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What do the Tour de France leaders jerseys mean? Yellow, green, polka dot and white jerseys explained

How to win the Tour de France general, sprint, mountains and youth classifications

POOL LEQUIPPE/BELGA MAG/AFP via Getty Images

Colin Henrys

To a first-time viewer, the Tour de France can be a minefield. The winner is not simply decided by which rider crosses the finish line first in Paris.

How can a rider win multiple stages and not wear the yellow jersey? What is that polka dot jersey about? And what's with all the jargon they use?

Here’s our full guide to how the Tour de France is won: the classifications, the jerseys and the previous winners.

Tour de France classifications explained – what do the different jersey colours mean?

The Tour de France consists of four classifications that individual riders can win. The different classifications are signified by coloured cycling jerseys :

• The general classification (GC) – yellow jersey
• Mountains classification – polka dot jersey
• Points classification – green jersey
• Young rider classification – white jersey

The leader of each classification at the end of each stage wears the jersey on the following day.

If they continue to lead, they continue to wear the jersey until someone knocks them from the top of the classification. The leader of the classification at the end of the race is the overall winner of that particular classification.

There is also a team classification, but no coloured jersey is awarded for this.

What is the Tour de France general classification (GC)?

The general classification is the oldest and most coveted classification in the Tour de France, and is led by the rider with the shortest cumulative time.

Each rider’s time is recorded on every stage and the GC ranks the entire field. The leader of the general classification after the final stage in Paris is the overall winner of the Tour de France.

Tour de France yellow jersey explained

The GC comes with the coveted yellow jersey – or maillot jaune in French – which is worn by the leader of the classification until their overall cumulative time is bettered by another rider at the end of a stage.

The yellow jersey then passes on to the new leader of the GC, and so on.

Previous Tour de France winners

Jonas Vingegaard (Team Jumbo-Visma) won his first Tour de France in 2022, beating Tadej Pogačar (Team UAE Emirates), winner of the previous two editions of the Tour de France.

Egan Bernal's success in 2019 marked Team Ineos-Grenadiers' (formerly Team Sky) seventh Tour de France title in eight years.

Geraint Thomas won in 2018 and Chris Froome claimed four editions before that, after Bradley Wiggins had set the ball rolling in 2012.

Since the beginning of the Tour, four riders have won the general classification five times: Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.

Meanwhile, Fabian Cancellara is the rider who has worn the yellow jersey for the most days without ever winning the Tour (29).

Julian Alaphilippe held the jersey for 14 days in 2019, but fell away in the general classification in the final few stages.

Tour de France mountains classification

What is the mountains classification.

The mountains classification was introduced in 1933 as a secondary competition within the Tour de France.

The first riders to reach the top of categorised climbs in the Tour are awarded a certain number of points according to their position across the summit.

The climbs are categorised by a number, from 1 (difficult) to 4 (least difficult) based on factors such as the climb’s length and gradient.

Climbs that are more difficult than category 1 are called h ors catégorie – "a class of their own" in French.

Hors catégorie climbs carry the most points. Summit finishes – stages that finish atop a climb – and category 1 climbs are the next most lucrative followed by category 2 and so on.

The first rider to reach the Col de la Loze, the highest peak of the 2023 Tour de France, on stage 17 will earn double points.

The rider with the highest cumulative points total leads the mountains classification and wears the polka dot jersey. The exception is if they are also leading another classification, such as the general. In that case, the second rider in the rankings wears the jersey.

At the end of the Tour, the overall winner of the classification is the King of the Mountains.

Tour de France polka dot jersey explained

The mountains classification is signified by a white jersey with red polka dots (known as the polka dot jersey or maillot à pois ).

Vicente Trueba was the first winner of the King of the Mountains competition in 1933. The polka dot design wasn't introduced until 1975 when Bernard Thévenet won the classification.

Previous Tour de France mountains classification winners

Jonas Vingegaard added the King of the Mountains jersey to his maillot jaune in 2022.

Tadej Pogačar took the mountains classification in 2021 and 2020, following Romain Bardet in 2019 and Julian Alaphilippe in 2018.

Another Frenchman, Richard Virenque, won the title seven times in his career between 1994 and 2004, while both Federico Bahamontes and Lucien Van Impe have won it six times, from 1954 to 1964 and 1971 to 1983 respectively.

Eight cyclists have now won the mountains classification and general classification in the same year:

• Gino Bartali
• Sylvère Maes
• Fausto Coppi
• Federico Bahamontes
• Eddy Merckx
• Carlos Sastre
• Chris Froome

Pogačar, Bartali, Coppi and Merckx have all done it twice.

Tour de France points classification

What is the points classification.

The points classification was introduced in 1953 as an incentive for sprinters, with Fritz Schär being the first rider to win it.

The first 15 riders to complete each stage are awarded points, with the most points going to the first rider and the following 14 receiving successively fewer points.

More points are on offer for flat stages, again as an incentive to the sprinters. Riders can also gain points by winning intermediate sprints (sprints that take place at designated points part-way through a stage).

Tour de France green jersey explained

The leader of the points classification is indicated by a green jersey ( maillot vert ). Green matched the logo of the first jersey sponsor, La Belle Jardinière clothing store.

The overall prize is awarded to the rider with the most points at the end of the Tour.

Previous Tour de France points classification winners

The green jersey went to Wout van Aert in 2022 and Mark Cavendish in 2021.

In previous years the award had become synonymous with one man: Slovakian superstar Peter Sagan. He claimed the prize for a record-breaking seventh time in 2019.

Tour de France young rider classification

What is the young rider classification.

The young rider classification was introduced to the Tour in 1975. Classics great Francesco Moser was its first winner.

This year it applies only to cyclists born on or after January 1, 1998 (under the age of 26).

Just like the general classification, it’s calculated using each rider's cumulative overall time but is aimed at rewarding young riders in the early stages of their careers.

Tour de France white jersey explained

The youth classification is signified by a white jersey, and much in the same way as the other categories, the rider currently topping the classification wears it until someone else overtakes their lead.

Previous Tour de France young rider classification winners

Beaten into second in the GC, Tadej Pogačar was still the fastest young rider in 2022.

The Slovenian had become the sixth man to win both the white and yellow jersey in the same year when he rode to victory at the 2020 Tour de France, joining Egan Bernal (2019), Laurent Fignon (1983), Jan Ullrich (1997), Alberto Contador (2007) and Andy Schleck (2010). He then repeated the feat in 2021.

Pierre Latour won the young rider classification in 2018, while British twins Adam and Simon Yates were triumphant in the previous two years.

What is the Tour de France team classification?

The team classification has been part of the Tour de France since 1930 but awards no coloured jersey. Instead, the team is given race numbers with a yellow background, rather than white.

It’s not considered to be as important as the individual classifications. Teams don’t normally set out with an ambition to win it. But they may change their tactics during the race if they are in a good position to do so.

The team classification takes the time of each squad's top three finishers on every stage. The team with the lowest cumulative time leads the classification.

Previous Tour de France team classification winners

Movistar Team has dominated the classification in recent years, topping the team rankings in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020. This is despite none of its riders winning the Tour in those years.

Generally, the team with the rider leading the Tour will be more inclined to sacrifice teammates to protect the individual's lead, making winning both the individual and team classification – as Team Sky did in 2017 – a rare feat.

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Tour de France – The Rules Explained

Some teams will focus on the general classification Yellow Jersey, whereas others will focus on winning sprints for The Green or the King of the Mountains Spotted Jersey. There are many rules, both spoken and unspoken, as teams stand to gain a lot from cooperation and respect. Here is what you need to know to enjoy watching Le Tour.

Keep the leaders safe

The start of Le Tour is always an edgy affair as teams compete to establish themselves at the head of the peloton. Crashes and injuries are a real risk, so team leaders need to be protected by their domestiques who effectively muscle everyone else away.

The irony is, the more the teams muscle each other away, the greater the risk of crashes in the peloton. The safest place to be is the front, and everyone is fighting to be there. This Catch 22 situation is almost impossible to mitigate through any official rules, but it’s exciting to watch.

The Yellow Jersey

Winning the General Classification (GC) means you get to wear The Maillot Jaune, aka The Yellow Jersey. To win the GC the leader of a race team must complete all the stages with the lowest overall time.

This means that a GC contender should be a solid all-rounder, equally at home on the mountains as they are in time-trial stages. It can become confusing when you consider a rider could win the GC without winning any individual stage.

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Think of it like this – Mark Cavendish may win every flat stage suited to a sprinter, but will probably finish mountain stages at least 20 minutes behind the likes of Nairo Quintana, whereas Quintana will finish a sprint stage within 3 minutes of Cavendish.

Breaks and stage wins

Regardless of who wins the overall Yellow Jersey, an individual stage win on Le Tour is always a special event, and smaller teams will often target one or two specific stages out of the Tour simply to get on the podium. Breaks are the coolest way to achieve that, but not the easiest.

Early on in a stage you may see a small group of riders attempt a break. Usually these are lower order riders with nothing to lose – they keep their sponsors happy by grabbing TV coverage, and most of the time they’re easily caught by the peloton that uses energy much more efficiently.

Royal Breaks

That doesn’t mean that Yellow and Green Jersey contenders can’t have some fun going for a break, but they’re only likely to do it when conditions go in their favour – and in 2016 that’s exactly what Froome and Sagan exploited.

Stage 11 of Le Tour was plagued with crosswinds, so the peloton had been doing their best to speed through it. Sagan found himself at the front with Thomas, Bodnar, and Froome. The Peloton was battered and bruised from minor crashes down the coastal route from Carcasonne, so when Sagan attacked, few cyclists felt confident enough to respond.

Froome leapt on Sagan’s wheel, and Bodnar and Thomas read the situation and realised a fully-fledged Royal Break was on the cards, with both the Yellow and Green Jerseys of Froome and Sagan committed to escaping the peloton. Sagan won the stage, and Froome put a significant dent into his rivals for the Yellow Jersey, finishing the stage in 2nd place.

King of the Mountains

Points are given at the top of climbs for suitably impressive performance, so specialist climbers have an advantage. Climbs are categorised from 1 to 4, with 1 being the steepest. The numbers loosely correspond to the gears of a car – so to drive up a Cat 1 climb you’d need to stick your car in first gear.

Race planners may give big points at the top of a Cat 3 climb if it’s deemed long enough to pose the same challenge as a shorter Cat 1 climb. I should add that there is one climb more difficult than a Cat 1 climb – the Hors Catégorie (HC). An HC climb is beyond categorisation and originally described a climb so severe a car couldn’t pass.

Getting points for the Green Jersey

Points can be given for winning sprints at various parts of a stage, often early on to encourage teams to either up the tempo in the peloton or break early in the hopes the break may succeed.

More points are given to the sprint at the end of the stage, and this encourages teams with specialist sprinters like Sagan, Greipel, Kittel, or Cavendish to stay together. This leads to a similar paradox of teams trying to dominate the front of the peloton to give their team leader a clear run at the finish line.

The classic race rule applies – the rider with the racing line may stick to it knowing that any competing cyclist will yield their line when they realise they have the disadvantage. Naturally, this doesn’t always work in the heat of the moment and spectacular crashes are a real risk in bunch sprints.

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Race information

• Date: 18 July 2021
• Start time: 16:30
• Avg. speed winner: 40.748 km/h
• Race category: ME - Men Elite
• Distance: 108.4 km
• Points scale: GT.A.Stage
• UCI scale: UCI.WR.GT.A.Stage - TM2022
• Parcours type:
• ProfileScore: 14
• Vert. meters: 699
• Departure: Chatou
• Arrival: Paris Champs-Élysées
• Race ranking: 1
• Startlist quality score: 1646
• Won how: Sprint of large group
• Avg. temperature:

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Tour de France 2023: Daily stage results and general classification standings

The latest updates on the winners of each stage and the top contenders for the coveted yellow jersey in the 110th edition of the Tour de France, taking place from 1 to 23 July.

Jonas Vingegaard claimed back-to-back Tour de France titles beating main rival Tadej Pogacar into second place in a repeat of the 2022 result.

Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe) produced the best result of his career, winning the final stage on his Le Tour debut. He triumphed in a photo finish beating Jasper Philipsen and Dylan Groenewegen into second and third place, respectively.

The 2023 Tour de France , the second and most prestigious Grand Tour of the year in the men’s road cycling season , started in Bilbao on 1 July.

Check out the daily results and the general classification standings after each stage right here.

• Tour de France 2023 preview: Full schedule and how to watch live

Sunday July 23: Stage 21 - Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines - Paris Champs-Élysées, 115.1 km

The final stage of the 2023 Tour de France came to a climactic end with Belgium’s Jordi Meeus claiming a surprise victory in a sprint for the line on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

Meeus won by the narrowest of margins in a photo finish edging Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin Deceuninck) and Dylan Groenewegen (Team Jayco Alula) into second and third place, respectively.

Meeus celebrated an emphatic end to his debut while Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard claimed a second consecutive Tour de France title. Vingegaard finished seven minutes, and 29 seconds ahead of Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar with Adam Yates of Great Britain taking third overall.

2023 Tour de France: Stage 21 Results - Sunday 23 July

Saint-quentin-en-yvelines - paris champs-élysées, 115.1 km.

• Jordi Meeus (BEL, BORA-hansgrohe) 2h 56’13’’
• Jasper Philipsen (BEL, Alpecin-Deceuninck) +0"
• Dylan Groenewegen (NED, Team Jayco-AIUla) +0"
• Mads Pedersen (DEN, LidI-Trek) +0"
• Cees Bol (NED, Astana Qazaqstan Team) +0"
• Biniam Girmay (ER, Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) +0"
• Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) +0"
• Søren Wærenskjold (NOR, Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) +0"
• Corbin Strong (NZ, Israel-Premier Tech) +0"
• Luca Mozzato (ITA, Arkéa-Samsic) +0"

2023 Tour de France: General Classification standings after Stage 21

• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) 82h 05'42"
• Tadej Pogacar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates) +7:29"
• Adam Yates (GBR, UAE Team Emirates) +10:56"
• Simon Yates (GBR, Team Jayco AlUla) +12:23"
• Carlos Rodriguez Cano (ESP, Ineos Grenadiers) +13:17"
• Pello Bilbao (ESP, Bahrain - Victorious) +13:27"
• Jai Hindley (AUS, BORA - hansgrohe) +14:44"
• Felix Gall (AUT, AG2R Citroën Team) +16:09"
• David Gaudu (FRA, Groupama) +23:08"
• Guillaume Martin (FRA, Cofidis) +26:30"

Saturday 22 July: Stage 20 - Belfort - Le Markstein Fellering, medium mountains, 133.5 km

Despite failing to regain the yellow jersey he won in 2020 and 2021, Tadej Pogacar  ended his Tour de France on a high note.

In his last Tour de France mountain stage before retirement, home favourite Thibaut Pinot went on a solo attack to the delight of the French fans.

But the climbing specialist was unable to stay in front with first Tom Pidcock and Warren Barguil catching him before Pogacar made his bid to bridge the gap.

Overall race leader Jonas Vingegaard covered the move with Felix Gall , and the three forged clear on the closing Col du Platzerwase climb.

As things became tactical at the front, the Yates brothers - Adam and Simon - made it a lead group of five.

Vingegaard made his bid for the stage win with 250m to go, but Pogacar was too strong this time with the Dane losing second to Gall on the line.

Pinot received a hero's welcome as he crossed the line in seventh place.

2023 Tour de France: Stage 20 Results - Saturday 22 July

Belfort - le markstein fellering, medium mountains, 133.5 km.

• Tadej Pogacar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates) 3h 27'18"
• Felix Gall (AUT, AG2R Citroën Team) +0"
• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) +0"
• Simon Yates (GBR, Team Jayco AlUla) +0"
• Adam Yates (GBR, UAE Team Emirates) +7"
• Warren Barguil (FRA, Team Arkéa Samsic) +33"
• Thibaut Pinot (FRA, Groupama - FDJ) +33"
• Pello Bilbao (ESP, Bahrain - Victorious) +33"
• Tobias Halland Johannessen (NOR, Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) +50"
• Rafał Majka (POL, UAE Team Emirates) +50"

2023 Tour de France: General Classification standings after Stage 20

• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) 79h 16'38"
• Carlos Rodriguez Cano (ESP, Ineos Grenadiers) +12:57"

Friday 21 July: Stage 19 - Moirans-en-Montagne - Poligny, hilly, 172.8 km

Matej Mohoric denied Kasper Asgreen a second consecutive win at the 2023 Tour de France after a thrilling photo-finish sprint in Poligny.

The two riders emerged from a three-man breakaway and outsprinted Australia's Ben O'Connor, with Mohoric narrowly beating Asgreen to the finish line.

Throughout the 172.8km stage, there were numerous fragmented attacks across the field, leading to an intense pursuit among different breakaway groups in the final 20km.

Overall leader Jonas Vingegaard finished with the main peloton and kept his seven-and-a-half-minute lead on Tadej Pogacar in the general classification (GC) with just two stages remaining

2023 Tour de France: Stage 19 Results - Friday 21 July

Moirans-en-montagne - poligny, hilly, 172.8km.

• Matej Mohoric (SLO, Bahrain-Victorious) 3h 31'02"
• Kasper Asgreen (DEN, Soudal - Quick Step) +0"
• Ben O'Connor (AUS, AG2R Citroen Team) +4"
• Jasper Philipsen (BEL, Alpecin-Deceuninck) +39"
• Mads Pedersen (DEN, Lidl - Trek) +39"
• Christophe Laporte (FRA, Jumbo-Visma) +39"
• Luka Mezgec (SLO, Team Jayco AlUla) +39"
• Alberto Bettiol (ITA, EF Education-EasyPost) +39"
• Matteo Trentin (ITA, UAE Team Emirates) +39"
• Thomas Pidcock (GBR, INEOS Grenadiers) +39"

2023 Tour de France: General Classification standings after Stage 19

• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) 75h 49'24"
• Tadej Pogacar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates) +7:35"
• Adam Yates (GBR, UAE Team Emirates) +10:45"
• Carlos Rodriguez Cano (ESP, Ineos Grenadiers) +12:01"
• Simon Yates (GBR, Team Jayco AlUla) +12:19"
• Pello Bilbao (ESP, Bahrain - Victorious) +12:50"
• Jai Hindley (AUS, BORA - hansgrohe) +13:50"
• Felix Gall (AUT, AG2R Citroën Team) +16:11"
• Sepp Kuss (USA, Jumbo-Visma) +16:49"
• David Gaudu (FRA, Groupama) +17:57"

Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 19 - Moirans-En-Montagne to Poligny - France - July 21, 2023 Team Bahrain Victorious' Matej Mohoric crosses the finish line to win stage 19

Thursday 20 July: Stage 18 - Moûtiers - Bourg-en-Bresse, flat, 184.9 km

Kasper Asgreen surprised the sprinters and claimed stage 18 of the Tour de France after a long day in the breakaway.

Following several mountain stages in the Alps, a flatter stage awaited the peloton on Thursday. A breakaway of four rider with Kasper Asgreen , Jonas Abrahamsen , Victor Campenaerts, and later Pascal Eenkhoorn managed to just stay clear of the sprinters that were breathing down their necks on the finish line.

Asgreen of Denmark proved to be the fastest of the riders in the breakaway, and he secured his team Soudal Quick Step their first stage win of this year’s Tour de France.

Jonas VIngegaard held on to the leader's yellow jersey and maintains his 7:35 advantage to Tadej Pogacar .

2023 Tour de France: Stage 18 Results - Thursday 20 July

Moûtiers to bourg-en-bresse, flat, 184.9 km.

• Kasper Asgreen (DEN, Soudal - Quick Step) 4h 06'48"
• Pascal Eenkhoorn (NED, Lotto Dstny) +0"
• Jonas Abrahamsen (NOR, Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) +0"
• Mads Pedersen (DEN, Lidl - Trek) +0"
• Jordi Meeus (BEL, BORA - hansgrohe) +0"
• Matteo Trentin (ITA, UAE Team Emirates) +0"
• Christophe Laporte (FRA, Jumbo-Visma) +0"
• Luca Mozzato (ITA, Team Arkéa Samsic) +0"

2023 Tour de France: General Classification standings after Stage 18

• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) 67h 57'51"

Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 18 - Moutiers to Bourg-En-Bresse - France - July 20, 2023 Soudal–Quick-Step's Kasper Asgreen celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win stage 18 REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

Wednesday 19 July: Stage 17 - Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc - Courchevel, high mountains, 165.7 km

Felix Gall claimed a dramatic queen stage of the Tour de France 2023, where Jonas Vingegaard cracked Tadej Pogacar to gain more than five and a half minutes on the Slovenian. The Dane is now seven minutes and 35 seconds clear in the overall lead, and looks very likely to win his second consecutive Tour de France.

The stage winner Gall attacked his breakaway companions with six kilometres remaining of the final climb Col de la Loze. Simon Yates tried to chase down Gall, but the AG2R Citroën Team rider managed to maintain a small gap to the Brit, and he crossed the finish line solo.

The general classification leader Vingegaard dropped Pogacar 7.5 kilometres from the summit of Col de la Loze, and while the Slovenian tried to limit his losses, last year’s winner did what he could to gain as much time as possible. His lead seems unassailable with four stages remaining.

2023 Tour de France: Stage 17 Results - Wednesday 19 July

Saint-gervais mont-blanc to courchevel, high mountains, 165.7 km.

• Felix Gall (AUT, AG2R Citroën Team) 4h 49'08"
• Simon Yates (GBR, Team Jayco AlUla) +34"
• Pello Bilbao (ESP, Bahrain - Victorious) +1:38"
• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) +1:52"
• David Gaudu (FRA, Groupama - FDJ) +2:09"
• Tobias Halland Johannessen (NOR, Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) +2:39"
• Chris Harper (AUS, Team Jayco AlUla) +2:50"
• Rafał Majka (POL, UAE Team Emirates) +3:43"
• Adam Yates (GBR, UAE Team Emirates) +3:43"
• Wilco Kelderman (NED, Jumbo-Visma) +3:49"

2023 Tour de France: General Classification standings after Stage 17

Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 17 - Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc to Courchevel - France - July 19, 2023 AG2R Citroen Team's Felix Gall celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win stage 17 REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

Tuesday 18 July: Stage 16 - Passy - Combloux, individual time trial, 22.4 km

Jonas Vingegaard took a big step toward reclaiming his Tour de France title, as the Danish rider triumphed on this year’s lone time trial.

The yellow jersey wearer gained an astonishing one minute and 38 seconds to his biggest rival Tadej Pogacar , who finished second on the stage.

Before Wednesday’s queen stage, the Dane now has an advantage of 1:48 to his Slovenian rival.

2023 Tour de France: Stage 16 Results - Tuesday 18 July

Passy to combloux, individual time trial, 22.4 km.

• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) 32:26
• Tadej Pogacar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates) +1:38"
• Wout van Aert (BEL, Jumbo-Visma) +2:51"
• Pello Bilbao (ESP, Bahrain - Victorious) +2:55"
• Simon Yates (GBR, Team Jayco AlUla) +2:58"
• Rémi Cavagna (FRA, Soudal - Quick Step )+3:06"
• Adam Yates (GBR, UAE Team Emirates) +3:12"
• Mattias Skjelmose (DEN, Lidl - Trek) +3:21"
• Mads Pedersen (DEN Lidl - Trek) +3:31"
• David Gaudu (FRA, Groupama - FDJ) +3:31

2023 Tour de France: General Classification standings after Stage 16

• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) 63h 06'53"
• Tadej Pogacar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates) +1:48"
• Adam Yates (GBR, UAE Team Emirates) +8:52"
• Carlos Rodriguez Cano (ESP, Ineos Grenadiers) +8:57"
• Jai Hindley (AUS, BORA - hansgrohe) +11:15"
• Sepp Kuss (USA, Jumbo-Visma) +12:56"
• Pello Bilbao (ESP, Bahrain - Victorious) +13:06"
• Simon Yates (GBR, Team Jayco AlUla) +13:46"
• David Gaudu (FRA, Groupama) +17:38"
• Felix Gall (AUT, AG2R Citroën Team) +18:19"

Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 16 - Passy to Combloux - France - July 18, 2023 Team Jumbo–Visma's Jonas Vingegaard wearing the yellow jersey crosses the finish line after stage 16 REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Sunday 16 July: Stage 15 - Les Gets les Portes du Soleil - Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, mountain stage, 179 km

Wout Poels took the first Tour de France stage win of his career, as he crossed the finish line alone at Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc on stage 15.

The 2016 Liège-Bastogne-Liège winner dropped his breakaway companions Wout van Aert and Marc Soler 11 kilometres from the finish and managed to maintain his advantage.

Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar fought another alpine duel, but neither rider could get the better of the other, and they crossed the finish line together.

The yellow leader’s jersey therefore remains with Vingegaard. His advantage to Tadej Pogacar is 10 seconds.

2023 Tour de France: Stage 15 Results - Sunday 16 July

Les gets les portes du soleil to saint-gervais mont-blanc, mountain stage, 179 km.

• Wout Poels (NED, Bahrain - Victorious) 4:40:45
• Wout van Aert (BEL, Jumbo-Visma) +2:08"
• Mathieu Burgaudeau (FRA, TotalEnergies) +3:00"
• Lawson Craddock (USA, Team Jayco AlUla) +3:10"
• Mikel Landa (ESP, Bahrain - Victorious) +3:14"
• Thibaut Pinot (FRA, Groupama - FDJ) +3:14"
• Guillaume Martin (FRA, Cofidis) +3:32"
• Mattias Skjelmose (DEN, Lidl - Trek) +3:43"
• Simon Guglielmi (FRA, Team Arkéa Samsic) +3:59"
• Warren Barguil (FRA, Team Arkéa Samsic) +4:20

2023 Tour de France: General Classification standings after Stage 15

• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) 62h 34'17"
• Tadej Pogacar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates) +10"
• Carlos Rodriguez Cano (ESP, Ineos Grenadiers) +5:21"
• Adam Yates (GBR, UAE Team Emirates) +5:40"
• Jai Hindley (AUS, BORA - hansgrohe) +6:38"
• Sepp Kuss (USA, Jumbo-Visma) +9:16"
• Pello Bilbao (ESP, Bahrain - Victorious) +10:11"
• Simon Yates (GBR, Team Jayco AlUla) +10:48"
• David Gaudu (FRA, Groupama) +14:07"
• Guillaume Martin (FRA, Cofidis) +14:18"

Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 15 - Les Gets Les Portes Du Soleil to Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc - France - July 16, 2023 Team Bahrain Victorious' Wout Poels celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win stage 15 REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

Saturday 15 July: Stage 14 - Annemasse - Morzine Les Portes du Soleil, mountain stage, 151.8 km

Carlos Rodriguez claimed the biggest victory of his career, marking the second consecutive win for his team INEOS Grenadiers, on stage 14 of the 2023 Tour de France after crossing the finish line alone in Morzine.

The 22-year-old Spaniard took advantage of the mind games between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar, who were the strongest riders during the ascent on the Col de Joux de Plan.

The Slovenian secured second place, beating his Danish rival, but now trails Vingegaard, who picked up an extra bonus second, by 10 seconds.

2023 Tour de France: Stage 14 Results - Saturday 15 July

Annemasse - morzine les portes du soleil, mountain stage, 151.8 km.

• Carlos Rodriguez Cano (ESP, Ineos Grenadiers) 3:58:45
• Tadej Pogacar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates) +5"
• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) +5"
• Adam Yates (GBR, UAE Team Emirates) +10"
• Sepp Kuss (USA, Jumbo-Visma) +57"
• Jai Hindley (AUS, Bora-Hansgrohe) +1:46"
• Felix Gall (AUT, AG2R Citroën Team) +1:46"
• Pello Bilbao (ESP, Bahrain - Victorious) +3'19"
• Simon Yates (GBR, Team Jayco AlUla) +3'21"
• Guillaume Martin (FRA, Cofidis) +5'57"

2023 Tour de France: General Classification standings after Stage 12

• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) 46h 34'27"
• Carlos Rodriguez Cano (ESP, Ineos Grenadiers) +4:43"
• Jai Hindley (AUS, BORA - hansgrohe) +4:44"
• Adam Yates (GBR, UAE Team Emirates) +5:20"
• Sepp Kuss (USA, Jumbo-Visma) +8:15"
• Simon Yates (GBR, Team Jayco AlUla) +8:32"
• Pello Bilbao (ESP, Bahrain - Victorious) +8:51"
• Felix Gall (AUT, AG2R Citroën Team) +12:26"
• David Gaudu (FRA, Groupama) +12:56"

Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 14 - Annemasse to Morzine Les Portes Du Soleil - France - July 15, 2023 Ineos Grenadiers' Carlos Rodriguez celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win stage 14

Friday 14 July: Stage 13 - Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne - Grand Colombier, mountain stage, 137.8 km

Michael Kwiatkowski of INEOS Grenadiers secured a remarkable solo victory on stage 13 of the 2023 Tour de France, conquering the iconic Grand Colombier.

The Polish rider made a decisive move with 11km to go annd successfully maintained his lead over the pursuing riders, securing his third career stage win at La Grande Boucle.

Tadej Pogacar launched a late but blistering attack to finish third and narrow the gap to overall leader Jonas Vingegaard , with the Danish rider now leading by just nine seconds.

2023 Tour de France: Stage 13 Results - Friday 14 July

Châtillon-sur-chalaronne - grand colombier, mountain stage, 137.8 km.

• Michal Kwiatkowski (POL, INEOS Grenadiers) 3:17:33
• Maxim Van Gils (BEL, Lotto Dstny) +47"
• Tadej Pogacar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates) +50"
• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) +54"
• Thomas Pidcock (GBR, INEOS Grenadiers) 1'03"
• Jai Hindley (AUS, Bora-Hansgrohe) 1'05"
• James Shaw (GBR, EF Education-EasyPost) 1'05"
• Harold Tejada (COL, Astana Qazaqstan Team) 1:05"
• Simon Yates (GBR, Team Jayco AlUla) 1'14"
• Adam Yates (GBR, UAE Team Emirates) 1'18"
• Tadej Pogacar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates) +9"
• Jai Hindley (AUS, Bora-Hansgrohe) +2:51"
• Carlos Rodriguez Cano (ESP, Ineos Grenadiers) +4:22"
• Adam Yates (GBR, UAE Team Emirates) +5:03"
• Simon Yates (GBR, Team Jayco AlUla) +5:04"
• Pello Bilbao (ESP, Bahrain - Victorious) +5:25"
• Tom Pidcock (GBR, INEOS Grenadiers) +5:35"
• David Gaudu (FRA, Groupama) +6:52"
• Sepp Kuss (USA, Jumbo-Visma) +7:11"

Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 13 - Chatillon-Sur-Chalaronne to Grand Colombier - France - July 14, 2023 Ineos Grenadiers' Michal Kwiatkowski celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win stage 13

Thursday 13 July: Stage 12 - Roanne - Belleville-en-Beaujolais, medium mountains, 168.8km

Ion Izagirre of Cofidis claimed a stunning solo victory on stage 12 of the Tour de France 2023. The 34-year-old Spaniard made a daring move from the breakaway 30 kilometres before the finish line and successfully fended off the chasing pack to claim his second stage win in the prestigious French grand tour. The Basque won his first stage in 2016.

Mathieu Burgaudeau took the second spot on the stage, while Matteo Jorgenson was third.

Jonas Vingegaard maintained his hold on the yellow leader's jersey, with the Danish rider maintaining a 17-second lead over  Tadej Pogacar in second place.

2023 Tour de France: Stage 12 Results - Thursday 13 July

Roanne to belleville-en-beaujolais, medium mountains, 168.8km.

• Ion Izagirre (ESP, Cofidis) 3:51:42
• Mathieu Burgaudeau (FRA, TotalEnergies) +58"
• Matteo Jorgenson (USA, Movistar Team) +58"
• Tiesj Benoot (BEL, Jumbo-Visma) +1:06"
• Tobias Halland Johannessen (NOR, Uno-X Pro Cycling Team +1:11"
• Thibaut Pinot (FRA, Groupama - FDJ) +1:13"
• Guillaume Martin (FRA, Cofidis) +1:13"
• Dylan Teuns (BEL, Israel - Premier Tech) +1:27"
• Ruben Guerreiro (POR, Movistar Team) +1:27"
• Victor Campenaerts (BEL, Lotto Dstny) +3:02"
• Tadej Pogacar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates) +17"
• Jai Hindley (AUS, Bora-Hansgrohe) +2:40"
• Pello Bilbao (ESP, Bahrain - Victorious +4:36"
• Adam Yates (GBR, UAE Team Emirates) +4:41"
• Simon Yates (GBR, Team Jayco AlUla) +4:46"
• Tom Pidcock (GBR, INEOS Grenadiers) +5:28"
• David Gaudu (FRA, Groupama) +6:01"
• Sepp Kuss (USA, Jumbo-Visma) +6:47"

Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 12 - Roanne to Belleville-En-Beaujolais - France - July 13, 2023 Cofidis' Ion Izagirre Insausti celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win stage 12 REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

Wednesday 12 July: Stage 11 - Clermont-Ferrand - Moulins, flat, 179.8km

Jasper Philipsen secured his fourth stage win of this year’s Tour de France, as the Belgian once again proved to be the fastest rider of the peloton in a bunch sprint.

The green jersey wearer Philpsen won ahead of Dylan Groenewegen and Phil Bauhaus .

Jonas Vingegaard is still in the yellow leader’s jersey, after a stage that saw no changes in the top ten of the general classification.

2023 Tour de France: Stage 11 Results - Wednesday 12 July

Clermont-ferrand to moulins, flat, 179.8km.

• Jasper Philipsen (BEL, Alpecin-Deceuninck) 4:01:07
• Dylan Groenewegen (NED, Team Jayco AlUla) +0"
• Phil Bauhaus (GER, Bahrain - Victorious) +0"
• Bryan Coquard (FRA, Cofidis) +0"
• Alexander Kristoff (NOR, Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) +0"
• Peter Sagan (SLK, TotalEnergies) +0"
• Wout van Aert (BEL, Jumbo-Visma) +0"
• Sam Welsford (AUS, Team dsm - firmenich) +0"

2023 Tour de France: General Classification standings after Stage 11

• Carlos Rodriguez Cano (ESP, Ineos Grenadiers) +4:24"

Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 11 - Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins - France - July 12, 2023 Alpecin–Deceuninck's Jasper Philipsen celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win stage 11 REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

Tuesday 11 July: Stage 10 - Vulcania - Issoire, medium mountains, 167.2km

Pello Bilbao of Bahrain-Victorious claimed the first Spanish Tour de France stage win in five years as he outsprinted his breakaway companions in a thriliing finale on stage 10.

Prior to the sprint finish, Krists Neilands of Israel-Premier Tech was caught just three kilometres from the finish line after the Latvian tried to go solo 30 kilometres earlier.

Several riders from the breakaway attacked in the final, where Bilbao broke free with Georg Zimmermann of Intermarché-Circus-Wanty. Ben O'Connor of AG2R Citroën Team managed to bridge accross right before Bilbao launched his sprint.

Neither Zimmerman nor O’Connor could respond, and the 33-year-old Spaniard could take his first-ever Tour de France stage win. A victory he dedicated to his former teammate Gino Mäder, who tragically lost his life last month after a crash at the Tour de Suisse.

In the general classification, Jonas Vingegaard crossed the finish line alongside the other favourites, and he retains his 17-second advantage over Tadej Pogacar in second place. Bilbao advanced from 11 th to fifth position in the overall standings.

2023 Tour de France: Stage 10 Results - Tuesday 11 July

Vulcania to issoire, medium mountains, 167.2km.

• Pello Bilbao (ESP, Bahrain - Victorious 3:52:34
• Georg Zimmermann (GER, Intermarché - Circus - Wanty) +0"
• Ben O'Connor (AUS, AG2R Citroën Team) +0"
• Krists Neilands (LAT, Israel - Premier Tech) +0"
• Esteban Chaves (COL, EF Education-EasyPost) +0"
• Antonio Pedrero (ESP, Movistar Team) +3"
• Mattias Skjelmose (DEN, Lidl - Trek) +27"
• Michał Kwiatkowski (POL, INEOS Grenadiers) +27"
• Warren Barguil (FRA, Team Arkéa Samsic) +30"
• Julian Alaphilippe (FRA, Soudal - Quick Step) +32"

2023 Tour de France: General Classification standings after Stage 10

• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) 42h 33'13"
• Pello Bilbao (ESP, Bahrain - Victorious +4:34"
• Adam Yates (GBR, UAE Team Emirates) +4:39"
• Simon Yates (GBR, Team Jayco AlUla) +4:44"
• Tom Pidcock (GBR, INEOS Grenadiers) +5:26"
• Sepp Kuss (USA, Jumbo-Visma) +6:45"

Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 10 - Vulcania to Issoire - France - July 11, 2023 Team Bahrain Victorious' Pello Bilbao Lopez celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win stage 10 REUTERS/Benoit Tessier

Sunday 9 July: Stage 9 - Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat - Puy de Dôme, 182.4km

The iconic finish at Puy de Dôme , a 13.3 km stretch at 7.7% average gradient, returned to the race for the first time since 1988.

The stage was forecast to be a battle between overall leader Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar but it turned into a heartbreaking loss for Matteo Jorgenson. The U.S. rider who was stung by a wasp and needed to be attended to by the race doctor with 72km to go, produced a brave 50km solo effort and was caught 450m from the finish by Canada's Michael Woods.

Meanwhile, Pogacar gained eight seconds on Vingegaard. 

2023 Tour de France: Stage 9 Results - Sunday 9 July

Saint-léonard-de-noblat to puy de dôme, 182.4km.

Michael Woods (CAN, Israel Premier Tech) 4:19:41

Pierre Latour (FRA, TotalEnergies) +28

Matej Mohoric (SLO, Bahrain - Victorious) +35

Matteo Jorgensen (USA, Movistar) +35

Clement Berthet (FRA, AG2R Citroën) + 55

Neilson Powless (USA, EF Education-EasyPost) +1:23

Alexej Lutsenko (UKR, Astana Qazaqstan Team) + 1:39

Jonas Gregaard (DEN, Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) +1:58

Mathieu Burgaudeau (FRA, TotalEnergies) + 2:16

David de la Cruz (SPA, Astana Qazaqstan Team) + 2:34

2023 Tour de France: General Classification standings after Stage 9

• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) 38h 37'46"
• Romain Bardet (FRA, Team DSM - Firmenich) +6:58"

Saturday 8 July: Stage 8 - Libourne - Limoges, hilly, 200.7km

Mads Pederson held off triple stage winner Jasper Philipsen and Wout van Aert to clinch stage eight of the Tour de France in 4:12:26.

Van Aert had looked to be in a position to take the stage but was forced to apply the brakes after getting blocked by his own Jumbo-Visma teammate Christophe Laporte . The Belgian was able to recover to catch third.

Earlier in the race, joint record holder for stage wins Mark Cavendish was forced to abandon his 14th and expected last Tour after he was caught in a crash with 63km to go.

The Manx Missile appeared to have injured his shoulder after a touch of wheels in the peloton forced him off his bike and onto the tarmac.

It's been a heartbreaking 24 hours for Cavendish who was denied a record win yesterday (Friday) after suffering a mechanical issue in his sprint showdown with Philipsen.

In the GC, Jonas Vingegaard retained the yellow jersey, while Great Britain's Simon Yates slid two places into sixth following his crash with just 5km of the race left to go.

2023 Tour de France: Stage 8 Results - Saturday 8 July

Libourne to limoges, hilly, 200.7km.

• Mads Pederson (DEN, Lidl - Trek) 4:12:26
• Jasper Philipsen (BEL, Alpecin - Deceuninck) +0"
• Dylan Groenewegen (NED, Jayco AlUla) +0"
• Nils Eekhoff (NED, Team DSM - Firmenich) +0"
• Jasper De Buyst (BEL, Lotto Dstny) +0"
• Rasmus Tiller (NOR, Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) +0"
• Corbin Strong (NZL, Israel - Premier Tech) +0"
• Tadej Pogacar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates) +0"

2023 Tour de France: General Classification standings after Stage 8

• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) 34h 10'03"
• Tadej Pogacar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates) +25"
• Jai Hindley (AUS, Bora-Hansgrohe) +1:34"
• Carlos Rodriguez Cano (ESP, Ineos Grenadiers) +3:30"
• Adam Yates (GBR, UAE Team Emirates) +3:40"
• Simon Yates (GBR, Team Jayco AlUla) +4:01"
• David Gaudu (FRA, Groupama - FDJ) +4:03"
• Romain Bardet (FRA, Team DSM - Firmenich) +4:43"
• Thomas Pidcock (GBR, INEOS Grenadiers) +4:43"
• Sepp Kuss (USA, Jumbo-Visma) +5:28"

Friday 7 July: Stage 7 - Mont-de-Marsan - Bordeaux, flat, 169.9km

Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck got his hat-trick, as he claimed his third sprint victory on stage 7 of the 2023 Tour de France.

The points classification leader won ahead of Mark Cavendish of Astana Qazaqstan Team and Biniam Girmay of Intermarché - Circus - Wanty.

A breakaway tried to challenge the peloton for the stage win, but it was inevitable that the sprinters were going to battle it out in the end.

The GC favourites, including Jonas Vingegaard , crossed the finish line in the peloton, and the Jumbo-Visma rider retained the yellow leader’s jersey.

2023 Tour de France: Stage 7 Results - Friday 7 July

Mont-de-marsan to bordeaux, flat, 169.9km.

• Jasper Philipsen (BEL, Alpecin-Deceuninck) 3hr 46'28"
• Mark Cavendish (GBR, Astana Qazaqstan Team) +0"
• Biniam Girmay (ERI, Intermarché - Circus - Wanty) +0"

2023 Tour de France: General Classification standings after Stage 7

• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) 29h 57'12"
• Simon Yates (GBR, Team Jayco AlUla) +3:14"

Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 7 - Mont-De-Marsan to Bordeaux - France - July 7, 2023 Alpecin–Deceuninck's Jasper Philipsen celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win stage 7 REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

Thursday 6 July: Stage 6 - Tarbes to Cauterets-Cambasque, high mountains, 144.9km

Tadej Pogacar of UAE Emirates won the mountainous stage 6 in the Pyrenees ahead of reigning Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard , who took over the leader’s jersey.

The first part of the stage was dominated by Jumbo-Visma and Vingegaard, who put pressure on the penultimate climb Col du Tourmalet. First, overnight leader Jai Hindley  was dropped by the pace of Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma).

Shortly after, Vingegaard attacked on climb, and only Pogacar could follow. The Dane’s teammate Wout van Aert got into the early breakaway and was waiting on the descent to pilot his captain into the final kilometres of the last climb - Cauterets-Cambasque.

Defending champion Vingegaard attacked again on the final climb with 4.5 kilomtres to the finish, but Pogacar stayed in his wheel. Two kilometres later, the Slovenian opened up a gap to the Dane. The two-time Tour de France winner managed to stay and claim his tenth Tour de France stage win.

In the GC, Vingegaard now leads by 25 seconds to Tadej Pogacar in second place.

2023 Tour de France: Stage 6 Results - Thursday 6 July

Tarbes to cauterets-cambasque, high mountains, 144.9km.

• Tadej Pogacar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates) 3hr 54'27"
• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) +24"
• Tobias Halland Johannessen (NOR, Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) +1:22"
• Ruben Guerreiro (POR, Movistar Team) +2:06"
• James Shaw (GBR, EF Education-EasyPost) +2:15"
• Jai Hindley (AUS, Bora-Hansgrohe) +2:39"
• Carlos Rodríguez (SPA, INEOS Grenadiers) +2:39"
• Simon Yates (GBR, Team Jayco AlUla) +2:39"
• Adam Yates (GBR, UAE Team Emirates) +3:11"
• Romain Bardet (FRA, Team dsm - firmenich) +3:12"

2023 Tour de France: General Classification standings after Stage 6

• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma)
• Romain Bardet (FRA, Team dsm - firmenich) +4:43"

Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 6 - Tarbes to Cauterets-Cambasque - France - July 6, 2023 UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win stage 6 REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

Wednesday 5 July: Stage 5 - Pau to Laruns, high mountains, 162.7km

General Classification podium contender Jai Hindley of BORA-Hansgrohe claimed the first mountain stage of the 2023 Tour de France. He also took over the leader’s yellow jersey from Adam Yates . Australian rider Hindley had sneaked into a big breakaway, where he attacked on the last categorised climb, Col de Marie Blanc. Hindley managed to maintain a gap to the GC favourites to take his first ever Tour de France stage.

Behind the stage winner, reigning champion Jonas Vingegaard had dropped two-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar and others on the last steep climb, and the Dane started the final descent with a 40-second advantage to the Slovenian.

Vingegaard crossed the finish line in fifth place, 34 seconds behind Hindley but gained more than a minute on his biggest rival for the overall win, Pogacar. Last year’s winner moves up to second place in the GC, 47 seconds behind Hindley, who was awarded 18 bonus second on the stage. Pogacar is in sixth place, 1:40 behind the leader’s jersey.

2023 Tour de France: Stage 5 Results - Wednesday 5 July

Pau to laruns, high mountains, 162.7km.

• Jai Hindley (AUS, Bora-Hansgrohe) 3hr 57'07"
• Giulio Ciccone (ITA, Lidl - Trek) +32"
• Felix Gall (AUT, AG2R Citroën Team) +32"
• Emanuel Buchmann (GER, BORA - hansgrohe) +32"
• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) +34"
• Mattias Skjelmose (DEN, Lidl - Trek) +1:38"
• Daniel Felipe Martínez (COL, INEOS Grenadiers) +1:38"
• David Gaudu (FRA, Groupama - FDJ) +1:38"
• Carlos Rodríguez (ESP, INEOS Grenadiers) +1:38"

2023 Tour de France: General Classification standings after Stage 5

• Jai Hindley (AUS, Bora-Hansgrohe) 22hr 15'12"
• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) +47"
• Giulio Ciccone (ITA, Lidl - Trek) +1:03"
• Emanuel Buchmann (GER, BORA - hansgrohe) +1:11"
• Adam Yates (GBR, UAE Team Emirates) +1:34"
• Tadej Pogacar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates) +1:40"
• Simon Yates (Team Jayco AlUla) +1:40"
• Mattias Skjelmose (DEN, Lidl - Trek) +1:56"
• Carlos Rodriguez Cano (ESP, Ineos Grenadiers) +1:56"
• David Gaudu (Groupama - FDJ) +1:56"

Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 5 - Pau to Laruns - France - July 5, 2023 Bora–Hansgrohe's Jai Hindley celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win stage 5 REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

Tuesday 4 July: Stage 4 - Dax to Nogaro, flat, 181.8km

Jasper Philpsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck sprinted to his second consecutive stage win on stage four of this year's Tour de France. In a close sprint finish, the Belgian threw his bike at the finish line to win right ahead of the Australian Caleb Ewan (Lotto Dstny).

A few crashes on the final kilomtres did not change anything among the GC favourites. Adam Yates crossed the finish line within the peloton, and the UAE Emirates rider retained the yellow leader's jersey.

2023 Tour de France: Stage 4 Results - Tuesday 4 July

Dax to nogaro, flat, 181.8km.

• Jasper Philipsen (BEL, Alpecin-Deceuninck) 4hr 25'28"
• Caleb Ewan (AUS, Lotto Dstny) +0"
• Danny van Poppel (NED, BORA - hansgrohe) +0"
• Luka Mezgec (SLO, Team Jayco AlUla) +0

2023 Tour de France: General Classification standings after Stage 4

• Adam Yates (GBR, UAE Team Emirates) 9hr 09'18"
• Tadej Pogacar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates) +6"
• Simon Yates (GBR, Team Jayco Alula) +6"
• Victor Lafay (FRA, Cofidis) +12"
• Wout van Aert (BEL, Jumbo-Visma) +16"
• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) +17"
• Jai Hindley (AUS, Bora-Hansgrohe) +22"
• Michael Woods (CAN, Israel-Premier Tech) +22"
• Mattias Skjelmose (DEN, Lidl - Trek) +22"
• Carlos Rodriguez Cano (ESP, Ineos Grenadiers) +22"

• Jul 3, 2023 Foto del lunes del pedalista del Alpecin–Deceuninck Jasper Philipsen celebrando tras ganar la tercera etapa del Tour de Francia REUTERS/Stephane Mahe

Monday 3 July: Stage 3 - Amorebieta-Etxano to Bayonne, flat, 193.5km

Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck claimed the first sprint stage finish of the 2023 Tour de France, as the peloton left Spain to finish in Bayonne, France. It was the third Tour de France stage win for the Belgian sprinter.

The leader's yellow jersey stayed with Adam Yates, who came through the stage unscathed. He has a six-second lead to UAE Emirates teammate Tadej Pogacar.

2023 Tour de France: Stage 3 Results - Monday 3 July

Amorebieta-etxano to bayonne, flat, 193.5km.

• Jasper Philipsen (BEL, Alpecin-Deceuninck) 4hr 43'15"
• Fabio Jakobsen (NED, Soudal - Quick Step) +0"
• Dylan Groenewegen (NED, Team Jayco AlUla) +0

2023 Tour de France: General Classification standings after Stage 3

• Mikel Landa (ESP, Bahrain Victorious) +22"

Sunday 2 July: Stage 2 - Vitoria-Gasteiz to Saint-Sébastien, hilly, 208.9km

Frenchman Victor Lafay (Cofidis) timed his attack to perfection pulling away from the peloton with a kilometre left to sprint to a maiden Tour de France stage win in Saint-Sébastien.

Lafay’s brave sprint to the finish gave Cofidis their first win since 2008 with Wout van Aert finishing a few bike lengths behind him in second place.

Tadej Pogacar , bidding for a third yellow jersey after losing his title to Jonas Vingegaard last year, again crossed the line in third place for second in the general classification.

First-stage winner, Adam Yates , held onto the yellow jersey finishing the stage in 21st place, one spot behind brother Simon .

2023 Tour de France: Stage 2 Results - Sunday 2 July

Vitoria-gasteiz to saint-sébastien, medium mountains, 208.9km.

• Victor Lafay (FRA, Cofidis) 4hr 46'39"
• Thomas Pidcock (GBR, Ineos Grenadiers) +0"
• Pello Bilbao Lopez (ESP, Bahrain Victorious) +0"
• Michael Woods (CAN, Israel - Premier Tech) +0"
• Romain Bardet (FRA, Team DSM - Firmenich) +0"
• Dylan Teuns (BEL, Israel - Premier Tech) +0
• Jai Hindley (AUS, Bora - Hansgrohe) +0"
• Steff Cras (BEL, Totalenergies) +0"

2023 Tour de France: General Classification standings after Stage 2

Saturday 1 july: stage 1 - bilbao to bilbao, medium mountains, 182km.

Britain's  Yates twins  pulled away from the lead group inside the last 10km of the Grand Départ with  Adam  easing clear of  Simon  inside the final kilometre to take his first Tour de France stage win in Bilbao.

Tadej Pogacar , bidding for a third yellow jersey after losing his title to  Jonas Vingegaard  last year, won the sprint for third and punched the air as he celebrated gaining a four-second time bonus on his rivals as well as a stage win for his UAE Team Emirates colleague in northern Spain.

Thibaut Pinot  was fourth with reigning champion Vingegaard safely in the lead group in ninth place.

2023 Tour de France: Stage 1 Results - Saturday 1 July

Bilbao to bilbao, medium mountains, 182km.

• Adam Yates (GBR, UAE Team Emirates) 4hr 22'49"
• Simon Yates (GBR, Team Jayco Alula) +4"
• Tadej Pogacar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates) +12"
• Thibaut Pinot (FRA, Groupama-FDJ) +12"
• Michael Woods (CAN, Israel-Premier Tech) +12"
• Jai Hindley (AUS, Bora-Hansgrohe) +12"
• Skjelmose Mattias Jensen (DEN, Lidl-Trek) +12"
• Jonas Vingegaard (DEN, Jumbo-Visma) +12"
• David Gaudu (FRA, Groupama-FDJ) +12"

Tour de France 2023: General Classification standings after Stage 1

• Simon Yates (GBR, Team Jayco Alula) +8"
• Tadej Pogacar (SLO, UAE Team Emirates) +18"
• Thibault Pinot (FRA, Groupama-FDJ) +22"

Day-by-day route of the 2023 Tour de France

• Saturday 1 July: Stage 1 - Bilbao-Bilbao (182km)
• Sunday 2 July: Stage 2 - Vitoria-Gasteiz - Saint-Sebastian (208.9km)
• Monday 3 July: Stage 3 - Amorebieta - Etxano-Bayonne (187.4 km)
• Tuesday 4 July: Stage 4 - Dax - Nogaro (181.8 km)
• Wednesday 5 July: Stage 5 - Pau - Laruns (162.7 km)
• Thursday 6 July: Stage 6 - Tarbes - Cauterets-Cambasque (144.9 km)
• Friday 7 July: Stage 7 - Mont-de-Marsan - Bordeaux (169.9 km)
• Saturday 8 July: Stage 8 - Libourne - Limoges (200.7 km)
• Sunday 9 July: Stage 9 - Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat - Puy de Dôme (182.4 km)
• Monday 10 July: Rest Day
• Tuesday 11 July: Stage 10 - Vulcania - Issoire (167.2 km)
• Wednesday 12 July: Stage 11 - Clermont-Ferrand - Moulins (179.8 km)
• Thursday 13 July: Stage 12 - Roanne - Belleville-en-Beaujolais (168.8 km)
• Friday 14 July: Stage 13 - Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne - Grand Colombier (137.8 km)
• Saturday 15 July: Stage 14 - Annemasse - Morzine Les Portes du Soleil (151.8 km)
• Sunday 16 July Stage 15 - Les Gets les portes du soleil - Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc (179 km)
• Monday 17 July: Rest Day
• Tuesday 18 July: Stage 16 - Passy - Combloux (22.4 km individual time trial)
• Wednesday 19 July: Stage 17 - Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc - Courchevel (165.7 km)
• Thursday 20 July: Stage 18 - Moûtiers - Bourg-en-Bresse (184.9 km)
• Friday July 21: Stage 19 - Moirans-en-Montagne - Poligny (172.8 km)
• Saturday July 22: Stage 20 - Belfort - Le Markstein Fellering (133.5 km)
• Sunday July 23: Stage 21 - Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines - Paris Champs-Élysées (115.1 km)

How to watch the Tour de France 2023

The Tour de France will be shown live in 190 countries. Here is a list of the official broadcast partners across different territories.

• Basque Country - EiTB
• Belgium - RTBF and VRT
• Czech Republic - Česká Televize
• Denmark - TV2
• Europe - Eurosport
• France - France TV Sport and Eurosport France
• Germany - Discovery+ and ARD
• Ireland - TG4
• Italy - Discovery+ and RAI Sport
• Luxemburg - RTL
• Netherlands - Discovery+ and NOS
• Norway - TV2
• Portugal - RTP
• Scandinavia - Discovery+
• Slovakia - RTVS
• Slovenia - RTV SLO
• Spain - RTVE
• Switzerland - SRG-SSR
• United Kingdom - Discovery+ and ITV
• Wales - S4C
• Canada - FloBikes
• Colombia - CaracolTV
• Latin America & Caribbean: ESPN
• South America - TV5 Monde
• United States - NBC Sports and TV5 Monde

Asia Pacific

• Australia - SBS
• China - CCTV and Zhibo TV
• Japan - J Sports
• New Zealand - Sky Sport
• South-East Asia - Global Cycling Network and Eurosport

Middle East and Africa

• The Middle East and North Africa - BeIN Sports and TV5 Monde
• Subsaharan Africa - Supersport and TV5 Monde

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Top cycling terms you need to watch the Tour de France

I love to ride bikes. I commute, mountain bike, join weekly group rides and even track my rides with an app to push myself to be faster. Most of my friends and family would describe me as an “avid cyclist,” but when it comes to understanding bike racing… that’s a different story.

Yellow jersey, polka-dot jersey, the chase, the peloton, a pace line – honestly, it’s enough to make my head spin. So, in preparation for this year’s Tour de France, I thought I’d take a moment to educated myself before the race.

These are the top terms you need to know to watch (and enjoy!) the Tour de France and understand what those guys in colorful spandex are doing out there.

The jerseys

Yellow – overall leader

Also known as the maillot jaune , the yellow jersey is worn by the rider who is the General Classification (GC) leader, riding the race in the least amount of time.

Green – points leader

The green jersey, or maillot vert, is worn by the rider that has accrued the most points during the race. Points are awarded based on the positions that riders finish each stage as well as their performance during intermediate sprints within stages.

Polka-dot – King of the Mountains

Worn by the rider that has the had the best finishes and earned the most points in the mountain stages of the race. The more difficult the climb, the more points can be won.

Rider roles

A light rider who specializes in hilly or mountainous racing.

A powerful rider who can perform high-velocity burst finishes.

Time trialist

A strong endurance rider who excels at maintaining a high speed over a long period of time to win stage sprints or time trials.

Road captain

An experienced rider in charge of executing the team strategy and ensuring each rider goes to the right place at the right time.

Protected rider

The rider who is favored by the team for either the day’s stage or the overall. This may be a climber on a mountain stage, a sprinter on the flats or the GC contender.

A teammate who helps the protected rider, whether by sheltering them from the wind, physically buffering them from other riders or bringing more water from the team car.

Rider positioning

Peloton/Bunch

The main group of racers.

When riders arrange themselves in a single or double line to gain aerodynamic shelter from the rider in front of them. Riders will then rotate to the front of the line, breaking wind for their teammates.

When one or more riders escape from the peloton and rides ahead of the main bunch.

Riders or groups of riders who are trying to catch up with the break but are stuck between the break and the peloton.

The group of riders off the back of the peloton. During a mountain stage, this is usually the sprinters or heavier riders who can’t match the pace of the light climbers.

Tour de France jerseys: Yellow, green, white and polka dot explained

We explain what the yellow, green, polka dot and white jerseys worn by riders in the Tour de France represent

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• Yellow jersey
• Green jersey
• Polka dot jersey
• White jersey
• Other classifications

The Tour de France sees the very best cyclists in the world battle it out for the yellow, green, white and polka dot jerseys, based on the general, points, mountains and young rider classifications. 

The jersey for each category is awarded to the leader of that classification at the end of every stage, and the recipient earns the right to wear it during the following day's racing. When a rider has the lead in multiple classifications, the yellow jersey is prioritised, then green, the polka dot, and white - the next person on the ranking wears the kit in the leader's stead.

Here we take a brief look at what they are and how they are won. 

Tour de France yellow jersey - GC leader

Also called the maillot jaune , the Tour de France yellow jersey is the most coveted piece of kit in professional cycling. The wearer is the rider who has completed the race in the least amount of time, and as such tops the overall or general classification (GC) of the race.

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) dominated the GC in 2020 and 2021, wearing the yellow jersey almost throughout the 2021 edition, before Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) took it off him halfway through the 2022 race, wearing it until the end of the race.

Before that, in 2012, Bradley Wiggins became the first British rider to finish in Paris in the Yellow Jersey - with Chris Froome following up in 2013, 2015-2017. Geraint Thomas took the 2018 race, becoming the third British rider to win the race.

The yellow jersey is sponsored by LCL, a French bank, and it is yellow, because the Tour's original organiser, L'Auto , was a newspaper printed on yellow paper. 

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A time bonus of 10, six and four seconds will be awarded to the first three riders across the finish line each day (not including TTs). These bonus seconds are taken off their stage and therefore overall time. Bonus seconds of eight, five and two seconds are also awarded on certain, strategically placed climbs on stages one, two, five, 12, 14 and 17.

Last 10 winners of the Tour de France general classification:

• 2013: Chris Froome 
• 2014: Vincenzo Nibali 
• 2015: Chris Froome
• 2016: Chris Froome
• 2017: Chris Froome
• 2018: Geraint Thomas
• 2019: Egan Bernal
• 2020: Tadej Pogačar
• 2021: Tadej Pogačar
• 2022: Jonas Vinegaard

Tour de France green jersey - points classification

The green jersey relates to points awarded to riders according to the position they finish on each stage, with additional points for intermediate sprints during some stages also on offer.

The number of points on offer will vary depending upon the type of stage. More are on offer during pure flat, sprint days, while on hilly and mountain stages there are fewer points available. The points are then tallied up after each stage and added to points won in all previous stages. The green jersey ( maillot vert) is awarded to the rider with the most points. Sometimes it is a sprinter's game, sometimes more of an all-rounder - like Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma).

The jersey took its colour because the initial sponsor was a lawn mower manufacturer - though the colour was changed once in 1968 to accommodate a sponsor. It is now sponsored by Škoda, and has a new shade for this year .

Both Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault successfully won both the general classification and the points classification with Merckx achieving the biggest sweep in 1969 with the points, mountain and general classifications to his name. Over the last ten years, Peter Sagan has triumphed in the points classification on no less than seven occasions. 

The following points are on offer:

Flat stage (stages 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 11, 18, 19, 21): 50, 30, 20 points (descending to 15th place) 

Hilly stage (stages 1, 9, 10, 12, 13): 30, 25, 22 points (descending to 15th place)

Mountain stage and ITTs (5, 6, 14, 15, 16, 17, 20): 20, 17, 15, (descending to 15th place)

Intermediate sprint: 20, 17, 15, (descending to 15th place)

Last 10 winners of the Tour de France points classification:

• 2013:  Peter Sagan
• 2014: Peter Sagan
• 2015: Peter Sagan
• 2016: Peter Sagan
• 2017: Michael Matthews
• 2018: Peter Sagan
• 2019: Peter Sagan
• 2020: Sam Bennett
• 2021: Mark Cavendish
• 2022: Wout van Aert

Tour de France jerseys: Polka dot - King of the Mountains classification leader

Tour de france polka dot jersey - mountains classification.

Mountains points are awarded to riders who manage to summit classified climbs first. Points vary depending on the category of each ascent, with more difficult climbs awarding more mountains points.  

Climbs are divided into five categories: 1 (most difficult) to 4 (least difficult) - then there's the ' Hors Categorie ', denoted by HC which represents the most challenging of ascents. The tougher the category, the more points on offer, and to more riders - a HC climb will see points awarded down to the first eight over the summit, while a fourth category climb results in points for just the first rider over the top.

The organisers decide which mountains or climbs will be included in the competition, and which category they fall into. If the stage features a summit finish, the points for the climb are doubled.

The points are tallied up after each stage and added to points won in all previous stages. The distinctive white-with-red-dots jersey ( maillot à pois rouges ) is given to the rider with the most mountains points. The first climber's award was given out in 1933, and the jersey arrived on the scene in 1975. It is now sponsored by Leclerc, a supermarket.

Points awarded as follows:

HC: 20, 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2pts  

1st cat: 10, 8, 6, 7, 5, 1pt 

2nd cat: Five, three, two.

3rd cat: Two and one points 

4th cat: One point 

The souvenir Henri Desgrange is awarded to the first rider over the race’s highest point, the Col de Loze, on stage 17. The souvenir Jacques Goddet to the first rider over the Col du Tourmalet on stage 16. 

Last 10 winners of the Tour de France mountains classification:

• 2013:  Nairo Quintana
• 2014:  Rafał Majka
• 2015:  Chris Froome
• 2016: Rafał Majka
• 2017: Warren Barguil
• 2018: Julian Alaphilippe
• 2019: Romain Bardet

Tour de France white jersey - best young rider

The plain white, young rider classification jersey is awarded to the fastest rider born after 1 January 1998, meaning 25 or under. It is sponsored by Krys, an opticians

First introduced in 1975, riders such as Marco Pantani, Alberto Contador, Egan Bernal and Tadej Pogačar have all won the young rider classification, helping propel them onto bigger and better things during their careers.

Last 10 winners of the Tour de France young rider classification:

• 2014:  Thibaut Pinot
• 2015: Nairo Quintana
• 2016:  Adam Yates
• 2017: Simon Yates
• 2018: Pierre Latour
• 2022: Tadej Pogačar

Other Tour de France classifications - team and combativity

There are two further classifications that do not earn the winner(s) a coloured jersey - the most aggressive rider award and Team Classification .

While not necessarily a classification, the Combativity Award is given to the rider who has shown the most fighting spirit during each individual stage, as chosen by the race jury. They will wear a gold race number during the following day's stage. A 'Super Combativity' award is handed out on the final stage for the most aggressive rider during the whole race.

The Team Classification is based on the collective time of the three highest-placed riders from each squad. Leaders of the team classification get to wear race numbers that are yellow with black digits, and the right to wear yellow helmets. The latter is not compulsory.

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Adam is Cycling Weekly ’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling on tarmac, he's happy. Before joining Cycling Weekly he spent two years writing for Procycling, where he interviewed riders and wrote about racing. He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds. Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to cycling.

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Tour de France

Tom pidcock confirms ‘full focus’ on tour de france gc, talented briton doesn’t disclose goal but is aiming higher than a solid showing: ‘top ten is not really my motivation.’.

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 .

Tom Pidcock began a belated and shortened cyclocross campaign on Saturday, allocating himself just ten events because of a clear season goal.

Stage winner at Alpe d’Huez in 2022 and 13th overall in last year’s Tour de France, he has set his sights firmly on a big ambition in France.

“I want to prove myself in the Tour,” the 24-year-old Briton told Sporza .

• Tom Pidcock and Co. Show off the New 2024 Jersey for Ineos Grenadiers Tom Pidcock’s Limited Cyclocross Program Due to ‘Bigger Goals,’ Says Coach Bogaerts

“Last year I didn’t really know what I wanted and what the team wanted. I didn’t have a clear goal and I paid the price for that. I came home with nothing.”

Pidcock is now heading into his fourth season as part of the Ineos Grenadiers squad and is a major part of its push to win another Tour de France. That goal was last achieved back in 2019 and since then the team has floundered in that goal.

The Briton has a contract with the team until the end of 2027 and with the pressure on both externally and also from himself, he wants to make a major impression. As for what that is, he isn’t specific, but he makes clear that stepping up slightly from last year is not what he is interested in.

“This year I want to fully focus on the general classification. Top 10? That’s not really my motivation.

“My goal will become clearer after some stage races earlier in the year. I believe in myself more than last year, but I won’t be able to say specifically what my goal is until later.”

Pidcock rode strongly in Saturday’s X20 Badkamers Trofee Herentals cyclocross race in Belgium, recovering from a poor start where he was only 18th at the end of lap one to scythe through the field and eventually finish second.

• Mathieu van der Poel Pummels Rivals in First Cyclocross Race of Season

He will start Sunday’s World Cup race in Namur as the probable favourite, and said after Saturday’s event that he hoped it would serve as a good warmup for that race.

Herentals victor Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) will not compete on Sunday.

Pidcock reaffirmed after Saturday’s race that he will definitely miss the world championships on February 4. He went into more detail with Sporza, saying that this time of year is all about getting ready for later.

“I have a lot of big goals in the summer, so I use the winter as preparation,” he said.

“It will be a long summer with the Tour and the Olympic Games. To do a cyclo-cross World Championships so late is difficult.”

“And if I go to the world championships, I want to prepare 100 percent for it out of respect for the event. It is also difficult mentally. Wout van Aert lost last year and said that it was difficult for him during the road season.

“So I want to enjoy the Christmas period and prepare for the road season.”

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Tour de France: unchained and explained

Netflix got you curious? Here is what you need to know before watching the 2023 Tour de France live

Logan Jones-Wilkins

Junior writer - north america.

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Photo by Tim de Waele/Getty Images

Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard exiting the podium at the end of the 2022 Tour de France

So, you (or someone you love) have watched the Netflix series Tour de France: Unchained and you’re curious about the race. Great! Welcome to bike racing, it is a fantastically exciting, romantic place! It is also more exciting and dramatic if you understand the deeper narrative and dynamics. I should know, I got sucked down the rabbit hole so deep that I made explaining it my career. It couldn't be more exciting than to explain it to you, here with a brand that was built to welcome as many folks into our little niche as possible.

Nevertheless, cycling is a bit like an onion. The layers are so numerous I do not know where I should start in my explanations of cycling to an uninformed Netflix viewer. I am so deep into it I struggle to know what is unknown and what needs demystifying.

To help me with this, I decided to phone a friend. This friend, who is called Olivia, might be like you! She is a 21-year-old woman. Her knowledge of cycling before watching the Netflix series was from conversations we would have while working at the Office of Admissions at the University of Richmond here in the United States. She is far from the classic cycling viewer.

And yet, she loved the series and is set to watch the Tour this summer. To prepare her for the three-weeks of racing around July, and to help me write this explainer for you, dearest reader) I had her text me her questions as they came up during her exploration of last year's Tour de France. What I have done is taken those questions, put them in italics, and tried to succinctly answer them in language that, hopefully, you can understand. I have also provided links and videos from GCN ’s rich archive of content that you can click through at your leisure.

The Tour de France – with its 21 stages, 22 teams and essentially 200 characters – is an intimidating beast of a sporting event to get your arms around. Once you do, however, it rewards you with almost bottomless history, a year round narrative that revolves around it and 21 days straight of unique television shows every summer. Hopefully, this article can be your transition from Netflix to the real thing which gets underway Saturday.

The Tour: an individual competition won by teams

How does a team win the general classification?

A team wins the Tour de France yellow jersey by getting one of their riders to the final stage in the least amount of time, aggregated from all the stages. Since the Tour de France started as an entirely individual exploit of personal endurance, the individual component of one winner will always be integral to the sport.

As the physics and biology of cycling has become more understood, the ability for weaker riders to help stronger riders has led to teams forming and becoming inescapably important to an individual winning. So, even though only one individual wins, it is very much a team success. The team dynamics of road cycling are actually more in line with a sport like basketball than a sport like F1. One star is important, but without a strong supporting cast that team will likely fall short.

What is a cycling team and how is it formed? With that understanding, let's dig into what is a Tour team in this era of pro cycling. To start, 22 teams start the Tour and they are from two different categories. 18 teams are a part of the UCI World Tour, cycling’s equivalent to the EPL or NFL. They automatically get access to all the biggest races all year, including the Tour. World Tour teams are determined by a three year point system where the bottom two teams get relegated to the lower division. The other four teams are a part of the UCI ProSeries teams which is cycling’s second division. One is selected through being the best second division team the previous year, while the other three are discretionary selections from the race organisation. Normally, they’re French.

Each of those teams are then formed around the abilities of that team's strongest couple of riders and by how riders on each squad are performing throughout the year. Every World Tour team has 28-30 riders to choose from and only 8 get selected for the Tour. The competition for those Tour spots are fierce and the last couple of places are often only decided in the two weeks leading into the race.

Remember episode one of Netflix? Well, Fabio Jakobsen was almost left off the Quick-Step squad, squashing his comeback story before it ever began, because Quick-Step's other sprinter is tied for the most Tour stage wins of all time and was, arguably, riding better than Jakobson before the 2022 Tour. His name is Mark Cavendish and he is now on a different team that built a team around him for the 2023 edition. Things move quickly in the peloton.

How does slipstream work?

There are three physical forces working against a cyclist at any point: gravity, air resistance and rolling resistance. Performance in cycling is built almost entirely around managing efficiency against these three forces. In terms of team racing, air resistance is the primary force teammates can mitigate through slipstream, which we call drafting.

Sitting in the draft of another rider can save the draftee 30-60% of energy expenditure on flats and light uphills. That is why teams matter. A leader can have domestiques rotate in-front of them and save energy for the final sprint or a certain climb, which allows them to have more energy to produce the more explosive effort which can make the winning separation. Especially in sprinting, it’s so key to have strong teammates to bring the last sprinter to the finish protected from crashes and at 60-70 kph before they unleash their final acceleration to the finish. These demands are why teams have to, typically, dedicate six of their eight riders to support the other two riders' potential, whether that be two GC leaders, or one GC rider and one sprinter, or even two different sprinters, although that combination is rare.

Why is Wout’s jersey a different colour than the rest of his team?

The Netflix show covered a lot of bases, but inexplicably it left out why Wout van Aert looked like a green highlighter most of the time. My colleague wrote about the green jersey, or more accurately his one piece green skin suit, in our beginner's guide to the Tour de France (which is brilliant and you should read it), but in short it's for the best sprinter. The fact that Van Aert is able to win that jersey and be there in the mountains, however, is incredible and normally would normally not be a question raised by a show like Netflix. But Van Aert makes complications like this come about because he is redefining the sport in his exploits.

Sport's most beautiful stadium

Does the Tour de France follow the same route every year?

No, the Tour de France follows a different route around France every year. Additionally, every other year or so the Tour will start in a foreign country. Last year, the race started in Denmark, before returning to France on the fourth stage. In France, there are locations that are more popular than others.

Every year, except for in 2024 due to the Paris Olympics, the race culminates in Paris. Since 1975, the Champs Elysees has been host to the final finish line. Other staples on the Tour route are days in both the Alps and Pyrenees, the two major mountain ranges in France. There are other rhythms and favourites of the Tour, but that minutea is wading deeper into the folklore of cycling. For now, those basics suffice. Some things change, but the form generally stays the same.

What is the purpose of the time trial?

Within the Tour route, there is always at least one individual time trial. These stages are different because they completely remove the team dynamic from the calculus. Drafting is strictly forbidden and each rider sets off along a short course – typically between 10 and 50 kilometres – every one minute. These races are nicknamed the “race of truth” because they always lead to time gaps between the strongest team leaders, negating the impact of a team for one day. This leads to interesting dynamics in the GC competition and can lead one rider with a weaker team to spring a surprise.

The Tour loves to place one of these time trials at the end of the race to allow for drama in the overall GC all the way to the end of the race. Sometimes, this bet doesn’t work, as shown on Netflix. Other times, as was the case in the 2020 Tour when Tadej Pogačar beat Jumbo-Visma’s Primoz Roglic to gain the yellow jersey with one day to go until Paris, it works wonders. Regardless, time trials are very important.

Interestingly, in 2023 this will be less of the case as the amount of time trialling is limited compared to years past. To learn more about the route, check out this preview to dig deeper into the Tour rabbit hole.

What specific training preparation is done for a race as competitive as the Tour de France?

In short, as much as humanly possible. There is really no sport in the world where the athletes can spend as much time practising as cycling. Annually, pro cyclists will accrue over 1,000 hours of cycling and that is before the other strength training, massage therapy and miscellaneous other tasks they take on to be optimised to perform. Diet is fundamental as well when it comes to success. Not just from a limiting perspective, but also from the perspective that these riders need to eat 350-400 kilojoules (or calories) per hour of racing to be able to perform at their peak. Managing what they eat at all points has been pointed to as the biggest innovation in cycling training since the era of rampant doping in the 1990’s and early 2000’s.

How does high altitude affect cyclists, physically? How does a cyclist adapt their riding to do well at high altitude?

What this looks like for most teams and riders is a series of camps at resorts in the high mountains of Spain, Italy and France for three weeks at a time. This time spent at 2,000-2,500 metres (6,500 to 8,000 feet) allows riders to boost their red-blood cell count which increases their bodies ability to carry oxygen to their muscles at levels of high physical exertion, like the mountain stages of the Alps where Jumbo-Visma stuck it to Tadej Pogačar. It has benefits for both those moments at altitude and for riders all-around, general fitness. Furthermore, these camps let riders live simply, as staff take care of everything they need to focus exclusively on training, and to bond with teammates to form team chemistry.

What is an FTP and FTP intervals?

At these altitude camps, a common training interval will work the lactate threshold system. This will, hopefully, boost a riders functional threshold power (FTP), which is the approximated value at which a rider is going as hard as they could go for about an hour. With time trials and mountains being roughly 20-60 minutes, this level is incredibly important for the GC team leaders. The higher this is, in relationship to their body weight, the higher potential they have to win the yellow jersey.

FTP is a widely used term in cycling, but one that is rarely, if ever, explained to a wider audience. Returning to those three physical factors of cycling – air resistance, rolling resistance and gravity – to gain efficiency against gravity, the force which makes mountains hard, a rider must optimise their FTP and what we call watts per kilogram. Again, this is a deeper discussion, but one that is worth digging into to understand cycling at its most intricate level.

What does it mean when the climb is at a 7.7% average?

Gravity is important and is quantified in cycling by percent gradient of the slopes of the climbs. For those who ride, these percent gradients are easily understood by apps like Strava and Ride With GPS, but for a non cyclist these figures are pretty much nonsense.

To explain most simply, I will quote Emminem: I can’t tell you what it really is, I can only tell you what it feels like.

For those in the United States, 6% grade is the steepest an interstate highway can be. So, 7.7% is essentially that street that was on your way to school, that you rode with your cheap mountain bike on a random romp around the neighbourhood with your friends that you probably would have to walk up. You know the one.

Essentially, the higher the number, the steeper the climb. The steeper the climb, the less drafting matters. The less drafting matters, the more likely there is to be separation between the GC team leaders. We at GCN love steep climbs. Here is a video of a normal person struggling up one of the steepest in pro cycling:

How do the teams develop a plan for terrain they have never seen or cycled on?

Planning for stages used to be a lot harder. In the past, teams would have to send envoys to the far flung mountains of France to drive the routes of the Tour de France. Often the best riders would have to take time away from altitude to scope out the different courses the Tour would take on. While some of these reconnaissance missions still take place, a lot of this prep that had to be done in cars is now done through extremely detailed computer programs, saving time and letting riders and staff spend more time at altitude to prepare for races they physically have not seen yet.

The most prolific of these tools is Veloviewer. Veloviewer creates three dimensional graphs and profiles of the different stages and climbs of the Tour and all the other big races in the world. We at GCN use the same software to craft our previews for the viewers as well. In the same ways in which Veloviewer and the course previews help the professional cyclists, it has helped us journalistic get a sense of what to expect and prognosticate the different possible outcomes of every race. For the cycling fan, this provides a whole new way to watch bike races and understand what to expect when you turn on the TV and tune in.

Watch the 2023 Tour on GCN+

While this article only scratches the surface of the questions Olivia asked me, I believe that it is a start for any new fans' exploration of the 2023 Tour de France. We are expecting another thrilling edition of the race and we are thrilled that here at GCN to provide the most in-depth live coverage of the 2023 Tour de France with full-stage coverage in multiple languages as a part of any GCN+ subscription. Additionally, through our GCN+ documentaries and GCN Youtube channel you can find years of professionally produced, diverse cycling continent that can answer any questions you might have about this lovely sport and this amazing race. You can also buy the book we wrote on understanding the sport more on our online shop or with this link her e.

Jonas Vingegaard

• Team Team Visma | Lease a Bike
• Nationality Denmark
• UCI Wins 35
• Height 1.75m

Tadej Pogacar

• Team UAE Team Emirates
• Nationality Slovenia
• UCI Wins 74
• Height 1.76m

Wout van Aert

• Nationality Belgium
• UCI Wins 46
• Height 1.9m

Tour de France

• Dates 1 Jul - 23 Jul
• Race Length 3,401 kms
• Race Category Elite Men

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Logan Jones-Wilkins is GCN’s North American junior writer. From Denver, Colorado, he covers North American and European cycling for the website.

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Here Are the Contenders Primed to Challenge Cycling’s Dominant Duo in the Giro and Tour de France

[table-of-contents] stripped

As we grow nearer to Grand Tour season, the story is no doubt going to center around cycling’s two biggest names: Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard. Can Pog pull off the Giro/Tour double? If he’s going to, he’ll have to vanquish Vingegaard, the only rider who’s been able to go toe-to-toe with Pogačar. On the other side of the coin, can Vingegaard go three-for-three, becoming just the ninth rider to win at least three Tours (and the sixth to win three consecutively)?

But what about the other riders in the peloton who have a real chance at dethroning the two-headed monster? Surely there are more names to watch than just Pogi and Jonas, more riders who— like Sepp Kuss did in last year’s Vuelta —can shock the world by taking down the giants.

Here are the contenders primed to challenge cycling's dominant duo in the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France :

Remco Evenepoel

There’s no denying that Evenepoel is one of the most talented riders in the WorldTour ranks. And with a pair of Liège-Bastonge-Liège wins and a Vuelta win, he already has a palmarès that most riders dream of. But after a bitterly disappointing Giro abandonment last season and years of answering questions about when he’s going to race the Tour, the time may be here for Evenepoel to exorcize some of the demons and answer the questions that always seem to be following him around.

Yes, he’s won a Grand Tour, but it wasn’t the Grand Tour. Maybe 2024, his Tour debut, is the year to rectify that for and with his Soudal-Quick Step team.

Primož Roglič

With a new team in Bora-Hansgrohe, Roglič will once again be looking to avenge one of the most bitter losses in cycling history: to recapture the Tour de France win that he was just one heartbreaking stage away from in 2020.

That 2020 loss, combined with Vingegaard’s unexpected ascension, pushed Roglič to the fringes of the Grand Boucle. Now, he’ll head into France as the undisputed team leader. And while Roglič’s had a less-than-stellar season thus far, according to Bora’s performance director Rolf Aldag, all eyes are on the Tour for Roglič and his team.

Cian Uijtdebroeks

Just twenty years old, Ujitdebroeks is heading into the Giro with expectations that are simultaneously high and reasonable. Early reports are that the Visma-Lease a Bike all-rounder will be chasing both stage wins and the pink jersey.

Uijtdebroeks finished eighth in last summer’s Vuelta a España and none of the seven riders ahead of him are slated to start the Giro. Of course, it’ll help his cause that he’ll have Wout van Aert, perhaps the world’s greatest domestique, working for him throughout Italy.

Ben O’Connor

Last year, Ben O’Connor asked his French team, Decathlon-AS2R La Mondiale, if he could shift his focus from the Tour de France to the Giro d’Italia. After two consecutive Tours marred by crashes, sickness, and just plain bad luck, O’Connor is hoping to right his ship with a go at the pink jersey.

To the surprise of many, AG2R acquiesced and, as O’Connor has the most WorldTour points of any Giro entrants as of this writing, early returns say they may have made the right move.

Geraint Thomas

Like Pogačar, Ineos Grenadiers’ Geraint Thomas is targeting the Giro/Tour double. He’ll be the team’s sole GC hunter in Italy, as he aims to avenge the pink jersey he lost to Primož Roglič on the penultimate stage of last year’s Giro.

The picture in France gets a bit murkier, as Ineos will be sending Tom Pidcock and Carlos Rodríguez both to the start line in June, making Thomas’s hunt for a second yellow jersey—he won the Tour 2018—a far less straightforward proposition.

Alexsandr Vlasov

The 27-year-old Bora-Hansgrohe rider raised plenty of eyebrows at the dawn of this season when he said he would let the road decide whether he would race for or against his new teammate—and presumed team leader—Primož Roglič.

Well, the reality of that statement might come to a head sooner rather than later. Vlasov has been looking strong this spring, with his most eye-catching performance coming in Paris-Nice, where he finished fifth overall, seventh in the points classification, and fourth in the KOM race. Roglič, on the other hand, finished that race tenth, eleventh, and tenth in those very same classifications.

Simon Yates

Whereas so many riders are bolstered by hype, Simon Yates’s chances for a surprise Tour victory are supported by the fact that he just always seems to be there, near the front, toe-to-toe with the best and the brightest. The Jayco-AlUla leader, who finished fourth overall in 2023, will be making his seventh Tour appearance, so he knows the race as well as just about any of the other contenders. But more than anything, he’ll likely need a few breaks to roll his way.

Jai Hindley

The 2022 Giro champion is expected to ride in support of Roglič in the Tour. But we all know how mercurial Roglič can be, which means Hindley may be presented with a sudden and unexpected chance to fight for the yellow jersey.

Sepp Kuss, Juan Ayuso, and Adam Yates

I’m combining these three, as their longshot potential to make a run at GC would depend on Vingeaard and/or Pogačar blowing up or abandoning, neither of which either does very often. Kuss has shown that he has the strength and the grit to win a Grand Tour, but his shot at the yellow jersey would wholly depend on whether or not Vingegaard is at or near the front.

The same goes for Ayuso and Yates, who will both ride in support of Pogačar this summer. Yates finished third in last year’s Tour, proving that he’s much more than just another domestique. Meanwhile, all signs have been pointing to UAE Team Emirates grooming the 21-year-old Ayuso to be something of a 1A to Pogačar.

6 Reasons to Be Psyched About the 2024 Giro d’Italia

With an aggressive opening weekend, the return of Mortirolo, and chances for sprint battles, this year’s Giro will keep fans on the edge of their seats.

The route of the 2024 Giro was revealed last October, but it was quickly overshadowed by the announcement of the route for the 2024 Tour de France . That’s a typical issue for the Italian grand tour, a race that always seems to be fighting to emerge from its French cousin’s shadow.

But it shouldn’t be: the Giro is a fantastic event in its own right, a race that offers stunning scenery and aggressive racing, and often gives us a chance to see other riders steal the limelight. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be getting you ready for the Giro’s 107th edition, starting with six reasons why we’re excited about this year’s race.

1. An Aggressive Opening Weekend

Once upon a time, the opening weekend of a grand tour was more about fanfare than competition, often with a short individual time trial (usually called a “Prologue”) followed by a flat stage ending in a field sprint. In other words: stages that had little bearing on the race overall.

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Don’t get us wrong: it can be fun to watch time trial specialists square off against GC contenders in a short ITT to determine the first rider to pull on a grand tour leader’s jersey. And who doesn’t love a good field sprint? But we want to see racing , with stages that don’t allow the overall contenders to hide in the bunch, stages like the two Basque stages at the beginning of last year’s Tour de France.

Well, this year’s Giro seems to have taken a page out of last year’s Tour de France racebook, with a 143-kilometer opening stage from Venaria Reale to Turin that brings the riders over three categorized climbs, including the Category 2 Colle de Maddalena less than 25 km from the finish line—which the riders will hit just a few kilometers after cresting a punchy, uncategorized ascent just outside the city. Expect an exciting race to win the Giro’s first maglia rosa (the “pink jersey” awarded each day to the Giro’s overall leader), but time gaps that won’t kill anyone’s GC hopes on the first day of the race.

The next day could be a different story though, when a 161-kilometer stage from San Francesco al Campo to the Santuario di Oropa ends with the Giro’s first summit finish, an 11.8-kilometer climb with an average gradient of 6.2 percent. The ascent to Oropa is this year’s “Cima Pantani,” an ascent designated to honor Marco Pantani , the deceased Italian superstar who famously won a stage here in 1999.

This isn’t the hardest climb in the Giro by any means, but given that it’s only Stage 2, it will start shuffling the general classification. And given one of the riders expected to be competing this year (more on that later), this could prove to be an especially impactful opening weekend.

2. Reasonable Stage Lengths

In recent years, riders have become increasingly critical of the Giro’s organizers for including too many long stages—and even longer transfers from the finish of one stage to the start of another (which means riders are on buses for sometimes two to three hours before getting to their hotels at the end of the day). That might not seem like a big deal for fans watching the race from the comfort of their couches, but how do you like it when your boss extends your workday without considering you first? What if the length of your commute was suddenly doubled or tripled?

Well, the organizers listened, and this is the shortest Giro in years, with an average stage length that’s 12.5 km shorter than it was five years ago. Even better, there are fewer super-long stages. For example, in 2019, there were eleven stages over 190 km, and eight of them went over 200 km. This year’s race has just four stages over 190 km and only one of them comes during the Giro’s final week, which is traditionally the hardest of the race.

That’s great for the riders, but it’s also a boon for fans, who have annually been “treated” to at least one or two Giro stages in which a large breakaway gets a huge lead on an otherwise disinterested peloton—or worse, stages in which the entire peloton decides to ride piano until the final hour, at which point they wind things up for an eventual field sprint. Stages like these are the cycling equivalent of watching paint dry.

Shorter stages produce more aggressive racing, and shorter transfers mean happier, better-recovered riders—which also means better racing. With shorter stages and more reasonable transfers, we’re expecting this to be one of the most exciting Giros–from start to finish–in years.

3. A Surprising Feast for Sprinters

A race known more for its mountains, the Giro rarely attracts large numbers of sprinters—at least not as many as the Tour de France usually does. But with eight stages expected to end in field sprints this year—and a particularly mountainous route at the Tour de France—the 2024 Giro d’Italia is shaping up to be one of the more sprint- and sprinter-heavy grand tours in the past few years.

Here’s an early look at the list of sprinters expected to take the start in Torino: Italy’s Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek); Belgium’s Tim Merlier (Soudal–Quick Step) and Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Wanty); Dutch sprinters Olav Kooij (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Fabio Jakobsen (DSM-Firmenich PostNL), and Australia’s Sam Welsford (Bora-Hansgrohe), Caleb Ewan (Jayco AlUla) and Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck). That’s a deep line-up, and it should produce some of the most exciting field sprints of the season.

The Giro d’Italia has always embraced gravel roads. In 2005, the organizers took the race up and over the Colle delle Finistre, a climb in the Italian Alps that’s famous for an eight-kilometer section of gravel approaching the summit of the pass. The Giro has included the climb four three since 2005, most famously during Stage 19 in 2018 when Great Britain’s Chris Froome went on an 86K solo raid, overcoming a 3:22 deficit to take the maglia rosa . He won his first and only Giro in Rome two days later.

In 2010, the Giro was one of the first grand tours in the modern era to introduce gravel roads on a non-mountain stage when the organizers took a page out of the Strade Bianche road race and included several sections of white gravel roads near the end of Stage 7, a 220-kilometer ride from Carrara to Montalcino. Australia’s Cadel Evans won the stage; the former mountain biker seemed at home on the white gravel roads, which had turned brown due to heavy rain.

This year’s race won’t go over the Finistere (yeah, we’re bummed too), but it will bring the riders over about 12 km of punchy, gravel roads during the second half of Stage 6. The 177-kilometer stage from Viareggio to Rapolano Terme comes just before the Giro’s first time trial, and should present a perfect opportunity for an ambush, possibly by a rider who doesn’t fancy his chances in the next day’s race against the clock.

5. Lots of Mountains

It’s the mountains that keep everyone coming back to the Giro d’Italia (or, in the case of a few of the riders, staying away). This year’s race is no different, with 42,900 meters of elevation gain over the course of the Giro’s 21 stages and seven uphill finishes (including the climb at the end of Stage 7’s ITT). That’s a lot of climbing, and the organizers, as always, have included some of the most famous ascents in Giro’s history.

We’ve already mentioned the Oropa—this year’s Cima Pantani—at the end of the Stage 2, but that’s not the only summit finish of the first week. After Stage 7’s uphill ITT finish there’s another summit finish on Stage 8, on the Category 1 climb to Prati di Tivo, a 14-kilometer ascent with an average gradient of 7 percent. Expect these two stages to determine which rider will wear the maglia rosa heading into the Giro’s first rest day.

The second week begins with a new summit finish on Stage 10, the Category 1 Bocca della Selva, a 20.9K climb with an average gradient of just 4.6 percent. But that’s misleading: for some reason, the “official” climb begins with over 3 km of downhill roads, which lowers the average gradient overall.

The second week ends with Stage 15, which might be the hardest in this year’s Giro. Originally slated to bring the race into Switzerland for a hot sec, the route of this 220-kilometer stage has been altered to keep the race in Italy. That’s bad news for the riders, as they now will face the Mortirolo—one of the hardest and most famous climbs in Giro history—two-thirds of the way through the stage. The day ends with back-to-back Category 1 ascents: the Passo di Foscagno and—after a very short descent—the final climb to the Mottolino ski resort above Livigno, a steep, 8-kilometer climb with pitches that hit 18 percent. Thank goodness the next day is a rest day!

But after the second Rest Day, the riders won’t have a chance to ease themselves back into action, as Stage 16—another stage over 200 km—begins with an ascent of the Stelvio (20.2 km at 7.2 percent). Topping out at 2,758 meters, this is the highest climb in the entire Giro, and the first rider over the summit will win the Cima Coppi prize for being the first to the top. There’s a long ride from the top of the pass down into the valley, but two hard climbs at the end of the stage will settle things once and for all.

Stage 18 takes the race into the Dolomites on a 159-kilometer route containing five categorized climbs, including ascents of both sides of the Passo Brocon, with a summit finish on the steeper side of the mountain. And just for good measure, Stage 20 heads back into the Dolomites, where the riders will climb the Monte Grappa (18.1 km at 8.1 percent) twice. This one doesn’t end with a summit finish, but after 20 days of racing and at the end of another ferocious final week, this stage should blow the peloton apart. At the end of the day, we’ll know the eventual winner of the 2024 Giro d’Italia.

6. Pog Goes for Pink

But by far, the biggest marquee rider on this year’s start list has to be Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates). Perhaps the most exciting rider in the entire men’s peloton, Pog can win it all: grand tours, cobbled classics, and week-long stage races. He’s the most complete and multi-faceted male rider we’ve seen in decades, and this year—for the first time in his career—he’s heading to Giro.

Yup, that’s right. The 25-year-old has made it a career goal to win every major race on the calendar. For example, the two-time Tour de France champion took a dominant victory in last year’s Tour of Flanders , a cobbled Monument that grand tour riders usually avoid. And in March, he stated his desire to win all seven of the sport’s major week-long stage races (he’s already won three of them).

This is a far cry from just a decade or two ago when riders rode super-specific programs, often only targeting one or two major events each season. This was especially the case with riders targeting the Tour de France. These riders cared less about winning as many races as possible and more about building fitness for the Tour de France—without crashing or getting sick (which, as recent events have shown us, is a delicate balance).

But we’re talking about Tadej Pogačar, a rider who cares more about winning as many races as he can than winning one or two races as many times as he can. And at 25, he can race a diverse program right now and still decide to specialize a few years from now.

Given the way he’s riding—having raced nine times this season and only finishing off the podium twice, and doing so with no real challengers—he could blow the doors of the Giro by the end of the first week. And that might be a good thing: in addition to winning the Giro, Pog also wants to become the first rider since Pantani to win the Giro and the Tour in the same season.

Jumping out to an early, insurmountable lead would allow Pogačar to sit back and ride defensively, possibly saving him important matches in what has suddenly become (after the recent crash at the Itzulia Basque Country ) a rather winnable Tour de France for someone having already raced the Giro. Now, that would be historic!

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2024 Giro d’Italia | Van Aert Is Officially Out

Van Aert’s Giro Dreams in Jeopardy

Is Tadej Pogačar Peaking Too Early?

Challengers of the 2024 Giro d'Italia and TdF

The 2024 Women’s Giro d’Italia Route is Epic

Wout Van Aert Won’t Sacrifice the Classics

Anticipating the 2024 Giro d’Italia Women Route

Wout van Aert will Focus on the 2024 Giro d’Italia

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Results From the 2023 Giro Donne

Pogacar wins Liege with epic solo break, launching bid for Giro d’Italia and Tour de France

Tadej Pogacar won the Liege-Bastogne-Liege bike race on Sunday thanks to a solo break 30km from home launched on a steep climb and sustained to the finish line.

Issued on: 21/04/2024 - 17:07

Ahead of Pogacar 's Giro d'Italia and Tour de France double bid the 25-year-old Slovenian blew the opposition away with a maverick acceleration that none could answer on the 254km race in the Ardennes forests that marks the end of the spring classics.

Billed as a duel between Pogacar and winner of Paris-Roubaix and the Tour of Flanders Mathieu van der Poel, the Dutchman came in a commendable third but was far from going shoulder-to-shoulder for the title.

Frenchman Romain Bardet was second, also solo 1min 39sec off the pace with Van der Poel leading a bunch home at 2min 02sec.

Another pre-race favourite was Briton Tom Pidcock, who was 10th on the day after a mechanical problem at a key moment hindered his day.

The win puts to bed Pogacar's fall here last season that broke his wrist and blighted his Tour de France bid.

"It was an emotional day of riding for me," a drained-looking Pogacar said.

"Not just because of my hand but also because two years ago just before the race Urska's mother died, so I was riding for her today," Pogacar said referring to his professional cyclist partner Urska Zigart.

Pogacar also won here in 2021 and this was his sixth one-day Monument win with three wins at the Tour of Lombardy and his 2023 Tour of Flanders triumph.

Champion Remco Evenepoel, former winner Primoz Roglic and Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard would all have been suited to this course but are injured after a mass fall at the Tour of the Basque Country.

Pogacar came into the race fresh from altitude training and at the start line said he had "no regrets about not racing la Fleche", referring to the frozen and drenched midweek race in the same region.

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Wiebes, Vollering aiming for Tour de France Femmes repeat on home soil

Dutch riders excited for Grand Depart in the Netherlands and first maillot jaune

With fewer than 100 days to go until the Tour de France Femmes starts for the first time on foreign soil in the Netherlands, two of the favourites for glory at the season's biggest race have talked about the special occasion and the possible added pressure of the Rotterdam Grand Départ.

SD Worx-Protime stars Lorena Wiebes and Demi Vollering will lead the home charge for the yellow jersey and stage wins as the race kicks off with three stages in the Netherlands based around Rotterdam.

Wiebes, the top sprinter of the women's peloton, has three stage wins to her name across two editions so far and also wore the yellow jersey two years ago. Vollering, meanwhile, is the reigning champion and favourite to take home the maillot jaune once again this summer.

"It's really special to have to start in your home country and that family and friends can watch the race. It's even more special to get a chance to get a yellow jersey on the first stage," Wiebes said at an event held in Rotterdam to mark the 100-days-to-go milestone last week.

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"I watched the men's race growing up and it was actually the dream to win on the Champs-Elysées already when I was at junior level and younger. I achieved that already. Now the next goal is here."

Vollering said she "would never have thought" that the Tour's first foreign start would be a Dutch one.

"I was really excited when I heard about it. I'm really looking forward to the start here," she said before talking about the added pressure of performing on home roads.

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"I was born and raised pretty close by and so I know the roads here pretty well. I will feel a little pressure to help guide my teammates through the first few days.

"It will be really nice to have to start here and to also together with Lorena try to get yellow already directly at the beginning of the stage."

The opening stage of the race is set to be a pan-flat sprinter-friendly day running 124km from Rotterdam to The Hague, with stage 2a the next day another flat run from Dordrecht back to Rotterdam.

The race's only time trial kilometres come in the shape of a 6.3km TT in central Rotterdam that afternoon before the Tour heads south for an Ardennes-style third stage.

For Vollering, stage 3 should mark her first big chance to make a GC difference, though for Wiebes the stage may host a different landmark in the race. She said that another early yellow jersey is her main goal, along with winning as many stages as possible, with stage 3 likely the longest she'd be able to hold the lead.

"First of all, the goal is to try to finish the Tour. But I hope to get as many stages as possible," she said. "And if it's again possible – like last year with Lotte – to get the green jersey and the yellow for Demi then it will be perfect.

"I hope until the Valkenberg, but there's also the short time trial in between," Wiebes said when asked about her chances of holding yellow.

"But I think it's still possible to limit the time loss and it could also be possible to win the second stage. Then you'd already have 20 seconds of time bonus so maybe it's possible to keep it. I think after Valkenberg it's a bit too hard because I saw that we also do La Redoute in that stage."

Growing the women's sport

The third edition of the Tour de France Femmes will likely be the biggest one yet, given the foreign Grand Départ in the cycling-mad Netherlands and big homegrown names on the start line including Wiebes, Vollering plus Charlotte Kool (DSM Firmenich-PostNL) and Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease A Bike).

Vollering said that she has noticed the increased attention and the growth of the sport, not only on the bike but also away from it as her impending move away from SD Worx-Protime shapes up to be the season's biggest transfer story.

"Now I get this question a few times almost every day so it's crazy to see this," Vollering said. "I think that I've also grown with the sport. My first pro year was in 2019 and that was the first year women's racing was a little bit broadcast online or on TV. From 2019 on, every year we have made big steps and that's really special to see.

"[The development] has gone really, really fast. You see in the Classics already we have the amount of people coming to the races for an autograph or photo before the race. It's really cool to see that so many people are coming for us now. It's like in one year, the people doubled, so it's crazy to see."

Wiebes was also pleased and surprised with the increased interest in the sport, which has only grown with the addition to the calendar of the Tour.

However, she did add a note of caution to remind the sport not to forget about those riders racing on smaller teams who are still battling to make a living on the bike.

"It's going really quick with women's cycling and I think it's good, but it's also a bit hard sometimes, especially for the teams. But I think it's good to inspire women and kids to cycle and to get on the bike," Wiebes said.

"I think the most important is that everybody gets a salary also from the Continental teams," she added. "I think there are still some girls riding around in peloton who are not getting paid or at the end they don't make enough money and they still have to work alongside cycling.

"So, I think we need to be a little bit more in step. But that can also be hard because with these events like the Tour de France, it makes cycling get bigger and we get a lot more attention than before."

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Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Prior to joining the team, they had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur.

Dani has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France, World Championships, and the spring Classics. They have interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel, Demi Vollering, and Anna van der Breggen.

As well as original reporting, news and feature writing, and production work, Dani also oversees How to Watch guides and works on The Leadout newsletter throughout the season. Their favourite races are Strade Bianche and Paris-Roubaix and their favourite published article is from the 2024 edition of the latter: 'Unless I'm in an ambulance, I'm finishing this race' – Cyrus Monk, the last man home at Paris-Roubaix

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