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About « Tour de France Saitama Criterium »

The Tour de France SAITAMA CRITERIUM is pleased to greet for its 7th edition the 2019 Tour de France yellow jersey winner Egan Bernal, and some of best riders in the world, next October 26th and 27th.

At the hearth of Saitama City, the best Tour de France’s riders and the Japanese cycling elite will come together in a race around a 3,5km circuit.

The Tour de France SAITAMA CRITERIUM is also a place of exchange between cultures where The Tour de France prestige and Japanese excellence join their forces. In 2018, nearly 200 000 spectators came up on the roadsides of a fantastic circuit.

This year again, this culture blend will be symbolized by a day dedicated to traditional activities for our Tour de France’s riders.

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Tour de France 2022: Preview, schedule and riders to watch

As Tadej Pogacar goes for a hat-trick of victories, here's everything you need to know about this year's edition of Le Tour, which starts on 1 July in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The second Grand Tour of the 2022 men's road cycling season, the 109th Tour de France , begins on Friday 1 July in Copenhagen, Denmark, and will end as usual in Paris on Sunday 24 July.

Tokyo 2020 medallists Tadej Pogacar , Primoz Roglic and Wout van Aert headline the race that will cover a total of over 3,300km across 21 stages. There are five summit finishes, two time trials and six flat stages.

Slovenia's Pogacar is looking to claim the winner's yellow jersey for the third consecutive year, matching a feat most recently achieved by four-time champion Chris Froome (2015, 2016, 2017).

Following a postponement from last year due to a schedule clash with the Euro 2020 football tournament, Denmark will become the 10th country to host the Grand Depart. The 2022 route will also go into Belgium (Stage 6) and Switzerland (Stages 8 and 9), making it the first time since 2017 that four different countries feature in the same edition.

Some 176 riders will take part, eight for each of the 22 teams. That's one fewer team than in the 2021 edition.

The last day of the men's Grand Boucle will coincide with the start of the historic eight-stage inaugural Tour de France Femmes , which replaces the La Course one-day women's race.

Below you can find everything you need to know about one of the world's most gruelling endurance events this year.

Tour de France 2022 General Classification men to watch

Tadej Pogacar: The Olympic road race bronze medallist comes into the 2022 Grand Boucle as the overwhelming favourite. The Slovenian has won every stage race he has taken part in this season (UAE Tour, Tirreno-Adriatico, Tour of Slovenia) and is going for a hat-trick of victories on the Tour at just 23 years of age.

Primoz Roglic: The Tokyo 2020 time trial gold medallist came agonisingly close to the GC win in 2020, while he had to abandon the race last year following a crash. The former ski jumper seems to have recovered from a knee injury that affected the first part of his season and is fresh from an overall win at the Criterium du Dauphine.

Daniel Martinez: With 2019 winner Egan Bernal still recovering from a horrific training accident, his fellow Colombian is ready to be the leader of Ineos Grenadiers after taking the Tour of the Basque Country this spring. The British team has won seven of the Tour's last 10 editions and Martinez could share the leadership with 2018 champion Geraint Thomas , who recently won the Tour de Suisse.

Jonas Vingegaard : The 25-year-old Dane finished as a surprise runner-up in 2021, and this season with two second places at the Tirreno-Adriatico and Dauphine has shown he's ready to step up if his Jumbo-Visma teammate Roglic is not fully fit.

Aleksandr Vlasov: Following Jai Hindley 's success at the Giro d'Italia, Bora-Hansgrohe's hopes of winning their second Grand Tour this year lie on the shoulders of the Russian rider riding under a neutral flag. Vlasov took impressive overall victories at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and Tour de Romandie, but he was forced to abandon the Tour of Suisse for Covid when he was leader.

Other key riders at Tour de France 2022

Green jersey.

Last year's points competition winner Mark Cavendish hasn't been selected by his team Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl (he's been named as a first-reserve rider) and that means that the 37-year-old Manxman will have to wait before being able to surpass the legendary Eddy Merckx for number of stage wins (both are tied on 34).

The Belgian team will be led by Dutchman Fabio Jakobsen , who is hoping to take advantage of the sprint opportunities. Australian Caleb Ewan of Lotto-Soudal and Netherlands' Dylan Groenewegen of the Team Bike Exchange-Jayco also fancy their chances.

The course includes several hilly stages and that might favour puncheurs such as record seven-time green jersey winner Peter Sagan , who recently was back to winning ways at the Tour de Suisse before withdrawing due to a positive Covid test. The three-time world champion made a quick recovery to take his eighth Slovakian national title.

Other contenders for the green jersey will be multi-talented riders Mathieu van der Poel , who wore the leader's pink jersey at the Giro for the first three stages, and Wout van Aert , who took the points classification at both the Criterium du Dauphine and Paris-Nice this season.

Polka dot jersey

Pogacar secured the king of the mountains classification at the last two editions, and in the history of the Tour only four riders have won it more than twice (the record belongs to Richard Virenque with seven).

The Slovenian talisman will probably be challenged by some of the other GC contenders (Roglic, Vlasov, Vingegaard), as well as by Frenchmen Thibaut Pinot , who recently took the queen stage of the Tour de Suisse, and 2019 polka dot winner Romain Bardet , who was forced to leave the last Giro after suffering from stomach issues.

Tour 2022 route and important stages

The 2022 Tour de France begins with a technical 13km time trial along the streets of Copenhagen that will suit the discipline's specialists such as double reigning world champion Filippo Ganna , Stefan Bissegger of Switzerland (EF Education-EasyPost) and two-time world medallist Van Aert.

After two further stages in Denmark, the race will resume in France on Tuesday 5 July and a day later on Stage 5 cobbles will make their return for the first time since 2018. Week one is highlighted by the summit finish on the Super Planche des Belles Filles, with the following two stages foraying into Switzerland, including a finish at the Olympic Stadium in Lausanne .

During the second week the peloton heads deeper into the Alps with two straight gruelling mountain stages. On stage 11 the riders will climb the Col du Telegraphe and Col du Galibier (the highest point of the race at 2,642m) before finishing on the top of the Col du Granon; stage 12 on Bastille Day will be equally testing and will feature a summit finish on the Alpe d'Huez for the first time in five years.

The Tour will then move across the Massif Central towards the Pyrenees with the final rest day in Carcassonne. Two more back-to-back summit finishes on stage 17 (Peyragudes) and 18 (Hautacam) will offer the final chance to specialist climbers to gain ground in the GC before a 40km time trial on stage 20.

The final stage ending in Paris will see sprinters lock horns for one last time on this edition along the Champs-Elysees.

Day-by-day route of 2022 Tour de France

Fri 1 July: Stage 1 – Copenhagen-Copenhagen (time trial, 13.2 km)

Sat 2 July: Stage 2 – Roskilde-Nyborg (202.5 km)

Sun 3 July: Stage 3 – Vejle-Sonderborg (182 km)

Mon 4 July: Transfer Day

Tue 5 July: Stage 4 – Dunkerque-Calais (171.5 km)

Wed 6 July: Stage 5 – Lille Metropole-Arenburg Porte du Hainaut (157 km)

Thu 7 July: Stage 6 – Binche-Longwhy (220km)

Fri 8 July: Stage 7 – Tomblaine-La Super Planche de Belle Filles (176.5 km)

Sat 9 July: Stage 8 – Dole-Lausanne (186.5km)

Sunday 10 July: Stage 9 – Aigle-Chatel les Portes du Soleil (193km)

Monday 11 July: Rest Day

Tuesday 12 July: Stage 10 – Morzine Les Portes du Soleil-Megeve (148.5km)

Wednesday 13 July: Stage 11 – Albertville-Col du Granon Serre Chevalier (152km)

Thursday 14 July: Stage 12 – Briancon-Alpe d’Huez (165.5km)

Friday 15 July: Stage 13 – Le Bourg d’Oisans-Saint Etienne (193km)

Saturday 16 July: Stage 14 – Saint Etienne-Mende (192.5km)

Sunday 17 July: Stage 15 – Rodez-Carcassonne (202.5km)

Monday 18 July: Rest Day

Tuesday 19 July: Stage 16 – Carcassonne-Foix (178,5km)

Wednesday 20 July: Stage 17 – Saint-Gaudens-Peyragudes (130km)

Thursday 21 July: Stage 18 – Lourdes-Hautacam (143.5km)

Friday 22 July: Stage 19 – Castelnau-Magnoac – Cahors (188.5km)

Saturday 23 July: Stage 20 – Lacapelle-Marival - Rocamadour (time trial, 40.7km)

Sunday 24 July: Stage 21 – Paris La Defence Arena – Paris Champs Elysees (116km)

How to watch the 2022 Tour de France

The race will be shown live in 190 countries and here is a list of the official broadcast partners across different territories.

Belgium – RTBF

Czech Republic – Ceska Televise

Europe – Eurosport

France – France TV Sport and Eurosport France

Germany – ARD

Italy – RAI Sport

Ireland – TG4

Luxembourg – RTL

The Netherlands – NOS

Norway – TV2

Portugal – RTP

Slovakia – RTVS

Slovenia – RTV SLOVENIJA

Spain – RTVE

Switzerland – SRG SSR

The United Kingdom – ITV

Wales – S4C

Canada – Flobikes

Colombia – Caracol TV

Latin America and Caribbean – ESPN

South America – TV5 Monde

The United States of America – NBC Sports and TV5 Monde

Asia Pacific

Australia – SBS

China – CCTV and Zhibo TV

Japan – J Sports

New Zealand – Sky Sports

Southeast Asia – Eurosport and GCN

Middle East and Africa

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

Sub-Saharan Africa – Supersport and TV5 Monde

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Tour de France 2022: full team-by-team guide

Our in-depth look at every team, the main riders to watch and the cast of characters racing through France this summer

• Tour de France: stage-by-stage guide

Ag2R Citroën

Stalwart French battlers celebrated for wearing brown shorts who hired a host of multinational talent after their stalwart Romain Bardet left for DSM. This paid off last year when Ben O’Connor won the stage to Tignes and placed fourth overall. Behind the Aussie, however, they lack strength in depth.

Team Geoffrey Bouchard, Mikaël Cherel, Benoît Cosnefroy, Stan Dewulf, Bob Jungels, Oliver Naesen, Ben O’Connor, Aurélien Paret-Peintre.

Main man Ben O’Connor – talented climber who must prove last year’s fourth was no fluke.

Alpecin-Deceuninck

Second-division Dutch squad who punch far above their budget, thanks to the no-holds-barred racing style of Mathieu van der Poel, the most popular cyclist on the circuit. They won two of the first three stages and held the yellow jersey in 2021; this year, they bring sprinter Jasper Philipsen alongside MVDP.

Team Mathieu van der Poel, Silvan Dillier, Michael Gogl, Alexander Krieger, Jasper Philipsen, Edward Planckaert, Kristian Sbaragli, Guillaume van Keirsbulck.

Main man Mathieu van der Poel – a stage win and yellow last year. Great things expected 12 months on.

Arkéa-Samsic

This French division two team has plenty of potential for a stage win, with the former King of the Mountains Warren Barguil, the evergreen Colombian champion Nairo Quintana and the Belgian sprinter Amaury Capiot. The British strongman Connor Swift will support his leaders on the flat and probably infiltrate a break somewhere in his own right.

Team Warren Barguil, Maxime Bouet, Amaury Capiot, Hugo Hofstetter, Matîs Louvel, Lukasz Owsian, Nairo Quintana, Connor Swift.

Main man Nairo Quintana – the 2015 Giro winner is long in the tooth but can still shine in the mountains.

Astana Qazaqstan

The squad flying the Kazakh flag produced one of the worst team raps ever over the winter, and changed the spelling of its name by substituting Qs for Ks. That’s as exciting as this squad gets; they will figure in breaks and hope for a stage win from Joe Dombrowski or Alexey Lutsenko but don’t expect any drama.

Team Joe Dombrowski, Fabio Felline, Dimitri Gruzdev, Alexei Lutsenko, Gianni Moscon, Alexei Riabushenko, Simone Velasco, Andrey Zeits.

Main man Alexey Lutsenko – the Kazakh came a stealthy seventh last year and could make the top 10 again.

Bahrain Victorious

Several potential stage winners here – Damiano Caruso, Jack Haig, Matej Mohoric, Dylan Teuns and Fred Wright – but the big question is whether Caruso can replicate his form at last year’s Giro, where he came second and won a stage. Haig is a talented climber, while Mohoric and Teuns have landed Tour stages in the past, and Wright is due a major win.

Team Damiano Caruso, Kamil Gradek, Jack Haig, Matej Mohoric, Luis León Sánchez, Dylan Teuns, Jan Tratnik, Fred Wright.

Main man Damiano Caruso – consistent Italian climber who finished second in last year’s Giro d’Italia, and 10th in the 2020 Tour.

B&B Hotels-KTM

Flyweight French team whose poor results this season earned them the hairdryer treatment from management recently. That doesn’t bode well for the Tour, where they will figure in breaks and vie for the mountains prize when the big boys aren’t too bothered. A stage win would be a miracle but the race visits Lourdes so they can hope.

Team Cyril Barthe, Franck Bonnamour, Alexis Gougeard, Jérémy Lecroq, Cyril Lemoine, Luca Mozzato, Pierre Rolland, Sebastian Schönberger.

Main man Pierre Rolland. Ageing climber and non-stop attacker who is in decent form and will target the mountains prize.

BikeExchange-Jayco

Australian flagship deep in the WorldTour relegation quagmire, and without top climber Simon Yates. If Dylan Groenewegen can secure a fifth career stage win in a sprint and Michael Matthews gets moving in the hills, they are looking at a good Tour. If either of the pair has issues, however, there is little firepower to fall back on.

Team Jack Bauer, Luke Durbridge, Dylan Groenewegen, Amund Grøndahl Jansen, Christopher Juul Jensen, Michael Matthews, Luka Mezgec, Nick Schultz.

Main man Dylan Groenewegen – Dutch sprinter back from a ban in 2020-21, now flat stage favourite.

Bora-Hansgrohe

Last-minute decision to drop the former green jersey winner Sam Bennett in favour of a full-on GC challenge with dark horse Russian Aleksandr Vlasov – riding the Tour as a neutral – has raised eyebrows, especially as Vlasov is getting over Covid. The decision is inspired by Bora’s perfectly calculated Giro win with Jai Hindley; they are thinking medium term about preparing to launch the Aussie on the Tour. Schachmann, Konrad and Kämna are all capable of stage wins as well as support roles.

Team Marco Haller, Lennard Kämna, Patrick Konrad, Felix Großschartner, Nils Politt, Max Schachmann, Danny van Poppel, Aleksandr Vlasov.

Main man Aleksandr Vlasov. Winner of the Tours of Valencia and Romandie this season, and could well have won Switzerland had he stayed Covid free.

Guillaume Martin is a potential top 10 finisher, while there are several outside hopes for stage wins – Lafay, Thomas, Walscheid – even with Bryan Coquard out due to Covid. Plenty of individual talent for the flat and the mountains but it will take careful management to ensure they work in unison. If there isn’t goal clarity and role clarity, it could all get rather tense.

Team Pierre-Luc Périchon, Simon Geschke, Ion Izagirre, Victor Lafay, Guillaume Martin, Anthony Perez, Benjamin Thomas, Max Walscheid.

Main man Guillaume Martin – consistent French climber who now needs to make the jump from top 10 to top six.

The German team shone in 2020 with three stage wins but fell apart in 2021. Their best chance for a stage win is Romain Bardet, who was a contender in the Giro but dropped out with illness. They have a strong lineup behind the Frenchman, so will target their days and try to ensure they get several riders in the key moves.

Team Romain Bardet, Alberto Dainese, John Degenkolb, Nils Eekhoff, Chris Hamilton, Andreas Leknessund, Martijn Tusvveld, Kevin Vermaerke.

Main man Romain Bardet – French former podium finisher back to his best and looking for a stage.

EF Education-EasyPost

Multiple stage win hopes for America’s finest, beginning on Friday with time trialist Stephen Bissegger. Rigoberto Urán’s past Grand Tour record makes him the nominal leader but Powless is the man in form. Cort nailed three stages in the Vuelta last year while past Giro stage winners Guerriero and Bettiol could also get their chance.

Team Alberto Bettiol, Stephen Bissegger, Magnus Cort, Owain Doull, Ruben Guerriero, Neilson Powless, Jonas Rutsch, Rigoberto Urán.

Main man Rigoberto Urán – it’s five years since the Colombian finished second in the Tour; a stage win will suffice.

Groupama-FDJ

Uber French team run by mercurial Marc Madiot have sidelined sprinter Arnaud Démare and pinned their hopes on young climber David Gaudu backed by the fragile but talented Thibaut Pinot. Half of France will reckon this is a cunning plan to take the pressure off Pinot, finally back at the Tour after a nightmare in 2020.

Team Antoine Duchesne, David Gaudu, Kevin Geniets, Olivier le Gac, Stefan Küng, Valentin Madouas, Thibaut Pinot, Michael Storer.

Main man David Gaudu – supported Pinot in 2019 and finally gets his chance.

Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert

Belgian squad that has progressed from plucky underdogs to mid-table contenders in four Tours. Quadruple sprint stage winner Kristoff will relish stage two if the wind howls out of the north, while Meintjes has the climbing ability to finish in the top 10 and Van der Hoorn can win out of a break.

Team Sven-Erik Bystrøm, Kobe Goossens, Alexander Kristoff, Louis Meintjes, Andrea Pasqualon, Adrien Petit, Taco van der Hoorn, Georg Zimmerman.

Main man Alexander Kristoff – veteran Norwegian sprinter at his best on tough windy days.

Ineos Grenadiers

Big budget, big ambitions, but it’s hard to see them winning the Tour this year. Their three leaders, Geraint Thomas, Dani Martínez and Adam Yates, are all strong and talented but none of them is a match for Pogacar head to head. They need to catch the Slovenian napping, using their biggest asset – the incredible talent supporting the lead trio. Riders like Filippo Ganna, Tom Pidcock and Dylan Van Baarle can turn the race on its head if brought into play at the right moment.

Team Jonathan Castroviejo, Filippo Ganna, Dani Martínez, Tom Pidcock, Luke Rowe, Geraint Thomas, Dylan van Baarle, Adam Yates.

Main man Geraint Thomas – the last chance for the Welshman but age is not on his side.

Israel-Premier Tech

A stage-hunting lineup for the hilly days, headed by Danish Classic winner Jakob Fuglsang and Canadian mountain man Michael Woods; the others will be tasked with showing their faces in the breaks when they can, while four-times winner Chris Froome’s potential as he rebuilds after his serious crash in 2019 is impossible to read.

Team Simon Clarke, Chris Froome, Jakob Fuglsang, Guillaume Boivin, Hugo Houle, Guy Niv, Krists Neilands, Michael Woods.

Main man Michael Woods – winner of the Route d’Occitanie in mid-June which bodes well for both GC and stages.

Jumbo-Visma

The strongest team in the Tour. They have a host of potential stage winners, the strongest all rounder in the world in Wout van Aert – winner of three stages last year – and two overall contenders in Primoz Roglic and Jonas Vingegaard, who came second in 2021 after Roglic crashed out of the race. Can the Jumbo juggernaut flatten Pogacar? Perhaps, but only if all the key men stay in one piece and everyone plays the team game to perfection.

Team Tiesj Benoot, Steven Kruijswijk, Sepp Kuss, Christophe Laporte, Primoz Roglic, Jonas Vingegaard, Wout van Aert, Nathan van Hooydonck.

Main man Primoz Roglic – Time is running out for Slovenia’s No 2 to finally win the Tour.

Lotto Soudal

The Belgian squad is heavily involved in the relegation battle, they need sprinter Caleb Ewan to add at least a sixth Tour stage to his tally, preferably more. If he flops, Philippe Gilbert remains talented in spite of his advanced age, while Andreas Kron can finish in the top 15. Realistically though, it’s Ewan or the void.

Team Caleb Ewan, Frederik Frison, Philippe Gilbert, Reinardt Janse van Rensburg, Andreas Kron, Brent van Moer, Florian Vermeersch, Tim Wellens.

Main man Caleb Ewan – accident-prone Australian who can deliver multiple stages if he stays upright.

Past flirtations with multiple leaders have never worked so Spain’s finest are focussed on one man, Enric Mas, who looks to improve on his fifth and sixth places in 2020 and 2021. It’s hard to see him getting near Pogacar, but if he survives the first five days he will fancy his chances for the podium.

Team Imanol Erviti, Gorka Izagirre, Matteo Jorgenson, Enric Mas, Gregor Mühlberger, Nelson Oliveira, Albert Torres, Carlos Verona.

Main man Enric Mas. Young Spaniard with a good deal to do to match Movistar’s stars of the past.

Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl

Eyebrows were raised when Mark Cavendish was refused the chance to break Eddy Merckx’s Tour stage win record, in favour of young Dutch sprinter Fabio Jakobsen, the team’s man for the long(er) term. World champion Julian Alaphilippe didn’t make the cut as he is short of fitness following a serious crash, while French champion Florian Sénéchal was called in late for “Tractor” Tim Declercq. Apart from Jakobsen, Italian Mattia Cattaneo will want to build on his 12 th place overall of last year.

Team Kasper Asgreen, Andrea Bagioli, Mattia Cattaneo, Yves Lampaert, Mikkel Honoré, Fabio Jakobsen, Michael Mørkøv, Florian Sénéchal.

Main man Fabio Jakobsen. Dutch sprinter back after a life-threatening crash who is making his Tour debut.

TotalEnergies

The marquee signing Peter Sagan started winning again this June which will have put team manager Jean-René Bernaudeau’s mind at rest. The multiple world champion and Tour points winner will have strong backing from the likes of Daniel Oss, Maciej Bodnar and Anthony Turgis, and if Sagan crosses the line first even once at the Tour, JRB’s decision to splash the cash will be justified.

Team Edvald Boasson Hagen, Maciej Bodnar, Mathieu Burgaudeau, Pierre Latour, Daniel Oss, Peter Sagan, Anthony Turgis, Alexis Vuillermoz.

Main man Peter Sagan – ageing Slovak superstar who may be coming to form at just the right time.

Trek-Segafredo

A multinational multitalented squad, headed by strong Dutchman Bauke Mollema, who climbs like a nodding dog but is a reliable stage winner. Mads Pedersen will figure in the sprints, Jasper Stuyven, Toms Skuijns and Giulio Ciccone are strong riders for a break, while the young American Quinn Simmons is capable of pretty much anything on any terrain.

Team Giulio Ciccone, Tony Gallopin, Alex Kirsch, Bauke Mollema, Mads Pedersen, Quinn Simmons, Toms Skuijns, Jasper Stuyven.

Main man Bauke Mollema – a seasoned, cunning stage hunter who will have chances aplenty in the hills.

UAE Team Emirates

There has been serious investment since Pogacar won his first Tour in 2020 and UAE can now field a team that’s stronger than Ineos, and only behind Jumbo-Visma because they are focused on one individual while the Dutch have three leaders. George Bennett, Rafal Majka, Marc Soler and Brandon McNulty will be a force in the mountains while Marc Bjerg, Marc Hirschi and Vegard Stake Laengen can shepherd the young prodigy on the flat. If they all stay healthy, “Pog” has every chance of sweeping to his third Tour win.

Team George Bennett, Mikkel Bjerg, Marc Hirschi, Vegard Stake Laengen, Rafal Majka, Brandon McNulty, Tadej Pogacar, Marc Soler.

Main man Tadej Pogacar. Flying Slovenian who is hot favourite for a Tour hat-trick at just 23.

The relegation issue

With only the best 18 teams in the UCI’s rankings set to receive a coveted WorldTour licence in 2023 – guaranteeing them entry to major races including the Tour – a raft of squads will start this year’s Tour knowing that a good race will save their bacon and a poor Tour could mean disaster. As of 21 June, there were six teams involved in cycling’s first relegation battle: Israel-Premier Tech, Lotto Soudal, BikeExchange, EF Education, Movistar and Cofidis; Lotto Soudal and Israel-Premier Tech were in the “relegation zone” in 19th and 20th place.

With, for example, 125 points available for 12th overall in the Tour, that could mean in the final week of the race teams may start to become more interested in consolidating their position in the UCI’s team rankings, to guarantee they take home a certain number of points, than in taking risks which might compromise their future. That in turn could make for more conservative racing. What’s certain is that it will be weighing on many minds and putting pressure on riders and management alike.

* This article was amended on 30 June to reflect Alpecin-Fenix’s name change to Alpecin-Deceuninck

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Tour de France 2022 : Riders to Follow

Now that the start-list has been hopefully finalized without any Covid disruption, we shall have a look at the major riders who will be on show for the next 3 and a half weeks.

A further insight can be found at the Route To The Tour De France : Parcours

A daily preview will also be available on the eve of each stage:

As such the 2022 Tour will consist of:

• 1 cobblestone ( pavés stages)
• 2 Time trials
• 5 flat stages with a bunch sprint not promised in any of them
• 6 hilly stages
• 7 mountain stages!

Stage winners:

This is not going to be a sprinters tour. Most team should be congratulated for leaving their main sprint team home and even a big applause should be given to those who left out their main sprinters.

One of the main attractions of the first week will be the stage 5 pavés stage in Arenberg. There is whole host of riders would could pretend to victory however many will be on duty to protect their leaders. Free of any duty and looking to aim for stage victory will be Inter-Marché Wanty Gobert’s Petit, Kristoff, Vander Hoorn and Zimmermann. Trek Segafredo is another team with the weapon to hurt here with Mads Pedersen, Stuyven and expert gravel rider Quinn Simmons.

Quick Step’s Yves Lampaert and Kasper Asgreen will be free to try their own things. We can expect Mathieu Van Der Poel to force things up here with the help of his teammates Micheal Gogl. Hugo Hofstetter and Anthony Turgis of Arkea Samsic and Total Direct Energies represents France’s best hope. Finally it would be unwise to ignore expert paves riders like Gianni Moscon of Astana , John Degenkolb of Dsm and of course Inoes’s recent Paris Roubaix winner , Dylan Van Baarle.

The two time trials represents nearly 55 km of solo rides and is no joke, while Danish riders, Mads Pedersen, Kasper Asgreen and Magnus Cort Nielsen will be dreaming of wearing Yellow at home, The two rather flattime trial will be a real play ground for Filippo Ganna. His biggest threat remains the formidable Wout Van Aert. Swiss duo of Stephan Küng and Bisseger will also relish their chances. Finally Roglic and Pogacar will probably be the last riders to take down both circuit and could use that as an advantage to make the best time.

The total of 5 flat stages is an eye-wash. The likelihood of échelons in the first 2 stages combined with a categorised climb 10km from the stage 4 finishing threatened certainty of a bunch sprint finish. The other 2 flat stages (19th and 21st stage) seems quieter and more straightforward affairs but the presence of actual pure sprinters by that time is very unlikely.

It has been made no secret that Mads Pedersen is aiming for his first Tour De France Stage victory in Denmark. As much as his team will make the race hard to eliminate pure sprinters, it will be impossible to get rid of Wout Van Aert. Along with the two time trials, Wout Van Aert could win all the flat stages!

Hoping for bunch finishes will be Quick Step’s Fabio Jakobsen. Alpecin Fenix, Team Bike Exchange and Intermarché Wanty Goubert (IWG)will not mind things going either way. Alpecin Felix can blindly trust Jasper Philipsen or Mathieu Van Der Poel to bring them a stage victory. The same could be said for (IWG) with Kristoff and half the other team.

Team Bike exchange could also pretend to the same except that their two main men : Dylan Groenewegen and Micheal Matthews are far from their best form. The former is possibly the first rider of the peloton dropped when the gradient elevates while the second, although remains one of the most versatile riders seems to have lost his top sprint legs to win a stage.

MVDP vs WVA .We hope to see a lot of this in the first week of the tour.

Hilly stages represent a mixture of stages with medium mountains categorised 2 maximum or punchy finishes. There are some experts when it comes to punchy finishes in this peloton. Apart from the Overall favourites ( Pogacar, Roglic, Martinez , Vlasov…), Van der Poel, Dylan Teuns, Baglioli, Cosnefroy, Bettiol, Barguil, and Vuillermoz are among the best puncheurs in the world.

As for medium mountain stages, the fight will be between Baroudeurs. It is difficult to predict them but those with the most experience are Cattaneo, Verona, Mohoric, Mollema, Latour, Raphael Guerreiro and the whole of remains of the Lotto Soudal Team.

Finally in the same mould as wout van aert but with much much more freedom will be magnus cort nielsen. the danish had an exceptional performance in last year vuelta. winning 3 stages and finishing 2nd of the last time trial and even 3rd of bunch sprint. after an early season injury, the moustache showed some of this frightening form towards the end of the giro and should be the true danish hero of this tour., fight for the maillot à pois:, the kom jersey is a legendary jersey which has lost a bit of its vibe due to the fact that the last winners also happened to be the maillot jaune. romain bardet and thibault pinot who are both coming to the tour without the weight of expectation could change this trend. we can also expect a lot of ‘attaque de pierre rolland’ as well as other riders like vuillermoz and even nairo quintana., it will be very interesting to follow trek segafredo’s young quinn simmons. we have not seen a lot of the american muscle in europe yet. in a season mares by illness , he managed to win the kom rather comfortably in one week races tirreno -adriatico and tour de suisse., the maillot vert., the green jersey seems promised to wout van aert. however, his presence in a team with two of the races contenders might hold him back in some stages. this is where the likes of peter sagan and michael matthews will bounce. given how dylan groenewegen get over climbs, it will not take long for matthews to be his team’s main man..

Le Maillot Jaune:

Tadej pogacar has been the strongest rider on the planet for the past two years and it is not expected to change overnight. primoz roglic does however remains a very serious contender. and we should not be mistaken by the fact that he has not been able to win the last tour de france due to mixture if circumstances., the last time the slovenians battle it out was in 2020 and at no point until the final timetrial , roglic seemed on the back foot.a lot is expected from jonas vingegaard, he will more of an asset to roglic for now rather than a double spear weapon by team jumbo visma., ben o’connor remains the best business of the last year. he has developed from a stage hunter through a top 10 contenders to a genuine podium contender., had it not been for a positive covid test jn switzerland, vlasov could be have talked on the same level as roglic. the former astana man also pocess a devastating sprint. ineos is coming with a rather confusing team, their best best rider seem to be the one with the poorest form., indeed more was expected from dani martinez in the tour de suisse while he was surprisingly dropped in the early climbs. geraint thomas and adam yates will try to hold the britain flag as much as possible, but it is hard to see them upsetting the above named riders., team bahrain’s duo of damiano caruso and jack haig will try to fight for a podium place., david gaudu, enric mas and jacob fuglsang are expected to complete the top 10. a big surprise could come in the form of young american, neilson powless who had a fantastic tour de suisse..

Overall predictions with a total of 10 stars to be distributed.

★★★★★ Primoz Roglic

L’union fait la force! He remains a wonderful rider that will have learn from his mistake. Expect him to turn his frustration of that past two years into rage. At his side, he will have one of the best assembled team we have ever seen!

★★★★☆ Tadej Pogacar: he will be the logical favorite in the odds again. While any concerns over his team support was quickly swiped away last year, this time Team Jumbo Visma and even Ineos – Grenadiers will teat Pogacar’s Team UAE to its rupture point.

★☆☆☆☆ Jonas Vingegaard: was it anything to happen to the Slovenians, the danish is by a far the next best thing. We can guarantee that he will entertain us with with interviews!

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Tour de France 2022: Riders and teams

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Preview: Your guide to the 2022 Tour de France GC contenders, sprinters, and more

Here are the riders we expect to shine at the 109th edition of the world's biggest bike race..

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

It’s that time of year again. Time for the biggest race of them all: the Tour de France. As we gear up for the 109th edition of La Grande Boucle – which starts on Friday July 1 in Copenhagen – let’s talk about the contenders for the race overall, the sprinters, and other riders you’ll want to keep an eye on.

If you haven’t already, be sure to have a read of our stage-by-stage breakdown of the 2022 Tour de France route too, which includes our thoughts about who might win each stage.

The favourites

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, here’s who we rate as the top favourites for the 2022 Tour de France. Read on for more about each of these riders.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Pogačar ⭐⭐⭐⭐: Roglič, Vingegaard ⭐⭐⭐: Thomas, Martínez, Vlasov ⭐⭐: O’Connor, Haig, Quintana ⭐: Caruso, Bardet, Mas, Fuglsang

The GC contenders

At the time of writing, we’re yet to see confirmed rosters for all 22 teams on the startlist . If there are any substantial changes that affect what we’ve written below, we’ll update this preview.

One further caveat before we begin: as we saw at the recent Tour de Suisse , COVID is still very much a factor in professional bike racing. Unfortunately, there’s every chance COVID will have an impact on this year’s Tour and any rider could be forced to head home at any moment. Let’s hope the race isn’t shaped by COVID positives like the Tour de Suisse was.

Chief among the favourites for this year’s Tour is the winner of the past two editions and the best stage racer on the planet right now: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) . Just 23 years old, Pogačar has done three stage races this year (UAE Tour, Tirreno-Adriatico, and the Tour of Slovenia), and he’s won them all, taking two stages at each along the way. So he comes in with terrific form.

He’s a brilliant climber, wonderful against the clock, he’s got a handy sprint for picking up bonus seconds against his GC rivals, and he’s more than happy to go on the attack when he feels it’s of benefit.

Pogačar’s also got a strong team around him. Rafał Majka comes in with terrific form after two stage wins at the Tour of Slovenia, and Brandon McNulty and George Bennett are both super-strong lieutenants.

It’s a pretty simple equation really. If Pogačar rides to the best of his ability, and stays out of trouble throughout the three weeks, he should win a third-straight Tour. 

Pogačar’s greatest challenge will almost certainly come from the might of Jumbo-Visma, which brings two big threats for the race overall.

Primož Roglič is the more-decorated of the team’s contenders, having won the Vuelta a España three times, and finished on the podium at the Tour back in 2020 (behind Pogačar). This year he’s won Paris-Nice and the Criterium du Dauphine, putting him in great stead ahead of the Tour. And yet he’ll start in the shadow of his fellow Slovenian. 

Roglič is probably the better time-trialist on flatter courses, but in the mountains Pogačar probably has his number. Roglič at his best (and without any crashes like last year) will challenge Pogačar all the way to Paris.

And if he can’t, well Jumbo-Visma still has the guy who finished second behind Pogačar in last year’s Tour: Jonas Vingegaard . The Dane stepped up wonderfully after Roglič’s exit last year and he’s only gotten stronger since then. He finished second behind Roglič at the Dauphine this month (but arguably looked better uphill than Roglič) and was second at Tirreno behind Pogačar, among other strong results. Vingegaard’s climbing is his strong suit, and as he showed at last year’s Tour, he can match it with Pogačar on his day.

It will be intriguing to see how Jumbo-Visma deploys its resources during the race. It has a wonderful team in support of Roglič and Vingegaard, not least Steven Kruijswijk, and Sepp Kuss. Jumbo-Visma dominated the recent Dauphine and as noted in a recent episode of the CyclingTips Podcast , that’s not necessarily a bad thing – it means Pogačar is set to have a real fight on his hands.

On paper, there’s a bit of a step down from the leaders of UAE Team Emirates and Jumbo-Visma to the race’s other GC contenders, but there are a lot of riders at the Tour with overall ambitions.

The Ineos Grenadiers are set to start the Tour with three GC leaders in 2018 winner Geraint Thomas , the ever-improving Colombian Dani Martínez , and former white jersey winner Adam Yates .

Thomas has had a slow build-up into this season but he did win the Tour de Suisse off the back of a strong time trial which bodes well. Martínez won Itzulia Basque Country earlier this season, and in his three other stage races he finished third, third, and eighth. He was also top five at Liège-Bastogne-Liège and Flèche Wallonne and eighth at Tour de Suisse in what has been the best season of his career so far.

Yates comes to the Tour after a winless season so far, and after leaving Tour de Suisse with COVID. In that sense it hasn’t been the ideal lead-up, but Yates does have two GC top-10s at the Tour to his name, so he shouldn’t be written off.

As with Jumbo-Visma, it’s going to be interesting to see how Ineos uses its GC leaders over the three weeks. On paper none of the three is strong enough to beat Pogačar (or indeed Roglič and Vingegaard) but races aren’t run on paper, and with the spectre of COVID looming over the Tour, who really knows what’s going to happen?

Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) continues to rise through the stage racing ranks and was leading the Tour de Suisse when he was forced to abandon the race with COVID. Before that he won the Tour de Romandie where he claimed a stage win, he was third at Flèche Wallonne, and he also finished third overall at Itzulia.

Assuming the Russian has recovered from COVID we can expect to see him riding with the best GC contenders at the Tour. A top five overall is more than possible, and the podium is a possibility.

Romain Bardet is enjoying something of a mid-to-late career renaissance after moving to DSM and should come to the Tour with ambitions of having an impact. He was sitting fourth overall at the Giro d’Italia earlier this year when he was forced to abandon due to illness, and he won the Tour of the Alps just before that.

It’s not yet clear whether Bardet will be focussing on GC or stage wins in his home Grand Tour, but he should be in the mix either way. Top five overall is a realistic target.

Speaking of riders who should be aiming for the top five overall, Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën) returns to the Tour after a breakout fourth place overall last year off the back of a wonderful stage win. The West Australian has had a very solid run-in, snagging top-seven finishes overall at the Ruta del Sol, Volta a Catalunya, Tour de Romandie, and most recently, at the Dauphine where he was third behind the Jumbo-Visma duo of Roglič and Vingegaard.

All going well, O’Connor could well finish top five again. And if his GC plans don’t unfold as he would like, he can easily switch to stage-hunting mode and be a real chance of another stage victory in the mountains of the second and third week.

Another Australian that comes to the race with high hopes is Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious) . Like O’Connor, Haig has had a string of strong stage-race results this year: sixth at Paris-Nice and Ruta del Sol, and fifth at the Dauphine. And let’s not forget he was third overall at the Vuelta last season.

Haig has unfinished business at the Tour. He was well placed in the early stages last year before crashing out. He wants a strong result at this race and with a bit of luck, the top five is very possible.

It’s worth mentioning that Bahrain Victorious will also have Damiano Caruso at the Tour. The Italian veteran was second overall at the Giro last year and has had a great season so far: seventh at Tirreno, victory at the Giro di Sicilia, sixth at the Tour de Romandie, and fourth at the Dauphine (just ahead of Haig). Two genuine leaders for Bahrain Victorious?

It’s been several years since Nairo Quintana (Arkéa Samsic) was at his very best, but he’s still a force to be reckoned with. This season he won the Tour de la Provence and the Tour des Alpes, and was fifth at Paris-Nice, fourth at the Volta a Catalunya, and seventh at Route d’Occitanie. Clearly he’s still doing something right.

The question will be: which version of Quintana will we get at this year’s Tour? If he’s in good form, as he seems to be, he could be among the race’s best climbers. If not, he could sail through the race anonymously. Let’s hope for our sake it’s more of the former.

It’s not 100% clear where France’s tragic hero, Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) , will direct his energies at this year’s Tour. He could be having another tilt at the GC, or perhaps stage wins and the KOM classification could be of more interest.

There’s a good argument to suggest he should just focus on stage wins and the polka dot jersey. Stage hunting has worked well for him this season, with stage wins at the Tour de Suisse and the Tour of the Alps.

It’s worth noting that Groupama-FDJ has quite a strong team for the mountains, with Dauphine and Volta a Algarve stage winner David Gaudu and two-time 2021 Vuelta stage winner Michael Storer on board. Expect the team to come away from the Tour with at least one stage win.

Enric Mas (Movistar) hasn’t had a spectacular year so far (his best stage race result was fourth at the Volta a la Valenciana) but the Spaniard shouldn’t be written off. He was fifth and sixth overall the past two years, and if he brings good form into the race, a similar result is very possible. He abandoned the Dauphine after a crash so here’s hoping he’s fit and healthy by the time the Tour starts.

For other riders targeting the GC fight, keep an eye on Colombian fan favourite Rigoberto Uran (EF Education-EasyPost) , who’s had an average season so far but knows how to turn up to a big race in good form, and philosopher- vampire -cyclist Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) , who was eighth overall last year and could well feature inside the top 10 again. 

The sprinters

Being the biggest race on the planet, it’s no surprise the Tour boasts the strongest sprint field of any race this year.

It’s difficult to pick a single favourite for the flat stages, but if we had to, it would probably be Fabio Jakobsen (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) . With 10 wins for the year, the Dutchman has the equal most victories of any male rider in the world (alongside Pogačar) and a stage win at the recent Baloise Belgium Tour sets him up nicely coming into the Tour.

The 25-year-old is yet to win a stage at the Tour, but that should change in the next few weeks.

Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) had hopes of winning at the Giro d’Italia before doing the same at the Tour, but he had what he described as a “Giro from hell” and left early without adding to his palmares. He has five wins at the Tour and in all likelihood will add to that tally this time around. But he is without key lead-out man Jasper De Buyst who hasn’t been able to recover from a hip fracture in time for the Tour. That could hamper Ewan’s chances somewhat.

It feels slightly strange listing Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) among the sprinters given he’s so much more than that. Who could forget his Tour last year: a stage win each on a massive mountain stage, in a time trial, and in the Champs-Élysées sprint? Incredible.

Van Aert comes into the Tour with imperious form once again: two stage wins and the points classification at the recent Dauphine among five stage wins for the year in just 22 race days. 

Perhaps most exciting for us watching is that Van Aert seems to have the all-clear to go for the green jersey this year. Which means we should see lots of Van Aert this Tour, not just contesting stage wins, but getting up the road in the mountains to snag points. If he does indeed go for green, he’s the hot favourite to win it.

One thing to note about Van Aert: he missed the Belgian Nationals last weekend after injuring his knee at a training camp the week before. Thankfully, it seems like he’s right to go for the Tour. Hopefully he’s not hampered in any way.

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) continues to rise through the sprinting ranks and has four wins to his name in 2022. One of those wins came at the recent Baloise Belgium Tour (where he snagged two other podiums) so he has every right to feel like a debut Tour stage win is on the cards.

Dylan Groenewegen (BikeExchange-Jayco) has five wins for the year but they’re all at smaller races. That said, the Dutchman is a proven winner at the Tour (four stage wins so far) so don’t be surprised to see him right in amongst it.

Note that BikeExchange-Jayco also brings Michael Matthews to the race. The Australian is another fast-finisher, but will likely get his chances on the tougher finishes. Matthews won the points jersey in 2017 and was second last year. Could he go for it again this year? We’d love to see it.

Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) has had some wonderful moments this season, with six wins for the year, including a victory at Paris-Nice, two at the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe, plus a stage and the points classification at the recent Baloise Belgium Tour. The former world champ might fancy his chances on the lumpier days that end with a reduced bunch sprint, but he’s a formidable rider in any sprint finish.

Speaking of formidable riders, how about Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) ? Like Van Aert, the Dutchman is so much more than a pure sprinter, but he can certainly be in the mix in the bunch kicks too. As with the likes of Matthews and Pedersen, Van der Poel will likely fancy his chances on the tougher days … not to mention on the cobbles on stage 5.

It’d be great to see Van der Poel target the green jersey – head to head battle with Van Aert anyone? – but that seems highly unlikely at this point. Van der Poel seems more interested in stage wins . 

Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux) has shown several flashes of brilliance this year, not least his win at Scheldeprijs. In some ways it’s easy to overlook Kristoff, but do so at your peril – the Stavanger Stallion has a knack of peaking very well for the biggest races. A stage win is well within his range.

And then there’s Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) . Before this month, Sagan had had a pretty ordinary few seasons, but at the Tour de Suisse he managed his first WorldTour win in over a year. He then tested positive to COVID for a third time in 18 months.

Assuming Sagan has recovered in time, and assuming his Suisse win was a sign of improving form, we could see the Slovakian at the fore in yet another Tour de France. He already has the record for the most green jerseys with seven, and while it seems unlikely he’ll add to that this year, you just never know. Either way, let’s hope Sagan is fighting fit for the Tour – a healthy Sagan is good for the race and for cycling full stop.

For other riders that could be in the mix in the bunch sprints, consider the likes of Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) and Giro stage winner Alberto Dainese (DSM) . 

Other riders to consider

We’ve looked at the GC contenders and the sprint favourites, but there are many others on the startlist who will likely impact the Tour in a meaningful way. Here’s are some of the riders we’ll be keeping an eye out for.

The Trek-Segafredo duo of Bauke Mollema and Guilio Ciccone are worth watching. Both will likely be riding in search of stage wins at this Tour, something both riders do with great distinction.

Mollema won a stage at last year’s Tour and was on the move plenty at the Giro. And Ciccone won a stage of the Giro in May but is yet to win at the Tour (but did lead the race for a day in 2019). You’d have to imagine one of them will win a stage over the next few weeks.

Another rider we can expect to star from the breakaway in the mountains is Lennard Kämna (Bora-Hansgrohe) , a stage winner in 2020 and at the recent Giro d’Italia. He’ll likely have to split his time between riding for Vlasov and targeting stage wins, and is more than capable of doing both.

Four-time Tour winner Chris Froome (Israel-Premier Tech) is set to start the Tour and while there are no expectations of him winning a stage, let alone challenging on GC, it would be great to see him competitive again.

Froome will probably be riding in the service of Michael Woods or Jakob Fuglsang . Woods just won the Route d’Occitanie with an uphill stage win, which is a great sign ahead of the Tour. Woods could target GC, or maybe he’ll focus on stage wins. The latter seems his best chance of having a meaningful impact, but he’s one to watch either way.

Fuglsang, meanwhile, was third overall at the Tour de Suisse and maybe seems more likely to fight for a high GC placing than stage wins, but who knows how it will shake out.

Milan-San Remo winner Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) won two stages last year (both solo from the breakaway) and is just as likely to win again as any other opportunist on the startlist. He was second on a stage at the recent Tour of Slovenia (losing in a two-up sprint to Pogačar) so he’s got some decent form coming in.

Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) seems to have recovered from a bout of COVID and assuming he starts the race as planned, he’ll definitely be worth your attention. The young Brit is one of the most versatile and capable riders in the bunch, and well able to snag a stage win if he plays his cards right.

Speaking of Ineos, time trial world champion Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) will be among the favourites to win the stage 1 ITT in Copenhagen and don the first maillot jaune.

Keep an eye on Kasper Asgreen (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) in the opening TT too. Fast against the clock, the Dane would love to wear the first yellow jersey on home soil.

For other stage hunters worth a look, consider Matteo Trentin and Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) and Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) .

Who do you think will win the 2022 Tour de France? And which other riders are you most looking forward to watching?

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\"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"the 6 best bikepacking routes in the us\"}}\u0027>\n the 6 best bikepacking routes in the us\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"tom pidcock grabs dramatic amstel gold race in four-man sprint","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tom-pidcock-grabs-dramatic-amstel-gold-race-in-four-man-sprint\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tom-pidcock-grabs-dramatic-amstel-gold-race-in-four-man-sprint\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"tom pidcock grabs dramatic amstel gold race in four-man sprint\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/tom-pidcock-grabs-dramatic-amstel-gold-race-in-four-man-sprint\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"tom pidcock grabs dramatic amstel gold race in four-man sprint\"}}\u0027>\n tom pidcock grabs dramatic amstel gold race in four-man sprint\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"breaking: ncl pulling plug on 2024 season \u2018effective immediately\u2019","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/breaking-ncl-shutting-down-immediately\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/breaking-ncl-shutting-down-immediately\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"breaking: ncl pulling plug on 2024 season \u2018effective immediately\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/breaking-ncl-shutting-down-immediately\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"breaking: ncl pulling plug on 2024 season \u2018effective immediately\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n breaking: ncl pulling plug on 2024 season \u2018effective immediately\u2019\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"meet andrew august: the american rider is the youngest-ever worldtour pro","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/diamond-in-the-rough-youngest-ever-worldtour-pro-andrew-august-soaking-it-in-during-rookie-rollout\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/diamond-in-the-rough-youngest-ever-worldtour-pro-andrew-august-soaking-it-in-during-rookie-rollout\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"meet andrew august: the american rider is the youngest-ever worldtour pro\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/diamond-in-the-rough-youngest-ever-worldtour-pro-andrew-august-soaking-it-in-during-rookie-rollout\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"meet andrew august: the american rider is the youngest-ever worldtour pro\"}}\u0027>\n meet andrew august: the american rider is the youngest-ever worldtour pro\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"bianchi says mechanics disregarded instructions in paris-roubaix bike issues","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/bianchi-issues-paris-roubaix\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/bianchi-issues-paris-roubaix\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"bianchi says mechanics disregarded instructions in paris-roubaix bike issues\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/bianchi-issues-paris-roubaix\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"bianchi says mechanics disregarded instructions in paris-roubaix bike issues\"}}\u0027>\n bianchi says mechanics disregarded instructions in paris-roubaix bike issues\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"amstel gold notebook: pidcock\u2019s redemption, vos\u2019 old-school lesson, and van der poel\u2019s mia mystery","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/amstel-gold-notebook-pidcocks-redemption-vos-old-school-lesson-and-van-der-poels-mystery\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/amstel-gold-notebook-pidcocks-redemption-vos-old-school-lesson-and-van-der-poels-mystery\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"amstel gold notebook: pidcock\u2019s redemption, vos\u2019 old-school lesson, and van der poel\u2019s mia mystery\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/amstel-gold-notebook-pidcocks-redemption-vos-old-school-lesson-and-van-der-poels-mystery\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"amstel gold notebook: pidcock\u2019s redemption, vos\u2019 old-school lesson, and van der poel\u2019s mia mystery\"}}\u0027>\n amstel gold notebook: pidcock\u2019s redemption, vos\u2019 old-school lesson, and van der poel\u2019s mia mystery\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"chris froome \u2018comes to reality\u2019 that winning a fifth tour de france is \u2018very, very difficult\u2019","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/pogacar-vs-froome-in-his-prime-who-would-have-won-it-would-have-been-interesting\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/pogacar-vs-froome-in-his-prime-who-would-have-won-it-would-have-been-interesting\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"chris froome \u2018comes to reality\u2019 that winning a fifth tour de france is \u2018very, very difficult\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/pogacar-vs-froome-in-his-prime-who-would-have-won-it-would-have-been-interesting\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"chris froome \u2018comes to reality\u2019 that winning a fifth tour de france is \u2018very, very difficult\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n chris froome \u2018comes to reality\u2019 that winning a fifth tour de france is \u2018very, very difficult\u2019\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"woman who threw cap at mathieu van der poel\u2019s wheel says she had \u2018an afternoon of aperitifs\u2019","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/woman-who-threw-cap-at-mathieu-van-der-poels-wheel-says-she-had-an-afternoon-of-aperitifs\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/woman-who-threw-cap-at-mathieu-van-der-poels-wheel-says-she-had-an-afternoon-of-aperitifs\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"woman who threw cap at mathieu van der poel\u2019s wheel says she had \u2018an afternoon of aperitifs\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/woman-who-threw-cap-at-mathieu-van-der-poels-wheel-says-she-had-an-afternoon-of-aperitifs\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"woman who threw cap at mathieu van der poel\u2019s wheel says she had \u2018an afternoon of aperitifs\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n woman who threw cap at mathieu van der poel\u2019s wheel says she had \u2018an afternoon of aperitifs\u2019\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"more harrowing details of itzulia crash: \u2018can\u2019t believe i will be able to walk and play with my kids one day\u2019","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/more-harrowing-details-of-itzulia-basque-country-crash-a-brush-with-death\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/more-harrowing-details-of-itzulia-basque-country-crash-a-brush-with-death\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"more harrowing details of itzulia crash: \u2018can\u2019t believe i will be able to walk and play with my kids one day\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/more-harrowing-details-of-itzulia-basque-country-crash-a-brush-with-death\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"more harrowing details of itzulia crash: \u2018can\u2019t believe i will be able to walk and play with my kids one day\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n more harrowing details of itzulia crash: \u2018can\u2019t believe i will be able to walk and play with my kids one day\u2019\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"cane creek launches \u2018invert\u2019 upside down gravel fork","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/cane-creek-invert-gravel-fork-news\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/cane-creek-invert-gravel-fork-news\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"cane creek launches \u2018invert\u2019 upside down gravel fork\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/news\/cane-creek-invert-gravel-fork-news\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"cane creek launches \u2018invert\u2019 upside down gravel fork\"}}\u0027>\n cane creek launches \u2018invert\u2019 upside down gravel fork\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"\u2018the races that are best for me are over\u2019: mathieu van der poel on underwhelming amstel gold performance","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/the-races-that-are-best-for-me-are-over-mathieu-van-der-poel-on-underwhelming-amstel-gold-performance\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/the-races-that-are-best-for-me-are-over-mathieu-van-der-poel-on-underwhelming-amstel-gold-performance\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018the races that are best for me are over\u2019: mathieu van der poel on underwhelming amstel gold performance\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/the-races-that-are-best-for-me-are-over-mathieu-van-der-poel-on-underwhelming-amstel-gold-performance\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"\u2018the races that are best for me are over\u2019: mathieu van der poel on underwhelming amstel gold performance\"}}\u0027>\n \u2018the races that are best for me are over\u2019: mathieu van der poel on underwhelming amstel gold performance\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"marianne vos lunges by celebrating lorena wiebes to nab amstel gold race women","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/marianne-vos-lunges-past-lorena-wiebes-to-nab-amstel-gold-race-women\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/marianne-vos-lunges-past-lorena-wiebes-to-nab-amstel-gold-race-women\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"marianne vos lunges by celebrating lorena wiebes to nab amstel gold race women\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/marianne-vos-lunges-past-lorena-wiebes-to-nab-amstel-gold-race-women\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"marianne vos lunges by celebrating lorena wiebes to nab amstel gold race women\"}}\u0027>\n marianne vos lunges by celebrating lorena wiebes to nab amstel gold race women\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"why are so many gravel pros doing levi leipheimer\u2019s new road race","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/gravel-pros-levis-gran-fondo-road-race\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/gravel-pros-levis-gran-fondo-road-race\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"why are so many gravel pros doing levi leipheimer\u2019s new road race\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/gravel\/gravel-racing\/gravel-pros-levis-gran-fondo-road-race\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"why are so many gravel pros doing levi leipheimer\u2019s new road race\"}}\u0027>\n why are so many gravel pros doing levi leipheimer\u2019s new road race\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"patrick lefevere issues public apology over controversial comments: \u2018it was never my intention to harm anyone\u2019","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/patrick-lefevere-issues-public-apology-over-statements-it-was-never-my-intention-to-harm-anyone\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/patrick-lefevere-issues-public-apology-over-statements-it-was-never-my-intention-to-harm-anyone\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"patrick lefevere issues public apology over controversial comments: \u2018it was never my intention to harm anyone\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/patrick-lefevere-issues-public-apology-over-statements-it-was-never-my-intention-to-harm-anyone\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"patrick lefevere issues public apology over controversial comments: \u2018it was never my intention to harm anyone\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n patrick lefevere issues public apology over controversial comments: \u2018it was never my intention to harm anyone\u2019\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"results: lauren de crescenzo and keegan swenson win the growler at levi\u2019s gran fondo","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/results-lauren-de-crescenzo-and-keegan-swenson-win-the-growler-at-levis-gran-fondo\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/results-lauren-de-crescenzo-and-keegan-swenson-win-the-growler-at-levis-gran-fondo\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"results: lauren de crescenzo and keegan swenson win the growler at levi\u2019s gran fondo\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/results-lauren-de-crescenzo-and-keegan-swenson-win-the-growler-at-levis-gran-fondo\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"results: lauren de crescenzo and keegan swenson win the growler at levi\u2019s gran fondo\"}}\u0027>\n results: lauren de crescenzo and keegan swenson win the growler at levi\u2019s gran fondo\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"aero bikes, ambushes, and stacks of snacks: how the classics peloton shattered speed records all spring","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/aero-bikes-ambushes-and-stacks-of-snacks-how-the-classics-peloton-shattered-speed-records-all-spring\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/aero-bikes-ambushes-and-stacks-of-snacks-how-the-classics-peloton-shattered-speed-records-all-spring\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"aero bikes, ambushes, and stacks of snacks: how the classics peloton shattered speed records all spring\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/aero-bikes-ambushes-and-stacks-of-snacks-how-the-classics-peloton-shattered-speed-records-all-spring\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"aero bikes, ambushes, and stacks of snacks: how the classics peloton shattered speed records all spring\"}}\u0027>\n aero bikes, ambushes, and stacks of snacks: how the classics peloton shattered speed records all spring\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"cycling and civil rights icon major taylor finally gets the documentary he deserves","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-culture\/cycling-civil-rights-icon-major-taylor-finally-gets-documentary-he-deserves\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-culture\/cycling-civil-rights-icon-major-taylor-finally-gets-documentary-he-deserves\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"cycling and civil rights icon major taylor finally gets the documentary he deserves\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-culture\/cycling-civil-rights-icon-major-taylor-finally-gets-documentary-he-deserves\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"cycling and civil rights icon major taylor finally gets the documentary he deserves\"}}\u0027>\n cycling and civil rights icon major taylor finally gets the documentary he deserves\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "},{"title":"lorena wiebes rues celebration slip-up: \u2018i will lose some sleep on that one\u2019","url":"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/lorena-wiebes-rues-celebration-slip-up-i-will-lose-some-sleep-on-that-one\/","markup":" \n \n\n\n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/lorena-wiebes-rues-celebration-slip-up-i-will-lose-some-sleep-on-that-one\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"lorena wiebes rues celebration slip-up: \u2018i will lose some sleep on that one\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n\n \n\n \n \n\n \n \n >\", \"path\": \"https:\/\/velo.outsideonline.com\/road\/road-racing\/lorena-wiebes-rues-celebration-slip-up-i-will-lose-some-sleep-on-that-one\/\", \"listing_type\": \"recirc\", \"location\": \"list\", \"title\": \"lorena wiebes rues celebration slip-up: \u2018i will lose some sleep on that one\u2019\"}}\u0027>\n lorena wiebes rues celebration slip-up: \u2018i will lose some sleep on that one\u2019\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n\n \n "}]' > >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>advertise >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>privacy policy >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>contact >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>careers >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>terms of use >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>site map >", "name": "footer-menu", "type": "link"}}'>my newsletters manage cookie preferences privacy request healthy living.

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Tour de France 2022: Route, Key Stages & Riders to Watch

As the summer sweeps in, we know what is coming… the TOUR!  The biggest race in the world, the three week epic journey around France, the race of history, glory, and defeat, from the cobbles of the north to the highest pyrenees in the south, and of course a breathtaking final lap around Paris- loving […]

As the summer sweeps in, we know what is coming… the TOUR!  The biggest race in the world, the three week epic journey around France, the race of history, glory, and defeat, from the cobbles of the north to the highest pyrenees in the south, and of course a breathtaking final lap around Paris- loving cycling means you love the Tour.  And what is better than it being on our doorstep…

Tour de France: 2022 Route Overview

The 2022 Tour de France Grand Depart starts in Copenhagen, the gorgeous Scandinavian capital  of in Denmark. An individual time trial kicks off the three weeks – so the GC competition will begin from the gun.  In these early stages of the general classification battles, some will survive, and we might not have a winner but even in these early days, expect some to suffer losses they can’t bring back. Expect to see Tadej Pogačar and Primož Roglič putting in fierce fights these first days, against the time trial specialists like Ganna and Dennis.

As we depart the ‘Depart’ the race sails on from Denmark swiftly to Northern France, for a little taste of the cobbles of Paris Roubaix, deep in the trenches of the Arenberg Forest. Whereas Paris Roubaix, the one day classic is fought by the harder, bigger riders, when it’s part of the Tour, the general classification battle lives on and our lightweight climbers will have to fight to stay in the race that day, on terrain foreign to many of their likings.

Of course, the first week is chock full of sprint stages, where we are likely to see Wout Van Aert and Mathieu Van Der Poel continue their lively rivalry for the green jersey (points classification.) But it’s not just winning sprints that wins that jersey- it’s intermediate time bonuses, and surviving the three weeks til Paris.  The dreamers dare and the darers dream when it comes to this jersey, and often as it’s said, fortune favours the bold.  The likes of Michael Matthews and Fabio Jakobsen could put a damper on the “vans duo” aspirations…

The Tour de France in the French Alps

And of course, as week two comes in, the race moves forward into the Alps. The Télégraphe and  Galibier and a summit finish on Alpe d’Huez stand out as spectacular places to watch, whether on TV or in person. For a lesser known summit, watch out for the decisive 2,413-metre Col du Granon on stage 11. As the general classification rolls on, the climbers will blossom here, and the Polka Dot (climbers) jersey competition will begin to be contested.  Will the breakaways win?  Will the loyal lieutenants take their chance at glory?  The second week of the Tour is often more unpredictable than the third- when the GC riders are more focused on not losing than winning, and the French riders fight furiously for victory on Bastille day.

Want to climb the Classic Cols of the Alps? Join one of our two Alps tours this summer!

Speaking of that Polka Dot jersey, will it be a year for the French riders as it so often is?  This jersey seems to hold a special place in the hearts of the countrymen, and it could be a showdown, Bardet vs. Barguil, Gaudu vs Martin.

The Tour de France in the High Mountains – the Pyrenees

Into the third week the race heads south west to the Pyrenees. Often overlooked for the Alps, The Pyrenees are the real testing grounds for the race this year.  For a day of experiencing tour atmosphere check out the festivities of the rest day in the fortress city of Carcassone.  The mountains in the Pyrenees come thick and fast.  On Stage 17, all in the second half of the 130 k stage the weary riders will take on the Col d’Aspin  the Hourquette d’Ancizan, and the Col d’Azet. Think that’s enough?  Well, not for the race organisers.  One more kick finishes the day on the  climb to Peyragudes altiport. If that wasn’t enough, the next day brings the same intensity. The final mountain stage of the race takes on the legendary Hautacam.  From the city of Lourdes, and with the  Col d’Aubisque and and the Col de Spandelles between the final brutal climb, this is one of the last true days to win the Tour. Who will be left standing after? 

See the action live: Ride with us on our Tour de France Pyrenees tour & spectate Stage 16 & 17.

And as the dust settles on the mountains, only an individual time trial and a flat stage stand between the peloton and Paris.  As the last Sunday light rolls in, the remaining contenders will put in their final fight, as they circle around the Arc de Triomphe, yet only one with be triumphant. 

Riders to watch out for in the 2022 Tour de France

The winners, the chancers, the characters.

Tadej Pogačar : Nothing like going in wearing number one… two wins in a row puts a lot of weight on the young Slovenians’ shoulders

Primož Roglič : Another Slovenian, this one with something to prove, and incredibly strong team behind him, Rog will have general classification in his crosshairs

Sepp Kuss : Riding in support of his team leader above, the talented American will still take his chances and dare to go for glory from breakaways, or reel back in danger for the good of the team. 

Richard Carapaz : Fresh off an Olympic win and a podium finish at last year’s tour, the Ineos rider from Ecuador will be tearing up the mountain stages.

Matej Mohorič : Winner of Milan Samremo this year, add Matej to the growing number of Slovenian riders on this list. He’s unstoppable on descents and isn’t scared to go all in. 

David Gaudu : An exciting French rider who could be a throw up for a great general classification or a stage win, or of course, the climbers jersey.

Jonas Vingegaard : Second last year, the young Danish rider will still be supporting Rog this year but will bring some fireworks of his own. 

Wout Van Aert : Mountains, Time Trials and Sprints, the Belgian rider can win on all terrains.

Mathieu Van der Poel : Another unstoppable powerhouse- watching MvdP race is nothing if not fun.

Michael Matthews : The Australian will take his chances on the green jersey and possibly try for wins from a breakaway.

Thomas De Gendt : No one, no one bosses a breakaway like TdG. 

Mark Cavendish : (We are all hoping he is there.  No description needed.)

Want to experience the atmosphere of the Tour de France?

Every year we head to the Pyrenees to watch the race as it hits the high mountains – you’re invited! Plus, standby for our next blog profiling the Womens’s Tour de France.

P.S. Enjoyed this blog? Why not  sign up to receive notifications  every time we post and get regular updates on our latest tours!

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2022 TOUR DE FRANCE: FIVE RIDERS TO WATCH

Filled with so  many great riders with so much potential, picking any one rider as the most logical winner is a tough chore. Year after year  the prognosticators weigh -in with their expert analysis, and year after year, some hit the mark while others wildly miss. So, here are the five we figure will be the most impactful.

TADEJ POGACAR

Primed for a three-peat, Tadej Pogacar has shown his fitness throughout the season. Pogacar bookended his victory at Strade Bianche with overall wins at the UAE Tour and Tirreno Adriatico. The spry 23-year-old continued his spring campaign with solid results. Race after race, Pogacar continues to tactfully ride, making another win seem inevitable.

PRIMOZ ROGLIC

Back-to-back bad luck in July for Primoz Roglic has the three-time Grand Tour champion and Olympic time-trial winner seeking ultimate glory. Roglic has continued to sharpen his toolset following an upset loss on the penultimate stage of the 2020 Tour and an early exit following a fall during the first week last year. This year Roglic must stay healthy to be a serious contender. He has already secured victory at Paris-Nice ahead of Adam Yates and other Tour hopefuls.

MIKEL LANDA

With four top-10 results at the Tour in five appearances, Mikel Landa is one of the most consistent finishers without a podium result. Since jumping from Team Sky to Movistar, the 32-year-old Spaniard may have finally found a team to support him at the Tour with Bahrain Victorious. Landa’s biggest challenge will be the 30-plus miles of time-trialing this year. Look to Landa’s results at the Giro as a precursor for his Tour abilities.      

Adam Yates appears to be the leader of a strong Ineos roster that is still reeling from the loss of Egan Bernal. The days of the Team Sky/Ineos train are over, which has forced the British team to search for a new approach to race on cycling’s biggest stage. A hearty core of support riders should be able to protect Yates, but he will need to step up to go head-to-head with Pogacar and Roglic.

JONAS VINGEGAARD

After making the most of his opportunity to contest the overall competition in 2021 with a second-place finish, Jonas Vingegaard will get another chance to take on Tadej Pogacar. Vingegaard is set to start the Tour as part of the 1-2 Jumbo-Visma punch to attack the race. Vingegaard matched Pogacar’s efforts in the mountains, but, like many, must become more well-rounded to keep up during the time trials.

Photo: Bettini/Sprint Cycling

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NINE YEARS LATER MARK CAVENDISH WINS AGAIN

TOUR DE FRANCE RECORD DENIED FOR MARK CAVENDISH

THE CRAZY WAY THAT THE TOUR DE FRANCE FOUGHT THE HEAT

BREAKING NEWS! NAIRO QUINTANA CAUGHT USING BANNED SUBSTANCE

TOUR DE FRANCE FEMMES PULLS COMPETITIVE TV AUDIENCE

2022 TOUR DE FRANCE RESULTS

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• Official Site ( Japanese )

About “Tour de France SAITAMA Criterium”

“Tour de France SAITAMA Criterium” has been held in the city of Saitama, Japan since 2013, the event the world carries the prestige of Tour de France and the 9th edition of the event will be upcoming in 5th November 2023. The race will be on set on the closed circuit around Saitama-Shintoshin Station, at the center of Saitama city. The spectators get to enjoy the heated race between internationally renowned top riders, who have achieved various classifications of 2023 Tour de France, and Japanese leading riders.

On the day before the race, cultural exchange events are held in Saitama, which the riders experience Japanese traditional cultures. “Tour de France SAITAMA Criterium” is a meaningful international event which presents “SAITAMA” to the world.

2023 Event Outline

Race results (2013-2019 editions).

※Not held in 2020 and 2021

Japanese traditional Culture Experience in Saitama city

Chalkboard art

Yukata experience

Cotton candy experience

Karate experience

Take a photo in karate pose

Soccer experience

Wear the original soccer uniform

Japanese drum experience

Taking a swing during the baseball experience

Riders wearing their original baseball uniform

Trying Falconry at Iwatsuki prefecture

Catching an Japanese eel with bare hands

Traditional ninja and samurai costume

Group photo with International riders at the welcoming event

Sword battle experience

Traditional ''Japanese KIMONO'' Costume Experience

Reproduction of Iwatsuki Jumbo Hina Dolls Display

Rice-cake Pounding Experience

Visit to OMIYA BUDOKAN

Japanese traditional harp performed by the high school students of Saitama city

Japanese traditional archery experience

Visit to OMIYA Railway museum

Visit to Musashi Ichinomiya Hikawa Shrine

Japanese Calligraphy Experience

Tea Ceremony Experience

SUMO Experience

Visit to The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum

Shintoshin , Chuo-ku Saitama-shi, Saitama, 330-0081, Japan

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Tour of Japan

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Race information

• Date: 22 May 2022
• Start time: 11:09 (04:09 CET)
• Avg. speed winner: 48.92 km/h
• Race category: ME - Men Elite
• Distance: 112 km
• Points scale: 2.2.Stage
• UCI scale: UCI.WR.2.Stage
• Parcours type:
• ProfileScore: 0
• Vert. meters: 36
• Departure: Tokyo
• Arrival: Tokyo
• Race ranking: 324
• Startlist quality score: 9
• Won how: Sprint of large group
• Avg. temperature:

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Unveiling the High-Octane Riders Set to Dominate the Sprints at the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia

[table-of-contents] stripped

As summer grows ever closer, our focus shifts to the emblematic jerseys of the Grand Tours : the maglia rosa , the maillot jaune , and the maillot rojo —and rightly so. After all, we watch bike races in large part to see who’s going to win, especially when we have such riches as we do these days, with some of the most talented GC riders in generations battling it out on the long course of a Grand Tour.

But what about the green and purple jerseys , those awarded to the leaders and winners of the points classifications, often, though not always, noted sprinters?

These are men and women capable of making unfathomable watts, often after four, five, and sometimes six-plus hours of racing, who are held at bay all day, only to unleash their greatest skills for barely a few hundred meters. They’re often the ones who give us the biggest thrills and the narrowest victories (or defeats).

While we focus on the speed and raw power of sprinters, one thing that’s often overlooked is how well they race; how the best sprinters are often the most patient riders, waiting until the perfect moment to launch their attacks. Theirs is often a game of cat-and-mouse, a strategic battle as much as a power-based one. Given the blazing speed at which these riders can sprint, it’s easy to forget that they’re some of the savviest riders in the peloton.

So, who are they? Let’s take a deeper look at the riders going for those green jerseys and points competitions at the Giro d’Italia , Tour de France , and Vuelta a España this summer.

Men’s Top Sprinters

Jasper philipsen – alpecin-deceuninck.

The young Belgian, once derided as “Jasper the Disaster,” is the best sprinter in the world right now. Possessing the perfect combination of strength, racing know-how, and the patience required to win a bunch sprint, he has to be the favorite heading into any stage suited to sprinters. After a second-place finish at Roubaix , the reigning Tour de France green jersey will head into this year’s Grande Boucle as the heavy favorite to repeat.

Mads Pedersen – Lidl-Trek

Unlike most others on this list, Mads Pedersen is hardly a pure sprinter. Rather, the one-day specialist has shown that he’s most at home when launching attacks from a long way out. In fact, just a few weeks ago, he did something most people didn’t think was possible when he stayed with Mathieu van der Poel for some fifty kilometers in Ghent-Wevelgem , only to outsprint the Dutch superstar in the closing meters. There isn’t a team in the men’s peloton looking quite as strong as Lidl-Trek is right now, so expect Mads to compete for at least a few bunch sprint wins in his scheduled Tour and Vuelta appearances.

Tim Merlier – Soudal-Quick-Step

By the metric of the modern peloton, Tim Merlier is getting a bit long in the tooth. The 31-year-old from Flanders only has two Grand Tour stage wins to his name: one in the Giro and one in the Tour . But, as most of Merlier’s early career was focused on cyclocross racing, he very well could just be coming into his prime. In the last three seasons, Merlier has won the Belgian National Road Race and Brugge-De Panne, and, from 2022 to this year, three-peated in Nokere Koerse. Maybe, like a great sprinter does, he’s waiting until the perfect moment to launch.

Sprinters with something to prove

Mark cavendish – astana qazaqstan.

In 2024, Cav is sitting on the precipice between these two categories. The Manx Missile was coaxed out of retirement not once but twice with the promise of nabbing Eddy Merckx’s longstanding record of 34 Tour de France stage wins. And while his early-season returns have been anything but stunning, we’re talking about the greatest sprinter of all time here. And so, for that very reason, we have to consider Cav, a two-time Tour de France green jersey winner, in the upper echelon here.

Dylan Groenewegen – Jayco AlUla

Groenewegen has five Tour de France stage wins. But four of them came before 2020 and one in 2022. Much of that drought likely has to do with the nine-month ban he received from the UCI after it was determined he caused the crash that put Fabio Jakobsen in an induced coma for two days. Still, Groenewegen has shown form early this season with a ninth-place finish in Ghent-Wevelgem and a few strong stages in Paris-Nice and the UAE Tour.

Kaden Groves – Alpecin-Deceuninck

Groves, the four-time Vuelta a España stage winner and reigning green jersey champion of that race, will likely contest again for several of that race’s sprint stages. Groves has shown a predilection for hilly stages that tend to thin the herd over the course of the day, stages that are becoming increasingly common in the modern Grand Tour.

Arnaud Démare – Arkéa–B&B Hotels

Though he didn’t get any last year, Arnaud Démare has won ten Grand Tour stages: eight in the Giro and two in the Tour . He’s also a two-time points champion in the Giro. And though his spring campaign has been nothing to write home about, he’s an expert at positioning when the bunch really starts charging. Given as much, he should have more than a few opportunities to outsprint the bunch in this summer’s Tour.

Fabio Jakobsen – dsm firmenich PostNL

Like a few others on this list, Jakobsen’s results don’t necessarily match his strength. Easily one of the fastest sprinters in the peloton, Jakobsen will definitely find his way to the bunch in this year’s Giro and Tour, where he’ll try to add to his palmarès, which already counts five Vuelta stage wins. Of course, he hasn’t gotten one of those since 2021, so you either think he’s washed or he’s due.

Dark Horses

Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) - Outside of Mark Cavendish, Sam Bennett is the most decorated racer on this list. His palmarès includes five stage wins at the Vuelta , three at the Giro , and two at the Tour . He was also the Tour’s 2020 green jersey. And though his last two seasons have been hardly spectacular, it’s easy to predict that Sam Bennett could be in the mix for stage wins, especially after he was left off AG2R’s Tour roster last year.

Caleb Ewan (Jayco AlUla) - The man who was once a sure-fire bet to take a Grand Tour sprint stage—he’s won ten in his career—has fallen to the bottom of this pack simply because he hasn’t been able to nab a stage win since the 2021 Giro d’Italia . Of course, he’s still one of the strongest sprinters on Earth and always a threat to take a win, which, over the last three years, he’s been ever so close to. Despite his recent cold streak, Ewan is truly one of the riders you can never, ever count out.

Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) - After a historic stage win in the 2022 Giro d’Italia and a third-place finish behind Jasper Phillipsen and Mark Cavendish in stage 7 of last’s Tour de France, the Eritrean rider showed a lot of promise as a Grand Tour sprinter. Now confirmed for the Giro, we hope to see Girmay bring on the heat to the favorites.

Alberto Dainese (Tudor Pro Cycling) - While still early in his professional career, Dainese has already demonstrated his potential as a top-level sprinter and is definitely one to watch. In 2023, the Italian sprinter won two Giro stages and one Vuelta stage.

Women’s Top Sprinters

On the women’s side of the coin, there’s far less separation between the heavy favorites, the maybe-they-could, and the sprinters who might steal a stage here or there. And much of that has to do with the fact that there’s much more parity in general in the women’s WorldTour (which is why we should all be watching a lot more women’s races!). But there is still the cream of the crop and everyone else.

Lotte Kopecky – SD Worx-Protime

You could easily argue that Lotte Kopecky is the strongest bike racer in the world, regardless of gender. Her ability to sustain efforts and grind her opponents into dust behind her is matched only by the likes of Mathieu van der Poel . As she heads into this summer as the reigning Tour de France points champion, all eyes will be on the 28-year-old to rack up more stage wins.

Lorena Wiebes – SD Worx-Protime

It’s no secret that SD Worx is sitting on an embarrassment of riches right now. This is evidenced by the fact that Lotte Kopecky is racing on the same team as Lorena Wiebes , perhaps the strongest pure sprinter in the women’s peloton. The 25-year-old Dutchwoman has won Ronde van Drenthe four years in a row and just added to her palmarès with a Gent-Wevelgem victory last weekend. In a heads-up sprint, Wiebes is as tough as out there is.

Elisa Balsamo – Lidl-Trek

With wins at Brugge-De Panne and Trofeo Alfredo Binda and second-place finishes at Paris-Roubaix , Ronde van Drenthe, and Ghent-Wevelgem , the Italian one-day specialist is having a world-class spring campaign. She’s had a bit of success in stage races, nabbing a pair of wins at the 2022 Giro Donne and another pair at 2023’s Setmana Ciclista Valenciana. But at just 26 years old, Balsamo could be on the precipice of a breakout summer.

Charlotte Kool – dsm firmenich PostNL

At just 24 years old, Charlotte Kool seems to be hitting her prime. She won her first Grand Tour stage in last year’s Vuelta and was fighting for wins in Brugge-De Panne and Ghent-Wevelgem, where she finished second and fourth, respectively. She won the points classification in last year’s UAE Tour and should rack up plenty of points over the course of the summer.

Emma Norsgaard – Movistar

Though Norsgaard’s spring has been inauspicious at best, she’s always a tough out when it comes to sprints. With a pair of stage wins to her name (a Giro stage in 2021 and a Tour stage in 2023), she knows how to win from the bunch. She just needs to find her way to the front and put herself in a position to compete. If she can get there, there’s no doubt she’s got the legs.

Marianne Vos – Visma-Lease a Bike

So long as there’s a bike race, and so long as Marianne Vos is in that bike race, it’s just plain stupid to count her out. To list her palmarès would take all of the space this story has, so just accept the fact that she’s likely to be there at the end, whether the stage calls for a breakaway, a punchy climb, or a bunch sprint. And though she’s one of the women’s peloton’s elder stateswomen at age 36, with recent wins at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Dwars door Vlaanderen , she’s still proving week after week that she can race with—and beat—the best.

Elisa Longo Borghini – Lidl-Trek

Between Mads Pedersen , Elisa Balsamo, and Longo Borghini, Lidl-Trek’s cup runneth over with one-day talent. But to win one-day races, you need to be able to create and sustain attacks, and there are few better in the women’s bunch at that than Longo Borghini. Hardly a pure sprinter, she’ll need to use her well-honed racing acumen if she’s going to take a stage win.

Chloé Dygert – Canyon//SRAM

Dygert is back. After suffering a training setback late last year, stemming from an injury sustained earlier in 2023, Dygert returned to the peloton with a sixth-place finish in Brugge-De Panne. And while she’s known more for her time-trialing acumen than her pure sprint ability, she can put down and sustain boatloads of power. If she and her teammates can put her in the right position, look for the American star to steal a stage here or there.

Chiara Consonni (UAE Team ADQ) - This is only Consonni’s second year at the WorldTour level, but she’s shown in recent times that she has the legs and the know-how to go elbow-to-elbow with the best of the bunch. Her best result is arguably a third-place finish in the points classification in this year’s UAE Tour. Look for her to steal a stage win or two (or three) as the summer progresses.

Rachele Barbieri (dsm firmenich PostNL) - For all of the success Rachele Barbieri has enjoyed on the track, she’s had little on the road. Her best finishes in major races are a pair of second-place finishes in stages in the Giro and UAE Tour and two fourth-place finishes in Tour stages. However, anyone who can make the kind of power Babieri is capable of making can and should not be counted out. Look for her to snag a sleeper win at some point this year.

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That's an increase from last year's seven and from among them Sepp Kuss took the first stage victory by a rider from the United States in a decade.

Cyclingnews profiles the 10 North Americans who will be on the start line, and looking for more, when the race kicks off in Copenhagen on Friday.

Joe Dombrowski (Astana Qazaqstan)

It's hard to believe it but the 2022 Tour de France will be Joe Dombrowski's debut Tour. The winner of a stage in the Giro d'Italia in 2021 and 12th place overall in 2019, the 31-year-old has competed in the Giro seven times – including this past May – and the Vuelta a España four times.

Dombrowski made his name as a winner of the Baby Giro (2012) and Tour of Utah (2015). He started his career with Team Sky, spent five seasons with Slipstream's various iterations before moving to UAE Team Emirates. He made the switch to Astana Qazaqstan after two seasons, and supported Vincenzo Nibali in his fourth-place finish at the Giro.

How the American will fare in the Tour de France after finishing the Giro and Route d'Occitanie remains to be seen, but it won't be his first Grand Tour double: he raced the Giro and Vuelta in 2016, 2017 and 2021 but this will be his first back-to-back Grand Tour.

With a line-up missing a major overall contender, Dombrowski should be free to go in breakaways in search of stage victories or the mountains jersey. Astana's lineup, which includes Gianni Moscon and Alexey Lutsenko, seems more geared toward an attacking strategy as the team fights to keep its position in the WorldTour in 2023.

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Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost)

It will be Tour de France number three for Powless, the first tribally recognised Native North American to take on the French Grand Tour, and it has the potential to be his best yet after an impressive fourth place overall at the Tour de Suisse.

Finishing a Tour de France can change a rider. Finishing two even more so, and after the 2021 Tour, Powless turned around and smashed out his first major victory, winning the San Sebastian Classic from a breakaway.

Powless was on the attack again at the Tour de Suisse, missing out on a stage win at the hands of Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe). While the 25-year-old will ride mostly in support of the team's GC leaders, he will likely target a high placing overall as the team also needs to earn points to avoid losing its place in the WorldTour in 2023.

Antoine Duchesne (Groupama-FDJ)

The 30-year-old Canadian has been with Groupama-FDJ since 2018 but last raced the Tour de France when he was part of Direct Energie in 2016.

A former Canadian national champion, Duchesne has fashioned himself into a reliable domestique. He'll be supporting Thibaut Pinot and David Gaudu, the Groupama-FDJ general classification contenders. The French outfit left top sprinter Arnaud Démare behind to go all-in for a Tour de France podium this year, so look for Duchesne to be at the pointy end of the peloton when the breakaway needs to be brought back.

Hugo Houle and Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech)

The Israeli team with a Canadian sponsor brings two Canadians to the Tour de France in two very different roles. Michael Woods, the team's co-leader for the overall classification – along with Danish rider Jakob Fuglsang – and Hugo Houle, one of the team's main motors.

Houle came to Israel-Premier Tech along with the title sponsor after four seasons with Astana and will be competing in his fourth straight Tour de France. As a former Canadian time trial champion, Houle is frequently seen dragging the peloton along or jumping into breakaways.

Last year, he won the combativity prize in the Tour de France on stage 10 after being in the breakaway.

Woods, on the other hand, is the rider to watch when the road tilts upward. The 35-year-old came to the sport late from a running background, but has shown himself to be a major contender, finishing seventh in the Vuelta a España in 2017 and winning stages in the Tour of Spain in 2018 and 2020.

Woods won the Route d'Occitanie and a stage, showing he is on good form heading into the Tour de France.

Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma)

Of all the North Americans in the Tour de France, the rider who will likely get the most television time is Sepp Kuss. The Jumbo-Visma rider won stage 15 of the 2021 Tour de France in Andorra, giving the US its first stage win at the race in a decade, and is one of the best climbers in the business. His talents are most often put to use in the closing kilometres of key climbs where he works to tee up teammates Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard, the team's GC leaders.

Kuss has also won a stage of the Vuelta and Critérium du Dauphiné. It will be the 27-year-old's third Tour de France and his eighth Grand Tour after four Vueltas and two starts in the Giro d'Italia. Maybe the third time will be a charm?

Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar Team)

Jorgenson, 22, will make his Tour de France debut with the Spanish Movistar team and will mainly ride in support of Enric Mas. It will be the second Grand Tour, after finishing the 2021 Giro d'Italia, for the versatile and talented rider who won the points classification at the Tour de l'Avenir before turning pro.

Since then, he's shown himself as a strong climber and sprinter, a rider who can roll in the breakaway and is consistent enough to finish high up in the general classification – an eighth place finish in the Paris-Nice last year is an example. The Californian has yet to truly come into his own and could turn out some surprises this July.

Kevin Vermaerke (Team DSM)

Vermaerke is the second youngest of the North Americans starting the Tour de France this year and making his Grand Tour debut with Team DSM after he put in a solid ride at the Critérium du Dauphiné.

As a former winner of the under-23 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, it wasn't a surprise to see Vermaerke throwing down in the winning move on stage 2 at the Dauphiné, where he ended up fourth behind another Ardennes specialist Alexis Vuillermoz.

Vermaerke will be supporting Romain Bardet and has shown prowess in the mountains, in particular this year at the Tour of Oman. Team DSM like to race aggressively and the 20-year-old Vermaerke will undoubtedly be in a few breakaways.

Quinn Simmons (Trek-Segafredo)

Simmons, 21, is seven months Vermaerke's junior and is the youngest rider of the 2022 Tour de France. The rider from Durango turned professional after winning the Junior World Championships in 2019 and made waves in his first season with insensitive social media posts that resulted in him being benched by his team during the busiest part of the condensed 2020 late-season calendar.

Simmons has let his legs do the talking since then and won a stage and the overall Tour de Wallonie in 2021, finished his first Grand Tour in Spain last fall, narrowly missing out on a stage win from a breakaway on stage 19.

That result showed Simmons' body had matured enough to endure three weeks of Grand Tour racing and mountains classification victories in Tirreno-Adriatico and the Tour de Suisse this year were the results of relentless attacking. Expect Simmons to be equally combative on the bike in July as Trek-Segafredo aim mainly for stage wins at the Tour.

Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates)

McNulty, 24, will reprise his role as a trusted climbing domestique for defending Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar this July. The Arizona native is racing in his third Grand Tour, having made his debut in the 2020 Giro d'Italia as UAE's GC leader, finishing 15th overall and coming second on stage 10 behind Peter Sagan.

Wherever Pogačar goes, McNulty will be there as his trusted helper along with fellow climbers Marc Soler and George Bennett. It's not the most glamorous role, getting bidons from the team car, but helping a teammate win the Tour de France is an experience any rider would relish.

And yet, McNulty can do much, much more as he demonstrated in Paris-Nice when he escaped solo to win stage 5, much as he did to win the Faun Ardèche Classic in February and the Trofeo Calvia in January. Whether circumstances will allow him to go for Tour de France glory remains to be seen.

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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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