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Tour de france 2022 schedule: start time, stages, length, dates, how to watch live stream, route, tv coverage, highlights.

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The 2022 Tour de France begins on Friday, July 1 through Sunday, July 24 across the networks of NBC, USA Network, and Peacock. This year’s cycling event features nine new sites and stages indicated with an asterisk in the schedule below.

RELATED: 2022 Tour de France TV, live stream schedule

Additionally, there will be two individual time trials in this year’s Tour marking the first time since 2017 that the event begins with an individual time trial and the third straight year with one on the penultimate Tour stage. See below to find out more information including how to watch, stages, the complete schedule, and more.

RELATED: 2022 Tour de France standings

2022 Tour de France Key Information

When is the 2022 tour de france what time does coverage start.

The 2022 Tour de France will take place from July 1-July 24. Coverage of stage 1 begins at 9:30 a.m. ET on Peacock and USA Network.

How can I watch the 2022 Tour de France?

Stream all 21 stages of the 2022 Tour de France from start to finish, or watch on-demand on NBC, USA, and Peacock . All NBC and USA coverage also streams on NBCSports.com/live and the NBC Sports app. Click here for the full broadcast schedule .

RELATED: Tour de France Stage 12 yellow jersey ceremony

How long is the Tour de France 2022?

The 2022 Tour de France is 24 days long. There will be one stage contested per day and three rest days. The first rest day is on July 4 (between stages 3 & 4), the second will be on July 11 (between stages 9 & 10), and the final rest day will be on July 18 (between stages 15 & 16).

How many riders are in the Tour?

There will be a total of 176 riders. There will be 22 teams with 8 riders per team.

RELATED: 2022 Tour de France: Cyclists to watch

How many stages is the Tour de France?

There are 21 stages: 6 flat, 7 hilly, 6 mountain stages, and 2 individual time trials.

What is the 2022 Tour de France schedule and route?

Click here to see the full map.

RELATED: 2022 Tour de France route - stage profiles, previews, start, finish times

How many miles is the 2022 Tour de France?

A total of 3,346.5 km (approximately 2,079.4 miles) is the distance expected to be covered in this year’s Tour.

Previous Tour de France Winners

2021 - Tadej Pogacar

2020 - Tadej Pogacar

2019 - Egan Bernal

2018 - Geraint Thomas

2017 - Chris Froome

2016 - Chris Froome

2015 - Chris Froome

2014 - Vincenzo Nibali

2013 - Chris Froome

2012 - Bradley Wiggins

2011 - Cadel Evans

2010 - Andy Schleck

WATCH: All episodes of ‘In the Saddle’

Be sure to follow OlympicTalk for the latest news, storylines, and updates on the 2022 Tour de France!

• Spring Classics

Tour de France 2024

The 2024 Tour de France will host a first Grand Départ in Italy along with gravel roads, several mountain tests and a first ever finish outside of Paris

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Tour de France

• Dates 29 Jun - 21 Jul
• Race Length 3,492 kms
• Race Category Elite Men

Updated: January 29, 2024

Tour de France 2024 overview

The 2024 Tour de France will begin on Saturday 29 June, with a first-ever Grand Départ in Italy. The 111th edition of Le Tour will run until Sunday 21 July, finishing in Nice. It will be the first time in the race's history that it will finish outside of France's capital due to the Olympic Games.

The race will feature four summit finishes across the three weeks, at Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet and Plateau de Beille in the Pyrenees before Isola 2000 and Col de la Couillole in the Alps. There are three further mountain days, four hilly stages, and eight stages for the sprinters to target.

Two time trials feature in the route too, with a 25km course on stage 7 and a 34km final stage time trial into Nice. It marks the first time that the Tour de France will conclude with a race against the clock since the iconic Fignon-LeMond battle in 1989.

Gravel also makes an appearance at the Tour for the first time in 2024, with 32km of Champagne region white gravel roads included in stage 9's parcours.

The full route for 2024's edition was unveiled by race organisers ASO on October 25 at Paris' Palais des Congrès.

• Tour de France 2024 route revealed
• Tour de France 2024: Analysing the contenders
• Geraint Thomas to ride both Giro d'Italia and Tour de France in 2024
• Tadej Pogačar to race Tour de France, Olympics, and Worlds after Giro debut
• Jumbo-Visma still expect Tadej Pogačar to threaten at Tour de France

Tour de France 2024 key information

When is the Tour de France 2024?  The 2024 edition of the Tour de France will start on Saturday 29 June and run until Sunday, 21 July.

Where does the Tour de France 2024 take place?  The 2024 Tour de France starts in Italy for the opening three stages, before moving to France for the remainder. For the first time in the race’s history, it will finish outside Paris, due to the 2024 Olympic Games in the French capital, with Nice stepping in to host the finale. In between the Tour will make use of its two staple high-mountain ranges, the Alps and Pyrenees.

Who won the Tour de France in 2023?  The 2023 edition was won by Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), with the Dane putting two-time winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) to the sword for the second year in a row. The contest was evenly-matched until the stage 16 time trial in the Alps, where Vingegaard blew the competition to smithereens.

How old is the Tour de France?  The Tour Tour de France was first held in 1903. The 2024 edition is the 111th.

Who won the first Tour de France?  Maurice Garin was the first ever winner of the Tour de France in 1903, winning the opening stage and holding the lead all the way through.

Who has the most wins at the Tour de France?  Four riders stand at the top of the all-time honours list, with five victories each for Jacques Anqetuil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain They claimed their fifth titles, respectively, in 1964, 1974, 1985, 1995.

Tour de France 2024 route: Four summit finishes, two time trials and gravel roads

The 2024 Tour de France will feature four summit finishes, two time and some gravel roads after a testing start in Italy.

The route for the 111th edition of the race was officially unveiled to the world in Paris’ Palais des Congrès on October 25th by race organisers ASO.

An Italian Grand Départ for the first time ever was already known, so too were the race's final two stages, taking place around Nice as the traditional finish in Paris has been disrupted by the French capital gearing up for the Olympic Games. It marks the first finish outside Paris in the Tour de France's history.

Starting in Florence on June 29 and finishing, 21 stages and two rest days later, in Nice on July 21, the race will cover 3,405.6km, through Italy, San Marino, Monaco and France, with a total of 52,230m of elevation gain.

The race's mountain-heavy focus across the board is clear to see, with a hilly opening few days in Italy followed by a return to France with a bang. Stage 4 sees the race head north from Pinerolo in Italy and the only way is via the Alps. An early meeting with the Col du Galibier before a finish down in Valloire on stage 4 means the highest point in the 2024 Tour will come on the first day of racing on French soil.

Once that's tackled, the Tour de France heads north for a time trial and some gravel roads along France's eastern flank.

As the race enters its second half, back-to-back summit finishes await in the Pyrenees before the riders return to the Alps with finishes atop Isola 2000 and La Colmiane likely to play a deciding factor in the overall standings.

Even after the Alps are dealt with, a final stage individual time trial from Monaco to Nice still includes some climbing, with both La Turbie and Col d'Èze to be tackled before the three weeks can officially be drawn to a close and the winner crowned.

The 2024 Tour de France route will feature gravel for the first time

Despite the race actually featuring 4,170m less elevation gain that the 2023 edition, its bookend positioning is likely to keep the sprinters up at night. The 2024 Tour de France route will traverse four different mountain ranges over the three weeks, including the Apennines in Italy, both the Italian and French Alps, the Massif Central and the Pyrenees. Of the seven mountain stages, four of them will be summit finishes: Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet, Plateau de Beille, Isola 2000 and the Col de la Couillole.

Meanwhile, away from the climbing, there's an increase to the time trialling distance at the 2024 Tour de France. Compared to 110th edition's meagre serving of just 22km, there will be 59km against the clock in 2024 on stages 7 and 21. The first ITT is a 25km rolling test, whilst the final stage measures 34km from Monaco to Nice which includes the La Turbie and Col d’Eze climbs before a long descent back to the coast for a short run up and down the Promenade des Anglais to finish the Tour.

The sprinters will be buoyed by at least seven possible chances of glory, however they will first have to battle through the opening few days in the Apennines and Alps.

Arguably one of the most eye-catching days of the race will fall on stage 9, with 32km of white gravel roads included on the route that starts and finishes in Troyes. The hilly stage features 14 gravel sectors across its 199km distance, with the first arriving after 47km and the last just 10km from the line.

For a full look at the route, including a breakdown of each of the three weeks, head to our route announcement page .

Tour de France 2024 contenders: Vingegaard, Roglič, Evenepoel and surely Pogačar

Although the route has not yet been officially unveiled, it’s already clear that we will have a stellar cast of Grand Tour stars for the 2024 Tour de France. Jonas Vingegaard , winner of the past two editions is all but certain to return to go for the triple, and build his season around that target.

It’s also no secret that Primož Roglič , having won the Giro d’Italia last year and the Vuelta a España three times before that, has made the Tour the central ambition of what remains of his career. He has forced an exit from Jumbo-Visma precisely to make that happen, and will certainly lead the line for his new team Bora-Hansgrohe next July.

Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) has also strongly indicated that 2024 is the time for his Tour de France debut, even if the Giro d’Italia’s hefty helping of time trialling might give him some cause for doubt. The 23-year-old Belgian won the Vuelta in 2022 but was forced out of this year’s Giro with COVID-19 before an off-day derailed his Vuelta, but he is eager to make the next step to the highest rung of Grand Tour riders.

There is a little more doubt surrounding the other member of the superstar tier of contenders, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), who has been linked with a debut at the Giro. The Slovenian won the Tour twice in 2020 and 2021 but has been runner-up to Vingegaard for the past two years and, for a rider so keen on variety, 2024 may well be the time to shake things up. Even if he did the Giro, it’s unlikely UAE would let him miss the Tour entirely. Whether he could win both is another matter – no one has done it since Marco Pantani in 1998.

Ineos Grenadiers won seven yellow jerseys in the nine years from 2012 to 2019, but have fallen from their perch and don’t appear to have a rider on the same level of those listed above, with Carlos Rodríguez and possibly Geraint Thomas to carry the torch.

Which teams are racing the Tour de France 2024?

The 2024 Tour de France will comprise 22 teams, 18 of which are the WorldTour teams , and two of which are set to be the automatically-invited top two second-division ProTeams . That leaves two wildcard slots for the organisers to grant to teams of their choosing.

• AG2R Citroën
• Alpecin-Deceuninck
• Arkéa Samsic
• Astana Qazaqstan
• Bahrain Victorious
• Bora-Hansgrohe
• dsm-firmenich
• EF Education-EasyPost
• Groupama-FDJ
• Ineos Grenadiers
• Intermarché-Circus-Wanty
• Jayco AlUla
• Jumbo-Visma
• Soudal-Quick Step
• UAE Team Emirates
• Lotto Dstny (if they take up their invite)
• Israel-Premier Tech (if they take up their invite)
• Wildcard invite (TBC)

Tour de France jerseys

As well as 21 stage wins, there are also four distinctive jerseys up for grabs at the Tour de France, with each of the four awarded to a rider at the end of each stage, before the ultimate winner is crowned at the end of the race.

© Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images

The jersey winners at the 2023 Tour de France

Yellow jersey (maillot jaune) –  worn by the leader of the general classification, the rider with the lowest overall time.

Polka dot jersey (maillot à pois) –  worn by the leader of the mountains classification, with points awarded on all categorised climbs.

Green jersey (maillot vert) –  worn by the leader of the points classification, which is based on finishing positions on all road stages. This is often a sprinter.

White jersey (maillot blanc) –  worn by the best young rider, being 25 or under, on the general classification.

Additional classifications:  There is a teams classification, where the riders of the leading team wear yellow dossards (bib numbers), and a combativity prize, where the boldest rider from the previous stage wears a red dossard, with an overall combativity award presented at the end.

What happened at the Tour de France 2023?

Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) won the 2023 Tour de France, claiming his second straight yellow jersey after another entertaining battle with Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

Vingegaard landed the first real blow, gaining over a minute on the first Pyrenrean stage in the opening week, but Pogačar hit back the very next day, dropping Vingegaard en route to stage victory at Cauterets. The pair were locked in battle throughout the second week, with Pogačar the chief aggressor on the Puy de Dome, Grand Colombier, and the Col de Joux Plane that preceded the finish in Morzine.

However, he could not shake Vingegaard, and he was knocked for six on the opening day of the final week as the Dane produced one of the most stunning time trial displays in recent memory, taking more than 90 seconds on the hilly TT in the Alps. This time, Pogačar could not fight back, and he fell apart the next day on the tough stage over the Col de la Loze to Courchevel, falling to more than seven minutes down.

There was one final kick-back, as Pogačar won the penultimate stage on the Markstein, but Vingegaard was sailing by that point, and rode into Paris to seal his second Tour de France title.

The green jersey was won by Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who won four sprint stages, while the polka-dot mountains jersey was won by Lidl-Trek’s Italian Giulio Ciccone. Pogačar was the best young rider in his last year of eligibility, while Jumbo-Visma topped the teams classification.

Tour de France history

This maiden Tour started in Montgeron and finished in Paris, visiting Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Nantes along the way. Many of the stages in this first edition exceeded 400km in length, forcing riders to race throughout the night. The home favourite, Maurice Garin, won this inaugural edition and in doing so etched his name into the cycling history books. The Frenchman, affectionately known as ‘The Little Chimney Sweep’, won the first edition by a massive margin of two hours, 59 minutes and 21 seconds - the largest ever winning margin in the history of the race.

In the editions that followed the race snowballed in popularity and soon inspired similar races elsewhere in Europe, most notably in Italy with the Giro d’Italia. During these early years Desgrange toyed with the race’s format and in 1910 he sent the race on its first foray into the Pyrenees, setting a precedent that would remain for nearly every edition since.

He changed the race once again in the 30s when he introduced the concept of national teams, forcing riders to race for their countries rather than their trade teams. After a brief hiatus during World War II the race returned in 1947 under the control of a new chief organiser, Jacques Goddet. Goddet orchestrated the race up until 1986, slowly moulding it into the three-week race we all know and love today.

Over these post-war years, each decade has been dominated by a different rider - their names almost as famous as the Tour itself. Jacques Anquetil dominated during the 60s, Eddy Merckx the 70s, Bernard Hinault the 80s and Miguel Indurain the 90s. These four riders also share the record for the largest number of wins, having won five overall titles apiece.

France dominates the winners list in this race, with 36 wins from 109 editions. Despite topping this list, the home nation has failed to win since 1985 when Hinault took his fifth and final overall title. Several Frenchman have come close over the years - most recently Romain Bardet who placed second in 2016 - but none have managed to bring home the coveted yellow jersey and end the 38-year drought.

It’s France’s sporting rivals, Great Britain, who dominated the race during the last decade. Since 2012, British riders have taken six overall titles with three different riders - Bradley Wiggins (2012), Chris Froome (2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017) and Geraint Thomas (2018). All three of these riders rode for Team Sky during their Tour-winning years, a team that dominated the Grand Tours for the best part of a decade. In 2019 they won their seventh Tour title in just eight years, with the young Colombian, Egan Bernal.

The British team, however, have fallen from their perch, with UAE Team Emirates and Jumbo-Visma usurping them in the UCI rankings and sharing the past four Tours between them. The Vingegaard-Pogačar rivalry has served up a thrilling modern chapter of the Tour de France, and witg Evenepoel and Roglič joining the fray from different angles, the 2024 edition promises to be a blockbuster.

Explore more about the Tour de France by clicking on the tabs above.

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3 Tour de France 2024: Analysing the contenders

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5 Simon Yates: I want to try to take it to these super teams

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Tour de France after all? Wout van Aert said in December that is practically not an option

Wout van Aert won't be participating in the Giro d'Italia, missing his second major goal of the year after the most important spring classics, as he announced in a video message. The Belgian of Visma | Lease a Bike now has just one main goal left, out of the ones he listed during the team's day in December. And that is exactly why a simple assessment towards the Tour de France could now suddenly turn out quite differently...

Van Aert took a different approach last winter. He significantly cut down on his cyclo-cross season, focused even more on road racing, and made even more selective choices than before. Everything was focused on preparing for the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. No Paris-Nice or Tirreno-Adriatico for him, but instead, a high-altitude training camp. Then, everything went awry on just his eleventh race day of 2024, after a hard crash in Dwars door Vlaanderen. Van Aert broke a collarbone, seven ribs and his sternum.

The fractures are healing well, the superstar states on the official channels of Visma | Lease a Bike. "But my ribs are still a limiting factor. At this point, I cannot train at all. I'm trying to do my first pedal strokes on the bike, but it is not enough for serious training," he tells us, explaining why he is skipping the Giro.

Van Aert was set to ride the Tour of Italy for the first time, having participated in every edition of the Tour de France since 2019. After nine stage wins, wearing the yellow jersey, and securing the green jersey (2022), Van Aert felt it was time for a change. Jonas Vingegaard, his good friend and versatile teammate, was left disappointed. If he recovers in time from his crash in the Tour of the Basque Country, he will have to go for his third consecutive Tour victory without Van Aert's support.

Continue reading below the photo!

Will Van Aert stand by his earlier decision?

Or perhaps not? Now that Van Aert is missing the Giro, the Tour de France suddenly seems entirely possible. Just like for Vingegaard, this would obviously require sufficient time to train and get into top shape leading up to the Tour de France. The problem is that Wout's third and only remaining big goal for 2024 was (and is) not the Tour, but rather the time trial at the Olympic Games in Paris. He shared this in December during an open interview with IDLProCycling.com , among others. "In the championships, I often come across guys who have prepared 100 percent for the time trial, whereas I often came from another race and then did the best I could. I've never done a race like that with thorough preparation," he explained.

The Tour de France finishes on July 21, 2024, in Nice. The Olympic time trial is scheduled for July 27. "Without the Tour, I have the time to prepare 100 percent for the time trial. That's what I'm looking forward to," Van Aert honestly said. In fact, he even saw the Tour as an obstacle for his competitors to achieving the gold in Paris. "Because of the Olympic Games, I wanted to choose a different approach. The Olympic time trial is the Saturday after the Tour de France, so I don't think the guys who do the Tour can show the maximum of their capabilities in that time trial. A training camp leading up to the time trial is a much better preparation."

As it happened: Stevie Williams sprints to win freezing Flèche Wallonne

The peloton tackle 199.1km and four times up the famed Mur de Huy

La Flèche Wallonne 2024 route La Flèche Wallonne 2024 overview La Flèche Wallonne 2024 - Analysing the contenders

Race Situation

- The peloton tackle 199.1km and four times up the famed Mur de Huy.

- Very cold conditions as hailstones and snow falls.

- Williams wins from a reduced bunch sprint up the Mur de Huy.

100KM TO GO

110km to go, 120km to go, 130km to go, 140km to go, 150km to go, 160km to go, 170km to go, 180km to go, 190km to go, 199km to go.

Thanks for joining us today, for what was an unexpectedly thrilling edition of La Flèche Wallonne, ending with an unfancied winner. The weather made the race, and is making the women suffer too at the La Flèche Wallonne Femmes - make sure to follow all the action with us as it builds towards its conclusion.

These are also two very good results for the young riders either side of him on the podium.  Vauquelin only turns 23 next week, and runner-up here is a realisation of the talent he has shown many times already this year. For Van Gils, its a second major podium finish this spring following his very impressive third place at Strade Bianche.

That’s undoubtedly a career best win for Williams. He’s been in great form this year, winning GC at the Tour Down Under and being up there in the punchy Volta a Catalunya sprints, but this is at a whole other level. His Welsh compatriot Luke Rowe was on co-commentary on the TV, and singled him out for the win once the weather took a turn for the worse - it seems he flourishes in these kind of horrible conditions.

Dressed in a big coat that's warming him up, here's Williams at the finish:

"What a day. I'm so happy right now. I can't believe I just won Fleche! I've been watching this race for years and I've always wanted to come here with with with decent legs to try and win it. 

"Today with the weather - I do enjoy racing this kind of weather and to come away with a victory - I'm just over the moon. The boys backed me all day and they gave me the best chance to try and to result today and to come away with the win here is special, really special."

Interestingly, four of the top five were riders who went clear on the previous ascent of Mur de Huy. In hindsight, it's clear keeping your power dry and reserving your energy wasn't a neccessary approach on this occasion. 

The top ten in full:

1.Stevie Williams

2.Kevin Vanquelin at s.t.

3.Maxim Van Gils at 0-03

4.Benoît Cosnefroy 

5.Santiago Buitrago both at s.t.

6.Tobian Johannessen at 0-10

7.Romain Grégoire

8.Dorion Godon

9.Tiesj Benoot

10.Guillame Martin all at s.t.

Further back, Van Gils sealed the final place on the podium in third.

Behind, Vanquelin finished second, only a bike-length behind ultimatley.

Williams took off about 400m from the line, taking everybody by surprise. They may have felt he'd gone too early, and indeed he was tiring majorly by the end, but just about managed to hang on.

Williams wins!

Vauquelin is coming!

Cosnefroy responds, but he's got a lot of ground to make up.

He's got a gap...

Williams attacks!

Lidl's Skujiņš leads on the steep slopes.

Some riders are being dropped, but most bunched together.

Now Visma-Lease a Bike take over at the front with one of their three remainning riders.

Decathlon lead on the lower slopes. 

They're on the climb!

Uno-X have even more riders, though, and all four of them are in single file at the front alongside them.

Decathlon AG2R have numbers, and jostle towards the front on a corner.

Just 1.5km until they start the climb.

It's going to be interesting to see which riders are the strongest on this climactic climb up Mur de Huy. Will Williams, Carapaz, Buitrago, Van Gils and Vauquelin be as strong as they were last time up, or are they no longer fresh after their work earlier? Have the likes of Cosnefroy, Benoot, Skujiņš, Healy, Hermans, Lapeira, Grégoire, Johannessen and Laurance reserved enough energy to unleash on it now? We’ll soon find out...

Incidentally, the weather is much nicer now, with no more rain falling. Most still have warm gear on, but the speedy pace is at least making the cold less of a factor.

He's been caught, and Visma-Lease a Bike have taken control of the peloton with Tim Van Dijk. They must be confident of Benoot's chances in a sprint. 

Not everyone is happy to let this come down to a sprint - an Uno-X rider has just attacked.

There can't be much more than 30 riders left in the peloton. The usual uphill sprint finish might seem set to be the outcome after all, but the weather has made this a much harder (and, less face it, more entertaining) edition of this race than usual. 

It's Uno-X who lead the peloton to the top of the climb, setting a pace hard enough to prevent any attacks from even being attempted. 

A visibly tired Andersen is brought back on the climb by an Uno-X-led peloton. It was a fine effort for the Dane, and really enlivened the race.

They're on the Côte d'Ereffe. Will there be any more attacks?

The quintet have sat up and are waiting for the peloton. Andersen's still 18 seconds up the road, but surely his days too are numbered. 

Only one ascent of the Côte d'Ereffe to come before the finishing effort of Mur de Huy. What happens here could be pivotal in whether or not the race does indeed come back for the usual final bunch (albeit a very reduced on) sprint. 

Andersen is struggling now, and only has about 20 seconds on the peloton. The peloton remains another 20 seconds or so behind them.

There are plenty of big names in the peloton: Benoot, Cosnefroy, Madouas, Healy, Van Wilder,  Grégoire, Quinten Hermans and Axel Laurance are all present.

Right now the quintet of chasers are in the ascendency, closing in on Andersen and pulling away from the peloton. But, after all this action, this could yet all come back together.

The chasing quintet is working well together, and have brought their defecit to Andersen down to 40 seconds. 

Uno-X are well represented in the peloton, and have three riders contributing to the chase, but aren't making any inroads for now.

Williams has eased up, meaning he, Van Gils, Carapaz, Buitrago and  Vauquelin are all together, about ten seconds ahead of the peloton.

Despite all this action, Andersen still has a lead of around one minute. His chance of success may hinge on how well this chase group works together.

Behind them, Uno-X are leading a peloton that's now very small.

 Vauquelin and Van Gils were the two riders behind Carapaz and Buitrago, and they've caught them now to form a chase group behind Williams. 

Behind him, Buitrago and Carapaz are togther, a few seconds ahead of another pair of riders.

It's all kicking off in the peloton though! Stepheb Williams has attacked and got a gap of several seconds. 

Andersen hears the bell, reaches the top, and keeps pressing on. He still leads by 1-07, and has a chance.

Buitrago is leading the peloton and setting a strong pace, Williams on his wheel. 

They're on the Mur again now. Andersen's gap up yet more, to 1-25.

He's eased up now and is back in the peloton. 

Ben Healy is leading the peloton again, but it’s hard to tell if he’s attacking or upping the pace. He has a few bike lengths, and keeps looking behind him, but isn't easing up.

Andersen has a lead of 1-10. In a year of long-range solo victories in the classics, surely we won't see another one succeed in the classic least conducive to winning that way?

Ben Healy is leading the peloton, suggesting that he's performing the same domestique role he did at Amstel Gold. Richard Carapaz is a teammate in the group with him, who he must be working in aid of.

Still appears to be around 30 riders in the peloton. Neither Van Gils nor anyone else managed to escape out of it on the climb. 

Andersen reaches the top of the climb with his lead increased, to nearly one minute. He's a dangerous rider the peloton will need to be careful to bring back.

Holgaard is caught on the climb, while Van Gils is still trying to get away.

Attacks are indeed being made from the peloton, with the dangerous Max Van Gils in the midst of things. 

The weather has improved, and it no longer seems to be raining. But it’s still very cold.

Côte d'Ereffe is coming up again soon, after which the riders will have to climb it just once more and the Mur de Huy twice more. This edition is much more open than we’re used to, so it might be hard to control - there could be some attacks from dangerous riders on this climb. 

The Uno-X rider is Markus Hoelgaard, and he's 30 seconds behind the leader Andersen, and 10 seconds ahead of the peloton.

Behind Andersen, Prodhomme was caught, and instead an Uno-X is pursuing him alone.

The riders on the Mur de Huy earlier.

Andersen really is committed to this move. He's all on his own, but had managed to gain 30 seconds. He's the kind of rider who can make a long-range solo move stick, as he did at the Tour de France a few years ago.

Benoot's at the team car, where a staff member is literally having to put his glove on for him. He's too cold to do so himself. 

Despite struggling earlier, Benoot is still in this reduced peloton. EF still well represented too after their work earlier, with Healy and Carapaz still present. 

Nicolas Prodhomme has now escaped out of the peloton and is setting off after Andersen. 

It’s hard to remember a men’s Flèche Wallonne as action packed as this. Has the time at last come when we’ll witness a different outcome from the usual final Mur de Huy bunch sprint?

Most of the moves didn't succeed, but Søren Kragh Andersen has managed to escape and build a gap of about 10 seconds.

With the peloton significantly reduced, and no team in control of it, attacks are now flying off the front.

The peloton reach the top, and there are only about 30 riders left, with multiple splits behind. As well as Hirschi, Skjelmose Pidcock and Vansevenant are among the favourites distenced.

Marc Hirschi is being dropped now on the climb.

Some of the the riders caught out have now managed to rejoin, but Skjelmose is one rider still struggling. They've just started climbing the Mur de Huy again.

There's been a split in the peloton, and lots of big names have been caught the wrong side of it - Tom Pidcock, Mattias Skjelmose and Tiesj Benoot. This could be a major development...

The remaining three riders have been caught, leaving no more riders up the road ahead of the peloton.

Groupama-FDJ are now riding at the front of the peloton, even though their rider David Gaudu was spotted just out the back a few minutes ago. Presumably they're working for either Valentin Madouas or Romain Grégoire.

A glimpse of how wet it is out there.

Just Calmejane, Meens and Juaristi are left in the break now. They’re leads down to 25 seconds.

Meanwhile out front, after all his work to get back in, Whelan has been dropped from the break again. 

Now Pello Bilbao is being dropped. These conditions could throw up many suprises in the results. 

A big surprise now as Dylan Teuns is dropped from the peloton. The winner from 2022 was one of the pre-race favourites. He seems to be suffering in the cold.

Some riders being dropped out of the peloton on the climb, including Lidl-Trek's Andrea Bagioli.

EF Education-Easypost lead the peloton onto the climb.

The leaders are on the climb now. They might not be out for much longer though - the gap is down to a mere 40 seconds. 

They're about to start going up the Côte d'Ereffe again. It'll at least provide a chance to warm up a bit. 

Whelan has at least managed to make it back into the lead group, after all his problems with the cold earlier. 

It's now snowing!

Dodgy moment for Alpecin's Stan Van Tricht as he nearly comes a cropper riding through a deep puddle on the side of the road. Conditions really are rough out there.

Vansevenant has bridged back up to the peloton, while Jousseaume has succumbed to the cold and dropped back into it.

The break in the downpour earlier. There were even hailstones for a short while. 

The peloton has been reduced since the Mur de Huy. Even Mauri Vansevenant, who impressed on Sunday to finish fourth at Amstel Gold, has lost contact for now.

Jousseaume has also dropped out from the break, also having had trouble getting his rain gear on. He’s had so many problems that he’s even stopped at the roadside just to zip the jacket up. With Whelan having failed so far to rejoin, the leading group is currently down to four riders.

The rain isn't as bad as it was, but it's still very cold, making this a very uncomfortable day for the riders, who are layering up. 

Now the peloton reach the top, 2-55 behind. It's being led by UAE Team Emirates, who look intent on making this a fast race. 

The leaders reach the summit, with Whelan now just a few seconds behind and looking set to make contact again. 

The peloton is approaching it too, and there's a fight for position, with lots of EF and UAE riders to the fore.

The leaders are on the Mur de Huy now, where many spectators have braved the rain.

Whelan has the jacket on now, but has found himself off the back of the rest of the break.

Poor James Whelan is having a horrible time trying to put in rain jacket on. He's got one sleeze in, but has been trying for minutes now to get the other one in. It really is hard when it's as cold and as rainy as it is right now - flashbacks to Jai Hindley having a similar crisis during the Stelvio stage of the 2020 Giro d'Italia.

Chzhan and Meens have rejoined the leaders. The break might split up again soon, though, as the Mur de Huy lurks just around the corner.

The action has seen the gap between the leaders and the peloton come down, to about 3-30. 

Still, the team has multiple options to choose between - not only 2020 winner Marc Hirschi, but also Juan Ayuso, Brandon McNulty, Diego Ulissi and Finn Fisher-Black.

Though UAE Team Emirates are the team who increased the pace, the only big name spotted out the back so far is one of their own riders, João Almeida.

Up ahead, the break is splitting up. Chzhan and Meens have been dropped by the other four. 

Not only that, but the racing is on too now. UAE Team Emirates have moved to the front and are laying down the hammer.

Not only is it raining, it's raining hard! Riders getting absolutely drenched. 

Interesting development now as the rain starts to fall. Riders are dropping back to put on rain jackets.

The Côte d'Ereffe is longer than the Mur de Huy, measuring 2.2km compared to its 1.3km, but lacks its steep slopes, averaging just 5.4%. The leaders are tackling it at a steady pace. 

Right, we're back climbing again. The leaders are on the finishing circuit, and are on the Côte d'Ereffe for the first time today. 

The wind turbines on the horizon of the race aren't picking up much action. It's cold out there, but not windy. A nice, easy day for the riders, with none of the threatened rain materialising.

The Flèche Wallonne Femmes is also getting underway - you can follow all the action here. 

The gap's come down a bit, to 4-20, but still no urgency in the race. Some riders are taking comfort breaks as we speak. 

While we wait for the action to kick off, have a read of the riders we’ve picked out as the favourites for victory today.

Another 10km pass, and things remain the same. The riders are travelling through undulating terrain, but with no proper climbs to spark serious racing. That'll change in about 20km when they arrive onto the finishing circuit. 

The race has very much settled into a holding pattern. The gap is 4-40, and neither going up nor down at the moment.

EF Education-EasyPostNL have also had a presence at the front of the peloton, indicating their ambitions. Ben Healy, pictured here in the Irish national champion’s jersey, is their obvious contender, but at Amstel Gold he switched to a domestique role for Marijn van den Berg - and could do the same today for Richard Carapaz, who is the kind of pure climber that might relish the Mur de Huy.

We're a quarter of the way into the race, and things are calm for now. The break's lead is 4-30, and the next climb isn't for another 40km.

The leaders are done climbing the Côte d'Yvoir, with Juaristi the first to the top. Next, the riders will approach the finishing circuit, where the Mur de Huy and Côte d'Ereffe will each be taken on four times.

Lidl-Trek are also contributing to the chase, for their man Mattias Skjelmose. He’s been in great form so far this season, and proved last year that he can do the Mur de Huy by sprinting for second up it last year, beaten only by Tadej Pogačar.

The Mur de Huy might be the race’s famous climb, but there are others to be tackled too - the first of which, Côte d'Yvoir, is coming in just a few kilometres.

It’s quite cold out, as indicated by the riders’ attire. There has also been some talk of rain, but it remains dry for now.

4-30 now from the leaders to the peloton, where it's relaxed for now. Van der Beken sat up and has been reabsorbed.

Here are the six riders up the road - James Whelan, Igor Chzhan, Johan Meens, Alan Jousseaume, Lilian Calmejane and Txomin Juaristi.

Ineos Grenadiers have taken control of the peloton, embracing the notion that Tom Pidcock is favourite for today.

Before the start, Pidcock explained how “there was not much time to celebrate” after his Amstel Gold win. 

“A few guys changed their flights, we had a nice dinner, but when you come to these races you know there are three this week.

“[Amstel Gold] was tough, but I recovered well. I’m recovering really fast at the moment, and I feel good. I know the legs are good, today’s a tricky race. It’s almost tactical this climb, I’ve never got it right before. So we’ll see.

“My best result [at Flèche Wallonne] was sixth, in my first year where I came off quite a turbulent few days after Amstel Gold, when my head wasn’t in the right place. And last year I came in super-far back. I can definitely do better than that, but it’s going to be difficult to win, like every race now.”

Over three minutes now for the lead group, but they're still not hanging about - so much so that Van der Beken doesn't look like he's going to make it. He's drifted to no-man's land, about halfway between both groups.

Meens and Chzhan have joined the lead group on an uncategorised uphill they're climbing, but have dropped Van der Beken, who has yet to make the junction.

Now nearly two minutes for the leaders - it seems the peloton is happy to let this one go. 

There are a few more riders out of the peloton trying to join the four leaders - Igor Chzhan, Aaron Van den Beken and Johan Meens.

The peloton seems happy with this group already, with their lead already having grown to over a minute.

Attacks are being made, and four riders have a small gap: Lilain Calmejane, Txomin Juaristi, James Whelan and Alan Jousseaume. 

Another top tip is Marc Hirschi. Along with Dylan Teuns, he’s one of only two former winners taking part, and for the first time in a while is starting to show some signs of the form he was in four years ago when he triumphed here.

If there is an outright favourite, then it's probably Tom Pidcock. In the absence of Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel, he’s the puncheur with the most star quality, and marked himself out as the man to beat by winning Amstel Gold on Sunday.

The riders are in the neutralised zone and will begin racing shortly.

The sense of predictability has led to many repeat winners in recent years — Alejandro Valverde won four in succession between 2014 - 2017, while Julian Alaphilippe triumphed in three of the following four editions. But this year’s race looks very open, missing defending champion Tadej Pogačar and lacking an outright favourite.

While most of the classics change over the years, be it in terms of route or tactics,La Flèche Wallonne remains constant. The Mur de Huy has been the race’s finish for four whole decades, and virtually every year the race comes down to a sprint up it.

We’re in the Ardennes for the second leg of Ardennes Week, following last Sunday’s exciting and unpredictable Amstel Gold Race.

Hello and welcome to Cyclingnews ' live coverage fo Flèche Wallonne.

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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.

'An absolute machine!' - O'Sullivan responds to Froome question in 'Voice Notes'

Pogacar ‘could pay the price’ for his early season feats ahead of Giro-Tour double - Indurain

29/03/2024 at 18:27

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25/03/2024 at 14:53

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2023 Edition

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TOTAL: 3492 km

This will be the first Grand Départ in Italy and the 26th that’s taken place abroad  First finale in Nice. Due to the Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place in Paris, the race will not finish in the French capital for the first time.

Two time trials. 25 + 34 = 59km in total, the second of them taking place on the final Monaco>Nice stage. This will be the first time the race has seen a finale of this type for 35 years, the last occasion being the famous Fignon - LeMond duel in 1989.

Apennines (Italy), the Italian and French Alps, Massif Central and Pyrenees will be the mountain ranges on the 2024 Tour route.

The number of countries visited in 2024: Italy, San Marino, Monaco and France. Within France, the race will pass through 7 Regions and 30 departments.

The number of bonus points 8, 5 and 2 bonus seconds go to the first three classified riders, featuring at strategic points along the route (subject to approval by the International Cycling Union)these will have no effect on the points classification. Bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds will be awarded to the first three classified riders at road stage finishes.

Out of a total of 39, the locations or stage towns that are appearing on the Tour map for the first time . In order of appearance: Florence, Rimini, Cesenatico, Bologna, Piacenza, Saint-Vulbas, Gevrey-Chambertin, Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, Évaux-les-Bains, Gruissan, Superdévoluy, Col de la Couillole.

The number of sectors on white roads during stage nine, amounting to 32km in total .

The number of stages: 8 flat, 4 hilly, 7 mountain (with 4 summit finishes at Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet, Plateau de Beille, Isola 2000, Col de la Couillole), 2 time trials and 2 rest days.

The number of riders who will line up at the start of the Tour, divided into 22 teams of 8 riders each.

The height of the summit of the Bonette pass in the Alps, the highest tarmac road in France, which will be the “roof” of the 2024 Tour.

The total vertical gain during the 2024 Tour de France.

PRIZE MONEY

A total of 2,3 million euros will be awarded to the teams and riders including € 500,000 to the final winner of the overall individual classification .

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