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Visualising tour de france data in r.

Posted on November 23, 2019 by Alastair Rushworth in R bloggers | 0 Comments

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The Tour de France – a short primer

The Tour de France (‘Le Tour’) is the world’s biggest and most prestigious cycling event with a long history spanning back as far as 1903. Each annual ‘edition’ of the race is composed of around 21 stages that traverse the French nation, each stage is a standalone race by itself. The racing is complex, with each team of 9 riders competing for any combination of individual stage wins, sprint points, mountain climbing, aggressive riding and team ability. The most coveted prize of all is the ‘Generale Classification’ (GC) which is awarded to the rider with the lowest aggregate time at the end of the race. Each day, the rider with the lowest aggregate time following the previous stage wears the ‘Maillot Jaune’ (yellow jersey) indicating that they are the current race leader.

tdf an R package for Tour de France data

The tdf package is hosted on github and contains information about the overall winning rider for each edition of the race, the winner’s biographical information and the results for each stage in each edition. To install the package, use

The package is just a container for the dataframe editions :

editions is a tibble whose rows each correspond to a single edition of the Tour de France. The columns contain information about the race itself and the overall winner, including:

• distance is the aggregate distance in kilometres covered by the entire race.
• time_overall is the time in hours taken by the winner to complete the race
• time_margin is the difference in finishing times between the race winner and the first runner up.
• stage_wins is the number of stages won by the eventual winner during the edition (note that it is possible to win the GC without winning any stages at all).
• stages_led is the number of stages spent as the race leader (wearing the yellow jersey) by the eventual winner.
• weight is the winner’s body weight in kilograms.
• height is the winner’s height in meters.
• stage_results is a column containing a list of lists. Each element contains a list of stage results for a particular edition of the Tour de France.

How has the race changed over time?

Forget ultra-marathons and tough mudder, early editions of Le Tour were really tough . Riders were mostly self-supported, rode in woollen jerseys for hundreds of miles per day on steel-framed bicycles. The longest stage in Tour history was 482 kilometres (Stage 5, 1919) - the stage winner, Jean Alavoine, took almost 19 hours to complete the stage.

To get a sense for how the length of the race has varied since 1903, we can visualise the total distance in the editions data:

It’s pretty clear that over time, the distances covered have decreased dramatically, and have roughly stabilised at about 3500 kilometres during the last 2 decades (still a huge distance). You can see that the longest ever Tour de France edition was in 1926, with a total distance covered of 5,745 kilometres!

On the face of it, it seems like the riders of today have it substantially easier compared to riders of the past. But how fast are today’s riders going?

They’re going pretty fast. It looks like while the race has been getting gradually shorter, the speeds have been getting much faster. The change also coincides with professionalisation of the sport, better equipment and smarter training so it’s hard to provide an exact account for the change in speed. It’s worth highlighting the top two fastest average speeds in Tour de France history:

The two fastest ever editions of the Tour de France were won by Marco Pantani (in 1998) and Lance Armstrong (in 2005), both of whom were later stripped of these (and other) wins for their use of banned performance-enhancing substances. The speed of doped riders in such Tour editions was so obviously faster than non-doped riders, that French media declared a culture of “Cyclisme a deux vitesses” ( “two-speed cycling” ). It is unknown how much riders still use banned substances for performance enhancement, but the average speeds of the Pantani / Armstrong years have not been reached in any edition since.

Note: the the data in the tdf package retains the winning times of banned, disqualified and otherwise sanctioned riders for the purposes of data analysis. The overall standings are as they would have appeared on the final day of the race - therefore please note that the officially recognised winner of a particular edition may not be the rider with the fastest time.

How have the riders changed over time?

France is a mountainous country, and a crucial ingredient for success in the Tour de France is a rider’s ability to climb hills quickly and efficiently. Hill climbing is a fight against gravity that pits a rider’s strength against their total weight (bike + equipment + body). The rider has two options to improve: get stronger and get leaner. Using the editions data we can explore the latter over time by using rider height and weight data to calculate body mass index (BMI), which is a (very rough) proxy for leanness.

It’s pretty clear that over time, the trend has been towards winners having lower BMI, and likely being leaner overall. Apart from the obvious issues with BMI as a metric (body shapes are more complex than just height and weight) it’s interesting to consider why this trend has occurred. It’s tempting to conclude that more careful dieting and preparation in recent years has lead to riders having lower body fat percentages, which can enhance a rider’s power to weight ratio and overall performance. However, it could also be due to changes in the race: if race winning becomes more dependent on performance in the mountains (for example, because the number of mountain stages has increased overall) this could result in the lighter and leaner athletes tending to excel overall.

Stage results

The column stage_results contains the breakdown of results by stage for each edition of the Tour de France. For example, the results of the final stage of the 2019 Tour de France can be printed using

The important columns for the stage data are

• time the finishing time of the stage winner and time difference to the winner.
• rider the rider name formatted as ‘Surname Forename’.
• age age of the rider at the start of the stage.
• elapsed the time taken to reach the finish line - this is stored as a lubridate::period object for easier printing and manipulation.

In the case above, Caleb Ewan won the finish line sprint of the final stage. Since the first 53 riders were part of a contiguous group of riders, they were granted the same finishing time as Ewan, but their finishing order corresponds to the order they passed the finish line.

Comments? Suggestions? Issues?

Any feedback is welcome! Find me on twitter at rushworth_a or write a github issue .

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How to Watch 2024 Giro d’Italia

With a clear favorite, two time trials, and majestic mountain passes, cycling’s most beautiful Grand Tour promises a spectacle at its finest.

How to Watch the Giro d’Italia in Canada

How to watch the giro d’italia for free, what happened last year, riders to watch.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 Giro d’Italia:

Dates: Saturday, May 4 - Sunday, May 26

How to Watch the Giro d’Italia in the U.S.

If you’re a Max subscriber ($9.99/month), then you have access to the streaming platform’s B/R Sports package, which is the only legal way to stream the Giro d’Italia in the USA. For now, the package is free to all regular Max subscribers, but at some point, it will cost an additional $9.99 each month. That’s not as affordable as GCN+ used to be, but considering everything else you get with the B/R Sports package (such as MLB, NHL, NBA, NCAA Men’s March Madness, U.S. Soccer, and 24 Hours of Le Mans coverage) it’s a pretty good deal.

Max has a user-friendly app for smartphones, streaming devices, game consoles, and smart TVs. There’s also an easy-to-navigate website, which is a helpful option for streaming the race from work. (Don’t worry, we won’t tell your boss.)

You could cancel your monthly subscription at the end of the race, but remember that Max will be offering live streams of many road, mountain, track, and cyclocross races throughout the rest of the year. If that floats your boat, consider getting an annual subscription for $99.99 (or $149.99 for ad-free streaming).

If you live in Canada, you can catch the action on FloBikes ($29.99 monthly or $150 for the year). Stream or cast from your desktop, mobile, or TV. The app is now available on Roku, Fire TV, Chromecast, and Apple TV. And live coverage starts at 7:45 AM EDT for most stages.

While we haven’t found legal ways to watch the Giro LIVE for free, you may be able to catch extended highlights on NBC/Peackock’s YouTube Channel a couple of hours after the events. However, where there is a will, there is a way. Just, “be careful with the ads.”

The 107th edition of the Giro d’Italia covers 3,386.7K (2,138 miles) over 21 stages, with two individual time trials, seven stages with uphill finishes, and six to eight stages expected to end with field sprints.

This year’s Grande Partenza takes place in Piemonte, near the French-Italian Alps, with two challenging road stages that will force the Giro’s GC contenders to be at their best right away. Stage 1, a 136K stage from Venaria Reale to Torino, features three categorized climbs–including the Superga and the Colle Maddalena–but it’s a short, punchy, uncategorized ascent just before the finish that could determine the stage winner.

Stage 2 begins in San Francesco al Campo and ends after 150K with this year’s first summit finish–on the Category 1 Santuario di Oropa, the climb on which deceased Italian legend Marco Pantani took one of his most famous stage wins in 1999. By the end of the first weekend, the GC battle will already be in full swing.

The race then begins working its way south, and Stages 3, 4, and 5—which finish in Fossano, Andora, and Lucca, respectively—should be days for the Giro’s sprinters. (Although the finishes of Stages 3 and 4 feature ramps inside the final 10K that could thwart the fast men.) Stage 6 brings the race from the coast into Tuscany (it finishes in Rapolano Terme) and features 12K of the strade bianche (“white gravel roads”) that give March’s Strade Bianche road race its name. If there’s one stage during the first week that has the potential to cause a few surprises, it’s this one.

Stage 7 is the first individual time trial of the Giro, and it’s a tough one: beginning in Foligno, the 37.2K race against the clock starts with over 30K of flat roads. But there’s a nasty sting in the course’s tail: a 6.5K climb to the finish line that starts steep and then ascends more gradually to the line. Riders who don’t pace themselves on the flat part of the course could explode on the final climb. There could be large time gaps here.

Starting in Spoleto, Stage 8 brings the second summit finish of the first week–on the Category 1 Prati di Tivo, a 14K climb in the Umbrian Apennines with an average gradient of 7%. With a field sprint expected in Napoli at the end of Sunday’s Stage 9 (after a 214K stage that starts in Avezzano), Stages 7 and 8 will determine which rider will wear the maglia rosa into the Giro’s first Rest Day.

The second week begins in Pompeii with Stage 10, a 142K stage that features a summit finish on a new climb, the Category 1 Bocca della Selva, a 20.9K climb with a deceiving 4.6% average gradient. The first few kilometers are actually downhill, so the climb is actually harder than its statistics suggest.

We expect Stage 11 (207K) to end with a field sprint in Francavilla al Mare, and Stage 12—with a jagged 190K stage through the Marche region (an area known for its muri or “walls”)—looks like the perfect day for a breakaway filled with puncheurs and riders who perform well in the spring classics. Friday’s Stage 13 is the flattest stage of this year’s race, which is probably a good thing considering the next two stages. This 179K stage from Riccione to Cento will be an active rest day for much of the peloton.

And they’ll need one because the third weekend begins with Stage 14–the Giro’s second individual time trial–a generally flat, 31K course from Castiglione delle Stiviere to Desenzano del Garda. This is a day for the Giro’s time trial specialists; the pure climbers will struggle to stay within shouting distance of their more powerful colleagues.

But they’ll have a chance for revenge on Sunday, when the race heads into the Alps for Stage 15, a 220K monster stage (the longest in this year’s race) with five categorized climbs, including back-to-back 2000m summits (both Category 1 ascents) at the end of the day, with a summit finish at the Mottolino ski resort just above Livigno. This weekend should blow the Giro wide open, leaving just a handful of riders still in contention to win the race overall.

The third week begins the same way the second week ends, with a 200K, high-altitude mountain stage. Stage 16 features the granddaddy of them all: the Stelvio, this year’s “Cima Coppi” as the highest summit in the race. Topping out at over 2700m, the climb comes early in the stage but will nonetheless offer a rude awakening to a peloton that’s coming out of the second Rest Day. After a long ride down into and through a valley, the day ends with the Category 1 Passo Pinei and then a summit finish on the Category 2 Monte Pana, in Santa Cristina in Val Gardena.

At “just” 159K, Stage 17 is much shorter than the previous two mountain stages, but it’s jammed with five categorized climbs, including the Category 2 Passo Sella and the Category 1 Passo Rolle. The day ends with two ascents of the Category 1 Passo Brocon, which the riders climb for a second time on their way to the finish line. This will be an intense stage, and it could pose a challenge for the team defending the pink jersey to control. The riders will be either climbing or descending from start to finish and if someone’s going to stage a third-week ambush, it could come here.

The next two stages offer a break from the mountains. Stage 18 brings a 166K downhill ride from Fiera di Primiero to Padua that should end with a field sprint. Stage 19 looks like the perfect chance for a small group of opportunists–who have likely been saving themselves in the high mountains–to escape and fight for a breakaway stage win in Sappada.

The 154K stage begins in Mortegliano and climbs steadily throughout the day, culminating with three categorized climbs in the second half stage, the last of which the riders summit just 7K from the finish. After so many days of intense climbing–and with one more day in the mountains still to come–the peloton could just sit back and let the break go all the way to the finish.

That sets the stage for Stage 20, the last chance for anyone hoping to steal the 2024 Giro d’Italia from whoever's been leading it. And–as the last two editions have shown us–that’s a realistic possibility. Starting in Alpago, the stage rolls along for about 85K before the first of two ascents of the Monte Grappa, an 18K climb with an average gradient of 8.1%–that’s steep . This isn’t a stage with a summit finish–the race finishes in Bassano del Grappa after a long descent from the top of the Monte Grappa down into the valley below–but even without one, the stage should still provide a dramatic conclusion to the Giro’s GC battle.

The race concludes Sunday in Rome with a 122K road stage featuring several circuits through the Eternal City. The day will begin with clinking glasses of prosecco, and end with one last chance for the sprinters to grab some glory.

You can find the elevation profiles and course maps for each 2024 Giro d’Italia stage here .

For the second year in a row, the 2023 Giro d’Italia was decided on the grand tour’s penultimate day. In 2022, Australia’s Jai Hindley (BORA-hansgrohe) took the pink jersey from Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers) on Stage 20. Hindley won a mountain stage at the end of the grand tour’s first week, then hung around near the top of the General Classification before seizing his moment late in the Giro’s final mountain stage and winning the race overall.

In 2023, Slovenia’s Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) followed the same formula, albeit without an early-stage win. After Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step)—who had won two stages and was wearing the pink jersey as the Giro’s overall leader—was forced to abandon the race after testing positive for Covid-19 on the eve of the Giro’s first Rest Day, Great Britain’s Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers) took the maglia rosa . With the exception of the two days straddling the second Rest Day, Thomas held the jersey for much of the second and third weeks.

But he cracked on Stage 20, an 18.6K uphill time trial from Tarvisio to the summit of the Monte Lussari. Roglič, who entered the day just 26 seconds behind Thomas on GC, won the stage by 40 seconds, taking the pink jersey–and the 2023 Giro–by a slim margin.

Thomas held on to finish second, and Portugal’s João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) finished third. Italy’s Jonathan Milan (Bahrain-Victorious) won the Points Classification, France’s Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) won the King of the Mountains Classification, and Almeida was the Giro’s Best Young Rider.

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

With most of the sport’s best grand tour riders (including Roglič) racing the Tour de France this summer, this year’s Giro has a short list of overall contenders, a list that’s headlined by one of the sport’s true superstars: Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates).

The 25-year-old has never raced the Giro, and he takes the starting line this year as the favorite to win and dominate it. Then he’s planning to head to the Tour, where he’s hoping to become the first rider since Italy’s Marco Pantani in 1998 to win the Giro and the Tour in the same season.

Geraint Thomas (INEOS-Grenadiers)

Pogačar’s biggest challenger will likely be Geraint Thomas, who’s coming back to the Giro after last year’s disappointment. The 37-year-old (he’ll turn 38 during the race) will have a strong and experienced team supporting him–and the course suits him–but he’ll have a hard time overcoming Pogačar.

Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma-Lease a Bike)

We’ll also be keeping an eye on Belgium’s Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma-Lease a Bike), who made headlines last December when it was announced that he was breaking his contract with BORA-hansgrohe (who had recently signed Roglič away from Jumbo) to join the Dutch superteam.

The winner of the Tour de l‘Avenir in 2022, Uijtdebroeks just turned 21 and is widely considered to be a future grand tour contender. Without Belgium’s Wout van Aert, who’s skipping the Giro due to injuries he sustained in a crash at a race in Belgium a few weeks ago, Uijtdebroeks becomes the focus of the team’s Giro plans. And with a strong squad alongside him, he could finish on the podium and is the easy pick to become the Giro’s Best Young Rider.

Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale)

Other GC contenders include Australia’s Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), a former fourth-place finisher at the Tour de France and Giro stage-winner; Italy’s Damiano Caruso (Bahrain-Victorious), a former Giro podium-finisher; Colombia’s Daniel Martinez (BORA-hansgrohe), a former fifth-place finisher at the Giro; Great Britain’s Hugh Carthy (EF Education-EasyPost), a two-time top-10 finisher; and France’s Romain Bardet (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL), a former Tour de France podium finisher who was seventh at the Giro in 2021 but might be more of stage hunter this year.

Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek)

Other stage hunters include Italy’s Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek), a three-time stage winner who was the Giro’s King of the Mountains in 2019; France’s Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-Quick Step), who’s riding his first Giro; and Canada’s Michael Woods (Israel-PremierTech), who’s hoping to complete a hat-trick of grand tour stage victories with a win in Italy.

Nairo Quintana (Movistar)

One of the most controversial riders in this year’s Giro will be Colombia’s Nairo Quintana (Movistar), winner of the Giro in 2014. But the 34-year-old hasn’t raced since finishing sixth overall in the 2022 Tour de France and then having his results disqualified after testing positive for tramadol, a painkiller that’s banned by the UCI (but not banned by WADA). He’s now back in the WorldTour with the team that made him famous. His return has not been a popular one , though, and it will be interesting to see how he’s received in Italy.

The Giro also offers several stage win opportunities for field sprinters, and that–plus the fact that the Tour de France is very not sprinter-friendly–means there will be lots of them taking the start, including Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek); Belgium’s Tim Merlier (Soudal–Quick Step); Dutch sprinters Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Fabio Jakobsen (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL), and Australia’s Sam Welsford (BORA-Hansgrohe), Caleb Ewan (Jayco AlUla) and Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck); and Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty).

Last but not least, the Giro will see several North Americans taking the start, with Americans Larry Warbasse (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Magnus Sheffield (INEOS Grenadiers), and Will Barta (Movistar) joining Woods on the starting line, with more expected to join them as teams finalize their rosters.

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Visma-Lease a Bike Keeps Faith in Jonas Vingegaard: ‘Winning the Tour Will Be Difficult, but Not Impossible’

Team brass upbeat for vingegaard's title defense despite scrapped altitude camp, bats away rumors van aert will return to racing at tour of hungary..

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Visma-Lease a Bike isn’t counting out Jonas Vingegaard and his Tour de France title defense just yet.

Team director Merijn Zeeman told WielerFlits the team is keeping faith that its two-time maillot jaune can bounce back from the horror list of injuries he sustained at the Itzulia Basque Country in time for the June 29 Grand Départ .

“Winning the Tour will be difficult for Jonas, but it’s certainly not impossible,”  Zeeman told Wielerflits . “He is busy every day with his rehabilitation under the guidance of our medical staff and physiotherapists.

“We will certainly keep open the possibility that he will make it to the start of the Tour in Florence,” Zeeman said Friday. “Jonas is extremely talented and we know that he recovers extremely quickly.”

Vingegaard was one of many riders left with a shocking medical report after a high-speed crash decimated the peloton in the Basque tour early last month.

It was a shocking incident that also involved Vingegaard’s “Big Four” rivals Primož Roglič and Remco Evenepoel, and which left some riders fearing for their lives .

Vingegaard fractured his collarbone, and suffered a bruised lung and a collapsed lung in the crash.

Visma-Lease a Bike was quick to confirm after the crash that the 27-year-old would not attend a planned altitude camp this month, but is now waiting on progress reports before deciding on any pre-Tour race program.

Vingegaard has been busy working behind the scenes to fast-track his recovery since he returned home from a Spanish hospital on April 16 .

“Every week we take stock. The medical staff cannot say much at the moment about the program he can follow in the coming period,” Zeeman told Wielerflits . “We have to wait and see, but we certainly still have hope that he can defend his Tour title.”

Team officials already confirmed Vingegaard would not start the Tour unless he was “100 percent ready” for his high profile clash with Roglič, Evenepoel, and the Giro d’Italia-bound Tadej Pogačar.

Doubt over the Dauphiné for Vingegaard

Vingegaard’s initial program for 2024 had him down for a Tour de France tune-up at the Critérium du Dauphiné.

Zeeman and his team are still mulling whether Vingegaard needs to rush back for the eight-day race, which starts little more than four weeks from now.

“Does Jonas need the Dauphiné to be in good shape for the Tour?” Zeeman said. “Not necessarily. The Dauphiné is certainly not a key race for Jonas towards the Tour.

“I am convinced that with a good training block in that period, Jonas can work on his form to arrive at the start of the Tour in top form,” he said.

Only Thursday, Bora-Hansgrohe updated that Roglič is back on track for the Tour de France after the injuries he sustained in the Basque pile-up, and is scheduled to warm his grand tour engine at the Critérium du Dauphiné.

Unlike Vingegaard, Roglič did not break any bones.

Evenepoel is also slated to race either the Dauphiné or Tour de Suisse as he makes a rapid comeback from his broken collarbone and shoulder blade.

Race program also uncertain for Van Aert

Zeeman also batted away rumors that Visma-Lease a Bike’s other top captain Wout van Aert might return to racing at the Tour of Norway later this month.

The Belgian ace is back putting in big miles on the bike after his crash at Dwars door Vlaanderen, and reports through local media Friday suggested his comeback could be imminent after he canceled his planned start at the Giro d’Italia.

“Wout has not yet reached the point where we can make that choice now,” Zeeman told Wielerflits . “In the most favorable scenario, Norway is feasible for him. But nothing can be confirmed about that yet.”

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2023 Tour de France route

From the Basque Country to Paris and all the stages in between

The 2023 Tour de France got underway on July 1st in Bilbao, Spain with another demanding route that includes only a single 22km hilly time trial in the Alps and mountain stages in all five of France’s mountain ranges. From the Grand Départ in the Basque Country to the finish in Paris, Cyclingnews has all the route details.

The very limited amount of time trialling and preponderance of mountains no doubt suits French riders  Thibaut Pinot , David Gaudu and Romain Bardet. As a result, Remco Evenepoel, Primoz Roglič and Geraint Thomas targeted the Giro d’Italia, which had three times the amount of time trialling and fewer mountains.

Official information from race organiser ASO claimed the 3,404km route includes eight flat stages for the sprinters, four hilly stages suited to breakaways and eight mountain stages. Four of these include summit finishes: in the Pyrenees at Cauterets-Cambasque, on the legendary Puy de Dôme volcano in the Massif Central, on the Grand Colombier in the Jura and at Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc in the Alps.

Tour de France 2023 route revealed Tour de France stage-by-stage previews 2023 Tour de France to start in the Basque Country 2023 Tour de France set to return to Puy de Dome mountain finish

The other mountain stages are also extremely difficult, even if some are short and extra intense.

Stage 14 to Morzine includes 4,200m of climbing, alongside the mighty Col de Joux Plane and its testing descent to the finish. Stage 15 ends with the 11% ‘wall’ of Côte des Amerands and then the 7km 7.7% climb up to Saint-Gervais in view of Mont-Blanc.       

Stage 17 to Courchevel is arguably the queen stage, climbing the 2,304m-high Col de la Loze and then descends to finish on the altiport runway. Stage 20 is a final brutal multi-mountain stage in the Vosges between Belfort and Le Markstein ski resort.

The only time trial is on stage 16 in the Arve Valley near Sallanches after the second rest day, but the 22km route between Passy and Combloux will test riders' bike handling skills and climbing as much as their time trialling. The stage includes the Côte de Domancy, where Bernard Hinault forged his 1980 Worlds victory, and which also featured as part of the final week time trial in the 2016 Tour.

2022 Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard was arguably the best climber of the last two editions of the Tour and he appears to have plenty of opportunities to go on the attack on the steep ascents in 2023.

Two-time winner  Tadej Pogačar  will no doubt relish the route on offer for next July’s challenge against Vingegaard, Jumbo-Visma, Ineos Grenadiers and anyone else.

For an in-depth analysis of this year's major contenders, check our regularly updated guide to the favourites of the 2023 Tour de France .

For a detailed description of each stage, click on the link in the table below.

Stage 1: Bilbao-Bilbao, 182 km - Hilly

Stage 2: vitoria-gasteiz to san sebastián, 208.9km - hilly, stage 3: amorebieta-etxano to bayonne, 193.5km - flat, stage 4: dax to nogaro, 181.8km - flat, stage 5: pau to laruns, 162.7km - mountain, stage 6: tarbes to cauterets-cambasque, 144.9km - mountain, stage 7: mont-de-marsan to bordeaux, 169.9km - flat, stage 8: libourne to limoges, 200.7km - hilly, stage 9: saint-léonard- de-noblat to puy de dôme, 182.4km - mountain, stage 10: vulcania to issoire, 167.2km - hilly, stage 11: clermont-ferrand to moulins, 179.8km - flat, stage 12: roanne to belleville-en-beaujolais, 168.8km - hilly, stage 13: châtillon-sur-chalaronne to grand colombier, 137.8km - mountain, stage 14: annemasse to morzine les portes du soleil, 151.8km - mountain, stage 15: les gets les portes du soleil to saint-gervais mont blanc, 179km - mountain, stage 16: passy to combloux, 22.4km - itt, stage 17: saint-gervais mont blanc à courchevel, 184.9km - mountain, stage 18: moûtiers to bourg-en-bresse, 184.9km - hilly, stage 19: moirans-en-montagne to poligny, 172.8km - flat, stage 20: belfort to le markstein fellering, 133.5km - mountain, stage 21: saint-quentin-en-yvelines to paris champs-élysées, 115.1km - flat.

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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.

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Remco Evenepoel's Tour de France ambitions back on track after high-speed Itzulia crash

T hree weeks on from fracturing collarbone and scapula at Itzulia Basque Country, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) is back in training in preparation for his debut at the Tour de France . 

The Belgian star posted the first activity to his Strava account since the horrific crash, which also left two-time defending Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) with a pneumothorax, broken collarbone and ribs.

“On my way back,” Evenepoel titled a 98.7km ride near into Flanders from home to the west of Brussels. 

Evenepoel's injuries are not as severe as Vingegaard, who only got out of hospital in Spain last week. He was swiftly back in Belgium for collarbone surgery and recovered quickly, convinced that he can still be ready for the Tour de France Grand Depart on June 29.

The ambitious, but realistic 24-year-old, stated earlier this season that reaching the Tour de France podium in Nice at the end of July "would be a dream come true".

Evenepoel enjoyed a final day of recovery with a trip to Britain to see Arsenal football match in London. The time trial World Champion then completed a near-three hour 98.75km ride around Schepdaal, where he grew up, at a solid average speed of 34.7km/h. 

The next step on the “#RoadToFrance” as his caption read will see him head to Sierra Nevada for an altitude camp with Soudal-QuickStep. Following this, he will be off to either the Critérium du Dauphiné or Tour de Suisse, depending on fitness, to regain his race rhythm and punch before the Tour kicks off in Florence.

Vingegaard in contrast has been ruled out of attending Visma-Lease a Bike’s upcoming training camp with an appearance at the Tour still in doubt unless he is at his best according to the Dutch team.

If the Dane is to miss out, Evenepoel and Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe), who also crashed out of Itzulia but without any fractures, would become the top contenders to challenge the former two-time Tour winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates).

Evenepoel’s compatriot Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) has similarly been making a return to riding on the road since crashing out of Dwars door Vlaanderen in March. The Belgian pair share the same physiotherapist who has overseen their returns to fitness.

Thijs Hertsens from LAB Antwerp is the man looking after the superstars in Belgium and his work hasn’t gone unnoticed with both men returning to the road this week. 

Van Aert was shown on video turning the pedals for the first time since his high-speed crash on Wednesday.

"After working a lot on his mobility, he [Evenepoel] is already back on track,” Hertsens told Sporza earlier this week, clearly aware of how close Evenepoel was to getting back out on the road.

Van Aert has worked with the physiotherapist since his awful crash at the 2019 Tour de France and Evenepoel since his horror incident at the 2020 Il Lombardia.

"Cyclists are hard workers by nature, so it is very pleasant to guide them,” said Hertsens.

Van Aert's goals have been derailed due to his crash but he will switch focus to the Paris Olympics where he and Evenepoel will lead a top-level Belgian team that will want to claim both the road race and the time trial.

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Tour of Romandie win is career-best title for Carlos Rodriguez through rain-slicked final stage

The winner of the Tour de Romandie, Carlos Rodriguez, right, from Spain of team Ineos Grenadier, celebrates on the podium after the fifth and final stage, a 150,8 km race between Vernier and Vernier at the 77th Tour de Romandie UCI World Tour Cycling race, in Vernier near Geneva, Switzerland, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)

The winner of the Tour de Romandie, Carlos Rodriguez, right, from Spain of team Ineos Grenadier, crosses the finish line of the fifth and final stage, a 150,8 km race between Vernier and Vernier at the 77th Tour de Romandie UCI World Tour Cycling race, in Vernier near Geneva, Switzerland, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)

The winner of the stage, Dorian Godon from France of team Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale, crosses the finish line to win the fifth and final stage, a 150,8 km race between Vernier and Vernier at the 77th Tour de Romandie UCI World Tour Cycling race, in Vernier near Geneva, Switzerland, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)

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VERNIER, Switzerland (AP) — Carlos Rodriguez protected his yellow jersey through a rain-soaked final stage Sunday to win the six-day Tour of Romandie for the biggest race victory of his career.

Four previous winners in the French-speaking region of Switzerland went on to win that season’s Tour de France, including Chris Froome in 2013. Rodriguez placed fifth in cycling’s marquee event last year and won a stage.

Rodriguez started Sunday’s flat stage that looped round the suburbs of Geneva — won in a sprint finish by Dorian Godon — with a seven-second lead he took by placing third in a mountain stage Saturday.

The 23-year-old Ineos Grenadiers rider kept that winning margin over runner-up Aleksandr Vlasov, the 2022 Romandie winner. Third-placed Florian Lipowitz was third, trailing Rodriquez by nine seconds.

Godon sealed his second stage win this week, edging Simone Consonni with Dion Smith third.

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

Luke Rowe, who helped 3 leaders win the Tour de France, will retire at the end of the season

Britain's Luke Rowe competes in the twentieth stage of the Tour de France cycling race, an individual time trial over 22.5 kilometers (14 miles) with start and finish in Marseille, southern France, on July 22, 2017. British cyclist Luke Rowe, who played a role in five Tour de France victories for three different leaders, will retire at the end of the season. The 34-years-old Rowe, a good classic rider, has been riding with the team which was then known as Sky since 2012. He took part in eight consecutive editions of the Tour de France. Credit: AP/Claude Paris

LONDON — British cyclist Luke Rowe, who played a role in five Tour de France victories for three different leaders, will retire at the end of the season, his Ineos Grenadiers team said Friday.

The 34-year-old Rowe, a good classic rider, has been with the team which was previously known as Sky since 2012.

He took part in eight consecutive editions of the Tour, helping Chris Froome, Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal to victory, often in the role of road captain.

Rowe had signed a new 2-year contract to remain with Ineos Grenadiers through to 2025 but decided to bring forward his retirement by a season after getting injured in a crash during the E3 Saxo Classic in March.

“I’ve had an amazing career and I have absolutely no regrets," he said. “But the last 18 months have been testing in different ways and with this latest crash and resulting injury, it just feels like now is the right time to bow out, head home to Wales and spend a bit more time with my family.”

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Rowe says he still hopes to race again this year, “with the Tour of Britain being my dream race to end on.”

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Billie Eilish Reveals ‘Hit Me Hard and Soft’ World Tour, Starting in September

By Ellise Shafer

Ellise Shafer

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Billie Eilish is embarking on a world tour in support of her forthcoming third album, “ Hit Me Hard and Soft ,” set for release on May 17.

The Live Nation-produced tour will kick off in September in Quebec and continue through North America until December. In February 2025, Eilish will hit Australia, followed by Europe, the U.K. and Ireland from April to late July.

Tickets will be available for presale for American Express cardholders on April 30, with additional presales running throughout the week. General tickets go on sale May 3 through Ticketmaster .

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See the full tour dates below.

North America

Tue Feb 18, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre Wed Feb 19, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre Fri Feb 21, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre Sat Feb 22, 2025 – Brisbane, Australia – Brisbane Entertainment Centre Mon Feb 24, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena Tue Feb 25, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena Thu Feb 27, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena Fri Feb 28, 2025 – Sydney, Australia – Qudos Bank Arena Tue Mar 4, 2025 –Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena Wed Mar 5, 2025 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena Fri Mar 7, 2025 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena Sat Mar 8, 2025 – Melbourne, Australia – Rod Laver Arena

Europe/U.K./Ireland Wed Apr 23, 2025 – Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena

Thu Apr 24, 2025 – Stockholm, Sweden – Avicii Arena

Sat Apr 26, 2025 – Oslo, Norway – Telenor Arena Mon Apr 28, 2025 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena Tue Apr 29, 2025 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena

Fri May 2, 2025 – Hannover, Germany – ZAG Arena Sun May 4, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome Mon May 5, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome Wed May 7, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome Fri May 9, 2025 – Berlin, Germany – Uber Arena Thu May 29, 2025 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena Fri May 30, 2025 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena Sun June 1, 2025 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena Tue June 3, 2025 – Kraków, Poland – Tauron Arena Wed June 4, 2025 – Kraków, Poland – Tauron Arena Fri June 6, 2025 – Vienna, Austria – Stadthalle Sun June 8, 2025 – Bologna, Italy – Unipol Arena Tue June 10, 2025 – Paris, France – Accor Arena Wed June 11, 2025 – Paris, France – Accor Arena Sat June 14, 2025 – Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi Sun June 15, 2025 –Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi

Mon Jul 7, 2025 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro Tue Jul 8, 2025 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro Thu Jul 10, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Fri Jul 11, 2025 –London, UK – The O2 Sun Jul 13, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Mon Jul 14, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Wed Jul 16, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Thu Jul 17, 2025 – London, UK – The O2 Sat Jul 19, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Sun Jul 20, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Tue Jul 22, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Wed Jul 23, 2025 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live Sat Jul 26, 2025 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena Sun Jul 27, 2025 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena

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