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Tour de France Winners List

The most successful rider in the Tour de France was Lance Armstrong , who finished first seven times before his wins were removed from the record books after being found guilty of doping by the USADA in 2012. No rider has been named to replace him for those years.

> see also more information about how they determine the winners of the Tour

General Classification Winners

* footnotes

• 1904: The original winner was Maurice Garin, however he was found to have caught a train for part of the race and was disqualified.
• 1996: Bjarne Riis has admitted to the use of doping during the 1996 Tour. The Tour de France organizers have stated they no longer consider him to be the winner, although Union Cycliste Internationale has so far refused to change the official status due to the amount of time passed since his win. Jan Ullrich was placed second.
• 1999-2005: these races were originally won by Lance armstrong, but in 2012 his wins in the tour de france were removed due to doping violations.
• 2006: Floyd Landis was the initial winner but subsequently rubbed out due to a failed drug test.
• 2010: Alberto Contador was the initial winner of the 2010 event, but after a prolonged drug investigation he was stripped of his win in 2012.

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Tour de France Stage 21: Tadej Pogačar wins third Tour de France title

Slovenia's Tadej Pogačar won the 2024 Tour de France with yet another commanding stage victory during Sunday’s time trial.

Pogačar is now the first man in the 21st century to win both the Giro D’Italia and Tour de France in the same season after winning six individual Tour stages along his way to the overall victory. The Slovenian won his third Tour de France following his victories in 2020 and 2021. He has now successfully reclaimed the title from rival Jonas Vingegaard , the 2022 and 2023 champion. 

"I cannot describe how happy I am after two hard years in the Tour de France," Pogačar said after his victory. "This year everything (went) to perfection, I’m out of words.

"This is the first Grand Tour where I was totally confident every day," Pogačar added.

After three weeks of exhilarating competition between the sport’s greatest rivalry in Pogačar and Vingegaard, historic moments and over 2,000 miles of racing, this year’s final stage was historic as it switched Paris’ Champs-Élysées for the Promenade des Anglais. This year was the first time the finish line was not in or near Paris because the city is hosting the 2024 Paris Olympic Games .

The time trial included a 21-mile ride from Monaco to Nice, France, with rolling hills and an overall elevation gain of 695m − not a negligible figure but significantly less inclined than the recent mountainous stages. Pogačar led rivals Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel through every checkpoint of today's time trial. This year was the first time since 1989 that the competition ended with a time trial.  

Although Vingegaard did not achieve a coveted three-peat, his inspiring runner-up performance was an extraordinary feat considering he returned to competition after having suffered serious injuries that hospitalized him for 12 days in April.

Belgium's Remco Evenepoel rounded out the general classification podium following a third-place finish in today's time trial. This result is an outstanding achievement for the 24-year-old who made his Tour de France debut this year. Evenepoel also won the white jersey, awarded to the best young rider, with a commanding lead. He will surely be one to watch in the future.

Looking forward, Pogačar said he will now turn his focus to the World Road Championships in September, where he will take on reigning World Champion Mathieu van der Poel of the Netherlands. 

"Van der Poel looks really good in the World Championships jersey, but I want to take it from him this year," Pogačar said. "We’ll see."

USA Today Sports provided live updates during the final stage of the Tour de France:

Here are the final general classification standings for the 2024 Tour de France:

Here are the final jersey standings for the 2024 tour de france:.

• Yellow ( general classification ) : Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)
• Green ( points classification ):  Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty)
• White (young rider classification ):  Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep)
• Polka dot ( mountains classification ):  Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost)
• Yellow numbers ( teams classification) :  UAE Team Emirates

Here are the rankings for Stage 21 of the Tour de France:

• Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) 45min 24sec
• Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) +1min 2sec
• Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step) +1min 13sec
• Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) +2min 7sec
• João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) +2min 17sec
• Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) +2min 31sec
• Mikel Landa (Soudal-Quick-Step) +2min 41sec
• Harold Tejada (Astana Qazaqstan) +2min 50sec
• Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) +2min 53sec
• Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) +2min 56sec

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar wins the time trial and the 2024 Tour de France

Tadej Pogačar is your 2024 Tour de France Champion. Just when you thought Pogačar could not be any more dominant, the Slovenian beat rival Jonas Vingegaard and World Time Trial Champion Remco Evenopoel to win the final stage of the Tour de France and seal his general classification victory. The Slovenian is now the only person in the 21st century to win the Giro D’Italia and Tour de France in the same season.

Pogačar looks unstoppable 

Pogačar is on the brink of victory having just passed through the third and final checkpoint over a minute faster than rival Vingegaard.

American Matteo Jorgenson overtakes Harold Tejada as Stage 21 leader

Jorgenson has improved upon Harold Tejada’s time to become the current leader of today’s time trial in 47 minutes and 32 seconds despite a minor crash along the route. The general classification riders are still on the course and are on track to beat Jorgenson's time. 

Tadej Pogačar extends lead over Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel

Pogačar passed through the second checkpoint 24 seconds ahead of Vingegaard and 51 seconds ahead of Evenepoel. The Slovenian is on track to win his sixth stage of the Tour on his way to officially winning his third Tour de France yellow jersey.

Tadej Pogačar establishes early lead over Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel

Pogačar led the golden trio through the first checkpoint, reaching the mark seven seconds ahead of Vingegaard and 26 seconds ahead of Evenepoel. These margins are currently too slim to make a difference in the general classification standings. 

Richard Carapaz caps off successful Tour de France with polka-dotted jersey win

Carapaz has finished the time trial within the time limit, concluding a successful Tour de France and officially securing the polka-dotted jersey, which recognizes the field’s best climber. He is the first Ecuadorian man to win this jersey.

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogaçar starts final stage looking to win his third Tour de France 

Yellow jersey wearer Tadej Pogaçar of UAE Team Emirates has officially started the final stage of what is likely to be his third Tour de France victory. Pogaçar has had such a dominant Tour that he should win the general classification standings barring any disaster such as a serious fall. 

Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard begins 

The 2022 and 2023 Tour de France Champion has started the time trial. The current runner-up in the yellow jersey standings, Vingegaard trails Pogaçar by over five minutes. Although only a catastrophe from Pogaçar could hand Vingegaard the win, the Dane has much to be proud of after returning to competition following serious injuries from a crash in April. 

Remco Evenpoel is off!

Belgium’s Evenepoel of Soudal-QuickStep has started the time trial as the favorite to win today’s stage with the best time trial ability on paper. The white jersey wearer is the reigning World Time Trial Champion and edged out Tadej Pogačar to win the only other time trial of this Tour de France. Evenepoel is currently in third place in the general classification standings, approximately eight minutes behind lead Tadej Pogačar. Although he most likely will not be able to catch Pogačar or Vingegaard, he should be in a good position to defend his third-place podium position as well as his white jersey, which signifies the best young rider of the Tour.

Matteo Jorgenson falls

Jorgenson appeared to slip while zooming around a bend but promptly got up and resumed cycling. He appears to be okay. 

Hometown hero Romain Bardet finishes his Tour de France

France’s Romain Bardet of Team dsm–firmenich PostNL has officially concluded what is expected to be his last Tour de France. The hometown favorite finished to resounding cheers to cap off one of the most successful French cycling careers of this generation. Although Bardet will finish outside of the top 10 in the general classification standings, Bardet got his storybook ending with a victory during the first stage of the Tour.

American Matteo Jorgenson starts time trial

Jorgenson , 25, has started the route from Monaco to Nice. He is the highest-ranked American on the general classification leaderboard, standing in eighth place after Stage 20 following a particularly successful second half of the Tour.

The first of the general classification leaders are off 

Italy’s Giulio Ciccone of Lidl-Trek was the first of the top 10 general classification leaders to start the time trial. The race is heating up as the rest of the top contenders prepare to tackle the course.

Richard Carapaz sets off

Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz of EF Education–EasyPost has started the time trial. If he finishes within the time limit, he will officially become the first Ecuadorian to win the polka-dotted jersey that signifies the Tour’s best climber. He was already named the super-combative rider of the Tour earlier this morning.

Wout van Aert finishes an underwhelming Tour de France 

Wout van Aert of Visma-Lease a Bike has finished his 2024 Tour de France with a time of 53 minutes and 38 seconds in the time trial, good for 74th place so far in today’s standings. The 29-year-old Belgian was the first of the realistic contenders for today’s stage win to set off. Van Aert has won nine individual Tour stages during his career, including two individual time trials, but did not come away with a stage victory this year despite several top-10 finishes.

American Neilson Powless finishes Tour de France with fourth-fastest time trial so far

Powless finished the time trial in 49 minutes and nine seconds, 55 seconds behind current leader Harold Tejada. He now sits in fourth place in today’s stage rankings with the best general classification riders, including American Matteo Jorgenson, still to come.

Harold Tejada overtakes Lenny Martinez in Stage 21 standings

Harold Tejada of Astana Qazaqstan has improved on Frenchman Lenny Martinez’s time to take a 10-second lead. The Colombian now leads today’s time trial standings with a mark of 48 minutes and 14 seconds. The field’s best general classification riders are still to come.

Mark Cavendish gives emotional interview

Cavendish spoke to the media after he finished the time trial. 

"It was just about enjoying it," Cavendish said of today's stage. "There’s no pressure for me today, which is strange for a final stage of the Tour. I knew my family were waiting at the finish and I was just absorbing it. I think I got all the emotions out of the way yesterday and I could really just enjoy today."

Cavendish also confirmed that today’s stage was "likely" his last professional race and reflected on his career. 

"I feel very lucky to have had the career I’ve had, to work with the people I have, to meet the people I have and be able to live the dream," Cavendish said. "You see the success, you see the photos of wins, videos of wins, but it’s rare people see everything that goes in behind, everything that makes it. It’s taught me a lot about myself, it’s taught me a lot about how to be a father, and that’s the biggest thing I take from the sport."

What is the green jersey in the Tour de France?

The green jersey is awarded to the best overall rider in the points classification. Points are awarded at stage finishes and intermediate sprints during stages, so the jersey usually designates the best overall sprinter of the Tour. Eritrea's Biniam Girmay was awarded the green jersey this year.

Why is the Tour de France not finishing in Paris?

The Tour de France will not finish in or near Paris for the first time in history because of the ongoing preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games . Instead, the race will finish in the southeastern French city of Nice. The finish line is located at the Promenade des Anglais − Nice's version of Paris' Champs-Elysée, the traditional finish of the tour.

Read more about the historic decision here .

Biniam Girmay officially makes history as first Black green jersey winner

After finishing Stage 21 within the time limit, Biniam Girmay of Eritrea and Intermarché-Wanty is officially the first Black rider in history to win the points classification. Girmay has had a stellar Tour de France, establishing himself as the best sprinter of the field with his three stage victories and green jersey win, even after suffering injuries that required stitches during Stage 16 . 

Jasper Philipsen finishes his Tour de France

Choosing to contest the stage with a road bike instead of a time trial bike, Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen has finished the time trial in 52 minutes and 55 seconds. After a disappointing start to the competition, Philipsen turned his fortunes around, winning three sprint stages , but ultimately lost his battle for the green jersey to Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay.

Mark Cavendish finishes final Tour de France

One of the greatest sprinters in history has officially said farewell to cycling’s most iconic competition. Great Britain’s Mark Cavendish, 39, crossed the Tour de France finish line for the final time in a time of 54 minutes and 38 seconds. The Brit was set to retire at the end of last season but returned for a final Tour de France after he crashed out of last year’s race. Cavendish finally got his fairytale ending to his inspiring career during this year’s Stage 5, where he sprinted to victory for a record-breaking 35th career Tour de France stage win. It’s safe to say Cavendish accomplished what he came for (and more). 

Biniam Girmay has started!

Green jersey wearer Biniam Girmay of Eritrea is now on the course. Girmay has had a breakout performance during this year’s competition, picking up three stage wins with his fierce sprint finishes. Despite a crash during Stage 16 that left Girmay needing stitches, the Eritrean edged out Jasper Philipsen for the green jersey (points classification). All Girmay needs to do is complete the trial within the time limit and he will become the first Black rider in history to win the green jersey accolade. 

Polka-dotted jersey wearer Richard Carapaz wins super-combative rider award

After votes from a jury and the public, Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz has been named the super-combative rider of this year’s Tour de France. Carapaz made history as the first Ecuadorian to win an individual Tour stage with his Stage 17 victory and the first to win the mountains classification after yesterday’s final group racing stage.  

And they're off!

Italy's Davide Ballerini was the first to set off on the course, just ahead of his Astana Qazaqstan teammate Mark Cavendish, who is beginning his final Tour de France stage of his illustrious, record-breaking career.

Start times finalized

There will be a staggered start to the individual time trial with 90 seconds between each rider. The cyclists will start in reverse order of the general classification standings, with yellow jersey wearer Pogačar beginning the stage last at 12:45 p.m. ET. Italy's Davide Ballerini will be the first to start at 8:40 am ET.

Tour de France general classification standings after Stage 20

Here's what the general classification standings look like heading into the final stage.

Tour de France jersey standings after Stage 20

Here's what the individual jersey leaderboard looks like heading into the final stage. Barring any catastrophe from the leaders, these standings are unlikely to change unless the leaders fail to finish the time trial.

• Green ( points classification ):  Biniam Girmay (Intermarché - Wanty)

The Complete Guide to Every Tour de France Winner Through History

A rider-by-rider list of champions, from Maurice Garin in 1903 to Jonas Vingegaard in 2022.

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We’ve got you covered with this complete list of every rider who has ever won an overall Tour de France title.

To learn more about the stories behind these athletes and their victories, Bill and Carol McGann’s two-volume The Story of the Tour de France and Les Woodland’s The Unknown Tour de Franc e are two of the best English-language resources out there.

Maurice Garin

Country: France Team: La Française Year(s): 1903

A chimney sweep-turned-champion, Garin led the inaugural Tour de France from start to finish, winning by almost three hours over the second-place rider. He earned the equivalent of about $40,000 for his efforts, money he later used to buy his own gas station.

Henri Cornet

Country: France Team: Conte Year(s): 1904

Cornet was declared the winner of the 1904 Tour after the first four finishers (including Garin) were disqualified for various forms of cheating. Only 19 at the time, Cornet remains the youngest winner in Tour history.

Louis Trousselier

Country: France Team: Peugeot–Wolber Year(s): 1905

Trousselier had to go on leave from the French army to compete in the 1905 Tour, so he made sure he invested his time wisely, winning three stages on his way to the overall victory. The night before winning the final stage, “Trou-Trou” spent all night drinking and gambling, losing the money he was set to win. He returned to the army the day after being crowned champion.

René Pottier

Country: France Team: Peugeot–Wolber Year(s): 1906

One year after becoming the first man to abandon the Tour while leading it, Pottier got his revenge by winning five stages and the overall title. Sadly, he hanged himself in his team clubhouse the following January after learning that his wife had had an affair while he competed in the race.

Lucien Petit-Breton

Country: France Team: Peugeot–Wolber Year(s): 1907, 1908

The Tour’s first two-time winner, Petit-Breton’s name is actually Lucien Mazan. Trying to keep his occupation a secret from his father—who didn’t want him to become a cyclist—Mazan raced under a pseudonym. In earning the second of his two Tour victories, he won five stages and never finished outside the top four. He was killed while serving as a driver for the French army in World War I.

François Faber

Country: Luxembourg Team: Alcyon–Dunlop Year(s): 1909

The first foreigner to win the Tour de France, Faber was incredibly large by contemporary standards. Nicknamed the “Giant of Colombe” after the Parisian suburb in which he lived, Faber measured six feet tall and weighed more than 200 pounds. He was shot in the back and killed while trying to carry a wounded comrade across no-man’s-land during a battle in WWI.

Octave Lapize

Country: France Team: Alcyon–Dunlop Year(s): 1910

To win his only Tour de France, Lapize had to overcome both his teammate Faber, the defending champion, and the Tour’s first visit to the Pyrenees. Luckily, Lapize was a much better climber than Faber, so the high mountains played to his strengths. He is perhaps most famous for shouting, “You are assassins!” at Tour organizers while climbing the Tourmalet. While serving as a fighter pilot in WWI, he was shot down and killed over Verdun.

Gustave Garrigou

Country: France Team: Alcyon–Dunlop Year(s): 1911

Despite complaints from racers, Tour organizers considered the Pyreneean stages such a success that they added the Alps in 1911. Faber again lost to a teammate, the climber Garrigou, who needed a bodyguard and disguise to finish the race after accusations that he poisoned a fellow competitor. He was later found innocent.

Odile Defraye

Country: Belgium Team: Alcyon–Dunlop Year(s): 1912

The first Belgian to win the Tour de France, Defraye rode the Tour six times and only finished once (in the same year that he won).

Philippe Thys

Country: Belgium Teams: Peugeot–Wolber, La Sportive Year(s): 1913, 1914, 1920

The Tour’s first three-time winner, Thys was the last rider to win before the start of WWI, and one of only a few prior champions to survive the conflict and continue his career.

Firmin Lambot

Country: Belgium Teams: La Sportive, Peugeot-Wolber Year(s): 1919, 1922

When the Tour started again after the war, Lambot continued Belgium’s run of success, taking the lead just two stages from the finish after Eugène Christophe—for the second time in his career—had his Tour ruined by a broken fork. Lambot won his second title at age 36, making him the oldest winner to date.

Léon Scieur

Country: Belgium Team: La Sportive Year(s): 1921

Discovered by Lambot, who hailed from the same town in Belgium, Scieur was nicknamed “the Locomotive” in the press for the way he relentlessly consolidated his lead. His wheel broke on the penultimate day and he carried it more than 300K on his back to show officials that he was justified in taking a replacement (rules at the time limited outside support for riders).

Henri Pélissier

Country: France Team: Automoto–Hutchinson Year(s): 1923

The oldest of three brothers, all of whom were cyclists, Pélissier finished only two of the eight Tours he started, placing second in 1914 and finally winning in 1923. Talented but ill-tempered, he dropped out mostly by choice. His most famous DNF came in 1920, when rather than accept a two-minute penalty for throwing away a flat tire, he abandoned the race in protest.

Ottavio Bottecchia

Country: Italy Team: Automoto Year(s): 1924, 1925

In 1924, Bottecchia became Italy’s first Tour de France champion and the first rider to wear the yellow jersey from start to finish. His initial win was made easier thanks to the departure of the Pélissier brothers on Stage 3. Discovered to be wearing two jerseys at a time, then a violation of the rules, Henri, his brother, and another teammate abandoned—you guessed it—in protest.

Lucien Buysse

Country: Belgium Team: Automoto–Hutchinson Year(s): 1926

Buysse rode selflessly for Bottecchia in 1925 and was rewarded with a chance to win the Tour for himself in 1926. Tragically, the Belgian received news that his daughter had died early in the race, but his family convinced him to carry on to victory.

Nicolas Frantz

Country: Luxembourg Team: Alcyon–Dunlop Year(s): 1927, 1928

Fourth in 1925 and second in 1926, Frantz set the foundation for his first Tour victory by winning Stage 11, a mountainous day that tackled the Pyrenean “Circle of Death,” a route with four challenging climbs including the Col d’Aubisque and Col du Tourmalet. He led the 1928 Tour from start to finish, becoming only the fifth rider (at the time) to win the overall twice.

Maurice De Waele

Country: Belgium Team: Alcyon–Dunlop Year(s): 1929

Second in 1927 and third in 1928, De Waele overcame several flat tires—riders were then required to change their own flats—and illness to win in 1929. He wasn’t a popular champion, which caused organizer Henri Desgrange to remark, “A corpse has won my race!”

André Leducq

Country: France Teams: Alcyon–Dunlop, France Year(s): 1930, 1932

The year 1930 brought a change to the Tour: National and regional teams, instead of sponsored trade teams, would now compete. This shifted the power back to France, with Leducq winning two of the decade’s first five Tours (all of which went to the French).

Antonin Magne

Country: France Team: France Year(s): 1931, 1934

Third behind Leducq in 1930, Magne took advantage of new three-minute time bonuses given to stage winners—as well as a mysterious letter tipping him off to the tactics of a competitor—to win in 1931, his first of two victories.

Georges Speicher

Country: France Team: France Year(s): 1933

Historians consider the French team at the 1933 Tour to be one of the strongest collections of pre-war riders ever assembled. Speicher was joined on the start line by former winners Leducq and Magne, as well as future winner Roger Lapébie.

Since getting hooked on pro cycling while watching Lance Armstrong win the 1993 U.S. Pro Championship in Philadelphia, longtime Bicycling contributor Whit Yost has raced on Belgian cobbles, helped build a European pro team, and piloted that team from Malaysia to Mont Ventoux as an assistant director sportif. These days, he lives with his wife and son in Pennsylvania, spending his days serving as an assistant middle school principal and his nights playing Dungeons & Dragons.

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This is the best Tour de France finish ever

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Jonas Vingegaard Wins Tour de France Again After Vanquishing His Rival

What started as a tense two-man battle became a foregone conclusion when Tadej Pogacar couldn’t stay with Vingegaard in the 17th stage of the race.

By Kevin Draper

When Tadej Pogacar slipped behind Jonas Vingegaard on the Col de la Loze mountain pass through the Alps on Wednesday, eight kilometers and a world away from the top of the hot, punishing climb, it was only briefly unclear why. Pogacar’s own voice, over his team’s radio and broadcast on television during the Tour de France’s 17th stage, provided an immediate explanation for the rare sight of him being left behind like a mere mortal.

“I’m gone,” he told his team. “I’m dead.”

It was an astonishing bit of television, a moment that will be replayed on every Tour broadcast for decades.

Most of Pogacar’s teammates did not wait for him. They did not try to help him. What would have been the point? There was no saving his race. Pogacar, the 24-year-old from Slovenia who usually rides with a smile on his face, perpetually unbothered, tufts of hair peeking out of his helmet, was gone.

Vingegaard quickly rode away from him, and rode away with his second consecutive Tour victory.

The Tour ended Sunday with pomp, aerial shots of the Eiffel Tower and eight furious laps on the cobbled roads of central Paris, capped by a sprint down the Champs-Élysées. Vingegaard, ahead of Pogacar by 7 minutes 29 seconds, rode easy in the leader’s yellow jersey, sipping Champagne while surrounded by his Jumbo-Visma teammates.

There were, as is always the case in a three-week race, several noteworthy stories. Jasper Philipsen won four stages and proved that he is the best sprinter in the world. Thibaut Pinot rode his final Tour de France with his typical verve and panache, while Peter Sagan and Mark Cavendish ended their illustrious careers not with a bang but with a whimper. Hopefuls crashed and breakaways surprisingly succeeded.

Pogacar’s teammate, Adam Yates, finished a distant third, but from beginning to end the Tour was about Pogacar and Vingegaard. The decisive 17th stage and the gap between the two — the winning margin was the Tour’s largest since 2014 — belies what was, until then, one of the most tense and exciting races in years.

After beginning in Bilbao, Spain, three weeks ago, the Tour followed an unusual cadence. Instead of most of the decisive mountain stages being stacked in the last week of the race, hard climbs were scattered throughout, as were hilly, punchy climbs packed with intrigue.

It led to Vingegaard and Pogacar trading blows, heavyweight fighters (though they look more like featherweights on bikes) slugging it out.

Vingegaard struck first, on the Col de Marie Blanque in the Pyrenees during the fifth stage. Jai Hindley, a fringe contender who ultimately finished seventh, won the stage in a breakaway and for a day wore the yellow jersey. On the steepest part of the climb, Vingegaard surged away from Pogacar, gaining over a minute on his rival.

Despite Pogacar’s pedigree — he won the Tour in 2020 and 2021 — questions were asked as to whether the race was already decided. After a blistering spring season that saw him win two stage races and three of the more prestigious one-day classic races, Pogacar broke his wrist in late April, and it was not fully healed when the Tour began. If Pogacar could not stay with Vingegaard early in the race in the Pyrenees, how would he possibly fare in the Alps?

The next day Pogacar gave his answer . Vingegaard tried attacking twice, dropping the field, but Pogacar stayed glued to his wheel. Three kilometers from the end of the stage, as fans set off flares beside them, Pogacar flipped the script with a surprising counterpunch and won the stage, gaining 24 seconds back.

“If it’s going to happen like yesterday, we can pack our bags and go home,” Pogacar recalled thinking during one of Vingegaard’s attacks. “Luckily I had good legs today.”

Slowly but surely, Pogacar chipped away at Vingegaard’s advantage. On stage nine, up the famed Puy de Dôme extinct volcano, he gained back eight seconds . Four stages later, he clawed back another eight seconds on the mountaintop finish on the Col du Grand Colombier. Twice he launched devastating sprints near the end of stages, and twice Vingegaard was unable to stick with him.

Only in retrospect, with the full results known, was it possible to look at these stages in a different light. Vingegaard has traditionally been stronger than Pogacar on long mountain climbs where he can grind away, whereas Pogacar is a more explosive rider who pulls away with impossible-to-follow bursts. But while Pogacar gained time on Vingegaard across three stages, he was unable to bury him. Vingegaard lost a few seconds, but did not let a loss turn into a rout.

Vingegaard, a quiet 26-year-old from Denmark, first showed what would eventually become his dominant form on the only individual time trial of the race, one day before he shattered Pogacar on the Col de la Loze. Starting the time trial second to last, Pogacar was faster than the rest of the field by over a minute. He had a good day. But Vingegaard had a great day .

Starting last, Vingegaard rode to his limit, taking impeccable lines at unbelievable speeds during the downhill portion of the course and showing off his climbing skills on the uphill finish despite riding on a heavier time trial bike. In the end, he gained almost two minutes on Pogacar. He was so fast he thought his equipment was malfunctioning.

“I think it was one of my best days on the bike ever,” Vingegaard said after the stage.

The next day, Pogacar would, by his own words, die. For two weeks, Vingegaard’s Jumbo-Visma team had set a relentless pace, aiming not necessarily to help Vingegaard win stages or gain time but rather to drain Pogacar of energy, to put his healing wrist under pressure, so that he was deeply fatigued by the time the race got to the Alps, Vingegaard’s territory.

On the long hot stage, the food Pogacar ate stayed stuck in his stomach, he later said, and never made it to his legs. Vingegaard never attacked. He did not need to. Pogacar could not stick with him up the Col de la Loze, and as soon as Jumbo-Visma saw this, Vingegaard’s domestiques increased the pace to assure that Pogacar would fall farther behind. He never stabilized; instead, second by second, pedal stroke by pedal stroke, he seemed to fall back down the mountain.

On the 20th, and penultimate, stage on Saturday, Pogacar did not try attacking Vingegaard early on the Col du Platzerwasel mountain pass. There would have been no point; he was not going to gain back minutes. Instead they climbed the mountain together, passing opponents until the end, where Pogacar beat Vingegaard in an uphill sprint to win the stage — a final prize, but only a consolation.

Vingegaard and Pogacar have combined to win the last four Tours, and neither has yet reached the age when cyclists typically peak. “It’s been an amazing fight we’ve had since Bilbao, and hopefully also in the future,” Vingegaard said after his victory was assured.

The only shame is that the next episode of this fight will not take place for another year.

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

Official games

2024 Edition

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TOTAL: 3 498 km

This will be the first Grand Départ in Italy and the 26th that’s taken place abroad  First finale in Nice. Due to the Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place in Paris, the race will not finish in the French capital for the first time.

Two time trials. 25 + 34 = 59km in total, the second of them taking place on the final Monaco>Nice stage. This will be the first time the race has seen a finale of this type for 35 years, the last occasion being the famous Fignon - LeMond duel in 1989.

Apennines (Italy), the Italian and French Alps, Massif Central and Pyrenees will be the mountain ranges on the 2024 Tour route.

The number of countries visited in 2024: Italy, San Marino, Monaco and France. Within France, the race will pass through 7 Regions and 30 departments.

The number of bonus points 8, 5 and 2 bonus seconds go to the first three classified riders, featuring at strategic points along the route (subject to approval by the International Cycling Union)these will have no effect on the points classification. Bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds will be awarded to the first three classified riders at road stage finishes.

Out of a total of 39, the locations or stage towns that are appearing on the Tour map for the first time . In order of appearance: Florence, Rimini, Cesenatico, Bologna, Piacenza, Saint-Vulbas, Gevrey-Chambertin, Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, Évaux-les-Bains, Gruissan, Superdévoluy, Col de la Couillole.

The number of sectors on white roads during stage nine, amounting to 32km in total .

The number of stages: 8 flat, 4 hilly, 7 mountain (with 4 summit finishes at Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet, Plateau de Beille, Isola 2000, Col de la Couillole), 2 time trials and 2 rest days.

The number of riders who will line up at the start of the Tour, divided into 22 teams of 8 riders each.

The height of the summit of the Bonette pass in the Alps, the highest tarmac road in France, which will be the “roof” of the 2024 Tour.

The total vertical gain during the 2024 Tour de France.

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A total of 2,3 million euros will be awarded to the teams and riders including € 500,000 to the final winner of the overall individual classification .

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Kasia Niewiadoma wins women's Tour de France by just 4 seconds

• Associated Press

ALPE D'HUEZ, France -- Polish rider Kasia Niewiadoma did just enough in a thrilling battle Sunday with rival Demi Vollering on the iconic Alpe d'Huez to win the women's Tour de France by four seconds overall.

It was the smallest margin of victory in any Tour de France edition, including the men's race.

"It's so crazy, this Tour has been a crazy roller coaster," Niewiadoma said after the eighth and final stage. "I've had bad moments. I hated every moment of this last climb, but when I heard that I had won the Tour de France, I could not believe it."

Niewiadoma sat on the road after finishing, exhausted and waiting to get the confirmation that she had won. When the news finally came, she lifted her bike in triumph and appeared overwhelmed by the magnitude of her achievement.

Knowing she still trailed Niewiadoma overall, Vollering had been part of a breakaway Sunday with fellow Dutch rider Pauliena Rooijakkers earlier in the race. Vollering accelerated powerfully in the final stretch to win the stage.

But the gap wasn't quite enough as Niewiadoma finished fourth to narrowly clinch her first Tour title, with an overall time of 24 hours, 36 minutes, 7 seconds. Vollering's final time was 24:36:11.

Vollering, the defending champion, had fought back after suffering a crash in the fifth stage. She was inconsolable when she learned she had finished second overall after starting the stage more than a minute behind Niewiadoma overall.

"Right now, I feel really bitter that I only lost by four seconds," Vollering said. "It's really painful to know that I did not do enough today."

Rooijakkers, also a title contender, finished third in the overall standings at only 10 seconds behind Niewiadoma.

Vuelta a España stage 11 Live - Large breakaway battle for the win in Galicia

Jonas vingegaard seals overall victory at tour de pologne.

Olav Kooij wins final stage in bunch finish in Krakow

Jonas Vingegaard sealed overall victory at the Tour de Pologne after he finished safely in the peloton stage 7 to Krakow, which was won by his Visma-Lease a Bike teammate Olav Kooij in a bunch sprint.

Kooij delivered a well-judged effort in the finishing straight to claim the stage honours ahead of Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) and Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert). In an unruly bunch finish, Kooij bided his time before coming off Thijssen’s wheel within sight of the line and holding off the fast-finishing Merlier.

It was Kooij’s second sprint win of the week and his seventh victory of a season that included a triumph in Naples on his Grand Tour debut at the Giro d’Italia.

Sunday’s flat final stage from Wieliczka to Krakow was always liable to yield a bunch sprint but that didn’t deter an enterprising group of four riders from spending the bulk of the day off the front.

Archie Ryan (EF Education-EasyPost) has caught the eye every time the road climbed this week in Poland and the Irishman opted to go on the offensive once again on Sunday despite terrain that was hardly suited to his gifts.

Ryan was joined in the break by Jack Rootkin-Gray, Rémi Cavagna (Movistar) and Marcin Budziński (Poland), and the quartet struck a decent working relationship to stay clear onto the three laps of the 5km finishing circuit around Krakow.

By then, a bunch sprint was inevitable, but Ryan and Budziński battled gamely to stay clear until midway through the final lap. From there, the sprinters’ teams took up the reins, even if no single team could control affairs.

DSM-Firmenich-PostNL had numbers in support of Casper van Uden, but he had to settle for fourth as his fellow Dutchman Kooij scorched to a clear victory.

Vingegaard had an untroubled final afternoon of racing, and the Dane was happy to play his part in helping Visma-Lease a Bike tee up a bunch finish for Kooij.

In the final overall standings, Vingegaard finished 13 seconds clear of Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates) and 20 ahead of his Visma teammate Wilco Kelderman.

The Tour de Pologne is Vingegaard’s third stage race victory of the season following his triumphs at O Gran Camiño and Tirreno-Adriatico earlier in the year.

Vingegaard’s season was interrupted by the serious injuries he sustained in a mass crash at Itzulia Basque Country in April, but he returned in time to win a stage and finish on the podium of the Tour de France last month.

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Barry Ryan is Head of Features at Cyclingnews. He has covered professional cycling since 2010, reporting from the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and events from Argentina to Japan. His writing has appeared in The Independent, Procycling and Cycling Plus. He is the author of The Ascent: Sean Kelly, Stephen Roche and the Rise of Irish Cycling’s Golden Generation , published by Gill Books.

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