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Jonas Vingegaard wins the 2023 Tour de France

Meeus takes final stage in a photo finish with Philipsen

Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) sailed through the final stage of the 2023 Tour de France to be crowned overall champion for the second year in a row.

Pogačar added to his reputation as the ' people's champion ', attacking multiple times in the final 40 kilometres but the sprinters teams shut down the cheeky moves. As the rain started to fall on the Champs Elyseés, the race judges decided to take the general classification times with one lap to go.

After a heated and seemingly even battle with Pogačar, Vingegaard put his mark on this edition of the Tour with his dominant performance on stage 16 time trial then twisted the knife on the Col de la Loze .

He tops the final podium by 7:29 ahead of Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) in a duel that will go down in the history books. Pogačar’s teammate Yates finished third overall at 10:56 back.

“It's a feeling of being proud and happy - we're winning it for the second time now. It's really amazing. Today with all the Danish people here was really amazing. I have to say thanks not only to my team and family but to the whole of Denmark. They support me and I'm really grateful for this.”

“It's been a long journey but it also went by so fast. We race every day and one day takes the other. It's been a super hard race and a super good fight between me and Tadej. I enjoyed it all the way.”

Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe) sprinted to victory on the Champs-Elysées, beating Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla) to the line on stage 21 to take his first stage victory of the Tour de France.

Alpecin-Deceuninck may have led the way around the final corner, but Meeus was well positioned, surfing wheels. The neophyte Tour rider, edged out the green jersey at the line by less than a wheel length to win after a chaotic sprint.

“I knew in the previous sprints that there was more possible than the result I showed so far. Today everything went perfect and I'm super happy to finish it off,” said Meeus who finished top ten in three of the previous sprint stages this year.

“I felt quite good all day. The beginning was easy obviously but from the moment we went full gas my legs felt incredibly good. Then Marco Haller did a perfect job with positioning and he was also there. I had the wheel of Pedersen and I could come out of the slipstream and catch it on the line.”

“It's my first Tour and it was a super nice experience so far. To take the win today is just an indescribable feeling.”

For the third year in a row, Pogačar swept up the white jersey, with Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers) finishing as runner-up in the young rider's classification.

Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) claimed the polka-dot jersey beating Felix Gall (AG2R Citroen) by 14 points to the climber's award.

Philipsen had nonetheless secured the green jersey before the final stage, beating Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) by 119 points at the top of the points standings. Finally, Jumbo-Visma won the team competition ahead of UAE Team Emirates, and Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny) claimed the super-combativity award after an aggressive three weeks of racing.

How it unfolded

In what is effectively a two-wheeled photo shoot on the 115.1-kilometre stage starting from the velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, a nod to the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games, to the usual finish on the Champs-Élysées, team after team took their turn on the front of the slowly pedalling bunch for the cameras.

Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny) jumped off the front at the flag drop to celebrate being awarded the super-combativity trophy. He quickly sat up with a smile and rejoined the peloton.

The opening 60.6 kilometres saw the peloton pass in front of the Château de Versailles before heading to Paris via Meudon and Issy-les-Moulineaux, tackling the final climb of the race, the fourth-category Côte du Pavé des Gardes, after 42.8 kilometres.

Celebrating his polka-dot jersey, Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) received a slow lead out from his Lidl-Trek teammates to take to the lone KOM point of the day.

After that – the final 54.5 kilometres of the stage once the riders pass through the finish line for the first time – the racing began in Paris, with eight laps of the finishing circuits left to decide the winner of stage 21.

The Jumbo-Visma team rode on the front gradually amping the pace as the peloton made its way to the final circuits.

The first two laps of the Champs-Élysées circuit saw a flurry of attacks from the peloton. First up the road was Pascal Eenkhoorn then his Lotto Dstny teammate Frederik Frison as each took their chance to escape.

Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) attacked multiple times in the final 40 kilometres. The first time, he was joined by Nathan Van Hooydonck (Jumbo-Visma) who sat on his wheel, refusing to work. More riders tried to jump across to the Slovenian's wheel but the lack of cooperation doomed the moves.

Simon Clarke (Israel-Premier Tech) launched the next big move, at 30 kilometers to go. He was soon joined by Nelson Oliveira (Movistar) and Frison. Working well together, the trio pushed their gap up to 18 seconds before being reeled in 20 kilometres later.

No organisation at the front of the peloton led to more short-lived attacks in the final lap, with speeds hitting 64 km per hour. The Jumbo-Visma team sat up to celebrate their overall victory with three kilometres to go, leaving the sprinters' teams to fight out the stage victory.

A mixture of teams – including Alpecin-Deceuninck, Lidl-Trek, Jayco-AlUla and Intermarché-Circus-Wanty – were up front heading into the final two kilometres, with no one team able to wrest control and establish a full lead out at the front.

Not done with racing, Pogačar led the final sprint onto the Champs Elysées. He was overtaken by Mathieu van der Poel leading out Philipsen. Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla) went early and hit the front, forcing Philipsen to go along the barriers.

Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), meanwhile, went down the middle but Meeus was on his wheel and came late with a perfect bike throw to the line. He rode it perfectly, with a bike throw, while Philipsen was forced to come late and from behind.

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Lyne has been involved in professional cycling for more than 15 years in both news reporting and sports marketing. She founded Podium Insight in 2008, quickly becoming a trusted source for news of the North American professional cycling world. She was the first to successfully use social media to consistently provide timely and live race updates for all fans. She is proud to have covered men's and women's news equally during her tenure at the helm of the site. Her writing has appeared on Cyclingnews and other news sites. 

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Sporting celebrities tackle Tour de France stage one in three-part Riding the Dales series

Monday 30 June 2014 12:04, UK

In the build up to this year’s Tour de France, Sky has sent four sporting celebrities to take on the first leg of cycling’s most prestigious event.

Riding The Dales

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Rugby World Cup winner Will Greenwood, former WBO cruiserweight champion Johnny Nelson, Winter Olympian and Sky Academy Sports Scholar  Elise Christie and Sky Sports presenter Sarah-Jane Mee made up a novice cycling team challenged with undertaking the first leg of the 2014 Tour de France, in the Yorkshire Dales.

The three-part mini-series follows the trials and tribulations of the celebrities as they undertake the 190km first stage.

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“Riding the Dales: The Yorkshire Tour Challenge” taps into the nation’s new favourite sport, covering issues around cycling safety and highlighting the rollercoaster of emotions involved with taking on an extreme sporting challenge. 

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There’s a climbing masterclass from 2013 Tour De France winner Chris Froome and even a ride with Mayor of London Boris Johnson.

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Johnny Nelson, presenter of Sky Sports’ Ringside, said: “I thought going 12 rounds in a boxing ring was hard enough, but Riding the Dales has given me serious respect for what the Team Sky lads do. I for one am now totally hooked and I never thought getting on a bike would have this profound effect on me.”

In what is shaping up to be an exciting summer of cycling, with the Tour de France, Commonwealth Games and Tour of Britain all taking place in the UK, there’s never been a better time to get inspired to get on a bike. 

Tune in to "Riding the Dales: The Yorkshire Tour Challenge" on July 1 and 2 at 7.30pm on Sky Sports 1 HD and July 3 at 7.30pm on Sky Sports 3, or catch-up On Demand. 

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Adam Yates beats twin brother Simon Yates to win first stage of Tour de France

Britain’s Adam Yates celebrates after crossing the finish line of the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start and finish in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Britain’s Adam Yates, left, pedals followed by his brother Britain’s Simon Yates, on his way to win the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start and finish in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start and finish in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar celebrates at the end of the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start and finish in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Cyclists pedals through fans at the end of the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start and finish in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Peter Sagan of Slovakia pedals at the end of the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start and finish in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Britain’s Adam Yates wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, celebrates on the podium of the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start and finish in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, July 1, 2023.(AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

Britain’s Adam Yates wearing the best sprinter’s green jersey, celebrates on the podium of the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start and finish in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar, right, and Britain’s Adam Yates celebrate after the finish line of the first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 182 kilometers (113 miles) with start and finish in Bilbao, Spain, Saturday, July 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

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BILBAO, Spain (AP) — The Tour de France began with a family celebration in Basque Country.

Adam Yates pulled away from his twin brother Simon Yates to win the Tour’s first stage on Saturday, with race favorites Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard finishing not far behind.

The Yates brothers escaped to the front with about seven kilometers (four miles) to go and Adam had the strongest finish to take the initial yellow jersey in the three-week race that began in Basque Country territory in northern Spain.

Adam and Simon Yates ride for different teams but joined forces to break away from the pack. Adam eventually pulled away in the final uphill stretch with about 400 meters (last quarter of a mile).

“We worked together,” Adam Yates said. “I speak to him every day, we are close. To share this experience with him was really nice. I’m speechless, super happy.”

Adam Yates has never won a Grand Tour race but also held the leader’s yellow jersey during the 2020 Tour de France. Simon Yates won the 2018 Spanish Vuelta.

Cycling’s biggest race is taking place amid continued unrest in France after a fourth night of riots triggered by the deadly shooting of a 17-year-old by police.

Pogacar, the two-time Tour de France champion who is teammates with Adam Yates at UAE Team Emirates, finished third after leading a group of chasers that also included Vingegaard, the defending champion of team Jumbo-Visma.

“It’s a superb team victory and it’s even better than when I win myself,” Pogacar said. “This guy works for me and today I have the pleasure to see him winning. It has worked out very well and Adam attacked and managed to go clear. It’s even better than what we hoped for. We can be proud of this work. We’ve showed that we’re strong and we have a good tactic.”

Pogacar had a strong start to the season but had to undergo wrist injury after a crash two months ago. Vingegaard, the former fish factory worker from Denmark, was runner-up to Pogacar in his first Tour two years ago then came out on top in a thrilling battle with his Slovenian rival last year, building his triumph on two big rides in the Alps and the Pyrenees.

Pogacar appeared to have most of the crowd support in Bilbao after pleasing them in the race presentation with some words praising the city and local club Athletic Bilbao.

The first two stages are taking place in Basque Country, with the opening day taking riders through a hilly 182-kilometer (113-mile) route that started and finished in the city of Bilbao.

Two of the top riders in the race — Enric Mas and Richard Carapaz — had to pull out after crashing with just over 20 kilometers (12 miles) to go. Both were attended by doctors but Carapaz was able to finish the stage despite a left knee injury, while Mas withdrew immediately with what looked like a shoulder problem.

The EF Education-EasyPost team later announced that Carapaz would not continue after a scan showed he sustained “a small fracture in his left kneecap. He also needed three stitches to close the cut on the same knee.”

The first crash of this year’s edition came nearly 100 kilometers (62 miles) into the race when Torstein Traaen went down.

American Neilson Powless of team EF Education-EasyPost took the red polka dot jersey for best climber.

Former champion Egan Bernal, returning to the Tour for the first time since a life-threatening crash early last year while training in Colombia, finished 23rd with the main pack.

Veteran sprint specialist Mark Cavendish, who needs one more stage victory to break the race record with 35, finished toward the end of the pack. Cavendish is competing in his last Tour before retiring.

Sunday’s second stage will be a hilly route of more than 200 kilometers (124 miles) from Vitoria-Gasteiz to San Sebastian. The Tour will cross into France on Monday with a flat stage that will start in the Spanish city of Amorebieta-Echano.

The 110th edition of the Tour de France has only one time trial and four mountain-top finishes. It will include a record 30 difficult climbs over the 3,405 kilometers (2,116 miles) featuring eight mountain stages across five mountain ranges.

This year, riders who test positive for COVID-19 won’t be automatically expelled from the race.

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First Person: The 100th Tour de France

It was no hardship to indulge my husband’s cycling fantasy with a pilgrimage to the Tour de France . (Who needs an excuse to return to France?) But what surprised me was how deeply our 100th Tour odyssey took us inside the two-wheeling French love affair.

Originally a publicity stunt to boost newspaper sales, the notion of an endurance cycling race around France struck a chord from the get-go in 1903 (it was suspended during the two World Wars). And, true to its roots, this year’s 2,115-mile, 23-day route remained a challenge of Homeric proportions for 19 teams with riders from 34 countries.

The high drama of the Tour still beguiles all of France — and a good deal of the world — perhaps most of all in these three very different and defining locales.

The Alpe d’Huez

This is the place that most embodies Tour fans’ unbridled passion for their heroes.

Five days before the the cyclists arrive here, we find prime perches along each of Alpe d’Huez ’s 21 switchbacks already claimed by campers festooned with national flags and patio lanterns. Stunning alpine panoramas serve as backdrop while fans share wine over portable barbecues, barely off the snaking road. Everybody waves. The party had begun.

This fabled French mountain 40 miles east of Grenoble has decided winners of the Tour de France since Italy’s Fausto Coppi dominated it in 1952. And for the first time ever, riders will have to face it twice in one punishing 107-mile day.

I’m nervous about my husband Tim tackling it once — and that’s at 6 a.m. on an empty road. By afternoon, Le Bourg-d’Oisans , a no-fuss mountain jock town at the foot of the climb, is buzzing with other Tour pilgrims and   groupies.

On the big day, I see many familiar faces among the crush of crazed fans on the sidelines. Many run alongside laboring riders as crowds jump out of the way with only seconds to spare. Think raucous college bowl, but one where the fans are allowed on the field — for the entire game.

It’s completely out of control and that’s just the way everyone likes it.

Mont Ventoux

Mont Ventoux , 12 miles northeast of Carpentras , earns its reputation as “the beast of Provence.” Its immense profile, topped with a distinctive communications tower, dominates the horizon from any vantage point in the Vaucluse . Famed mistral winds up to 200 mph can pound its bald, moon-like summit ( venteux means windy in French).

This is the most grueling climb of the tour. And yet, experiencing the race from the sunbaked towns just below is an intimate window into what the Tour means to rural France.

On race day, thousands flock to medieval villages like Vaison-la-Romaine and Bédoin . Being included along the route is a great honor.

We join the polite throng of locals and visitors under the trees lining Bédoin’s final turn before the Ventoux climb. No barriers, no blockades. Just village police asking folks to tuck in knees and pull in cameras. Everyone does. Hands reach for the sky as swag wagons toss out freebies from Tour sponsors.

Then the blur of riders comes. I feel the wild whoosh of the peloton pass an inch from my lens. In minutes, it’s over. We follow the crowds into outdoor bars to sip beer while watching the heroic ascent on television, with Ventoux right behind us.

I envision only one scenario in which hordes of tourists in blistering July heat make Paris more attractive — the finish of the 100th Tour de France along the City of Light’s most storied boulevard at dusk.

By Tour standards, we arrive late to the Champs-Élysées (four hours before the swag caravan pulls in and five before the competitors) and join the river of humanity that flows up and down the cordoned off concourse. There are Parisian fashionistas teetering in designer shoes, flag-draped Colombians, twig-thin Brits in Union Jack bodysuits, and grandmas in cotton floral frocks.

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Our only hope of a decent vantage point lies in gaining a height advantage. Then my husband spots it.

The only thing less graceful than a middle-aged woman climbing on top of a phone booth is one climbing down. People start taking my picture and I don’t mind. It’s a kick to contribute, even in a small way, to the carnival scene.

Being a spectator on the final day is itself a test of endurance, but worth the toil. Finally, near 8 p.m., official tour cars and motorcycles announce the frontrunners vying for final stage honors as the sun sets behind an immense French flag billowing below the   Arc de Triomphe. Britain’s Chris Froome , the winner confirmed the day before, rides amid his team, whose one job is to deliver him safely to the finish line. They do.

The mass of riders move like one speeding amoeba, wheels inches apart, held steady over teeth-chattering cobblestones. This 100th finish rewards wearied onlookers with ten laps around a 4.3-mile circuit stretching from the Arc down to the Louvre.

Even after spending three hours glued to the top of a metal phone booth, I’m awestruck by the rawness and vastness of the spectacle. With crowds roaring, it’s a grand return for warriors who would surely make Napoleon smile.

We head home with just one regret. We missed the Tour’s charity gran fondo ride along the Champs-Élysées in the afternoon before the race. Just five euros to sign up for one last bumpy epic ride. Hmm, maybe next year.

Toronto-based writer,   Liz Beatty, is a regular contributor to National Geographic Traveler magazine. Follow her story on her personal website   and on Twitter   @elizabethbeatty .  

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Why is the Tour de France the most popular race

Tour de France , or La Grande Boucle and Le Tour , is one of the many cycling events globally. It is dubbed as the most popular and prestigious one out there. Also, it’s the cycling event most familiar to non-cyclists.

As it nears its 120th anniversary, one question remains, why is it the most popular one? Let’s take a closer look.

Cultural Event

Not only is it a cycling event, but it’s also a cultural one. There’s a distinctive implication of the Tour de France to France’s culture. According to one of the race’s historians, Christopher Thompson, it is “a portrait of [France’s] health.” In his book entitled, he added that it paints “an image of a vigorous and progressive French nation.”

If you want to go to Europe, especially France, try watching the Tour de France first . However, if you want to immerse yourself fully, why not follow the race live.

The race’s route runs through various towns in France and its adjoining countries. Tour de France attracts millions of watchers from different countries that flock its route. From the television or in person, spectators can see what France can offer. The onlookers will have a 3-week immersion to France and other countries in the route.

The locals are also full of excitement when the race comes through their town. Back then, most store owners usually let participants get whatever they want without paying. These locals take their ravaged store as an advertising opportunity, so more tourists visit them in the future.

Global Sensation

What started as an advertisement later turned out to be a global sensation. People across the globe are always eager to watch the Le Tour. According to Tour de France ’s media figures , it garnered 40 million television viewers during the 2020 race . It’s a historic feat compared to 2019’s 33 million. The viewership averages around 3.5 million per stage, and roughly 3.8 million viewers are from ages 15-24.

Aside from the television coverage, people were tuned in through other media. During the race, there were 14.5 million unique visitors on its official website . Also, there were almost a million active users on its app.

Tissot, the Swiss luxury watchmaker, hosted a Tour de France fantasy game again to add to the crowd-pulling. Fans can create their cycling team using the names of the participating cyclers. It had 192,960 players signed up for the 2020 race. The Tour de France is the most bet on cycling race each year , and not just with French punters.

Oldest Grand Tour

The race is the first of the Grand Tours in the world. Apart from being a global sensation, you could have never thought that Le Tour started as a publicity stunt. The Tour de France began in 1903 due to a schism between two newspapers popular for French sports, namely the Le Vélo and L’Auto .

Le Vélo was the first and largest daily newspaper company in the country, while the other was still starting. Although it had journalists and wealthy business owners, L’Auto didn’t have the same allure and presence as its competitor. The staff conferred, and Géo Lefèvre, a cycling journalist, suggested a long-distance cycle race to fix their problem.

The first Tour de France ran for 19 days, from the first of July 1903. It had six stages, and it circles France starting from Paris and ends there too, and covering 2,428 kilometers.

Tour of the Champions

Tour de France is one of the most celebrated sporting events globally , and everyone shows up for it. Almost all great cyclists have participated in it, regardless if they are classic one-day cyclists, sprinters, or mountain experts. Recreational and amateur cyclists look up to those teams that join Le Tour and hope to participate in the future.

Teams from all continents compete for the massive bragging right in the cycling world. Most popular groups have diverse cyclists, which is a great prestige. Not only they’ll be racing for the unit but also for their country’s honor.

Aside from the participants and the cultural immersion, spectators will be greeted by fantastic mountain ranges at key stages of the tour . As the years progressed, the race now has over 20 day-long stages which pass through various mountains. These mountains are always breathtaking with their scenery.

Moreover, there is also a gush of excitement when participants reach a mountain pass. Riders’ limits are tested and pushed to the max due to the mountain’s incline. It’s the perfect test of their endurance and determination to win.

A good example is the Pyrenees’ Col du Tourmalet, where riders need to go up 1,395 meters . To add to the difficulty, it’s 18.4 kilometers long and has narrow roads lined with spectators.

Tour de France is the cardinal cycling event, and it is the epitome of the sport. If you’re visiting France during Le Tour , don’t forget to put it on your itinerary. It’s an event you’ll never forget.

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Tour de France – top facts and figures

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The Tour de France is one of the most important and prestigious bike races in the world. Taking place in France and these days often in neighbouring countries. The first race took place in 1903 and its been held every year ever since, with the exception of the war years when it was put on hold.

In 1903 the race took place over six rather flat stages, although not mountainous they were much longer stages than today’s races, more than double the distance riders go today.In that first race 60 cyclists, all professionals or semi-professionals, started and Maurice Garin, who was the favourite to win, proved the pundits right and took the prize. He also won in 1904 but was disqualified along with eight other riders for cheating including the illegal use of cars and trains.

Read more Tour de France Trivia !

Tour de France winners – the facts

France has had more winners than any other country (36) but has not had an overall win since 1985.

The record for the most number of Tour de France wins was held by Lance Armstrong (7 wins) but he was stripped of his titles in 2012 due to allegations of performance enhancing drugs being involved. The title has not been awarded to any other rider – the ICU (International Cycling Union) have confirmed that there will be no winner for the “Armstrong years” (1999-2005).

Four cyclists who have won the Tour de France five or more times:

Jacques Anquetil – France (1957 and 1961-1964)

Eddy Merckx – Belgium (1969-1972 and 1974) – won King of the Mountains, the combination classification, combative award, the points competition AND the Tour in 1969 – his first year of participation.

Bernard Hinault –  France (1978-1979, 1981-1982, and 1985)

Miguel Indurain – Spain (1991-1995), the first competitor to win five consecutive races

What makes a Tour de France winner?

The person who ends up with the shortest overall accumulated race times throughout the 3 week long, more than 3000 kilometre race is declared the individual winner.

Accumulated timings take into consideration deductions for winning sprints held at several sites along the route each day, as well as deductions for the first three finishers of each stage.

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1903 – The Tour de France is created by Henri Desgrange – a reporter and cyclist

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1904 – Twelve riders, including the previous year’s winner Maurice Garin and all the stage winners, were disqualified for various reasons including illegal use of cars and trains

1937 – The Belgian team pulled out when they considered the French rider Roger Lapébie had been punished too lightly for being towed uphill by car.

1978 –  Riders went slowly at one stage and walked across the line at the end of the day to protest at having to get up early to ride more than one stage in a day

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2012 – Bradley Wiggins wins the Tour de France, a first for a British rider; Lance Armstrong stripped of his titles

2003 – 2013  Tour de France 100th Anniversary, but not the 100th race – Le Tour was cancelled 11 times during both World Wars.

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How do Tour de France riders celebrate their birthday at the race?

Cycling Weekly chats to some of the people who have their special days throughout the Tour

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Almost every morning at the Tour de France , if you listen carefully to the unmissable podium presentation, there's usually, at one point, a diversion from the ordinary schedule. Amid the usual fluff - the interview with Peter Sagan , the roar for Thibaut Pinot, and the Tour's catchy announcement music - if you listen carefully, you might just hear the strains of Happy Birthday To You .

It's not a nice rendition, it should be said, with the Tour composers trying a bit too hard to tie it in with the race's usual jingles, so it comes out sounding electronic and strangled.

Birthdays are not unusual at the Tour; 176 riders start and the race happens over 23 days, so the odds are not low for an individual to have their special day while racing. Essentially, if you are a July baby and a professional cyclist, the chances are you will have a bemused crowd in a random French town, at a stage start, singing happy birthday to you at some point of your career.

For Jordi Meeus (Bora-Hansgrohe), the 1 July was not only the first ever time the German had pinned on his race numbers at the Tour de France, but it was his 25th birthday. Some day.

"It's super special," Meeus told Cycling Weekly . "It's my first Tour, so to already be here it is super special, and yeah, first Tour stage on my birthday, makes it even more special. I had a cake, it was pretty nice. 

"I think for my first Tour, I couldn't think of a better birthday than yesterday. We will see in the future if I keep thinking like this, but I enjoyed yesterday a lot."

He was not the only man to have his birthday on stage one, that was shared by Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar), who turned 24.

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"It's nice, it's awesome," the American explained. "They sang happy birthday to me after the presentation, it's a good vibe." However, unliked Meeus: "No, definitely no cake."

For some, having a birthday at the Tour de France is a life goal realised. That was the case of Lars van den Berg (Groupama-FDJ, who also turned 25 this year, on stage seven.

"It's special, riding the Tour is something you dream of and to have your birthday too, it's something really special," the Dutchman explained. "I would rather be doing nothing. If you're doing the Tour de France... you only have a few opportunities in your life, so I'd rather be here. That would be great if I could have a few more, I would sign for that right now."

Unlike any normal person, however, professional riders can hardly celebrate their birthday. There's no party, no beer, no gathering with your family and friends - unless your friends are your teammates.

Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X) has experienced quite a few birthdays at the Tour over the years, with 10 editions under his belt, and so is a bit tired of the very average celebration he experiences on the roads of France.

"I'd prefer if I was at home," the Norwegian explained. "No, you can't celebrate at all. I will get a cake after dinner, not for dinner. It's not a big celebration, in the mountains. I don't think I ever did really well on my birthday, so I cannot pick out one.

"I've had no great results either [on my birthday]. Maybe the first time I had a chance, but I got dropped. Before I turned pro I had some good memories, but not after. After I retire it will be better, with my family. At least I got a song this morning from my kids."

One also had to feel for Chris Juul-Jensen (Jayco-AlUla), who has had two of the hardest days he has experienced on his bike over the last two years, on his birthday.

"Last year it was the cobbled stage, this year it's a mountain stage," he said. "If it wasn't for seeing it on social media, and my family, then I probably wouldn't have given it too much thought this morning, especially given we have three massive mountains to get over. 

"Any birthday surrounded with all my mates, if I can't spend it with my family... it's the next best option. Regardless of what kind of stage it is, it's enjoyable. I expect a cake."

Given the relentlessness of the Tour, it escapes some rider's minds. "I don't know what day it is, but it's on 8 July. To be honest, I don't care at all," Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain-Victorious) said. "I think it's a possible sprint day, but it's the same motivation.

"Of course, you like to get messages from your family or friends, but for me it's more important that they will congratulate me on a result. It's hard work, so I won't be able to enjoy it that much."

Philippe Gilbert celebrated 12 birthdays at the Tour de France over his career, but thanks to his work with GCN+/Eurosport at the race, still hasn't made it home for one, despite rertiring.

"It's always special, you get a lot of attention," the Belgian said. "It's a special day because everyone wants to celebrate your birthday. I would say it's an extra stress but it's a nice moment. But in the end, you try to focus on those moments and also to try and enjoy your job.

"Yesterday, I was on the motorbike, so it was more relaxed, a lot of sport directors came and wished me something. I enjoy it more, but at the end of the day I would prefer to be with my family now. "

It is not just current and former riders who have their birthdays on Tour. Another lucky man is Ned Boulting, the ITV commentator. The nature of the Tour means that his experience of the special day is also disrupted.

"I almost forgot in the morning, I always require someone to remind me," Boulting said. "On this occasion, it was Eurosport's Laura Meseguer, who came out of a lift and said happy birthday to me. She has a birthday on Tour as well, it's lodged in her memory for some reason. For 21 years she's told me happy birthday.

"I'm embracing it, but my youngest kid is 20 and has never been with me on my birthday, ever. I've been at it for so long, I've probably had another birthday in Issoire."

"We may be on the same race but we live in different worlds," he said of the difference between himself and the riders. "The whole thing about celebrating a birthday on the Tour de France is quite mad, because it just flips past, it just happens. It happens so often, so many of us celebrate our birthdays on the Tour, because it's so flipping long."

It's not all bad; Boulting can actually have a mini party and drink. "Early on, I had a rest day on my birthday, when Chris Boardman was still quite new to ITV, and we were in Chamonix," he said. "We had a big, slightly boozy lunch, with culminated in Chris Boardman ringing up my parents to berate them that they'd forgotten. Olympic medallist Chris Boardman."

Just remember, next time you switch on the Tour de France, that it is more likely than not that one of the peloton will be celebrating their birthday. It probably won't be fun, though.

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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: why we celebrate suffering in sport

Professor of Philosophy and Head of the School of Humanities, University of Glasgow

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The Tour de France is one of the hardest sporting events in the world. This year 176 cyclists have started the Tour, attempting to race for 3,328km over 21 stages to the scheduled finish in Paris on July 24. The riders will push themselves to their limits up mountains and often carry on through pain and injury. This might lead us to question why anyone would voluntarily put themselves through such an arduous event. What’s more, why do we celebrate those who suffer in this way?

You can listen to more articles from The Conversation, narrated by Noa, here .

The first question is easier to answer. For the very best cyclists, there is the glory and honour associated with winning, alongside the financial and reputational rewards. For the rest, there is the great satisfaction that comes with competing, facing adversity, and completing the course. This is a central motivation for many cyclists, amateur as well as professional.

And such thinking isn’t confined to endurance cycling. For very many of us, facing difficulty and overcoming adversity is an important part of doing satisfying, fulfilling things: mountain climbing, gaming, playing a musical instrument or renovating a house.

The second question is more difficult to answer. Supposing that we are not sadists, why do we enjoy watching watching riders in the Tour de France suffer, endure and (hopefully) overcome?

One answer is that the Tour follows a certain familiar story or narrative . It is a competition or quest, where there are winners and losers, heroes and sometimes villains, good fortune and bad luck, and eventually triumph and disappointment. We derive great satisfaction from following such stories to their conclusion.

However, this doesn’t get to the heart of our fascination with, and celebration of, the suffering involved. A better answer can be found if we delve a little deeper into the motives of those who engage in arduous activity.

In psychology, there is a distinction between what are called proximate causes and distal or ultimate causes . Proximate causes are ones that are closely related to some event, and might be thought of as the direct cause of what happens. So the proximate cause of my craving a pie is that it tastes good.

Distal causes, on the other hand, can be thought of as the ultimate or real reason why something happened. The distal cause might have a historical or social origin, as in the case of people wearing watches on wrists because it was safer in wartime to look quickly at your wrist rather than fish out a pocket watch.

Alternatively, it might be found far back in our evolution. A tendency to like fatty foods gave my ancestors an evolutionary advantage over those who lacked this tendency. That is the distal cause for my desire for pie.

Communicating virtue

For cyclists in the Tour de France, the proximate cause of their facing adversity might well be things like the desire for glory and a sense of personal satisfaction. The distal cause, though, is arguably something in our social or evolutionary past that gave those who tended to embrace suffering an advantage over those who didn’t.

Some scholars think that communicating pain through facial expressions and other bodily actions gives an evolutionary advantage, because it can be used to signal a need for help. But it can be argued that the facial and bodily communication of pain and suffering also gives another advantage. It can signal to others that the person suffering possesses a certain set of virtues or excellences – such as courage, fortitude, stamina and commitment.

Possessing traits such as courage and stamina is typically an advantage. Those who have these qualities can better attain their goals as a result. Communicating that you have qualities like this to others is also important. It means that other people know who can be relied upon to be courageous, honest or wise in future. Knowledge like this is likely to help a social group to flourish.

In addition, suffering through adversity can enhance a person’s social reputation for virtue, and so enable them to have higher status – an evolutionary benefit .

Our interest in and celebration of suffering in the Tour de France might well, then, be the result of a psychological impulse to find out who has the virtues of courage, fortitude and stamina, and a subsequent tendency to be satisfied when we have gathered this information. Ultimately, our fascination may be the result of an evolutionary trait that benefits our social groups.

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Chris Froome: Another Tour de France stage win would be an 'amazing' way to end glittering career

Published 10/04/2024 at 10:20 GMT

Chris Froome was once the dominant force at the Tour de France, but after suffering serious injuries in a crash at the Criterium du Dauphine in 2019, his objectives have changed. Now 38, Froome has spoken about wanting to ride until he is 40 and also his hope to win another stage at the Tour de France. He has also given his thoughts on the "very impressive" Tadej Pogacar.

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Tour de France sent warning by pro-Palestine protesters after Chris Froome's wife's tirade

P alestine supporters have threatened to use this summer's Tour de France as a protesting ground following the remarks of former competition winner Chris Froome's wife and agent signalling her pro-Israel stance.

Froome's wife, Michelle, reacted to the situation in Gaza and the subsequent pro-Palestine activism. She claimed Muslins are "here to take over" and called on the "silent majority" to "stand up" in a tirade on social media. She has since deleted her Twitter/X account.

Chris Froome, who has won the Tour de France four times, also has professional ties to Israel. He's a member of the Israel-Premier Tech cycling team, which is not directly connected with the state of Israel.

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"Enough is enough," Michelle Froome wrote on Twitter/X. "The silent majority needs to stand up and be heard. We don't want your religion, we don't want your beliefs. It is not compatible with modern civilization."

In another tweet, she wrote: “‘Women’s rights matter! Gay rights matter! Trans rights matter! Hamas doesn’t support any of those. Take the blindfolds off and see the reality of the hatred they are spreading. There are no innocent Gazans.”

"Muslims are no longer the minority they claim to be. They are here to take over. The UK, France, they are happy to claim the benefits but will not integrate into those communities. They will continue to take what suits them. They are a drain on modern society," she continued.

"It's time people stop pandering to the political correctness. It's all a facade. They burned babies alive. They deserve no remorse what so ever. This is just the beginning. Wake up."

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The official Palestine-based boycott, divestment, and sanctions website has since made a post outlining plans for protests along the race routes of the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France, scheduled for June 29.

Their statement said: "We call for more protests than ever along the race routes of the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France, which will start from Italy this year. Let’s make sure the road is closed to genocide perpetrators."

The Israeli team, created by Canadian-Israeli billionaire Sylvan Adams, was accused of participating in "sportswashing" Israel's actions against Palestinians. Critics alleged that Israel's involvement in the races served to divert attention from its alleged genocide and apartheid policies.

Israel-Premier Tech said that any comments made by third parties associated with their team members don't represent their company. They also removed the name "Israel" from team vehicles and uniforms to avoid future public conflict in races.

Rapha + Palace celebrate Tour de France Femmes with EF kit & custom Cannondales – Availability Update

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The Tour de France is set to kick off next week and Rapha, EF Education & Cannondale are celebrating in another style collaboration with Palace Skateboards. But this year, with the launch of the 8-day Tour de France Femmes (and the biggest prize payout in women’s cycling), both the men and women will be riding in Rapha + Palace Tour de Force switch-out kit and custom-painted Cannondale race bikes emblazoned with the female gender symbol on top of playful graphics.

UPDATE: Scroll to the bottom of the Rapha bit for their ride & off-the-bike kit availability…

And besides the Rapha replica kit, you can also pick up a Rapha + Palace TdF Cannondale SuperSix, too!

Rapha+Palace custom Tour de France, Femmes & Force!

For the first time in 33 years, pro women cycling will get its own proper stage race with the 8-stage Tour de France Femme which takes on the iconic Champs-Élysée the day after the men’s final, then ultimately marching east 1029km from Paris to the mountains to culminate in a summit finish at La Planche des Belles Filles on the final day of July.

To emphasize the importance of the women getting a proper French stage race, the EF men will start 3 weeks earlier from July 1st in the same kit as the women, and the same custom-painted bikes, with a Rapha+Palace Skateboard design with a prominent women’s gender symbol and a bunch of playful little yellow dragons.

Rapha+Palace Skateboards EF Education Tour kit

In addition to flashy bikes, Rapha is making the riders’ custom kit available soon too. Women can get the Pro Team Aero Jersey and Pro Team Bib Shorts II in the full Rapha+Palace EF Education-Tibco-SVB pink, blue & yellow dragon design, or a more low-key gray Pro Team Training Jersey.

Men get the same choices in Pro Team Aero Jersey and Pro Team Bib Shorts II in the same pink, blue & yellow dragon design with the men’s team Rapha+Palace EF Education-Easypost sponsor logos, or the low-key gray Pro Team Training Jersey.

Less over-the-top style (and pricing) options include a Rapha+Palace EF cotton cycling cap, white Rapha+Palace EF edition synthetic Pro Team socks, or a cotton Rapha+Palace EF musette.

No official word on pricing or availability yet , but we expect it to hit the online shop in time for fans to be decked out before the Tours’ finishes. RCC members will get a first shot at it though.

Update: The new Rapha + Palace kit officially goes on sale July 15 at 11:00 BST for the UK, EU, Canada & South Korea; later the same day July at 11:00 EDT for the USA; and lastly the next day July 16 at 11:00 JST for the Asia-Pacific market. 

In addition to the team riding kit, there will be Rapha + Palace Crocs, cropped tops, technical skirts, technical shirts, technical shorts, and much more including a silk scarf and some cotton tees with that cute little cartoon dragon. It’s all kinda wild really, but quite interesting at the same time…

EF Education Tour de Force custom Cannondales

Both the EF Education-EasyPost men and EF Education-TIBCO-SVB women will complete their Tours de France on a fleet of three Cannondale race bikes in matching limited edition Rapha+Palace paint jobs: the lightweight road SuperSix Evo, the aero road SystemSix, and the time trial SuperSlice.

Of those, only the SuperSix will be available to consumers. You can get your own Rapha+Palace TdF custom Cannondale SuperSix Evo Hi-mod carbon frameset direct from Rapha ( soon ), just like the pros ride.

Although, maybe it’s not exactly the one the pros ride? Last December Cannondale received UCI approval to compete on a new SuperSix Evo 3 Limited Edition. From the outside the team bikes look the same, so we would have to assume it’s just some superlight, extra-stiff carbon layup inside, right?

You can’t get the special edition Cannondale SystemSix race bikes.

But they still are worth a closer look.

There’s a bit more surface area for silly graphics on an aero road bike.

Then, the Cannondale SuperSlice Evo takes it to the next level.

This disc brake SuperSlice (Evo?) appears to technically still be a prototype. But we’ve spotted it racing for over a year now , so it’s curious how that fits within the UCI’s technical rules.

In any case, it’s a nice big flashy canvas for the Rapha+Palace Skateboards custom look.

Cannondale.com

Cory Benson is the EU Tech Editor of Bikerumor.com .

Cory has been writing about mountain bikes, enduro, cyclocross, all-road, gravel bikes & bikepacking for over 25 years, even before the industry created some of these names. Prior to Bikerumor, Cory was a practicing Architect specializing in environmental sustainability, has designed bike shops & bike components, and worked as a bike shop mechanic.

Based in the Czech Republic for 15+ years, he is a technical mountain biker, adventurous gravel rider, and short & medium-haul bikepacker. Cory travels extensively across Europe riding bikes, meeting with key European product developers, industry experts & tastemakers for an in-depth review of what’s new, and what’s coming next.

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Awesomely Gawdy. Love it….the bikes at least.

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