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Tour de france 2021 schedule: start time, stages, length, dates, how to watch live stream, route, tv coverage, highlights.

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The 2021 Tour de France begins on Saturday, June 26 through Sunday, July 18. This year’s cycling event features 10 new sites and stage cities indicated with an asterisk in the schedule below. Additionally, there will be 2 individual time trials in this year’s Tour. See below to find out more information including how to watch, stages, the complete schedule, and more.

STREAM LIVE: Click here to watch the 2021 Tour de France live on Peacock.

2021 Tour de France Key Information

When is the 2021 tour de france what time does coverage start.

The 2021 Tour de France will take place from June 26 - July 18. Coverage of Stage 20 starts at 7:00 a.m. ET on NBCSN and 6:55 a.m. ET on Peacock . Click here for start times for the rest of the 2020 Tour de France.

RELATED: 2021 Tour de France stage profiles, route, previews

How can I watch the 2021 Tour de France?

Stream all 21 stages of the 2021 Tour de France from start to finish, or watch on-demand on Peacock . Coverage will also be available on NBCSN. Click here for the full broadcast schedule .

• Stage 1 Extended Highlights
• Stage 2 Extended Highlights
• Stage 3 Extended Highlights
• Stage 4 Extended Highlights
• Stage 5 Extended Highlights
• Stage 6 Extended Highlights
• Stage 7 Extended Highlights
• Stage 8 Extended Highlights
• Stage 9 Extended Highlights
• Stage 10 Extended Highlights
• Stage 11 Extended Highlights
• Stage 12 Extended Highlights
• Stage 13 Extended Highlights
• Stage 14 Extended Highlights
• Stage 15 Extended Highlights
• Stage 16 Extended Highlights
• Stage 17 Extended Highlights
• Stage 18 Extended Highlights
• Stage 19 Extended Highlights
• Stage 20 Extended Highlights
• Stage 21 Extended Highlights

How long is the Tour de France 2021 ?

The 2021 Tour de France is 23 days long. There will be one stage contested per day and two rest days. The first rest day is on July 5 (between stages 9 & 10) and the second will be on July 12 (between stages 15 & 16).

How many riders are in the Tour?

There will be a total of 184 riders. There will be 23 teams with 8 riders per team.

How many stages is the Tour de France?

There are 21 stages: 8 flat, 5 hilly, 6 mountain stages, and 2 individual time trials.

What is the 2021 Tour de France schedule and route?

Click here to see the full map.

How many miles is the 2021 Tour de France?

The route is 3,414 km (approximately 2,121 miles) long.

Previous Tour de France Winners

2020 - Tadej Pogacar

2019 - Egan Bernal

2018 - Geraint Thomas

2017 - Chris Froome

2016 - Chris Froome

2015 - Chris Froome

2014 - Vincenzo Nibali

2013 - Chris Froome

2012 - Bradley Wiggins

2011 - Cadel Evans

2010 - Andy Schleck

Tour de France 2023 route: Every stage of the 110th edition in detail

This year's race has kicked off in Bilbao, in Spain's Basque Country. It looks like it'll be a Tour for the climbers, with the Puy de Dôme returning and 56,400 metres of climbing in all

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The 2023 men's Tour de France began in Bilbao, Spain on Saturday, July 1, with a route that looks set to be one for the climbers. It features four summit finishes, including a return for the iconic Puy de Dôme climb for the first time since 1988.

There is just one time trial across the three-week event, a short uphill race against the clock from Passy to Combloux over 22km. There are also returns for other epic climbs like the Col de la Loze and the Grand Colombier, with 56,400 metres of climbing on the Tour de France 2023 route.

The race started on foreign soil for the second year in a row, with a Grand Départ in the Spanish Basque Country , the setting for the race's 120th anniversary. There were two hilly stages in Spain, before the peloton crossed the border into France for a stage finish in Bayonne on day three. 

After visiting Pau for the 74th time on stage five, the race's first real mountain test came on stage six, leaving Tarbes and cresting the Col d’Aspin and Col du Tourmalet before a summit finish in Cauterets. 

On stage seven, the Tour’s second most visited city, Bordeaux, will welcome its first stage finish since 2010, when Mark Cavendish claimed his 14th of a record 34 stage wins. Leaving nearby Libourne the next day, stage eight will head east on a 201km slog to Limoges. 

Before the first rest day, the riders will wind up to the summit of the Puy de Dôme, a dormant lava dome which hasn’t featured in the Tour for 35 years. They’ll then enjoy a well-earned day off in Clermont-Ferrand before continuing their passage through the Massif Central. 

France’s national holiday, 14 July, will be celebrated next year with a summit finish on the Grand Colombier, the site of Tadej Pogačar ’s second stage win back in 2020. From there, the mountains keep coming. The riders will climb over the Col de Joux Plaine to Morzine on stage 14, before another mountaintop test in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc the next day. 

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The sole individual time trial of the Tour de Franc route comes on stage 16, when a hilly 22km dash from Passy to Combloux will give the GC contenders a chance to force time gaps. The following day will bring the stage with the highest elevation gain, counting 5000m of climbing en route to the Courchevel altiport, via the Cormet de Roselend and the monstrous Col de la Loze. 

On stages 18 and 19, the sprinters are expected to come to the fore, with flat finishes in Bourg-en-Bresse and Poligny. 

The penultimate stage will play out in the country’s most easterly region, ascending the Petit Ballon, Col du Platzerwasel and finishing in Le Markstein, as the Tour de France Femmes did last year. 

The riders will then undertake a 500km transfer to the outskirts of Paris for the curtain-closing stage. The final day will start at France’s national velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, the track cycling venue for the 2024 Olympics, and will conclude with the customary laps of the capital’s Champs-Elysées. 

The 2023 Tour de France will begin on 1 July, with the winner crowned in Paris on 23 July. 

2023 Tour de France stage table

Jonas Vingegaard raced in the Basque Country this year

Tour de France route week summary

Tour de france week one.

The race began in Bilbao, starting in the Basque Country for the first time since 1992, when the Tour started in San Sebastian. The first two stages are packed full of climbs, with ten classified hills in over the opening couple of days, meaning there will be a fierce battle for the polka-dot jersey. Watch out for Basque fans going crazy on the roadside.

Stage three saw the race cross into France, which it will not leave for the rest of the 18 days. As expected we saw a sprint finish in Bayonne, even after four categorised climbs en-route. Nothing is easy this year.

The fourth day was another sprint, on a motor racing circuit in Nogaro, as the race moved, ominously, towards the Pyrenees. The Hors Categorie Col de Soudet on stage five was the first proper mountain of the race, and was followed by the Col de Marie Blanque, which has tough gradients. A GC day early on, although they are all GC days, really.

Stage five was a mountain top finish in Cauterets-Cambasque, but its gradients didn't catch too many out; it is the Col d'Aspin and Col du Tourmalet that will put people through it.

The seventh day of the race was a chance for the riders to relax their legs as the race headed northwest to an almost nailed-on sprint finish, before another opportunity for the the remaining fast men presented itself on stage eight - after two category four climbs towards the end, and an uphill finish.

The long first week of the race - which will have felt longer because last year had a bonus rest day - ended with the mythical Puy de Dôme.

Tour de France week two

Magnus Cort in the breakaway on stage 10 of the Tour de France 2022

The second week begins with a lumpy road stage around Clermont-Ferrand, starting from a volcano-themed theme park. This will surely be a day for the break. The next day could also be one if the sprint teams fail to get their act together, with two early categorised climbs potential ambush points.

Back into the medium mountains on stage 12, with a finish in the wine making heartland of the Beaujolais, Belleville. Another day for the break, probably, but none of the five categorised climbs are easy.

The following day, stage 13, is France's national holiday, 14 Juillet. The Grand Colombier at the end of the day is the big attraction, with its slopes expected to cause shifts on the GC. Stage 14 is yet another mountain stage as the Tour really gets serious, with the Col de la Ramaz followed by the Col de Joux Plane. The latter, 11.6km at 8.5%, will be a real test for a reduced peloton, before a downhill finish into Morzine.

The final day of week two, stage 15, is yet another day in the Alps before a rest day in Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc. There is nothing as fearsome as the previous days, but 4527m of climbing should still be feared.

Tour de France week three

Tadej Pogačar in the final time trial at the 2022 Tour de France

The third and final week begins with the race's only time trial, 22km long and with a lot of uphill. It is not a mountain event, but it is certainly not one for the pure rouleurs .

Stage 17 looks like the race's Queen Stage, with the final climb up to the Col de la Loze looking incredibly tough on paper, and in real life. That follows the Col de Saisies, the Cormet de Roselend and the Côte de Longefoy, adding up to 5,100m of climbing. The race might be decided on this day.

After that, there is a nice day for the sprinters on stage 18, with a flat finish in Bourg-en-Bresse surely one for the fast men. The next day, stage 19 could be a breakaway day or a sprint finish, depending on how desperate teams are feeling, or how powerful the remaining leadout trains are.

The final mountainous day comes on the penultimate stage, with the men following the Femmes lead and finishing in Le Markstein. However, there's no Grand Ballon, just the Petit Ballon, and so unless something chaotic happens, there should not be great time switches on this stage.

Then, at last, there is the usual finish on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, after the race heads out of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, which has a long-term deal to host the start of Paris-Nice too. ASO country.

Remember, this will be the last time Paris hosts the Tour de France until 2025. So, be prepared.

Tour de France 2023: The stages

Stage one: Bilbao to Bilbao (182km)

The opening stage is very lumpy

There was no easing into the Tour de France for the peloton this year, with a tough, punchy day in the Basque Country. Adam Yates took the first yellow jersey of the 2023 Tour de France after a scintillating stage in the Basque Country that saw the overall battle for the Tour take shape at the earliest opportunity.

The Briton emerged clear over the top of the final climb of the stage, the short and steep Côte de Pike, with his twin brother Simon a few seconds behind him. The pair worked well together to stay clear of the chasing bunch of GC contenders before Adam rode his brother off his wheel inside the final few hundred metres to claim victory.

Stage two: Vitoria-Gasteiz to Saint Sebastian (208.9km)

Still in the Basque Country, there is a Klasikoa theme to stage two

This was the longest stage of the Tour, surprisingly.  Five more categorised climbs meant  it was unlikely to be a sprint stage, including the Jaizkibel, famous from the Clasica San Sebastian, tackled on its eastern side 20km from the finish. This second stage from Vitoria Gasteiz to San Sebastian on the Basque coast followed many of the roads of the San Sebastian Classic, held here every summer.

An early break was soon established in the first 50km and established a three-minute advantage. However, the break was reeled in and a group, including the yellow jersey Adam Yates, pressed towards the finish with Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) clearly hoping it would finish in a sprint. 

Victor Lafay (Cofidis) had other ideas however, and with all and sundry already having attacked Van Aert, Lafay finally made it stick with a kilometre to go, holding off the reduced bunch all the way to the line.

Stage three: Amorebiata-Etxano to Bayonne (187.4km)

Still some hills, but this should be a sprint stage

The third stage took the riders from Amorebieta-Etxano in the Basque Country and back into France, finishing at Bayonne in what was always tipped to be a bunch sprint.  Ultimately, despite a very strong showing in the leadout by Fabio Jakobsen's Soudal-Quick Step team, it was Jasper Philipsen who triumphed , having benefited from a deluxe leadout by team-mate Mathieu Van Der Poel.

Mark Cavendish, who is hunting for a record 35th stage win in what will be his final Tour de France, was sixth.

Stage four: Dax to Nogaro (181.8km)

A nailed on bunch sprint, surely. Surely!

Now this one was always going to be a sprint finish, right? It finished on a motor racing circuit in Nogaro, meaning teams have a long old time to sort their leadout trains.  After a sleepy day out all hell broke lose on the finishing circuit with a series of high speed crashes. Jasper Philipsen was one of the few sprinters to still have a lead-out man at his disposal and when that lead-out man is of the quality of Mathieu van der Poel he was always going to be very difficult to beat. So it proved with Australian Caleb Ewan chasing him down hard but unable to come around him.  Philipsen's win handed him the green jersey too .

Stage five: Pau to Laruns (162.7km)

The first proper mountain, and the first sorting out, as early as stage five

The first Hors Categorie climb of the race came on stage five, the Col de Soudet, which is 15.2km at 7.2%, before the Col de Marie-Blanque and its steep gradients. It certainly ignited the GC battle!  

A break that at one point contained 37 riders was never allowed more than a few minutes, but that proved unwise for Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar behind. Ultimately, with the break already splintering on the final big climb – the Col de Marie-Blanque – Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), riding his first Tour de France, attacked. 

With Hindley time trialling the largely downhill 18km to the finish, Vingegaard attempted to chase him down – and put time into Pogačar as he did so.

Picking up strays from the early break on the way, Vingegaard got to within 34 seconds of Hindley, but it wasn't enough to stop the Australian from taking the stage win, and the yellow jersey .

Stage six: Tarbes to Cauterets-Cambasque (144.9km)

While in the Pyrenees, why not tackle a few more mountains?

A day of aggressive racing in the Pyrenees towards the first summit finish saw Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) take the yellow jersey but Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates) win the stage .

Having had his team set a blistering pace on the Col du Tourmalet, Vingegaard attacked with 4km until the summit. Only Pogačar could follow him as yellow jersey holder Jai Hindley dropped back to the peloton

Having joined up with super domestique Wout van Aert over the top, the group of favourites were towed up the first half of the final climb before Vingegaard attacked. Once again Pogačar followed and with two kilometers to go the Slovenian counter-attacked.

He clawed back nearly half a minute by the line, making the race for yellow a three horse race between those two and Hindley in the process. 

Stage seven: Mont-de-Marsan to Bordeaux (169.9km)

Bordeaux is always a sprint finish

Renowned as a sprint finish town, Bordeaux didn't disappoint the hopeful fastmen –except perhaps for Mark Cavendish, who had to concede victory to hat-trick man Jasper Philipsen, despite a very strong charge for the line from the Manxman .

With Cavendish hunting that elusive 35th record stage win, and having won here last time the Tour came visiting in 2010, many eyes were on the Astana Qazaqstan rider, with on-form Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) who has won twice already, starting as favourite.

The day began with Arkéa-Samsic's Simon Gugliemi forging what turned out to be a solo break that lasted 130 kilometres. He was joined by Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies) and Nans Peters (Ag2r-Citroën) halfway through the stage, the trio forming a purposeful triumvirate of home riders.

However, with the sprinters and their teams on the hunt and few places to hide on what was a hot day crammed with long, straight roads, the break served only as a placeholder for the day's main action in Bordeaux.

A technical finish with roundabouts aplenty, first Jumbo-Visma (in the service of GC leader Jonas Vingegaard) and then Alpecin-Deceuninck took the race by the scruff of the neck in the final. Philipsen enjoyed a marquee leadout from team-mate Mathieu Van Der Poel, but when Cavendish turned on the afterburners at around 150m and leapt forward, the whole cycling world held its breath.

That 35th stage win had to wait for another day though, with Philipsen sweeping past in what was yet another command performance from the Belgian.

Stage eight: Libourne to Limoges (200.7km)

Three categorised climbs in the final 70km could catch people out

Mads Pedersen powered to victory up a punchy finish on stage eight of the  Tour de France , managing to hold off green jersey  Jasper Philipsen  in the process.

Pedersen, the Lidl-Trek rider, now has two Tour stage wins to his name, in a finish which mixed pure sprinters and punchier riders. Alpecin-Deceuninck's Philipsen was third, with Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) in third. To prove how mixed the top ten was, however, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) finished behind the likes of Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech) and Bryan Coquard (Cofidis).

On a day which could have been one for the breakaway, the race was controlled expertly by Jumbo, Trek and Alpecin for their options, and so the escapees were never allowed much time. Sadly, stage eight turned out to Mark Cavendish's last - the Astana-Qazaqstan rider crashed heavily and was forced to abandon .

Stage nine: Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat to Puy de Dôme (184km)

The Puy de Dôme is back, and is vicious

In a north American showdown it was Canada that came out on top as  Michael Woods  beat American rival  Matteo Jorgenson  to the win atop the legendary Puy de Dôme.

Jorgenson had gone solo form a breakaway with 40km left to race. However, on the slopes of the Puy de Dôme where the gradient remains over 105 for more than four kilometres, Woods closed the gap and came around Jorgenson with just 600m left to go.

In the final kilometre, of what had been a blisteringly hot day with temperatures north of 30 degree Celsius, Tadej Pogačar managed to drop Jonas Vingegaard but the Jumbo-Visma captain dug deep to minimise his losses and came across the line eight seconds down.

Stage 10: Vulcania to Issoire (162.7km)

Five categorised climbs over this Volcanic stage

The breakaway had its day in Issoire, as Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) won beneath the scorching sun in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. 

After a frantic start, the mood finally settled and a 14-rider move went clear. Krists Neilands (Israel Premier Tech) launched a solo bid with around 30km remaining, but was caught in the closing moments by a chasing group led by Bilbao. The Spaniard then policed attacks in the finale, before sprinting to his team's first victory at this year's race. 

"For Gino," Bilbao said afterwards, dedicating his win to his late teammate, Gino Mäder .  

Stage 11: Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins (179.8km)

The flat finalé hints at a sprint, but it could be a break day

After a difficult previous day that was hot and hilly, the bunch allowed the break to go very quickly, with Andrey Amador, Matis Louvel and Daniel Oss quickly gaining three minutes. They were kept on a tight leash though, with the sprinters' teams eyeing a bunch finish. And this they delivered, with Jasper Philipsen winning a fourth stage after a tricky finale.

Stage 12: Roanne to Belleville-en-Beaujolais (168.8km)

Hills return, with some steep, punchy ones towards the end

Just like stage ten, Thursday's stage 12 was a fast and frenetic affair on the road to Belleville-en-Beaujolais. A strong group of puncheur type riders eventually got up the road after the breakaway took more than 80 kilometres to form. Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) came out on top at the finish, soloing to the line after a big attack on the final climb of the day. 

Stage 13: Châtillon-Sur-Chalaronne to Grand Colombier (138km)

Welcome to the Alps, here's an hors categorie climb

Michał Kwiatkowski took an impressive solo victory on the summit finish of the Grand Colombier. The Polish rider caught and passed the remnants of the day's breakaway which included Great Britain's James Shaw to grab his second-ever Tour stage win. Behind the Ineos rider, Tadej Pogačar attacked and took eight seconds back on Jonas Vingegaard in the fight for the yellow jersey. 

Stage 14: Annemasse to Morzine Les Portes du Soleil (151.8km)

Five categorised climbs, four of which are one and above. Ouch.

Carlos Rodríguez announced himself on his Tour de France debut on stage 14 with a career-defining victory in Morzine. While all eyes were on Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar, the Spaniard broke free on the descent of the Col de Joux Plane and descended as if on rails to the finish. 

Stage 15: Les Gets Les Portes du Soleil to Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc (179km)

Back to a summit finish, there is no escape at this Tour

The breakaway had its day at the summit of Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc. After dedicating his career to domestique duties, the victory went to Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious), who launched a late attack on the steepest slopes and held off Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) to the line.

Stage 16: Passy to Combloux ITT (22.4km)

A time trial! But not a flat one

Stage 16 brought the fewest time trial kilometres at the Tour de France in 90 years. On the uphill test to Combloux, Jonas Vingegaard proved the strongest , and by quite a way, too. The Dane's winning margin of 1-38 over Tadej Pogačar left him in the driving seat to taking his second Tour title.

Stage 17: Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc to Courchevel (165.7km)

Back to  the proper mountains, and there will be no let up on the final Wednesday

The Queen stage brought a career-defining victory for Austrian Felix Gall (AG2R Citroën), but all eyes were on the GC battle, and the demise of Tadej Pogačar. The UAE Team Emirates rider cracked on the slopes of the Col de la Loze, losing almost six minutes to Jonas Vingegaard, and slipping to 7-35 in the overall standings.

Stage 18: Moûtiers to Bourg-en-Bresse (184.9km)

Two category four climbs on the road to a chicken-themed sprint

Denmark's Kasper Asgreen put in one of the best performances of the race to grab his first-ever Tour victory . The Soudal Quick-Step rider was part of a four man breakaway that managed to hold on all the way to the line by just a handful of seconds ahead of the peloton.

Stage 19: Moirans-en-Montagne to Poligny (172.8km)

Another sprint, maybe, or a heartbreaking chase which fails to bring the breakaway back

Matej Mohorič of Bahrain Victorious took an emotional victory in Poligny after a chaotic day of racing. The Slovenian rider launched an attack with Kasper Asgreen and Ben O'Connor on the final climb of the hilly stage before beating his breakaway compatriots in a three-up sprint for the line. It was Mohorič's third-ever Tour victory.

Stage 20: Belfort to Le Markstein Fellering (133.5km)

One last chance. Six categorised climbs, will it shake up the GC?

The race might be very near Germany at this point, but Belfort remained French after the Franco-Prussian War, unlike the territory the penultimate stage travels into. 

This is the last chance saloon for all teams and riders who aren’t sprinters, especially those with GC ambitions. However, it is not quite the task of the previous Alpine days, with the six categorised climbs not the most testing. Still, there will be a lot of people trying to make things happen.

Stage 21: Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to Paris (115.1km)

The classic Parisian sprint. Lovely.

This will be the last time the Tour heads to Paris until at least 2025, so make the most of those shots of the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées. The classic procession will happen for the first 55km until the race hits the Champs for the first time 60km in. From that point on, anything goes, although that anything will probably be a bunch sprint.

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Adam is Cycling Weekly ’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling on tarmac, he's happy. Before joining Cycling Weekly he spent two years writing for Procycling, where he interviewed riders and wrote about racing. He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds. Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to cycling.

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Tour de France 2023 preview: Full schedule and how to watch live

Another thrilling battle at the 2023 Tour de France is in sight as Tadej Pogacer will try to take back the Tour de France crown that he lost to Jonas Vingegaard last year. Here is all you need to about this year’s race which begins on 1 July in Bilbao, Spain.

The Tour de France 2023 has all the makings of another road cycling thriller.

Will the world’s most prestigious race be the third act in the epic battle between defending champion Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark and 2021 champion Tadej Pogacar ?

Soon we will have all the answers with the 110 th edition of the French Grand Tour starting on Saturday (1 July) in Bilbao, the largest city in the Basque Country, Spain.

Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) is hoping to be crowned champion again, after he won last year’s race as just the second Dane in history ahead of Slovenia’s two-time Tour de France winner, Tadej Pogacar

It is the 110 th edition of the French Grand Tour that will feature Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Richard Carapaz , silver medallist Wout van Aert and bronze medallist Pogacar.

La Grande Boucle will cover 3,404 km over the 21 stages, with the final stage taking place at the Champs-Élysées in Paris on 23 July. There are eight flat stages, four hilly stages, one time trial and eight mountain stages. Four of these have summit finishes, including the stage to the mythical Puy de Dôme.

176 riders will be on the start line at the Guggenheim Museum, one of Bilbao’s major tourist attractions, with eight riders for each of the 22 teams.

Below you will find everything you need to know about this year’s Tour de France.

How to qualify for road cycling at Paris 2024. The Olympics qualification system explained

Tour de france 2023 general classification riders to watch.

In 2022, we witnessed a breathtaking duel between Vingegaard and Pogacar , and they are coming into this year’s race as the two big favourites.

The 26-year-old Dane has participated in four stage races this season, having won three of them in dominant fashion - O Gran Camiño, Itzulia Basque Country, and most recently the Critérium du Dauphiné.

Pogacar and Vingegaard last faced each other at the Paris-Nice in March, where the 24-year-old Slovenian claimed victory ahead of David Gaudu and Vingegaard .

UAE Tean Emirates captain Pogacar has claimed no less than 14 victories this season including Paris-Nice, Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold Race and La Flèche Wallonne, before he crashed and broke his wrist at the Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

The two-time Il Lombardia winner made his comeback last week, claiming both the Slovenian national time trial and road race championship.

2022 Giro d’Italia winner Jai Hindley is going to be the leader on a strong BORA - Hansgrohe team. At the Critérium du Dauphiné, 27-year-old Hindley finished fourth behind Adam Yates of the UAE Team Emirates and his compatriot Ben O'Connor of AG2R Citroën Team.

With his win at last year’s Giro, the Australian has shown that he has the endurance needed to compete in a three-week Grand Tour.

22-year-old Mattias Skjelmose (Denmark) stunned the world of cycling by winning the Tour de Suisse earlier this month ahead of the likes of Remco Evenepoel and Juan Ayuso .

He continued his impressive run and was crowned Danish road race champion on Sunday (25 June), after a spectacular solo effort in the final kilometres.

The Trek-Segafredo rider has participated in one Grand Tour previously as he rode the Giro d’Italia last year finishing just 40 th . This year’s Tour de France will be a test of his stamina.

And dont count out Enric Mas. The 28-year-old Spaniard has finished second in the general classification at the Vuelta a España three times and is hoping to make the podium at the Tour.

The Movistar rider came in top six overall in three stage races this season.

Other key riders at the Tour de France 2023

Green jersey.

Last year's points competition winner Wout van Aert has already announced that the green jersey will not be a target for him as he aims to win stages and prepare for the UCI Cycling World Championships that takes place just two weeks after the finish in Paris.

That leaves Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck as the favourite to take the crown. The Belgian clinched two stages last season - including the most prestigious sprint finish on the Champs-Élysées - and he has already six race wins this season. His versatile teammate Mathieu van der Poel seems to be in the shape of his life, and if the Paris-Roubaix winner gets the freedom to chase the green jersey, watch out for the Dutchman.

The biggest threat might come from Soudal-Quick Step that always target stage wins with their sprinter. Fabio Jakobsen will be their trusted sprinter, like last year. The Dutchman is supported by a strong sprint cast with the most experienced lead-out man in the peloton, Michael Mørkøv, to set him up. 

Sprinter’s teams like Team Jayco Alula with Dylan Groenewegen and Lotto Dstny with Caleb Ewan will also chase stage wins and are contenders for the green jersey.

Denmark’s Mads Pedersen and Biniam Girmay of Eritrea are not only great sprinters but also good climbers. That ability can secure points for the green jersey classification on the more hilly stages. Pedersen took his first Tour de France stage win in last year’s edition and claimed the green jersey in the Vuelta a España, but like van Aert he has announced his focus is to arrive in top shape at the UCI Cycling World Championships in Glasgow.

Polka dot jersey

In the last three editions of the Tour de France, the winner of the king of the mountains classification has also been the overall winner of the Tour de France. Therefore, Pogacar and Vingegaard are the top contenders this year.

For the French riders it will be a special achievement to be on the podium in Paris wearing the polka dot jersey. Thibaut Pinot , who was king of the mountains classification at the Giro d’Italia in May is keen on challenging the two top guns as is 2019 polka dot jersey winner Romain Bardet .

Tour de France 2023 route and important stages

The 2023 Tour de France begins with a hilly stage containing some 3,400 metres of climbing. Contenders for the overall win will have to be ready from the start on the hills around Bilbao. The stage suits classics specialist like Mathieu van der Poel , Wout van Aert and Julian Alaphilippe who all want to be the first rider to wear the yellow jersey at this year’s Tour de France.

After another hilly stage in the Basque Country to San Sebastian on stage two, the peloton will cross the French border and resume the race with flat stages on day three and four. 

Stage five will take the peloton on the first mountain stage in the Pyrenees which includes Col du Soudet and Col de Marie Blanque. The following day, the riders will tackle the mythical mountain Col du Tourmalet before finishing the stage on the category 1 climb Cauterets-Cambasque. Week one concludes with an eagerly anticipated summit finish to the volcano Puy de Dôme that returns to the Tour after a 35-year absence.

On stage 13 in week two, the teams face a gruelling finish to Col du Grand Colombier in the Jura mountains. The two following days will also test the riders’ climbing skills with stage 15 featuring a summit finish to Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc in the Alps to end week two.

The final week kicks off with stage 16, the only individual time trial in the race. It is just 22 kilometres long but contains a fair amount of climbing, especially in the second part of the route. After the time trial, the queen stage of the Tour de France with more than 5000 metres of climbing is sure to generate plenty of drama. Colo de la Loze, the highest point of the race at 2304m, is the biggest obstacle on this stage being 28 kilometres long, with an average gradient of six percent.

Two flatter stages follow ahead of a short but mountainous penultimate stage in the Vosges on stage 20. It will be the last chance for the general classification contenders to gain time before the celebrations in Paris.

Day-by-day route of the 2023 Tour de France

Saturday 1 July: Stage 1 - Bilbao-Bilbao (182km)

Sunday 2 July: Stage 2 - Vitoria-Gasteiz - Saint-Sebastian (208.9km)

Monday 3 July: Stage 3 - Amorebieta - Etxano-Bayonne (187.4 km)

Tuesday 4 July: Stage 4 - Dax - Nogaro (181.8 km)

Wednesday 5 July: Stage 5 - Pau - Laruns (162.7 km)

Thursday 6 July: Stage 6 - Tarbes - Cauterets-Cambasque (144.9 km)

Friday 7 July: Stage 7 - Mont-de-Marsan - Bordeaux          (169.9 km)

Saturday 8 July: Stage 8 - Libourne - Limoges (200.7 km)

Sunday 9 July: Stage 9 - Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat - Puy de Dôme (182.4 km)

Monday 10 July: Rest Day

Tuesday 11 July: Stage 10 - Vulcania - Issoire (167.2 km)

Wednesday 12 July: Stage 11 - Clermont-Ferrand - Moulins (179.8 km)

Thursday 13 July: Stage 12 - Roanne - Belleville-en-Beaujolais (168.8 km)

Friday 14 July: Stage 13 - Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne - Grand Colombier (137.8 km)

Saturday 15 July: Stage 14 - Annemasse - Morzine Les Portes du Soleil       (151.8 km)

Sunday 16 July Stage 15 - Les Gets les portes du soleil - Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc (179 km)

Monday 17 July: Rest Day

Tuesday 18 July: Stage 16 - Passy - Combloux (22.4 km individual time trial)

Wednesday 19 July: Stage 17 - Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc - Courchevel (165.7 km)

Thursday 20 July: Stage 18 - Moûtiers - Bourg-en-Bresse (184.9 km)

Friday July 21: Stage 19  - Moirans-en-Montagne - Poligny (172.8 km)

Saturday July 22: Stage 20 - Belfort - Le Markstein Fellering (133.5 km)

Sunday July 23: Stage 21 - Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines - Paris Champs-Élysées (115.1 km)

How to watch the 2023 Tour de France live

The Tour de France will be shown live in 190 countries. Here is a list of the official broadcast partners across different territories.

Basque Country - EiTB

Belgium - RTBF and VRT

Czech Republic - Česká Televize

Denmark - TV2

Europe - Eurosport Eurosport

France - France TV Sport France TV Sport and Eurosport France

Germany - Discovery+ and ARD

Ireland - TG4

Italy - Discovery+ and RAI Sport

Luxemburg - RTL

Netherlands - Discovery+ and NOS

Norway - TV2

Portugal - RTP

Scandinavia - Discovery+

Slovakia - RTVS

Slovenia - RTV SLO

Spain - RTVE

Switzerland - SRG-SSR

United Kingdom - Discovery+ and ITV

Wales - S4C

Canada - FloBikes

Colombia - CaracolTV

Latin America & Caribbean: ESPN

South America - TV5 Monde

United States - NBC Sports and TV5 Monde

Asia Pacific

Australia - SBS

China - CCTV and Zhibo TV

Japan - J Sports

New Zealand - Sky Sport

South-East Asia - Global Cycling Network and Eurosport

Middle East and Africa

The Middle East and North Africa - BeIN Sports and TV5 Monde

Subsaharan Africa - Supersport and TV5 Monde

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, June 22nd, 2023

LIVE COVERAGE OF THE 110TH TOUR DE FRANCE BEGINS SATURDAY, JULY 1, ON PEACOCK & NBC

Live Coverage of All 21 Stages of Tour de France July 1-23 Across Peacock, NBC, and USA Network; Final Round Coverage Concludes Sunday, July 23, at 10 a.m. ET Exclusively on Peacock

Peacock to Stream Live Start-to-Finish Coverage of Every Stage, Plus Daily Tour de France Pre-Race Shows

‘Team Radio’ Communication Between Riders and Team Directors to be Featured During Broadcast for First Time

Production Elements Also Include Enhanced Augmented Reality Features, Interactive Stage Maps, GPS Race Tracking & More

STAMFORD, Conn. – June 22, 2023 – NBC Sports will present three weeks of wall-to-wall live and encore coverage of the 110 th Tour de France across Peacock, NBC and USA Network from July 1-23.

Daily live coverage of the Tour de France, featuring all 21 stages, begins Saturday, July 1, at 6 a.m. ET on Peacock with the Tour de France Pre-Race Show , followed by Stage 1 at 6:30 a.m. ET on Peacock and continuing at 8 a.m. ET on Peacock and NBC.

The first weekday stage begins Monday, July 3, with live race coverage beginning on Peacock at 6:50 a.m. ET and continuing at 8 a.m. ET on Peacock and USA Network.

Coverage throughout each day of the 21-stage event begins with the  Tour de France Pre-Race Show on Peacock, followed by live race coverage. Final weekend coverage culminates on Saturday, July 22, with Stage 20 live on Peacock at 7:30 a.m. ET, and final stage coverage on Sunday, July 23, live on Peacock at 10 a.m. ET. NBC will present encore coverage of the final stage at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Peacock will stream live start-to-finish coverage of every stage of the 2023 Tour de France, featuring NBC Sports-produced coverage, as well as commentary from the world feed. Peacock will also feature full-stage replays, highlights, stage recaps, rider interviews, and more.

To sign up and watch every minute of live action from the 2023 Tour de France, click here .

Peacock’s expansive programming offers the most live sports of any SVOD service in the United States , including live coverage of Sunday Night Football , Big Ten football (beginning in September), Olympic Games, MLB Sunday Leadoff, Premier League, Notre Dame Football, NASCAR, NTT IndyCar Series, and much more.  Peacock also offers daily sports programming on the NBC Sports channel.

2023 TOUR DE FRANCE

The 2023 Tour de France will cover a total distance of approximately 2,115 miles, beginning in Bilbao, Spain, and finishing 22 days later in Paris.

Expected yellow jersey frontrunners in this year’s field include defending champion Jonas Vingegaard (Team Jumbo-Visma) of Denmark and two-time champion and 2022 runner-up Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) of Slovenia, who won this year’s Paris-Nice. Green jersey contenders expected to compete include Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal-QuickStep), Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny), Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), who won two stages last year, and seven-time Tour de France points classification winner Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies). Reigning green jersey winner Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo-Visma) is also expected to compete.

Aiming to make Tour de France history, 34-time stage winner Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan Team) looks to break a tie with Belgian legend Eddy Merckx (34) for the most stage wins in race history.

Americans expected to participate in this year’s Tour de France include 2021 stage winner Sepp Kuss (Team Jumbo-Visma), who helped chaperone Primož Roglič to victory at the 2023 Giro d’Italia, Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost), who finished 12 th overall last year, Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar), Lawson Craddock (Team Jayco AlUla), and Joe Dombrowski (Astana Qazaqstan Team).

COMMENTATORS

NBC Sports’ cycling play-by-play caller Phil Liggett , universally known as the ‘voice of cycling,’ will cover his 51st Tour de France alongside analyst Bob Roll . Liggett and Roll will be on-site at each stage, along with reporters Steve Porino and former professional cyclist Christian Vande Velde .

Paul Burmeister will host daily pre-race and post-race studio coverage alongside Sam Bewley and Brent Bookwalter , who make their NBC Sports debuts as cycling analysts .

PRODUCTION HIGHLIGHTS

NBC Sports will integrate several features into its coverage of this year’s Tour de France:

• ‘Team Radio’ Audio : For the first time, NBC Sports will present select ‘Team Radio’ audio during the broadcast, playing clips of the communication between team directors and riders throughout the race
• NBC Sports will utilize a cutting edge “Virtual” graphics Telestrator, which debuted throughout the 2019 Tour de France and produces augmented reality cyclist graphics for the commentators to move and analyze
• The enhanced augmented reality features will include 3-D animated maps that track where the riders are in real time on the route and profile the stage terrain
• Vande Velde will have a camera focused on him as he reports to offer real-time updates on race situations, while traveling aboard a motorcycle on the course
• Real-time data of course gradients and the riders’ speeds

NBC Sports’ coverage will include real-time speeds of both the leaders and the peloton, and additional maps that show more detailed versions of the finishes and each mountain climb.

Coverage will also utilize several production enhancements and updated graphic elements, including a pointer feature to easily identify and focus on one rider in the peloton, and exclusive profiles on teams and riders.

NBC SPORTS SOCIAL MEDIA:

Fans can keep up with the Tour de France through NBC Sports’ social media platforms throughout the race, including exclusive behind-the-scenes photos, interviews, video clips, up-to-date news reports and stories from around the cycling world through the NBC Sports Cycling Facebook page and @NBCSNCycling on Twitter. In addition, fans can visit NBCSports.com/cycling for a live stream schedule, stage maps, results, routes and more.

NBC SPORTS’ 2023 TOUR DE FRANCE SCHEDULE

(subject to change, all times ET)***All live coverage on NBC and USA Network is also available on the NBC Sports app:

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Recovery During the Tour de France Is a Top Priority for the Pros. Here’s How They Do It.

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

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

Rehydrate and Refuel

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

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

Spin the Legs Out Immediately

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

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

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

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

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

Eat All the Carbs

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

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

Get in Protein, Too

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

Plan on Early Bedtimes

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

Limit Social Media

Some riders are fine scrolling the Twitter comments (*shudder*). Others prefer to keep their phones on airplane mode. But for the most part, riders have a routine with how they treat newsfeeds and social media during these races. “I avoid checking any news about the race,” says Canyon//SRAM’s Kasia Niewiadoma. “I like to be as minimally distracted as possible, because I know that the more I read, the more stories that are created in my head and the more I’m thinking about it. And that just keeps me awake at night. We talk about the race at the team meeting, of course, but I don't want to do any extra investigation around it.”

Take an Ice Bath

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

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

Get a Massage

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

Set Yourself Up at Night to Ride in the Morning

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

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

Spin on Rest Days

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

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

Find a Way to Mentally Bounce Back

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

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

Get Comfortable With Monotony

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

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

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

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Today’s front page, Sunday, April 21, 2024

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

• The Associated Press
• April 21, 2024
• 2 minute read

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

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

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

He won the worlds time trial last year and the road race in 2022, and should target both Olympic events on the streets of Paris on back-to-back Saturdays—July 27 and August 3.

First, he will make his Tour de France debut on June 29.

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

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

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

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

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

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Tour de France stage 16 time trial start times

22.4km time trial from Passy to Combloux the next set piece in historic duel between Pogacar and Vingegaard

The 2023 Tour de France begins its next phase on Tuesday's stage 16 22.4 kilometre time trial from Passy to Combloux, with Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) chasing Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) at the tail end of the start list.

The two have been locking horns for two weeks and have shown little if any effects of the accumulated fatigue of their intensely close-fought competition.

Separated by just 10 seconds in the GC standings , each rider will be looking for any millisecond of time difference. If the Tour de France continues as it has - should the two be tied on time in Paris - their time trial time would be taken down to the 100ths of a second to decide the winner.

• Tour de France Stage 16 Live : The time trial battle for yellow

It will be a tense day to begin an intense final week, and a long build-up as the stage begins at 1:05 p.m. CEST bookended by Danish riders. Michael Mørkøv (Soudal-Quickstep) is the first man down the ramp as the lanterne rouge.

Look for Mikkel Bjerg (UAE Team Emirates) to be one of the quickest of the early starters, taking off at 1:33 p.m. The Dane won the hilly time trial of the Critérium du Dauphiné in June and will be looking to set a benchmark for Pogačar.

Another rider to watch is Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost). He's tied on points for the mountains classification with Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) and will look to set the fastest time up the Côte de Domancy to get the points for the category 2 ascent between kilometre 16.1 and 18.9.

The riders atop the current overall Tour de France standings come much later in the afternoon, with 10th-placed Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) heading down the start ramp at 4:42 p.m.

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Pogačar begins his push to nab the maillot jaune at 4:48 p.m. two minutes before Vingegaard. 

Organisers are estimating the winning time to be in the 36-minute range, so be sure to be tuned into Cyclingnews for all of the updates before the winner is decided.

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Laura Weislo has been with Cyclingnews since 2006 after making a switch from a career in science. As Managing Editor, she coordinates coverage for North American events and global news. As former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track, Laura has a passion for all three disciplines. When not working she likes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads, paths and gravel tracks. Laura specialises in covering doping, anti-doping, UCI governance and performing data analysis.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BRUSSELS (AP) — Two-time world champion cyclist Remco Evenepoel is targeting a June return to racing after a bad crash this month. Evenepoel says he expects to return at the week-long Critérium du Dauphiné ahead of the Tour de France and Paris Olympics. The Belgian needed surgery after breaking a collar bone and shoulder blade in a crash while descending two weeks ago in the Tour of Basque Country. He won the worlds time trial last year and the road race in 2022. He should target both Olympic events on the Paris streets.

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Chris Froome’s wife Michelle calls Muslims a ‘drain on society’

The wife of Chris Froome, the former Team GB cyclist, said that there were “no innocent Gazans” and called Muslims a “drain on society” in an outburst on social media on Monday.

Michelle Froome, who has been married to the four-time Tour de France winner since 2014, asked her nearly 15,000 followers on Twitter/X to stop “pandering to the political correctness” in 13 tweets branded Islamophobic by users of the social media platform.

They were Froome’s first tweets since 2020, when her husband joined Israel-Premier Tech, a cycling team not directly affiliated with the state of Israel but strongly connected through its billionaire owners.

The posts followed calls from pro-Palestinian activists to confront the team with “more protests than ever” during the Giro d’Italia and

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