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Rating the 2021 Tour de France top 10

From Uran to Pogacar, we assess the performances of this year's best GC riders

The  2021 Tour de France  was wrapped up in Paris on Sunday, with  Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) topping the overall standings with his second victory in as many years. 

His victory seemed ingrained since the very first week, and similarly the podium ended up being a very clear-cut affair, with debutant Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) the only riders able to get near the yellow jersey in the Pyrenees. 

Filling out the rest of the top 10 were a couple of surprise packages, a couple of consistent performances, and a couple of disappointments. Cyclingnews  takes a look at where the 2021 Tour de France leaves its top-10 finishers, and what now lies ahead.

10. Rigoberto Urán (EF Education-Nippo)

Age: 34 

Highlight: Two top 10s, 10th overall, and a couple of decent attacks in the first half of the race. 

Tour report: 10th in the Tour de France is nothing to be sniffed at, and half the squads in this year’s race would have taken that result had it been offered to them at the Grand Départ in Brest, but this wasn’t what EF or Urán would have settled for heading into the Pyrenees.

On the face of it, this was another impressive ride from the talismanic Colombian but it comes with caveats because, for the second year running, the wheels fell off the Urán bus in the second half of the race, and for the second straight year the veteran faded when it mattered most. There’s only so long the American team can consider Urán as a genuine Grand Tour leader, and certainly one worth divesting their complete efforts into.

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At 34, Urán is far from a finished athlete – he could do this all again next year – but it’s time for EF to also consider when to bring Hugh Carthy back to the Tour and where their next generation of GC candidacy is going to come from.

Best non-Tour results of 2021: The stage win and second place in the Tour de Suisse was a timely reminder of Urán’s undoubted class and how far he’s come since his injuries of 2019.

Tour 2022? It really depends on the route. If the ASO sticks three time trials in the parcours then Carthy heads back to the Giro and Urán, along with the rest of the team, can hit the Tour looking for stage wins.

9. Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious)

Highlight: A top 10 on the Col du Portet.

Tour report: Bilbao was one of many riders in the top 10 who was almost anonymous in the GC battle. Sure, he followed in the mountains, but the top three – and certainly Pogačar – were so dominant that many riders including Bilbao were effectively riding a different race.

This was still a commendable result for the former Astana rider who moved into a GC position once Jack Haig left the race in an ambulance. He was dogged in the mountains, turned out a couple of average time trials but paced himself when the road went uphill. The fact that he’s raced four Grand Tours since last August and been in the top 20 in each of them is a more impressive stat than his ninth in Paris.

It must be mentioned that Bilbao’s hotel room – along with those of all of his teammates – were searched by 50 police officers in Pau, and that, while nothing was found, the team have been placed under a preliminary investigation for doping. The team deny all wrongdoing.

Best non-Tour results: Won a stage in the Tour of the Alps.

Tour 2022? Several key climbers are out of contract at Bahrain Victorious but, with no major signings on the horizon, Bilbao may have done enough to secure himself a leadership role in one of the three Grand Tours. That’s unlikely to be the Tour de France but it’s not impossible to imagine him in a free role at the Giro or Vuelta and asked to ride support in July.

8. Guillaume Martin (Cofidis)

Highlight: A couple of top 10s and the ability to flip his focus to the GC halfway through the race.

Tour report: Martin came into the Tour de France aiming for stage wins and with little to no determination to target the GC. That appeared to be a sound approach given his somewhat underwhelming ride in the Critérium du Dauphiné but, two days in the breaks during the opening half of the race propelled him into the top 10 before the road to Quillan catapulted him from ninth to second overall.

That sort of a head-start ahead of the final week ensured that Martin’s approach changed and, although he dropped to ninth before rising to eighth again, this was a best-ever finish by the Frenchman.

Best non-Tour results: He won the Classic Alpes-Maritimes in May and also picked up sixth in Paris-Nice.

Tour 2022? Even though the route isn’t out until October, there’s little chance of Martin targeting the GC in another Grand Tour unless he takes on the Vuelta after the Tour and looks to hold form into the second half of the year. France’s top finisher will be back at the Tour next year.

7. Alexey Lutsenko (Astana-PremierTech)

Highlight: Lutsenko was never lower than 14th overall in the race, which demonstrates his consistency.

Tour report: With Jakob Fuglsang having an off Tour and the rest of the team threatening but never quite making a lasting impression, it was down to Lutsenko to fly the flag for a squad that, minus a clutch of national championships, has been devoid of regular wins and inspiration.

It wasn’t spectacular or pretty; Lutsenko ground his way up the climbs and rattled off a couple of strong time trials but in a results business his seventh place in Paris rescued the race for Astana. This was easily Lutsenko’s best result in a three-week race and, following on from his second place in the Critérium du Dauphiné, the 28-year-old has seemingly remoulded himself as a stage racer.

Best non-Tour results: A stage win and second overall at the Dauphiné.

Tour 2022? With Alexander Vlasov and a host of riders heading to the exit door, Astana need new faces to step up. Without a huge budget, that might mean riders like Lutsenko are forced to spin plates in events that aren’t typically their specialty. That said, he’s won a stage and finished in the top 10 in the last two years, so he clearly has a knack for peaking at the right time.

6. Enric Mas (Movistar Team)

Highlight: Fourth on the stage to Luz Ardiden provided a timely reminder of his ability.

Tour report: As in 2020, Mas only began to find his best form just when the race was heading into its final throws, but his attacks at Luz Ardiden were entertaining nonetheless and, for the briefest of moments, it looked as though a maiden Tour stage win was on the horizon.

Those moves were also the only time a rider inside the top 10 and outside the top three put in repeated digs against Pogačar but Movistar ultimately want more than just an opportunist and sixth in Paris is arguably a small step back given that Mas was fifth last year and a number of high profile riders crashed or cracked. The Spaniard and his team did well to avoid the crashes but Movistar didn’t sign the 2018 Vuelta runner-up in order to see Ben O’Connor and Jonas Vingegaard finish so far ahead of him.

Best non-Tour results: Won a stage in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana.

Tour 2022? Mas is consistent, he just doesn’t win a lot and at some point the bosses at Movistar might decide to change tact and pivot him towards a Giro/Vuelta combination. 

5. Wilco Kelderman (Bora Hansgrohe)

Highlight: Looked on the money in the first two stages and climbed well during the entire three weeks.

Tour report: Seventh, third and fifth in his last three Grand Tours – it really was a shocking decision for DSM to let him walk out the door last year given their lack of experience. It’s true, Kelderman doesn’t have the acceleration of the pure climbers, his time trialing seems to be going backwards ever so slightly, and he hits the deck with frustrating regularity, but he’s still a formidable stage racer. His TT on stage 5 was average by his standards but in the Alps and the Pyrenees especially, he rode his own race and paced himself faultlessly. 

Best non-Tour results: Fourth in the Critérium du Dauphiné.

Tour 2022? With Jai Hindley on the way and Vlasov also expected to link up with Bora over the winter, it’s not clear how the German team will split their Grand Tour arsenal. With top-10 results in all three major events, it could be Kelderman who is dispatched to target either the Giro or the Vuelta.

4. Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën)

Highlight: Winning the stage into Tignes and igniting not just his Tour but his entire team’s season.

Tour report: Not quite the revelation of the Tour de France but O’Connor certainly left his mark. After the opening week in which he crashed, it looked as though the Australian would play a minor role in the race but everything changed on the road to Tignes with a stage win that also vaulted the Australian into second overall.

Holding that position was always going to be a tall order but the 25-year-old clung on to a top-five before Urán dramatically cracked, which allowed him into fourth. For a Tour de France debut, this was the realms of dreamland, especially given that here was rider who was struggling for a top-level contract last year.

Some might say that without the time he was afforded in the break he would never have been inside the top 10 but racing doesn’t work like that; it’s not a 100-metre dash but a complex journey in which subplots and tactics are often just as important as who has the strongest legs. O’Connor more than held his own in the GC battle and fully deserved his position in Paris.

Best non-Tour results: He’s been consistent in a number of week-long stage races this year, proving that his Tour was no fluke.

Tour 2022? Team boss Vincent Lavenu was building a Classics team in the winter and moved on a number of his Grand Tour specialists but that’s all changed now with the emergence of O’Connor. He’ll be back at the Tour next year and that means Lavenu will need to sign a couple of climbers in order to give his leader some much needed support.

3. Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers)

Highlight: You can question the tactics, you can question the leadership, but you can’t fault Carapaz’s tenacity and determination. He’s now the first rider from Ecuador to make the Tour de France podium

Tour report: Ineos came into the Tour with four potential leaders but just a week into the race and only Carapaz remained in contention. He was the only rider to consistently try and dismantle Pogačar in the mountains but the fact remains that he was never able to drop the two riders above him in the GC, and his time trial – while decent – was never in the same ball park. All that said, at least he made a race of it. Just imagine how tepid the GC battle would have been without him.

Best non-Tour results: Winning the Tour de Suisse.

Tour 2022? Carapaz is world class, of that there’s no doubt, but unless his rivals make a tactical blunder as they did in the 2019 Giro or he can reach an entirely new level in 2022, he just doesn’t have the weapons to hurt both Roglič and Pogačar. He couldn’t even crack Roglič’s debutant teammate.

If Ineos are serious about regaining the Tour title they need to draft in Bernal and do away with their multiple leader ethos. They have a way of riding and a particular style and that’s fine, it’s brought them success in the past, so their best bet would be to dispatch Carapaz to the Giro or alternatively stack everyone into their Tour team but remain entirely committed to Bernal.

2. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma)

Highlight: Finishing second on his debut.

Tour report: Originally not even in the team, Vingegaard was drafted into the eight-man selection after Tom Dumoulin took a well-needed break but the Dane seized his chance with arguably the best Tour debut since Pogačar’s in 2020.

Vingegaard was emphatic in the time trials and robust in the mountains, with his attack on Mont Ventoux providing a brief flicker of hope that the GC battle wasn’t over. He raced intelligently, despite being isolated at times, and looks like a genuine Grand Tour winner in waiting.

Best non-Tour results: Winning a stage in the UAE Tour ahead of Pogačar.

Tour 2022? A number of the Jumbo-Visma riders are on the wrong side of 30, so the Dane offers hope for the future and a post-Roglič world. It’s unlikely that the squad's strategy will change much next year with Roglič still the leader but Vingegaard is likely to ride as a support before having his own opportunity a year or two later. He will definitely have a chance to lead in another Grand Tour between now and then.

1. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)

Highlight of the 2021 Tour de France: It’ll be easier to list what he didn’t win.

Tour report: At times Pogačar looked like he was in a different race, toying with the breathless and desperate as he dropped them either one-by-one or all at once. The time trial on stage 5 was a marker but the attack on stage 8 with around 30 kilometres to go ended the Tour as a contest, while the back-to-back stage wins in the Pyrenees were typified by repeated and rapid accelerations. Pogačar is well and truly the poster boy of what modern cycling has become.

Best non-Tour results of 2021: Winning Tirreno-Adriatico.

Tour 2022? If he skips the Vuelta later this year then it’s possible he could take on a Giro-Tour combination next year. He’s unstoppable.

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Daniel Benson was the Editor in Chief at Cyclingnews.com between 2008 and 2022. Based in the UK, he joined the Cyclingnews team in 2008 as the site's first UK-based Managing Editor. In that time, he reported on over a dozen editions of the Tour de France, several World Championships, the Tour Down Under, Spring Classics, and the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the help of the excellent editorial team, he ran the coverage on Cyclingnews and has interviewed leading figures in the sport including UCI Presidents and Tour de France winners.

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Tour de France bikes 2023: who’s riding what?

All the bikes and tech on display at the 2023 Tour De France

Jean Catuffe/Getty Images

Paul Norman

The 2023 Tour de France covers 3,404km (2,115 miles) over its 21 stages. That’s 54km more than last year’s Tour.

However, the bigger news is that time trial kilometres are down from two time trials totalling 53km last year (including the Prologue) to just one at 22.4km this year. It finishes at 974m in altitude and has a 2.5km Cat 2 climb to the finish, with an average 9.4 per cent gradient.

For several years, there's been an individual time trial on the penultimate stage, but this year, it’s on the Tuesday of the final week.

Given how a time trial can upset the final result, as in the 2023 Giro d’Italia, or cement it, as in last year’s Tour, it’s a surprising move.

That means the teams’ road bikes are increasingly to the fore. As usual, there’s some very flashy tech on show and we can expect more to be announced in the run-up to the Grand Départ and probably to be unearthed by the sharp-eyed as the race proceeds.

Read on for a complete list of the bikes in this year’s Tour de France, along with the kit they’re fitted with, and our pick of some of the new bikes and tech to keep an eye out for at the 2023 Tour de France .

Also check out our guide to prize money in this year's race, our explainer on leaders jerseys , a comprehensive Tour de France jargon buster and our round-up of how to watch the Tour , wherever you are in the world.

Tour de France 2023 bike brands

The 2023 Tour de France peloton is made up of 22 teams of eight, 176 riders in total. The 18 WorldTour squads receive an automatic invitation to compete, while four second-tier Pro Continental teams get a wildcard invitation. Between them, 19 bike brands are represented.

That’s two up on last year’s Tour, although the majority of brands are the same as in last year’s race. Even Ridley and Factor, who saw their teams demoted to the UCI’s second division, are back this year thanks to wildcard invitations for Lotto-Dstny and Israel-Premier Tech respectively.

New bike brands this year are Bianchi, Look and Dare, while out this year is De Rosa. Specialized continues to sponsor three teams, as in 2022, but Canyon is down from three to two.

Bianchi was absent last year, but is back with Arkéa-Samsic. It had its first race win back in 1899 and its bikes were ridden by Fausto Coppi, Felice Gimondi and Marco Pantani as well as a who’s who of other top-drawer racers, so it’s a prestigious return for the brand. On the other hand, De Rosa is an equally famous name from cycling’s past that has departed the Tour.

Bike brands represented at the 2023 Tour de France:

• Bianchi : Team Arkéa-Samsic
• BMC : AG2R Citroën Team
• Cannondale : EF Education-EasyPost
• Canyon : Alpecin-Deceuninck, Movistar Team
• Cervélo : Jumbo-Visma
• Colnago : UAE Team Emirates
• Cube : Intermarché-Circus-Wanty
• Dare : Uno-X Pro Cycling
• Factor : Israel-Premier Tech
• Giant : Team Jayco-AlUla
• Lapierre : Groupama-FDJ
• Look : Cofidis
• Merida : Bahrain Victorious
• Pinarello : Ineos Grenadiers
• Ridley : Lotto-Dstny
• Scott : Team DSM-Firmenich
• Specialized : Bora-Hansgrohe, Soudal-QuickStep, TotalEnergies
• Trek : Lidl-Trek
• Wilier Triestina : Astana-Qazaqstan

Read on for more details of each team’s bikes, wheels and other kit.

What’s new in Tour de France tech?

New bike launches.

Since last year’s Tour, the Colnago Prototipo ridden to second place by Tadej Pogačar has finally become the Colnago V4Rs and been released for us to review – and anyone with deep enough pockets to buy.

Rather like the Colnago, the new Look 795 Blade RS ridden by Team Cofidis has been in plain sight for months, but was only officially launched earlier in June.

Its profile is similar to many other pro bikes with front-end integration, aero tubes and dropped seatstays, but is a departure from Look’s previous pro-level race bikes.

As per the usual playbook, Look says the new bike is stiffer and more aero.

There are more subtle changes to the Canyon Aeroad . Canyon has yet to announce details, but there are slight changes to the tube profiles and the seatpost clamp has moved from the rear of the seat tube to the top of the top tube.

The changes to the Cannondale SuperSix EVO are equally small but significant, with the fourth generation of the bike lighter and more aero – and in LAB71 format significantly more expensive.

Other new bikes bubbling under include an update to the Factor O2 VAM , BMC's new aero road bike and a new Ridley bike , also aero.

One thing all these bikes have in common is there's not a cable or brake hose in sight. In part, that's down to all the groupsets ridden now having wireless connections between the shifters and the derailleurs.

It's also due to the brake hoses running exclusively internally. Since they're invariably hydraulic, there's no loss of braking efficiency, however sharp the bends and no matter how convoluted the routing becomes.

Tubeless wheels and tyres have mostly taken over

Almost all teams are now running tubeless tyres in place of the pros’ favourite tubulars. There are good reasons for this beyond the lack of potentially carcinogenic and addictive solvents in the tub cement (more of an issue for the team mechanics than the riders).

Matej Mohorič of Bahrain Victorious has claimed tubeless tech can lower rolling resistance by up to 15 watts per tyre. Paired with the latest aero wheel designs, that’s a huge margin.

You’re also less likely to need a wheel swap at a crucial point in the race, with sealant helping to cope with punctures, although unlike tubs you can’t ride a flat tyre to the finish or while waiting for the team car to give you a wheel swap.

28mm tyres are also increasingly taking over from 25mm, even on the smooth tarmac generally enjoyed on the Tour. Riders often sub in time trial tyres for road tyres, due to their lighter weight, although they in general offer less puncture protection than the best road bike tyres .

One team that has remained on tubs is Astana-Qazaqstan, although it’s in the process of swapping from Corima wheels that don’t offer a tubeless rim, to HED which does.

Component choices

As in previous years, Shimano dominates the teams’ drivetrain choices, with just three teams on SRAM (Jumbo-Visma, Movistar, Lidl-Trek) and one (AG2R-Citroën) on Campagnolo – one down on 2022 with the defection of UAE Team Emirates to Shimano at the beginning of 2023.

There's more on Campagnolo Super Record below, but an unlaunched update to SRAM Red AXS has been spotted. With SRAM focusing on the launch of its updated Force AXS groupset earlier in 2023, it seems likely that a new version of Red AXS will be announced sooner rather than later.

We've seen an increasing acceptance of single chainrings in races earlier in the season, such as Paris-Roubaix , and that may extend to flatter stages in the Tour, when the small chainring is little used.

Expect 2x setups to take over in the mountains again though, yet even there Primož Roglič showed that a single ring with a wide-range cassette was a winning option.

There’s more variation in wheels than drivetrains, with the aforementioned Corima and HED, as well as Reserve, Vision, DT Swiss, Roval, Newmen, Black Inc, ENVE, Bontrager, Zipp and Cadex all represented.

Campagnolo goes wireless

Campagnolo is providing its Super Record groupset to just one team this year, AG2R Citroën. However, it has dispensed with wires, with the recent launch of the new Super Record Wireless groupset.

As with SRAM Red AXS , the consumer version of Super Record Wireless uses smaller chainrings paired to cassettes starting with a 10-tooth sprocket and rising to just 29 teeth as the largest sprocket option. However, the pros are likely to stick to closer ratios for all but the toughest stages.

There are a couple of interesting things to watch out for here: first, are all the riders using the latest Wireless groupset?

When Shimano Dura-Ace went 12-speed last year, there were still teams using the older 11-speed Dura-Ace long after the official launch, due in large part to the new groupset’s scarcity.

Will Campagnolo have got its manufacturing and distribution ducks in a row better than Shimano?

Second, with SRAM Red AXS, there are a series of chainring options designed specifically for the pros, which are larger than the chainrings on the complete cranksets available for consumer purchase.

That’s partly because pros like to push larger gears at their elevated riding speeds (winner Jonas Vingegaard averaged over 42kph throughout the entire Tour last year).

It’s also because the chainline and the degree of curvature of the chain as it passes over the jockey wheels and cassette make small, but significant, differences in drivetrain friction. Therefore, riding in a larger sprocket nearer the middle of the cassette is an easy marginal gain. It’s also the reason why OSPW systems are used by the pros.

Will we see AG2R Citroën riders using larger chainrings, perhaps borrowed from the previous generation of Super Record, with Campagnolo Super Record Wireless at the Tour?

Tour de France 2023 bikes

All 18 WorldTour teams ride the Tour de France and every one of them gets the pick of the best bikes from their sponsors’ ranges. That includes all teams using 12-speed wireless/semi-wireless electronic groupsets on their road bikes and a choice of top-spec carbon wheels.

The invited Pro Continental teams (Israel-Premier Tech, Lotto-Dstny, TotalEnergies, Uno X) too are on top-spec bikes and equipment – there’s no second best here.

Read on for a breakdown of who’s riding what.

AG2R Citroën Team (ACT)

• Framesets: BMC Teammachine SLR01/Timemachine Road/Timemachine (TT)
• Drivetrain: Campagnolo Super Record Wireless
• Wheels: Campagnolo Bora WTO/WTO Ultra
• Finishing kit: BMC, Power2Max, Look, Pirelli, Fizik, Elite, Wahoo

Alpecin-Deceuninck (ADC)

• Bikes: Canyon Ultimate CFR/Aeroad CFR/ Speedmax CFR Disc (TT)
• Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace
• Wheels: Shimano
• Finishing kit: Canyon, Shimano, Vittoria, Selle Italia, Elite, Wahoo

Astana-Qazaqstan (AST)

• Bikes: Wilier Triestina Filante SLR/0 SLR/Turbine (TT)
• Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace/SLF Motion jockey wheels and bottom bracket
• Wheels: Corima/HED
• Finishing kit: Wilier, Look, Vittoria, Prologo, Tacx, Garmin

Bahrain Victorious (TBV)

• Bikes: Merida Scultura Disc Team/Reacto Disc Team/Time Warp (TT)
• Wheels: Vision Metron
• Finishing kit: FSA/Vision, Continental, Prologo, Elite

Bora-Hansgrohe (BOH)

• Bikes: Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7/Shiv (TT)
• Wheels: Roval
• Finishing kit: Roval, Specialized, Wahoo

Cofidis (COF)

• Bikes: Look 795 Blade RS/796 Monoblade RS (TT)
• Wheels: Corima
• Finishing kit: Look, SRM, Michelin, Selle Italia, Elite, Wahoo

EF Education-EasyPost (EFE)

• Bikes: Cannondale SuperSix EVO/SystemSix/SuperSlice (TT)
• Finishing kit: FSA/Vision, Wahoo Speedplay, Vittoria, Prologo, FSA, Tacx, Wahoo

Groupama-FDJ (GFC)

• Bikes: Lapierre Xelius SL 10.0/Aircode DRS/Aérostorm DRS (TT)
• Wheels: Shimano Dura-Ace / PRO
• Finishing kit: PRO, Continental, Prologo, Elite, Garmin

Ineos Grenadiers (IGD)

• Bikes: Pinarello Dogma F/Bolide (TT)
• Wheels: Shimano Dura-Ace/Princeton Carbonworks
• Finishing kit: MOST, Continental, Fizik, Elite, Garmin

Intermarché-Circus-Wanty (ICW)

• Bikes: Cube Litening C:68X Pro/Aerium (TT)
• Wheels: Newmen Advanced SL
• Finishing kit: Cube, Look, Continental, Prologo, Elite, CeramicSpeed, Bryton

Israel-Premier Tech (IPT)

• Bikes: Factor Ostro VAM / O2 VAM / Hanzo (TT)
• Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace/FSA chainset
• Wheels: Black Inc
• Finishing kit: Black Inc, Rotor, Maxxis, Selle Italia, CeramicSpeed, SwissStop, Elite, Hammerhead

Jumbo-Visma (TJV)

• Bikes: Cervélo R5 Disc/S5/P5 (TT)
• Groupset: SRAM Red eTap AXS
• Wheels: Reserve 52/63
• Finishing kit: Cervélo, Wahoo Speedplay, Vittoria, Fizik, Tacx, Garmin

Lidl-Trek (LTK)

• Bikes: Trek Émonda SLR/Madone SLR/Speed Concept (TT)
• Wheels: Bontrager Aeolus
• Finishing kit: Bontrager, Time, Pirelli, Wahoo

Lotto-Dstny (LTD)

• Bikes: Ridley Noah Fast Disc/Helium SLX Disc/Dean Fast (TT)
• Groupset: Shimano Dura-Ace/Cema bearings
• Wheels: DT Swiss
• Finishing kit: Deda, 4iiii, Vittoria, Selle Italia, Tacx, Garmin

Movistar Team (MOV)

• Bikes: Canyon Aeroad CFR/Speedmax CF SLX (TT)
• Wheels: Zipp
• Finishing kit: Canyon, Look, Continental, Fizik, Lizard Skins, Garmin

Soudal-QuickStep (SOQ)

• Bikes: Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL7/Roubaix/Shiv (TT)
• Finishing kit: Roval, Specialized, CeramicSpeed, Tacx, Supercaz, Garmin

Team Arkéa-Samsic (ARK)

• Bikes: Bianchi Specialissima/Oltre RC/Aquila (TT)
• Finishing kit: Bianchi, Continental, Selle Italia, Elite, Wahoo

Team DSM-Firmenich (DSM)

• Bikes: Scott Foil RC/Plasma 5 (TT)
• Wheels: Shimano Dura-Ace
• Finishing kit: Syncros, Vittoria, Elite, Wahoo

Team Jayco-AlUla (JAY)

• Bikes: Giant Propel Advanced Disc/TCR Advanced SL Disc/Trinity Advanced Pro (TT)
• Wheels: Cadex 36, 42, 65
• Finishing kit: Cadex, Giant

TotalEnergies (TEN)

• Finishing kit: Roval, Specialized, Tacx, Garmin

UAE Team Emirates (UAD)

• Bikes: Colnago V4Rs/K.one (TT)
• Wheels: ENVE
• Finishing kit: Colnago, Look, Continental, Prologo, Elite, Wahoo

Uno-X Pro Cycling (UXT)

• Bikes : Dare VSRu/TSRf (TT)
• Finishing kit: Dare, Schwalbe, Pro, CeramicSpeed, Elite, Garmin

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2023 Tour de France bikes — your definitive guide to what the top pro cycling teams are riding this year

First Published Jun 28, 2023

Let’s check out the bikes and equipment that the world’s best road cyclists will be riding in the Tour de France.

There are 18 WorldTour men's teams in 2023. All of these will race the Tour de France along with four wildcard teams that have been invited to compete.

Of the WorldTour men's teams, 12 use Shimano groupsets, only one runs Campagnolo and the rest are on SRAM. Perhaps the most unexpected shift (no pun intended) for this season was made by UAE Team Emirates, which dropped Campagnolo as its component sponsor along with other Italian components from its bikes. This might have left quite a few Italians mortified, as the UAE team are now running very Italian Colnago bikes with very much not Italian Shimano groupsets...

In terms of the teams themselves, the men’s WorldTour roster has seen two new teams in 2023: Alpecin-Deceuninck and Arkéa-Samsic. Both Israel-PremierTech and Lotto–Dstny have left the World Tour but they take part in the Tour de France as wildcards alongside TotalEnergies and Uno-X.

Without further ado, let's have a look at the bikes... 

AG2R Citroën Team

We also spotted a new BMC bike being used by team members at the Criterium du Dauphine, and it's likely to see more action in the Tour de France.

> BMC prototype aero superbike spotted at Dauphine

We can also spot something that has become a rarity in the WorldTour: Campagnolo groupsets and wheels.

Yes, AG2R Citroen is the only WorldTour team that is running a Campag groupset in 2023. It'll be interesting to see if all of the riders are on the brand-new version of Super Record.

> Campagnolo ditches iconic thumb shifter and goes wireless with new Super Record Wireless electronic groupset... and it'll cost you £4.5k

The team bikes also feature Italian-quality components, with Pirelli tyres and Fizik saddles.

Alpecin–Deceuninck

Alpecin-Deceuninck were only promoted to the WorldTour level this year, which might come as a surprise given riders like Mathieu van der Poel and Jasper Philipsen are in its line-up. 

Spec-wise, the team run Shimano’s Dura-Ace Di2 groupset and wheels. The tyres are Vittoria – usually the new Vittoria Corsa Pro – and the team sit on Selle Italia saddles. 

Arkéa–Samsic

French team Arkéa-Samsic have welcomed Bianchi  as their bike sponsor to replace Canyon, having the Oltre RC, Specialissima and Aquilla TT at their disposal.

The bikes come with Shimano groupsets and wheels, except for TTs where the wheels are Vision. The team uses Continental tyres and Selle Italia saddles.

Astana Qazaqstan

Mark Cavendish's Kazakh team is continuing with Wilier Triestina bikes: the Zero SLR and Filante SLR models, equipped with Shimano groupsets and Corima wheels...

...although they've also used wheels from HED, which isn't a sponsor, this year. Those huge blue logos are hardly subtle.

For time trials, the team swaps onto the Wilier Turbine. The fresh “chrome-painted graphite” paintwork of the Wilier frames has impressed art lovers and bike enthusiasts alike. 

Bahrain Victorious

Bahrain Victorious are using the same trusted Merida bikes as last year, with the Reacto, Scultura and Warp TT models forming the line-up – but in a Pearl finish especially for the Tour de France. It's a "homage to Bahrain’s rich pearling history", apparently.

Shimano Dura-Ace remains the groupset, the wheels are Vision, the saddles Prologo and finishing kit is handled by FSA.

Bora-Hansgrohe

Even though they’ve been a World team since 2017, it was only last year we saw Bora-Hansgrohe win their first Grand Tour when Jai Hindley smashed the Giro d’Italia  and became the first Aussie to win the Giro. 

The German team rides Specialized bikes, the US brand being a key sponsor. Specialized supplies it all: the Tarmac SL7 for the road, Shiv TT for the time trials, Roval wheels and Specialized tyres. Groupsets are Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, and the saddles and the finishing kit come from both Specialized and Shimano subsidiary PRO. 

> Look unveils lightened 795 Blade RS road bike and disc brake-equipped 796 Monoblade RS time trial bike

Cofidis has moved from Campagnolo to Shimano this year, which means they had an opportunity to introduce yet another French brand, Corima, as the wheel sponsor. The tyres on those wheels are from Michelin.  

EF Education-Easypost

The American team, well known for their bold kit designs, sticks to the same bunch of sponsors as before: Cannondale bikes with Shimano groups, Vision wheels and Prologo saddles.

The riders are on the Cannondale SuperSix Evo (above) which was updated earlier this year.

> Cannondale launches new aero-optimised SuperSix Evo 4 with threaded bottom bracket — all the details + first ride review

They also have the SystemSix aero road bike which, launched back in 2018, must surely be the next Cannondale bike to get a refresh.

Groupama-FDJ

The French team entering its 28th season is continuing its long-lasting partnership with Lapierre bikes, which come equipped with Shimano groupsets and wheels.

In terms of models, the Xelius and Aircode framesets are the go-to options.

Ineos Grenadiers

Another team with very few changes: Ineos Grenadiers continues to ride the Pinarello Dogma F and the refreshed Bolide TT.

The groupsets are Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 and the wheels are usually from Shimano too – although the team has been known to dip into the Lightweight and Princeton ranges in its search for those famous marginal gains. 

The tyres are Continental, the saddles Fizik and the finishing kit is from Pinarello's MOST brand. 

Intermarché–Circus–Wanty

The Belgian team continues to ride Cube bikes equipped with Shimano groupsets, Newmen wheels and Prologo saddles.

Riders can choose either the superlight Cube Litening Air C:68X or the Litening C:68X Aero for lower drag. The Aerium C:68 TT is there for time trials. 

> Cube launches Litening AIR C:68X Series road bikes with a claimed frame weight of 799g

Israel - Premier Tech

Pic © Zac Williams SWpix.com (t-a Photography Hub Ltd)

UCI ProTeam Israel Premier Tech rides bikes from Factor, usually the Ostro VAM (above). However, we know that Factor is releasing a new bike on 10th July 2023, the first Tour de France rest day, which suggests it’s a road race model that’ll play a part in this year’s race. We’ll be keeping our eyes peeled.

Israel Premier Tech use wheels from Factor’s Black Inc brand fitted with Maxxis tyres.

Although the riders use FSA chainsets, the shifters and derailleurs are Shimano Dura-Ace Di2.

Jayco Alula

Team BikeExchange-Jayco has had a slight name change to Jayco AluIa but the team’s bikes stay the same with riders on Giant’s Propel Advanced SL, TCR Advanced SL (above) and Trinity TT.

Wheels are from Giant's Cadex brand and Shimano is the main equipment partner. 

Jumbo-Visma

Jumbo-Visma won the Tour de France last year with Jonas Vingegaard and the team roster for this year's race includes huge names like Wout Van Aert and Christophe Laporte, as well as the defending champion.

Cervelo is still the bike supplier to both the men's and women's teams, although the S5 (above), R5 and P5 models are now equipped with SRAM groupsets instead of Shimano. Vingegaard used a 1x (single chainring) setup for some stages of the Criterium du Dauphine. It'll be interesting to see if he takes the same approach in the Tour.

> Is Vingegaard going 1x for the Tour de France?

Wheels are new too, with the teams riding on Reserve hoops. 

Trek-Segafredo has just changed its name to Lidl-Trek. At the time of writing, it remains to be seen whether the riders will be racing immediately on bikes with updated livery.

The Trek Madone and Emonda road bikes are the usual weapons of choice, with the Speed Concept for time trials. 

SRAM supplies the groupsets while Trek's Bontrager brand provides pretty much everything else.

Lotto–Dstny

Lotto–Dstny use bikes from Ridley, usually the lightweight Helium or the aero Noah. However, we spotted a prototype being ridden by Maxim Van Gils in the Criterium du Dauphine, and it doesn’t look like any bike from the existing range.

> New Ridley road bike breaks cover at Critérium du Dauphiné 

We don’t have a name or a launch date yet but it looks like Ridley is combining light weight with aero features – which has been a big trend in the road bike market over the past few years.

Lotto–Dstny uses Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupsets, DT Swiss wheels and Vittoria tyres.

Movistar Team

Movistar continues to ride Canyon bikes – the lightweight Ultimate (above) and the aero-optimised Aeroad (below). 

The team uses SRAM Red eTap groupsets, Zipp wheels and Fizik saddles. 

Soudal Quick-Step

After yet another name change (the eighth, if you’re counting), Soudal Quick-Step races the 2023 season with trusty Specialized bikes and Roval wheels, saddles, tyres and finishing kit. Groupsets are still from Shimano.

Scott returns to provide the DSM men's and women's teams with bikes, the Foil RC being the popular choice for most stages. 

> Check out our review of the Scott Foil RC Pro 2023

The groupsets are Shimano Dura-Ace Di2, the wheels are Shimano and wrapped on them are Vittoria tyres. Scott’s subsidiary Syncros is providing all of the finishing kit, including the saddles. 

TotalEnergies

Although it’s a UCI ProTeam rather than a WorldTeam, TotalEnergies boasts riders of the calibre of Edvard Boasson Hagen and Peter Sagan on the Tour de France start list.

The team is sponsored by Specialized so uses Tarmac SL7 road bikes and Royal wheels.

This is yet another team that uses Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupsets.

UAE Team Emirates

The UAE Team Emirates riders have used the Colnago V4RS road bike this year after Tadej Pogačar raced on the prototype version in 2022.

It's all change regarding the groupset, UAE Team Emirates switching from Campagnolo to Shimano.

Pirelli tyres have been swapped to  Continental , and the wheels are now Enve.

UNO-X Pro Cycling Team

Uno-X has changed little for 2023. Norway's Dare continues to be the bike and finishing kit sponsor – a brand that's little known in the UK. The bikes come equipped with Shimano groupsets and DT Swiss wheels.

What's your favourite bike in this year's Tour de France? Let us know in the comments...

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Suvi joined F-At in 2022, first writing for off-road.cc. She's since joined the tech hub, and contributes to all of the sites covering tech news, features, reviews and women's cycling content. Lover of long-distance cycling, Suvi is easily convinced to join any rides and events that cover over 100km, and ideally, plenty of cake and coffee stops. 

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Looks like the Lotto rider has just borrowed a TCR. 

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Checked on the TV guide last night.

Pleased to see that ITV still get to show it.

I wonder for how much longer?

No Tarmac SL8 this summer then...

Really sad to see Bianchi making such ugly bikes.

Scoob_84 wrote: Really sad to see Bianchi making such ugly bikes.

They only had an image of the Oltre RC. I am biased, I think the Specialissima looks fine.

philsinclair wrote: Scoob_84 wrote: Really sad to see Bianchi making such ugly bikes.

That is a lovely looking bike to be fair. Probably their only decent looking tour level bike in the last 10 years though. The aria also looks good, but not tour level. 

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Tour de France Winners, Podium, Times

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Results for every single stage of every single Tour de France can be found by clicking on the years in the table below.

That's every stage of every Tour!

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The most epic and legendary climbs of the Tour de France.

Climb list: legendary climbs of the tour de france (sort by distance, difficulty, elevation and more), statistics: view tutorial, total climbs: 116, top 100 world: 0, avg. fiets (top 5) : 12.8, sort by attribute:, zoom/pan map to discover additional climbs., pjamm trips adventure starter bundles, member comments.

TOP 10 MOST FREQUENT CLIMBS OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE

10 FAMOUS TOUR DE FRANCE CLIMBS

See bottom of this page for list of all climbs included on this Legendary TdF Page.

©  PJAMMCycing.com

HISTORICAL TOUR DE FRANCE FACTS OF INTEREST

• Climb Most Often Featured in the Tour: Tourmalet - 84 times as of 2021

From Campan:  16.9 km gaining 1267m at 7.5% average grade.

From Luz Saint Sauveur:  18.7 km gaining 1319m at 7.1%.

• Highest Point Ever Reached in the Tour de France: Cime de la Bonette

Cime de la Bonette is 2,802 meters.

Stage 18 1962 (passed again in 1964, 1993 and 2008).

Top 5 high points of the Tour de France

Also see Top 10 Highest Points of the TdF

• Highest point of first TdF (1903):   Col de la République (1,161m).
• First Mountain Stage and climbs in the Tour de France:
• Stage 10 July 21, 1910 - Luchon to Bayonne
• 326 kilometers
• Circle of Death:  Col de Peyresourde, Col d’Aspin, Col du Tourmalet and Col d’Aubisque
• On arriving at the top of Col d’Aubisque Octave Lapize (TdF 1910 winner) yelled to tour organizers what is variously reported as “murderers,” “assasins,” or “criminals.”  He also said he would quit the tour after descending to Laruns, but he rallied to complete the stage and go on to win the 1910 Tour de France.

Circle of Death

Tourmalet was the highest point the tour had ever reached as of 1910 (2115m)

Previous high point had been Col de Porte (1326m).

•  First mountain-top stage finish :  Alpe d’Huez (Dutch Mountain / The Alpe) was the first mountain-top finish in the history of the Tour de France in 1952, Stage 10.  
• Most TdF Wins:
• 5 Jacques Anquetil  (1957, 1961-1964)
• 5 Eddy Merckx  (1969-1972, 1974)
• Merckx has the most Grand Tour wins of anyone (11 - 5 TdF, 5 Giro, 1 Vuelta)
• 5 Bernard Hinault   (1978-1979, 1981-1982, 1985)
• Has the second most Grand Tour wins (10 - 5 TdF, 3 Giro, 2 Vuelta)
• 5 Miguel Indurain  (1991-1995)
• 4 Chris Froome :  (2013, 2015-2017)
• Most Days Wearing the Yellow Jersey:  
• 111 (Eddy Merckx)
• 79 (Bernard Hinault)
• 60 (Miguel Indurain)
• Most Stage Wins:  
• 34 (Eddy Merckx)
• 30 ( Mark Cavendish )
• 28 (Bernard Hinault)
• Most Stage Wins in a Single Tour:  
• 8 ( Charles Pélissier , 1930)
• 8 ( Merckx 1970, 1971)
• 8 (Freddy Maertens 1975)
• Most Times Atop the Podium   (top three TdF finish):  
• Raymond Poulidor  (8)
• Country Wearing the Yellow Jersey Most:  
• France (709)
• Belgium (434)

Frenchmen have been in the maillot jaune far more than any other country.  

• Winning TdF in First Appearance:
• 11 between 1903 - 1983 but none since Laurent Fignon  (1983), until 2020 and Tadej Pogačar  
• Youngest Winner of the Tour:  
• Henri Cornet (France, age 19) 1904
• Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia, age 21) 2020
• Oldest TdF Winner:
• Firmin Lambot  (Belgium, age 36) 1922
• Most TdF Appearances:
• 18 Sylvain Chavenel (2001-2018 age 42; top finish 19 2009)
• King of the Mountains :  Mountain Classification victories (first recognized in 1933; jersey introduced 1975)

“Symbol of the mountains, of a rider pushing beyond their limits and of courage, the red polka dot jersey, which is sponsored by Carrefour, is awarded to the Tour de France’s leader of the best climber classification. Although this classification was introduced in 1933, its symbol, the polka dot jersey, appeared in 1975, which was also the year the Tour first finished on the Champs-Élysées and was won by Bernard Thévenet. It owes its appearance to track racing specialist Henri Lemoine, who competed between the 1930s and 1950s, and that Félix Lévitan, co-director of the Tour with Jacques Goddetwhich, had particularly noticed. While Belgium’s Lucien Van Impe was its first winner and claimed the mountains classification six times, just like his illustrious predecessor, Spain’s Federico Bahamontes, the so-called “Eagle of Toledo”, Frenchman Richard Virenque holds the record for victories with seven titles” ( Tour de France: Polka Dot Jersey ).  

• Richard Virenque : 7 - 1994-1997, 1999, 2003, 2004 (best tour finish #2 1997)
• Frederico Bahamontes  (six: 1954, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964; nine in Grand Tours)  
• Triples (none ever in the same year):   Frederico Bahamontes  and Louis Herrera .
• Doubles same year (TdF+Giro):   Fausto Coppi , Charly Gaul , Lucien Van Impe , Claudio Chaippucci

King of the Mountains is designated by the red polka dot jersey.

• Most Green Jerseys  (total points):
•  7 ( Peter Sagan )
• Most White Jerseys  (best young rider):
• 3 - Jan Ullrich  (1996-1998),
• 3 Andy Schleck  (2008-2010)
• Least Finishers:  
• Shortest Margin of Victory:  
• 8 seconds - Greg Lemond  over Laurent Fignon in 1989 (Lemond overcame 50 seconds in the final time trial using aero bars for the first time in the TdF).
• Greatest Margin of Victory:
• 2h49’21” in 1903 between Maurice Garin and Lucien Pothier .
• Country With Most Wins:
• France (36)
• Belgium (18)
• Britain (6)
• Luxembourg (5)

THE 5 MOST LEGENDARY CLIMBS OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE

#1:   ALPE D’HUEZ

Alpe d’Huez Elevation Profile .

77.5% of the entire climb is at 5-10% average grade.

Steepest kilometer is 10.7%.

Alpe d’Huez is the most famous bike climb in the world and has been included in the Tour de France 30 times between 1952 and the 2022 TdF.

Ride 14 km gaining 1081m at 7.7% to 1801m

Photo clockwise from top left:

Start; Turn 21 (first turn); Turn 1 (last turn); finish; Turn 1 (center).

21 most famous hairpins in the world - 11.4 km at 8.4%.

Turn seven is the most famous of the Alpe d’Huez hairpins: Dutch Corner.

Dutch Corner is where cycling fans from the Netherlands congregate on the day the Tour de France comes to Alpe d’Huez for its inevitable exciting mountain top finish.  On this day and at this hairpin, the air is filled with loud European music, the smell of barbeque, and sounds of some of the greatest cycling fans in the world.  The tradition originates with Joop Zoetemeik who in 1976 became the first Dutchman to win the Alpe d’Huez stage.  Thereafter, Dutch riders won the next seven of twelve Alpe d’Huez finishes, but have not done so since Gert-Jan Theunisse in 1989 (Joop Zoetemelk 1976, 1979; Hennie Kuiper 1977, 1978; Peter Winnen 1981, 1983; Steven Rooks 1988 and Gert-Jan Theunisse 1989).

Bernard Hinault sealed his 5th Tour victory on Alpe d’Huez 1985

Photo: Bloomsburysports.com

Alpe d’Huez has become “the summit of the modern era,” and no other stage of the Tour de France has such presence.  With its 21 bends, steep ramps, and massive crowds, it has become the “Hollywood climb,” according to the ride’s official historian, Jacques Augendre.  Each year that this climb is included in the TdF, thousands of spectators flock to the area.  The massive crowds create what some participants in the ride have described as a feeling of both fear and exhilaration, and as French journalist Philippe Brunel described the look of the road during Marco Pantani’s victorious ascent in the 1995 race, “that thin ribbon of burning asphalt, covered in graffiti, between two deafening walls of spectators, which threaded between his wheels.” Alpe d’Huez has been included in the Tour de France 29 times between its first appearance in 1952 (including two appearances in 1979 and 2013).  Each of the 21 hairpins of this climb has been named after one or more of the winners of the 29 Tour de France stages to finish here.  Of note, the first stage up this exceptional climb was fittingly won by the incomparable climber Fausto Coppi .  Only three cyclists have won the Alpe d’Huez stage more than once: Marco Pantani  (1995, 1997), Gianni Bugno  (1990, 1991), and Hennie Kuiper  (1977, 1978).  

Fausto Coppi became the first stage winner of Alpe d’Huez - stage 10 1952 TdF.

YouTube video of Coppi win  

Photo: dw.com  - 10 most memorable moments on Alpe d’Huez

Likely the most famous and widely remembered and retold stories of Alpe d’Huez is from 1985 when, after two weeks battling each other, it appeared that Greg Lemond and Bernard Hinault had reached a truce and that Hinault would achieve the glory of his fifth TdF without further challenge by Lemond. As the two rode up Alpe d’Huez, the Frenchman led and Lemond followed directly on his wheel.  The two passed through throngs of ecstatic French fans and the path grew more narrow as the two neared the climb finish.  In the end, the two embraced and Hinault moved slightly ahead of Lemond for his 26th Stage win, at the time placing him second all-time behind Eddy Merckx (34).  Hinault went on to win two more stages in his glorious career and is now third with 28 wins, behind Merckx and Mark Cavendish (30).

The exceptional Italian climber, Marco Pantani, holds three of the five fastest times up Alpe d’Huez, the fastest time is 37’35”.  

Marco Pantani near the finish on Alpe d’Huez

photo:   Hein Ciere

Alpe d’Huez was the stage for one of the most famous (infamous?) cycling moments of all time.  Alpe d’Huez was the final  climb of three on Stage 10 July 17, 2001 (Col dd Madeleine, Col du Glandon, Alpe d’Huez).  Lance Armstrong had dropped from 5:56 back after stage 7 to 35:43 back after a disastrous stage 8 which saw a freak breakaway won by Erik Dekker (s.t. Alto Gonzalez and Servais Knaven). Armstrong was 20:07 back after Stage 9 and his main rival that year, Jan Ullrich, was at 22:41 going into Stage 10.

Armstrong appeared weak on Col de Madeleine which led Uhllrich and his Team Telekom begin an insane sprint up Col du Glandon, leaving Armstrong barely(?) hanging on to the rear of this lead group.  However, just a couple kilometers up Alpe d’Huez and with 11 kilometers remaining, Armstrong surged to the front of the group, passed Uhlrich and then, in a moment of Tour lore, looked back (“ The Look ”) at Uhlrich, fixed his gaze on him momentarily, then put the hammer down and sprinted away (uphill) to victory and his 3rd Tour de France victory of 7. [1]  

The Look, Alpe d’Huez Stage 10: 2001 Tour de France

Photo from J Barber and F Ruggeri as published in Masculine Heart  

#2: COL DU TOURMALET

From Luz Saint-Sauveur - 18.7 km gaining 1319m at 7.1% average grade.

Col du Tourmalet from Luz Saint-Sauveur

PJAMM Gradient Profile  

With Alpe d’Huez, Col du Tourmalet is a TdF and world legend.  This is the highest pass in the Pyrenees and has been included in the Tour de France a record 84 times between its first appearance in 1910 and 2021. From 1919 to 1939, Tourmalet was included in the TdF every year except 1922, and then only because the tour rerouted due to heavy snow.

2019 featured comments on the official website for the Tour de France:

“It’ll be the third time that a finish is set at the top of the Pyrenean mountain after 1974 (victory of Jean-Pierre Danguillaume) and 2010 (victory of Andy Schleck). The Tourmalet is also to date the mountain that has been climbed the most in the history of the Tour: 82 times” ( Tour de France 2019 ).

Although no other climb has appeared more times in the Tour, Tourmalet has only been the finish three times.

Jean-Pierre Danguillaume won the first stage to finish on Col du Tourmalet (1974).

Photo:   deskgram.net

Tourmalet has a rich TdF history that began with its very first appearance in The Tour.  The legendary TdF organizer, Henri Desgrance had decided to include Tourmalet in the 1910 tour in what became known as the Circle of Death (Col de Peyresourde, Col d’Aspin, Col du Tourmalet and Col d’Aubisque). The first rider over Col du Tourmalet on July 21, 1910 was eventual 1910 tour winner Frenchman Octave Lapize.  Lapize was overtaken on the next climb (Col d’Aubisque).  At this time Lapize unleashed on tour organizers as he reached the pass - this is not disputed -- what he said, however, is variously reported as either some or all of the following:  “murderers,” “assassins,” and/or “criminals.”  Sadly, Lapize was to die seven years later from injuries sustained when his fighter plane was shot down during WWI.  

Octave Lapize -- the first rider (hiker?) over Tourmalet, 1910.

Photo:   Cycling Passion, Octave Lapize walks over the Col du Tourmalet

The tour was not held from 1940-46 due to WWII.  When The Grand Tour reappeared in 1947, so to did Tourmalet. From 1947 to 1955 Tourmalet was featured in the TdF.  It wasn’t until 1956 that Tourmalet was left off the Tour’s agenda without excuse; from 1919 to 1957 Tourmalet was included in the Tour every year that it occurred.

One of the most famous stories of Col du Tourmalet and the Tour de France is from 1913.  Descending Tourmalet towards Campan, French cyclist Eugène Christophe crashed and broke his front fork.  Showing the resilience and spirit of those times (and, lacking any support staff), Christophe walked down the east side of Tourmalet to Campan where he found a forge and amazingly repaired his bike sufficient to ride to the stage finish in Bagnères-de-Luchon.  To add insult to injury, on top of already having lost three hours due to the crash, the race organizers penalized him for the “assistance” he was given by a seven year old boy who had pumped the bellows for him while he repaired his bike a blacksmith’s shop in Campan.

Eugène Christophe repairing his bike in Campan, 1913 (Image from Jean Durry ).

YouTube summary  of Christophe’s 1913 bad luck.

In 1919, Eugène Christophe became the first man to wear the yellow jersey.  

In 2010 Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck battled up the Col du Tourmalet from Luz-Saint-Sauveur for a mountain top finish (the second straight day Tourmalet was featured in the tour and only its second mountain top finish ever).  With ten kilometers to go, Schleck and Contador broke from the group and were alone on a fog shrouded ascent to the Col du Tourmalet.  With two kilometers to go, the two raced up the mountain side by side in heavy fog and light rain, having tried to break each other multiple times over the past eight kilometers.  Schleck led the entire final kilometer and there was no sprint at the finish, Contador conceding the stage to Schleck, but keeping the yellow jersey, both riders finishing with the same 5:03:29.

Andy Schleck edged Alberto Contador TdF 2010 stage 17.

Photo by filip bossuyt .

YouTube segment  of Schleck and Contador on Tourmalet.

WHAT’S ON TOP?

  “Géant au Col du Tourmalet”  -- Paying homage to the “Giants” of the road.  

Velopeloton.com  writes of the Géant:

“Géant au Col du Tourmalet is an iron sculpture first erected in 2000. It was created by the artist Jean-Bernard Métais, as part of the Tour de France sculpture on the A64 autoroute between Tarbes and Pau. This sculpture features 8 cyclists, Le Géant is the 9th person of the work. Le Géant is installed at the summit on the first Saturday of June each summer. It is a great occasion known as “Montée du Géant” – “Rise of the Giant” and attracts approx 1000 cyclists, who ride up the mountain with Le Géant. Le Géant travels on the back of a truck, accompanied by a brass band. There is a celebrity cyclist each year, with Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain among those who have honoured the Giant with their effort. Le Geant is removed at the beginning of October each year for safekeeping from the harsh winter. It is mostly on display in Bagneres de Bigorre, but has spent a couple of winters in Tarbes.”

Géant au Col du Tourmale

Photo:   Velopeloton.com

#3: MONT VENTOUX

After Alpe d’Huez, Mont Ventoux is the second most famous of TdF legendary climbs.

Featured 17 times between 1951-2021 (10 summit finishes).

Mont Ventoux Elevation Profile

46% (9.8 km) of the climb is at 5-10% and 21% (4.5 km) at 10-15%.

From Bedoin, the traditional route, ride 21.2 km gaining 1593m to 1909m.

This is the third hardest bike climbs in France and a top world 150.

One of the features of cycling Mont Ventoux that separates it from many of the other exceptional climbs of Europe is that its unique radio tower at the top is visible throughout the climb.  At times it seems this tower just refuses to grow any bigger no matter how fast we pedal!   SportActive.net  explains that this distinctive red and white building, resembling a lighthouse, was built in 1968 and is used as a meteorological station as well as to broadcast television signals.  

MONT VENTOUX HAS TAKEN ITS TOLL ON TdF RIDERS LIKE NO OTHER

This climb first appeared in the Tour de France in 1951 when the race crossed, but did not finish, on its summit.  The first serious blow the mountain inflicted on riders was in 1955 when Swiss rider Ferdi Küble   (winner 1950 TdF) attacked 10 km from the summit and paid for it dearly. Ignoring the searing heat and steep grade, Kübler raced up the mountain only to seize up and have to dismount his bike well before the summit.  He eventually made it over the top, but had lost his lead and was a demoralizing 20 minutes behind the leaders. On the descent, Kübler crashed three times but ultimately made it to Avignon where he was observed entering a bar close to the stage finish and pounding down beer after beer.  After replenishing in the bar, Kübler mounted his bike and headed out in the opposite direction from the finish. That evening, Kübler called a press conference and retired on the spot - Ventoux had vanquished him ( Fotheringham, William,  put me back on my Bike, in Search of Tom Simpson , Yellow Jersey Press, 2007, p. 199).

Ferdi Kübler on Mont Ventoux 1955

Photo: Cycling Passion, Ferdi Kübler climbing Mont Ventoux, Tour de France 1955

Another great rider had been crushed by Venoux on on the 1955 stage - Frenchman Jean Malléjac  (second in 1953 and ninth overall on this day) keeled over on Ventoux, semi comatose and turning one pedal as he lay on the ground - he was never to race again.  Half a dozen other riders collapsed in the Ventoux furnace that day (Fotheringham, p. 199-200).

Jean Malléjac on Ventoux 1955;

Photo Rouleur, Tour de France 21 Stories: Vicious Venoux

And then there was 1967 and one of the greatest tragedies to occur during the Grand Tour. On July 13, 1967, during the tenth stage of the Tour de France, Tom Simpson, known as the charming “Mister Tom” and leader of the British team, had become ill (later his illness was traced to the substances of the day) but he pressed on, ultimately weaving desperately and collapsing on Ventoux.  The team mechanic, Harry Hall, pressed Simpson to stop, but he insisted on continuing, famously stating, “Me straps, Harry, me straps!" and his manager Alec Taylor acquiesced (Fotheringham, 2007, pp. 34-35).  He did not utter the more famous phrase, “put me back on my bike” - those were invented by an overzealous journalist.  Sadly, Mister Tom’s final turns of the pedal were over the next 500 meters and he soon collapsed and could not be resuscitated by Tour doctor Pierre Dumas, the same physician who had tended to Jean Malléjac on Mont Ventoux 12 years earlier.

Tom Simpson, Mont Ventoux, July 13, 1967

Photo:   Sport Vintage

There is a memorial honoring the great British rider Tom Simpson  0.7 miles from the summit of Mont Ventoux -- this is the location where he perished at age 29 during the thirteenth stage of the 1967 Tour de France.

Tom Simpson Memorial

First erected 1969 and re-erected 2014

The Tour de France included Mont Ventoux in 16 stages between 1951 and 2016, and it has been the finish on 10 of those, most recently in 2016 (as of 2020). “Mont Ventoux has become legendary as the scene of one of the most grueling climbs in the Tour de France bicycle race, which has ascended the mountain fifteen times since 1951. The followed trail mostly passes through Bédoin. Its fame as a scene of great Tour dramas has made it a magnet for cyclists around the world”  ( Wikipedia ).

Charly Gaul Stage 18 1958

Photo: Cycling Passion - Charly Gaul on Mont Ventoux Tour de France 1958  

The “Angel of the Mountains,” diminutive Charly Gaul  raced up crushed the Stage 18 Mont Ventoux time trial in 1958, sealing his only Tour de France victory.  His record time of 1:02:09 over poor roads and in the hot sun stood for 31 years until taken by American Jonathan Vaughters of the US Postal team.  The current record is 55:51 set in 2004 by Spain's Iban Mayo

#4: COL DU GALIBIER

Col du Galibier

From Valloire:  Ride 17.4 km gaining 1199m at 6.9% average grade.

From Col du Lautaret:  8.6 km gaining 569m at 6.7%.

PJAMM Cycling’s Col du Galibier from Valloire Gradient Profile

72% (12.5 km) of the climb is at 5-10%.

Col du Galibier was the highest point ever reached by the Tour when featured in 1911 (2556m)

The Tour did not go higher until Col de l'Iseran in 1939 (2770m).

Finish and Tour markings at the Col du Galibier

Bartali handing Coppi a water bottle on the Galibier in the 1952 TdF,

Or Coppi sending it back to Bartali -- the debate rages . . .  

Photo:   iconicphotos.com

Included in the Tour 63 times from 1911 through 2022  Galibier was passed as the highest point in the Tour each year from 1911-1914 (suspended 1915-1918 WWI) and 1919-1937.  In all Col du Galibier has been the highest point in any individual TdF significantly more times than any other climb (50;  Col de L’Iseran is second with 8).

Haute Route quotes Henri Desgrange in his praise of this climb:

The Galibier became a legend at the very first time it was used by the Tour de France, in 1911. This is how Henri Desgrange, creator of the Tour de France, introduced it to his readers: “Oh! Sappey! Oh! Laffrey! Oh! Col Bayard! Oh! Tourmalet! I will not fail in my duty in proclaiming that next to the Galibier you are as weak as dishwater: before this giant there’s nothing one can do but doff one’s hat and bow down low” (translation by Marvin Faure) ( Hauteroute.org - Col du Galibier ).

When first crossed in 1911 by the Tour de France, no tour rider had ever ridden higher.  Although the Galibier route until 1976 tools the tunnel at 2,556 meters.  From 1976, the Tour has gone over the pass at the top which is 2,642 meters.

Andy Schleck, Stage 18 of the 2011 Tour de France.

Col du Galibier -- highest mountain top finish ever.

Photo: roadbikereview.com

As with many of the challenging and beautiful climbs of France, Galibier is fabulously famous because it has been justifiably blessed by the Tour de France on many occasions (35 times since its first post WWII appearance in 1947, which was the first TdF since 1940).  Most recently (as of 2020) Galibier was featured in The Tour in 2019 ( Nairo Quintana  won the stage from Embrun to Valloire).  In 2017 debutante Primoz Roglic  became the first Slovenian to win a TdF stage when he came out on top in Stage 17 from La Mure to Serre-Chevalier.

Primoz Roglic, Stage 17 Tour de France.

First Slovenian to win a TdF stage.

Photo:   Cyclingtips.com

Of Galibier and the Tour de France, Wikipedia  writes:

The Col du Galibier was first used in the Tour de France in 1911; the first rider over the summit was Emile Georget, who, with Paul Duboc and Gustave Garrigou were the only riders not to walk.

Emile Georget, Col du Galibier, 1911

Photo: Emile Georget  

The original summit was at 2556 m; while the tunnel was closed from 1976 until 2002, the tour route went only over the pass closer to the mountain peak at 2645 m. In 2011, the Tour de France went through the tunnel for the first time during the 19th stage from Modane Valfréjus to L'Alpe d'Huez. At the south portal of the tunnel, at the edge of the road, there is a monument to Henri Desgrange, instigator and first director of the Tour de France. The memorial was inaugurated when the tour passed on 19 July 1949. Whenever the tour crosses the Col du Galibier, a wreath is laid on the memorial. The "Souvenir Henri Desgrange" is awarded to the first rider across the summit of the highest mountain in each year's tour. In 2006, the prize of 5,000 euros was claimed on the Col du Galibier by Michael Rasmussen.

Since 1947, the Col de Galibier has been crossed 31 times by the Tour de France. It was scheduled to be used in 1996, but was left out at the last minute due to bad weather. As a result of snow on both the Col de l'Iseran and the Col du Galibier, the scheduled 190 km stage from Val-d'Isère to Sestriere in Italy was reduced to a 46 km sprint from Le-Monetier-les-Bains which was claimed by Bjarne Riis, resulting in him taking the yellow jersey which he retained to the finish in Paris. In the 2008 Tour, the Col du Galibier had been crossed on 23 July in the 210 km stage 17 from Embrun to Alpe d'Huez. The 2011 Tour climbed the Col du Galibier twice to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first appearance of the pass in the Tour de France, including the first ever summit finish, won by Andy Schleck after a 60 km solo breakaway. This was the highest ever stage finish in the Tour de France. It was scheduled to be used again in stage 20 of the 2015 Tour, but was left out nine days before the race start due to landslides in the Chambon Tunnel, situated towards the bottom of the descent of the climb.”

The Telegraphe, and Galibier, are the scene of the greatest racing day in the life of Marco Pantani .  It was here and in this Stage 15 of the 1998 TdF that Pantini attacked on the Galibier and ultimately turned a three minute deficit into an 11 minute lead against Jan Ullrich.  Pantini went on to win the Tour de France that year.  

Pantani attacks 4.2 km from Galibier summit.

Photo:   Cycling-passion.com

#5: COL D'AUBISQUE

CLIMB 1 (CAT __) - COL D'AUBISQUE  

PJAMM CYCLING INTERACTIVE PROFILE TOOL

16.7 km, 1193m at 7.1%

The incomparable Col d’Aubisque - included in the first ever mountain stage of the Tour de France in 1910 - Stage 10’s four mountain climbs over the 326 kilometer course (Col de Peyresourde, Col d’Aspin, Col du Tourmalet and, finally Col d’Aubisque) were coined The Circle of Death.  It was also on the Aubisque that eventual 1910 TdF winner Octave Lapize uttered his famous comments to tour organizers - variously reported at “murderers,” “assassins,” or “criminals.”

Col d’Aubisque (and Col d’Aspin)  has appeared in the Tour de France 73 times between 1910 and 2022, more than any other climb other than Col du Tourmalet with 88 appearances.

Stage 10 TdF 1911 [2]

Photo:   bikeraceinfo.com  (an exceptional resource for all Grand Tours).

We rode this route in 2011 and 2018 . . . guess what . . . still the same. 👍

Same cliff, same mountain, same tunnel (as pictured above) over 100 years later.

Aubisque is our choice for Top TdF Nostalgic Climb.

The descent from Eaux Bonnes (western approach) towards Col du Soulor was and is a dangerous route - it’s a narrow road with sheer cliffs. On Stage 13, July 17, 1951, this hazardous stretch of road was the scene of one of the most horrific and famous crashes in Tour history.  The unlikely leader on this day was the pleasant and good natured Dutchman Wim van Est .  This Tour included pure and true cycling legends Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi, and Louison Bobet, and, while an accomplished pursuit racer, van Est was never expected to compete for the overall classification in the greatest of the Grand Tours.  Nonetheless,  on July 26, during Stage 12, van Est, who started the day over nine minutes behind leader Roger Levêque, broke away and won the stage, finding himself in the yellow jersey by :02:29.

A deadly road.

However, winning the flat Stage 12 by using his specialty sprint to gain time on the peloton is one thing, but a sprinter holding a slim lead over the Aubisque would be quite another.  And so it was that Van Est had lost his lead as he summited the mighty Aubisque and set about to regain some of what he had lost.  However, the narrow and windy road descending from Col d’Aubisque towards Col du Soulor is a poor choice for downhill heroics.  And so it was that fell and tumbled 70 meters down and nearly sheer mountainside. It was not just the fall that remains in our memories from this day, but the way Van Est was extricated from his predicament and that he was still alive and  able to climb up the mountain back to the road under his own power.

Photo:   Edwin Seldenthus as published in velopeloton.com .

Here is  amazing YouTube footage  of the rescue of Wim van Est.  He was helped up the mountainside by a chain of tires strung together by spectators and his support team.  Still alive and unbelievably without major injury, Van Est insisted on continuing the race, but was convinced by wiser authority to go to the hospital.

Making lemonade out of lemons (or money out of near death?) -- when he flew off the Aubisque cliff, Van Est fortuitously (in hindsight anyway) was wearing a team issued Pontiac wrist watch which became the launching point for Van Est focused advertising campaign with this slogan: “Seventy meters deep I dropped, my heart stood still but my Pontiac never stopped.”

All the greats have raced on the Aubisque

Louison Bobet, Stage 11 1954 TdF (champion 1953-1955)

 Photo:   bikeraceinfo.com

Full list of every climb ever included in the Tour de France

[1]  We all know, but it is necessary to mention here, that Lance Armstrong’s seven tour victories were all stripped due to the use of PEDs.

[2]  Note:  The cliff and tunnel approach to Col d’Aubisque is from the Argeles Gazost/Arrens side, not Laruns.

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Road Cycling

Tour de france top speed | riders hit a huge 130kph / 81mph on stage nine of le tour, so the tour de france top speed is higher than the speed limit on the motorway....

What’s the best part of cycling? Going downhill! Obviously. We’re not saying that the odd-ascent can’t be enjoyable, but it’s the views at the top and the promise of the slope swapping around that often gives you – or give us anyway – the will to push on up.

Chris Froome hit the nail on the head recently when he raced to a spectacular descent victory on stage eight of the Tour de France , stating after: “I felt like a kid again, just trying to ride my bike as fast as I could.” And that’s it. At the end of the day, the reason we ride our bikes is for it’s fun.

Now, you might think that the Tour de France would be a place slightly void of fun – what with the brutal Tour de France crashes , the likes of Alberto Contador’s crash , and Chris Froome punching a Tour de France spectator on that same stage eight to get him out of the way – but alas, as long as there are downhills there is always going to be fun. And man, do they tackle those downhills fast.

IAM Cycling sprinter Leigh Howard blew a lot of minds in the cycling community when he showed that at one point during stage nine of the race he was riding at a full 122.7kph. The Australian was chasing the pack back after a full-bike replacement, tweeting that he was “#shittingmyself” later on as he smashed 75mph on a road bike.

But Howard’s crazy effort wasn’t even the Tour de France top speed on stage nine of the Tour. Below are a few stats to remember for next time your friends ask ‘what is the top speed in the Tour de France?’

Jeremy Roy later showed that he had managed to set a high speed of 127kph/79mph on the descent of the Cote de la Comella, while Marcus Burghardt of BMC took the bragging rights managing to aero-tuck his way to 130.7kph/81.2mph.

Just stop and consider that for a moment. Seriously. These three guys all broke the British speed limit for driving on a motorway, while riding a road bike. Think how terrifying that would be if you were in the saddle. You’d feel less stable than the British government and faster than Boris Johnson running away after the Brexit vote.

Seriously though, if Burghardt had been going that speed on the motorway in a car he probably would’ve been pulled over by the police, so needless to say the riders all broke the speed limit of the local French mountain roads. We somehow don’t think they’ll be getting any fines.

If you consider then that the German road cyclist finished 31 minutes down on stage winner Tom Dumoulin and Jeremy Roy only seven minutes quicker though, it certainly puts into perspective how difficult it must be to actually win a stage of the Tour de France 2016.

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What Does a Pro’s Rest Day Look Like During the Tour de France?

We take a detailed look at pros’ methods for maintaining stamina during a stage race like the Tour.

So, we dug into how top cyclists get through those long weeks of racing by picking the brains of pro team staff members and pro cyclists themselves. Even if you don’t have a stage race on the schedule, you can learn from the Tour de France rest day tactics—plus, it’s fun to find out what exactly happens after a stage finish.

Rehydrate and Refuel

If you watch the finish line of any stage, you’ll notice that soigneurs (those team staffers at the finish line) are quick to pass bottles to the riders as they cross the line. Often, they’re filled with a carb-based sports drink that includes protein in it, though some may contain straight water or just electrolytes , depending on the rider’s preference (and how nauseous they are post-sprint).

When the next race is less than 24 hours away, immediately getting hydration and fuel back in the tank is vitally important, says Human Powered Health’s dietitian Mathis Fluit. Because races like the Tour require switching hotels almost every stage—meaning the riders won’t have immediate access to their rooms—riders will often have another meal or hefty snack , like rice and chicken or granola and yogurt , on the team bus heading back to the hotel.

Spin the Legs Out Immediately

You may have seen riders get back onto their bikes after finishing a stage—on stationary trainers or rollers , that is. And you might be wondering why the heck riders are finishing 100-plus mile stages and then riding some more. It seems like they’ve already cycled enough, right?

But as Human Powered Health’s pro rider, Marjolein van’t Geloof, who’s a physiotherapist in addition to being a WorldTour bike racer, explains, often riders finish with a sprint , so they actually need a few minutes to cool down and prep their legs for another day of racing—an easy session on the trainer will do that.

“It’s really important to get on rollers and spin out your legs , just for 10 to 15 minutes,” she says. “You’re helping your legs flush the lactate out and set yourself up to feel better the next day.”

Team buses are often equipped with a shower, so riders are able to quickly clean up and get changed after a stage—important for hygiene and avoiding saddle sores , which is critical for getting through a multi-week race.

Canyon//SRAM’s Alice Towers says that once racers get to the hotel postrace, the team staff will have already checked in for riders and put suitcases in their respective rooms. That often means riders head straight to their rooms to relax, snack , take a longer shower, or have a nap .

Eat All the Carbs

Riders need to be eating steadily throughout the day, on and off the bike, says Fluit. Most of their calories will come from simple carbs , typically in the form of white rice, pasta, and oatmeal.

Riders limit fiber , and because of that, vegetables like broccoli will only appear in small quantities at night. Typically, both right after the race and dinner later on include rice- or pasta-based meals, often with chicken or red meat as the protein source . “It’s not necessarily even tomorrow that riders need to worry about when it comes to eating. They’re thinking about seven stages from now,” says Fluit. “If you’re low on calories or carbohydrates for one day, that’s going to catch up with you after a few days.”

Get in Protein, Too

Cyclists push their muscles to their absolute limit in a race like the Tour de France, and that means recovery requires protein in order to repair that damaged tissue. There’s an endurance athlete cliché of chicken breasts and rice for every meal, and it’s surprisingly accurate if you look at how Tour racers eat the night after a stage. They’ll also be drinking protein in their recovery shakes —usually between 20 and 30 grams in a bottle, along with carbohydrates and electrolytes—says Fluit.

Plan on Early Bedtimes

“The main thing for recovery is just getting as much sleep as you can possibly get,” says Phil Gaimon, former WorldTour pro and host of his new podcast, Watch the Tour de France with Phil Gaimon. “Nothing is better than an extra 15 minutes of sleep. Racers know that and so they’re focused on getting to bed as early as possible.” Because of this, many riders travel with their own pillows, eye masks, and ear plugs—and are also just great sleepers!

Limit Social Media

Some riders are fine scrolling the Twitter comments (*shudder*). Others prefer to keep their phones on airplane mode. But for the most part, riders have a routine with how they treat newsfeeds and social media during these races.

“I avoid checking any news about the race,” says Canyon//SRAM’s Kasia Niewiadoma. “I like to be as minimally distracted as possible, because I know that the more I read, the more stories that are created in my head and the more I’m thinking about it. And that just keeps me awake at night. We talk about the race at the team meeting, of course, but I don't want to do any extra investigation around it.”

Take an Ice Bath

Tadej Pogačar made headlines this year with his speedy postrace ice baths, but he’s not the only one who relies on them.

“I was always a big fan of the ice baths , which the team didn’t enable at all back then,” Gaimon says. “I’d have to make eight laps of taking the ice bucket from the hotel to my bathtub. And eventually, my teammates would also want to use the bathtub after me! It definitely helps after a hot stage. It reduces your inflammation and relaxes your central nervous system. I would always sleep better if I did the ice bath. And I see a lot of racers doing it now.” (Gaimon later created IceLegs in order to make cooling off easier for riders.)

Get a Massage

The WorldTour teams all have team physiotherapists, massage therapists, or soigneurs on staff to help riders recover faster with daily massage after each stage. “It’s the best part of the day!” says Canyon//SRAM’s Elise Chabbey, who’s also an M.D. “Most riders will get a massage, but the type of massage depends on what’s happening the next day. If the next day’s stage is not so important, the therapist can really push on the legs to try to release the muscles. But if the next day is really important, they’ll be a bit more gentle. It’s a really nice time during the hectic week: It’s a moment where you can really relax and think about something else and talk about something else.”

Set Yourself Up at Night to Ride in the Morning

Remember how Gaimon mentioned getting as much sleep as possible? That means having everything ready to roll for the next morning: Kit laid out, knowing exactly what you’re having in terms of coffee and breakfast —anything that buys you a few more minutes of sleep in the morning.

“If we had to have bags out of the room and be at breakfast at 8 a.m., I would have all my stuff packed and ready to go with my alarm set for 7:55 and literally roll out of bed and into the breakfast room,” he says.

Spin on Rest Days

You’d think on a rest day , riders really, really wouldn’t want to pedal their bikes. And yes, some will skip the ride in order to allow minor irritations, like saddle sores or road rash from a crash to heal, but many will opt for a very relaxed-paced spin to flush out the legs. These rides are short and social—and as Gaimon notes, many teams will use them as a chance to do events with sponsors.

Otherwise, riders will spend most of their rest days with legs up, relaxing and (no surprise here) eating.

Find a Way to Mentally Bounce Back

The top-level pros don’t get where they are by bemoaning a race gone wrong. As any pro cyclist will tell you, you lose many, many more races than you win. That means if a stage doesn’t go according to plan, you discuss it with the team at the evening team meeting, then you move on.

“To be honest, all the bad days make me more motivated and stronger,” says Niewiadoma. “You learn from races, and when you make a mistake, you really don’t want to find yourself in that position again. So that makes you want to be better the next day.”

Get Comfortable With Monotony

Imagine you just rode more than 100 miles up a bunch of mountains, then sprinted your heart out at the finish line. And that you’d been doing that for two weeks straight. Sure, that massage, quick spin to flush out the legs, and a healthy meal made by the team chef while chatting with your teammates and/or loved ones via FaceTime sounds great. But the reality?

“Typically for most riders, it’s rice and chicken post race, back to the hotel for a massage and then dinner,” says Derek Gee , the young Canadian who became one of the most talked-about riders of the Giro d’Italia in 2023. “For me, I was completely cracked on eating rice every day so I finished every stage with yogurt and cereal and I never really enjoy massage or find it helpful. So my postrace was just lying in bed and relaxing, eating more cereal.”

Molly writes about cycling, nutrition and training, with an emphasis on women in sport. Her new middle-grade series, Shred Girls, debuts with Rodale Kids/Random House in 2019 with "Lindsay's Joyride." Her other books include "Mud, Snow and Cyclocross," "Saddle, Sore" and "Fuel Your Ride." Her work has been published in magazines like Bicycling, Outside and Nylon. She co-hosts The Consummate Athlete Podcast.

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Cycling star Evenepoel targets June return from crash ahead of Tour de France and Paris Olympics

BRUSSELS — Two weeks after crashing heavily in Spain, two-time world champion Remco Evenepoel said on Friday he's on track to race again in June ahead of the Tour de France and Paris Olympics.

The Belgian needed surgery after breaking a collar bone and shoulder blade in a crash while descending in the Tour of Basque Country.

Evenepoel will train at high altitude before a planned return to racing at the Critérium du Dauphiné in France from June 2-9 or the week after at the Tour de Suisse, he said in an interview broadcast by his team Soudal–Quick-Step.

He won the worlds time trial last year and the road race in 2022, and should target both Olympic events on the streets of Paris on back-to-back Saturdays — July 27 and Aug. 3. First, he will make his Tour de France debut on June 29.

“It’s going to be something special. Especially the Tour,” Evenepoel said. “It makes it a bit easier to do Tour-Olympics because it’s in the same country, not too far like it was three years ago to go to Tokyo. That was more difficult for a lot of guys.”

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Evenepoel raced in both Olympic road events in Japan. He placed ninth in the time trial, more than one minute out of the medals and trailing 2 minutes, 17 seconds behind gold medalist Primož Roglič.

Roglič was caught up in Evenepoel’s crash in Spain and also will miss the one-day classic Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday. Evenepoel won the past two editions of the storied race.

Evenepoel said the early spring injury gave him time to recover like it was a midseason break. It let him spend the Eid al-Fitr holiday last week with his wife Oumi Rayane and her family.

“That was a very beautiful day,” he said. “It’s better to have the injury now than in a couple of weeks. It’s a bit of luck in my bad luck.”

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2024 Liege-Bastogne-Liege - Should Pogačar skip the Giro and focus on the Tour de France‪?‬ THEMOVE

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Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra - Tour de France

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Anja Bihlmaier leads the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra in this symphonic Tour De France, arriving at a musical work like none other.

All that was felt by the French composers who followed, among them the child prodigy Saint-Saëns who filled his Piano Concerto No. 2 with everything from Bach to Offenbach - not forgetting its wild ‘tarantella’ finale. Winner of the Clara Haskil Competition, Mao Fujita, plays Saint-Saëns’s most popular concerto here after Louise Farrenc’s vivacious Overture No. 2, a work partly inspired by Berlioz’s impassioned symphony.

Last Updated : 04/22/2024

Source : Visit Bergen

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