for people in general, but especially for cyclists who use their bodies so intensively,” says Jumbo-Visma’s head of performance, Mathieu Heijboer. “The enormous effort during a race damages the body… [and] physical recovery is therefore the most important thing. Deep sleep is essential. If it is disturbed, it is at the expense of recovery, which slows down reaction times, causes memory problems and has a negative effect on motor coordination.”

Getting a good amount of shut-eye, night after night, is essential for someone who wants to win the world’s biggest race. Some teams carry their own mattresses and bedding, such is the emphasis on good sleep. On average, riders in a Grand Tour sleep for eight hours, with most going to bed at 11.30pm and waking up at 8am. If that sounds late, it’s because stages don’t start until around 1pm, and dinner is often not served until 9pm.

Several times a season, riders go on altitude camp to increase their blood haemoglobin levels – the component of blood that carries oxygen and gives blood its red colour. Having more haemoglobin allows riders not only to perform better at higher elevations but to use oxygen more efficiently at sea level too.

Bora-Hansgrohe’s Dan Lorang: “For a rider wanting to win a Grand Tour, I would recommend that they spend two 18-day periods at altitude, and then one block of 15 days before the Grand Tour.” This approach is mirrored across the WorldTour. The final altitude block has to finish as close as possible to the start of the race, as half of the haemoglobin increase disappears after a week, and returns to normal after a fortnight. If the altitude camp is too early, “the effect evaporates,” according to Professor Lars Nybo of the University of Copenhagen. “High-altitude camps conducted in the winter or pre-season will almost certainly have no direct effect on performance several months later.”

Temperatures on Stage 15 of last year’s Tour de France got close to 40ºC, putting riders under even greater strain. As summer temperatures climb ever higher, Ineos Grenadiers have begun to perfect cooling strategies, having realised that excessive heat can have a direct effect on a rider’s power output. “A one degree increase in core temperature results in a 1% drop in gross efficiency, which means about a 10-12 change in watts,” says Dan Bigham, Ineos’ performance engineer.

Ice vests have become a common sight – for good reason. Studies have shown that a rider’s performance can decline by as much as 16% when not acclimatised to hot conditions . Given at least two weeks getting used to the weather they’ll be racing in, these losses can be reduced to as little as 2%. 

Although Tadej Pogačar isn’t going into this year’s Tour as the defending champion, it is widely accepted that the Slovenian is the greatest bike rider on the planet. Some believe he may even surpass the winning feats of Eddy Merckx . But what makes him so good?

“First things first, he has a massive motor,” says Allan Peiper, his former DS, “and a recuperative power that I’ve never seen before. It’s natural, for sure. There are very few guys who can go into a Grand Tour and get better and keep the motor running, but Tadej’s one of them.

“I’ve been on [UAE-Team Emirates] training camps and riders have ridden themselves into the ground trying to keep up with him and it hasn’t been beneficial for them.”

It’s not just the 24-year-old’s exceptional cardiovascular system. “The other defining thing about Tadej is his approach and outlook on life: he’s always got a positive mindset,” Peiper adds. “He has a way of putting everything into perspective, and that ability to do that when you’re in the hurt box in a Grand Tour keeps you afloat.” 

“You can have all these great physical characteristics, but if you’re weighed down by the mental side or overpowered by stress or the fear of failure, it’ll bring you down. Tadej has the physical talent as well as this unbelievable mental side. I have no idea what motivates this kid, but it’s definitely not his ego or by having a chip on his shoulder.”

First-time winners: How did Vingegaard and Remco win Grand Tours last year?

All of last year’s Grand Tours were won by riders who had never before won a three-week race: Jai Hindley in the Giro d'Italia ; Jonas Vingegaard in the Tour de France; and Remco Evenepoel in the Vuelta a España .

The latter’s coach, Koen Pelgrim, summarises how the current world champion ensured he was in peak condition to win the Spanish race. “He needed a really good base to be able to work on that to optimise his shape. A few months before we were focusing on shorter work, and then closer to the Vuelta it was about specific and longer efforts so that he could handle multiple consecutive days and multiple efforts. 

“The Vuelta had a lot of steep ascents, so he did a lot of efforts on steeper climbs, and he also trained in the middle of the day in Spain so that he was used to the heat. When it’s warm and steep, you suffer more, and we wanted him to be totally acclimatised to that.”

As for 26-year-old Vingegaard, his coach Tim Heemskerk faced a dilemma after the Dane finished second at the Critérium du Dauphiné. “He was in really great shape and I had a choice to make: do I let him have more recovery days or not?” he reflects. “We had three weeks until the Tour, we couldn’t let him get ill, and we couldn’t let him overdo it. This is the time when a coach really has to analyse and manage the situation.

“Getting someone into the best possible shape requires a lot of hard work from the rider, their coaches, the nutritionist and focusing on planning everything correctly. Optimising recovery is really essential.”

This full version of this article was published in the print edition of Cycling Weekly.  Subscribe online  and get the magazine delivered direct to your door every week. 

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A freelance sports journalist and podcaster, you'll mostly find Chris's byline attached to news scoops, profile interviews and feature writing across a variety of different publications. He has been writing regularly for Cycling Weekly since 2013.

Previously a ski, hiking and cycling guide in a number of places, but mostly in the Canadian Rockies and Spanish Pyrenees, he almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains.

He lives in Valencia, Spain.

All that glitters may not be gold, but silver doesn't half look good on a bike

By James Shrubsall Published 10 April 24

Patrick Casey got his chance to ride the Hell of the North after going through the Red Bull Junior Brothers programme

By Adam Becket Published 10 April 24

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Eurosport is probably the best app for covering cycling tours races you can also watch on demand past races worth paying for I pay years subscription you can watch on tv or on phone and this site is awesome that gives details to stages to view stats while watching

What a calender for 2024.

Does anyone know where to find a comprehensive list of where fans can watch each race? What races are on Flo bikes, or NBC, or whatever.

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Get Ready For The Tour De France 2023! | GCN X Tour De France Club

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Are you ready for a whole month of Tour de France action? With a combined 29 stages of racing, you will not want to miss the men’s Tour de France and the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift! We’ve paired up with ASO again for a special GCN x Tour de France Club show, where Dan and Joe are here to get you pumped for the biggest bike races of the year!

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00:00 Intro 00:48 20% off GCN+ 01:16 Best of 2023 So Far! 07:07 Tour de France Club 08:50 Tour de France 2022 Best Bits 10:50 Tour de France 2023 12:14 Tour de France Femmes 2023 13:36 Tour de France Fantasy 14:36 Key Stages 17:30 Froome: Back in Africa 19:14 TDF Club Member Questions 28:11 Summary

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A Weekend In Hell! | Paris-Roubaix 2024 Preview

It's time for a weekend in hell! A visit to the most brutal and iconic cobbles in cycling is due, with Paris-Roubaix and Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift back again for 2024. Dan is here with everything you need to know about the routes including a sector-by-sector of bone-rattling pavés, and discusses the main contenders for both races!

Van Der Poel Wins The FASTEST Tour Of Flanders Ever. 44.5kph! | GCN Racing News Show

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Rainbow Ronde? The Big GCN Tour of Flanders Preview The Tour of Flanders is a prestigious but brutal race, with sharp climbs and rough cobbled roads. Last year saw Tadej Pogacar and Lotte Kopecky ride to victory, but who will be the champion of the cobbles this time around? Dan and Si run through the race history and route ahead of De Ronde.

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

Published 10/04/2024 at 10:20 GMT

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

'An absolute machine!' - O'Sullivan responds to Froome question in 'Voice Notes'

Pogacar ‘could pay the price’ for his early season feats ahead of Giro-Tour double - Indurain

29/03/2024 at 18:27

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26/03/2024 at 11:44

'Never seen anything like this' - Pogacar leaves rivals in awe at Volta a Catalunya

25/03/2024 at 14:53