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How long is the Tour de France?

The Tour de France has changed dramatically since the first edition in 1903. We examine how the length and speed of the Tour de France has evolved with time

Words: Katy Madgwick

Photos: SWPix.com

The Tour de France is the world's biggest bike race and the leading event in the men's professional cycling calendar. Riders strive their whole careers to win stages, or even to just start and finish the race.

The 2024 Tour de France route follows a standard formula of 21 stages, with a mixture of flat, hilly, and mountainous days. The difference in this edition though is that the Tour begins in Italy with three stages before moving back to France at the end of stage four.

With two rest days in the three weeks, despite a Grand Départ  abroad the race will not take an extra rest day to accommodate travel as it did after the Danish start in 2022. However, this Tour will have a distinctly different finish to tradition, with a time trial in Nice bringing down the curtain on the race due to the Olympic Games taking place in Paris.

How far is the 2024 Tour de France   in kilometres and miles?

This 111 th edition of the Tour de France covers a total distance of 3,492km, or 2,169.8 miles, making it the longest of the three Grand Tours in 2024, with the Giro d’Italia second at 3,317.5km and the Vuelta a España the shortest at 3,265km. 

This Tour de France is longer than last year’s edition, which totalled 3,406km. The first three editions of the race totalled less than 3000km but were spread across just six gruelling stages. Following that, the Tour tended to be much longer, covering distances in excess of 5000km in the 1920s and regularly exceeding 4000km right up until the 1980s, when distances began to be reduced. 

Now the race has found a happy medium – incorporating a variety of distances over the course of the three weeks that make for exciting and unpredictable racing, but remain within the capabilities of the modern peloton.

The challenges that face the riders throughout the 21 stages of a Grand Tour come in myriad shapes and sizes. This year, the race begins in the Tuscan city of Florence with an exceptionally difficult 206km hilly stage to Rimini. The opening stage to this year's edition could see general classification splits from the off, but most likely will be a chance for late attacks by the puncheurs. Looking to challenge the riders from the get-go, the second stage of this year's Tour follows a similar pattern to the first, with a 199.2km from Cesenatico to Bologna that could play out similarly to the opening day.

The final stage entirely in Italy will be a chance for the sprinters. However, a distance of more than 230km will make this an energy sapping day ahead of the first mountain test on stage four, when the race starts in Italy for the final time in Pinerolo and travels into the Alps with a finish in Valloire at the foot of the Col du Galibier. The race then remains in France for the duration, with further stages in the Alps and the Massif Central, a gravel stage in Troyes, and summit finishes in the Pyrenees. The race then heads to the Maritime Alps near the Côte d'Azur before it's final showdown in Nice.

Compared to the 2024 edition, this year's route is much more mixed, with two time trials and a gravel stage amongst mountain top finishes and unpredictable hilly stages.

Tour de France distance over previous ten editions

• Tour de France 2024: 3,492 kilometres / 2,170 miles
• Tour de France 2023: 3,405 kilometres / 2,116 miles
• Tour de France 2022: 3,328 kilometres / 2,068 miles
• Tour de France 2021: 3,414 kilometres / 2,122 miles
• Tour de France 2020: 3,484 kilometres / 2,165 miles
• Tour de France 2019: 3,366 kilometres / 2,091 miles
• Tour de France 2018: 3,351 kilometres / 2,082 miles
• Tour de France 2017: 3,540 kilometres / 2,200 miles
• Tour de France 2016: 3,529 kilometres / 2,193 miles
• Tour de France 2015: 3,360 kilometres / 2,088 miles
• Tour de France 2014: 3,661 kilometres / 2,275 miles
• Tour de France 2013: 3,404 kilometres / 2,115 miles

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Tour de France 2024: Full schedule, stages, route, length, TV channel & live stream

The Tour de France is here for 2024.

The iconic cycling event is a test of physical and mental endurance, with riders tackling long distances and challenging routes over three weeks.

Reigning Giro d'Italia champion and two-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar is the clear favourite for 2024, and deservedly so.

However, last year's victor Jonas Vingegaard will look to defend his crown, recovering in time from a nasty crash in April, which saw him break his collarbone and ribs and suffer a collapsed lung.

MORE: When does the Tour de France start?

The Sporting News brings you the key details for this year's race.

How to watch the Tour de France: TV channel, live stream

USA:  NBC Sports holds the broadcast rights, with all stages available via streaming platforms Peacock and Fubo . Stages eight, 14 and 20 will be broadcast live on NBC.

UK:  The Tour de France will be live on Discovery+ and Eurosport. It will also be shown on free-to-air channel ITV 4 and streaming service ITV X. S4C will air the action in Wales.

• Australia:  Once again, SBS has exclusive free-to-air and digital broadcast rights. Fans can watch the action on SBS' TV channel and stream via SBS On Demand.

Tour de France 2024 schedule, route, stages, start times

As has become tradition, the 'Grand Depart' will be held outside of France, with Stage 1 to begin in the Italian city of Florence.

Riders will make their way into France by Stage 4 where they will stay for the remainder of the Tour.

A few flat stages will follow, with the sprinters set to battle it out in frantic finishes. 

The focus will turn to the general classification in the back half of the Tour, with three mountain stages on either side of the second rest day.

An individual time trial from Monaco to Nice will cap off this year's race.

Tour de France 2024 route, map

This year's Tour consists of eight flat stages, four hilly stages and seven mountain stages, broken up by a pair of time trials and rest days.

The  full route can be viewed here .

Tour de France 2024 stages, winners

How long is the tour de france miles, kilometres for 2024.

In the 111th edition of the Tour de France, riders will cover a total distance of 3,492km (2,170 miles).

This makes it the longest of the three Grand Tours in 2024, with the Giro d'Italia at 3,317km and the Vuelta a Espana at 3,265km. 

Tour de France teams 2024

We have 22 teams competing in the 2024 edition of the Tour de France.

Each team has eight riders, meaning there is a total of 176 riders in the field. 

Jumbo–Visma (now Visma-Lease a Bike) took out the team classification last year.

Tour de France past winners

Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard claimed his second consecutive Tour de France victory in 2023.

He defeated rival Tadej Pogacar by 7 minutes and 29 seconds – the largest margin of victory since  2014 .

Lance Armstrong won seven straight races from 1999 to 2005, but his victories have been vacated due to doping.

*Alberto Contador won the race, but later failed a drug test.

**Floyd Landis won the race, but later failed a drug test.

***Lance Armstrong had all his titles vacated due to doping. No winner was named in his place. 

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Florence > Rimini

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2023 rankings

Stage 1 | 06/29 Florence > Rimini

Stage 2 | 06/30 cesenatico > bologne, stage 3 | 07/01 plaisance > turin, stage 4 | 07/02 pinerolo > valloire, stage 5 | 07/03 saint-jean-de-maurienne > saint-vulbas, stage 6 | 07/04 mâcon > dijon, stage 7 | 07/05 nuits-saint-georges > gevrey-chambertin, stage 8 | 07/06 semur-en-auxois > colombey-les-deux-églises, stage 9 | 07/07 troyes > troyes, rest | 07/08 orléans, stage 10 | 07/09 orléans > saint-amand-montrond, stage 11 | 07/10 évaux-les-bains > le lioran, stage 12 | 07/11 aurillac > villeneuve-sur-lot, stage 13 | 07/12 agen > pau, stage 14 | 07/13 pau > saint-lary-soulan pla d'adet, stage 15 | 07/14 loudenvielle > plateau de beille, rest | 07/15 gruissan, stage 16 | 07/16 gruissan > nîmes, stage 17 | 07/17 saint-paul-trois-châteaux > superdévoluy, stage 18 | 07/18 gap > barcelonnette, stage 19 | 07/19 embrun > isola 2000, stage 20 | 07/20 nice > col de la couillole, stage 21 | 07/21 monaco > nice, tour culture, grand départ florence émilie-romagne 2024, grand départ lille-nord de france 2025, 2024 tour de france finale in nice, riding into the future, all the news, official tour operators, history of tour de france, accessories.

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Tour de France Statistics You Probably Never Heard About (2023 TdF Included)

Tour de France’s rich history goes back to 1903, when its first edition took place. Nowadays, it is the most famous cycling race globally. One day, I asked myself:

What will I discover if I visualize the data collected from over 100 editions?

The result is a unique set of charts and facts about the Tour de France that can provide valuable insights. And maybe, we can also better predict the future winners.

Learn more about the total distance, average stage length, rider’s height, weight, BMI, and other interesting data, and how they developed.

Let’s dive into one of the biggest sets of the Tour de France statistics.

Abbreviations used: GC – General Classification, GT – Grand Tour, TdF – Tour de France, BMI – Body Mass Index

I used publicly available data from wikipedia.org , procyclingstats.com , and the official Tour de France website letour.fr as data sources. Some data is not available (especially the rider’s weights/heights).

Please also keep in mind the following:

• The Tour de France did not take place between 1915-1918 and 1940-1946.
• Lance Armstrong was stripped of all his results and prizes from 1 August 1998; no alternative winners of TdF 1999-2005 have yet been declared.
• The actual rider’s racing weight could vary.

Tour de France 2023 Summary

The overall winner of the 2023 Tour de France is Jonas Vingegaard (DK). He finished 7:29 ahead of Tadej Pogačar . Vingegaard covered the 3,401 km route, averaging 41.43 km/h.

The 2023 Tour de France points classification winner is Jasper Philipsen (BE). He accumulated 377 points and won 4 stages (stage 3, stage 4, stage 7, and stage 11).

The 2023 Tour de France mountain classification winner is Giulio Ciccone (IT). He accumulated 106 points.

The best young rider (under 25 years) for the 2023 Tour de France is Tadej Pogačar (SLO). He finished 7:29 behind Jonas Vingegaard.

Tour de France Total Distance

The Tour de France was the longest Grand Tour for decades. The first 3 editions were relatively short (2,428, 2,428, and 2,994 km). However, that changed with the 4th edition. For the next decades, riders had to cover an overall distance exceeding 5,000 km. Luckily for riders, this distance shortened over time.

The average Tour de France length of all editions is 4,190 km . The average length was 4,139 km between 1960 and 1980, 3,791 km between 1980 and 2000, and “only” 3,491 km between 2000 and 2020. The total length of the 2023 Tour de France is 3401.3 km .

Tour de France Average Speed

The average Tour de France speed of all editions is 34.62 km/h . The average speed was 27.67 km/h between 1919 and 1939, and 40.15 km/h between 1999 and 2019. The average speed of the 2023 Tour de France was 41.43 km/h .

The average speed improved mainly thanks to technological progress, better training methods, and nutrition specialists

Do you think we will ever see a Tour de France ridden with an average speed exceeding 45 km/h?

Number and Length of the Tour de France Stages

The number of Tour de France stages increased from 6-15 stages to more than 20, depending on the edition. For the last few years, it has remained the same (21).

The average Tour de France stage length of all editions is 218 km (time trials included). It went down from a whopping 286 km between 1909-1939 to 197 km between 1949-1979 and 173 km between 1989-2019. The average stage length of the 2023 Tour de France is 162 km .

Historical Extremes of the Tour de France

Can you guess the longest and shortest Tour de France edition ?

The longest Tour de France took place in 1926. Riders had to cover 5,745 km (this is about the same distance as from New York to London).

The shortest Tour de France were the first two editions (1903 and 1904); they had the same length of 2,428 km .

The longest Tour de France stage was the 5th stage of the 1919 edition; it was 482 km long.

The fastest Tour de France took place in 2022. The average speed of the winner was 41.84 km/h.

The slowest Tour de France was the 22nd edition (1924). The winner, Ottavio Bottecchia, reached a winning time of 226h 18′ 21″ on an overall distance of 5,425 km. This results in an average speed of 23.97 km/h .

IMPORTANT NOTE : Many websites (including Wikipedia) list the 1919 Tour de France as the slowest TdF ever (24.06 km/h). This claim is incorrect because the 1924 Tour de France was even slower (23.97 km/h).

Interested in more statistics? I summarized Giro and Vuelta as well.

Tour de France Rider’s Height, Weight, and BMI (Over Time)

How do the Tour de France riders’ height, weight, and BMI develop over time? How do these data differ between riders for the general classification, climbers, and sprinters (all-rounders)? You learn in this section.

NOTE : The heights and weight data are unfortunately not available for all riders.

General Classification

Tour de France winners are getting taller but leaner. ..

A friend once told me I am too tall for cycling (I am 1.85 m). I thought he was right, but he was not. Even tall riders like Bradley Wiggins (1.90 m), Chris Froome (1.86 m), or Miguel Indurain (1.86 m) have won the Tour de France. And it seems that the Tour de France is being won by taller and taller riders (check the chart below).

The average height of a Tour de France winner is 1.77 m .

The tallest Tour de France winner ever was Bradley Wiggins (TdF 2012). He is 1.90 m tall.

The shortest Tour de France winner ever was Romain Maes (TdF 1935). He was 1.60 m tall.

Lower weight = Better Chance to Win Tour de France?

The average weight of a Tour de France winner is 68.1 kg .

The heaviest Tour de France winner was François Faber. He won the 1909 TdF, weighing 88 kg .

The lightest Tour de France winner was Marco Pantani. He won the 1998 TdF, weighing just 57 kg .

Of all the charts in this article, I like the BMI chart the most because it shows an interesting trend. Let’s quickly repeat what BMI means.

BMI uses your height and weight to work out if your weight is healthy. ( Source )

Here is a quick guide on how to interpret these values:

• Below 18.5 – underweight,
• 18.5-24.9 – normal,
• 25.0-29.9 – overweight,
• 30.0 and above – obese.

With this know-how, we get a better understanding of these values.

Tour de France winners have an average BMI of 21.70 .

The Tour de France winner with the highest BMI was François Faber. He won the 1909 Tour de France with a BMI of 27.77 (1.78 m, 88 kg). Yes, the Faber won TdF while being overweight.

The Tour de France winner with the lowest BMI was Chris Froome. He won the TdF in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017 with a BMI of 19.08 (1.86 m, 66 kg).

Do you want to know how do you compare with pro riders? Feel free to calculate your BMI using the calculator below.

BMI CALCULATOR

Mountain Classification

The average height of a Tour de France mountain classification winner is 1.75 m .

The tallest Tour de France mountain classification winner ever is Mauricio Soler (TdF 2007). He is 1.90 m tall.

The shortest Tour de France mountain classification winner ever was Julián Berrendero (TdF 1936). He was 1.62 m tall.

The average weight of a Tour de France mountain classification winner is 64.4 kg .

The heaviest Tour de France mountain classification winners were Louison Bobet (TdF 1950) and Santiago Botero (TdF 2000). They won the mountain classification, weighing 75 kg .

The lightest Tour de France mountain classification winner was Luis Herra. He won the 1985 and 1987 TdF mountain classifications, weighing just 57 kg .

Tour de France mountain classification winners have an average BMI of 21.14 .

The Tour de France mountain classification winner with the highest BMI was Sylvère Maes. He won the 1939 Tour de France mountains classification with a BMI of 24.80 (1.68 m, 70 kg).

The Tour de France mountain classification winner with the lowest BMI was Warren Barguil. He won the 2017 Tour de France mountains classification with a BMI of 18.42 (1.82 m, 61 kg). This means he was underweight.

You might also be interested How much does a Tour de France bike cost? How much does a Tour de France bike weigh?

Points Classification

The average height of a Tour de France points classification winner is 1.78 m .

The tallest Tour de France points classification winner s ever were Tom Boonen (TdF 2007) and Wout van Aert (2022). They are 1.90 m tall.

The shortest Tour de France points classification winner ever was Stan Ockers (TdF 1955, 1956). He was 1.65 m tall.

The average weight of a Tour de France points classification winner is 72.5 kg .

The heaviest Tour de France points classification winner was Tom Boonen. He won the 2007 TdF points classification, weighing 82 kg .

The lightest Tour de France points classification winner was Stan Ockers. He won the 1955 and 1956 TdF points classification, weighing just 61 kg .

A Tour de France points classification winner has an average BMI of 22.88 .

The Tour de France points classification winner with the highest BMI was Walter Godefroot (1.71 m, 73 kg). He won the 1970 Tour de France points classification with a BMI of 24.96 .

The Tour de France points classification winner with the lowest BMI was Bernard Hinault (1.74 m, 62 kg). He won the TdF 1979 points classification with a BMI of 20.48 .

TIP : Don’t you have a bike yet? Feel free to browse my selection of the  best bikes on the market.

Overall Victories, Stage Wins, Days in Yellow…

The riders with the most Tour de France GC wins (5) are Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil, and Miguel Indurain. Chris Froome is the closest active rider to these legends with his 4 TdF wins.

Eddy Merckx also dominated another statistic as he is the rider with the most days spent in the yellow jersey * (Maillot Jaune).

*Including half-stages.

The following table shows the three riders with the most Tour de France stage wins .

Who is the rider with the most Tour de France participation ? Sylvain Chavanel . The 2nd place belongs to George Hincapie, Stuart O’Grady, Jens Voigt, and the 3rd to Joop Zoetemelk and Haimar Zubeldia.

Riders with the Most Mountain & Points Classification Victories

The best climber , according to the number of Mountain Classification victories, was Richard Virenque. He won this classification seven times .

According to the number of Points Classification victories, the best sprinter is the Slovak Peter Sagan , who has won 7 times .

If you are into cycling and numbers, make sure you also read these Incredible Bicycle Statistics .

I hope you enjoyed these Tour de France statistics as I did when putting them together. What is your favorite stat? Let me know in the comments section.

Be sure also to check my Cycling Grand Tours Statistics , where I compare all Grand Tours, or continue reading:

Tour de France Statistics FAQ

Not yet. However, Eddy Merckx was closest to this in 1969. He won the yellow jersey, polka dot jersey, and green jersey. The young rider classification was introduced in 1975. Only riders below 26 years of age are eligible. Eddy Merckx was 24 years old in 1969. This means he would have won all 4 jerseys in the same Tour de France edition.

Eddy Merckx is considered “the greatest” Tour de France rider and “the greatest” cyclist of all time. He won 11 grand tours (5 times Tour de France, 5 times Giro d’Italia, and once Vuelta a España). He won 3 TdF points classifications, 2 mountains classification, and 4 combativity awards. Together with Mark Cavendish, he also holds a record for the most stage wins (34).

This scenario happened only twice (in 1947 and 1968) and will likely not happen again. It is a tradition that riders don’t compete for GC in the final stage.

This scenario happened four times (in 1903, 1924, 1928, and 1935). With the tough competition nowadays, it is likely never to happen again.

wikipedia.org procyclingstats.com letour.fr lequipe.fr The preview picture ©A.S.O./Charly Lopez (cropped)

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About The Author

Petr Minarik

4 thoughts on “tour de france statistics you probably never heard about (2023 tdf included)”.

I just like the helpful information you provide in your articles.

Thank you. 🙂 – Petr

Impressive stats! That must have been a lot of work.

It sure was! – Petr

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What to Know About This Year’s Tour de France (Which Begins in Italy)

Two previous winners are the leading contenders to win cycling’s most famous race, which, in a rarity, does not end in Paris.

By Victor Mather

For three weeks starting Saturday, the world’s best cyclists will do battle in the Tour de France, racing through valleys, hills and high mountains. Though 176 riders will start, most eyes will be on a pair of two-time winners who seek title No. 3.

After more than 2,000 miles and dozens of punishing climbs, will the winner be Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark, who took the last two Tours de France but was hurt in a crash this year? Or Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia, the 2020 and 2021 winner ? Or will an unexpected contender jump up and surprise them?

And, wait: Is it really the Tour de France if the race doesn’t finish on the Champs-Élysées? Here’s a primer to read before the race gets underway.

Where will they race?

For the first time, the race will start in Italy , with the opening stage beginning in Florence and winding through the Apennine Mountains to Rimini, a city on the Adriatic coast. It will be more difficult than most opening stages, with several uphill climbs.

After a few days in Italy, the race will enter France, then go counterclockwise around the country, passing through the Alps, the Massif Central, the Pyrenees and then the Alps again.

Who are the favorites?

Vingegaard won last year’s event by an emphatic seven and a half minutes. But after a good start to the 2024 cycling season, he crashed badly in the Tour of the Basque Country in April and spent 12 days in the hospital with a broken collarbone. He is expected to ride in the Tour de France, but there is uncertainty as to what kind of shape he will be in.

As a result, Pogacar, who has been in fine form, is the favorite to win and regain his crown.

Pogacar rode in the Giro d’Italia, or Tour of Italy, in May. Unlike riders in that race who hold back to preserve their strength for the Tour de France, he gave it his all, winning by almost 10 minutes. If Pogacar claims the Tour as well, he will be the first cyclist since Marco Pantani, in 1998, to win the Giro and the Tour in the same season.

After the big two, other possible contenders include Primoz Roglic of Slovenia, the 2023 Giro winner, and Remco Evenepoel of Belgium, who won the 2022 Tour of Spain.

Though an individual wins the Tour, his team can help a lot, pacing him in the mountains and blocking attacks from rivals. Last year’s leading team, Jumbo-Visma (now Visma–Lease a Bike) has broken up; Vingegaard is still its leader, but Roglic left to join Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe. UAE Team Emirates will support Pogacar with a squad that includes Adam Yates of Britain, a rider with the talent to win the Tour himself; he placed third last year.

Tell me the days that really matter.

The first stage to focus on is July 2, when the riders travel from Italy to France. It includes a climb up the Galibier, one of the Tour’s toughest mountains, and one that still has snow on the side of the roads.

In the midst of a week of flat stages that won’t change the leaderboard much, there is a time trial on July 5 in Burgundy wine country. The riders will race alone against the clock, with no help from teammates, which is why a time trial is known as “the race of truth.”

The real action comes at the end, with five mountain stages. The July 13 stage is particularly notable; it includes a climb up the Tourmalet in the Pyrenees and ends with an uphill — or more accurately, up-mountain — finish that is sure to winnow out any pretenders. Also make note of July 14, 17, 19 and 20 as four more brutal mountain stages where the Tour is likely to be won, or lost.

But even the flat stages, which are usually won by sprinters and seldom affect the overall standings, may have some extra interest this year. The great sprinter Mark Cavendish, 39, has 34 career stage victories and needs one more to break the record he shares with Eddy Merckx, the dominant rider of the 1960s and ’70s.

What’s different this year?

The day after that last mountain stage, the race will end, but not with the traditional ceremonial cruise down the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Instead, the field will hold a time trial to finish the Tour for the first time since 1989. If the race is close, the winner could be decided on that final day, as it was in 1989. That year, the American Greg LeMond snatched the Tour from Laurent Fignon of France in a time trial by a mere eight seconds, still the closest margin in history.

To avoid the Paris Olympics, which open five days later, the time trial will run from Monaco to Nice. It is the first time since 1974 the race has not ended on the Champs-Élysées and the first time ever it has not ended in Paris or its environs.

Remind me what the jerseys mean.

In each stage, whoever is the overall leader wears the yellow jersey to make him easier to spot for TV viewers and the thousands of fans along the route.

But there are other jerseys, too. Finishing near the front in individual stages, especially flat ones, earns points toward the green jersey for best sprinter. Last year’s winner of this jersey was Jasper Philipsen.

The first riders to reach the top of the race’s many mountains earn points toward the garish polka-dot jersey for best climber. The top contenders for yellow are also favored to win this jersey, as is Giulio Ciccone of Italy, who won last year.

Are there any Americans racing?

The days of American favorites like LeMond and Lance Armstrong are over for the time being. Moreover, Sepp Kuss, the American who won the 2023 Tour of Spain, is out because of a Covid-19 infection.

Matteo Jorgenson, 24, on the Visma team, is the top-ranked American. He won this year’s weeklong Paris-Nice race, and some think he can contend for the tour’s title in the future, or maybe, if all goes well, this year.

How can I watch?

Stages generally start around 6 or 7 a.m. Eastern time and last four to five hours. In the United States, Peacock will stream every stage live. Some stages will be shown on NBC and USA as well.

Other broadcasters include ITV and Eurosport (United Kingdom), SBS (Australia), FloBikes (Canada), France Televisions (France), ARD (Germany) and J Sports (Japan).

Victor Mather , who has been a reporter and editor at The Times for 25 years, covers sports and breaking news. More about Victor Mather

Tour de France: FAQs

2022 tour de france, kreativefolks, january 27, 2023, how long is the 2020 tour de france.

The Tour de France’s 109th edition covers a total distance of 3328 kilometers (2068 miles), making it the second-longest of the three Grand Tours in 2022, after the Giro d’Italia (3410.3 kilometers) (La Vuelta a Espana is the shortest at 3280.5km).

How long is each day of the Tour de France?

Nine flat stages, three hilly stages, seven mountain stages (including five summit finishes), two individual time trials, and two rest days make up the Tour de France. Every day, one stage is run, which spans around 225 kilometers and takes about five and a half hours to complete.

How do you win the Tour de France?

After 21 stages, the cyclist with the best overall time wins. Each day, a stage winner is determined by the first racer to cross the finish line.

How long is each race in Tour de France?

Each stage, or racing day, varies in length from 32 to 141 kilometers. The Tour’s itinerary varies from year to year, but certain iconic towns are always included.

Do Tour de France riders sleep?

On TV, you’ll frequently see them come to a halt en masse for a “nature break.” Then they’ll sleep at night because the phases are specified in length and they’ll all be staying in a hotel.

What was the longest Tour de France stage?

The longest Tour de France stage on record was the fifth stage in 1920, which was 482 kilometers (300 miles) long! Stages are currently averaging 175km / 109mi in length. Stage 3 is the longest this year, measuring 198 kilometers / 123 miles

What is a peloton?

The peloton, sometimes known as the “pack” or “bunch,” is the largest group of cyclists on the route. A rider consumes 30% less energy when riding in a group than when riding alone. A following peloton usually has the upper hand over a smaller escape group.

How many hours a day do Tour de France riders ride?

Feeding the world’s best riders during a Grand Tour is no easy task, with riders spending up to six hours a day on the bike with little time for recovery and only two rest days over the course of the event. “To fuel the journey riders need to consume an average of 5,000-plus calories per stage,” says one rider.

Are females allowed in the Tour de France?

The 2022 Tour de France Femmes, a widely anticipated new stage race for professional women, was announced at the event. From 2014 through 2021, the eight-day Tour de France Femmes will replace the single-day La Course by le Tour de France, which was conducted in various sites across France.

What is an echelon?

When the peloton is buffeted from the side, the riders form smaller angled formations to take advantage of each other’s draught. Echelons form a formation similar to that of flying geese, however the size of each echelon is regulated by the width of the road. In crosswinds, smart riders can employ echelons to put distance between themselves and their opponents.

What is a domestique?

A rider who puts his personal objectives aside in order to help his teammate. A domestique rides into the wind to protect his team leader, as well as carrying extra water bottles and snacks. If the leader suffers a puncture, the domestique has the option of abandoning his wheel or bicycle and waiting for the leader to rejoin the peloton.

What is the gruppetto?

During mountain stages, a group of riders forms towards the back of the race. They only ride fast enough to make the cutoff time for the day, which is based on a percentage of the winner’s time. Sprinters, wounded or sick cyclists, and riders wanting to conserve energy for the next day are frequently found in the gruppetto.

What is the purpose of the Publicity / PR caravan?

The PR caravan, a two-hour-before-the-race display of sponsor-emblazoned cars and floats, runs the entire route, handing away millions of souvenirs and sweets to the supporters along the way.

What is the fastest time for the Tour de France?

Rohan Dennis’ stage 1 of the 2015 Tour de France in Utrecht is the fastest time trial, with an average speed of 55.446 km/h (34.5 mph). In a team time-trial, the 2013 Orica GreenEDGE team won the quickest stage. At 57.7 km/h, they completed the 25 km time trial (35.85 mph).

How hard is Tour de France?

The Tour de France is often regarded as one of the world’s most arduous and tough sporting events. Cyclists strain their bodies to the limit for 21 stages over 23 days, day after day, after day, after day.

What is the race caravan?

The peloton is preceded and followed by a long line of team vehicles, broadcast and photographer motorcycles, and race official cars. Riders will return to team trucks for food, clothing, or mechanical assistance, and then slowly exit the vehicles to rejoin the peloton.

What is the broom wagon?

The vehicle that follows the Tour and “picks up” riders who drop out during a stage.

How do cyclists pee whilst racing the Tour de France?

Some cyclists prefer not to urinate on the bike, while others seek assistance in the form of a teammate pushing them from behind so they can maintain momentum while pedalling.

What is hors catégorie?

Climbs in the Tour de France are divided into categories based on their length, steepness, and location throughout the stage. The simplest is Category 4, which is usually less than 2 kilometers long. The most difficult climbs are referred to as “Hors Catégorie,” or “beyond categorization.” A climb is sometimes given this designation because of its vertical elevation rise or because it ends at the top.

How do professional female cyclists pee during a race?

Because many women’s races are under 5 hours, we normally pee 8 times right before the race and can hold it until the end if necessary. Other times, a rider will stop to potty and then get in the car to assist them in getting back. At least not on purpose, no woman pees herself while riding!

Can anyone ride the Tour de France?

Although the event is primarily for amateurs, it is available to anybody who is 18 years or older on race day. (Younger riders may enter with permission from their parents.) It is marketed to ‘amateurs,’ yet it also attracts potential and former professionals. It’s been ridden by Greg LeMond, Raymond Poulidor, and Miguel Induráin.

How fast do they go downhill in Tour de France?

To say the obvious, Tour de France riders are in excellent physical condition. They’re nearly twice as fit as the average non-Tour rider of the same age group who’s in fair to good form, according to the gold standard of cardiovascular fitness, V02 max (or how much oxygen your body can utilize per minute).

How fast do cyclist go in Tour de France?

The champion of the tour has averaged roughly 25 miles per hour (40 kilometers per hour) over the last few years–but that is throughout the entire tour. Everything is averaged at 25 mph, including uphill, downhill, time trial, and flatland. Weirdly, they’re a little speedier than we are. Quite a bit.

How much weight do Tour de France riders lose?

Van der Stelt explains that in the event of an emergency, the maximum weight loss would be 0.5kg. Though calorie burn and consumption vary by person, she claims the riders consume up to 8,000 calories a day – “taking on 10% extra every day, just in case,” she says, which can lead to weight gain.

What do Tour de France riders eat during race?

Riders may eat carbohydrate snacks such as bananas or protein bars while travelling. They’ll refuel with a mix of homemade rice cakes and tailored items like snacks and gels during the race.

What is Autobus?

Every stage of the Tour de France has a time limit, and on mountainous days, the autobus forms as non-climbers from all teams fight together to finish within the cut-off. The grupetto is another name for it.

What is Bidon?

A bidon is an abandoned water bottle, and many roadside fans will try to gather them as mementoes.

What is Breakaway?

During a stage, a small group of riders (or an individual) surge away from the main bunch.

What is bunch spirit?

Flatter stages usually end in a bunch sprint, which is a high-octane, hell-for-leather contest for stage honours between the peloton’s fastest sprinters.

Despite the fact that the race comes at the finish line in a group sprint, the stage win is decided by the sprinters and their lead-out riders.

What is Combativity award?

According to the race commissaires, this prize is given to the most aggressive rider each day.

The combativity award honors the rider who enlivened the stage by forming a breakaway, attacking frequently, or staying out in front of the pack for an extended period of time. The winner can be easily spotted the next day thanks to their red race numbers. At the conclusion of the race, an overall combativity medal is granted.

What is Feed zone?

Lunchtime. Every stage has its own feed zone, when riders slow down to collect musettes (small bags containing food and drinks) from their team soigneurs.

What is Flamme rouge?

A red air bridge marks the one-kilometer mark, beneath which a red kite flies.

What is General Classification?

After each stage, the riders’ finishing times are tallied. The riders are sorted by their total time, plus or minus any bonuses or penalties, in the general classification. The famed yellow jersey is worn by the cyclist who has completed the race in the least amount of time.

What is Grand Départ?

The ‘Big Beginning.’ Riders will begin the Grand Départ in Copenhagen this year 2022.

What is Grand Tour?

The Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta a Espana are cycling’s three most prestigious stage events, each lasting three weeks.

What is Intermediate sprint?​

Each stage has an intermediate sprint with points and prize money for the first riders across it, in addition to the finish line.

What is King of the Mountains?

The mountains classification, one of the Tour de France’s secondary prizes, ranks the first riders over each of the race’s classified climbs. The more difficult the climb, the more points are available for that climb. The King of the Mountains, who wears the polka-dot jersey, is the leader in the mountains classification.

What is Lanterne rouge?

The lanterne rouge is the final rider on the general classification, named after the red light attached on the back of a train.

What is Maillot jaune/yellow jersey?

The general classification leader wears the distinctive yellow jersey, or maillot jaune. Last year, the yellow jersey was won by Tadej Pogaar (UAE Team Emirates).

What is Maillot vert/green jersey?

The leader in the points classification is awarded the green shirt. Peter Sagan has won the sprinters’ classification seven times, owing to the fact that more points are available on flatter stages.

What is Maillot a pois/polka-dot jersey?

The leader of the mountains classification is awarded this characteristic white jersey with red polka-dots.

What is Maillot blanc/white jersey?​

The highest-placed young rider in the general classification wears the white jersey. This year’s youth classification is open to any riders born on or after January 1, 1996.

What is Musette?

A tiny cloth shoulder bag containing a rider’s food and extra bidons that is distributed in the feed zone.

What is Parcours?​

The race’s ‘course,’ or the route it will take.

What is Points classification?

Points are awarded to the top finishers in each stage and intermediate sprint, based on their position. These points are combined together to generate a points classification, with the green jersey worn by the leader.

What is Team time trial?​

This year, there will be no team time trial. The time of a team is determined when the fifth rider crosses the finish line.

What is Time trial?

Individual time trials will be held on stages 5 and 20 of this year’s Tour de France, totalling 58 kilometres between them – the most kilometres against the clock since 2013.

Riders set off on specialised time trial bikes in reverse general classification order with the goal of finishing the stage in the shortest time.

Individual time trials, termed the “race of truth,” can cause significant shifts in overall classification. A time trial will be held on the Tour’s penultimate stage, as it was last year, and it might determine who wears the yellow jersey on the final day and rides into Paris as the victor.

What is a Rouleur?

A rouleur is an all-rounder and often one of the hardest riders in the peloton, capable of excelling on a variety of terrains and making a superb domestique.

What is a Soigneur?​

The soigneur is the unsung hero of a team’s backroom staff, in charge of looking after cyclists off the bike and handing out musettes, bidons, and extra layers of clothing during the race.

What is Sprinter?

On the flatter stages, sprinters battle it out with their peloton counterparts, capable of remarkable bursts of acceleration over short distances.

What is a Sprint Train?​

Before a group sprint, sprint trains form, with teammates offering a wheel for their sprinter to follow through the pandemonium.

The lead-out guy will be at the rear of the train, with the team’s sprinter on his wheel, ready to dash for the finish as soon as possible.

What is a Team Classification?

The team classification system assigns a score to each team based on the total time of their top three finishers on each stage. Yellow helmets are sometimes worn by team classification leaders to help them stand out in the peloton.

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2022 Tour de France: How Time Has Evolved The Tour

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Tour de france 2021 schedule: start time, stages, length, dates, how to watch live stream, route, tv coverage, highlights.

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The 2021 Tour de France begins on Saturday, June 26 through Sunday, July 18. This year’s cycling event features 10 new sites and stage cities indicated with an asterisk in the schedule below. Additionally, there will be 2 individual time trials in this year’s Tour. See below to find out more information including how to watch, stages, the complete schedule, and more.

STREAM LIVE: Click here to watch the 2021 Tour de France live on Peacock.

2021 Tour de France Key Information

When is the 2021 tour de france what time does coverage start.

The 2021 Tour de France will take place from June 26 - July 18. Coverage of Stage 20 starts at 7:00 a.m. ET on NBCSN and 6:55 a.m. ET on Peacock . Click here for start times for the rest of the 2020 Tour de France.

RELATED: 2021 Tour de France stage profiles, route, previews

How can I watch the 2021 Tour de France?

Stream all 21 stages of the 2021 Tour de France from start to finish, or watch on-demand on Peacock . Coverage will also be available on NBCSN. Click here for the full broadcast schedule .

• Stage 1 Extended Highlights
• Stage 2 Extended Highlights
• Stage 3 Extended Highlights
• Stage 4 Extended Highlights
• Stage 5 Extended Highlights
• Stage 6 Extended Highlights
• Stage 7 Extended Highlights
• Stage 8 Extended Highlights
• Stage 9 Extended Highlights
• Stage 10 Extended Highlights
• Stage 11 Extended Highlights
• Stage 12 Extended Highlights
• Stage 13 Extended Highlights
• Stage 14 Extended Highlights
• Stage 15 Extended Highlights
• Stage 16 Extended Highlights
• Stage 17 Extended Highlights
• Stage 18 Extended Highlights
• Stage 19 Extended Highlights
• Stage 20 Extended Highlights
• Stage 21 Extended Highlights

How long is the Tour de France 2021 ?

The 2021 Tour de France is 23 days long. There will be one stage contested per day and two rest days. The first rest day is on July 5 (between stages 9 & 10) and the second will be on July 12 (between stages 15 & 16).

How many riders are in the Tour?

There will be a total of 184 riders. There will be 23 teams with 8 riders per team.

How many stages is the Tour de France?

There are 21 stages: 8 flat, 5 hilly, 6 mountain stages, and 2 individual time trials.

What is the 2021 Tour de France schedule and route?

Click here to see the full map.

How many miles is the 2021 Tour de France?

The route is 3,414 km (approximately 2,121 miles) long.

Previous Tour de France Winners

2020 - Tadej Pogacar

2019 - Egan Bernal

2018 - Geraint Thomas

2017 - Chris Froome

2016 - Chris Froome

2015 - Chris Froome

2014 - Vincenzo Nibali

2013 - Chris Froome

2012 - Bradley Wiggins

2011 - Cadel Evans

2010 - Andy Schleck

From Florence to the Beaches of Nice: How to Watch the 2024 Tour de France

This year’s edition starts in Italy and features one of the toughest opening stages ever, a 206-kilometer ride from Florence to Rimini taking riders through the heart of the Apennine mountains.

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How to Watch the Tour de France in the U.S.

How to watch the tour de france in canada, what happened last year, riders to watch, tour de france history.

The Tour de France was first raced in 1903 when journalist (and former bike racer) Henri Desgrange organized the event to promote L’Auto-Vélo, a French sporting newspaper that he edited–and is known today as L’Equipe. The newspaper was actually printed on yellow paper, which fuels one of the narratives surrounding the origins of the maillot jaune . That year’s Tour covered 2,428 km (1,509 mi) spread over just six stages–the average stage length was about 405 km (251 mi)–and only 21 of the original 60 starters finished the inaugural event.

Despite the low number of finishers, the event was an overwhelming success, and the Tour has since become one of the largest sporting events in the world, an event for which teams with multi-million dollar budgets spend years trying to win. For the riders, just a single stage win or day in the yellow jersey is a career-defining achievement. Riders who win the overall title–even just once–go down in history.

This year’s race covers 3,492 km (2,165 mi) spread over 21 stages, with eight days for the sprinters, two individual time trials, seven mountain stages, and about four stages for the punchy opportunists who head up the road in search of “do-or-die” breakaway stage victories–we love those guys.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 Tour de France:

The route of the 2024 Tour de France is unlike any we’ve ever seen, mainly because it’s bookended by two of the biggest “firsts” in the event’s 110-year history: it’s the first to begin in Italy and the first to end outside of Paris (in Nice).

The Tour begins in Florence on Saturday, June 29th, the first of three-and-a-half stages in Italy. And we’re expecting fireworks right away: Stages 1 and 2 are two of the toughest opening stages we’ve ever seen, even harder than the opening stages of last year’s Tour, which took place in the hilly Basque region of northern Spain.

After a day for the sprinters on Stage 3, Stage 4 begins in Pinerolo and brings the race back into France via the 2,642m Col du Galibier. The second-highest climb in this year’s race, the first rider to the summit will win a cash prize given each year in honor of Degrange. By the end of one of the earliest mountain stages in Tour history, the GC battle will be in full swing.

The sprinters will then get two more chances as the race heads north. But the GC battle will resume on Friday, July 5th, with Stage 7, the first of two individual time trials in this year’s Tour. The first week ends with Sunday’s Stage 9, an exciting stage featuring 14 sections of white gravel roads through France’s Champagne region. This will be the first gravel stage in the history of the men’s Tour de France–the women completed a gravel stage of their own through the region in 2022.

After the Tour’s first Rest Day, the race resumes on Tuesday, July 9th, and begins a southwesterly trip–through the Massif Central, which hosts a rugged finish to Stage 11–toward the Pyrenees. Along the way, the sprinters will have a few more opportunities to win a stage before the high mountains return over the weekend.

And they return in a big way, with back-to-back hors categorie (“beyond category”) summit finishes in the mountains that form the border between France and Spain. Saturday’s Stage 12 takes the riders over the Tourmalet–which Desgrange first thought was too hard for the Tour de France–and ends with a finish at the Pla d'Adet ski resort, while Sunday’s Stage 13 ends on the Plateau de Beille–after almost 198km of racing.

As if the mountains aren’t enough cause for excitement, it’s also a holiday weekend: Sunday is Bastille Day–July 14th–so expect the roads on both days to be packed with “festive” fans. By the end of the day, the list of riders capable of winning the 2024 Tour de France will be much shorter than it was a week prior.

The Tour’s third and final week takes the race back east, where an Alpine finale looms. In all, the riders will spend four days in the mountains during the third week, first in the high Alps–with summit finishes at the end of Stage 17 ( at Superdévoluy) and Stage 19 (at Isola 2000). And don’t snooze on Thursday’s Stage 18, a saw-toothed stage from Gap to Barcelonnette that’s filled with short, jagged climbs and could be the perfect place for an ambush–or a Hail Mary–before the final weekend.

But this year’s final weekend is not what we’ve come to expect from Tours of the past. With the Summer Olympics beginning in Paris just five days after the end of the race, this year’s Tour skips its traditional finish on the Champs Elysees and instead finishes in Nice–after the hardest final weekend we’ve seen in decades.

The weekend opens on Saturday, July 20th, with Stage 20, a short but intense stage through the maritime Alps featuring four categorized ascents, including a summit finish on the Category 1 Col de la Couillole.

And just in case that doesn’t settle things, Sunday’s Stage 21 certainly will, as–for the first time in 35 years–the Tour de France ends with an individual time trial. And it’s a hard one: a 33.7 km race against the clock that takes the riders over the Col d'Èze, a tough Category 2 ascent that always features in the final stage of March’s Paris-Nice, an 8-day stage race that Tour contenders often use to build form during the first part of their seasons.

This might bode well for American fans–for two reasons. First, the last time the Tour de France ended with an individual time trial, American Greg Lemond defeated France’s Laurent Fignon–who entered the day wearing the yellow jersey–to win the Tour by eight seconds.

And this year’s winner of Paris-Nice–which finished with a stage over the Col d'Èze–was American Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike), a 24-year-old from Idaho who took the yellow jersey on that final stage. Jorgenson will be lining up at this year’s Tour; could history repeat itself? We can’t wait to find out.

When it comes to watching the Tour de France, you’ve got lots of options. NBC’s Peacock ($5.99/month or $59.99/year) streams all events organized by A.S.O., which means you can watch the Tour de France now and then the Tour de France Femmes in August. (And if you’re looking for ad-free coverage, you’ll need a subscription to Peacock Premium Plus, which runs $11.99 per month or $119.99 for the year.)

The Peacock app is available on Roku, Apple devices, Android and AndroidTV devices, Google platforms, Chromecast, Xbox consoles, PlayStation 4 and 5 consoles, VIZIO SmartCast TVs, and LG Smart TVs. You can also watch online via the Peacock website.

If you have a good cable package and prefer conventional viewing on your television, you’re in luck: NBC will offer the race to cable subscribers via the USA Network and CNBC. Live coverage often starts around 7 a.m. EDT, so 9-to-5ers will likely need to record each stage and watch later. (Check the full schedule for details.)

If you’re in Canada, FloBikes ($29.99/month CDN) is the best way to watch the Tour de France. All 21 stages are available live and on-demand on FloBikes.com, the FloSports iOS app, and the FloSports app for Amazon FireTV, Roku, and Apple TV.

Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) won the 2023 Tour de France, defeating Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) to defend his title from 2022. The two champions engaged in a tense battle during the first two weeks of the race and entered the second Rest Day separated by just ten seconds on the Tour’s General Classification.

But Vingegaard exploded at the start of the third week, crushing Pogačar in an individual time trial on Stage 16 and then dropping him in the Alps on Stage 17. In just two stages, the Dane’s lead went from ten seconds to more than seven minutes. Pogačar saved face by winning Stage 20, but for the second year in a row, the winner of back-to-back Tours in 2020 and 2021 was forced to settle for second place–and the white jersey as the Tour’s Best Young Rider. Pogačar’s teammate, Great Britain’s Adam Yates–won Stage 1 and wore the Tour’s first yellow jersey–finished third overall.

Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) was without question the Tour’s best sprinter. The Belgian won four stages and ran away with the green jersey as the winner of the Tour’s Points Classification. Italy’s Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) won the polka dot jersey as the Tour’s King of the Mountains.

Jonas Vingegaard-Hansen (Visma-Lease a Bike)

At this point in time, we’re waiting to hear if Vingegaard will even be starting this year’s Tour de France. The defending champion was one of several Tour favorites taken down in a massive crash at the Tour of the Basque Country in early April. The Dane spent twelve days in the hospital after breaking several bones and suffering a punctured lung in the fall and only resumed training a few weeks ago. Visma-Lease a Bike recently said he has a 50-50 chance of starting the race, but only will do so if the team feels he’s 100% ready to challenge for a third consecutive victory.

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

The uncertainty surrounding Vingegaard’s participation makes Pogačar the top favorite. The Slovenian won back-to-back Tours in 2020 and 2021 and scored back-to-back second-place finishes behind the Dane in 2022 and 2023. He’s been training since winning six stages and the General Classification at the recent Giro d’Italia and looks on track to become the first rider since Italy’s Marco Pantani (in 1998) to win the Giro-Tour double.

Primož Roglič (BORA-hansgrohe) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal–Quick-Step)

Vingegaard wasn’t the only Tour contender who went down in that terrible crash at the Tour of the Basque Country: Slovenia’s Primož Roglič–who was leading the race at the time–and Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel were victims as well, and both riders immediately abandoned the race. Roglič injured his knee–but suffered no major injuries–but Evenepoel needed surgery after breaking his clavicle and scapula.

Unlike Vingegaard, both riders were able to get back to training relatively quickly, and they both competed at the recent Critérium du Dauphiné . Roglič won two stages and the General Classification despite almost cracking at the end of the final stage. Evenepoel won the Dauphiné’s only individual time trial, but showed he still has some room to improve after fading in the mountains. He finished the race in seventh place overall.

Carlos Rodríguez (INEOS Grenadiers)

Rodríguez, who won a stage and finished fifth in last year’s Tour de France, won the final stage and finished fourth overall at the Dauphiné, the latest in a series of high-stage race finishes for the 23-year-old. He’ll likely be joining Colombia’s Egan Bernal (who won the Tour in 2019) and Great Britain’s Geraint Thomas (Who won the Tour in 2018) on the starting line in Florence to form one of the deepest eight-rider line-ups in this year’s race.

Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike)

If Vingegaard proves unable to start the Tour, don’t be surprised if Visma-Lease a Bike turns to Matteo Jorgenson to lead the team in his place. After winning Paris-Nice and Dwars door Vlaanderen in March, the American spent much of April and all of May at training camps, building form for the summer.

Well, it must’ve worked, as the 24-year-old nearly snatched the Dauphiné from Roglič after riding away with Rodríguez at the end of the final day. In the end, he lost the race by only eight seconds–another interesting coincidence given Lemond’s margin of victory at the Tour in 1989.

The American has never captained a team at the Tour de France, but he raced the French grand tour in 2022 and 2023–so he at least knows what the Tour’s pressure-cooker atmosphere feels like. And he should benefit from the presence of his teammate Sepp Kuss , the American who shockingly won last year’s Vuelta a España and played a pivotal role in each of the six grand Tours won by the team prior to his own victory at the Vuelta last September.

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Results have arrived, tour de france explained: how you win & how it really works.

What do the Yellow, Green, and Polka-Dot Jerseys mean? How do you win? How do cycling teams work? Who are the favorites? We explain the basics of bike racing in this guide to the Tour de France.

Written by: Spencer Powlison & Bruce Lin

Published on: Jun 18, 2024

Posted in: Features

Did you recently get bit by the  road bike  bug? Did you watch Tour de France: Unchained and feel hungry for more? Or have you always been puzzled by the daily deluge of Tour de France news? This guide is for you.

We’ll cover the fundamentals of how this “game” is played. Also, we’ll delve into cycling’s paradoxical balance between being simultaneously a team sport and an individual sport, and many ways riders and teams play to win. 

• How the Tour de France Works
• How To Win The Tour de France - the Yellow Jersey

Other Ways to "Win" at the Tour de France

How cycling is actually a team sport... sort of.

• What Types of Riders Make Up a Team?

What Types of Stages Are in the Tour?

Strategies and tactics, three tips to watch like a pro, more fun tour de france info.

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How The Tour de France Works

The tour de france: infographic.

What is the Tour de France?

• The Tour de France is the world's most prestigious bike race which has been running for over 100 years. 
• The Tour takes riders all across France, through the Alps and the Pyranees, and finishes in Paris. 
• This year it will take place: June 29 - July 21, 2024
• The total race distance this year: 3,492 Km / 2,170 Mi 
• The Grand Départ - The Tour de France often starts somewhere outside of France so other cities and countries can experience the excitement of the Tour. This year, the Tour will start in Florence, Italy. The first 3 stages will head north, back into France. 

Key Details 

• 22 pro cycling teams will compete with 8 riders each ( 176 riders total )
• The race is split into 21 stages
• Riders race 1 stage per day
• Each stage has a stage winner. Winning a single stage at the Tour is a big deal. 
• On average, racers will ride over 100 miles per stage .
• Riders will get 2 rest days , one after the first week, and another after the second week.  
• The overall winner of the Tour de France is the rider with the fastest time after all 21 stages . 

How To Win The Tour de France - the Yellow Jersey

The winner of the Tour de France is the rider who has the fastest time after all 21 stages. Every stage is timed from start to finish, and every second counts toward the race's General Classification (GC). Every day, the current leader of the race will wear the Yellow Jersey so they are easy to spot. The rider wearing the Yellow Jersey when the race reaches the last stage Paris is the winner . 

Yellow Jersey Favorites & Riders to Watch:

The big favorite this year is  2020 & 2021 winner Tadej Pogačar. He is on good form and his top rival,  2022 & 2023 winner Jonas Vingegaard , suffered a bad crash/injury this spring that affected his preparation. 

The two other main favorites this year are Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel .  Carlos Rodriguez is also looking very good, but has yet win or podium a 3 week Grand Tour. This could be his breakout year and he's my dark horse pick. 

Outside contenders include Jonas Vinegaard's teamates, Sepp Kuss  (edit: Sepp won't be going due to illness) and Matteo Jorgenson , and Tadej Pogačar 's teammates, Juan Ayuso and Adam Yates . They'll really only have a chance at Yellow if their team leaders struggle or drop out.  

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The Yellow Jersey is the biggest prize, but there are multiple secondary prizes on offer too. Some teams and riders don’t even bother racing for the Yellow Jersey and instead focus on these prizes . 

Just like the Yellow Jersey, the current leader in each classification wears a special jersey color so they're easy to spot.

Points Classification - the Green Jersey

Also known as the sprinter’s jersey , this award goes to the rider who scores the most points throughout the race. Points are earned by finishing in the top-15 in a stage.

This classification favors “pure” sprinters (riders who don't compete on mountain stages), and more points are offered for winning flat stages. Riders can also earn points in mid-stage "intermediate sprints" that are usually stationed in towns to please the fans.

Green Jersey Favorites & Riders to Watch:

Jasper Philipsen dominated the sprint stages last year and he is currently the fastest sprinter in the world. He's already taken some big wins this spring, showing that he's in great form. I wouldn't bet against Philipsen, but t he best-ranked sprinters behind him are Arnaud De Lie and Dylan Groenewegen .

Other contenders include all-rounders like Mads Pedersen , who could go for green by nabbing consistent finishes on hilly and mountain stages where pure sprinters might struggle and stealing points throughout the race in  intermediate sprints.  Wout van Aert  is similar, and he has also won green before (and 9 stages), but his form is unknown after a major crash/injury sidelined him this spring. 

One sprinter to watch is Mark Cavendish . He is currently tied with Eddy Merckx for the all-time Tour de France stage win record (34 wins) and is coming back for one last year to try and score a record-breaking 35th win. 

King of the Mountains Classification - the Polka-Dot Jersey

The Tour gives the Polka-Dot “ King of the Mountains ” Jersey to the rider who collects the most points over the course of the race by reaching the summit of categorized climbs first.

The climb categorization system is opaque and subjective. What you need to know is that there are five climb categories. From easiest to hardest they are: category 4,  category 3,  category 2,  category 1, and hors category (HC - French for “beyond categorization”). Riders get more points on harder climbs. Riders also get more points on mountaintop stage finishes, especially if they win.

Polka-Dot Jersey Favorites & Riders to Watch:

Giulio Ciccone beat Neilson Powless last year for the Polka-Dots. Photo: A.S.O./Pauline Ballet

This one is tough to call until you reach the high mountains. Because the Yellow Jersey winner tends to gain the most time on climbs, anyone who’s in contention for the Yellow Jersey is a good bet. I'd put my money on Tadej Pogacar .

However, some riders might specifically target the Polka-Dot Jersey — 2023 winner,  Giulio Ciccone,  battled over the Polka-Dots with Neilson Powless last year. Maybe they will go for it again. 

Other Prizes

Best Young Rider Classification - White Jersey

This classification works the same way as the Yellow Jersey but is awarded to the highest-placed rider under 26 years of age. On rare occasions, a phenomenal young rider will win both the Yellow and White Jerseys. 

White Jersey Favorites & Riders to Watch:

Tadej Pogačar . This is an easy pick. Tadej is still 25, and as the favorite for the  overall win, it's doubtful anyone else can challenge him. 

Time to pick a new favorite since Tadej is finally too old! (The rule is " cyclists who will remain below 26 in the year the race is held are eligible" and Tadej turns 26 in September.)  In that case, Remco Evenepoel , Carlos Rodriguez , and Juan Ayuso are likely candidates. 

If the White Jersey leader also happens to be the overall leader (This happened in previous years when Tadej was in Yellow), then the next highest placed rider under 26 will generally wear the jersey during the race (this is mainly ceremonial).

Best Team Classification - Yellow Helmets

Like the Yellow or White Jerseys, this award is given based on overall time in the race and the team with the lowest overall time wins this prize . Each team tabulates the finish times of its three best riders on every stage. The team leading this classification usually wears yellow helmets, helping them stand out in the bunch.

Teams don't necessarily target this, but if a team realizes they're leading in week two or three, they definitely fight to try and hang on to it. 

Most Aggressive Rider - Red Number

Also known as the Combativity Award , this is likely the most mysterious prize in the Tour. In every stage (except time trials), a jury decides which rider in the race was most aggressive — usually, that means attacking a lot or gambling on a breakaway. Late in the broadcast, the announcers usually note which rider was given the combativity prize. If you spot a rider with a red number on their jersey, then he was named most aggressive the stage prior. At the end of the Tour, one rider gets the Super Combativity award.

Why are there teams if only one rider can win the Tour de France? Professional road cycling has a curious tension between the team and the individual. The key thing to remember is this: If a cyclist wins a stage or holds one of the leader’s jersey for a single stage, it is viewed as a team success . 

So if only one rider “wins,” what do the other seven riders on the team do to contribute to this elusive concept of teamwork? Here are some ways a group of individual cyclists comes together as a team to support their leader:

• Getting into breakaways (small groups that attack off the front of the main group) — that way his team doesn’t have to work to chase the breakaway down.
• Chasing down breakaways — to give the leader a chance to win or place well.
• Retrieving food and water for the leader or other key riders — bottle service on the road … what could be more luxurious!
• Pacing the leader up key climbs — although drafting isn’t as crucial, it can be a psychological advantage to have a teammate at your side.
• Pacing the leader back to the peloton in the event of a crash, mechanical, or split in the group — without teammates to draft, it might be nearly impossible to rejoin the peloton on some fast-paced stages.
• Giving the leader their bike or a wheel in the event of a mechanical — this can often be quicker than waiting for a team car or neutral support to show up with a spare.

What Types of Riders Make Up a Team? 

GC (general classification) riders - These are the riders vying for the Tour de France overall win. They need to be solid all-rounders who are also good climbers and time trialists. They are usually the team leader and the rest of the team works to support them. 

Sprinters - Sprinters don’t contend for the overall win, and are more interested in winning individual stages. They often wait to attack at intermediate sprints and the finish line of each stage. Some teams are built entirely around a sprinter and focus on winning stages or the Green Jersey. 

Climbers - Climbing specialists excel at going uphill. Climbers compete for stage wins on the tough mountain stages or work to support their GC leader in the mountains. 

Domestiques - Most riders on the team will work as “domestiques” to support their team leader. They allow their leaders to draft behind them to conserve energy, pace them up climbs, cover attacks from competitors, keep them in a good position, bring them food and water, and provide support in case of crashes or mechanicals. Good domestiques are essential for success. 

Time Trialists - Some riders specialize in time trialing. They can compete for wins on time trial stages or work as powerful domestiques on flat and hilly stages.  

The Tour de France route is different every year. Each stage is unique and offers different challenges to the riders. Here are the types of stages riders will contend with over three weeks:

Flat Stages - Flat stages are the ideal hunting ground for sprinters. Teams with sprinters will often work to keep the peloton together on flat stages, to ensure it ends in a bunch sprint where their sprinter has the best chance of winning. 

Hilly Stages - Hilly stages mix it up with rolling hills that make it more difficult for the peloton to stay together. These types of stages can be won by sprinters, climbers, or breakaway specialists. 

Mountain Stages - This is often where the Tour de France is won and lost. Mountain stages climb up into the high mountains in the Alps and the Pyrenees and it's where GC contenders will fight to gain time on their rivals.  

Time Trials - The Tour de France always features at least a couple of time trial stages. Riders set off individually to set the fastest time on a set course. With no riders to draft, it’s less about race tactics and more about pure speed and power.

So we just covered some team dynamics, rider types, and stage types. How does it all fit together? Teams often settle on strategies prior to the race. They assess their strengths and weaknesses and find ways to succeed — whether that means winning the yellow jersey or simply wearing a King of the Mountains jersey for just one stage. Here are some examples of how teams might set their strategies, and how they might execute them with the right tactics:

Team with a top GC rider: Naturally, they’ll try to win the yellow jersey. This means surviving inconsequential flat and rolling stages to conserve energy for key mountain stages and individual time trials. The leader’s teammates will try to get into breakaways so that their team won’t spend energy chasing all day. They’ll also set up the team leader to attack on key climbs or at least follow his rivals to defend his position.

Team with top sprinter: To win the green jersey, they’ll target the flat stages. This means controlling the peloton and chasing down breakaways to set up a sprint finish. Like the GC team, they might also put a rider in the breakaway to ease the burden on the team, forcing rival sprint teams to chase. On mountain stages, the team might have to call riders back from the peloton to help pace their sprinter to the finish so he doesn’t get time-cut.

Team with top climber: Winning the King of the Mountains (KOM) classification is often less of an obvious team effort. These pretenders to the throne tend to be opportunistic. However, it is advantageous to have a teammate in the breakaway on a key mountain stage when points are up for grabs. Also, when defending the polka-dot jersey, teammates can contest the climbs and finish ahead of KOM rivals to spoil their attempt to take over the classification lead by scoring points.

Smaller team without top leader: These are the teams that always try to put a rider in the day’s breakaway. This could earn them the Combativity Prize, or if they play their cards right, a stint in a leader’s jersey or even a stage win. This strategy requires constant attacking in the early kilometers of the race — something most fans rarely see on the broadcast. It is a hectic, painful part of the stage, but it’s crucial in establishing a break. Meanwhile, a breakaway rider’s teammates might patrol the front of the peloton to disrupt the chase.

Now that you understand the basics of how the Tour de France is raced, what do you, the new cycling fan do? There are daily stages for three weeks. That’s a lot of cycling!

Even if you don't have a way to watch the TV broadcast, it's easy to find highlights and extended highlights on YouTube. Fortunately, you don’t have to put your life on hold to watch the Tour de France. There are some reliably important stages you can focus on to catch the key action.

Can’t watch daily? Pick the key mountain stages. There are usually about 5-8 key mountain stages when the overall race is won and lost. Most of them are summit finishes, and they’re split between France’s two key mountain ranges: the Alps and Pyrenees. The first few ordinarily come in stages 6-9 before the first rest day, and the second round is often scheduled for the final week of racing. Occasionally, another summit finish, such as Mont Ventoux in Provence, will be on the list of important stages.

Watching daily? Tune in when things really heat up. On most flat stages, you can wait until the final 20 kilometers to tune in and see the sprinters fight it out. Some rolling stages might be entertaining in the final 50-60 kilometers if late breakaways occur. On mountain stages, it’s best to start watching as early as possible because sometimes, crazy things happen on the day’s first climbs.

Watching a LOT of TDF? Look for the nuances. If you’re going to have the race on all day, every day, you’ll need to dig a little deeper to enjoy the subtleties of the race. Try keeping track of riders who are often making the breakaway. Watch the sprint teams work together — or not — to chase an escape. Who looks to have strength in numbers, and who is not present at the front of the race? Are the GC riders staying out of trouble or tail-gunning at the dangerous back of the peloton? Usually, at any given time in the race, any given rider is positioned where they are for a specific reason. Look for clues to sort out what is happening.

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Tour de France winning bikes: Pinarello is the top dog

We look back at the last 15 bikes to be ridden to victory and Italian brands dominate

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It goes without saying that the Tour de France is the biggest race in cycling, which means it's the perfect proving ground for brands to test their range-topping superbikes, with many companies timing new releases with the Tour each year.

The bike brands are fighting nearly as hard for the top step of the podium as the riders and teams themselves - so which brands have come out on top over the years?

Well, the last decade has been an almost totally Italian affair. Eight of the last ten editions have been shared between Pinarello (Team Ineos) and Colnago (UAE Emirates), with the only upsets coming from Specialized (Astana in 2014) and Cervélo (Jumbo-Visma in 2022).

Looking back a little further and 2011 saw the first ever Australian victor of the Tour de France in Cadel Evans (Team BMC), who rode a BMC Team Machine. Before that Specialized also secured a bike win in 2010 with Andy Schleck (Team Saxo Bank). 

Schleck was awarded the title after though only after Alberto Contador's disqualification. That didn't actually change the winning bike brand as Contador's Team Astana were also on Specialized.

El Pistolero did win the year before, though, but in 2009 he was on board a Trek Madone. The year before that, and rather neatly topping and tailing our ever-so-slightly arbitrary 15 year timeline, Carlos Sastre won the 2008 race on a Cervélo!

Here's a look at the machines that took their riders to victory from 2008 to 2022 - but first, a few commonly asked questions...

What kind of bikes do Tour de France riders use?

The vast majority of stages are road stages, requiring road bikes. In 2022, there are two time trial stages (stage one and stage 20), where riders will be aboard time trial bikes. But you wanted more detail than that, right?! Most brands supply teams with two road models: a lightweight climbing bike, and an aero bike - the latter being more suited to fast, flat stages. Exceptions include Pinarello, where the Italian marquee says its Dogma F can do both.

How much do Tour de France bikes cost?

The Pinarello Dogma is perhaps the best example to give. Relaunched in August 2021 as the ' Pinarello Dogma F ', the top-end SRAM Red eTap model will set you back £12,000 / $14,500. 

Can you buy a Tour de France bike?

WorldTour bikes ridden by the pros are commercially available. Brands across the board will tell you that the bike you can buy in the shops is exactly the same as that ridden by the pros. However, some skepticism surrounds this assertion. If pro bikes are treated with a slightly different carbon layup and geometry, as is often suggested, the changes will be minimal and likely take into account the lesser requirement of longevity and greater strength/flexibility of professional riders. 

Which bike brand has had the most Tour de France wins?

Pinarello hasn't just dominated the past decade or so - bikes bearing the Italian brand's name are the most successful in Tour de France history. The first of its 16 wins came in 1988 with Pedro Delgado and Team Reynolds, with further successes coming with Miguel Induráin, Bjarne Riis and Jan Ulrich and then Team Sky/Ineos Grenadiers.  The next most successful brand is Peugeot. Now better know for cars, the French brand first won in 1905, with its last victory in 1977. Trek can only claim two official Tour de France wins, with Alberto Contador in 2007 and 2009. The US brand would be equal with Gitane on nine wins but, of course, Lance Armstrong's seven 'wins' aboard a Trek have been struck from the record books.

Tour de France bikes

2022: Jonas Vingegaard's (Jumbo-Visma) Cervélo R5 and S5

The 2022 Tour de France was a display of dominance from the squad we have seen at the forefront of racing for so long now, Jumbo-Visma. Last year, the team swept up the overall victory and KOM jersey with Jonas Vingegaard , as well as the points classification with Wout Van Aert . Six stage victories to top things off made this a pretty memorable run for the Dutch cycling team.

Vingegaard used a combination of Cervélo's S5 aero bike, and R5 climbing bike throughout the Tour, but he ultimately rolled into Paris aboard his custom-painted S5.

Both bikes were fully clad in the latest 12-speed Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 and featured matching wheels. The Dura-Ace wheelsets varied from the C35 offering for mountain days, while the C60s saw use on the flatter stages.

Interestingly too, 2022 is the first year in history to be won strictly on disc brakes . Though Tadej Pogacar did roll into Paris one year earlier on discs, he also used rim brakes in time trials and for a select few mountain stages - Jumbo-Visma on the other hand, ran exclusively disc setups during the 2022 Tour. If ever there was a sign that rim brakes are on their way to extinction, surely this is it.

2020 & 2021: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) Colnago V3Rs

Pogačar's winning machine from stage nine of 2021

Pogačar's 2020 win made him the first ever Slovenian rider to win the Tour de France, the youngest ever rider at 21-years-old, and he achieved that feat riding a Colnago V3Rs , with Colnago having never won cycling's most prestigious race before either.

Though he rode the same bike model each year, his setups differed. In 2020 he opted for a more 'traditional' feel, with a Campagnolo Super Record EPS 12-speed groupset, Bora One tubular wheels and a set of Campagnolo’s Super Record rim brakes. 

In 2021, though, he used Campagnolo’s Super Record EPS groupset and Bora Ultra WTO 45 wheels with Vittoria Graphene 2.0 tubeless tyres. He switched to disc brakes too for most stages, helping his stability in the often tumultuous French weather.

For two stages he did revert to rim brakes though, one of which came during his stage five time-trial win while using his Colnago K.one time trial bike. He used the same setup that helped during 2020's decisive La Planche des Belle Filles time trial, before he ditched the TT bike in favour of a road bike . 

Pogačar's 'traditional' bike without a power meter or computer on stage 19 of the 2020 Tour de France

Pogačar proceeded on a bike without a power meter or computer, riding on feel alone in one of cycling's most pure rides.

In 2021, his bike featured yellow accents as early as stage nine, when he first wore the maillot jaune, so dominant was his performance. 

2019: Egan Bernal (Team Ineos) Pinarello Dogma F12

While the team may have undergone a name change and re-brand, there was no shock at the top of the Tour de France standings as Team Sky, now Team Ineos, took another title.

The 2019 Tour was a historic moment, however, as Egan Bernal became the first Colombian to ever win the yellow jersey and the youngest rider - at the time - in the modern era, at 22-years-old.

It took  Pinarello  another two years to bring out the Dogma F12 after the launch of the Dogma F10, on which Thomas won last year’s Tour de France. In that time, Pinarello said it had improved the aerodynamics, saving eight watts at 40kp/h, and made the frameset stiffer and lighter too.

Bernal stuck with rim brakes in 2019, twinned with Lightweight wheels for the climbing days and Shimano Dura-Ace wheels on the fast and flat days.

The Shimano Dura-Ace R9100 made up the rest of the components.

2018: Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) Pinarello Dogma F10 X-Light

Thomas won the 2018 Tour d France aboard a Pinarello F10 X-Light - which uses a slightly different carbon fibre compared to previous iterations, resulting in a weight drop of around a kilogram.

The geometry remains fixed, as does the use of an asymmetric bottom bracket, plus the wind cheating concave down tube is designed to incorporate bottles in optimal position.

The Tour's first Welsh winner opted for an integrated 40mm Talon handlebar and 130mm stem, with a  Fizik Arione  saddle that carries his optimum position marked in pen. The saddle height was around 78.5cm and Thomas rode with 175mm cranks - which are longer than most opt for.

The groupset is  Shimano Dura-Ace,  with a 53/39 crankset and 11-30 at the back, alongside a Stages power meter. The wheels fitted when we saw the bike were carbon tubular Dura-Ace hoops, wearing Continental Competition tyres and the paint job carries a speed line for every Team Sky victory.

Read more and see the bike via video

2017: Chris Froome (Team Sky), Pinarello Dogma F10

Froome's third consecutive Dogma win. By this point, the employees at  Pinarello 's painting factory in Treviso were probably quite used to applying (apparently) last minute yellow paint jobs  before the roll into Paris.

The  F10 had some minor tweaks from the F8 , but no major overhauls - quite simply, Pinarello and Team Sky felt it was a pretty good bike. Pinarello made the F10 a little bit more aero, a little bit stiffer, and very slightly lighter.

The diet the frame had been on meant that Froome didn't need the X-light model he used when the F8 was in production, so his frame is as per an off-the-peg creation in terms of weight.

When we saw it, Froome had opted for a 53/39 standard set up with an 11-28 cassette, though the chainrings themselves are  osymetric - a preference which can help improve pedalling efficiency.

On flatter stages, Froome used deeper wheels, but when  we had the chance to video it , the bike was shod with shallow Shimano Dura-Ace C40 wheels and pro-only Continental Competition Pro Ltd tubular tyres.

The bars, stem, and bar tape are all Shimano's own brand, Pro, fitted with a K-Edge out from computer mount and Fizik saddle.

See more:   Chris Froome's 2017 Tour de France winning Pinarello Dogma

Like Bradley Wiggins before him, Froome rode the Bolide  time trial bike  during the ITT stages of the race.

Froome opted for 175mm cranks, used a chain catcher to guard against necessary trauma. The saddle height was 79.6cm - 1mm lower than that 79.7cm on his road bike. There was grip tape on his saddle, which helped him maintain the ideal position and he opted for a 58/48T chainring set up with 11-28 cassette.

In a touch of perfectionism, the 3D printed handlebar was made from titanium and moulded perfectly to fit its rider.

Read more:   Chris Froome's Tour de France Pinarello Bolide

2016 & 2015 : Chris Froome (Team Sky) Pinarello Dogma F8

To represent his Kenyan upbringing and passion for wildlife as an ambassador for the charity United for Wildlife, Froome's 2015 and 2016 winning bikes featured unique rhino decals. 

The  osymetric  chainrings are present, with a chainguard to guard against unfortunate chain-drop moments. The rest of the drivetrain was Shimano Dura Ace, with an 11-28 cassette and Stages power meter.

Froome's preference for having two shifting buttons close together meant the satellite shifters were stripped down, also saving him weight in the meantime too. 

The wheels we shot the bike with were Shimano's Dura-Ace C50s, bottle cages were 15g Leggero's from Elite and the bars were Pro.

The winning machine was polished off with a 121mm stem, Fizik Antares 00 saddle with carbon rails and  Continental Competition Pro Ltd tubular tyres.

See more:   Chris Froome's 2016 Tour de France winning Pinarello Dogma F8

2014: Vincenzo Nibali (Astana), Specialized S-Works Tarmac

Vincenzo Nibali managed to break up the Pinarello domination in the Tour in the early 2010s, as he rode to victory in 2014 aboard an S-Works Tarmac painted with decals that hark to his nickname - Lo Squalo - or 'the Shark'.

This Tarmac became the first edition to feature a size specific carbon-layup, improving ride quality by better catering for the individual's needs and desires. Nibali added an FSA stem to his machine too, with Corima Viva wheels and a Campagnolo Super Record groupset also included. 

Specialized even customised the Italian's bike for the final day, adding yellow stickered wheels from Corima and a custom FSA stem with yellow decals to the already painted yellow frame. 

During time trial stages, Nibali rode the brand's slippery Shiv TT bike. He finished fourth on the 54 kilometre stage 20 solo event to comfortably maintain his place on the top step of the podium, finishing seven minutes 52 seconds ahead of second-placed Christophe Peraud overall. 

Read more: Vincenzo Nibali’s 2014 Specialized S-Works Tarmac

2013: Chris Froome (Team Sky), Pinarello Dogma

The Dogma model before the F8 was the  Dogma 65.1 Think 2 , and it's that iteration which Froome rode to his first Tour de France victory in 2013.

Its standout features were the asymmetric design and wavy forks, seatstays and chainstays. The 65.1 gained its name from the use of a new carbon fibre material: Torayca high-modulus 65 as opposed to the 60 ton carbon of previous years’ models. According to Pinarello, this helped the bike become lighter, and therefore more reactive, which Froome managed to showcase expertly throughout his stellar ride.

Froome's model was of course fitted with osymetric chainrings, Fizik saddle, and the old-faithful looking SRM data-box of days gone by.

2012: Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky), Pinarello Dogma

Wiggins rode onto the Champs-Élysées in 2012 on Pinarello's Dogma 65.1, the brand's newest machine, as he secured his maiden Tour de France title. Despite flaunting the sleek bike in Paris that day, Team Sky actually opted for their main rider to stick to the Pinarello Dogma 2 for the rest of the race.

Similarly, Sky ensured Wiggins felt comfortable throughout the three weeks, keeping him on a Shimano Dura-Ace mechanical 10-speed groupset (q for the majority of the time. 

Across both the bike he used in Paris and what he used throughout the rest of the Tour, Wiggins also added a Fizik Arione saddle and yet more osymetric chainrings to complete his machine. 

2011: Cadel Evans (BMC Racing Team), BMC Team Machine

Cadel Evans Tour winning machine

Cadel Evans was the first ever Australian to take the Tour victory 'down under', and he did so aboard his BMC Team Machine. The 2011 Tour de France winning machine was the first bike in history to win the biggest bike race in the world with electronic shifting.

Evans' Team Machine featured a relatively chunky carbon lugged design, that even featured an aero seatpost - something more rarely seen back in the early 2010s. The bike was clad with Shimano's first iteration of Dura-Ace Di2, 7970, and featured an SRM power meter too. 

Evans also rode 50mm deep Easton carbon tubular wheels which put together an aero package, that we think, wouldn't look overly out of place today - bar the rim brakes of course!

2010: Andy Schleck (Team Saxo Bank) Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL3

Andy Schleck battling the alpine gradients

Andy Schleck was only officially crowned the 2010 Tour de France champion in early 2012, after the original winner, Alberto Contador, received a doping ban that led to the revoking of his title.

Schleck rode a Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL3, which can be seen above in a dazzling chrome colourway. The eventual winning bike featured mechanical shifting in the form of SRAM Red 10-speed, along with rim brakes.

Carbon wheels were still the order of the day in the form of Zipp's 202 lightweight wheels. Interestingly too, there was no power meter to be seen on the 2010 Tour winner's bike, making Schleck the last winner before power data became more mainstream.

2009: Alberto Contador (Astana) Trek Madone 6.9 Pro

The Spanish climbing legend did retain his 2009 title, this time with a dominant 4m11s winning margin over Andy Schleck. Alberto Contador rolled down the Champs-Élysées on his Trek Madone 6.9 Pro, fully equipped with yellow flashes.

The Madone of 2009 sits in a different postcode to the aero-optimized Trek Madone we know today. The Madone sat as Trek's all-round race bike, with oversized OCLV carbon construction that was influenced by a design ethos based on stiffness and light weight.

'El Pistolero' didn't use a power meter, and used SRAM's 10 speed Red mechanical shifting. Bontrager, Trek's in-house component manufacturer, provided the deep-section carbon wheels and finishing kit to the Spaniard's bike.

2008: Carlos Sastre (Team CSC) Cervelo R5

Carlos Sastre post stage 21

We end our dive into the history books with a nice Cervelo-bookend here, with Carlos Sastre winning the Tour 14 years ago aboard the same line of bikes that Jonas Vingegaard used in last year's race.

The two iterations bare more slightly resemblance than the previously discussed Trek Madones, but 14 years of research and development has certainly seen some changes. 

Sastro's 2008 winning machine featured Zipp 202 lightweight carbon wheels and Shimano Dura-Ace 7800 ten-speed shifting. 3T, who worked closely with Cervelo through this time provided the finishing kit.

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Michelle Arthurs-Brennan the Editor of Cycling Weekly website. An NCTJ qualified traditional journalist by trade, Michelle began her career working for local newspapers. She's worked within the cycling industry since 2012, and joined the Cycling Weekly team in 2017, having previously been Editor at Total Women's Cycling. Prior to welcoming her daughter in 2022, Michelle raced on the road, track, and in time trials, and still rides as much as she can - albeit a fair proportion indoors, for now.

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Mathieu van der Poel's Tour de France bike is monochromatic, aggressive and hides a new seat clamp design

All-Shimano build is clean as a whistle

Simon von Bromley / Our Media

Mathieu van der Poel started out his 2023 Tour de France campaign onboard this custom-painted Canyon Aeroad CFR.

The super-clean white bike is one of three bikes the Dutch multidiscipline superstar has ridden at this year’s race.

Van der Poel has since switched to his regular metallic-red Canyon Aeroad after racing this and a special-edition Raymond Poulidor tribute bike in the first week of the Tour de France .

While subdued, this all-white paintjob – officially dubbed ‘MvdP white’ by Canyon – is handsome in a muted sort of way.

Let’s take a closer look.

A go-fast cockpit for the world’s best lead-out man

The integrated cockpit of van der Poel’s bike is as good as slammed with only a teeny-tiny spacer sitting beneath the stem.

Though not as extreme as the setup used by some riders, van der Poel hasn’t been able to resist the urge to tilt his hoods slightly inwards in chase of further aero gains.

Jasper Philipsen’s lead-out man will want to ensure he’s efficient as possible when pushing watts in a sprint.

In terms of measurements, van der Poel's Canyon's CP0015 cockpit has an 11cm stem length, with the width-adjustable handlebar set at 40cm.

With many riders at the 2023 Tour running a 36cm or 38cm bar , that's a fairly conservative setup.

A neat 3D-printed out-front mount is fitted to the underside of the bar.

Seat clamp change made official?

Van der Poel’s Aeroad features an exposed expander wedge on the top tube just in front of the seatpost. A similar design is used on many of the best aero road bikes .

This design is different to both that seen on the existing consumer version of the Aeroad and the bike he rode to victory at Milan-San Remo .

The bike seen at Milan San Remo hid the expanding wedge inside the top tube. It is exposed on van der Poel’s Tour de France bike.

The original seat clamp – used on the consumer version of the Aeroad to date – adopted a design similar to that of the Canyon Ultimate, clamping as low as possible on the seat tube to enable the post to flex. This is said to improve rear-end comfort. The clamp was accessed from the rear of the bike between the seatstays.

Looking at the Canyon web store, it appears the change seen on van der Poel's latest bike has carried over to at least some of the brand’s top-end versions of the Aeroad.

A Selle Italia Flite saddle slammed all the way back on its rails sits atop the deep aero-profiled seatpost.

An all-Shimano build

Van der Poel's build is dominated by Shimano parts, covering both the groupset components and wheels.

When we saw van der Poel's bike at the Grand Départ in Bilbao, it featured Shimano Dura-Ace C50 wheels, shod with a pair of 28c Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR tyres .

Those tyres inflate to 29.3mm on the C50's 21mm internal rim width.

That's still wide by modern standards – but not as wide as the tyres seen on Tadej Pogačar’s Colnago V4Rs .

On Pogačar’s bike, the (nominally) 28c Continental Grand Prix5000 TT TR tyres inflate to 31.3mm (front) and 32.2mm (rear) on the 25mm internal rim width of the ENVE SES 4.5 wheels.

Back to van der Poel's bike, and the wheelset is paired with the near-ubiquitous Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 Di2 groupset , with van der Poel opting for 54/40t chainrings.

How much does Mathieu van der Poel's bike weigh?

The Aeroad is Canyon's aero road bike, with the Ultimate sitting alongside it at the top of the German direct-sales brand's range as a lightweight all-rounder.

We put van der Poel's bike on the BikeRadar scales at the Tour de France – and, in full team trim, it comes in at 7.94kg.

Mathieu van der Poel’s Canyon Aeroad | Specs

• Frameset: Canyon Aeroad CFR MVDP
• Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace R9250 Di2
• Wheelset: Shimano Dura-Ace C50
• Tyres: Vittoria Corsa Speed, 28c (29.4mm measured), tubeless
• Cockpit: Canyon CP0015, 11cm stem, 40cm handlebar
• Saddle: Selle Italia Flite Boost Kit Carbonio Superflow MVDP Edt
• Weight: 7.945kg

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Bikes of the Tour de France: What the pros are riding

Pinarello, Look, Orbea and Fuji

Caisse d'Epargne's asymmetrical Pinarello Dogma

The Pinarello machines of Caisse d'Epargne are consistently among the easiest to spot in the Tour de France peloton what with their distinctive red, white and black paint jobs, color-matched componentry, and unmistakably curvaceous front and rear ends that are said to improve rider comfort and road feel. Yet while many frame manufacturers are content to include asymmetrical chain stays – and sometimes seat tubes – Caisse d'Epargne's latest Dogma frames are asymmetrical almost throughout the entire structure.

Pinarello claims this better accounts for the uneven forces applied while pedaling with features that include a bigger driveside seat stay, a driveside chain stay that's narrower up at the bottom bracket but wider at the dropout, a non-driveside chain stay that adopts an opposite profile, and even a bigger and stronger driveside fork leg.

Whether or not you buy into the theory, adding in the color-matched brakes from Campagnolo and the MOst integrated carbon bar and seatpost adds up to quite the eye-catching package.

Campagnolo supplies most of the rest of the componentry, too, including Super Record Ergopower levers and derailleurs, Record cranks, chain, and cassette, and even carbon tubulars in various rim depths depending on the conditions and course profile.

Finishing up the build kit are Continental tubulars, Selle Italia saddles, Look KéO pedals, and Elite carbon bottle cages.

New Look 695 road racers for Cofidis

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Some Cofidis riders at the Tour de France are still using Look's current 595 but the rest – including team leader Rein Taaramae – are on the company's latest 695. Unlike the tube-and-lug 595, the 695 uses a more conventional modular monocoque setup like on the 586 but the real story is the higher level of integration.

A key feature of the 695 is the new Zed 2 crank, similar to the 596's original Zed crank with its enormous 50mm-diameter spindle (roughly 66 percent bigger than BB30) and one-piece carbon fiber construction that yields an ultralight 320g claimed weight for the arms and spindle. A unique three-sided pedal insert allows for adjustable effective crankarm lengths of 170, 172.5, and 175mm, but unlike the original Zed, Zed 2 will work with any threaded pedal spindle.

Securing the new 295g HSC 7 full-carbon tapered fork is Look's latest Head Fit 3 headset system, all topped with a clever new carbon fiber 'C-Stem'. Angle is adjustable between -9 and +13° and each of the five sizes is adjustable in length by 10mm (80-90, 90-100, 100-110, 110-120, 120-130mm).

Cofidis team bikes are outfitted with Shimano Dura-Ace mechanical groups aside from the FSA chainrings mounted on the Zed 2 crankarms. FSA also provides handlebars and a wide variety of wheels from alloy shallow-section to carbon deep-section tubulars, and naturally, the team is using Look KéO pedals as well.

Rounding things out are Vittoria tires, fi'zi:k saddles and bar tape, Zéfal bottle cages, and BBB computers.

Cushier Orbeas for Euskaltel-Euskadi and a special gold-accented rig for Samuel Sanchez

Euskaltel-Euskadi is using Orbea's latest Orca flagship, which the company says is lighter at just 900g but also adds more comfort relative to the previous edition to help team riders feel a little fresher towards the end of a stage. Rather than rely on tuned flex patterns, though, the 'Attraction' system's kinks and twists in both the seat stays and fork blades are said to attenuate road vibration.

Other key features on the new model include a tapered 1 1/8"-to-1 1/2" steerer, a BB30 bottom bracket (though Euskaltel-Euskadi runs both threaded frames and press-fit adapters to more readily accommodate its Shimano Dura-Ace cranks), and a continuation of Orbea's size-specific frame design, which aims to provide the same ride quality throughout the more generous ten-bike size range for 2011.

Orbea has also adapted the slick DCR cable routing setup from its off-road line on the updated Orca for reduced shift line friction though Euskaltel-Euskadi team bikes are all built around the optional Shimano Dura-Ace Di2-specific version with internal routing and a dedicated battery mount beneath the non-driveside chain stay.

Shimano also provides its range of carbon fiber tubular wheels and Dura-Ace SPD-SL pedals, FSA supplies stems and bars (and ceramic bottom brackets on some team bikes), and all of the team's proprietary Orca carbon seatposts are fitted with the Selle Italia Monolink-compatible heads to fit the saddle makers newest range. Completing the package are Elite bottle cages and Vittoria tires.

Samuel Sanchez (Euskaltel-Euskadi) also gets a special gold seatpost collar.

Footon-Servetto bikes awash in gold

Hidden beneath the gleaming metallic gold paint jobs of Footon-Servetto's team bikes are Fuji's latest 985g SST carbon frames, which the company says add stiffness relative to the former SL-1 flagship thanks to features such as the tapered head tube, internally ribbed down tube, BB86 press-fit bottom bracket shell and correspondingly wider seat and down tubes, and the deep-section integrated seatmast.

Bolted on to the frame is a conglomerate of parts from a broad collection of companies with the SRAM Red label only adorning the DoubleTap levers, front and rear derailleurs, and cassette, and the rest of the drivetrain filled in with Rotor's Agilis crank elliptical Q-Rings, a gold Wippermann Connex chain, and Time's new iClic Carbon pedals. Rolling stock comes courtesy of Reynolds carbon tubular wheels of various depths wrapped with Challenge tires.

Fuji's parent company recently purchased Oval Concepts so it's no shock to see its bars and stems mounted up here – in gleaming white – but Selle SMP's radical-looking Evolution saddles are more of a surprise. Completing the package are a set of TRP R970 magnesium dual-pivot brake calipers, Elite bottle cages, Rotor chain watchers, and Polar computers.

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