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Pogacar retains lead after Campenaerts pounces to win first Tour de France stage of career

Victor Campenaerts posted the biggest win of his career Thursday as he claimed the tough and hilly 18th stage of the Tour de France following a three-up sprint.

Two-time Tour champion Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) kept the race leader’s yellow jersey as the top of the overall standings remained unchanged with just three days of racing left.

Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny) spent most of the day at the front and jumped away from a breakaway group some 35 kilometres from the finish together with Mattéo Vercher (TotalEnergies) and former world champion Michal Kwiatkowsi (Ineos Grenadiers).

Campenaerts, who won a stage at the 2021 Giro d’Italia , patiently waited behind his rivals in the last kilometre and did not panic when Vercher attacked. He stayed in the wheel of Kwiatkowski, then launched his sprint from behind.

The Lotto Dstny rider celebrated his win with his partner and baby on a video call straight after the finish.

“After the [spring] classics, I had a very difficult time,” Campenaerts said, holding back tears. “I had a verbal agreement with the team about extending the contract and I got ignored for a long time and it was really difficult. I was on a long altitude camp but my girlfriend was there and she supported me every day, highly pregnant, and I was struggling to finish my training schedules. But I changed my mind, I have a bright future now still in cycling, I became a father and it was like blue skies, only blue sky.”

There was a flurry of attacks at the start of the rollercoaster 180-kilometre stage featuring five climbs as riders tried to break away before the first ascent, the Col du Festre. But the peloton rode at a high speed, thwarting all those early efforts.

About 20 riders finally managed to open a gap during that climb and were joined by Wednesday’s stage winner Richard Carapaz (EF Education-Easypost) and other talented contenders for the stage win, including team-mate Ben Healy and Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers).

With the best-placed rider in that large group already lagging nearly 34 minutes behind Pogacar overall, the pack let the break get away. The main contenders for the overall win, including Pogacar and his rivals Jonas Vingegeaard (Visma-Lease A Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step), finished 13 minutes and 40 seconds behind Campenaerts.

Earlier, Healy attacked twice from the leading group in the Cote de Saint-Apollinaire but his move eventually backfired as the Irishman got dropped when others upped the pace. A pivotal moment came in the Cote des Demoiselles when Kwiatkowski accelerated to move away and was later joined by Campenaerts and Vercher. The trio collaborated well as counter-attackers looked hesitant and reacted too late to catch them.

With only three stages left, Pogacar has a comfortable lead of 3min 11sec over two-time defending champion Vingegaard. Tour debutant Evenepoel is lagging 5min 9sec off the pace.

The battle between Pogacar, Vingegaard and Evenepoel is expected to resume on Friday. At less than 150 kilometres, the 19th stage to the ski resort of Isola 2000 is short, but tough. Riders will climb above 2,000 metres three times, including the climb to the summit of La Bonette, the highest road in France at an altitude of 2,802 metres. AP

Tour de France stage 18: As it happened . . .

04:47 pm bst, ‘we are going to celebrate tonight’.

A hugely emotional Victor Campenaerts has been talking to Seb Piquet, the voice of Race Radio. “As a real professional you have to ride the Tour, you have to finish the Tour de France,” said Campanaerts. “Winning a stage is everyone’s dream … I’m not a neo pro, I’ve been dreaming of this for a very long time.

“After the classics, I had a very difficult time. I had a verbal agreement with the team about extending my contract. I was ignored.

“My girlfriend supported me every day… I changed my mind. . . I have a bright future in cycling. I became a father and I saw only blue skies. I felt really good on the bike.

“This win is the sum of the atmosphere in the team. And we’re going to celebrate tonight.

“I went for nine weeks on an altitude camp. She was highly pregnant. She is the hero in this story. I am so grateful that she made this possible, that I had a super long altitude camp to prepare for this Tour de France.

“I had the faith that I will be in good shape. I will be leaving the team, but I’m so happy that I can finish off with maybe the highlight of my career. Again, we will celebrate tonight.

“I think I played it very smart [today]. Also the team gave me a lot of confidence, everyone knew I had very good legs. This was a stage I aimed for in December already. Stage 18, I said, it’s the only stage I see for me to win. I slipped in the break with only one bullet. I played it a bit dirty with showing everyone I as hurting a lot so I didn’t have to do much too many pulls …

“We co-operated very well until the last kilometre. Three hard days to come, but I am looking so much to go home to my girlfriend and my son.”

04:41 PM BST

Pogacar hold onto overall lead before friday’s bonette test.

The peloton that contains the maillot jaune has crossed the finishing line 13min 40sec after stage winner  Victor Campenaerts. There was no action today in the general classification, meaning Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) will take a 3min 11sec lead into Friday’s stage, the penultimate day in the high mountains, over Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease A Bike). Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) will start tomorrow’s massive stage 5min 9sec adrift of Pogacar.

There were negligible change in the top 10 in the points classification:

Oier Lazanko (Movistar) moved up to fourth in the mountains classification, while Richard Carapaz (EF Education-Easypost) will start Friday’s stage fifth place in the competition.

And there were no changes in the upper echelons of the young rider classification:

Ineos Grenadiers have moved up to third in the team classification that is being led by UAE Team Emirates:

04:26 PM BST

Campenaerts wins stage 18.

Mattéo Vercher (TotalEnergies) clipped off the front 750 metres from the line, but he was overhauled by Michal Kwiatkowsi (Ineos Grenadiers). In the end, however, it was Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny) who ended up celebrating after he pounced at the last to outsprint Kwiatkowsi. Was Campenaerts sandbagging? Was the Belgian playing up to the TV cameras in this tense finale? Quite possibly, but he will not care a jot after winning the first Tour de France stage of his career.

Slumped over his handlebars, sweat pouring off has face, an emotional Campenaerts is heard: “I can’t believe it,” he says repeatedly.

04:23 PM BST

Mattéo Vercher is the latest rider to tighten his shoes in the countdown to what could be the biggest day of the 23-year-old’s career.

04:22 PM BST

Tense few minutes in the team cars and boardrooms of Ineos Grenadiers, Lotto Dstny and TotalEnergies. Anthony Turgis won a stage for the French team, but the other two teams have yet to land a win at this year’s Tour.

04:18 PM BST

Absolutely no chance of the leading riders being caught today. Not unless there is a Devon Loch of a collapse. Their advantage has, in fact, grown slightly to 45sec.

04:16 PM BST

Michal Kwiatkowsi bends over to tighten his left shoe, the Pole preparing for what could be a tense finale. Victor Campenaerts has been sitting at the back of the three-man group for a while now. Mattéo Vercher then takes over on the front.

04:15 PM BST

8.5km to go.

Victor Campenaerts may be struggling. The popular Belgian has been spotted taking bottles – or attempting to – from neutral service. The leading trio’s advantage is holding at 40sec.

04:09 PM BST

12.5km to go.

Jai Hindley and his five-man group trail by around 45sec, while Wout van Aert is 1min 15sec down the road. Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) has clipped off the front of Van Aert’s group, but cannot work out why. Surely he does not think he can bridge the gap over to Victor Campenaerts? Probably more likely he will be hoping to get over to Hindley.

04:06 PM BST

The stage leaders have conquered to majority of the day’s climbing and are under 15km from the finish line in Barcelonnette. Wout van Aert has not given up the chase, but all of his efforts could be in vain. Van Aert’s team-mate Bart Lemmem is in the second group on the road and not taking turns. I think Visma-Lease a Bike will be be ending their day disappointed. With two riders in the breakaway, they will have wanted more from this stage.

04:02 PM BST

The leading trio of Victor Campenaerts, Michal Kwiatkowsi and Mattéo Vercher have gained another 20sec or so. Difficult to see how they can be reeled back in now. A lack of co-operation in the two chasing groups is playing into the hands of the stage leaders.

03:58 PM BST

Wout van Aert and Michael Matthews have been doing turns on the front of the third group on the road. Their big group, however, trail by about a minute. There’s some serious firepower in that group, but they may have left this chase too late.

03:55 PM BST

21.5km to go.

Victor Campenaerts, Michal Kwiatkowsi and Mattéo Vercher are sharing the workload between them, while 18sec down the road it appears that the group containing Bart Lemmem, Jai Hindley, Oier Lazanko, Krists Neilands, and Toms Skujins are a little less well organised. As a result, Kwiatkowsi’s group has extended its advantage to 25sec.

03:49 PM BST

No wins for Mattéo Vercher, while Victor Campenaerts has two WorldTour wins on his palmarès. Michal Kwiatkowsi, of course, has won the rainbow bands, two editions of Amstel Gold Race, Strade Bianche twice, Milan-Sanremo and a stack of others. Of this trio, the Pole would appear to be the favourite for the stage win, but they will have to work together if they are going to go all the way to the line. Campenaerts is a former hour record holder and so Kwiatkowsi will be hoping the time trial specialist turned breakaway man does what he does best.

03:45 PM BST

27.5km to go.

Victor Campenaerts, Michal Kwiatkowsi and Mattéo Vercher have a 10sec lead on a five-man chasing group featuring Bart Lemmem (Visma-Lease a Bike), Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Oier Lazanko (Movistar), Krists Neilands (Israel-Premier Tech), Toms Skujins (Lidl-Trek).

03:41 PM BST

Johannessen crashes.

Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) hit the deck on the descent. The Norwegian appeared to lose his front wheel on a left-hand turn while giving chase to Victor Campenaerts, Michal Kwiatkowsi and Mattéo Vercher. That crash will, in all likelihood, spook the riders behind him who will have witnessed his crash. Bad for them, good fortune for the leading trio who have gained a few more seconds.

03:40 PM BST

A small group comprising Richard Carapaz (EF Education-Easypost), Steff Cras (TotalEnergies), Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) and Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty) were giving chase to Michal Kwiatkowsi, before, somehow, Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny) and Mattéo Vercher (TotalEnergies) replaced them as the second group on the road.

03:34 PM BST

A second big kick from Michal Kwiatkowsi sees the Pole pull clear just shy of the summit. Richard Carapaz, a former team-mate of Kwiatkowsi’s, gave chase. Is this the move of the day?

03:32 PM BST

Grimacing and grinding away, Oier Lazanko presses on towards the summit. Bart Lemmem is continually looking over his shoulder, watching out for Visma-Lease a Bike team-mate Wout van Aert who will fancy his chances on this rolling finale.

03:27 PM BST

The leading septet has been caught, but with just over 2.5km of the final categorised climb of the day to go, one suspects further attacks will follow very shortly.

03:25 PM BST

A five-man group comprising Bart Lemmem (Visma-Lease a Bike), Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility), Krists Neilands (Israel-Premier Tech), Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost) and Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Wanty) bridged over to Alex Aranburu (Movistar) and Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers). The leading septet has an advntage of 18sec over the remnants of the earlier breakaway, while the peloton is 10m 40sec down.

03:21 PM BST

Alex Aranburu (Movistar) and Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) are the new stage leaders. The pair clipped off the front before gaining three or four seconds on the breakaway. Interesting.

03:19 PM BST

Guillaume Martin (Cofidis), the Frenchman who has been fairly anonymous at this year’s race, has been pulling along the breakaway on descent off the côte de Saint-Apollinaire. Once they reach the bottom, the road will kick up towards the côte des Demoiselles Coiffées. The peloton is over 10min down the road, and it still has Tim Wellens pulling on the front.

03:16 PM BST

Ben Healey has been dropped. Looks like the EF Education-EasyPost puncheur has paid the price for that attack a few minutes back.

03:09 PM BST

58.6km to go.

Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny), Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) shunted themselves towards the front of the breakaway around 1km from the summit. Johannessen crested the climb first to add two points to his account. For the first time today, no points for Oier Lazanko.

03:06 PM BST

Geraint Thomas is the latest rider to be dropped. Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) is showing himself near the front for, I think, the first time at this year’s race.

03:04 PM BST

Bruno Armirail (Decathlon-Ag2R La Mondiale) and Dorian Godon (Decathlon-Ag2R La Mondiale) are struggling as the pace winds up on this climb. Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility) is looking lively near the front, while Michal Kwiatkowsi (Ineos Grenadiers) has been drilling it on the front. Could the former world champion win today and save Ineos Grenadiers’ disappointing Tour?

03:00 PM BST

63.5km to go.

Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost), the American national champion, has counter-attacked off the front. Once again, though, EF Education-EasyPost have had their move neutralised. Moments later Ben Healey attacked for a second time on this climb. Bart Lemmem (Visma-Lease a Bike) jumped onto the Irishman’s wheel, the pair have a few bike lengths on the breakaway.

02:57 PM BST

Ben Healey (EF Education-Easypost) was joined by Krists Neilands (Israel-Premier Tech), Matteo Sobrero (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Bart Lemmem (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers). But it looks like it might come to nothing.

02:55 PM BST

Krists Neilands peeked over his left shoulder before putting in a sharp kick, The breakaway hits the bottom of the côte de Saint-Apollinaire – 7km in length – before Birmingham-born Ben Healey clips off the front.

02:52 PM BST

All calm out on the roads, with the breakaway having grown its advantage over the peloton to seven minutes. Experience would suggest that attacks will start to come pretty soon, but not sure where. Will somebody launch something on the penultimate categorised climb of the day, the côte de Saint-Apollinaire, or wait until the côte des Demoiselles Coiffées?

02:39 PM BST

82.2km to go.

Another summit crested (col de Manse), and another two points in the mountains classification are added to Oier Lazanko’s tally. That moves the Spaniard to within a point of Remco Evenepoel in the competition for the polka dot jersey . . . but some distance behind Tadej Pogacar who leads the classification.

Lazanko may be a decent climber, but we cannot see him going over this monster (Cime de la Bonette – the highest point in this year’s race at 2,802m) ahead of the grimpeurs tomorrow.

02:32 PM BST

Tim Wellens continues to tap away on the front of the peloton, monitoring the pace as the road pitches up towards the col de Manse. Riders are emptying bidons of cold water over their heads in an effort to keep cool. The breakaway, meanwhile, has pulled out a little more time, leading the stage by 6min 20sec.

02:21 PM BST

Points mean . . . euros.

Michael Matthews won the intermediate spring in Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur a few minutes ago. Not entirely sure why the former winner of the points jersey put in so much energy into adding 20 points to his tally – he started the day 34th in that particular competition. Maybe he was thinking about adding a few euro to his team’s prize pot? By the way, race leader Tadej Pogacar has won €65,580 so far at this year’s race, Biniam Girmay has trousered €57,200 and Jasper Philipsen has earned himself (or his team-mates) €49,500. By contrast, breakaway riders Steff Cras and Geraint Thomas have managed to win just €600 apiece since setting off from from Florence almost three weeks ago.

02:16 PM BST

It is a warm afternoon just north of the Côte d’Azur, with temperatures nudging the 30C mark. There’s a very light breeze – just 7km/h – which will do little to cool these raiders down. Some spectacular backdrops though. The hottest day at this year’s race was stage 16 into Nîmes when the average temperature was 31.1C.

02:10 PM BST

100km to go . . ..

. . .and the breakaway has grown out to a healthy five minutes.

01:58 PM BST

Keep the rubber side down.

Scary moment a while back on a relatively benign looking descent when Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ), the former French national road champion, almost came a cropper.

01:54 PM BST

108km to go.

Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty), the leader of the points classification, has been spotted back at the race doctor’s car. The Eritrean who has won three stages at this year’s race was having his right calf tended to. It appears he was having an old wound treated. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease A Bike), meanwhile, dropped back to his team car. The two-time Tour de France winner was getting his left shoe looked at. Speculating here, but he may have had an issue with one of his Boa dials on his shoe. The breakaway’s advantage is holding at around four minutes, while Tim Wellens tows along the peloton in his slipstream.

01:40 PM BST

122km to go.

The breakaway has crested the second category three climb of the day, the Côte de Corps, where once again Richard Carapaz was looking lively. The Ecuadorian, however, missed out to Oier Lazanko (Movistar), the Basque who has moved up to fourth in the mountains classification having added four points to his account today.

Lazanko, for those unaware, is a versatile beast who goes well in the spring classics (winner at Clásica Jaén and third at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne), and climbs well too. The 24-year-old stunned everybody when he finished ninth at last month’s Critérium du Dauphiné.

01:33 PM BST

And then there were 36 . ...

The young boy Onley appears to have fallen off the rear of the of the Movistar-powered breakaway. The DSM-Firmenich PostNL rider lost around a minute, but has clawed back another 15sec now and so trails the stage leaders by 45sec. The peloton, meanwhile, is almost four minutes off the pace.

01:27 PM BST

That breakaway in full . . ..

Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike)

Alex Aranburu (Movistar)

Bruno Armirail (Decathlon-Ag2R La Mondiale)

Julien Bernard (Lidl-Trek)

Frank Van Den Broek (DSM-Firmenich PostNL)

Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies)

Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny)

Richard Carapaz (EF Education-Easypost)

Clément Champoussin (Arkéa-B&B Hotels)

Steff Cras (TotalEnergies)

Raúl García Pierna (Arkéa-B&B Hotels)

Dorian Godon (Decathlon-Ag2R La Mondiale)

Ben Healey (EF Education-Easypost)

Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)

Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech)

Jordan Jegeat (TotalEnergies)

Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility)

Christopher Juul-Jensen (Jayco-AlUla)

Michal Kwiatkowsi (Ineos Grenadiers)

Oier Lazanko (Movistar)

Bart Lemmem (Visma-Lease a Bike)

Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ)

Guillaume Martin (Cofidis)

Michael Matthews (Jayco-AlUla)

Louis Meintjes (Intermarché-Wanty)

Gregor Mühlberger (Movistar)

Krists Neilands (Israel-Premier Tech)

Oscar Onley (DSM-Firmenich PostNL)

Quentin Pacher (Groupama-FDJ)

Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious)

Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon-Ag2R La Mondiale)

Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost)

Toms Skujins (Lidl-Trek)

Matteo Sobrero (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe)

Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers)

Mattéo Vercher (TotalEnergies)

Georg Zimmermann (Intermarché-Wanty)

01:17 PM BST

135km to go.

Full list of riders in this breakaway incoming – we promise! Their advantage over the peloton that includes all of the jerseys at the race, has grown to almost three minutes.

01:03 PM BST

148.5km to go.

The breakaway – we think it is safe to call it a breakaway now following the easing of pace from the general classification contenders – has around 34 riders in there, including Oscar Onley (DSM-Firmenich PostNL). The 21-year-old Scot, may be a name some are unfamiliar with but he is a rider whose attributes suit this stage to a tee. Ostensibly a climber, Onley is a rider who goes well on the punchy terrain where the neo-pro has registered his best results this season. After beating fellow Briton Stephen Williams – himself a decent puncheur – on Willunga Hill at the Tour Down Under in January, Onley followed up the only win of his short career with some creditable results back home in Europe.

Third at Gran Premio Miguel Indurain behind winner Brandon McNulty and runner-up Maxim Van Gils, was followed by a fifth spot on the final stage at this year’s Itzulia Basque Country. Challenging the likes of Carlos Rodríguez, Juan Ayuso, Marc Soler and Mattias Skjelmose in northern Spain tells you all you need to know about the trajectory this young man is on. He is a classy rider who could, one day, push for honours in the Ardennes classics – and possibly here today.

12:59 PM BST

150km to go.

Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers), Ben Healey (EF Education-Easypost), Richard Carapaz (EF Education-Easypost), Bart Lemmem (Visma-Lease a Bike), Christopher Juul-Jensen (Jayco-AlUla), Michael Matthews (Jayco-AlUla) and Alex Aranburu (Movistar) are all in the leading pack. Full details to follow on the composition of this sizeable group. Back in the peloton, UAE Team Emirates appear to have eased off the pace which should, in theory, allow this breakaway to form.

12:52 PM BST

All change on the front . . ..

An 18-man group leads the stage, and there are some real ballers in there.

12:49 PM BST

155km to go.

Geraint Thomas , the 2018 winner of the Tour de France, is the latest Ineos Grenadiers rider to show his face near the front. At the other end, the sprinters and heavier set riders are labouring towards the rear as the road pitches up.

12:44 PM BST

157km to go.

The road is rising as it hits the bottom of the first categorised climb of the day, with Jonathan Castroviejo (Ineos Grenadiers) doing a turn on the front. Once again, worth noting that Michael Matthews has been active near the front of the peloton.

12:40 PM BST

159km to go.

Clément Russo (Groupama-FDJ) has been subsumed by the peloton, meaning the 32-year-old Belgian Stuyven remains out in front on his own.

12:35 PM BST

165km to go.

We have a lone stage leader and his name is Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek). Clément Russo (Groupama-FDJ) is trapped in no man’s land around 20sec back, but there are a some strong riders near the front of the pack, no doubt keen on bridging over to the former Milan-Sanremo winner .

12:27 PM BST

170km to go.

It has been a very fast start to the stage, and as it stands the peloton is flying along at 67km/h. A small split has formed near the pointy end of the bunch, but it is too early to say a breakaway has formed.

12:22 PM BST

175km to go.

Like an old concertina, the peloton in pulling and tugging, riders edging forward before they are reeled back in. The invisible elastic is refusing to snap.

12:20 PM BST

176km to go.

Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) and Krists Neilands (Israel-Premier Tech) gained a hand of seconds on the twitchy looking peloton, before a trio of riders bridged over to form a quintet of stage leaders.

12:16 PM BST

178km to go.

Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility), Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility), Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Michael Matthews (Jayco-AlUla) and a handful of others are looking lively from the very start of the stage.

12:14 PM BST

And they’re off . . ..

Race director Christian Prudhomme has popped his head out of the shiny red Skoda and dropped his flag to signify the start of racing.

12:01 PM BST

Merckx vs pogacar.

Some bold words from Adam Blythe, the former professional turned Eurosport commentator, who has just stated that he feels Tadej Pogacar is a better rider than Eddy Merckx . Telegraph Sport is not sure it can agree with Mr Blythe. We suspect there is a large degree of recency bias kicking in here. For those too young to know, here’s a potted overview of Merckx’s Tour history . . .

Eddy Merckx

Born: June 17, 1945

Tour de France in numbers

Completed seven editions, won five: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 & 1974 Points classification: 1969, 1971 & 1972 Mountains classification: 1969 & 1970 Combination classification: 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 & 1974 Finished 185 stages and won 34 Days in yellow: 108

Eddy Merckx, who became the second rider to win five Tours de France in 1974, is widely regarded as the greatest cyclist to have ever lived.

With a palmarès , or list of wins, that also boasts five Giri d’Italia, one Vuelta a España, three world road titles and 19 monuments of cycling – Milan-Sanremo, Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Giro di Lombardia – it would be almost impossible to argue against Merckx’s standing in the rich pantheon of the sport. In addition, Merckx also took the world hour record in Mexico in 1972 with a distance of 49.431km while the Belgian also claimed the highest number of first-class race victories in a professional career that spanned from 1965 to 1978.

After winning the world amateur title in 1964, Merckx turned professional before winning the first of seven Milan-Sanremo titles the following season aged just 20. In 1967 the Belgian repeated his Milan-Sanremo triumph while adding the Flèche Wallonne one-day classic to his palmarès before making his grand tour debut in the 50th edition of the Giro d’Italia. After winning two stages in Italy and claiming a top 10 finish Merckx went on to take his first of three world champions’ rainbow jerseys, still just 22 years-old.

In 1968 Merckx won the Paris-Roubaix cobbled classic before going on to dominate the Giro d’Italia when he became the first Belgian to win the three-week race while also topping the points and mountains classifications.

Despite Merckx’s brilliance, it is fair to say that his riding style has little in common with cycling’s other greats such as Fausto Coppi or Jacques Anquetil. It has been said that Merckx’s own domestiques, or servants on the road, often struggled to keep up with their team leader as he thrashed away on the pedals pounding his way to another podium.

“With Merckx there were no clever tactics, no camouflage, tactical feints,” wrote one French journalist. “From the first kilometres, often, other riders just knew what was about to happen.”

Merckx’s appetite was legendary. When Christian Raymond, a rider in the 1960s, explained to his daughter how a race had unravelled, she responded: “That Belgian, he doesn’t even leave you the crumbs . . . he’s a cannibal.”

The rider nicknamed ‘The Cannibal’ made his Tour de France debut in 1969. After finishing the opening prologue in Roubaix six seconds behind Germany’s Rudi Altig, the Belgian’s Faema outfit won the second-day team time trial in the Brussels suburb Merckx grew up in to put him into the maillot jaune, the leader’s yellow jersey. After losing the jersey to team-mate Julien Stevens the following day, Merckx regained the overall lead five days later after winning the first of his 34 Tour de France stage wins.

After winning another three stages – two time trials and a day in the mountains – Merckx had built up a lead of eight minutes ahead of a classic Pyrenean stage that included the Peyresourde, Aspin, Soulour, Tourmalet and Aubisque. Around 200m from the summit of the Tourmalet the Cannibal attacked before dropping Roger Pingeon and Raymond Poulidor. Merckx ended up taking the stage following a 140km solo breakaway with a massive winning margin of eight minutes pushing his overall lead to 16 minutes.

“Merckxisimo” ran the headline in L’Équipe , a reference to Fausto ‘Il Campionissimo’ Coppi who, himself, was no stranger to the lone breakaway. Not only had Merckx won his debut Tour de France, but also scooped up six stages while also topping the points, mountains, combination and combativity classifications. The quiet, often shy, Belgian had crushed all before him while the die had been cast for his domination.

The Belgian successfully defended his title the following year while equalling Charles Pélissier’s record from 1930 of eight stage wins. Once again Merckx took the mountains, combination and combativity classifications.

After making his Tour de France debut in 1970, Spain’s Luis Ocaña returned the following year alongside fellow contenders Joop Zoetemelk of Holland and the Dutchman Lucien Van Impe hoping to find a chink in Merckx’s seemingly impenetrable armour.

Following a strong start from Merckx, Ocaña and Zoetemelk escaped on the ascent of the Puy de Dôme before the Spaniard took the stage. Days later, on the short mountain stage from Grenoble to Orcières, Merckx was once again dropped before Ocaña took a second stage to take the maillot jaune. During the following day’s transition stage Merckx produced a fearsome ride, though remained in Ocaña’s shadow.

Disaster, though, struck for the Spaniard during a rain-soaked 14th stage in the Pyrenees. Merckx had attacked on the ascent of the Col de Menté. Ocaña gave chase on the descent before crashing on a hairpin. As the Spaniard got to his feet Zoetemelk swerved into the maillot jaune who soon left the race, battered and distraught, in a helicopter. Merckx later regained the leader’s jersey though refused to wear it the following day out of respect for the luckless Ocaña. Following his brief wobble, Merckx retained the Tour de France before returning the following year in the world champions’ jersey to claim a fourth title.

The rematch between Merckx and Ocaña, sadly, never materialised after the Belgian missed the 1973 edition which was won by the Spaniard.

Merckx’s fifth and final Tour de France triumph came in 1974 after, considering his high standards, he had endured a disappointing season having not won a single spring classic. He had, though, just won a fifth Giro d’Italia to equal Alfredo Binda and Coppi as the most successful riders in the Italian grand tour.

Despite later admitting that “the wear and tear was beginning to show”, Merckx won an incredible seven stages in the 61st edition of the race before beating Raymond ‘the Eternal Second’ Poulidor to the top spot on the Paris podium.

The Belgian returned the following year when he had to, for the first time, settle for second spot behind Bernard Thévenet while winning the final two of his 34 career stages – both time trials.

A sixth-placed finish in 1977 marked the end of The Cannibal’s Tour de France career. Merckx, nowadays, runs a successful bike manufacturing company and remains a regular guest of the Tour de France organisers.

So, you decide: Merckx vs Pogacar

11:35 am bst.

Good morning and welcome to our live rolling blog from stage 18 at the Tour de France, the 179.5 kilometre run from Gap to Barcelonnette.

With five category three climbs peppered throughout the stage – along with a few uncategorised kickers – today is a day that should, in theory, favour the baroudeurs . By our calculations, there are 12 teams – TWELVE – that have yet to win a stage at this year’s Tour, so we expect to see an almighty battle to get into the day’s breakaway. Of those squads who have not won a stage, just Soudal-Quick Step have any genuine hope of cracking the top three in the general classification thanks to Remco Evenepoel who is enjoying a very impressive Tour debut (third at 5min 9sec)

Without boring you senseless with a long list of riders that may make the breakaway or stand a chance of winning the stage , here are the winless teams we expect will be trying to get one, two or even three riders into what we think will be a massive breakaway: Bahrain Victorious, Bora-Hansgrohe, Cofidis, Decathlon-Ag2R La Mondiale, Groupama-FDJ, Ineos Grenadiers, Israel-Premier Tech, Lidl-Trek, Lotto Dstny, Movistar, Uno-X Mobility.

Before the stage starts, here’s a quick look at the standing in the main three competitions.

Ok we lied, here are some potential stage winners : Alex Aranburu (Movistar), Wout van Aert (Visma-Lisma Lease A Bike), Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility), Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility), Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers), Oier Lazkano (Movistar), Michael Matthews (Jayco-AlUla) and Matej Mohoric (Bahrain Victorious).

Anyhow, racing gets under way at 12.20pm which is when we will return to kickstart this blog into action.

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Richard Carapaz of EF Education-EasyPost crossed the finish line alone in Superdévoluy to win Stage 17 of the 2024 Tour de France on Wednesday. 

The victory was Carapaz’s first career Tour de France stage win. The 31-year-old has now completed the coveted career Grand Tour triple with six previous stage wins at the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España. 

"This victory means everything!" Carapaz said. "I’ve been trying to get it since the start of the Tour."

Carapaz made history as the first Ecuadorian man to win a Tour stage.

"I'm proud to be here and represent all of America in the best possible way," Carapaz said.

Approaching the foot of the Alps, a four-man breakaway of Tiesj Benoot (Visma-Lease a Bike), Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility), Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) and Bob Jungels (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) made the first decisive move approximately 35 miles into the race. Unable to join the first group, Carapaz, alongside Wednesday’s runner-up Simon Yates of Jayco AlUla, led a second 48-rider breakout group in hot pursuit. As the race entered the Alps, Carapaz’s strength on the climbs proved too much to handle and the Ecuadorian reached the finish 37 seconds ahead of Yates. 

"It was a very difficult day, with a lot of attacks, but in the end, a large group formed, I was able to come out at the right time and I managed to get this result which I will remember forever,” Carapaz said. "I really made the most of the moment."

The leading general classification trio of Tadej Pogačar , Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard and Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel continuously tested e ach other on the final summit climbs, with Evenepoel prevailing and gaining 10 seconds on Pogačar and 12 on Vingegaard . The general classification leaderboard remains unchanged, though, as Pogačar retains the yellow jersey with a three-minute-and-11-second lead over second-place Vingegaard. 

Evenepoel said his attention was focused on maintaining his position in the general classification standings rather than gaining ground on the pair ahead of him. The Belgian 24-year-old has already established a clear eight-minute-and-21-second lead in the white jersey standings, awarded to the best young rider.  

"I took back 10 seconds from Tadej and Jonas, but that wasn’t the goal,” Evenepoel said after Stage 17. “I remain focused on my place on the podium. I'm good where I am, but it allowed me to gain a little time on those behind me."

The battle for the green jersey is also nearing its close with current wearer Biniam Girmay of Eritrea and Intermarché-Wanty gaining one point on second-place Jasper Philipsen . Girmay’s lead of 33 points should be enough to secure the Eritrean’s win with just mountainous, hilly and time-trial stages remaining before the July 21 finale in Nice. 

Girmay, who sustained injuries after crashing at high speed on the approach to yesterday’s finish line, said his knee and elbow, which needed stitches yesterday, were in pain throughout today’s stage. However, Girmay said he is motivated now more than ever to have a strong finish to the Tour.

"You have to show the fighting spirit and if you are mentally strong nothing can stop you,” Girmay said. "I already said to my team yesterday, ‘Don’t worry it’s not yet finished and we’ll give it everything, just fight until Nice.’"

Tour de France Stage 17 results

TOUR DE FRANCE: Recap, results and standings after Stage 16

Tour de France general classification standings after Stage 17

Tour de france jersey standings after stage 17.

• Yellow ( general classification ) : Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)
• Green ( points classification ):  Biniam Girmay (Intermarché - Wanty)
• Polka dot ( mountains classification ):  Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates); worn by Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) in second place
• White (young rider classification ):  Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep)
• Yellow numbers ( teams classification) :  UAE Team Emirates
• Golden numbers ( combativity award ):  Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ)

Tour de France Stage 18: How to watch, schedule, distance

Date : Thursday, July 18, 2024

Location : Gap to Barcelonnette (France)

Distance : 111.5 miles (179.5 km)

Type : Hilly stage 

Streaming : Peacock, FuboTV

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The North Americans Racing the 2024 Tour de France

There’s no Sepp Kuss, but that doesn’t mean that riders from the U.S. and Canada won’t make a big impact at this year’s Tour.

Unfortunately for American fans at this year’s Tour, there will be no Sepp Kuss . Still battling the effects of COVID-19, Kuss, who won the 2023 Vuelta a España, was taken off Visma-Lease a Bike’s roster for the Tour de France.

Here’s a look at the North Americans competing in the 2024 Tour de France:

Guillaume Boivin (Israel-Premier Tech)

Premier Tech is a Canadian company, so it’s nice to see the team staying true to its identity by bringing three Canadians to the 2024 Tour de France. Boivin will be starting his fourth Tour in a row this year, and while he’s never recorded a high stage finish of his own, the 35-year-old is the exactly kind of selfless, strong, and experienced support rider a team needs while hunting for stage wins. If Israel-Premier Tech leaves the Tour with a stage victory (or two), expect Boivin to have played a role in making it happen.

Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech)

Gee exploded onto the scene in last year’s Giro d’Italia, where the Canadian scored six top-5 stage finishes including second-places finished on four stages in the Italian grand tour. It was only his first grand tour, but the then-25-year-old’s career also finished second overall in the Giro’s Points and King of the Mountains Classifications.

All those second-place finishes seem to have inspired the Canadian heading into 2024: he took the first WorldTour victory of his career by winning Stage 3 at the recent Critérium du Dauphiné–then hung around the top of the General Classification to finish third overall. But don’t expect him to shoot for a high GC finish at the Tour de France; he’s hunting for the stage victories that eluded him in last year’s Giro. And given the way he’s been riding, we won’t be surprised if he wins more than one.

Hugo Houle (Israel-Premier Tech)

Houle has started and finished every edition of the Tour de France since 2019. At first he was purely a domestique, riding on behalf of his GC captains at Astana. But then he moved (along with Premier Tech, who formerly sponsored Astana) to Israel-Premier Tech and was offered more opportunities to ride for himself.

Well, he took full advantage in 2022, when he scored a breakaway stage win (in the Pyrenees, no less) on Stage 16–just a few days after finishing third on Stage 13. The 33-year-old will get more chances this year, and his experience will prove invaluable to guys like Gee, who’s riding his first Tour de France and looks to be the cornerstone of the team’s opportunistic plans.

Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike)

Even though he’s only 24-years-old, Jorgenson will be starting his third Tour de France this year, and his first since transferring from Movistar to Visma-Lease a Bike during the off-season. The kid from Idaho impressed everyone during his first two Tours, racing aggressively in pursuit of stage wins, coming close to winning a stage on multiple occasions.

But he’s reached new heights with Visma. First, he won Paris-Nice in early-March, defeating riders like Primož Roglič and Remco Evenepoel to take the biggest win of his still-young career. A few weeks later he won Dwars door Vlaanderen, a cobbled semi-Classic in Belgium. But his biggest breakthrough came at the Critérium du Dauphiné in early-June, where he raced like a Tour de France contender, riding consistently throughout the entirety of the 8-day stage race and almost stealing the overall victory from Roglič on the final stage.

He’s heading to the Tour in support of Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard. But if Vingegaard proves to be less competitive than the team hopes, Jorgenson could be given a chance to ride for himself–whether that means shooting for a high GC finish or a stage win we don’t exactly know. No matter what, Jorgenson is the most exciting rider American fans have had to root for in a while, someone who looks to have the makings of a future Tour de France champion.

Sean Quinn (EF Education-EasyPost)

Quinn turned 24 in early-May and the American celebrated by winning the national road race championships in Charlestown, West Virginia nine days later. He then took his new stars-and-stripes jersey to the Critérium du Dauphiné, where he raced well enough throughout the week to have probably earned himself a spot on EF’s roster for the Tour de France.

This will be only the second grand tour of the American’s career, but we don’t expect the event to be too big for him. If he makes his team’s roster, expect to see him feature in a few breakaways, possibly as one of the riders looking to take an early lead in the Tour’s King of the Mountains competition during the Tour’s hilly opening weekend.

Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost)

Powless will be starting his fifth Tour de France on Saturday, and he’s raced all of them with EF Education-EasyPost. The 27-year-old’s best Tour finish was twelfth overall in 2021, and last year he spent twelve days in the polka dot jersey as the leader of the Tour’s King of the Mountains competition.

This year we’d love to see Powless commit to winning a stage, which means not worrying about the GC standings or wasting energy chasing KOM points early in the Tour. He needs to sit down with the race bible, identify three or four stages that suit him the best, and then make those stages the focus of his entire Tour de France, essentially racing them like a series of one-day races–with long, hard training rides in between. With that kind of approach, he’s a good bet to take EF Education’s first Tour de France stage victory since 2022.

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

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2024 Tour de France Results

Tour de France Stage 18 Preview

Tour de France: Richard Carapaz Wins Stage 17

Analysis: Girmay’s Crash Opens Door for Philipsen

“This Is the Greatest Sporting Event in the World”

Tour de France Stage 17 Preview

Tour de France: Jasper Philipsen Does It Again

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Highlights from all the stages of the Tour de France.

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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.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Thursday, July 18, 2024 10:17 pm (Paris)

• Tour de France

Tour de France: Carapaz wins his first ever stage

The former winner of the road race in the Tokyo Olympics, the Ecuadorian rider won stage 17. While Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vinegaard and Remco Evenepoel engaged in a late scrap of attacks and counter-attacks.

Le Monde with AFP

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Ecuador's Richard Carapaz won stage 17 of the Tour de France after the remnants of a breakaway finished ahead of the main pretenders in the High Alps on Wednesday, July 17. EF rider Carapaz dropped Simon Yates and soloed the final 10km to win his first ever Tour de France stage after finishing third overall in 2021. The former Giro d'Italia champion, who won the Tokyo Olympics road race, also wore the overall leader's yellow jersey after his efforts in the second stage to Bologna. "That was a big day for me," Carapaz said. "I suffered but I put a cross on an objective." "How special it feels, I owe so much to my team," he said of the American Education First team who will be delighted with their €2 million a year new signing.

Overall leader Tadej Pogacar, defending champion Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel kept their powder dry until a late series of attacks and counter-attacks put a shine on the medium mountain run. The trio produced an entertaining scrap with third-placed Evenepoel finishing 12 seconds ahead of Pogacar, with Vingegaard losing two seconds to the leader. The relentless Slovenian said his attack was off the cuff and "maybe stupid." "I enjoyed it, I don't know what to say, I tested my legs and theirs. I thought I might be able to get away, so I had a go," said the 25-year-old Pogacar.

Pogacar had been the first to try his luck and Vingegaard was initially unable to follow. Evenepoel however closed the gap while Denmark's Vingegaard then rallied to catch them both on a daredevil descent after picking up the wheel of a teammate who had been in the early attack. "Well done to Visma for their tactics," Pogacar said.

Belgian Evenepoel then broke again, and finished strongly to consolidate his third place overall. A group of over 30 riders broke away early on a balmy day in the south as they climbed to the ski resort of Superdevoluy.

Girmay stays in green

Nursing knee and elbow injuries, Biniam Girmay retained the green jersey for best sprinter with 387 points to Jasper Philipsen's 354. "It's never easy a day after a fall, but I felt okay today," said the Eritrean who will race at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Girmay spoke excitedly about the reaction back home where he said "from two in the afternoon until the end of the race everyone goes out onto the streets to watch the race or listen to it together."

Stage 18 on Thursday is billed as one of the prettiest, with lakes and mountains in Haute Provence and an opportunity for the one-day specialists during a 179km ride from Gap to Barcelonnette. With the temperatures set to rise as the 2024 edition reaches a fascinating climax, Pogacar admitted he had a history of wilting in the heat. "Yes it's easy to see that all the times Jonas has dropped me, and maybe it's coincidence, it's been in the heat. So I've been working on heat and high altitude training," said Pogacar, cutting a happier figure than he has all Tour.

The final three stages are all potential game changers, with Friday's run taking the peloton to 2,800m altitude before a huge descent. Saturday is also mountainous and features another downhill finale. But the final stage could shake up the standings even more with a 34km individual time trial from Monaco to Nice potentially taking the title down to the wire on the French Riviera.

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Running events, running articles, triathlon events, cycling events, triathlon articles, cycling articles, fitness events, fitness articles, sports events, outdoor events, sports articles, nutrition articles, health & injury articles, 11 famous tour de france fans.

This year, we're having some fun with our Tour de France coverage. Don't worry, you're still getting the usual pre-race breakdown, can't-miss stages guide and riders to watch pieces, but we thought we'd also include some fun lifestyle articles. Call it ACTIVE's very own People Magazine spread. 

But that doesn't mean we're discussing who's dating who or which outfit was a disaster on the red—er, yellow—carpet; instead we're mentioning celebrities who live and breathe all things cycling, including the Tour de France. 

From big screen stars to sports icons, you might be surprised which celebrities are Tour de France super fans. 

LeBron James

Did you know the three-time NBC champ purchased an undisclosed ownership stake in Cannondale back in 2007? Not only that, James has been quoted comparing the demands of the NBA Finals to finishing the Tour de France. He's also been seen riding around on his custom bikes in his community, both on training rides and participating in charity events. 

Robin Williams

Perhaps the most die-hard celebrity cyclist on this list, the late Robin Williams lived and breathed cycling. A true Tour de France fan, Williams was regularly photographed hanging out around the U.S. Postal Service team bus and was seen riding in the team car with the race director. He rode bikes too (for everything from commuting to triathlons), and many of the bikes in his personal collection were auctioned off to support the Challenged Athletes Foundation after his untimely passing. 

Jake Gyllenhaal

One of the most famous actors of our generation, Gyllenhaal does more than just perform on camera: He's a big fitness fanatic, which includes cycling. He's a follower of the Tour de France, and Gyllenhaal (who was slated to play Lance Armstrong in a film) and Armstrong were seen on camera together at the 2006 Tour of France outside the Discovery team bus.

Bill Walton

He's a few feet taller than many of the Tour's smallest climbers (which requires a custom 72.4-centimeter bike), but Bill Walton is a true cycling fan. He has been known to share Tour de France video clips on Twitter (last year he shared an image of his signed Peter Sagan jersey), and he was honored at the "Chairman's Ride" at the Tour of California in 2015.

Ben Stiller 

Perhaps no celebrity is closer to the Tour de France than Ben Stiller. The comedian has been an avid follower of the Tour for years, becoming close friends with Lance Armstrong. So close in fact, that Stiller jumped on Armstrong's TT bike minutes before the start , causing the team mechanics to have to complete last-minute fixes before the cycling superstar ultimately rode off and won the race. 

Brett Favre

We all know Brett Favre as the Hall of Fame quarterback of the Green Bay Packers, but after he wrapped up his NFL career, Favre took up cycling (and triathlon), enlisting some of the sport's biggest names. He leaned on Lance Armstrong early in his cycling career for help on the bike (Lance helped outfit him with a custom Trek) and has even been seen supporting fan-favorite Tour de France stage winner Jens Voigt. 

George W. Bush

The 43rd president of the United States is a serious cycling fan. He personally called Lance Armstrong to congratulate him on his Tour de France victories and has even taken up mountain biking (and has also ridden with Armstrong) around his ranch in Texas. At 72 years old, this former president is still riding regularly. 

Bo Jackson is considered one of the greatest athletes of all time, and after his successful football and baseball career, Jackson immersed himself in the cycling world. He's the organizer for "Bo Bikes Bama," a charity ride in his name, and is on the record with Cycling Tips  saying he watches the Tour in his basement and considers Tour de France cyclists "real athletes."

Patrick Dempsey

Rivaling Robin Williams as the biggest celebrity cycling fanatic, Patrick Dempsey, "McDreamy" to Grey's Anatomy fans, has been welcomed with open arms by some of the Tour's biggest professional teams (and has ridden with the likes of Peter Sagan and Tom Danielson). Better yet, Dempsey has used his fame and reach to organize an annual charity ride called the Dempsey Challenge to raise money for patients (and their families) fighting cancer. 

Matthew McConaughey

Continuing our Texas theme, native Texan Matthew McConaughey not only follows the Tour but also rides and races himself. He's been photographed training with Lance Armstrong on several occasions and has multiple triathlon finishes under his belt, too.  

The second politician on this list, former Secretary of State John Kerry has gotten some high compliments from legendary team director Johnathan Vaughters. Not only is Kerry a huge Tour de France fan (and can supposedly drop the hammer on the bike) and regularly attends the race, but he also helped save Vaughters' Cannondale-Drapac team when the title sponsor pulled out. We personally love this hilarious intervie w between American cyclist Taylor Phinney and Kerry just before the start of Stage 15 of the 2017 Tour de France.

READ THIS NEXT:  24 Celebrities You Didn't Know Rode Bikes

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As it happened - Breakaway wins Tour de France stage 18 as GC battle pauses

Tour de france 2024 route.

Two time trials, four summit finishes and a novel Nice finale

• Stage 21 (ITT)

The Tour de France is currently on stage 19 .

After the mountainous 2023 Tour de France route that included just a single 22km time trial, race director Christian Prudhomme unveiled a more balanced but intriguing route for 2024 at the official presentation in the Palais des Congrès in Paris.

The inclusion of two individual time trials for a total of 59km, four mountain-top finishes, a series of gravel sections on stage 9, and a final hilly time trial to Nice will surely create a more open race, with Remco Evenepoel, Primož Roglič and others poised to take on Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar .

Race organiser ASO also confirmed they plan to award additional time bonuses of eight, five and two seconds during stages, as well as the usual ten, six and four seconds awarded at stage finishes.

The route of the 2024 Tour de France covers a total of 3497.3km with some 52,320 metres of overall elevation. That is 20% more than the 2024 Giro d’Italia and with so many of the climbs coming in the final week, it could make it difficult for Pogačar or anyone else to target a Giro-Tour double in 2024.

ASO claims there are eight flat stages and so eight sprint opportunities but the likes of Mark Cavendish, Jasper Philipsen and their teammates will have to fight hard for each one.

The 111th edition of cycling’s biggest race starts in Florence, Italy on Saturday, June 29 and ends three weeks later in Nice on Sunday, July 21. It is the first time the Tour starts in Italy and the first time it finishes in Nice, to avoid the preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics Games, which begin just a week later.

What's at stake at the Tour de France? Read more about the jerseys of the Tour de France and the Souvenir Henri Desgranges and Souvenir Jacques-Goddet .

Who is riding the Tour de France? Read the 2024 Tour de France start list and fore more in-depth information about the athletes, find our comprehensive Tour de France team guide and our analysis of the Tour de France favourites and contenders .

Find out how to watch the Tour de France .

Join Cyclingnews' coverage of the 2024 Tour de France with live coverage, race reports, results, photo galleries, news and race analysis.

Stage 1: Florence - Rimini, 206km - Medium mountains

The Grand Départ of the 2024 Tour de France will celebrate the history, culture and beauty of central and northern Italy with stages in Tuscany, Emilia Romagna and then Piedmont. The race will also remember the Italian Tour de France winners on the 100th anniversary of Ottavio Bottecchia’s 1924 triumph.

Florence will host the team presentation and stage 1 rolls out from Piazzale Michelangelo, which overlooks the city, before visiting Gino Bartali’s birthplace and the museum that remembers him in Ponte a Ema.

2024 Tour de France stage 1 preview

Stage 2: Cesenatico - Bologna, 198.7km, Hilly

Stage 2 will start in Marco Pantani’s hometown of Cesenatico and it will also climb into the rolling hills of Romagna for 200km before the finish in Bologna after two laps of the San Luca climb made famous by the Giro dell’Emilia. The gradients of the San Luca climb make this an important stage for the general classification.

2024 Tour de France stage 2 preview

Stage 3: Piacenza - Turin, 230.5km, Flat

The third stage is a flatter affair and covers 225 km from Piacenza to Turin. After two days of suffering, the sprinters will surely get their chance in the capital of Piedmont.

2024 Tour de France stage 3 preview

Stage 4: Pinerolo - Valloire, 139.6km, High mountains

The 2024 Tour heads into France on stage 4 via the Alps. The stage rolls out of Pinerolo on the plain and climbs high via Sestriere, the Col de Montgenèvre and the Col du Galiber before a fast descent to Valloire.

2024 Tour de France stage 4 preview

Stage 5: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne - Saint-Vulbas (Plaine de l'Ain), 177.4km, Flat

2024 Tour de France stage 5 preview

Stage 6: Mâcon - Dijon, 163.5km, Flat

2024 Tour de France stage 6 preview

Stage 7: Nuits-Saint-Georges - Gevrey-Chambertin (ITT), 25.3km

2024 Tour de France stage 7 preview

Stage 8: Semur-en-Auxois - Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, 183.4km, Hilly

2024 Tour de France stage 8 preview

Stage 9: Troyes - Troyes, 199km, Hilly with gravel

Stage 9 is a far tougher day due to the 14 sectors of gravel that start after just 47km of the 199 km stage. The final six sectors are packed into the final 35km, making for a real test for the overall contenders.

2024 Tour de France stage 9 preview

Stage 10: Orléans - Saint-Amand-Montrond, 187.3km, Flat

Week two of the 2024 Tour starts with a four-day ride south to the Pyrenees via the Massif Central and the rural France Profonde, with stages to Alaphilippe’s hometown of Saint-Amand-Montrond, Le Lioran, Villeneuve-sur-Lot and then Pau.

2024 Tour de France stage 10 preview

Stage 11: Évaux-les-Bains - Le Lioran, 211km, Medium mountains

Echelons could be a factor on stage 11 with the 211km ride through the Massif Central to Le Lioran including 4,350 metres of climbing. The final 50km include four categorised climbs, making a day of danger for the GC contenders.

2024 Tour de France stage 11 preview

Stage 12: Aurillac - Villeneuve-sur-Lot, 203.6km, Hilly

The sprinters get two chances in Villeneuve-sur-Lot and then Pau before the Tour de France celebrates the Bastille Day holiday weekend in the Pyrenees with consecutive mountain finishes.

2024 Tour de France stage 12 preview

Stage 13: Agen - Pau, 165.3km, Flat

2024 Tour de France stage 13 preview

Stage 13 is another day for the sprinters but perhaps the breakaway, if green jersey Biniam Girmay opts to let a move go and deny his rivals more points. The 165.3km stage has just two classified climbs near the end as the race heads into the Pyrenees.

Stage 13 of the Tour de France is expected to finish around 17:20 CET/11:20 EDT.

Stage 14: Pau - Saint-Lary-Soulan (Pla d'Adet), 151.9km, High mountains

Stage 14 finishes in Pla d'Adet after climbing the Col du Tourmalet and the Hourquette d’Ancizan in just 152 km. Raymond Poulidor won at Pla d'Adet 50 years ago, and the stage finish will recall when he dropped Eddy Merckx to triumph there alone.

2024 Tour de France stage 14 preview

Stage 15: Loudenvielle - Plateau de Beille, 197.7km, High mountains

Stage 15 to Plateau de Beille is Bastille Day, so expect fireworks from the riders. The 198 km stage includes 4,850 metres of climbing and hits the Col de Peyresourde at the very start. It also climbs the Portet d'Aspet and later the Col d’Agnes, with descents to the valley before the finish up to Plateau de Beille. Joaquim Rodríguez won there when the Tour last visited in 2015, with Britain’s Thomas Gloag winning a stage of the Ronde l’Isard in 2021.

The stage seems ideal for a breakaway to sweep up king of the mountain points but the climb to Plateau de Beille is 15.8km long at an average of 7.9%, with the hardest gradients at the bottom. It will surely be one of the most decisive stages of the 2024 Tour de France.

2024 Tour de France stage 15 preview

Stage 16: Gruissan - Nîmes, 188.6km, Flat

A transition or breakaway stage then takes the peloton across the south of France to Nîmes, with crosswinds a danger near Montpellier just as they were in 2016 and in 2009, when Mark Cavendish won from an echelon.

2024 Tour de France stage 16 preview

Stage 17: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux - Superdévoluy, 177.8km, High mountains

Stage 17 leads into the Alps with a finish at the little-known ski resort of  Super-Dévoluy north of Gap. The final 40km include the three main climbs of the day, with the 8.4% Col du Noyer ending just 12km from the finish.

2024 Tour de France stage 17 preview

Stage 18: Gap - Barcelonnette, 179.6km, Medium mountains

Stage 18 from Gap to Barcelonnette is in the Alps but offers a reprieve from the high mountains, with a continuous series of hills making for a nervous day in the saddle. A breakaway will surely outpower the chasers and any fast finishers, with the gradual climb to the line in Barcelonnette deciding the stage winner.

2024 Tour de France stage 18 preview

Stage 19: Embrun - Isola 2000, 144.6km, High mountains

The final mountain stages start on stage 19, with a high ride in the southern Alps.

The stage is short at just 145 km but includes the Col de Vars after 20km and then the 22.9 km haul up the Cime de la Bonette, the highest road in France at 2,802 metres. A long valley road follows before the climb to Isola 2000 close to the Italian border for a 16.1km climb to the finish. The three long climbs all reach over 2000 metres, making for a day of rarified air and hard racing.

2024 Tour de France stage 19 preview

Stage 20: Nice - Col de la Couillole, 132.8km, High mountains

Stage 20 is short at 133km and so reduces the average stage distance to 166 km. However, it includes four very similar climbs and three testing descents but the final mountain finish atop the Col de la Couillole, a 15.7km climb at 7.1%.

2024 Tour de France stage 20 preview

Stage 21: Monaco - Nice (ITT), 33.7km

The final stage of the 2024 Tour de France is a 34km hilly time trial from Monaco to Nice and is expected to create a tense and demanding finish to three weeks of racing even if there are already time gaps in the general classification.

After the start in Monaco, the time trial climbs the gradual La Turbie (8.1km at 5.6%) and then kicks up to the summit of the Col d'Eze (1.6km at 8.1%) before a long but technical descent to Nice.

Rather than bike changes, the GC contenders will have to perfect their uphill time trialling skills and optimise their road bike aero position and then be ready to take risks on the descent.

It is the first time in history that the Tour de France will end outside of Paris and is the first time that the race concludes with a time trial since Greg LeMond dramatically pipped Laurent Fignon on the Champs-Elysées in 1989.

ASO will be hoping for an equally historic and thrilling finale on July 21.

2024 Tour de France stage 21 preview

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Stephen is the most experienced member of the Cyclingnews team, having reported on professional cycling since 1994. He has been Head of News at Cyclingnews since 2022, before which he held the position of European editor since 2012 and previously worked for Reuters , Shift Active Media , and CyclingWeekly , among other publications.

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The Grand Dèpart tour de France 2024 - Piazza della Signoria, Florence

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U2, ‘360’ tour praised by Stade de France 15 years later

15 years after playing two shows at the Stade de France, U2 and their “360” tour is being celebrated.

The stadium took to X on July 11, 15 years to the day of the first show, to celebrate U2’s shows. They first shared a time-lapse video of them constructing the “360” tour stage. The video continued throughout the show as well — showing off the bright lights and spectacle.

They also shared two sets of photos. They include Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton, and drummer Larry Mullen Jr . One of the highlights includes Bono standing behind Mullen’s drum kit with peace signs up.

There is another image of the stage from further back in the audience. It captures the grandiose stage and is breathtaking to look at. Small bridges connected the outer ramp to the main stage, allowing the band to get close and intimate with their audience on the floor.

In the second set of photos, a close-up of The Edge walking on one of the bridges is included. He is playing a bright yellow Fender Telecaster. There is also a stellar shot of Bono as he looks at the crowd.

U2’s “360” tour

The aforementioned Stade de France shows on U2’s “360” tour were some of the earliest on the tour. It was just their third stop on the tour and fifth and sixth shows in total.

They did return to France later in the tour, playing a show at the stadium on September 18, 2010. U2 visited several other countries, though, in between those shows.

The “360” tour is still U2’s biggest to date. They have done everything from the revolutionary “ZooTV” tour to the recent “Joshua Tree” anniversary tour. But the “360” tour remains their biggest spectacle.

For a while, it was the highest-grossing concert tour of all time. Ed Sheeran, Coldplay, Elton John, and Taylor Swift later topped it.

Its stage was dubbed “the Claw” and featured connections to the audience all around. For a stage and show as big as it was, U2 found a way to connect with their audiences.

The “360” tour commenced on June 30, 2009, and concluded on July 30, 2011. 111 shows were played across seven legs, and U2 also headlined Glastonbury in the midst of it all.

What have they done since?

Since the “360” tour concluded, U2 has released three studio albums and embarked on three concert tours and a Las Vegas residency. The “Innocence + Experience” and “Experience + Innocence” tours came in 2015 and 2018, respectively, in support of Songs of Innocence (2014) and Songs of Experience (2017).

In between those tours, they celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of The Joshua Tree by touring it. The “Joshua Tree” tour originally took place in 2017. However, in 2019, the band went on a second leg of the tour that visited Asia and Oceania.

Starting on September 29, 2023, U2 became the first band to play a residency at the Sphere in Las Vegas. They opened the new high-tech venue with their U2:UV Achtung Baby Live at Sphere show. It was another anniversary gig that focused on Achtung Baby 32 years after it came out.

The residency concluded on March 2, 2024, after 40 shows. Where the band goes from here is unknown. Perhaps a new album or stadium tour like the “360” tour is coming.

Like ClutchPoints’ content? Be sure to follow us.

The post U2, ‘360’ tour praised by Stade de France 15 years later appeared first on ClutchPoints .

June 28-July 22

Legendary Climbs of the Tour

We've hand-picked the most iconic climbs from this year's TdF route just for you. From the legendary Col du Galibier, featured in the Tour de France over 60 times, to the punishing, near-20% grades of the Col de la Couillole they’re all available, on-demand.

Côte des Forche

Event Date: June 29, 2024

Short but packing a punch, Côte des Forche offers a 2.9 km climb with 148 m of elevation gain. With gradients reaching up to 14%, it's a favorite challenge among climbers looking for a quick yet tough workout. Brace yourself for a rewarding ascent that tests your legs.

Join the event on June 29, or ride it on-demand through July 22.

Col du Galibier (Lautaret)

Event Date: July 2, 2024

Conquer Col du Galibier, a 10.35 km ascent with 539 m of elevation gain. Featured in the Tour de France over 60 times, this legendary climb's steep gradients and switchbacks will challenge you every step of the way, rewarding you with a serious sense of accomplishment at the top.

Join the event on July 2, or ride it on-demand through July 22.

Pas de Peyrol/Puy Mary

Event Date: July 10, 2024

Pas de Peyrol, aka 'Puy Mary,' is your 10.25 km ticket to a 603 m ascent that'll have you feeling like a hero. This volcanic climb, known for its steep and demanding terrain, is the highest road in the Massif Central. You'll need grit to tackle the gradients of up to 15% that await you on this epic ascent.

Join the event on July 10, or ride it on-demand through July 22.

Event Date: July 13, 2024

Pla d'Adet awaits you! A 12.1 km ascent with 847 m of pure climbing. Known for its steep grades and tight turns, this climb has tested the endurance of many Tour de France riders. If you're up for a thrilling climb that'll push you to your limits, this one's for you!

Join the event on July 13, or ride it on-demand through July 22.

Col de Peyresourde (Avajan)

Event Date: July 14, 2024

Col de Peyresourde from Avajan is an 8.3 km climb with 559 m of elevation that'll give your legs a proper workout. Featured in the Tour de France 69 times, its sharp gradients, peaking at 13%, will challenge your stamina as you embrace the satisfaction of making it to the top.

Join the event on July 14, or ride it on-demand through July 22.

Event Date: July 19, 2024

Long and steady wins the race! Isola 2000 offers an 18.9 km, 1,146 m climb for endurance lovers. With gradients reaching 12%, this winding ascent rewards your stamina, pushing you to conquer each challenging section.

Join the event on July 19, or ride it on-demand through July 22.

Col de la Couillole

 Event Date: July 20, 2024

Challenge yourself on the Col de la Couillole, an 18.1 km climb that gains 1,202 m in elevation. With gradients approaching 20%, this climb promises a challenging yet rewarding ride, testing your limits and legs.

Join the event on July 20, or ride it on-demand through July 22.

La Turbie + Col d'Eze

Event Date: July 21, 2024

La Turbie + Col d'Eze is your last ascent! At 15.9 km long with 616 m of elevation gain, and max gradients nearing 14%, you'll climb fast and hard to the top. This custom climb, which includes both ascents from the Monaco-Nice ITT, will surely test the legs one final time. Allez! Allez!

Join the event on July 21, or ride it on-demand through July 22.

The Tour de France is one of the most prestigious annual men’s multi-stage races, and here at Zwift, we are going big this year with a complete takeover. We are bringing excitement to our France and Paris maps and making them come to life with Tour Fever!

We are doing a complete takeover! There will be three different types of events taking place throughout July:

• Climb Portal - Tour de France Climb Portal Challenge
• Monthly Mission - Tour de France Mission
• zRacing Monthly Series - Vive la France!

There will be eight new climbs available during the month of July for the Tour de France Climb Portal Campaign:

• Côte des Forche On demand: June 28 - July 22 Event date: June 29
• Col du Galibier (Lautaret) On demand: June 28 - July 22 Event date: July 2
• Pas de Peyrol/Puy Mary On demand: June 28 - July 22 Event date: July 10
• Pla d'Adet On demand: June 28 - July 22 Event date: July 13
• Col de Peyresourde (Avajan) On demand: June 28 - July 22 Event date: July 14
• Isola 2000 On demand: June 28 - July 22 Event date: July 19
• Col de la Couillole On demand: June 28 - July 22 Event date: July 20
• La Turbie + Col d'Eze On demand: June 28 - July 22 Event date: July 21

Absolutely! Stay tuned for more details to come later this summer.

Click here to learn more about Climb Portal and Climb Portal scaling.

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Tour de France

The top 10 tour de france riders of all time.

The Tour de France – originally scheduled to run from June 27 to July 19 – will now start on August 29 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look through the history books to profile 10 of the greatest riders from the race's history.

Eddy Merckx

Widely considered the greatest ever cyclist, 'the Cannibal' won the Tour in each of the first five editions he entered, four in a row between 1969 and 1972, then again in 1974 after he skipped the 1973 race to win the Giro-Vuelta double instead. Merckx's insatiable desire for victory saw him win a record 34 stages of the Tour in his career. He completed the Giro-Tour double three times, and in 1974 became the first man to win cycling's 'triple crown' of the Giro, Tour and World Championships road race, an achievement matched only once since by Stephen Roche in 1987. Merckx's hopes of a sixth title in 1975 were ruined when he was punched by a spectator on the Puy-de-Dome during stage 14, battling on to finish second overall despite suffering from an inflamed liver as a result of the incident. He would never again win another stage of the race he had dominated for so long, with his only other appearance in 1977 ending in a sixth-placed finish.

Bernard Hinault

The last Frenchman to celebrate victory in the Tour de France, Bernard Hinault took the title in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985. A sixth title eluded 'the Badger' – a knee injury forced Hinault to withdraw in 1980 while in the yellow jersey, with a similar problem preventing him from starting in 1983. But most fascinating of all was the 1986 race, in which Hinault had pledged to help La Vie Claire team-mate Greg LeMond . If he did help, he did so grudgingly, happy to play up to the idea he was capable of winning a sixth title. An attack on stage 12 to Pau put him more than five minutes clear of LeMond and he held yellow for five days, losing it after stage 17. The pair finished arm-in-arm on Alpe d'Huez at the end of stage 18 but the gesture seemed an empty one given Hinault's interview immediately afterwards claiming the race was still on. LeMond eventually triumphed by three minutes but the distrust lingered, and Hinault retired at the end of the season, still only 32.

Miguel Indurain

Of the four men to have won five Tour titles, only Spaniard Indurain achieved it with five consecutive victories as he seized control of the race from 1991 to 1995. It was a record perhaps in keeping with a rider many criticised as "robotic" as he ripped up time trials to stamp his authority on the race. Indurain's success came in the second half of his career – he had competed in the Tour and Vuelta a combined 10 times, never cracking the top 15 until he finished 10th in the 1990 Tour and seventh in that year's Vuelta, teeing up the success that began a year later. He also claimed two Giro titles, in 1992 and 1993, but never bettered his second place from 1991 in his home Grand Tour.

Jacques Anquetil

★ D-61 ★ Jacques Anquetil, ahead of Imerio Massignan, wins one of his 5th Tour, unstoppable "Maitre Jacques"... #TDF pic.twitter.com/R0zkbqn39v — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) April 29, 2013

Anquetil was the first man to win the Tour five times, taking victory in 1957, 1961, 1962, 1963 and 1964, with a Tour-Vuelta double in 1963 and a Giro-Tour double in 1964. After emerging as a strong amateur, Anquetil broke the prestigious Hour Record while on national service in the French army, teeing up the professional career that would soon follow. Riding in a very different era, Anquetil never denied doping, saying during a television debate: "Leave me in peace; everybody takes dope". Anquetil died in 1987 from stomach cancer, aged 53.

Chris Froome

Froome's awkward-looking style on a bike might frequently be mocked, but none can now question the success it has brought him with seven Grand Tour trophies in the cabinet. His Tour successes in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017 have been complimented by his stunning 2018 Giro victory and Vuelta titles from 2011 and 2017 – the 2011 title having only been awarded last year after Juan Jose Cobo was found guilty of doping, retroactively making Froome Britain's first Grand Tour winner. Many believe Froome was strong enough to have beaten Sir Bradley Wiggins in the 2012 Tour but for team orders, and it remains to be seen if his chance at a record-equalling fifth title is now gone after a high-speed crash during last year's Criterium du Dauphine left him with a long list of injuries which may prevent him from ever getting back to his best again.

Greg LeMond

LeMond's victory in 1986 went down in history as one of the most fascinating ever Tours given the intra-team battle with Hinault, but for the American it was only the beginning as he followed up with an even more dramatic win in 1989. After suffering life-threatening injuries in a 1987 hunting accident, LeMond's future in the sport was in question – he was not considered a contender in 1989 and had told his wife he was thinking about retirement. But he bossed the stage-five time trial and battled tooth and nail with Laurent Fignon through the mountains. As they began a rare time trial into Paris on the final stage, LeMond began some 50 seconds behind Fignon but stunned the Frenchman to win the Tour by just eight seconds, going on to take the world title a month later. LeMond would claim a third Tour title in 1990.

Louison Bobet

★ D-55 ★ 1955, Louison Bobet, taking a lap of honor in the Parc des Princes, wins the Tour! #TDF pic.twitter.com/6XQQIjsTrg — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) May 5, 2013

Regarded as the first great rider of the post-war era, Bobet was the first to win the Tour in three consecutive years as he dominated from 1953 to 1955. Having taken up cycling after serving in the army during World War II, Bobet's introduction to the Tour was an inauspicious one as his 1947 debut ended in an early withdrawal and earned him the nickname 'cry-baby' as he wept at the difficulty of the race. But he returned a year later to spend two days in yellow and finished third in 1950 to point to far greater potential. He won the 1955 Tour despite saddle boils which required surgery and which Bobet said made him a lesser rider for the rest of his days. After missing the 1956 and 1957 Tours, he returned in 1958, finishing seventh, but was no longer able to compete for yellow.

Philippe Thys

Philippe Thys won his 3 @letour with the number 15 & it's not the end...Learn more > https://t.co/aHbuSnUsPf pic.twitter.com/l0UlesMUff — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) June 9, 2016

'The Basset Hound' was the first three-time winner of the Tour and a man who would no doubt have contended for or won many more but for the First World War. The Belgian's first win came in 1913 despite him suffering a broken fork and incurring a 10-minute penalty when he stopped at a bike shop for repairs. He won again in 1914 but, with the intervention of war, had to wait until 1920 for his third. Tour organiser Henri Desgrange wrote: "France is not unaware that, without the war, the crack rider from Anderlecht would be celebrating not his third Tour, but his fifth or sixth."

Raymond Poulidor

1⃣9⃣6⃣6⃣ Rivalry Anquetil/Poulidor reaches its peak 👉👈🇷️🇹️ Poulidor / ❤ AnquetilRead more> https://t.co/byljkwm1rX pic.twitter.com/1UgHNH9YNn — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) June 3, 2016

Raymond Poulidor never won the Tour de France but he rode his way into its legend during his long rivalry with Jacques Anquetil. 'Pou-Pou' became known as the 'Eternal Second' as he finished second three times and third five times, riding on to the age of 40 in his hunt for the yellow jersey – a garment that would always elude him. Poulidor came closest in 1964, losing by only 55 seconds to Anquetil after the two men rode themselves to exhaustion on the Puy de Dome. But with every failure, Poulidor's popularity with the French crowds only grew, even as he was competing with a compatriot, and by the time of his death last year he was arguably France's most popular ever rider.

Mark Cavendish

Mark Cavendish sits in a category of his own in the history of the Tour as its greatest ever sprinter. Though effectively competing in a different event to those seeking to wear the yellow jersey in Paris, Cavendish became synonymous with Tour success as he utterly dominated the flat stages at his peak. Between 2008 and 2011 he won an incredible 20 stages and in total the Manxman has piled up 30 victories – second only to the record of Merckx – before illness and injury slowed him and left a question mark where there had once appeared near certainty he would one day take the record for himself.

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Sofidel Wears the “Yellow Jersey of Entrepreneurs” at the Tour de France 2024

• Awards and Rankings

Published 07-16-24

Submitted by Sofidel

Le Crédit Lyonnais (LCL) has decided to celebrate Sofidel’s commitment to sustainability by awarding it the “Maillot Jaune des Entrepreneurs” (“Yellow Jersey for Entrepreneurs”) at the Tour de France 2024.

For the past four years, during the Tour, LCL has symbolically awarded a “Yellow Jersey for Entrepreneurs” to those clients and professionals who have distinguished themselves through social responsibility policies , innovation and economic dynamism .

The Yellow Jersey, an award given to 21 companies , one for each stage of the race, was presented at the first stage of this Tour, which started in Florence.

A video dedicated to the Group was also broadcast on the occasion and a page appeared in L’Équipe , the major French sports newspaper that organizes the competition.

Seeing our name associated with a legendary race, which has written with its champions some of the greatest pages in sports history, is a source of pride and a spur to continue to improve and give our best.

About The Sofidel Group 

The Sofidel Group, a privately held company, is a world leader in the manufacture of paper for hygienic and domestic use. Founded in 1966, the Group has subsidiaries in 13 countries – Italy, Spain, the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Greece, Romania, and the USA - with more than 6,800 employees. A member of the UN Global Compact, the Sofidel Group considers sustainability a strategic imperative and is committed to promoting sustainable development. For more information, visit www.sofidel.com .

The Sofidel Group is one of the leading manufacturers of paper for hygienic and domestic use worldwide. Established in 1966, the Group has subsidiaries in 13 countries – Italy, Spain, the UK, Ireland, France, Belgium, Germany, Sweden, Poland, Hungary, Greece, Romania and the USA – with more than 6,000 employees, net sales of 2,095 million Euros (2021) and a production capacity of over one million tonnes per year (1,440,000 tonnes in 2021). “Regina”, its most well-known brand, is present on almost all the reference markets. Other brands include: Softis, Le Trèfle, Sopalin, KittenSoft, Nalys, Cosynel, Lycke, Nicky, Papernet. A member of the UN Global Compact and the international WWF Climate Savers programme, the Sofidel Group considers sustainability a strategic factor with regards to growth and is committed to reducing its impact on natural capital and maximising social benefits, setting as objective the creation of shared added value for all stakeholders. Sofidel’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets to 2030 have been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) as consistent with reductions required to keep warming to well-below 2°C, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.

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