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Body Size of Cyclists in the Tour de France

There are many physiological factors which are important for success in cycling , particularly leg power and aerobic endurance. Body size also plays a part, as it is the muscular power and aerobic endurance capacity proportional to body weight (power to weight ratio) that is important.

Successful cyclists are generally exceedingly lean, with skinny arms and big muscular thighs. Elite cyclists have also been found to have proportionally longer femurs, which gives them extra leverage when they push the pedals. Among the road racers, the climbers tend to be lighter and smaller than the sprinters and time trialists. The Tour de France is almost always won or lost on mountain climbs, so successful riders in this event will need to fit the mold somewhere between the great climbers and time trialists.

As cyclists have become more professional over the years and training and diet more fine-tuned to maximize performance, has this been reflected in the body size of the elite cyclist? Here we look at historical anthropometrical data of the participants of the Tour de France, the premier tour event which attracts the greatest of riders from around the world, and look for trends in changes in these parameters and relate them to the performance of the cyclists.

Tour de France Cyclists Stats

There is limited historical anthropometrical data of Tour de France cyclists available, though the height and weight of all participants in recent years have been collated by the procyclingstats website, and the height and weight of many of the winners can be found online going back to at least the 1940s.

We have analyzed the age, height and weight data of all participants in the Tour de France since 1990, and the age, height and weight of the winners going back to the 1940s (up to 2019). Using these height and weight measures, we have calculated the average BMI measurement , which is a general (though somewhat flawed) measure of leanness.

Riders are Getting Older and Thinner

The general findings of our anaylysis is that the participants in the Tour de France on average have been getting older, however riders can still win at any age - case in point the 2019 winner was only 22 years old, well below the average winner's age of 28. Again in 2020 there was a young winner, Tadej Pogačar also 22 years old. The average height of riders has not varied much, though riders are much leaner than they were once, reflected in a lower weight and body mass index.

We discuss each of these parameters below in more detail. See also the original data tables .

Age of Tour de France Cyclists

The average age of all cyclists from each tour has gradually increased since it was first recorded, rising from an average of about 28 years to nearly 30 years now, shown clearly in the graph below. Such an increase in age may be due to advances in medicine, diet and training keeping the riders in top condition, but also due to the increasing monetary rewards providing the incentive for them to keep competing for longer.

We have data about the age of the winners for all tours. This data does not show such a clear increase as does the average data, it more so demonstrates the wide variation in ages. The average age of the tour winner is 28 years, ranging from the youngest Henri Cornet winning in 1904 at only 20 years of age, the oldest Firmin Lambot winning in 1922 aged 36.

In recent years, the winners were generally above the average age, being experienced riders in their early thirties. However, the winner of the 2019 tour was only 22 years old, the youngest winner of the Tour de France since World War II. Also the 2020 and 2021 winner Tadej Pogačar was 21 and 22 years old respectively.

Height of Tour de France Cyclists

The average height of all cyclists from each tour since 1990 is mostly between 1.80m and 1.82m. The anomalous average height of 1.86m in 1993 skews the data, which shows otherwise a fairly consistent average height. This data was taken from that published by procyclingstats, and their database from the 1990s may not have included all the riders, so may not be as representative of the whole group as more recent averages.

The tallest rider on record is Marcel Sieberg at 1.98 meters (6' 6"), who rode in the Tour de France nine times between 2007 and 2018. The winner of the first-ever race in 1903, Maurice Garin, was only 1.62 m (5' 4"), though the shortest may be Samuel Dumoulin at 1.59 meters (5' 3") who rode in the Tour de France 12 times between 2003 and 2016.

A professional cyclist who literally stands out among his peers is Irishman Conor Dunne, who races for Aquablue. He is yet to ride in the Tour de France, but if he does you will notice his 2.04m tall frame which absolutely towers over his fellow riders.

The graph below of the winner's height for each tour since 1947 shows a general trend of increasing height. The winners in the last decade have been particularly taller, above the average of the peloton - except in 2019! Egan Bernal, who was the youngest winner of the Tour de France since World War II, bucked the trend in height as well and was only 175m tall. The tallest Tour de France winner was Bradley Wiggins at 1.90m (6'3"), and there are also a few tall recent winners at 1.86m (6'1") - Chris Froome, Andy Schleck and Miguel Induráin.

Weight of Tour de France Cyclists

Since 1990, the average weight of all cyclists in the Tour de France has decreased, though seeming to plateau in the last 10 years. There has been a drop in the average weight of about 5 kg (11lbs) over that time, with no significant difference in height - which would indicate that the riders are getting slimmer.

The heaviest rider on record is Magnus Backstedt at 95 kg (209.5 lbs). The lightest, Leonardo Piepoli at 57 kg (125.7lbs).

Below is the graph of the winner's body weight for each tour. Since 1945, there is great variation, though there is no trend of significant changes (unlike the decrease in average rider weight shown in the last 30 years).

The 1973 winner, Luis Ocaña, was just 52 kg (115 lbs). At the other end of the scale, Miguel Induráin was recorded at 80kg (176 lb).

BMI of Tour de France Cyclists

As mentioned above, it is the power to weight ratio that is very important for cyclists, which is maximized by having low body fat levels. The body mass index (BMI), which relates weight to height, is a general indication of body fat levels. The graph of the average BMI of all cyclists from each tour since 1990 shows a clear decrease, a reflection of the decreasing average body weight while the height has not changed - therefore the riders are getting thinner.

The BMI of the winners since 1947 also shows a tendency to get lower over time. The 2012 winner Bradley Wiggins had a BMI of only 19.1, as did Luis Ocaña, the winner from 1973 winner. The heights of these two riders were very different (1.90 m v 1.65 m) but obviously they both carried very little bodyfat.

Olympic Cycling

At the 2012 Olympic Games, the averages of the road cyclists were 180.5cm and 70.8 kg, with an average BMI of 21.7.

Selected References

• Foley, J. P., Bird, S. R., & White, J. A. (1989). Anthropometric comparison of cyclists from different events. British journal of sports medicine, 23(1), 30–33.

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• Anthropometry for cycling
• Olympic Games Anthropometry for other sports in 2012
• Athlete Body Size Changes Over Time
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Tour de France Statistics You Probably Never Heard About (2023 TdF Included)

Tour de France’s rich history goes back to 1903, when its first edition took place. Nowadays, it is the most famous cycling race globally. One day, I asked myself:

What will I discover if I visualize the data collected from over 100 editions?

The result is a unique set of charts and facts about the Tour de France that can provide valuable insights. And maybe, we can also better predict the future winners.

Learn more about the total distance, average stage length, rider’s height, weight, BMI, and other interesting data, and how they developed.

Let’s dive into one of the biggest sets of the Tour de France statistics.

Abbreviations used: GC – General Classification, GT – Grand Tour, TdF – Tour de France, BMI – Body Mass Index

I used publicly available data from wikipedia.org , procyclingstats.com , and the official Tour de France website letour.fr as data sources. Some data is not available (especially the rider’s weights/heights).

Please also keep in mind the following:

• The Tour de France did not take place between 1915-1918 and 1940-1946.
• Lance Armstrong was stripped of all his results and prizes from 1 August 1998; no alternative winners of TdF 1999-2005 have yet been declared.
• The actual rider’s racing weight could vary.

Tour de France 2023 Summary

The overall winner of the 2023 Tour de France is Jonas Vingegaard (DK). He finished 7:29 ahead of Tadej Pogačar . Vingegaard covered the 3,401 km route, averaging 41.43 km/h.

The 2023 Tour de France points classification winner is Jasper Philipsen (BE). He accumulated 377 points and won 4 stages (stage 3, stage 4, stage 7, and stage 11).

The 2023 Tour de France mountain classification winner is Giulio Ciccone (IT). He accumulated 106 points.

The best young rider (under 25 years) for the 2023 Tour de France is Tadej Pogačar (SLO). He finished 7:29 behind Jonas Vingegaard.

Tour de France Total Distance

The Tour de France was the longest Grand Tour for decades. The first 3 editions were relatively short (2,428, 2,428, and 2,994 km). However, that changed with the 4th edition. For the next decades, riders had to cover an overall distance exceeding 5,000 km. Luckily for riders, this distance shortened over time.

The average Tour de France length of all editions is 4,190 km . The average length was 4,139 km between 1960 and 1980, 3,791 km between 1980 and 2000, and “only” 3,491 km between 2000 and 2020. The total length of the 2023 Tour de France is 3401.3 km .

Tour de France Average Speed

The average Tour de France speed of all editions is 34.62 km/h . The average speed was 27.67 km/h between 1919 and 1939, and 40.15 km/h between 1999 and 2019. The average speed of the 2023 Tour de France was 41.43 km/h .

The average speed improved mainly thanks to technological progress, better training methods, and nutrition specialists

Do you think we will ever see a Tour de France ridden with an average speed exceeding 45 km/h?

Number and Length of the Tour de France Stages

The number of Tour de France stages increased from 6-15 stages to more than 20, depending on the edition. For the last few years, it has remained the same (21).

The average Tour de France stage length of all editions is 218 km (time trials included). It went down from a whopping 286 km between 1909-1939 to 197 km between 1949-1979 and 173 km between 1989-2019. The average stage length of the 2023 Tour de France is 162 km .

Historical Extremes of the Tour de France

Can you guess the longest and shortest Tour de France edition ?

The longest Tour de France took place in 1926. Riders had to cover 5,745 km (this is about the same distance as from New York to London).

The shortest Tour de France were the first two editions (1903 and 1904); they had the same length of 2,428 km .

The longest Tour de France stage was the 5th stage of the 1919 edition; it was 482 km long.

The fastest Tour de France took place in 2022. The average speed of the winner was 41.84 km/h.

The slowest Tour de France was the 22nd edition (1924). The winner, Ottavio Bottecchia, reached a winning time of 226h 18′ 21″ on an overall distance of 5,425 km. This results in an average speed of 23.97 km/h .

IMPORTANT NOTE : Many websites (including Wikipedia) list the 1919 Tour de France as the slowest TdF ever (24.06 km/h). This claim is incorrect because the 1924 Tour de France was even slower (23.97 km/h).

Interested in more statistics? I summarized Giro and Vuelta as well.

Tour de France Rider’s Height, Weight, and BMI (Over Time)

How do the Tour de France riders’ height, weight, and BMI develop over time? How do these data differ between riders for the general classification, climbers, and sprinters (all-rounders)? You learn in this section.

NOTE : The heights and weight data are unfortunately not available for all riders.

General Classification

Tour de France winners are getting taller but leaner. ..

A friend once told me I am too tall for cycling (I am 1.85 m). I thought he was right, but he was not. Even tall riders like Bradley Wiggins (1.90 m), Chris Froome (1.86 m), or Miguel Indurain (1.86 m) have won the Tour de France. And it seems that the Tour de France is being won by taller and taller riders (check the chart below).

The average height of a Tour de France winner is 1.77 m .

The tallest Tour de France winner ever was Bradley Wiggins (TdF 2012). He is 1.90 m tall.

The shortest Tour de France winner ever was Romain Maes (TdF 1935). He was 1.60 m tall.

Lower weight = Better Chance to Win Tour de France?

The average weight of a Tour de France winner is 68.1 kg .

The heaviest Tour de France winner was François Faber. He won the 1909 TdF, weighing 88 kg .

The lightest Tour de France winner was Marco Pantani. He won the 1998 TdF, weighing just 57 kg .

Of all the charts in this article, I like the BMI chart the most because it shows an interesting trend. Let’s quickly repeat what BMI means.

BMI uses your height and weight to work out if your weight is healthy. ( Source )

Here is a quick guide on how to interpret these values:

• Below 18.5 – underweight,
• 18.5-24.9 – normal,
• 25.0-29.9 – overweight,
• 30.0 and above – obese.

With this know-how, we get a better understanding of these values.

Tour de France winners have an average BMI of 21.70 .

The Tour de France winner with the highest BMI was François Faber. He won the 1909 Tour de France with a BMI of 27.77 (1.78 m, 88 kg). Yes, the Faber won TdF while being overweight.

The Tour de France winner with the lowest BMI was Chris Froome. He won the TdF in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017 with a BMI of 19.08 (1.86 m, 66 kg).

Do you want to know how do you compare with pro riders? Feel free to calculate your BMI using the calculator below.

BMI CALCULATOR

Mountain Classification

The average height of a Tour de France mountain classification winner is 1.75 m .

The tallest Tour de France mountain classification winner ever is Mauricio Soler (TdF 2007). He is 1.90 m tall.

The shortest Tour de France mountain classification winner ever was Julián Berrendero (TdF 1936). He was 1.62 m tall.

The average weight of a Tour de France mountain classification winner is 64.4 kg .

The heaviest Tour de France mountain classification winners were Louison Bobet (TdF 1950) and Santiago Botero (TdF 2000). They won the mountain classification, weighing 75 kg .

The lightest Tour de France mountain classification winner was Luis Herra. He won the 1985 and 1987 TdF mountain classifications, weighing just 57 kg .

Tour de France mountain classification winners have an average BMI of 21.14 .

The Tour de France mountain classification winner with the highest BMI was Sylvère Maes. He won the 1939 Tour de France mountains classification with a BMI of 24.80 (1.68 m, 70 kg).

The Tour de France mountain classification winner with the lowest BMI was Warren Barguil. He won the 2017 Tour de France mountains classification with a BMI of 18.42 (1.82 m, 61 kg). This means he was underweight.

You might also be interested How much does a Tour de France bike cost? How much does a Tour de France bike weigh?

Points Classification

The average height of a Tour de France points classification winner is 1.78 m .

The tallest Tour de France points classification winner s ever were Tom Boonen (TdF 2007) and Wout van Aert (2022). They are 1.90 m tall.

The shortest Tour de France points classification winner ever was Stan Ockers (TdF 1955, 1956). He was 1.65 m tall.

The average weight of a Tour de France points classification winner is 72.5 kg .

The heaviest Tour de France points classification winner was Tom Boonen. He won the 2007 TdF points classification, weighing 82 kg .

The lightest Tour de France points classification winner was Stan Ockers. He won the 1955 and 1956 TdF points classification, weighing just 61 kg .

A Tour de France points classification winner has an average BMI of 22.88 .

The Tour de France points classification winner with the highest BMI was Walter Godefroot (1.71 m, 73 kg). He won the 1970 Tour de France points classification with a BMI of 24.96 .

The Tour de France points classification winner with the lowest BMI was Bernard Hinault (1.74 m, 62 kg). He won the TdF 1979 points classification with a BMI of 20.48 .

TIP : Don’t you have a bike yet? Feel free to browse my selection of the  best bikes on the market.

Overall Victories, Stage Wins, Days in Yellow…

The riders with the most Tour de France GC wins (5) are Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil, and Miguel Indurain. Chris Froome is the closest active rider to these legends with his 4 TdF wins.

Eddy Merckx also dominated another statistic as he is the rider with the most days spent in the yellow jersey * (Maillot Jaune).

*Including half-stages.

The following table shows the three riders with the most Tour de France stage wins .

Who is the rider with the most Tour de France participation ? Sylvain Chavanel . The 2nd place belongs to George Hincapie, Stuart O’Grady, Jens Voigt, and the 3rd to Joop Zoetemelk and Haimar Zubeldia.

Riders with the Most Mountain & Points Classification Victories

The best climber , according to the number of Mountain Classification victories, was Richard Virenque. He won this classification seven times .

According to the number of Points Classification victories, the best sprinter is the Slovak Peter Sagan , who has won 7 times .

If you are into cycling and numbers, make sure you also read these Incredible Bicycle Statistics .

I hope you enjoyed these Tour de France statistics as I did when putting them together. What is your favorite stat? Let me know in the comments section.

Be sure also to check my Cycling Grand Tours Statistics , where I compare all Grand Tours, or continue reading:

Tour de France Statistics FAQ

Not yet. However, Eddy Merckx was closest to this in 1969. He won the yellow jersey, polka dot jersey, and green jersey. The young rider classification was introduced in 1975. Only riders below 26 years of age are eligible. Eddy Merckx was 24 years old in 1969. This means he would have won all 4 jerseys in the same Tour de France edition.

Eddy Merckx is considered “the greatest” Tour de France rider and “the greatest” cyclist of all time. He won 11 grand tours (5 times Tour de France, 5 times Giro d’Italia, and once Vuelta a España). He won 3 TdF points classifications, 2 mountains classification, and 4 combativity awards. Together with Mark Cavendish, he also holds a record for the most stage wins (34).

This scenario happened only twice (in 1947 and 1968) and will likely not happen again. It is a tradition that riders don’t compete for GC in the final stage.

This scenario happened four times (in 1903, 1924, 1928, and 1935). With the tough competition nowadays, it is likely never to happen again.

wikipedia.org procyclingstats.com letour.fr lequipe.fr The preview picture ©A.S.O./Charly Lopez (cropped)

Browse Other Cycling Statistics

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About The Author

Petr Minarik

4 thoughts on “tour de france statistics you probably never heard about (2023 tdf included)”.

I just like the helpful information you provide in your articles.

Thank you. 🙂 – Petr

Impressive stats! That must have been a lot of work.

It sure was! – Petr

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How Did Bodies of the Tour de France Riders Change Over Time

Have you ever thought about the hypothetical chance to win the Tour de France if you really tried? Let us skip contemplations about training, financial support and a bit of luck as we want to focus entirely on the potential hidden within the human body. Robert J. Wood from Topendsports.com examined the body sizes and ages of TdF winners of the past and this is what he found out. Would you fit into his findings?

Slimmer, despite keeping the same height

As you might have noted, professional cyclists tend to be outstandingly lean and easy to distinguish by skinny arms and considerably long thighs. Proportionally longer femurs give them extra leverage while pushing the pedals. Moreover, climbers are usually smaller and lighter than sprinters and time trialists in the peloton. Since climb stages are decisive in the overall standings of the Tour, auspicious riders should have proportions somewhere in the middle between a climber and a sprinter. Have the bodies of the Tour participants changed throughout history? Let us make a brief trip into the past of the race.

Losing body fat

Despite limited resources, the basic measurements of the Tour de France cyclists, such as height and weight, are available for the winners all the way back to the 1940s. Using these two figures, Robert J. Wood calculated their average BMI measurement and analysed their body size. The average height of the participants has stayed almost the same yet their weight dwindled substantially. According to the calculated Body Mass Index, successful riders are getting leaner than they have ever been. According to available data, there has been a 5-kg drop in riders’ weight since 1990 with no remarkable impact on their average height.

Sometimes, the weight itself is not indicative of the chances for winning the title as we can demonstrate on flyweight rider Luis Ocaña who dominated the race in 1973 with as few as 52 kg or five-time serial winner Miguel Indurain with fair 80 kg. The average data from the roster of winners, however, show that the overall weight is decreasing while height remains almost the same. That means that riders have less and less fat on their body in contrast with the past.

Does optimal height exist?

If your height is under 180 cm, we have bad news for you. Despite exemptions, the average TdF participant’s height has been between 180 and 182 cm since 1990. The giant of the peloton was Marcel Sieberg with his phenomenal 198 cm who took part in the 2007 and 2008 Tour, while the shortest rider was Samuel Dumoulin at 159 cm who raced the Tour de France 12 times between 2003 and 2016. The data collected since 1947 show that riders’ height is increasing – with several title winners remarkably taller in the recent decade – except for Columbian Egan Bernal who is only 175 cm. Legendary winners like Chris Froome, Andy Schleck or Miguel Induráin, though, could overlook the peloton with their height of 186 cm.

Riders are getting older – by a few years

The youngest winner was Henri Cornet winning in 1904 at mere 20 years of age while the oldest was Firmin Lambot aged 36 and winning in 1922. Even though we saw Tadej Pogačar winning the last Tour at the age of barely 22, the average age of a title-holder in the last decade has been established at 28 years. The age of the winners is in direct relation with the average age of the participants, which slowly increased from 28 to the current 30 years. The increase can be taken on account of advances in medicine and nutrition as well as more and more satisfactory rewards that motivate cyclists to keep competing at a higher age. The average age of winners is growing slightly, declaring that more experienced riders are more likely to succeed though there are striking exemptions like Egan Bernal who became the youngest winner of the Tour de France since World War II.

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How Skinny Are the Top Tour de France Riders, Really?

Plus, Lance Armstrong’s favorite on-the-bike snack

Heading out the door? Read this article on the Outside app available now on iOS devices for members! >","name":"in-content-cta","type":"link"}}'>Download the app .

In short, very. 

“If you took one of these racers and you presented him to a normal doctor, without telling the doctor that this rider had just been in the Tour de France, the doctor would think he was on the edge of becoming anorexic,” says Jens Voigt, who recently retired from professional racing and is now the cycling analyst for NBC Sports. “He would send the racer to a psychologist for counseling. It’s an artificially low body weight, but the Tour does that to you.”

Contenders for the yellow jersey now sport between four and six percent body fat. Let’s put that in context. When people drop below three percent body fat, they run a risk of dying. Many of these racers spend the entire season paring their body weight down so that they arrive at the Tour as lean as possible. Voigt speaks from personal experience, who says he started each Tour at 4.5 percent body fat and generally finished at 3.8 percent.

Why the fixation with being lean? It comes down to maximizing your power-to-weight ratio. Or, to put that in less egg-headed terms, if two competitors produce the same power on the bike, the lighter one will almost always be able to accelerate and drop their heavier competition on the big mountain climbs, where this race is often won and lost. 

“You want to be light so you can fly over the mountains, but if you shiver on one bad day in the North, you’re screwed.”

In a race decided by seconds, weight matters. A number of Tour de France winners began their careers with entirely unimpressive results, dropped weight, and returned a skinnier winner. Miguel Indurain, Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, and, perhaps most famously, Lance Armstrong are all examples. 

“I was a swimmer and I was always stuck with a swimmer’s body,” says Armstrong, who started his competitive life as a triathlete and retained a heavily muscled upper body. It was a build well suited to winning one-day races, but which proved a liability in multi-week tours studded with long climbing stages. When Armstrong returned to cycling after his bout with cancer, he was 20 pounds lighter and worlds faster on the climbs. 

“Being lean is all about the three or four months before the Tour and—let’s be honest here—this is just about starvation,” he says. “For me to get down to 163 pounds and still be four percent [body fat]? I’ll tell you, in those months leading up to the Tour, you’re just hungry, man.”

Being so lean, however, is not only difficult to maintain, but risky as well. A certain amount of body fat (usually around six percent for athletic men) is necessary for maintaining health. With their reserves pushed to the absolute limits, riders who maintain a body fat percentage below five percent for an extended period run numerous risks: muscles atrophy, energy levels plummet and their immune systems take a hit. Sick and worn out during the middle of the Tour is an even greater roadblock to victory than carrying an extra pound of fat.

“But here’s the thing,” says Armstrong, “it doesn’t happen every year, but in the first week of the Tour, the weather can be weird and you can get caught in a cold rain. When guys get too lean, they get sick easily because their reserves are so low. So there’s this dance you have to do—you want to be light so you can fly over the mountains, but if you get caught with a shiver on one bad day in the North, you’re done. You’re screwed.”

When I press Armstrong on the details of his own Tour de France diet, he shrugs the question off. 

“If you made a big mistake and didn’t eat enough the night before the race, that matters,” says Armstrong. “But if we’re talking about one energy bar over another, or one chef or nutritionist over another…I don’t think it matters. You find something that works for you and you just stick with it.”

So what worked for him?

“Stroopwafels—just these shitty, toxic cookie things that you’d find right next to the Oreos at the corner store in Belgium. Those are what I existed on during each day’s race for the last three of four Tours. I liked the taste and it was loaded with calories, probably not the best calories, actually, but I was a creature of habit. It tasted good and I never bonked, so why change?”

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Jonas Vingegaard Wins Tour de France, Completing His Sudden Ascent to Top

Vingegaard, 25, won cycling’s most prestigious race on his second attempt, setting up a new rivalry with the two-time champion he dethroned, Tadej Pogacar.

By Juliet Macur

PARIS — Head down and legs churning, Jonas Vingegaard crossed the finish line of the penultimate stage of the Tour de France on Saturday and cupped his hand over his mouth, as if to stifle a gasp. He had done what he had come to do, and his astonishing accomplishment was sinking in.

In only his second Tour de France, and only three years after becoming a professional cyclist, Vingegaard, a 25-year-old Danish rider, had sealed his victory in cycling’s most prestigious race.

His victory became official on Sunday, when the race concluded with its traditional celebratory ride into Paris. But the Tour had been effectively over for days, and when Vingegaard finished second in Saturday’s time trial to his Jumbo-Visma teammate, Wout van Aert of Belgium, his effort on the 25-mile course was enough to leave him with such a large lead in the overall standings — 3 minutes 34 seconds ahead of his closest pursuer — that the final stage brought almost no drama at all.

Vingegaard steered clear of danger on the final laps in Paris, crossing — safely — alongside his teammates well behind the peloton. His winning time was 79 hours 33 minutes 20 seconds.

“We made a plan and we followed it 100 percent,” he said on the podium afterward . “And thanks to everyone in the team, behind the team. It has been really incredible journey for us and now we finally did it.”

After about three full weeks of the Tour, Vingegaard, as he had on Saturday, immediately sought out his partner and toddler daughter in the area past the finish line and gave them a long, sweaty hug.

While Vingegaard had pedaled up and down all the endless hills and unforgiving mountains, and across all the flat roads past fields of flowers and farms, he had wanted to win for them. During every day of searing heat that at times rose above 100 degrees, melting pavement and sidelining some riders with heat exhaustion, he said, he had steeled himself for them.

And, in the end, Vingegaard, who grew up in a small fishing town in northern Denmark, won what was arguably one of the most grueling Tours in history.

Tadej Pogacar, the Slovene rider looking for his third straight Tour win, finished second overall, 2:43 behind Vingegaard, after fighting Vingegaard for the lead until the race’s final days. Geraint Thomas of Britain, the 2018 Tour winner, was third, 7:22 off the pace. Every other rider was at least 13 minutes behind Vingegaard.

“I think the battle between me and Jonas was really something special,” Pogacar, 23, said Saturday, acknowledging the eventual outcome. He offered Sunday’s only hint of a surprise: a late sprint into the lead on Sunday’s final lap, though he was immediately reeled back into the lead group.

“It’s going to be an interesting couple of years ahead for us,” Pogacar said of his nascent rivalry with Vingegaard. “He’s stepped up from last year, he’s taken control of things from the beginning, and he’s proved he’s a strong rider.”

Going into this Tour, Pogacar most likely expected Vingegaard to be his greatest rival after Vingegaard’s improbable second-place finish last year.

In 2021, Jumbo-Visma’s top rider, Primoz Roglic, had dropped out of the Tour after a crash and Vingegaard took it upon himself to show what he could do . His performance was breathtaking — and unexpected. On the daunting Mont Ventoux, he left Pogacar behind to record one of the fastest times ever for that legendary climb.

Vingegaard’s entire career has been nothing short of a fairy tale played out on two wheels and on fast forward.

Six months before joining Jumbo-Visma in 2019, he was working part-time in a Danish factory where he gutted, cleaned and packed fish into ice-filled boxes. Before that, he worked at a fish auction. He credits those days of waking at 4 a.m. and all that hard manual labor in the shivering cold with helping him get to where he is now, at the top of the cycling world.

His Jumbo-Visma team, especially van Aert, was at his side all the way.

Van Aert had his own remarkable race, spending every day of the Tour except the first in the green jersey, which is awarded to the rider who accumulates the most points for stage finishes and in midrace sprint sections. But his biggest achievement over the past three weeks might have been his support of Vingegaard.

Van Aert was there for Vingegaard when his teammate needed him the most on the grueling Hautacam climb that turned out to be the deciding stage in the overall competition. He took off on a breakaway and mercilessly dictated a fast pace, challenging the notion, at 6-foot-3, that light, smaller riders like Vingegaard and Pogacar are naturally the best climbers.

Pogacar, who was battling Vingegaard for the overall lead, couldn’t keep up. As Vingegaard and van Aert kept climbing, Pogacar faded, looking like a car with a sputtering engine as the Jumbo-Visma teammates powered ahead.

The Jumbo-Visma team had won six of the Tour’s 20 stages entering Sunday’s finale. After Saturday’s stage, though, Vingegaard faced questions about his fairy-tale career. One reporter asked him about his rapid rise in the sport, and about how he could have finished 22nd in the 2019 Danish national time trial and then go on to nearly win Saturday’s time trial after three weeks of the Tour.

If Vingegaard was familiar at all with Tour history, or Danish racing history, it was possible that he expected the question. The only other Dane to win the Tour was Bjarne Riis in 1996, and a decade later Riis admitted that he had doped to win the race. Many past winners, though none recently, have either been caught doping or have admitted to doing so.

No, Vingegaard said, he did not go fast because he had doped. It happened because he and his team improved his aerodynamics by toiling in the wind tunnel and adjusting his body position and bike.

“We’re totally clean,” he said in his news conference, broadening his denial to include his entire team. “Every one of us. I can say that to every one of you. No one of us is taking anything illegal.”

High-altitude training camps and attention to detail — in food, in equipment, in preparation — were behind Jumbo-Visma’s rise, he said. “That’s why you have to trust,” he said.

Vingegaard appears to take sportsmanship seriously. On one descent during Stage 18, Pogacar crashed on a section of gravel as he and Vingegaard zoomed down a hill nearly side by side. But instead of taking advantage of Pogacar’s fall, Vingegaard waited for him down the road, allowing his rival to catch up .

After coming back together, Pogacar reached out in an expression of gratitude and the two clenched hands in a moment that will be replayed for years as an example of the good side of sports.

But only one of them was invited to climb atop the podium in Paris and celebrate on the Champs-Élysées. Only one got to pose for photos and family memories that will last a lifetime. And only one will be celebrated in his home country this summer as the king of cycling.

A series of ceremonies honoring Vingegaard already has been scheduled in Copenhagen, the city that hosted the start of this year’s Tour — the kickoff to Vingegaard’s ride to victory.

Tour de France Bicycles, Historical Bike Weights & Technology

Author’s note: I first wrote this article in 2010, but I have updated it every year since.

After swapping my 1992 Cannondale 3.0 ‘s hodgepodge of Campagnolo components for Shimano Dura-Ace 7700, the bike weighs in at 19.0 pounds with pedals. In this day and age of ultra-light (and über-expensive) vélos bedecked with enough carbon fiber to embarrass a B2 Stealth Bomber, this seems a bit portly and admittedly, she could easily lose another 1.5 lbs. if I cared to spend a few hundred dollars for a lighter wheelset, saddle and handlebar.

But can you believe that my C’dale actually weighs less than the bicycles that Miguel Indurain, Jan Ullrich and Bjarne Riis rode to Tour de France victory in the mid- to late 90s? And every winning Tour bike before that!

Below are some of the bikes ridden to glory in the modern Tour de France era. Bike weights hovered between 18 and 22 pounds from 1968 to 1998, after which they plummeted especially with Lance Armstrong demanding every technological advantage. In the new millenium, Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) imposed a minimum weight requirement of 15.0 pounds (6.8 kilograms) for bicycles raced in international events under their jurisdiction—including the Tour de France—so the lightest bike ever ridden to overall Tour victory may have been Armstrong’s 2003 Trek 5900 SL, rumored to be 14.5 pounds. (That win was later nullified.)

Some other observations are below. [ August 11, 2013 : Items below that are struck out are due to disqualifications of once-declared victors like Lance Armstrong implicated in doping scandals.]

• In the last 40 years, a handful of bicycle manufacturers have dominated the race for the yellow jersey: Pinarello ( 15 as of August 2020), Gitane (with 9 or 12 victories ), Peugeot (10), and Trek (10) . Read this post for a detailed analysis and controversies regarding which bike company has won the most.
• TVT (of France) claims to have at least 5 victories spanning from 1986-1991 . Their bikes were frequently rebadged as other marques.
• 1973 was the first time the Tour was won on a titanium bike. Luis Ocana was riding a Speedwell Titalite frameset, although it may have been badged as a Motobecane. (Thanks to Robert Child for this info.)
• Bernard Hinault was the first cyclist to the Tour win using clipless pedals, in 1985 . Stephen Roche was the last to win using toe clips and straps, in 1986.
• In 1999, Lance Armstrong’s time-trial bike was a Trek-badged titanium Litespeed Blade , which was another time a Tour de France victory (later nullified) was achieved using a titanium bicycle.
• 1994 was the last time the Tour was won a steel bike—a TIG-welded Pinarello-badged beauty ridden by Miguel Indurain.
• Indurain and Bjarne Riis rode TIG-welded metal-matrix frames to victory in 1995 and 1996, respectively.
• Aluminum bicycles were ridden to glory by Jan Ullrich and Marco Pantani in 1997 and 1998, respectively.
• Ever since Lance Armstrong lead the Tour on a stock Trek OCLV in 1999, every winning bike has been made completely out of carbon fiber except for Oscar Pereiro’s Pinarello Dogma , which had main tubes made out of an AK61 magnesium alloy and rear triangle made out of carbon fiber.
• In 2000, the UCI instituted a minimum bicycle weight limit of 6.8 kilograms (15.0 pounds). However, James Huang of CyclingNews.com claimed (perhaps mistakenly?) that it only went into effect at the Tour de France in 2004.
• Nowadays (2020s) it is commonplace for TdF bicycle manufacturers to optimize frame aerodynamics even for non-TT stages. But Trek was doing this even in 2004 with its Madone 5.9, which reportedly saved 10 watts during wind-tunnel testing .
• Shimano finally had a win in the Tour starting in 1999 2007.
• For the climbing stages in all seven of Lance Armstrong’s TdF overall first-place finishes, he used a downtube front shift lever to save weight (about 2-3 ounces). Nowadays, combination brake/shift levers (such as SRAM Red) are just as light as a separate downtube and brake lever—and bicycle manufacturers don’t even put braze-ons for downtube levers on their frames anymore. Therefore, 2005 was the last year that downtube levers were used by someone who stepped on the top rung of the podium for the TdF general classification.
• Alberto Contador’s Trek Madone 5.2 in 2007 was the first* Tour-winning bike with a mountain bike-like sloping top tube. Now almost all modern race bikes have “compact” frames, with the main holdouts being Cannondale and Pinarello. *It has been claimed that Marco Pantani’s 1998 bikes had slightly sloping top tubes.
• SRAM had its first victory in 2009 with Alberto Contador. It won again in 2010 despite Andy Schleck’s infamous chain-drop incident . (He was awarded the TdF victory after Alberto Contador tested positive for clenbuterol.)
• Cadel Evan was the first TdF winner using electronic shifting (Shimano Di2 on a BMC Teammachine SLR01) in 2011.
• In the 2010s, two Tour de France winners used ovalized chainrings. Both Bradley Wiggins (2012) and his teammate Chris Froome (the victor in 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017) employed parts by Osymetric. But while Chris Froome continues to use them in the 2020s, every participant of the 2023 Tour de France used round chainrings .
• By 2013, all teams were using 11-speed cassettes. Electronic shifting and disc brakes were adopted around this time too.
• In late 2016, the UCI scrapped its 3:1 rule governing tube shapes . This opened the door for more aerodynamic designs somewhat (it still specifies minimum and maximum tube dimensions).
• Around 2018, more and more bicycle manufacturers were designing their bicycles with “dropped” seatstays. Supposedly they are more aerodynamic and allow more compliance than traditional seatstays that meet at the junction of the top tube and seat tube.
• 2020 was when a 12-speed cassette (Campagnolo) was first successfully used for overall TdF victory. (Campagnolo debuted 12-speed in 2018, SRAM in 2019, and Shimano in 2021.)
• From the early 2000s to roughly 2020, most bicycles used were around the 6.8-kilogram (15.0-pound) UCI weight limit. But then bicycles got heavier due to an increased focus on aerodynamics. Also, most teams were using disc brakes, wider tires, electronic shifting, and power meters. The lightest bicycles were usually the ones reserved for super hilly climbing stages.
• Tadej Pogačar (2021) was the final overall Tour de France winner to use rim brakes . (The first time someone won a TdF stage using disc brakes was probably Stage 2 of the 2017 edition .)
• By 2023, most teams had ditched tubulars for tubeless tires . (This was nine years after I had done so myself .)
• In 2023, Jonas Vingegaard was the first TdF winner to use 1X shifting in select stages .

References:

• Les Velos Mythiques Vainquers du Tour de France by Yves Blanc and Bruno Bade, as described in the Starbike Weight Weenies Forum .
• Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France-winning machines , James Huang, CyclingNews.com, July 2007.
• The UCI minimum weight limit of 15.0 lbs. (6.8 kg) was instituted in 2000 . (Journalist James Huang, perhaps mistakenly, wrote that it came into effect at the Tour de France in 2004.) It still applies today and includes the weight of non-easily-removed accessories (e.g., pedals, water bottle cages, power meters) that bicycle manufacturers usually do not take into account when they advertise. ( Water bottles and cycle computers don’t count. ) It can be presumed that Tour de France teams aspire to use bicycles that weigh no more than the UCI limit , particularly for climbing stages. This was easily attainable until roughly 2020, when teams started to priortize aerodynamics, disc brakes, wider tires, tubeless tires, 12-speed cassettes, and electronic shifting, for example.
• Other components Armstrong used are described in Wired Magazine , July 2004.
• Lance Armstrong’s Tour de France Bikes , Chain Reaction Bicycles, 2001.
• From TVT’s letter . Thanks to James Greenlees for sending me it.

There are 16 comments.

never ceased to amaze me that armstrong demanded such attention to detail on the bike weight and then rode with a gold chain round his neck. ↩ Reply

Why cross out Armstrongs bikes? They didn't dope, he did. SMH ↩ Reply

I guess that could be added as another part to the list of controversies :)

https://felixwong.com/2017/07/which-bicycle-manufacturers-have-won-the-tour-de-france-the-most/ ↩ Reply

How things have come on since the early 00's.

Our first thoughts are probably related to frames but wheels, groupos and other detail parts must have come on strides; plenty of steel framed bikes out there now that are close to or even below the UCI limit... ↩ Reply

Love this info. I am working on a novel in which the 1974 Tour figures prominently. I notice that the year's 74 and 75 are missing from your chart. Why? And can you tell me what Merckx rode to the winner's podium in those years and also suggest what were the major bikes riders were on during those years? The details are important to me in the telling of my story. I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you and keep up the great work. That's a beautiful Gitane up there. ↩ Reply

Hi nice web site.

What about TVT bikes?

eg: Lemond in 1990 used one.

Thanks. ↩ Reply

Luis Ocaña rode some stages on a Speedwell Titanium frame. I had one probably weighed about 18 LBS. Andy Gilmour ↩ Reply

"Ever since Lance Armstrong lead the Tour on a stock Trek OCLV in 1999, every winning bike has been made out of carbon fiber."

Oscar Pereiro 2006? ↩ Reply

Thanks for stopping by my website and for pointing out Oscar Pereiro's bike!

It appears his winning bike was made out of magnesium for the main tubes, and carbon fiber for the rear triangle and fork:

That certainly warrants a mention on the page. I've updated now. ↩ Reply

Thanks for putting this together - its an interesting read. However I999 wasn't the first time a titanium bike was ridden in the TDF, in fact Ocana won the 1973 tour on a titanium Speedwell frame, which was badged as a Motobecane. Ocana's winning bike wasn't made in France, but the manufacturing heartland of Great Britain - Birmingham !!!

Best wishes

Rob ↩ Reply

Thank you for the information, Rob! I have confirmed it and updated the page now. Happy cycling. ↩ Reply

The cost of a tour de France bike is highly dependent on the style, technology, and construction of the equipment. For professional bike pricing, UCI allows disc brakes to be used during the Tour de France. Now, a competition bike has at least one disc brake frame and one associated grouping unit. ↩ Reply

I'm glad I "lived" through what are now part of the halcyon/platinum years of the 1960's, 1970's, 1980's...... Before the sport was bastardized and lost its soul. For that matter its heart.

Today and for well into essentially 20 years it's clearly, increasingly become so plastic. So false as it were. Weight weenies/techno/"aero" twinks are now today's "cyclists" on their poofda plastic, Made In China rigs, spinning endlessly, crashing endlessly. It IS so sad. ↩ Reply

John, I have a late 1920's Alcyon (French) racing bicycle, similar to the the bikes ridden to TdF victories by Nicolas Frantz in 1927 and 1928. It weighs just under 26 pounds with all steel components (aluminum components were not available until the 1930's), except the wooden tubular rims. and leather saddle and toe straps. It has no derailleurs (they were banned from the TdF until 1937) but it has a 2 speed freewheel on one side of the rear hub and a fixed cog on the other. Gears were changed by removing the rear wheel with large brass wing nuts and moving the chain to another cog based on the grade, The fixed gear was larger, and used for climbing!

I started racing bicycles in 1974 when "steel was real" and there were no electronic devices, but there were hints of new technologies like the Teledyne Titan and Exxon Graftek bicycles in the mid 1970's, and the Polar heart rate monitor in 1978.

My point is that technology always marches on, unless rules are written to discourage it, like derailleurs before 1937, etc. ↩ Reply

First clipless pedal TDF win 1986, last toe clip win was 1987 ↩ Reply

That's a good one! Thanks for the input. I've added this along with a link that corroborates this fact. ↩ Reply

Leave a comment Cancel reply

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How much do Tour de France bikes weigh in 2023? 11 Tour bikes weighed and analysed

Lightweight-aero all-rounders dominate

George Scott / Our Media

Simon von Bromley

The Tour de France is the most important race of the year, so teams and riders use the best and latest equipment.

Given that, you might think the answer to the question “How much does a Tour de France bike weigh?” would be a simple one – “Bang on the UCI minimum bike weight of 6.8kg.”

The halcyon days of sub-5kg off-the-shelf road bikes are long gone, however.

While many lay blame at the feet of things such as road disc brakes and tubeless tyres and wheels, another major culprit is aerodynamic drag – or, more specifically, efforts to counter it.

As we’ve seen with bikes such as the Specialized S-Works Aethos , it’s perfectly possible to build a disc brake road bike that weighs less than 6.8kg (at a cost, of course, but that’s no issue for Tour pros).

The problem is that bikes such as the Aethos would be slower than heavier, more aerodynamically efficient ones except on the steepest of gradients, for racing at the WorldTour level .

Though famous for its mountains, the Tour de France isn’t a simple hill climb race .

In fact, despite being one of the most mountainous Tours of recent years, the 2023 race is currently sitting on an overall average speed of more than 41kph/25mph.

The challenge for bike brands, therefore, is to build a bike that is both as aerodynamic as possible yet also light enough to hit 6.8kg in full race trim. As things stand, compromises have to be made somewhere.

So how much does a complete pro bike weigh in 2023? We got our hands on 11 Tour de France bikes and put them on the BikeRadar scales of truth.

Caveat warning

As with our 2022 Tour de France bike weights exposé, there are a couple of caveats to note first.

After seeing almost every rider aboard full-fat aero road bikes at last year’s Grand Départ in Copenhagen, Denmark, these bikes were all optimised for this year’s race start in Bilbao, Spain.

As a result, the bikes we saw were mostly using slightly lighter frames and parts where possible.

They were also all weighed ready-to-ride, with a number of ‘optional’ accessories most brands don’t include when quoting complete bike weights, such as pedals , power meters , bike computer mounts and bottle cages .

Secondly, practically every team in the race has been changing bike setups to suit the changing demands of each individual stage.

While for some riders and teams, this may just mean changing wheelsets and tyres, for others it can mean switching to a different bike altogether.

For example, current race leader, Jonas Vingegaard, has used at least four different bikes so far at this year’s race – a Cervélo S5 aero bike equipped with a 2x drivetrain (the bike we weighed) plus another with a 1x drivetrain , as well as a Cervélo R5 climbing bike and a Cervélo P5 time trial bike.

He’s also been changing between tubular and tubeless tyres and wheelsets to suit the various demands of each stage.

So while the bike of his which we weighed in Bilbao didn’t hit the 6.8kg mark, it’s highly likely he’s been using one which is there or thereabouts for big days in the mountains.

With that out of the way, though, let’s dive straight into things.

Richard Carapaz’s Cannondale SuperSix Evo LAB71 – 7.395kg

Let’s start with the Cannondale SuperSix Evo LAB71 of reigning Olympic road race champion, EF Education-EasyPost’s Richard Carapaz.

The SuperSix Evo LAB71 is Cannondale’s ultra-premium, all-rounder racing bike.

Cannondale says it’s the lightest SuperSix EVO ever, with a claimed weight of just 770g for a painted size 56cm frame.

Carapaz’s size 48cm frame ought to be even lighter, then.

The new SuperSix EVO is also said to be 12 watts more aerodynamically efficient at 45kph than the previous generation bike , too.

At this year’s Grand Départ, Carapaz’s bike was built up with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset.

For the short amount of time Carapaz was in this year’s race (he unfortunately crashed out on stage one), the Ecuadorian was using 54/40t FSA chainrings and carbon cranks on a Power2Max NG Road power meter , combined with an 11-34t cassette out back.

Intriguingly, he also had sprint shifters placed just on the inside of his brake hoods, with a small hole cut out of each rubber hood for the button to protrude through.

From the looks of things, these would enable Carapaz to change gear with his thumbs while his hands are wrapped around the very tops of the shifter hoods.

Vision supplies EF Education-EasyPost with wheels and finishing kit. Carapaz selected the Metron 45 SL wheelset and Metron 5D ACR integrated handlebar.

Finishing things off, Carapaz was using 28c Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR tyres, Wahoo Speedplay Aero pedals , a Prologo Scratch M5 saddle, Elite Leggero Carbon bottle cages and a Wahoo Elemnt Roam bike computer.

All in, Carapaz’s bike weighed 7.395kg.

Mathieu van der Poel’s Canyon Aeroad CFR – 7.945kg

The Canyon Aeroad CFR is a few years old now, although when it launched back in 2020 it was touted as something of a super-light aero road bike.

Indeed, when we reviewed a similarly top-spec Canyon Aeroad CFR Di2 that year, it weighed just 7.3kg (size medium frame, without pedals or bottle cages).

At 7.945kg, though, van der Poel’s bike was the heaviest bike we weighed at this year’s Grand Départ.

We’ll dig into why that might be in a bit, but it’s interesting to note that the Dutch mega-star is actually riding a recently updated version of the Aeroad (with a custom paint job too, of course).

Canyon has updated the location of the seatpost clamp, from the rear of the seat tube to the top of the top tube.

The rest of the bike was more standard, with a full Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset, Dura-Ace C50 wheels shod with 28c Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR tyres, and Dura-Ace pedals.

Van der Poel had 54/40t chainrings mounted to a Dura-Ace FC-9200-P power meter crankset, plus an 11-30t cassette out back.

A Selle Italia Flite Boost Kit Carbonio Superflow MVDP saddle (a special edition version with signature graphics), Elite Custom Race Plus bottle cages, and a cool 3D-printed mount for his Wahoo Elemnt Bolt bike computer completes the build.

As for why it weighs what it does? Well, first and foremost – it’s a proper aero bike, optimised for flat and rolling races.

But we also think the fact that van der Poel rides a size large frame, plus the addition of pedals, bottle cages and the custom paint job helps explain it (this is partly why there are so many matte black carbon bikes these days – it’s generally the lightest option).

Jonas Vingegaard’s Cervélo S5 – 7.195kg

We’ve covered this bike (and Tadej Pogačar’s Colnago V4Rs) in exhaustive detail elsewhere, but it’s still worth mentioning here too, of course.

Set up with a SRAM Red eTap AXS groupset and Reserve 34|37 tubular wheels, Vingegaard’s Cervélo S5 (the Canadian brand’s aero bike) weighed just 7.195kg.

As noted in a few other articles, this is partly explained by the use of a lightweight climbing wheelset and narrow, 24c Vittoria Corsa Pro tubular tyres.

That it’s a relatively small size 51cm frame helps too, as do the lightweight custom graphics.

In contrast to van der Poel’s bike, the Jumbo-Visma team bikes were “vinyl-wrapped” rather than painted, which apparently helped keep any added weight to a minimum.

As noted earlier, current race-leader Vingegaard has been switching between this bike and a number of others at this year's Tour. Unfortunately, though, we were only able to weigh this one.

Tadej Pogačar’s Colnago V4Rs – 7.245kg

As with Vingegaard’s Cervélo S5, we’ve covered Pogačar’s Colnago V4Rs at length in various articles and videos elsewhere over the past three weeks, but given we weighed it, we’ll include it here too.

Having accounted for all of the various bits of carbon bling on it, we thought it might sneak under 7kg.

For example, as well as a Dura-Ace groupset, Pogačar’s bike had an ENVE integrated handlebar , Carbon Ti chainrings and brake rotors, and an unbranded, ultra-light carbon seatpost.

Surprisingly, though, it was around 400g over the UCI weight limit, at 7.245kg.

According to Colnago, an unpainted size 485 (the same size Pogačar uses, with a 539mm effective top tube length) V4Rs frame weighs 798g.

As always, there’s more to consider than just frame weight, however.

The most striking thing about Pogačar’s bike was his super wide ENVE SES 4.5 wheels and Continental GP5000 TT TR time trial tyres, which we examined in our 2023 Tour de France tyre tech deep dive.

While presumably a rapid combination on favourable terrain, it likely isn’t the lightest.

Given this, it’s been no surprise to see Pogačar switching to the shallower-rimmed ENVE SES 2.3 wheelset for certain mountain stages during this year’s race.

Alexander Kristoff’s Dare VSRu – 7.735kg

A four-time stage winner at the Tour de France, Alexander Kristoff now plies his trade as the sprinter for the Uno-X Pro Cycling Team. As such, he opts for Dare’s aero road bike, the VSRu.

Though not the most extreme aero bike in the peloton, it still features a full complement of truncated aerofoil tubes, a deep aero seatpost and Dare’s fully integrated AERO1v cockpit.

The AERO1v integrated handlebar features a narrow, flared handlebar paired with flattened stem.

According to our measurements, the handlebar is 38cm-wide paired with a 120mm stem.

Despite the hilly opening stages at this year’s Tour, Kristoff had a DT Swiss ARC 1100 62 wheelset, shod with 28c Schwalbe Pro One TLE tyres. As the name suggests, the DT Swiss wheels feature 62mm-deep rims.

Kristoff’s bike features a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset, complete with the latest Dura-Ace power meter, 54/40t chainrings and an 11-34t cassette out back.

It also had a waxed chain , which helps keep drivetrain friction to a minimum.

Kristoff uses Shimano Dura-Ace pedals and a Pro Stealth Curved Team saddle .

HIs bike is finished off with Elite Leggero Carbon bottle cages, as well as a chain catcher and out-front computer mount both made by K-Edge.

Kristoff rides a size medium frame (which is roughly equivalent to a 56cm from most brands), and the complete bike weighs 7.735kg.

Simon Clarke’s Factor O2 VAM – 6.925kg

Simon Clarke’s new Factor 02 VAM was the lightest bike we weighed at this year’s Tour and the only one to sneak under 7kg.

According to Factor, the new 02 VAM frameset weighs just 730g in a size 54cm. Crucially, though, that figure includes the integrated seat mast.

Factor in the new hyper-light Black Inc 28//34 wheelset (claimed weight 1,146g) and it’s easy to see how this bike grazes the UCI weight limit at just 6.925kg.

Despite Clarke’s Israel–Premier Tech team being sponsored by Maxxis tyres , these were shod with non-sponsor-correct Continental GP5000 S TR tyres in a size 28c (with the logos hastily covered by black marker pen).

Despite its low weight, Factor claims the new 02 VAM sees 12-watt improvement at 48kph thanks to its updated aerodynamic shaping.

Similar to Carapaz’s bike, Clarke’s Factor is built up with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset and a Power2Max NG Road power meter, paired with FSA chainrings and carbon cranks.

Clarke was also using 54/40t chainrings and an 11-34t cassette.

His Black Inc integrated cockpit was more extreme, however, with an enormous 150mm-long stem paired to a narrow 36cm-wide handlebar.

As a truly dedicated weight weenie, Clarke uses a Selle Italia SLR Boost saddle with carbon rails, plus a single Elite Leggero Carbon bottle cage.

Say what you want, but there’s no denying dehydration is lighter (we jest – no doubt Clarke drinks just as much as every other rider, he clearly just doesn’t want to carry two bottles).

Clarke uses Dura-Ace pedals and has an integrated out-front mount for his Hammerhead Karoo 2 bike computer mounted to his bars.

Alexis Renard’s Look 795 Blade RS – 7.535kg

Having not won a Tour stage for 15 years, Cofidis have turned things around in spectacular fashion this year, taking two victories from solo breakaways.

How much of that resurgence in form can be attributed to the team’s shiny new bike? Probably not much, but the new Look 795 Blade RS certainly looks built for the demands of this race.

This particular bike belongs to French all-rounder Alexis Renard , and despite its XL frame and deep-section rims it weighs an impressively svelte 7.53kg.

The 795 Blade RS features a classic mix of lightweight, truncated aerofoil tubes, balancing key attributes such as low weight, low drag and high stiffness.

Renard’s bike has a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset, with 54/40t chainrings and an 11-30t cassette.

His power meter and cranks deviate, however, with an SRM Origin PM9 power meter making a now rare appearance, along with the length-adjustable Look carbon cranks.

Corima sponsors Cofidis, and Renard’s bike had Corima WS Black DX 60 tubular wheels with narrow, 25c Michelin Power Cup tubular tyres.

It’s no surprise to see the bike is equipped with the 795 Blade RSs proprietary integrated handlebar, and Renard opts for a lengthy 140mm stem and a relatively narrow 38cm handlebar.

The bike is finished with a Selle Italia SLR Boost saddle (also with carbon rails), Elite Leggero Carbon bottle cages and Look Keo 2 Max Carbon pedals .

Egan Bernal’s Pinarello Dogma F – 7.385kg

Back at the Tour de France for the first time since 2020, the former yellow jersey winner may not be in the fight for the overall at this year’s race, but it’s great to see him racing at the highest level again.

In 2019, Bernal rode into Paris aboard a custom-painted, rim brake-equipped, Pinarello Dogma F12 , with 11-speed gears and tubular wheels and tyres.

His 2023 Pinarello Dogma F shares a similar silhouette, but sees a number of key updates.

As well as moving to road disc brakes , the Bernal’s bike also features tubeless wheels and tyres, as well as some 3D-printed small parts to help save weight.

It has the latest 12-speed Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset, with Bernal choosing 54/40t chainrings, an 11-34t cassette and matching Dura-Ace C50 wheels.

Bernal opts for Continental’s GP5000 S TR tyres, with a narrower 25c tyre up front (27mm measured width) and a wider, 28c at the rear (29.8mm measured width). This is likely intended to help optimise the aerodynamic performance of the front wheel.

According to our tape measure, Bernal’s MOST Talon integrated cockpit features a 38cm wide handlebar (centre-to-centre at the brake hoods) and a 130mm stem.

Like Carapaz, Bernal’s bike also featured Di2 sprint shifters creatively attached to the shifter hoods – this time placed underneath the hood body, just behind the brake lever.

The build is finished off with a Fizik Vento Antares R1 saddle, Elite Leggero Carbon bottle cages, and a K-Edge chain catcher which doubles as a cadence sensor magnet for his Dura-Ace power meter.

All in, it weighs 7.385kg.

Ben O'Connor’s Prototype BMC – 7.345kg

Belonging to AG2R Citroën’s Australian GC hopeful, Ben O’Connor, the as-yet-unnamed BMC aero bike has been developed in partnership with Red Bull Advanced Technologies (a development arm of the Red Bull Formula One team).

While BMC is yet to confirm exactly what this is, its aggressive aerodynamic design suggests it could be a replacement for the BMC Timemachine .

AG2R Citroën’s bikes mark the only appearance at this year's Tour for Campagnolo and its new Super Record Wireless groupset .

O’Connor pairs the new drivetrain components with a previous generation Super Record crankset, featuring larger 54/39t chainrings mounted to a Power2Max NG Road Campagnolo power meter.

This is likely because the new Super Record Wireless chainrings are only offered in a maximum size combination of 50/34t – which O’Connor likely feels is too small even with a 10t tooth sprocket at the rear.

Keeping things in-house, O’Connor is running Campagnolo Bora Ultra WTO 45 wheels paired with Pirelli P Zero clincher tyres and (we think) ultralight Pirelli P Zero SmarTube TPU inner tubes .

O’Connor’s 58cm frame is complemented by the aggressive integrated handlebar from the BMC Kaius gravel race bike, with a 140mm stem length and a 36cm handlebar.

The frame features one integrated bottle cage on the downtube, plus a standard Elite Leggero Carbon cage on the seat tube.

A Fizik Antares Versus Evo R1 Adaptive, 3D-printed saddle and Look Keo Blade Carbon Ceramic pedals completes the build.

Despite its large size and heavy aerodynamic optimisation, O’Connor’s prototype BMC weighed a very impressive 7.345kg, according to our scales.

Caleb Ewan’s Prototype Ridley – 7.500kg

Another prototype bike, this time a new lightweight-aero all-rounder from Ridley.

This particular bike (which is also yet to be officially named or announced) belongs to Lotto-Dstny’s sprinter Caleb Ewan , who unfortunately abandoned the race on stage 13.

As with other similar bikes, it features an array of lightweight, truncated aerofoil tubes, which are likely intended to be efficient at cutting through the wind without adding too much weight.

Despite its diminutive size, though, Ewan’s bike was actually surprisingly heavy, weighing 7.5kg on our scales.

Like many others, Ewan’s bike was built up with a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset, with a matching Dura-Ace crankset paired to 54/40t chainrings and an 11-30t cassette (stop me if you’ve heard this one before).

Unusually for a rider of his stature, (Ewan is reportedly 1.67m tall) Ewan’s Deda integrated handlebar features a long 140mm stem paired to a narrow 36cm-wide handlebar.

Similar to Pogačar, Ewan also likes Di2 sprint shifters positioned on the drops of his handlebar just below the brake hoods.

Ewan opts for DT Swiss ARC 1100 50 wheels paired with Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR tyres, with a narrower 26c tyre up front (26.5mm measured width) and a 28c tyre at the rear.

He uses a white Selle Italia SLR Team Edition saddle with carbon rails, Tacx Deva bottle cages and Shimano Dura-Ace pedals.

Mark Cavendish’s Wilier Filante SLR – 7.760kg

Presented to Cavendish before the Tour by Astana Qazaqstan’s bike sponsor, Wilier, this was/is supposed to be the last Tour de France bike of the Manx Missile’s glittering career.

Though he crashed out with a fractured collarbone on stage eight, we got hands-on with Cavendish’s custom Wilier Filante SLR at the Grand Départ in Bilbao.

The FIlante SLR is WIlier’s all-round aero bike, with Cavendish’s frame getting a full custom, white and grey marble-effect paint job, paired with black and gold accents.

This custom paint even extends to his Wilier integrated handlebar, which features classic bend drops.

Like SRM power meters, these were once ubiquitous in the pro peloton but are a rare sight nowadays.

Cavendish uses a 130mm stem paired with a relatively wide (by the standards of the modern pro peloton) 40cm-wide handlebar.

It has a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 R9200 groupset, with 54/40t chainrings paired to a Dura-Ace power meter and an 11-34t cassette.

Astana team bikes are upgraded with SLF Motion Speed oversized pulley wheel systems, to reduce drivetrain friction.

Cavendish’s bike was equipped with a single Di2 sprint shifter on the right drop, just behind the brake lever, allowing him to shift down the cassette mid-sprint.

Astana are using both Corima and HED wheels this season, with Cavendish opting for the aerodynamically-optimised HED Vanquish RC6 Pro wheelset, paired with 28c Vittoria Corsa Pro TLR tyres (27.4mm measured width).

A Prologo Zero II saddle, Look Keo 2 Max Carbon pedals, a set of Tacx Ciro bottle cages and a K-Edge out-front computer mount complete the build.

Similar to Ewan’s bike, Cavendish’s custom Wilier Filante SLR (size small) was fairly weighty at 7.76kg.

That said, this likely wouldn’t have been particularly concerning for a sprinter who was only targeting the flatter stages of this year’s race.

How much does the average Tour de France bike weigh in 2023?

Based on the bikes we saw, the average Tour de France bike in 2023 weighs 7.451kg.

Of course, this is just a small sample size, but given many of the bikes belong to team leaders – who we can assume are given access to the best kit each team has available – it could be indicative of a wider trend.

Certainly, compared to last year’s race – where the average weight of the six road bikes we inspected was 7.92kg – the average weight of a Tour de France road bike in 2023 appears to have dropped by more than 450g.

While this can partly be attributed to the launch of new lightweight frames and wheelsets, we think this is mainly due to riders and teams making different equipment choices to suit the differing parcours of the opening stages.

Had the opening stages of this year’s race featured proper mountains, then we’d have likely seen even lighter bikes on average.

And given the 2024 Tour de France opens with a stage (from Florence to Rimini, in Italy) featuring seven categorised climbs and 3,800m of elevation gain, perhaps we’ll see just that in a year’s time.

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How Much Do Tour de France Bikes Weigh

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The Giro d’Italia , the Vuelta a España and Tour de France are the three most prominent races in the world. Of the three, winning the Tour de France is every professional bike riders dream. The Tour de France is the world’s most reputable and arduous race. Taking place every summer , the race consists of 20 professional teams of 9 cyclists each. These expert athletes must complete 21 day long phases over a 23 day period , in which they have to cycle approximately 3500 kilometers . And that too is not just bikers racing over flat terrain. The race is a combination of racing on both flat and mountainous surfaces and time-trial racing. One needs absolute mastery over all three of the aforementioned types of racing in order to come on top of this race. Therefore, it is clear that the Tour de France is a test of pure athletic perseverance. Only the best of the best riders in the world can endure such difficult tasks and come out as winners. The race is held predominantly in France , however, sometimes it does take place in other countries in Europe . It is watched by billions of people around the world, both at the venue and on television or online websites. It is an event loved by many around the globe. The renowned event has produced legendary cyclists such as Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Jacques Anquetil. Tour de France is an athletic feat of pure passion and endurance.

What makes or breaks the perfect bike?

A Custom Tour de France Bike

However, this incredible race cannot be won with just skill and expertise. One also needs the perfect bicycle for such a demanding competition. Which begs the age-old question, what makes the perfect bicycle for a race such as the Tour de France? Is it the rim type or the rim material? Or is it the hub? Perhaps the answer is not that simple. And perhaps different cyclists prioritize different aspects of their bicycles. Some like to go tubeless with their wheels, some prefer premium carbon rims and some racers like disc wheels. Whatever they prefer, every professional racer admits the universal truth that the weight of your wheels is absolutely crucial to your success in the race. The weight of the wheels influences everything from the biker’s speed to control. That is why so many people prefer lightweight bicycles as they aid in sprinting past the competitors at a lightning-fast speed. And so it should be easy to pick racing bikes now, the lighter the bike the better its performance, right? This could not be more wrong. Yes, lightweight bikes provide superior speed, but the lightest bikes also experience the most air resistance when speeding up. The bike needs to be sturdy enough to fight off the air resistance and also help the rider to maintain his or her control over it. Otherwise, the biker might lose control and fall off the cycle while trying to speed up. The perfect bike’s weight should deliver a mixture of lightweight and stiffness, thus offering optimum performance to the racer. 

Who makes the rules?

The Union Cycliste Internationale , based in Switzerland , is the governing body of the sports and competitive cycling world. All rules, regulations, and executive decisions regarding cycling events are determined by the UCI . The UCI also grants racing licenses to professional cyclists and enforces disciplinary rules, such as in matters of doping and drug abuse. They play a significant role in the sport of cycling and maintain order and harmony in the cycling universe. And so as their role states, they decide everything related to cycling which also includes the weight limit of bicycles for the grand Tour de France. The UCI was founded in Paris, France in the year of 1900 . In those early years, bicycles were very high in weight. They used to weigh about 40 pounds or approximately 18.1 kilograms . As a matter of fact, a renowned cycling magazine previewed a cycle in the first edition of Tour de France in 1903 that weighed 39.7 pounds or 18 kilograms exactly. A lot has changed since then. Fast forward to the year of 2000 , when UCI announced quite a few rules and regulations which included a brand new weight limit for bicycles. The new weight limit was set at 6.8 kilograms which is 14.99 in pounds . Before this was done, contenders for the Tour de France used to reduce their weight excessively in order to make them lightweight and as fast as possible which is quite dangerous. This new weight limit meant that none of the bikes could weigh less than 6.8 kilograms . This rule was executed to make sure that bicycle companies did not manufacture ultrafast bicycles at the cost of disregarding structural integrity. To ensure that the bicycles are engineered to not just win races but also to guarantee the safety of their riders. Thus, establishing a new standard weight limit which ensured protection for the riders and made their bikes less fragile. 

As for how the UCI came to the decision about the weight limit, the UCI has a notable Equipment Commission which consists of engineers and other bicycle specialists who have worked in the industry for many years and have a great experience. They have researched and reviewed numerous data on the reliability of bicycles. Then after careful consideration, they have collectively come to the decision of an international weight limit of 6.8 kilograms.

Rise of innovation

This weight limit forced bicycle manufacturers to make bicycles that satisfied UCI rules and also ensured speed for the racers. However, the birth of the use of carbon fiber technology in modern-day bicycles made this an even harder job for the manufacturers. Now, carbon materials are used on almost every component of the bicycle. Rims, bike seats, hubs, you name it, they all can be made from carbon. This led to Tour de France and other grand race contenders to take these superlight bicycles and add back-dated components such as alloy handlebars in order to meet the weight limit. 

➥ Related:  Best Carbon Wheelsets for the Money

When the weight limit was first set in 2000 , it received a lot of backlash from racers and the general public. Everyone thought professional bicycle racing was getting restricted. However, as time passed by we saw that it actually made way for innovation and ultimately transformation in the sports cycling arena. Manufacturers also met the weight level with the invention of electronic shifting. The electronic shifting got rid of traditional shifting which consisted of inconvenient cords. This new system moved the chain with a tiny motor powered by batteries. Another innovation due to the weight restriction is the shape of the bike as a whole. The bicycle industry focused more on making the bike and its components more aerodynamic in shape. Although the UCI has regulations in place to stop racers from making their bikes too aero in shape. Manufacturers have found ways to make racing cycles aerodynamic enough to both meet the regulations and also provide maximum speed and efficiency to the professional cyclists.

So how much do the Tour de France bikes actually weigh?

The governing body could not predict this rapid development in the bicycle industry. We can clearly see the result of such innovative thinking out there on the track today. Trek’s Edmonda 10 weighs just 4.6 kilograms (10.1 pounds ) which is exactly 2.2 kilograms below the weight limit. Not only that, but the 4.5 Merida Sculptura 9000 LTD is also known as one of the lightest bikes out there. With such advanced technology available today, bikes can be both super light and safe at the same time. Racers use such bikes by adding extra weight in order to get them approved for professional competitions under the UCI .

Here are some of the bikes and their weights, the Tour de France professionals have used:

Is it time for a change?

Yes, the weight makes every race a fair competition. Yes, it was made to ensure safety and it has given way to innovations such as electrical shifting and aerodynamics. But with the progress in technology, materials and engineering is it still necessary? Many racers and manufacturers of the cycling world don’t seem to think so. Engineers from Scott Sports have expressed that with modern technology at our fingertips, the weight limit does not ensure safety. According to them, a bike weighing above 7 kilograms can be more dangerous than a bike weighing below 6 kg made with the latest materials. And for some, the very fact that racers take bikes weighing less than 6.8 kilograms and add weights just to make them viable for the race track is absolutely irrational. The way science and technology are progressing every day, maybe it is time to revisit this topic.

In order for the UCI to change the existing weight rule, the Equipments Commission must find enough scientific proof that indeed altering or deleting the rule will not hamper the safety of bicycle racers around the world. No matter what the limit is set to, racers and companies will continue to push the boundaries of bicycle manufacturing and take them to the next level.

We hope that we have been able to provide you with the information that you were looking for. We have tried to include as much as we can about how much Tour de France bikes weigh, why they weigh that much, what is the current scenario, and what the future may look like. We tried to paint you a picture of both sides of the story on the UCI weight limit. Whether the rule should be altered or eliminated is up to you to judge and ultimately up to the Union Cycliste Internationale to decide. 

Whether the rule is here to stay or leave, it does not change the fact that we are producing the best cycles right now than ever before. The products out there today are absolutely incredible. And this was all possible because the weight limit coerced bicycle companies and its engineers to find new ways to enhance performance and speed.

Thus, driving the entire industry towards what it is today. So let us hope that this innovation continues and further develops the cycling world that we know today.

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My name is Dion Lewis.I’ve been cycling since my childhood. When I was in high school, I started racing in our local competitions.In my college life, I took a part-time job in a bicycle shop and I learned how to repair and maintain bicycles professionally.Though I love racing, mountain biking is another thing I do frequently. My friends, neighbors, and colleagues treat me as an avid rider and take my suggestions while they plan for a new bike or bike gear.

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What Is the Average Speed of a Tour de France Rider? Plus More FAQs

Even if you are tuning in for the first time, these facts will make you look like a seasoned viewer of the TdF.

As you get ready to watch the 2023 Tour de France, you might have some questions. This information will transform you—quickly—into a Tour expert. First, the basics: The 110th Tour de France will take place from July 1 - July 23. It’s good to know that the route changes every year. And in 2023, the Grand Départ is in the Basque Country of Spain, with the typical finish in Paris after 21 stages.

How fast do riders go?

We have looked into this ! A Tour pro’s ability to produce more power for longer means that they can really hammer over different types of races and terrains.

Average Time Trial Speed Average Rider: 19 to 20 mph | Tour Pro: 29 to 31 mph Average Speed on Flat Terrain Average Rider: 17 to 18 mph | Tour Pro: 25 to 28 mph Maximum Sprint Power

Average Rider: 600 to 800 watts | Tour Pro: 1,200 to 1,400 watts

Why do so few Americans compete in the Tour de France?

In 2022, there were seven Americans in the Tour. As of the middle of June, start lists aren’t finalized, but viewers will most likely see Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma), and Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar).

Christopher Thompson, author of The Tour de France: A Cultural History , believes fewer Americans race professionally because the U.S. has historically seen cycling as more of a pastime than a competitive endeavor. In Europe, it is more common for children to be trained in competitive racing, and it’s hard for American racers to compete with that training

Also, the cost of competing for an American is higher: Racers need to go where the big races are, and that almost always means moving to Europe.

How much prize money does the Tour de France winner get?

According to the Tour de France website, a total of around 2.3 million Euros will be awarded to the teams and riders, including 500,000 Euros to the winner of the final individual general classification (who usually shares his money with his team). That is equal to roughly $537,000 (USD). Second place GC is awarded 200,000 Euros, third place GC walks away with 100,000 Euros, and so on. Other top prizes go to stage winners, who get 11,000 Euros, and the winners of the points classification and mountains classification, both of whom receive 25,000 Euros. Riders can also win money during intermediate sprints and certain climbs. There’s even prizes for the five best teams and the four best young riders.

Who has won the most Tour de France titles?

That depends whether you’re counting titles that have been taken away ( cough — Lance — cough ). If not, the answer is a four-way tie between Jacques Anquetil, Miguel Indurain, Eddy Merckx, and Bernard Hinault, says Thompson.

Has the Tour ever been cancelled?

Only the two World Wars caused the race to be put on hold, says Thompson. All in all, battles cost the world 11 editions of the Tour: WWI broke out a few days after the 1914 Tour, he says, and didn’t run again until 1919. It went on hiatus again during WWII from 1940 to 1946, running again in 1947—two years after the end of the war.

“WWI was a war of attrition and the French were fighting the whole time. There were several Tour winners who were killed in the trenches,” he says. “But in WWII, France was defeated and occupied quite early, and that was different. There was a government that went along with the Nazis, so there was some racing to prove that things were normal under the occupation, but the Tour wasn’t held. After, France was so devastated by WWII that it took a while to get restarted.”

The Tour was postponed in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but eventually held in August of that year.

​Why is the leader’s jersey yellow?

Simple, says Thompson: L’Auto , the newspaper that first started and sponsored the race, was printed on yellow paper, so it was essentially an advertising strategy. (That’s also why the Giro d’Italia leader’s jersey is pink —the newspaper that created the Giro was printed on pink paper.) By the way, yellow in French is jaune and the jersey is called maillot jaune .

How do they make the jerseys so quickly?

There are four jerseys awarded during the course of the Tour de France each year and because who wears them gets decided during the race, they have to made on the spot and in a moment.

Has anyone ever died in the Tour?

Sadly, yes. Four riders have passed away over the course of the race’s history. In 1910, Adolphe Heliére drowned on a rest day; in 1934, Francisco Cepeda crashed into a ravine on a descent; in 1967, Tom Simpson passed away after a heart attack ; and in 1995, Fabio Casartelli was killed after crashing and hitting his head.

Unfortunately, there have also been a number of horrific crashes. To see how grueling the race is, even for those who don’t fall or crash, watch Unchained on Netflix.

​What do Tour riders do on rest days?

They ride! At least, they go for short rides to keep their legs from cramping up. Max Testa , M.D., former team doctor for a variety of Tour teams including Team BMC, 7-Eleven, and Motorola, says that the short rides (which can be up to three hours!) help keep inflammation at bay and keep muscles ready for another hard day in the saddle.

Is there a women’s Tour de France?

After a number of iterations over the years, the 2023 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will be held from Sunday, July 23 to Sunday, July 30. The course is 594 miles and includes a mountain stage, four flat stages, two hilly stages, and the time trial. They will not race at all in Paris.

Who were the oldest and youngest Tour cyclists?

Both distinctions occurred in 1904: Henri Paret was the oldest competitor at age 50 when he competed in 1904, while 20-year-old Henri Cornet was the youngest. Cornet was also the youngest winner. The oldest winner was in 1922, when 36-year-old Belgian Firmin Lambot took the yellow jersey.

Do racers make their stage data public?

Sometimes—but don’t count on them spending their evenings uploading their numbers . Still, you can keep an eye on some top pros’ Strava accounts.

How much do Tour de France bikes weigh?

In the 1900s, a Tour de France cyclist pedaled up and down mountains on a bike that weighed a whopping 40 pounds. In fact, Fiets, a Dutch cycling magazine, showcased a bike from the 1903 race weighing 39.7 pounds with a fixed gear. Today, bikes weigh just under 15 pounds—but not any lower, since the UCI’s minimum bike weight is 6.8kg, which translates to 14.99 pounds.

What tire pressures do the cyclists run?

Every racer and mechanic has a specific (top-secret) tire pressure that they considers to be optimal, but there are some guidelines.

“In general, with all of those variables [like weather and riders’ personal preference], that tire pressure is 8 to 8.5 bar for the road stages, and then 9.5 to 10 bar for the time-trial stages. Around 115 psi in the front and 125 psi in the back for the road stages and 130-135 psi for time-trial stages. And we drop that by 10 or 15 for rainy days,” Geoff Brown, veteran mechanic for Garmin-Sharp and EF Education First teams tells Bicycling .

They run about 10 psi lower in the front for more control, as well, and with tubular tires , they tend to run slightly lower pressures. Clinchers need to be kept around 110 to 120 psi in order to avoid pinch-flatting.

How do the competitors go to the bathroom?

It’s a long, hot ride so the pros are hydrating a lot. In the first five to 10 minutes of a race, when the pace is more leisurely, “riders pull to the side of the road, pull their shorts down just like you would underwear—you know, pull front down, do your business,” says retired pro cyclist Ted King, who’s ridden the Tour de France several times.

During this neutral roll out, King says, there’s plenty of time to catch back on to the peloton before the race starts in earnest. Fortunately, nature calls for all riders. “It’s a lot easier to wait for a lull in the race when a big fraction of the peloton pulls to the side of the road rather than doing it solo, because that solo chase is tough!” King says.

Of course, riders also pee off the bike while riding, although it requires having their teammates pedal while they go. “If peeing to the right, your right leg is in a 6 o’clock position, left at 12. Left hand on the handlebars, right hand holds the shorts down, and coast while relieving yourself,” King advises.

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Tour de France 2022

Latest news from the race.

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Tour de france 2022 overview, vingegaard crowned tour de france champion while philipsen wins stage 21.

Tour de France stage 21 - How it happened

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) blasted across the finish line on the Champs-Élysées in Paris to take his second stage victory at this year's Tour de France, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) won the Tour de France after finishing safely in the main field with his Jumbo-Visma teammates .

Results powered by  FirstCycling

Stage 20: Wout van Aert, Vingegaard go one-two in stage 20 time trial of Tour de France / As it happened

Stage 19: Laporte completes Jumbo-Visma domination with Tour de France stage win in Cahors / As it happened

Stage 18: Vingegaard soars to victory on Tour de France stage 18 to Hautacam / As it happened

Stage 17: Pogacar triples up on stage 17 mountain mayhem at Tour de France / As it happened

Stage 16: Hugo Houle wins stage 16 of Tour de France with solo attack in Pyrenees / As it happened

Stage 15: Philipsen blazes to victory in Tour de France stage to Carcassonne / As it happened

Stage 14: Michael Matthews takes solo win in Mende on Tour de France stage 14 / As it happened

Stage 13: Pedersen jumps from breakaway to win sprint on Tour de France stage 13 / As it happened

Stage 12: Pidcock claims sensational L'Alpe d'Huez victory on stage 12 of Tour de France / As it happened

Stage 11:   Vingegaard wins stage 11 of Tour de France as Pogacar cracks on Col du Granon / As it happened

Stage 10 : Cort takes breakaway sprint to win Tour de France stage 10 at Megève / As it happened

Stage 9: Jungels solos to stage 9 Alpine victory in 2022 Tour de France / As it happened

Stage 8: Van Aert surges to stage 8 victory in Lausanne / As it happened

Stage 7: Pogacar snuffs out Vingegaard's attack to win stage 7 / As it happened

Stage 6: Pogacar wins uphill sprint, takes yellow jersey / As it happened

Stage 5: Simon Clarke conquers cobbles to win stage 5 / As it happened

Stage 4: Wout van Aert takes stunning solo win in yellow jersey / As it happened

Stage 3: Groenewegen wins stage 3 sprint in Sønderborg / As it happened

Stage 2: Fabio Jakobsen wins crash-marred sprint stage 2 in Nyborg / As it happened

Stage 1: Lampaert stuns favourites to take yellow jersey / As it happened

Tour de France 2022 teams

• AG2R Citroen Team
• Astana Qazaqstan Team
• Bahrain Victorious
• Bora-Hansgrohe
• EF Education-EasyPost
• Groupama-FDJ
• Ineos Grenadiers
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Race information

• Date: 24 July 2022
• Start time: 16:45
• Avg. speed winner: 38.85 km/h
• Race category: ME - Men Elite
• Distance: 115.6 km
• Points scale: GT.A.Stage
• UCI scale: UCI.WR.GT.A.Stage - TM2022
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• ProfileScore: 13
• Vert. meters: 748
• Departure: Paris La Défense
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• Race ranking: 1
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• Won how: Sprint of large group
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How I dropped the weight and won a Tour de France time trial

Our new Lifetime Achievement award winner Sean Yates reveals how a move to Nice in the south of France helped lift his career to the next level

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Cycling Weekly's new Lifetime Achievement Award winner Sean Yates spoke at length to James Shrubsall about his career, from his time as an amateur to winning the Tour de France as a directeur sportif with Team Sky, and more. 

Part three: how I dropped the weight and won a Tour time trial

Sean Yates became well known as the best domestique 'de luxe' in the business during his career, helping to shepherd countless team leaders to wins and high placings. However, every now and then he enjoyed a moment in the spotlight himself. In part three of our interview he explains how after moving to Nice, he managed to shift a few kilos and win a time trial in the Tour de France.

"I moved out of Peugeot because I wasn't sure that they were going to renew my contract, and I got an offer from [another French team] Fagor. It was Jean-René Bernaudeau, a former Peugeot teammate, now the manager of TotalEnergies , who got me in.

"Initially, they didn't want me. But he convinced them and I went there.

"I started to ride better, and I lost the weight. I did put loads of weight on when I moved to France initially [six years before] and it took me years to shift it, or realise that you know, being lighter was better.

"It was too much food basically. Part of the problem was that I was a vegetarian until I was 20, I used to do loads of press-ups and sit-ups. And I suddenly started eating meat, more protein, and I pumped up. Basically I put on eight, nine kilos, which is a lot. But it wasn't like I suddenly became fat. I just got much more muscular.

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"It was great for flat – not a problem, but as soon as we went uphill obviously I suffered more than I needed to. So in the late '80s, I understood that I need to be lighter. And moving to Nice was great because the weather was perfect, loads of climbing. Basically I lived in an apartment, I had nothing in the fridge apart from oats, which I used to have for breakfast, so I just lived on a day-to-day basis really, so I didn't tempt myself, I couldn't suddenly be stuffing my face. I realised that yeah, I needed to be really serious. And I could survive on less food, it was just a question of becoming accustomed to it."

'A few good days'

It might have been handy if the team had its own nutritionist and chef, as is the norm today. But back in the late 1980s, no such thing existed, reflects Yates.

"There was nothing. We had no power meter, no nutritionist, no one giving any advice. It was OK because, you know, the type of rider I was, I wasn't wanting to win the Tour de France , or able to win a Tour de France, or be a magnificent climber. I was just a rouleur, a team helper… though I had a few good days here and there. That allowed me to get some good results, you know, and that's the way I always was."

One of those 'few good days' came in the 1988 Tour de France. Stage six to Wasquehal in northern France was a time trial. It suited Yates and he was ready for it.

"I knew I was in form. 1988 was one of my best years. I had wins in Paris-Nice , took the jersey [he won stage one and held yellow for three days], a win in Midi-Libre... Plus I lived two years up there around that area in Lille – one year with Paul Sherwen and another year with Dag Otto Lauritzen, and so I knew the area well.

"I was motivated that day and I made sure I had a '54' [chainring] on and this, that and the other. There was a stronger tailwind for me as an early starter than there was for the later starters, so I certainly had a bit of an advantage there, but I was on a good day. Everything just fell into place and yeah, obviously to win a stage in the Tour, win a time trial in the Tour, was really a dream come true for a time triallist."

* See this week's Cycling Weekly magazine for details of all our Annual Awards winners

More from this interview with Sean Yates: Part one: how overtraining nearly finished my career just as it was getting started Part two: how I got the nickname 'Animal'

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After cutting his teeth on local and national newspapers, James began at Cycling Weekly as a sub-editor in 2000 when the current office was literally all fields. 

Eventually becoming chief sub-editor, in 2016 he switched to the job of full-time writer, and covers news, racing and features.

A lifelong cyclist and cycling fan, James's racing days (and most of his fitness) are now behind him. But he still rides regularly, both on the road and on the gravelly stuff.

Chris Boardman and author Tom Babin both advocate shifting the mindset away from tribalistic 'sport cycling' and 'commute cycling' to a more rounded approach

By Hannah Bussey Published 28 April 24

Riding a folding bike marks you out as a crank, especially with the addition of a monocle and dinner jacket, recalls the Doc

By Michael Hutchinson Published 28 April 24

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Tour de France Winning Bikes by Year (1903 to 2023)

36 different bike brands won the Tour de France in 110 editions. In this article, cycling fan Alex Lee breaks down the top 12 bike brands that have won at least 3 times.

Jonas Vingegaard rode a Cervélo bike to his second Tour de France overall win in 2023 with SRAM Red eTap AXS electronic groupset and Reserve Wheels.

Depending on the stage profile, Jonas Vingegaard’s bike can be a Cervelo R5, S5, or P3.

• Cervélo R5 is an all-rounder, lightweight road race bike for the mountains.
• Cervélo S5 is an aero bike for the flat stages.
• Cervélo P5 is a time trial bike that Jonas rode to win the Stage 16 ITT.

Full specifications and setup of Jonas Vingegaard’s bike.

Cervelo bikes

2023 Cervelo R5 vs S5 vs Caledonia 5 vs Soloist

Cervelo S5 Frame Geometry (2018-2023)

Cervelo Soloist Frame Geometry (2022-2023)

Cervelo Caledonia Frame Geometry (2021-2023)

Cervelo Aspero Frame Geometry (2019-2023)

2023 Cervelo R5 Size Charts and Guide

Pinarello – 15 wins

L’auto – 10 wins, peugeot – 10 wins, gitane – 9 wins, trek – 10 wins, alcyon – 7 wins, eddy merckx – 5 wins, automoto – 4 wins, bianchi – 3 wins, colnago – 3 wins, helyett – 3 wins, la sportive – 3 wins, tour de france winning bikes by year.

Throughout 110 editions (up to 2023), the Tour de France has been won by 36 different bike brands . Many of these brands are unknown to cycling fans today. Few bike brands, such as Colnago, Pinarello , Specialized , and Trek , are synonymous with cycling fans today.

The road bike industry has undergone massive change and innovation in the past 20 years by introducing new technologies such as electronic shifting , carbon fiber frames, disc brakes, and tubeless tires .

This article will go back in history and explore all the Tour de France winning bikes .

Pinarello has a long history in cycling, dating back to 19534, when it was founded by Giovanni Pinarello in Treviso, Italy. With 15 Tour de France wins, Pinarello is the most successful bike brand at the Tour de France.

Pinarello’s dominance at the Tour de France can be summed up in two eras.

• Mid-1990s. Miguel Indurain won four consecutive Tour de France from 1992 to 1995, followed by Bjarne Riis (1996) and Jan Ullrich (1997).
• Mid-2010s. Team Sky (Ineos-Grenadiers) won seven Tour de France with Bradley Wiggins (2012), Chris Froome (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017), Geraint Thomas (2018), and Egan Bernal (2019).

Today, Pinarello’s top-of-the-line bike is the Pinarello Dogma F .

L’Auto (now L’Equipe) is not a bike brand but the French newspaper that started the Tour de France in 1903.

From 1930 to 1939, Henri Desgrange, the newspaper’s owner, required all riders to paint their bikes’ downtube with L’Auto as part of the marketing campaign and publicity stunt to increase the race profile.

During that period, riders competed based on national teams, so there wasn’t any commercial conflict of interest.

Today, most of us know Peugeot as the French automotive brand. Peugeot started making bicycles way back in 1882 and won their first Tour de France with Louis Trousselier in 1905 and their last win came in 1977 with Bernard Thévenet.

In the past 50 years, the bicycle arm of Peugeot has gone through various ownership. Today it’s part of Cycleuope, which owns bike brands such as Bianchi and Gitane.

Here’s an interesting fact; Peugeot has a complete bike lineup from road to mountain, city, kids, and electric bikes.

2023 Tour de France Bikes and Gear

2023 Tour de France Sunglasses Brands and Models Guide

2023 Tour de France Helmets Brands and Models Guide

2023 Tour de France Bike Brands and Models Guide

Gitane is a French bike brand synonymous with racing from the mid-1960s to the mid-1980s. All nine of Gitane’s Tour de France wins occurred during this period with legendary French riders such as Bernard Hinault (4), Jacques Anquetil (2), Laurent Fignon (2), and Belgian Lucien Van Impe (1).

Today, Gitane is part of Cycleuope, which owns the Bianchi and Peugeot bike brands. Gitane produces mostly city and mountain bikes today. They don’t have much presence outside of France.

Founded in 1976, Trek is one of the leading bike brands today with its men’s and women’s World Tour teams.

Trek’s first Tour de France win was in 1999 by Lance Armstrong. For the next seven years until 2005, Lance Armstrong dominated the Tour de France, helping to raise Trek’s profile in the United States and worldwide. In 2012, all seven of Lance’s Tour de France wins were nulled.

Trek’s other three Tour de France wins were with Alberto Contador in 2007, 2009, and 2010 although the 2010 win was later nulled.

Trek offers the riders three types of road bikes; Trek Emonda (lightweight), Trek Madone (aero) and Trek Domane (endurance), and the Trek Speed Concept (TT).

Alcyon was a French bicycle, motorcycle, and automotive brand active from 1903 to 1954. They sponsored their own cycling team from 1905 to 1959 under different names such as Alcyon-Dunlop, Alcyon-Soly, Alcyon-Armor, and Alcyon-Leroux

Their first Tour de France win was in 1909 with François Faber, a Luxembourgian rider. Their last win was in 1929 with Belgian Maurice De Waele. From 1930 onwards, the Tour de France organizers required the teams to paint their bikes’ downtube with L’Auto, the newspaper that started the Tour de France.

2023 Tour de France Riders’ Gear

Wout van Aert’s Red Bull Helmet at the 2023 Tour de France

Mark Cavendish’s Sunglasses at 2023 Tour de France

Mark Cavendish’s Shoes at 2023 Tour de France

Mark Cavendish’s Bike at 2023 Tour de France

Jasper Philipsen’s Bike at 2023 Tour de France

Eddy Merckx is no stranger to cycling fans. He’s widely known as the most successful cyclist of all time , winning the Tour de France (5 times), Giro d’ Italia (5 times), and 34 Tour de France stages .

The Eddy Merckx bike brand was only started in 1980 after he retired. Eddy Merckx was riding bikes built by Masi and Kessels with his name painted on the downtube for his five Tour de France wins.

In 2008, Eddy Merckx sold all his shares in the company to Sobradis, a Belgian holding company. In 2017, another Belgian company, Race Productions, which owns Ridley Bikes, took over Eddy Merckx after struggling with sales for the past decade.

Automoto was a French bicycle and motorcycle manufacturer that started in 1902. It was the dominant bike brand in the mid-1920s, with four consecutive Tour de France wins from 1923 to 1923 with three different riders.

In 1930, it was bought by Peugeot and sadly discontinued in 1962.

Bianchi is the oldest bicycle manufacturing company today. It was founded in Italy back in 1885 by Edoardo Bianchi who was a 21-year-old medical instrument maker.

All of Bianchi’s three Tour de France wins were achieved by Italian riders. Fausto Coppi won in 1949 and 1952 and Marco Pantini won in 1998. Bianchi was present at the World Tour with Team Jumbo-Visma (2014 to 2020) and Team BikeExchange (2021.

Team Arkea-Samsic will ride the Bianchi Oltre (aero) and Bianchi Specialissima (lightweight) at the 2023 Tour de France.

Today, Bianchi bikes are known for their Celeste color, also known as Bianchi Green.

Colnago has a long history, dating back to 1952. It was founded by Ernesto Colnago near Milan, Italy. In May 2020, Chimera Investments LLC, based in the UAE, acquired a majority stake in Colnago.

Colnago’s first Tour de France win was in 1960 by Italian rider, Gastone Nencini. It was a long 60-year wait for their second win until Tadej Pogačar won two consecutive Tour de France in 2020 and 2021. He also won the Best Young Rider and Climber Classification in these two years riding the Colnago V3Rs .

In 2023, Tadej Pogačar will be riding the Colnago V4Rs in an attempt to win his third Tour de France General Classification .

Tour de France Race Guide

2023 Tour de France on TV Broadcasts Availability

2023 Tour de France Prize Money Breakdown

How is the 2023 Tour de France Time Limit Calculated?

What is the meaning of Tour de France Jersey Colors?

Why is the Tour de France So Popular?

Helyett is a little-known French bicycle manufacturer started by the Picard brothers in 1926. It took its name from a lead character from a late 19th-century play, Miss Helyett, which is why the Helyett logo has a young women’s face on it.

Frenchman, Jacques Anquetil won three of his five Tour de France onboard a Helyett bike in 1957, 1961, and 1962.

La Sportive’s three Tour de France wins occurred right after World War 1, from 1919 to 1921. Right after the war, Europe was in bad shape and many bicycle manufacturers were either out of business or didn’t have the manufacturing capabilities.

The remaining brands include Alcyon, Armor, Automoto, Clément, La Française, Gladiator, Griffon, Hurtu, Labor, Liberator, Peugeot, and Thomann came together. They provided more than half the peloton with various bicycles and components so that the Tour de France can take place.

Once each brand recovered from the aftermath of World War 1, La Sportive disbanded in 1922.

Tour de France Records and Stats

How Many Rest Days in the 2023 Tour de France?

How Many Riders at the 2023 Tour de France?

How Many Stages in the 2023 Tour de France?

Tour de France Time Trial Winners’ Average Speed

What is the 2023 Tour de France Distance?

What is the Fastest Average Speed at the Tour de France?

Which Rider the Most Tour de France Appearances?

Alex Lee is the founder and editor-at-large of Mr. Mamil. Coming from a professional engineering background, he breaks down technical cycling nuances into an easy-to-understand and digestible format here.

He has been riding road bikes actively for the past 12 years and started racing competitively in the senior category during the summer recently.

Mr. Mamil's content is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The content is not a substitute for official or professional advice. Please do your own due diligence.

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Favorites for the General Classification of the Giro d'Italia 2024 | Tadej Pogacar? These gentlemen also dream of the pink jersey

Is there a more beautiful jersey in cycling than the pink one? Tadej Pogacar must have thought the same thing, as after winning two yellow jerseys in the Tour de France, the Slovenian is finally making his debut in the Giro d'Italia this year. The top favorite? Absolutely. But in the Tour of Italy, it’s not always the favorite who wins. IDLProCycling.com lists the top ten contenders for the overall victory!

Please also read/coming soon on IDLProCycling.com:

- Preview of the Giro d'Italia

- Favorites for the points classification (purple jersey)

- Favorites for the mountain classification (blue jersey)

- Favorites for the youth classification (white jersey)

- Betting pool tips for the Giro d'Italia

Recent winners Giro d'Italia

2023 - Primoz Roglic

2022 - Jai Hindley

2021 - Egan Bernal

2020 - Tao Geoghegan Hart

2019 - Richard Carapaz

2018 - Chris Froome

2017 - Tom Dumoulin

2016 - Vincenzo Nibali

2015 - Alberto Contador

2014 - Nairo Quintana

Favorites for the General Classification of the Giro d'Italia 2024

To compile this list, (former) editors at IDLProCycling.com were asked for their top ten in response to the question: "Who is most likely to win the Giro d'Italia?" Each top ten was assigned points as follows: 12 points for first place, 10 for second place, and then 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 point respectively. For each rider, the total points received were converted into a percentage of the maximum points possible. This percentage is indicated next to each rider. This helps give a clearer view of how the odds stack up according to IDLProCycling.com!

Antonio Tiberi/Juan Pedro López - Bahrain Victorious/Lidl-Trek: 17/108 points (15.7%)

We start off with a tie in the rankings. Antonio Tiberi appeared seven times on our lists, but often in the ninth or tenth spot. The 22-year-old Italian will chase a classification for the first time in a grand tour for Bahrain Victorious, and why would he not be able to surprise everyone? His third place in the Tour of the Alps was impressive. Top five is his goal, but with us, he just has to make do with narrowly making the top ten.

The same applies to Juan Pedro López, the winner of the Tour of the Alps and a former wearer of the pink jersey for several days. Representing Lidl-Trek, the 26-year-old Spaniard seems to have carte blanche to try again. His stage win in the Alps—where he dramatically dropped everyone—promises much. The problem for him are the time trial kilometers, so he must go on the offensive in his beloved mountains for a top ranking.

Damiano Caruso - Bahrain Victorious: 18/108 points (16.7%)

At number nine, we find Damiano Caruso, Tiberi's teammate at Bahrain Victorious and, of course, the runner-up of the 2021 Giro! That same year, he also won a stage in the Vuelta. However, the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023 didn't go as well for him.

Can he do it again at the age of 36? Or will it be more about chasing stage wins and supporting the new generation? His results in 2024 haven't been very spectacular, but neither were they before his second place in 2021. Caruso is tough, never count him out!

Luke Plapp - Jayco-AlUla: 18/108 points (16.7%)

Scoring the same as Caruso but placed a spot higher, Luke Plapp has caught the attention of several editors who believe he could be this Giro’s surprise package. One even placed him third! Why? Plapp finished sixth in Paris-Nice and seems to be climbing better than ever. Moreover, the Australian from Jayco-AlUla is an outstanding time trialist.

His switch from INEOS Grenadiers to Jayco is paying off, although he recently mentioned that the team's focus for the classification is on Eddie Dunbar. The Irishman isn't on our list, but Plapp is. He’s poised to surprise us. The Giro has often been a platform for riders to come into their own. Maybe this is the moment for the 23-year-old Plapp.

Daniel Felipe Martínez - BORA-hansgrohe: 39/108 points (36.1%)

Another man who, after a surprising departure from INEOS, has been tearing up the streets is Daniel Felipe Martinez. He beat Remco Evenepoel twice (!) in explosive finishes at the Tour of the Algarve. And let’s not forget his role as a domestique for the overall winner Egan Bernal in 2021, where he finished fifth in the Giro.

At BORA-hansgrohe, this year is all about the Tour de France. They are sending Primoz Roglic, Jai Hindley, and Aleksandr Vlasov to focus on it. This gives Martinez free rein to fully explore his potential as a GC contender. If he's really on point, he can compete with the best. He has, after all, also won the GC in the Dauphiné and the Tour of the Basque Country in his career.

Cian Uijtdebroeks - Visma | Lease a Bike: 46/108 points (42.6%)

At Visma | Lease a Bike, since December, they have had one goal: to make a splash in the Giro! Despite losing Wout van Aert and Wilco Kelderman to injuries, there remains more than enough quality to compete for stage wins every day. Olav Kooij, Jan Tratnik, Attila Valter... Impressive, to say the least.

One rider who consistently sneaks under the radar is Cian Uijtdebroeks. The young Belgian's switch from BORA to Visma last winter has been much discussed, and the Giro might shed light on whether this move was beneficial. Considering his eighth-place finish in a competitive Vuelta in 2023, he’s expected to perform even better in this Giro... We're eager to see what he does!

Thymen Arensman - INEOS Grenadiers: 54/108 points (50.0%)

Thymen Arensman is the first and only Dutchman on this list (most of our editors are Dutch), but he's no ordinary competitor. Born to race for the GC, Arensman might not typically finish in the top three of explosive finales, but he consistently secured a strong top ten spot in both the 2022 Vuelta and 2023 Giro.

Having finished sixth twice in a grand tour, he's aiming higher now. Let’s say at least top five. Geraint Thomas is the declared leader at INEOS Grenadiers, but the 24-year-old Arensman is a dangerous dark horse. After finishing fifth in the Algarve and sixth in the Tirreno, and with a year at INEOS under his belt, it's time for him to harvest the fruits of his labor.

Ben O'Connor - Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale: 61/108 points (56.5%)

We're slowly moving towards the podium, but according to our editorial team, it might just be out of reach for Ben O'Connor. Nonetheless, the Australian from Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale is having an excellent season. There's no reason to believe he can't continue this form into the Giro.

The 28-year-old O'Connor is rock solid in the mountains and has improved significantly in time trials over the past few years. He won a stage in the 2020 Giro and followed up a year later with a stage win and an eighth-place finish in the final classification in the Tour de France. 2023 was marred by crashes and injuries, but in 2024, O'Connor has already impressed with a second-place finish in the UAE Tour and the Tour of the Alps, and fifth in the Tirreno.

Romain Bardet - Team dsm-firmenich PostNL: 68/108 points (63%)

Romain Bardet in the best form of his life? At Liège-Bastogne-Liège, he finished second with impressive form, after placing fifth at the Tour of the Alps. Watching a good Bardet race is a delight. And who knows what he might achieve in the GC if dsm-firmenich PostNL fully commits.

And why not? The time trials won't be easy for Bardet, but the Frenchman has greatly improved in this discipline and also has plenty of mountain stages and bonus sprints to compensate. After his second and third places in the Tour in '16 and '17, we'd love to see him on the podium again. However, it won't be handed to him on a silver platter!

Geraint Thomas - INEOS Grenadiers: 73/108 points (67.6%)

As previously noted, Geraint Thomas is the leader at INEOS Grenadiers, but it's always tough to fully gauge the Welshman. After his Tour de France victory in 2018, his career seemed to wane, but in recent years, he's rediscovered his top form. He finished third behind Pogacar and Vingegaard in the 2022 Tour and was the runner-up to Roglic in last year's Giro.

INEOS wants to race aggressively, whatever that may mean. Thomas on the attack? We've rarely seen that. He's mainly a model of consistency. Never really having a bad day, always finishing among the leaders. And in this way, we might see him on the podium again in Rome.

Tadej Pogacar - UAE-Team Emirates: 108/108 points (100%)

Whether any of the ten names mentioned can dream of overall victory will largely depend on one rider. Tadej Pogacar is the man to beat, the rider who stands out when everyone else is performing at their usual level. And this season, the Slovenian from UAE-Team Emirates is at his best...

He clinched a victory at Strade Bianche after an epic eighty-kilometer solo break, secured four (!) stage victories and the overall win in Catalonia, and topped it off with a win at Liège-Bastenaken-Liège following another bold solo effort from La Redoute. With a strong team backing him at UAE, if Pogacar stays healthy for three weeks, everything points to him dominating. However, the Giro still has to be raced, particularly with Pogacar also eyeing a win at the Tour de France this summer...

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Pogačar beats Van der Poel in a dominant win at Liège–Bastogne–Liège classic

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Emirates team crosses the finish line to win the Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Liege Bastogne Liege, in Liege, Belgium, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar of the UAE Emirates team after crossing the finish line to win the Belgian cycling classic and UCI World Tour race Liege Bastogne Liege, in Liege, Belgium, Sunday, April 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

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LIEGE, Belgium (AP) — Tadej Pogačar proved too strong for Mathieu Van der Poel as he won the Liège–Bastogne–Liège cycling classic with a solo breakaway on Sunday.

Pogačar attacked 35 kilometers (22 miles) out to win cycling’s oldest classic for the second time, after victory in 2021, and made up for last year when he broke his left wrist in a crash.

“I’m happy that I can finally win this race again,” the 25-year-old Slovenian said. “It’s beautiful to finish like this.”

The two-time Tour de France champion waved to the crowd as he approached the finish line well clear. French veteran Romain Bardet finished second and Van der Poel led a mass sprint to the line to finish third.

Liège–Bastogne–Liège is one of the five “monuments” in one-day cycling with the Tour of Flanders, Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of Lombardy and Milan-San Remo. Van der Poel won Roubaix two weeks ago but has not won Liège and Lombardy.

Pogačar beat Van der Poel last year to win the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders) and they have won six monuments each.

The 254.5-kilometer (157.8-mile) trek, starting and finishing in the eastern Belgian city of Liège in chilly conditions, featured 11 small hills and played to Pogačar’s elite climbing skills. He pulled ahead in a small group with Van der Poel one minute behind.

Van der Poel’s group caught Pogačar with 70 kilometers remaining to form a main peloton. But with Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates setting a fast tempo at the front, Pogačar attacked again and no rival could catch him.

He clocked 6 hours, 13 minutes, 48 seconds with Bardet 1:39 behind and Van der Poel 2:02 back.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports