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Tour de France 2023: A form guide to the general classification favourites

How do the favourites compare as they finally stand shoulder to shoulder on the eve of the Tour de France?

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The long wait is over once again. For many riders, and fans, this is the race that matters, the race they have focused on throughout the dreary, overcast months of late winter and early spring. For those riders, every cold, wet training ride; every interminable interval session, has led up to this point – the Tour de France Grand Départ in Bilbao .

We've seen them race; we've heard them talk the Tour up, or perhaps play it down; we've seen them crash too. But all of that is now but a noise fading into the background. It's time to let the legs do the talking... so how are those legs doing?

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

Last year: finished 2nd

Having arrived at the Tour de France, Pogačar has described himself as mentally "super good" but has admitted his wrist injury has affected his Tour build-up and while he is free of pain , it still has a little way to go.

The Slovenian's season had been going swimmingly, all the way up to Liège-Bastogne-Liège when he broke his wrist in a crash. In fact, he had looked near-unbeatable, racking up 10 wins in 19 races including the Tour of Flanders and Amstel Gold – and that's before we get to the general classification victories in Paris-Nice and Vuelta Andalucia.

However, he had to take time off after his crash and while he has since won the Slovenian National Championship road race and been on training camp, he has missed out on key warm-up races like Critérium du Dauphiné or Tour de Suisse that his rivals have under their belts.

CW rating: 4

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Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma)

Last year: was the overall winner

Vingegaard has enjoyed a textbook early season for a defending Tour de France champion . A bit like his big Slovenian rival – dare we say 'nemesis'? – the 26-year-old Dane has been winning since the beginning of the season, only he has managed not to break any bones along the way. While he hasn't won quite so prolifically as Tadej Pogačar, Vingegaard's looks like a perfect, slow burning ascent towards peak form at the Tour.

His most recent race, the Critérium du Dauphiné , saw him take two stages and win overall by more than two minutes, his closest rival Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) apparently powerless to do anything about it. Notably, Yates is being touted by the team as its co-leader alongside Pogačar at this year's Tour.

For his part, Pogačar is doing all he can to make his wrist injury work for him, pointing out that it takes the pressure off his own shoulders and loads it all onto those of Vingegaard. 

The Dane of course has dismissed this, saying: "I don't think it matters to say who is the big favourite – I can also say that he is the big favourite.

“For me it’s quite easy, I only think about myself and only think about preparing myself as good as possible."

CW rating: 5

David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) 

Last year: finished 4th

Fourth last year behind Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogačar and Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers), Frenchman Gaudu has enjoyed a solid Tour de France build-up. 

However, this appeared to falter at the last with 30th overall at the recent Critérium du Dauphiné. Gaudu and his Groupama FDJ team were at a loss to explain what happened, although the hot weather affecting his performance was one hypothesis. 

How much this would have affected Gaudu's confidence for the Tour de France remains to be seen, but the 26-year-old recently told l'Equipe , "I don't dwell too much on the past. Everything resets each time, especially at the Tour de France."

Gaudu will also take heart from the composition of this year's Tour parcours which, with just 22.4km of time trialling (and much of that uphill), could have been custom-designed for him.

CW rating: 3

Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates)

Last year: 9th

As mentioned above, Yates goes into this year's Tour de France as, ostensibly, a co-leader alongside Tadej Pogačar at UAE Team Emirates. The Brit, whose previous GC best is fourth in 2016, will be buoyed by one of his best early season campaigns in several years, having won the Tour de Romandie overall and coming second on GC at the Critérium du Dauphiné. The formbook from that race suggests he could fight for the podium but is unlikely to challenge the likes of Dauphiné winner Jonas Vingegaard for the top step of the Tour de France podium.

There is also the sneaking suspicion that despite Yates's clear good form, his job will quickly become relegated to that of super-domestique for his more fancied team-mate Pogačar after the Slovenian defies his patchy build-up with a series of typically exuberant week-one GC antics.

Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe)

Last year: did not ride

Last year's Giro d'Italia winner Hindley will be making his Tour de France debut this July. Like David Gaudu, he has been eyeing the mountains-heavy route with interest and has already pointed out that despite this being his first crack at the race it might turn out to be the biggest opportunity he ever gets here.

The 27-year-old has clearly timed his run-in well, and while he has yet to cross the line first in 2023, he did clock fourth place in the recent Critérium du Dauphiné, and eighth in the Volta Catalunya in March.

For most riders, the Tour de France can be an overawing experience first time round, and Hindley has already made references to fulfilling a childhood dream just by being there.

But having already experienced the Grand-Tour-go-round to the full when he won the Giro d'Italia, there is nothing to suggest he can't put up a strong fight for the podium in France this July.

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After cutting his teeth on local and national newspapers, James began at Cycling Weekly as a sub-editor in 2000 when the current office was literally all fields. 

Eventually becoming chief sub-editor, in 2016 he switched to the job of full-time writer, and covers news, racing and features.

A lifelong cyclist and cycling fan, James's racing days (and most of his fitness) are now behind him. But he still rides regularly, both on the road and on the gravelly stuff.

According to new research from DesignRush, Corvallis, Oregon, has the highest percentage of workers that regularly commute to work by bike.

By Kristin Jenny Published 30 April 24

Amer Sports, the parent company of Enve Composites, announced today that the Enve brand has been acquired by PV3, a Utah-based private investment firm allegedly owned by avid cyclists.

By Anne-Marije Rook Published 30 April 24

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Tour de France

Tour de france stage 4: back to france and into the high alps, the first major exam for the tour general classification contenders as the race visits two legendary climbs..

Heading out the door? Read this article on the new Outside+ app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

Stage 4 — Tuesday, July 2 Pinerolo to Valloire Distance: 139.6km (87 miles) Profile: Mountain stage

Stage 4: The first major exam for the Tour general classification contenders

The shortest stage outside of the two individual time trials will be a testing one, with the route from Pinerolo in Italy to Valloire in the Alps crossing three major climbs, and ensuring hardly a kilometer of level ground during the 139.6 kilometers of racing.

The road rises as soon as the flag drops in Pinerolo, with the summit of Sestrières located 50.4km after the start. Fausto Coppi took a famous victory here in the 1952 Tour, having earlier triumphed in Pinerolo during the 1949 Giro. He also won both races overall.

The 39.9km climb, which also saw a defiant victory by Claudio Chiappucci ahead of Miguel Indurain in the 1992 Tour, is the first over 2,000 meters in this year’s race. It is followed 21km later by the summit of the Col de Montgenèvre, with this Tour’s second-highest peak in turn located 49km later.

The Col du Galibier is one of the most famous climbs in cycling. It first featured in the 1911 Tour de France and has featured no less than 31 times since 1947. In 2011 it was used for the first time as a stage finish, with Andy Schleck triumphing there after a 60km solo break.

At 23km in length and 2,642 meters above sea level, it is one of the most ferocious climbs in this year’s race. While 19km of descent remains after the summit, those first over the top have a huge chance of the stage win and, potentially, the yellow jersey.

The view of Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme: “The race leaves Italy after a long climb to the resort of Sestrières, where Coppi triumphed in 1952, the border subsequently reached at the Col de Montgenèvre. Then, after ascending the Lautaret pass, the riders will tackle the 2,642-metre Galibier. This will be the first opportunity for the favorites to test themselves in the high mountains.”

Favorites general classification Giro d'Italia 2024 | Tadej Pogacar? These gentlemen also dream of the pink jersey

Is there a more beautiful jersey in cycling than the pink one? Tadej Pogacar must have thought the same thing, as after winning two yellow jerseys in the Tour de France, the Slovenian is finally making his debut in the Giro d'Italia this year. The top favorite? Absolutely. But in the Tour of Italy, it’s not always the favorite who wins. IDLProCycling.com lists the top ten contenders for the overall victory!

Please also read/coming soon on IDLProCycling.com:

- Preview of the Giro d'Italia

- Favorites for the points classification (purple jersey)

- Favorites for the mountain classification (blue jersey)

- Favorites for the youth classification (white jersey)

- Betting pool tips for the Giro d'Italia

Recent winners of the Giro d'Italia

2023 - Primoz Roglic

2022 - Jai Hindley

2021 - Egan Bernal

2020 - Tao Geoghegan Hart

2019 - Richard Carapaz

2018 - Chris Froome

2017 - Tom Dumoulin

2016 - Vincenzo Nibali

2015 - Alberto Contador

2014 - Nairo Quintana

Favorites for the General Classification of the Giro d'Italia 2024

To compile this list, (former) editors at IDLProCycling.com were asked for their top ten in response to the question: "Who is most likely to win the Giro d'Italia?" Each top ten was assigned points as follows: 12 points for first place, 10 for second place, and then 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 point respectively. For each rider, the total points received were converted into a percentage of the maximum points possible. This percentage is indicated next to each rider. This helps give a clearer view of how the odds stack up according to IDLProCycling.com!

Antonio Tiberi/Juan Pedro López - Bahrain Victorious/Lidl-Trek: 17/108 points (15.7%)

We start off with a tie in the rankings. Antonio Tiberi appeared seven times on our lists, but often in the ninth or tenth spot. The 22-year-old Italian will chase a classification for the first time in a grand tour for Bahrain Victorious, and why would he not be able to surprise everyone? His third place in the Tour of the Alps was impressive. Top five is his goal, but with us, he just has to make do with narrowly making the top ten.

The same applies to Juan Pedro López, the winner of the Tour of the Alps and a former wearer of the pink jersey for several days. Representing Lidl-Trek, the 26-year-old Spaniard seems to have carte blanche to try again. His stage win in the Alps—where he dramatically dropped everyone—promises much. The problem for him are the time trial kilometers, so he must go on the offensive in his beloved mountains for a top ranking.

Damiano Caruso - Bahrain Victorious: 18/108 points (16.7%)

At number nine, we find Damiano Caruso, Tiberi's teammate at Bahrain Victorious and, of course, the runner-up of the 2021 Giro! That same year, he also won a stage in the Vuelta. However, the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023 didn't go as well for him.

Can he do it again at the age of 36? Or will it be more about chasing stage wins and supporting the new generation? His results in 2024 haven't been very spectacular, but neither were they before his second place in 2021. Caruso is tough, never count him out!

Luke Plapp - Jayco-AlUla: 18/108 points (16.7%)

Scoring the same as Caruso but placed a spot higher, Luke Plapp has caught the attention of several editors who believe he could be this Giro’s surprise package. One even placed him third! Why? Plapp finished sixth in Paris-Nice and seems to be climbing better than ever. Moreover, the Australian from Jayco-AlUla is an outstanding time trialist.

His switch from INEOS Grenadiers to Jayco is paying off, although he recently mentioned that the team's focus for the classification is on Eddie Dunbar. The Irishman isn't on our list, but Plapp is. He’s poised to surprise us. The Giro has often been a platform for riders to come into their own. Maybe this is the moment for the 23-year-old Plapp.

Daniel Felipe Martínez - BORA-hansgrohe: 39/108 points (36.1%)

Another man who, after a surprising departure from INEOS, has been tearing up the streets is Daniel Felipe Martinez. He beat Remco Evenepoel twice (!) in explosive finishes at the Tour of the Algarve. And let’s not forget his role as a domestique for the overall winner Egan Bernal in 2021, where he finished fifth in the Giro.

At BORA-hansgrohe, this year is all about the Tour de France. They are sending Primoz Roglic, Jai Hindley, and Aleksandr Vlasov to focus on it. This gives Martinez free rein to fully explore his potential as a GC contender. If he's really on point, he can compete with the best. He has, after all, also won the GC in the Dauphiné and the Tour of the Basque Country in his career.

Cian Uijtdebroeks - Visma | Lease a Bike: 46/108 points (42.6%)

At Visma | Lease a Bike, since December, they have had one goal: to make a splash in the Giro! Despite losing Wout van Aert and Wilco Kelderman to injuries, there remains more than enough quality to compete for stage wins every day. Olav Kooij, Jan Tratnik, Attila Valter... Impressive, to say the least.

One rider who consistently sneaks under the radar is Cian Uijtdebroeks. The young Belgian's switch from BORA to Visma last winter has been much discussed, and the Giro might shed light on whether this move was beneficial. Considering his eighth-place finish in a competitive Vuelta in 2023, he’s expected to perform even better in this Giro... We're eager to see what he does!

Thymen Arensman - INEOS Grenadiers: 54/108 points (50.0%)

Thymen Arensman is the first and only Dutchman on this list (most of our editors are Dutch), but he's no ordinary competitor. Born to race for the GC, Arensman might not typically finish in the top three of explosive finales, but he consistently secured a strong top ten spot in both the 2022 Vuelta and 2023 Giro.

Having finished sixth twice in a grand tour, he's aiming higher now. Let’s say at least top five. Geraint Thomas is the declared leader at INEOS Grenadiers, but the 24-year-old Arensman is a dangerous dark horse. After finishing fifth in the Algarve and sixth in the Tirreno, and with a year at INEOS under his belt, it's time for him to harvest the fruits of his labor.

Ben O'Connor - Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale: 61/108 points (56.5%)

We're slowly moving towards the podium, but according to our editorial team, it might just be out of reach for Ben O'Connor. Nonetheless, the Australian from Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale is having an excellent season. There's no reason to believe he can't continue this form into the Giro.

The 28-year-old O'Connor is rock solid in the mountains and has improved significantly in time trials over the past few years. He won a stage in the 2020 Giro and followed up a year later with a stage win and an eighth-place finish in the final classification in the Tour de France. 2023 was marred by crashes and injuries, but in 2024, O'Connor has already impressed with a second-place finish in the UAE Tour and the Tour of the Alps, and fifth in the Tirreno.

Romain Bardet - Team dsm-firmenich PostNL: 68/108 points (63%)

Romain Bardet in the best form of his life? At Liège-Bastogne-Liège, he finished second with impressive form, after placing fifth at the Tour of the Alps. Watching a good Bardet race is a delight. And who knows what he might achieve in the GC if dsm-firmenich PostNL fully commits.

And why not? The time trials won't be easy for Bardet, but the Frenchman has greatly improved in this discipline and also has plenty of mountain stages and bonus sprints to compensate. After his second and third places in the Tour in '16 and '17, we'd love to see him on the podium again. However, it won't be handed to him on a silver platter!

Geraint Thomas - INEOS Grenadiers: 73/108 points (67.6%)

As previously noted, Geraint Thomas is the leader at INEOS Grenadiers, but it's always tough to fully gauge the Welshman. After his Tour de France victory in 2018, his career seemed to wane, but in recent years, he's rediscovered his top form. He finished third behind Pogacar and Vingegaard in the 2022 Tour and was the runner-up to Roglic in last year's Giro.

INEOS wants to race aggressively, whatever that may mean. Thomas on the attack? We've rarely seen that. He's mainly a model of consistency. Never really having a bad day, always finishing among the leaders. And in this way, we might see him on the podium again in Rome.

Tadej Pogacar - UAE-Team Emirates: 108/108 points (100%)

Whether any of the ten names mentioned can dream of overall victory will largely depend on one rider. Tadej Pogacar is the man to beat, the rider who stands out when everyone else is performing at their usual level. And this season, the Slovenian from UAE-Team Emirates is at his best...

He clinched a victory at Strade Bianche after an epic eighty-kilometer solo break, secured four (!) stage victories and the overall win in Catalonia, and topped it off with a win at Liège-Bastenaken-Liège following another bold solo effort from La Redoute. With a strong team backing him at UAE, if Pogacar stays healthy for three weeks, everything points to him dominating. However, the Giro still has to be raced, particularly with Pogacar also eyeing a win at the Tour de France this summer...

2024 Giro d’Italia Riders to Watch

From an overwhelming favorite to two young Americans, here are 13 riders to watch at this year’s Giro d’Italia.

This year’s race has an interesting start list. It’s headlined by one overwhelming favorite, several riders hoping to join him on the podium, lots of sprinters, a couple of veteran stage hunters looking to pad their resumes, and two young Americans making their grand tour debuts.

Here’s a look at thirteen riders to watch at the 2024 Giro d’Italia.

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

We’re not sure we’ve ever seen a more overwhelming grand tour favorite than Pogačar. The 25-year-old has never raced the Giro, but that won’t stop him from most likely winning it.

The two-time Tour de France champion has had a perfect season so far, mixing specific race targets with training camps so that he’s ready and fresh. So far the plan has worked like a charm: the Slovenian has raced just ten times this season, but has an incredible seven wins—including victories in Strade Bianche , the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya (where he won four of the race’s seven stages), and Liège-Bastogne-Liège—and he’s only finished lower than third twice .

With a strong team of proven grand tour domestiques, including several of his favorite Tour de France lieutenants, and a course that suits all of his strengths—including a very Pog-friendly Grande Partenza (what Italians call the Giro’s opening weekend)—the only question we have is: How soon will he put the race out of reach?

Geraint Thomas (INEOS Grenadiers)

Thomas was one day away from winning last year’s Giro d’Italia, an impressive feat for a 36-year-old who’s still a grand tour contender despite racing against guys more than a decade younger than he is. But despite last year’s defeat, he’s returning this year to try and finally win a race that’s been eluding him since most of his biggest rivals were juniors.

Defeating Pogačar will be tough, but the course—especially its two time trials—plays to Thomas’ strengths, and he has a deep and talented team supporting him. Our gut says that second overall is the best he can hope for, but if there’s one thing we’ve learned this season it’s that bad luck can strike anyone at any time. Should something happen to Pog (we’re not wishing for that to happen), the soon-to-be 38-year-old will immediately become the race favorite.

And in case you’re wondering, if he wins, he’ll be the second-oldest grand tour champion in cycling history.

Cian Uijtdebroeks (Visma-Lease a Bike)

This young Belgian made (hard-to-pronounce) headlines last December when it was prematurely announced that he was breaking his contract with BORA-hansgrohe (who had recently signed Primoz Roglič away from Jumbo-Visma) to join the Dutch superteam (now called Visma-Lease a Bike).

Uijtdebroeks, who just turned 21, was the winner of the Tour de l‘Avenir in 2022 and is widely considered to be a future grand tour contender. And without Belgium’s Wout van Aert , who’s skipping the Giro due to injuries he sustained in a crash at a race in Belgium a few weeks ago, Uijtdebroeks becomes the focus of the team’s Giro GC plans. A podium finish and the white jersey as the Giro’s Best Young Rider are well within his reach. Securing both would rub some salt in the wounds created by his not-so-smooth transfer.

Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale),

The Australian has had a rough time since finishing fourth overall and winning a stage at the 2021 Tour de France —mainly due to crashes. So now he’s heading back to the Giro, where he cut his teeth as a grand tour rider and even won a mountain stage in 2020.

His 2024 season has been great so far: he won his first race of the year, then finished second at the UAE Tour, fifth at Tirreno-Adriatico, and second at the recent Tour of the Alps, an important pre-Giro stage race. A podium finish and stage victory are well within reach for the 28-year-old, results that would rebuild his confidence and rejuvenate his career.

Romain Bardet (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL)

A former Tour de France podium finisher, Bardet has enjoyed a bit of a renaissance since leaving his former French team for the Dutch Team dsm-firmenich PostNL squad. This move gave him his first chance to race the Giro in 2021 where he finished seventh.

After finishing second in Liège-Bastogne-Liège in April, the 33-year-old is in form and motivated. We wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up challenging for a spot on the final podium, but we suspect he’ll be more of a stage hunter. The Giro is the only grand tour in which he hasn’t won a stage, and he would certainly love to complete a hat trick of grand tour stage victories before retiring.

Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-Quick Step)

Alaphilippe was once one of the three or four most exciting riders in the sport—a swashbuckling opportunist who was always a threat in one-day Monuments and grand tour stages. But a crash at Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2022 left him with a broken shoulder, two broken ribs, and a collapsed lung. He hasn’t been the same since.

After another tough spring, the 31-year-old is now riding his first Giro in the hopes of getting back to his winning ways (he hasn’t won anything since last June). And time is of the essence: the Frenchman’s contract with Soudal-Quick Step is up at the end of the season , and he’s rumored to be negotiating with a couple of French squads (with Quick Step still open to the possibility of keeping him). A stage win or two would help drive up the asking price for a guy who was once one of the most sought-after riders in the world.

Michael Woods (Israel-PremierTech)

The Canadian finally got his first Tour de France stage victory last year when he won the first stage to finish atop the Puy de Dôme in 35 years. Now he’s heading to the Giro in the hopes of scoring a complete set of grand tour stage wins. His team is filled with stage hunters and opportunists, so he’ll certainly have several chances to play his hand. The 37-year-old former world-class distance runner will likely be targeting some of the Giro’s longer mountain stages and, therefore, won’t be worried about losing time during the first week (and in the time trials) so that the GC contenders leave him alone to chase stages in the second and third week.

Nairo Quintana (Movistar)

Quintana won the Giro in 2014, a year after bursting onto the scene with a podium finish at the 2013 Tour de France . But the 34-year-old hasn’t raced since finishing sixth overall in the 2022 Tour and then having his results disqualified after testing positive for tramadol, a painkiller that’s banned by the UCI (but not banned by WADA). He’s now back in the WorldTour with Movistar, the team with whom he recorded best results. But his return has not been a popular one , and it will be interesting to see how he’s treated by riders and fans. He says he’s racing for stage wins (not the General Classification) and would justify Movistar’s risky investment if he gets one.

Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek)

Milan was one of the biggest surprises of last year’s Giro. Racing for Bahrain-Victorious, the Italian won a stage and the ciclamino jersey as the winner of the Giro’s Points Classification. He then signed with Lidl-Trek, where one would assume he’s getting more money and more opportunities to ride for himself. Now he’s heading back to his home grand tour and hoping to build on last year’s success—albeit against much tougher competition. Multiple stage wins and another ciclamino jersey are good goals for the 23-year-old, and he has a team filled with fast finishers to help him.

Fabio Jakobsen (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL)

Jakobsen transferred to DSM this past off-season after several years with Soudal-Quick Step, where he blossomed from an up-and-comer into a proven grand tour field sprinter (despite a horrible crash in the 2020 Tour of Poland that put him in a medically-induced coma).

But in 2024 Quick-Step is all-in on Remco Evenepoel’s GC chances at the Tour de France , and there wasn’t room on the Tour squad for both a sprinter and a GC contender, so Jakobsen left. So far, the 27-year-old has won just one race this year, but a couple of victories at the Giro would certainly make his new team happy and cement his place on their roster for the Tour.

Caleb Ewan (Jayco AlUla)

Ewan started his career with Orica-GreenEdge, winning stages in all three grand tours before accepting a lucrative offer from Lotto-Soudal (now Lotto-Dstny) prior to the 2019 season. But after a bitter divorce ended the Australian’s five-year tenure with the Belgian team, he’s now back home, with Jayco AlUla, the current iteration of the Orica program with which he cut his teeth. His season hasn’t been the greatest so far—he’s won just two races. But assuming he’s recovered from the health issues that ruined his spring, he’s primed to get back on track with a stage win or two.

Magnus Sheffield (INEOS Grenadiers) and Luke Lamperti (Soudal-Quick Step)

This year’s Giro will mark the grand tour debut for Sheffield and Lamperti, two young Americans who have turned lots of heads so far in their careers. Despite being just 22 years old, Sheffield is a third-year pro who’s already won some important races. Now, he gets a shot at his first grand tour, where he’ll be a contender in the Giro’s two individual time trials.

Lamperti is a rookie at Soudal-Quick Step, and while he hasn’t won his first race–yet–he’s proven himself to be a fast finisher and a valuable teammate. At the Giro, his first goal will be helping Belgium’s Tim Merlier win a few stages, but we won’t be surprised to see the 21-year-old win one of the race’s trickier uphill sprint finishes.

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2024 Giro d’Italia | 6 Reasons to Be Psyched

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Giro d'Italia 2024: Preview, full schedule and how to watch live

The Giro d’Italia 2024 is about to kick off the Grand Tour season in men’s road cycling .

On Saturday 4 May, Venaria Reale will host the opening stage of the 107 th edition of the Corsa Rosa that will see its conclusion three weeks later in Rome on Sunday 26 May.

All eyes will be on the Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar , who aims to become the first rider since Marco Pantani in 1998 to achieve the Giro-Tour double.

Reigning champion and Olympic time trial gold medallist, Primoz Roglic , will not be defending his crown, as he has got his eyes set on the Tour de France.

The 2024 edition of the Italian Grand Tour features gruelling mountain stages in the Alps, gravel roads in Tuscany and more than 70 kilometres of time trial. The winner will lift the prestigious Trofeo Senza Fine (Endless Trophy) and wear the coveted Maglia Rosa in the Italian capital.

This year's race will cover a total of 3400.8 kilometres , making it the shortest edition in 45 years.

Find everything you need to know about the Giro d’Italia 2024 below, including the riders to look out for and how to watch the event live.

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Who are the riders to watch at the Giro d’Italia 2024?

Pink jersey (general classification).

There is one overwhelming favourite for the Giro d’Italia 2024, and that is Tadej Pogacar .

Fresh off his second Liège–Bastogne–Liège title in impressive fashion, the two-time Tour de France winner is arriving to Italy in top shape.

Pogacar started his season by conquering the gravel roads of Strade Bianche , riding 81 kilometres solo to claim victory in Siena.

At Volta a Catalunya , the Slovenian swept four out of seven stages, securing the overall victory and sending a clear message to his rivals at the Giro about who the man to beat is.

Geraint Thomas suffered heartbreak at last year’s Giro d’italia, narrowly missing out on the overall victory by just 14 seconds.

The 2018 Tour de France champion was leading the race going into the penultimate stage, only to relinquish the pink jersey to Primoz Roglic after the Slovenian's formidable performance in the individual time trial.

The INEOS Grenadiers leader has some unfinished business with the Corsa Rosa and will try to pose a challenge to Pogacar.

Among the outsiders is Australia's Ben O’Connor (Decathlon AG2R), who finished fourth in the 2021 Tour de France.

This year, the 28-year-old has consistently finished within the top five in week-long stage races. At the Giro d'Italia warm-up race, the Tour of the Alps, he was the runner-up behind the former Maglia Rosa wearer Juan Pedro Lopez , who also will be lining up at the start line in Venaria Reale.

French veteran Romain Bardet recently said that he is at his best level in years and is convinced he can challenge for the podium.

A second place at the Liège–Bastogne–Liège behind Pogacar was a boost of morale for the 33-year-old, who has not been on a Grand Tour podium since 2018, when he finished third at the Tour de France.

Daniel Martínez will lead the BORA - hansgrohe team. The Colombian climber is no longer in the shadow of INEOS stars Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal , following his move to the German team ahead of this season.

In 2021, Martínez was a strong domestique for compatriot Bernal and helped him secure the overall victory. He also achieved his best overall result in a Grand Tour by finishing in the top five that year. With the absence of teammate Roglic, it is up to Martínez to secure a top result.

“The Killer Bees” Team Visma|Lease a Bike made history in 2023, becoming the first team to claim all three Grand Tours in a single year. Although a repetition of the historic achievement looks difficult, the Dutch team have put their faith in 21-year-old prodigy Cian Uijtdebroeks .

The Belgian has been under the wings of reigning Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard at the O Gran Camiño and Tirreno-Adriatico. Now he faces the ultimate test as Grand Tour captain.

Cyclamen jersey (points classification)

This year’s course is more sprinter-friendly than usual, featuring eight expected mass sprint finishes. Jonathan Milan of Lidl-Trek will aim to defend the maglia ciclamino (mauve jersey for the points classification) that he secured last year.

However, he will face a fierce competition for the mauve jersey as several of the world's top sprinters will travel to Italy.

Soudal Quick-Step will fully support Remco Evenepoel at the Tour de France, giving Tim Merlier the opportunity to pursue success at the Giro.

The Belgian has been one of the fastest sprinters during the first part of the season, winning three stages at the UAE Tour, the Nokere Koerse, and the sprinters’ classic Scheldeprijs.

Another challenge will come from Australian Kaden Groves . In 2023, the Alpecin-Deceuninck rider added stage wins at both the Giro and the Vuelta a España, where he also left with the green jersey.

Biniam Girmay will be back on Italian soil, where he outsprinted Mathieu van der Poel in the Giro two years ago to take his first Grand Tour stage victory. The Eritrean looks to be close to his form from 2022.

Dutch sprinter Olav Kooij will finally get his Grand Tour debut. The 22-year-old beat Mads Pedersen twice to claim two stage wins at the Paris-Nice in March and is one of the most promising sprinters in the peloton.

Five-time Vuelta a España stage winner Fabio Jakobsen is set to race his first Giro and can complete the set of Grand Tour wins, having already secured a stage victory at the Tour de France in 2022.

Will Filippo Ganna sprint for stage wins again? The Italian time trial specialist was fighting in the bunch sprints at last year’s Vuelta a España and showed a new side of his talent.

Despite not having shone in the last couple of years, Caleb Ewan and Fernando Gaviria are both multiple Grand Tour stage winners and they have the power to be competitive in the bunch sprints.

Blue jersey (mountains classification)

Unlike in the Tour de France, the winner of the mountains classification in the Giro d’Italia is usually not the same as the winner of the general classification.

Thibaut Pinot , who has since retired, clinched the blue jersey in the previous edition while finishing fifth overall.

However, the breakaway riders often view for the mountains classification.

A potential contender is Simon Geschke of Cofidis. The German rider was close to seal the polka dot jersey at the Tour de France in 2022, but ultimately Jonas Vingegaard ended up with both the yellow and polka dot jersey.

Other names to watch are Britain's Simon Carr , who just won a stage and the mountains classification at the Tour of the Alps, and Dutchman Koen Bouwman , who is aiming for his second blue jersey after claiming it in 2022.

Key stages of the Giro d’Italia 2024

Five stages are singled out by cycling experts as the most decisive for the Giro d'Italia 2024.

The first one arrives already on stage two , which is the earliest summit finish in 35 years. It is a true climbing test, which takes the peloton to Santuario di Oropa (6.2% over 11.8km) and will give an early indication of who will be the main general classification contenders.

A 40.6-kilometre time trial awaits the peloton on stage seven . The course is technical and the uphill finish should shake up the top ten. Some will see it as an oppornunity to gain time, while others will try to limit their losses.

Stage 15 is the queen stage of the 2024 Giro d’Italia. Containing 5,200 metres of elevation gain over 220 kilometres, it is a brutal day in the mountains. Hopefully, snowfall will not affect this blockbuster Alpine stage.

The riders get a rest day following the queen stage, but already on stage 16 , climbing legs will be tested again. It includes the Passo dello Stelvio , the Cima Coppi of this year’s race. At an elevation of 2,757 metres it is the second highest pass in the Alps.

The lack of oxygen at high altitude will make the peloton suffer. With over 100 kilometres remaining from the summit of Stelvio, the favourites who might fall behind still have the chance to catch up before the final ascents to Passo Pinei and Monte Pana.

Stage 20 , the penultimate stage before the procession around the streets of Rome, promises a decisive battle in the mountains for the final general classification. Two gruelling ascents of Monte Grappa - 18.2 kilometres at 8.1% - will determine who earns the right to wear the pink jersey in Rome and hoist the Endless Trophy .

Day-by-day route of the Giro d’Italia 2024

Saturday 4 May, stage 1: Venaria Reale-Torino, medium mountains, 140 km ⭐⭐⭐

Sunday 5 May, stage 2: San Francesco al Campo–Santuario di Oropa (Biella), medium mountains, 161 km ⭐⭐⭐

Monday 6 May, stage 3: Novara-Fossano, hilly, 166 km ⭐⭐

Tuesday 7 May, stage 4: Acqui Terme-Andora, hilly, 190 km ⭐⭐

Wednesday 8 May, stage 5: Genova-Lucca, medium mountains,178 km ⭐⭐⭐

Thursday 9 May, stage 6: Viareggio-Rapolano Terme, medium mountains, 180 km ⭐⭐

Friday 10 May, stage 7: Foligno-Perugia, individual time trial, 40,6 km ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Saturday 11 May, stage 8: Spoleto-Prati di Tivo, high mountains,152 km ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sunday 12 May, stage 9: Avezzano-Napoli, medium mountains, 214 km ⭐⭐⭐

Monday 13 May: Rest day

Tuesday 14 May, stage 10: Pompei-Cusano Mutri (Bocca della Selva), medium mountains, 142 km ⭐⭐⭐

Wednesday 15 May, stage 11: Foiano di Val Fortore-Francavilla al Mare, hilly, 207 km ⭐⭐

Thursday 16 May, stage 12: Martinsicuro-Fano, medium mountains, 193 km ⭐⭐⭐

Friday 17 May, stage 13: Riccione-Cento, flat, 179 km ⭐

Saturday 18 May, stage 14: Castiglione delle Stiviere-Desenzano del Garda, individual time trial, 31,2 km ⭐⭐⭐

Sunday 19 May, stage 15: Manerba del Garda-Livigno (Mottolino), high mountains, 222 km ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Monday 20 May: Rest day

Tuesday 21 May, stage 16: Livigno-Santa Cristina Val Gardena (Monte Pana), high mountains, 202 km ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wednesday 22 May, stage 17: Selva di Val Gardena-Passo Brocon, high mountains, 159 km ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thursday 23 May, stage 18: Fiera di Primiero-Padova, hilly, 171 km ⭐⭐

Friday 24 May, stage 19: Mortegliano-Cima Sappada, medium mountains, 157 km ⭐⭐⭐

Saturday 25 May, stage 20: Alpago-Bassano del Grappa, high mountains, 181 km ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sunday 26 May, stage 21: Roma-Roma, flat, 122 km ⭐

How to watch the Giro d’Italia 2024

The Giro d'Italia 2024 will be shown live around the world. Here is a list of the official broadcast partners across different territories.

• Albania - Eurosport
• Andorra - Eurosport
• Austria - Eurosport
• Belarus - Eurosport
• Belgium - VRT/RTBF.be/RTL Belgium/VTM Medialaan/Eurosport
• Bosnia and Herzegovina - Eurosport
• Bulgaria- Eurosport
• Croatia - Eurosport
• Cyprus - Eurosport
• Czechia - Eurosport
• Denmark - Eurosport
• Estonia - Eurosport
• Finland - Eurosport
• France - La Chaine L’Equipe
• Georgia - Eurosport
• Germany - Eurosport
• Greece - Eurosport
• Hungary - Eurosport
• Iceland - Eurosport
• Ireland - Eurosport
• Israel - STARZPLAY/Eurosport
• Italy - Rai/Eurosport
• Latvia - Eurosport
• Liechtenstein - Eurosport
• Lithuania - Eurosport
• Luxembourg - Eurosport
• Malta - STARZPLAY/Eurosport
• Moldova - Eurosport
• Montenegro - Eurosport
• Netherlands - NOS/Eurosport
• North Macedonia - Eurosport
• Norway - Eurosport
• Poland - Eurosport
• Portugal - Eurosport
• Principality of Monaco - Eurosport
• Romania - Eurosport
• San Marino - Rai/Eurosport
• Serbia - Eurosport
• Slovakia - Eurosport
• Slovenia - Planet TV/Eurosport
• Spain - EITB/Eurosport
• Sweden - Eurosport
• Switzerland - SRG SSR/Eurosport
• Ukarine - Eurosport
• United Kingdom - Eurosport
• Vatican City - Rai/Eurosport
• Wales - S4C

North and Central America

• Canada - FloSports
• Dominican Republic - Eurosport
• United States - MAX USA/BeIN Sport

South America

• Argentina - + Claro/DirecTV
• Bolivia - + Claro/DirecTV
• Brazil - + Claro/DirecTV
• Chile - + Claro/DirecTV
• Colombia - + Claro/DirecTV/Caracol TV
• Ecuador - + Claro/DirecTV
• Guyana - DirecTV/Eurosport
• Paraguay - + Claro/DirecTV
• Peru - + Claro/DirecTV
• Suriname - + Claro/DirecTV
• The Caribbean - DirecTV
• Uruguay - + Claro/DirecTV
• Venezuela - + Claro/DirecTV
• Afghanistan - Eurosport
• Armenia - Eurosport
• Azerbaijan - Eurosport
• Bahrain - STARZPLAY
• Bangladesh - Eurosport
• Bhutan - Eurosport
• Cambodia - Eurosport
• People’s Republic of China - Zhibo.tv
• India - Eurosport
• Indonesia - Eurosport
• Iran - STARZPLAY
• Iraq - STARZPLAY
• Japan - J Sports
• Jordan - STARZPLAY
• Kazakhstan - Eurosport
• Kuwait - STARZPLAY
• Kyrgyzstan - Eurosport
• Lebanon - STARZPLAY
• Malaysia - Eurosport
• Maldives - Eurosport
• Mongolia - Eurosport
• Myanmar - Eurosport
• Nepal - Eurosport
• Oman - STARZPLAY
• Pakistan - Eurosport
• Philippines - Eurosport
• Qatar - STARZPLAY
• Russia - Eurosport
• Saudi Arabia - STARZPLAY
• Singapore - Eurosport
• Republic of Korea - Eurosport
• Sri Lanka - Eurosport
• Syria - STARZPLAY
• Chinese Taipei - Eurosport
• Türkiye - Eurosport
• United Arab Emirates - STARZPLAY
• Yemen - STARZPLAY
• Australia - SBS/Eurosport
• Papua New Guinea - Eurosport
• Algeria - STARZPLAY
• Djibouti - STARZPLAY
• Egypt - STARZPLAY
• Libya - STARZPLAY
• Morocco - STARZPLAY/Eurosport
• South Africa - Supersport
• Tunisia - STARZPLAY

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Tour de France: General Classification at the 2021 race after stage 1

Swapping the rainbow bands for the maillot jaune

Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep ) will swap the rainbow jersey worn by the world champion for the first yellow jersey of this year’s Tour de France , after winning the opening stage into Landerneau. Perfectly led out by his team, often nicknamed ‘the Wolf Pack’, on the Côte de la Fosse aux Loups, or Climb of the Wolf Pit, Alaphilippe attacked 2.5 kilometres from the finish line and held off the peloton to take the maillot jaune by 18 seconds.

Behind him, chaos reigned as the race was ripped apart by two enormous crashes and several potential contenders dropped out of overall contention. More than 150 riders, in the end, lost at least a minute to Alaphilippe.

Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), the two pre-race favourites, largely escaped unscathed and appeared to be the strongest of the GC contenders on the final climb. Roglič even sprinted to third place on the stage, taking four bonus seconds in the process and dispelling any fears that his tilt at the overall title could be ruined by his involvement in one of the day’s crashes.  

The four leaders of INEOS-Grenadiers, meanwhile, were rapidly reduced to just two as Tao Geoghegan Hart and Richie Porte lost 5’33” and 2’16” respectively. Richard Carapaz lost time too, though only five seconds to the group of favourites, leaving Geraint Thomas as the best-placed rider of the INEOS quartet.

Several other teams will also have to recalibrate their strategy and goals for the next three weeks. Miguel Angel Lopez of Movistar finished a little shy of two minutes behind Alaphilippe while his teammate, Alejandro Valverde lost nearly six minutes. AG2R-Citroën’s GC challenge also suffered a huge setback as Ben O’Connor arrived in the same group as Lopez. 

There was confirmation too that four-time Tour de France champion, Chris Froome (Israel Start-Up Nation), will not be adding a fifth title to his palmarès this year. Still returning from a career-threatening crash at the Criterium du Dauphiné two years ago, Froome crashed again and rode cautiously to the finish, arriving nearly fifteen minutes after Alaphilippe.

It was only a small group, then, that survived the crashes and hilly course to keep their overall hopes alive. Strong rides by Wilco Kelderman (Bora-Hansgrohe), Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious), Enric Mas (Movistar), Rigoberto Uran (EF Education-Nippo), Nairo Quintana (Arkéa-Samsic) and David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) ensured that they might yet help to shape the general classification of this year’s Tour de France. 

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Issy Ronald has just graduated from the London School of Economics where she studied for an undergraduate and masters degree in History and International Relations. Since doing an internship at Procycling magazine, she has written reports for races like the Tour of Britain, Bretagne Classic and World Championships, as well as news items, recaps of the general classification at the Grand Tours and some features for Cyclingnews . Away from cycling, she enjoys reading, attempting to bake, going to the theatre and watching a probably unhealthy amount of live sport.

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La Vuelta Femenina stage five LIVE - Marianne Vos leads the general classification as the mountains begin

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