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Official Tour de France Guide (2022 Australian edition) – RIDE Media’s 20th anniversary

With the Spring Classics finished for 2022, we are now closing in on Grand Tour season. And, for the 20th consecutive year, RIDE Media will be publishing the Official Tour de France Guide (Australian edition).

The ‘Tour Guide’ by RIDE Media: order before 1 June 2022 for free delivery.

Early in 2003, with preparations for the 100th anniversary of the Tour de France in full swing, RIDE Media was approached by ASO, the company responsible for organising the world’s biggest bike race. The topic was publishing, and the idea was to produce an Australian edition of the Official Tour de France Guide.

It seemed like a good proposition and an accord was struck: to celebrate the édition du Centenaire of Le Tour, we would create a souvenir magazine for the Australian market.

With that conversation the ‘Tour Guide’ was born. And it has been an annual tradition ever since. This year marks the 20th season RIDE Media will publish the Official Tour de France Guide, a comprehensive preview of the race with insights about the riders, their teams, and the route that changes year on year.

The ‘Tour Guide’ will be on sale in newsagents around Australia from Thursday 16 June 2022. (We also have a limited number of magazines available to purchase: click here for details .*)

The 109th Tour de France will begin on a Friday in Copenhagen, Denmark on 1 July 2022. There will be a time trial followed by two road stages in the most northerly location the Tour has ever been.

After that opening weekend there’ll be a ‘transfer day’ as riders and all others in the race entourage make their way to France for the beginning of the next stanza of what promises to be a compelling contest this July.

Again, there will be 21 stages – some in familiar locations, others with new destinations and associated challenges. There will be 22 teams of eight riders to create a peloton of 176 riders. And there will be stories that emerge that will form part of the Tour’s rich history.

On the final Sunday the winner will be presented to the crowd on a stage in the centre of the Champs-Élysées and he will receive a yellow jersey for his efforts.

The ‘ maillot jaune ’ is a symbol of success in sport, it is a coveted prize that all pro cyclists dream of wearing. Winning the yellow jersey is a noble concept, a challenge that many pursue but one that only few elite riders have been able to master.

ride magazine tour de france

Over the time that the Tour Guide has appeared in newsagents in Australia, cycling has evolved enormously in this country. The race that was once only shown on TV months after the champion was decided eventually received daily highlights packages, broadcast by SBS TV in the early years of what is another ongoing agreement with ASO.

Eventually the 30-minute highlights program also evolved and, over the past decade, live coverage of an event on the other side of the world has been shown on Australian television. It is a ratings winner for SBS, and the network continues to showcase cycling to an audience of enthusiasts who have come to know and love this sport because of the action they see on the roads of France (and surrounding countries).

ride magazine tour de france

We have seen an Australian win the yellow jersey, with Cadel Evans confirming his talents in 2011. It was a victory that elevated the status of cycling in his home country, something that has inspired many others to get a taste of the cycling life.

The Aussie presence increased a notch in 2012 when the first Australian-registered team appeared at the Grand Départ . The GreenEdge experiment continues in 2022, under the banner of Team Bike Exchange-Jayco, and other Australian riders are vying for victory in Le Tour.

There is now a long list of Australian stage winners and yellow jersey wearers. There has been a trio of Aussie green jersey winners, first Robbie McEwen (2002) then Baden Cooke (2003)… McEwen again (2004 and 2006) and Michael Matthews (2017).

We have watched as Richie Porte rode in support of multiple champions before putting himself on the podium in Paris with a third place on GC. And twice Gerry Ryan’s team has claimed the white jersey for the best young rider in the race – albeit with the British brothers, Simon Yates (2016) then Adam Yates (2017).

Some of ‘our’ riders have become directeurs sportif and helped to guide others to the top step of that Parisian podium, with Scott Sunderland calling the shots from the team car for Carlos Sastre in 2008 and, more recently, Allan Peiper the mastermind behind the first of Tadej Pogacar’s stunning TDF victories.

And in 2022, there are other Australian riders who continue to push the limits and test themselves against the best cyclists in the world.

Our most recent stage winner, Ben O’Connor, was fourth on GC in 2021. While Jack Haig, who unfortunately crashed out of last year’s Tour early in the race, backed up to finish the 2021 Vuelta a España in third place.

Ben and Jack are expected to be at the Grand Départ in Denmark, along with a host of other Australians who will be part of the 109th Tour de France.

ride magazine tour de france

We wait to see what unfolds as the peloton makes its way from Copenhagen to Paris in July 2022. And it’s with great excitement that we recognise another enormous change in cycling that will take place at the end of the race. When the men are finished, the women’s peloton speeds into action, with the inaugural Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

The eight-stage race begins in Paris on 24 July 2022 and concludes atop La Super Planches des Belles Filles on the last day of the month.

And RIDE Media’s 20th anniversary edition of the ‘Tour Guide’ will preview it all. It’s currently a work in progress but it’s coming together quickly with stories about the riders and their teams, their hopes and aspirations. There are interviews and profiles, team lists, and features on the history of the race and the route for the 109th edition of the Tour de France, as well as the first edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift.

Be sure to get your copy of the Official Tour de France Guide (2022 Australian edition), by RIDE Media. It’s the ideal TV viewing companion and, again, a souvenir magazine that previews the biggest bike race of all.

– By Rob Arnold

*Note: this is a licensed product and is only available to customers from Australia and New Zealand.

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Rider Magazine

Edelweiss Southern France Tour Review

Edelweiss Bike Travel's Best of Southern France Tour

Edelweiss Bike Travel's Best of Southern France Tour

Sunshine, wine, good food, and savoir vivre (knowing how to live) – these are just a few reasons why the Côte d’Azur and the Provence region of southern France are so captivating. But for motorcyclists, the real draw of this region near the western border of northern Italy are the roads threaded throughout the Maritime Alps. The Edelweiss Bike Travel Best of Southern France Tour gives motorcyclists a taste of the good life in this enchanting part of Europe.

Edelweiss Bike Travel's Best of Southern France Tour

RELATED: Edelweiss Bike Travel Morocco Tour

Day 1: Arrival

The tour begins and ends in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, a medieval village tucked into the mountains with views of the picturesque Mediterranean coast. The town is not far from iconic French Riviera cities like Cannes and Nice (which has the closest major airport), as well as the casinos and Formula 1 course in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Edelweiss Bike Travel's Best of Southern France Tour

The tour covers approximately 1,300 miles over nine days, with a rest day in Mostuéjouls. A wide range of motorcycles are available for this tour, from small bikes like the BMW G 310 R to mid-sized bikes like the Honda NC750X and Ducati Monster 821 to liter-class bikes like the Suzuki V-Strom 1050XT , BMW R 1250 GS/RT , and Harley-Davidson Pan America . Prices start at $6,550 and vary based on choice of motorcycle and single vs. double room. Lodging and most meals are included as part of the tour price.

Edelweiss Bike Travel's Best of Southern France Tour

Like so many cities, towns, and villages in southern France, Saint-Paul-de-Vence is full of history and character. The picturesque walled city was initially a fortified medieval defense post and played a significant role in the French Revolution. For centuries it has been a lodestone for tourists, travelers, and artisans, as well as a significant center for the Impressionist and Expressionist art movements of the 20th century. Recently it was home to, and is the final resting place of, modern artist Marc Chagall, who bequeathed to the city some of his most significant works.

Part of what draws one here is the magical blend of tranquility and brilliance. For artists it’s the light, for others it’s the mild climate and rustic setting. For many it is simply the nearness and yet quiet respite from the hustle and bustle of France’s more famous Mediterranean cities.

Edelweiss Bike Travel's Best of Southern France Tour

Seven guests have arrived, coming from the United States, Brazil, and Germany, and all have chosen to ride adventure bikes: BMW R 1250 GSs and S 1000 XRs and a KTM 1290 Super Adventure. The bikes are parked next to the pool, ready to ride. For all but two of the tour participants, this is their first time in this region. For some, this is their first time in France. The evening before the tour we met for a briefing, followed by camaraderie over a delicious meal of good wine and poisson à la provençale . Marlene and Klaus, a couple from Germany, received a special recognition for having completed many Edelweiss tours already.

Edelweiss Bike Travel's Best of Southern France Tour

Day 2: Saint-Paul-de-Vence to Saint-Michel-l’Observatoire

Our day begins with a nip in the air and long shadows stretching across the lawn. There’s not a cloud in the sky, yet the sweltering heat of summer is behind us and it’s a pleasure to don some warmer riding gear for a picture-perfect autumn day. It’s in the mid-40s now, but by the afternoon it will be in the mid-60s. Our route takes us along the Gorges du Loup, to the medieval walled city of Gourdon, and ultimately the spectacular Gorges du Verdon – one of the most iconic canyon landscapes in Europe. Moustiers-Sainte-Marie is our last stop of the day, right at the foot of an ancient monastery, for a coffee before reaching our lodging for the night. This ancient town was first settled in the 5th century, and with its 12th-century Romanesque church, it is considered one of France’s plus belle ville de pays (most beautiful country towns).

Edelweiss Bike Travel's Best of Southern France Tour

After a full day of riding, the day ends with a respectful appreciation of the amazing scenery, stunning vistas, extensive history, and relaxed simplicity that is typical of Provence. Our group is getting into the swing of things as the cares of their lives back home begin melting away. Can it get any better?

Day 3: Saint-Michel-l’Observatoire to Avignon

We’re on our way to Avignon, and it’s a gorgeous day, with blue skies dotted with fluffy white clouds, creating the perfect backdrop for the charming villages we visit. After a short warm-up ride, we stop in the beautiful village of Roussillon for coffee. With its ancient buildings seeming to tumble down the mountainside, we find our lunch stop in Sault even more enchanting.

Edelweiss Bike Travel's Best of Southern France Tour

After lunch, we follow part of the famous Tour de France route over 6,263-foot Mont Ventoux, where the blue skies give way to thick, gray fog. We pause to allow a herd of sheep to pass and keep a keen eye out for bicyclists. They’re everywhere! We must be cautious, as some of the bicyclists descend the mountain faster than our motorcycles. We’re amazed, and the fearless cyclists command our respect.

Upon arriving in Avignon, we enjoy a little tailgate party with snacks and post-ride “boot” beers served from the back of the chase van. The night’s accommodations are in an old palace in the center of the city, and we’ve arrived early enough for a visit to the spa or to explore the beautiful city perched on the bank of the Rhône River, which is a veritable jewel of provincial culture and heritage. We’re rewarded with another delicious dinner, and afterward we all linger to chat about what we’ve seen and experienced so far. The anticipation of the next day’s ride is palpable.

Day 4: Avignon to Mostuéjouls

The Côtes du Rhône region is renowned for its red cuvée wines made from a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre grapes. We visit La Chartreuse-de-Valbonne, a monastery founded in 1203, where Carthusian monks first cultivated the grapes and fermented the juices to produce the wine that made this region world famous.

Edelweiss Bike Travel's Best of Southern France Tour

The day continues with a major highlight: a thrilling roller-coaster ride on narrow, heavily shaded forest roads, over a 3,000-foot pass, and into Grands Causses Regional Natural Park. Within the park is Gorges de la Jonte, a jagged, plunging canyon up to 1,500 feet deep where vultures can be seen circling in the thermic winds high above the rugged terrain. After another thrilling day of riding, we arrive in Mostuéjouls, where we spend the next two nights and a rest day at a first-class hotel with a pool.

Day 5: Rest Day in Mostuéjouls

This picturesque alpine village on the Tarn River is popular with climbers, kayakers, bicyclists, and motorcyclists. Some took the opportunity to squeeze in another day of riding on the fantastic local roads, while others explored or relaxed. One of the area’s highlights is located nearby in Cévennes National Park – an enormous limestone cave called Aven Armand that’s filled with intricate stalagmites and stalactites. Another is Viaduc de Millau, an 8,000-foot-long multi-span cable-stayed bridge that’s the tallest in the world, with a structural height of just over 1,100 feet.

Edelweiss Bike Travel's Best of Southern France Tour

Day 6: Mostuéjouls to Chabrillan

We continue our triangular, clockwise loop route, riding through the Gorges du Tarn and Gorges de l’Ardèche, where we stop at Pont d’Arc, an enormous natural stone bridge that was formed when the Ardèche River broke through a narrow escarpment of soft limestone. The arch is nearly 200 feet wide and more than 100 feet tall, and a nearby beach makes it popular with swimmers and sunbathers. It’s another beautiful day, and we take the opportunity to stop and enjoy the view down into canyons and across to distant mountains carpeted in rich green vegetation.

Edelweiss Bike Travel's Best of Southern France Tour

Day 7: Chabrillan to Chambéry

As we travel northeast, we’re making our way into the foothills of the French Alps. The scenery gets more rugged and the mountains soar higher. We summit Col de la Machine, a breathtaking 3,316-foot pass, followed by another gorge. We’ll spend the next two riding days at higher elevations, mostly above 6,000 feet. Days like this are why we go on alpine motorcycle tours. The vistas, the undulating pavement, and the surprises around every unfamiliar corner. This is riding heaven – we all know it and enjoy sharing it with each other.

Edelweiss Bike Travel's Best of Southern France Tour

Day 8: Chambéry to Arvieux

More alpine passes today. Col du Télégraphe (5,138 feet). Col du Galibier (8,668 feet). Col du Lautaret (6,752 feet). Col d’Izoard (7,743 feet). Each is legendary in its own right. They are rites of passage for bicyclists – challenges on the grueling Tour de France race. We are grateful for throttles!

Edelweiss Bike Travel's Best of Southern France Tour

Being high in the Alps made for an ideal location to enjoy one of Edelweiss’ famous picnic lunches. One of the tour guides bought a variety of local delicacies, and the chase van was stocked with tables, chairs, and everything needed for a nicely catered buffet. With the sun shining and beautiful mountain views, we relaxed and enjoyed having this little part of paradise all to ourselves.

Edelweiss Bike Travel's Best of Southern France Tour

Day 8: Arvieux to Jausiers

We wake up in Arvieux to cold rain and fog, our only inclement weather of the trip. After riding briefly into and out of Italy ( ciao! ), we ride back into France and find that a landslide on the route to Col de la Bonette has blocked our passage. With torrential rain and temperatures just above freezing, our hands are soaked and our spirits are numbed. We detour back to Vinadio, Italy, and assuage our disappointment with hot beverages and perhaps the best pizza we’ve ever eaten. We backtrack and follow a clear route to Jausiers, where we all welcome a hot shower, a warm dinner, and a soft, dry bed.

Edelweiss Bike Travel's Best of Southern France Tour

Day 9: Jausiers to Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Since we missed Col de la Bonette (8,907 feet) yesterday, on our last riding day we do an early-morning up-and-back ride to the monumental pass. We squeeze in more mountain riding on our way back to Saint-Paul-de-Vence, where we put down our kickstands for the last time.

Edelweiss Bike Travel's Best of Southern France Tour

Our international group shares a mix of elation and disappointment. We’ve had a wonderful tour and even faced a few challenges, and we don’t want it to end. Over our final dinner together, Edemar from Brazil says, “The end of a dream is the birth of new plans!”

We all were at a loss for words to describe how stunning the trip had been. Great food, amazing riding, impressive historical sites, exploration of new places, and a soul-warming group experience. A wonderful adventure that made us ready for more!

Edelweiss Bike Travel's Best of Southern France Tour

Edelweiss Bike Travel’s Best of Southern France tour is scheduled to run in June and September of 2022 and 2023. Prices start at $6,550. Visit edelweissbike.com for more details.

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A Tour de France With a Twist: Only 1 Rider

The cyclist Lachlan Morton completed a 3,400 mile journey alone and unsupported — and in the process returned the race to something like its roots.

ride magazine tour de france

By Joshua Hunt

On June 26, as the Tour de France got underway in Brittany, the upscale cycling-apparel brand Rapha posted a promotional video across its social-media channels — a minute-long clip that looked nothing like the bombastic sizzle reels typically unveiled for the world’s biggest bicycle race. It starred Lachlan Morton, a lanky, laconic Australian cyclist, who used it to outline an audacious stunt. “I think a solo mission of completing a grand tour — the same route, with transfers — would be a really cool challenge,” he says in the clip , which was recorded in October 2020, while Morton was pedaling toward a 111th-place finish in the Giro d’Italia.

In the montage that follows, we see home-video footage of Morton, now 29, riding cycles as a child, an adolescent, a teenager and a young professional, while bursts of text explain the rules of his “solo mission,” branded “the alt tour”: 21 stages; 20 transfers; 5,500 kilometers; 65,000 meters of climbing; 23 days to beat the peloton to Paris — no teammates, no team bus, no support, no team hotel, no mechanic.

What this all meant was that Morton, without transportation to ferry him from one stage of the race to the next, would be riding his bike much, much farther than the eight teammates of his who are competing in this year’s actual Tour de France — more than 2,000 kilometers farther by the time he made it to the big finish in Paris. (That’s nearly the equivalent of traversing California and Oregon from north to south.) Along the way, he would be responsible for his own food and repairing his own flat tires and sleeping outdoors, separated from the elements by the thin fabric of a bivy sack carried on the back of his bicycle. His hardships and his triumphs would be documented by Rapha, which mined his suffering for Instagram content and, presumably, for more promotional videos.

The commercial aspect of Morton’s ride actually echoed the original Tour just as much as his return to the days of solo racing did. In 1903, faced with declining readership and robust competition, the French newspaper L’Auto created the Tour — a prolonged spectacle of grotesque dimensions — as a means of boosting its circulation. The race’s brutality proved irresistible to spectators. It was road cycling’s first stage race, featuring stretches more than 400 kilometers in length, and it was contested not only by professional cyclists but also by carpenters, blacksmiths, teachers. (This year, the longest stage is just under 250 kilometers.) In the pages of L’Auto — whose circulation more than doubled during that first race — the drama was captured in photos of contenders like Léon Georget, who so exhausted himself that he passed out at the edge of a road after stopping to repair his bicycle.

The same kind of struggle was evident to those following Morton’s travails via Rapha’s Instagram feed . One week into the alt tour, he had gone from nursing blisters to fending off trench foot. His performance in the Alps was hampered by the weight of his camping gear, and his tires had gone flat so many times that he eventually had to tie a knot in an inner tube to continue.

Against the backdrop of a map of France, the rider appeared as a pink dot, shuffling slowly across the landscape.

It is, of course, more than the promise of pain and glory that makes the Tour de France, and Morton’s alternative version of it, so compelling. Many bike races are difficult enough to push riders into a state of zombielike misery, but none besides the Tour have transcended the sport itself across 108 editions. One reason for this, according to the French literary theorist Roland Barthes, has to do with the Tour’s role in reconstituting the “the material unity” of his country each summer. The race takes place in the world, not in a stadium, and its competitors become, however briefly, part of each community they pass through, slowly tying the land together into a national whole. “It has been said that the Frenchman is not much of a geographer,” Barthes wrote in 1960. “His geography is not that of books, it is that of the Tour; each year, by means of the Tour, he knows the length of his coasts and the height of his mountains.”

Through Morton, I rediscovered the length of those coasts and the height of those mountains, years after doping scandals turned me off the sport of cycling. At the alt-tour website , his geographical progress could be tracked in real time. The experience was improbably mesmerizing: Against the backdrop of a map of France, the rider appeared as a pink dot, shuffling slowly across the landscape. Some ways behind him was a black dot representing the advancing Tour de France peloton, which Morton managed to outrun — a novel experience for the journeyman rider. (Normally, he would be riding in service of a team leader considered a contender to win the Tour, tasked with sheltering him from the wind or fetching him water bottles.) He reached his tour’s halfway point with a lead of about 850 kilometers over his pursuers — a buffer needed in the second half of his ride, amid steep mountains and the loss of 800 kilometers in transfers. And in the end, he did indeed reach Paris, days before the peloton .

The race takes place in the world, not in a stadium.

What made the alt tour feel special, though, has little to do with whether the black dot would overtake the pink. More enjoyable by far was the vicarious thrill of experiencing an epic journey that had been flattened into the two-dimensional space of a screen, but not compressed — the whole journey was there, spooling out in real time. With no television cameras or commentators to narrativize the relationship between those two small dots, the lone rider and the full event, the vague terrain between them was cultivated instead by the imagination. What grew in that space, aside from branding opportunities, was precisely what our pandemic year has made us crave and fear in equal measure: adventure. Proof of this could be found at Rapha’s Instagram feed, where some “dot watchers” became part of the story: After days spent following his progress across the map, they saw it pass through their villages or towns, where they hopped on their bikes and joined him for an hour or two. Morton briefly became a member of their community, and they briefly became part of the unique advertisement unfolding on social media.

On July 5, that account featured Lucy Le Lievre’s stunning photographs of Morton ascending Mont Ventoux , one of the Tour’s most iconic climbs. On his way to the summit, where fog mingled with clouds, his dot stopped for a while at the memorial to the British racer Tommy Simpson, who died from a lethal mix of amphetamines, alcohol and sweltering heat while contesting the 13th stage of the 1967 Tour; Simpson was, according to The Daily Mail, “so doped that he did not know he had reached the limit of endurance.” Decades later, he remains a potent symbol of what the Tour de France asks of its competitors. Morton’s ride was a useful reminder that greatness needn’t require going beyond our limits; it may be enough to do something big on your own terms.

Joshua Hunt is a freelance writer based in Brooklyn and a former Tokyo correspondent for Reuters. He is working on a book about the global trade in counterfeit fashion and luxury goods.

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2023 Tour de France: A visual guide to cycling’s most challenging race

CORRECTION: A previous version of this story misstated the number of competing teams in the Tour de France. The correct number is 22.

The 110th edition of the Tour de France , the most challenging and best-known bicycle race in the world, starts July 1 in Bilbao, Spain, and ends 2,115 grueling and painful miles later on the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris on July 23.

In France, the tour is more than a three-week race – it's a cultural phenomenon . Ten million to 12 million racing fans will line the roads of the course to cheer on 176 riders among 22 teams.

Around the world, millions will watch on broadcast TV or streaming services. 41.5 million viewed the 2022 race on the French public service broadcaster France Télévisions alone.

And while nearly 200 riders compete, only one will win.

The race: More than 2,100 miles in 21 days

The Tour de France is actually a collection of 21 single-day races, called stages, over 23 days. (Two rest days are built in.) The stages range from:

  • Flat (8 stages): While the route is not always flat, racers usually ride together in a large group called a peloton . Flat stages end with riders breaking away by themselves or a large group sprinting together.
  • Hilly (4 stages): Considered more arduous than a flat stage but less difficult than a mountain stage.
  • Mountain (8 stages): First introduced in 1910, mountain stages are the most challenging. This year, riders will climb the 6,939-foot Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees.
  • Time trial (1 stage): Individual riders race against the clock. The 2023 time trial is 13.7 miles. The other stages average to 105 miles, and the longest stage is 130 miles.

Tour route is different every year

The Tour de France has been held annually – except for war years – since 1903. While the format stays the same, the route changes every year, alternating between a clockwise and counterclockwise circuit of France.

It's designed by two men, Christian Prudhomme , a former TV journalist who is general director of the tour, and Thierry Gouvenou , a former pro racer who is the tour's race director. Prudhomme decides the general route and Gouvenou maps out details , linking towns and cities together.

The tour was confined to France in the early years but has expanded beyond French borders. The Grand Départ , the start of the race, was held outside France for the first time in 1954, in the Netherlands.

Other nations have hosted the Grand Départ, including the U.K. in 2007 and 2014.

Since 1975, the final stage has ended in Paris . In 2024, however, the race will finish in Nice .

Do women compete in the Tour de France?

Women have competed, but not directly with men and not over the same distances. Women have raced on smaller editions of the tour over the years, once in 1955 and again from 1984 to 1989. That series was canceled over financial problems.

Other equivalent events such as la Grande Boucle Féminin were held, but these did not last.

The women's tour was revived in 2022 with 144 women competing in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift , a smaller version of the men's event with 640 miles over eight days.

Femmes avec Zwift returns this year , with women riders racing eight days over a 594-mile course.

Which riders are favored to win this year?

The top three contenders according to Cycling News are:

How does a rider win the Tour de France?

The overall winner is the rider with lowest accrued time over the 21 stages of the race. It's possible to win the tour without winning a single stage – American rider Greg LeMond won in 1990 without a stage win. Roger Walkowiak of France won in 1956 without winning a stage.

Overall leaders wear a distinctive yellow jersey as long as they're in the lead. The jersey can be worn by a number of riders throughout the race. Its use was introduced in 1919.

There are also secondary honors, such as the award given to the rider who scores the most points, earned by finishing among the top 15 in a specific stage.

There's also the King of the Mountains award for the rider who gets the most points in categorized mountain climbs.

Domestiques are the tour's unsung heroes

Winning riders don't win by themselves. They get crucial support from teammates, called "domestiques," the French word for servants, who support the lead rider and the team overall.

Domestiques assist by:

  • Bringing food and water to teammates.
  • Helping leaders with flat tires and mechanical breakdowns, including giving top riders their own wheels or even bikes to continue the race.
  • Riding in front of top riders to provide a windbreak.
  • If a top rider falls behind, domestiques will lead him back to the pack.

The windbreak technique is called drafting, in which domestiques cut the wind ahead of the top rider. Cycling sources say the top rider conserves 15% to 40% of his energy in drafting.

Riding in front of the pack is exhausting. Domestiques often trade off places in front of the top rider.

How physically demanding is it?

The race is considered one of the most difficult athletic events in the world. Participants are:

Riders can be injured in collisions or crashes. Broken bones, concussions and dislocated shoulders are common.

What do the jersey colors signify?

Tour riders wear the distinctive uniforms of their teams, but you'll see four jerseys with special colors and significance.

Tour de France terms you should know

  • Peloton: A French term meaning "group." It refers to the main pack of riders.
  • Breakaway: One rider or a group of riders who have outdistanced the peloton.
  • Attack: When a rider or riders race away from the group.
  • Team leader: The best rider on the team.
  • Time trial: A race against the clock.
  • Rouleur: A steady rider with a consistent pace.
  • Slipstream: The relatively still air behind a rider, used by followers to overcome air resistance.
  • Drafting: Taking shelter in the slipstream of the rider ahead.
  • Sag wagon: A vehicle that picks up riders who are no longer able to continue.

What do the riders win?

The tour says, "A total of  2.3 million euros  (about $2.5 million) will be awarded to the teams and riders including €500,000 (about $531,820) to the final winner of the overall individual classification."

Who are the legends of the Tour de France?

Past multiple winners include:

  • Fausto Coppi | Italy, 1949, 1952
  • Jacques Anquetil | France, 1957, 1961-64
  • Eddy Merckx | Belgium, 1969-74
  • Bernard Hinault | France, 1978-79, 1981-82, 1985
  • Greg LeMond | U.S., 1986, 1989-90
  • Miguel Indurain | Spain, 1991-95
  • Chris Froome | Kenya, 2013, 2015-17

American Lance Armstrong won the Tour de France a record seven times from 1999 to 2005, but he was stripped of his victories by the International Cycling Union in 2012 over allegations of using illegal drugs. He admitted to years of performance-enhancing drug use to Oprah Winfrey in a televised interview. 

How to watch the Tour de France

Coverage of the 2023 Tour de France will be carried on :

  • NBC Sports: Will broadcast select parts of race.
  • Peacock : Will stream all race stages.
  • USA Network: Will show condensed live coverage.

SOURCE USA TODAY Network reporting and research; Associated Press; VeloNews; letour.com; bicycling.com; cyclingnews.com

RIDE Magazine

RIDE Magazine

Voor Toerfietser en Tourwinnaar

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RIDE Magazine : Voor toerfietser en Tourwinnaar

Wij zijn RIDE. Een wielermagazine dat het plezier van de sport belicht. Weg van de waan van de dag, meer rust en ruimte voor achtergrond, lekker lezen en een nog beter beeld van de sport.

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Weg van de waan van de dag, meer rust en ruimte voor achtergrond, lekker lezen en een nog beter beeld van de sport, dat is RIDE. Met plek voor mooie fotografie, diepgang, de techniek van de wielersport en het materiaal van de renners krijg je een exclusieve toegang tot de mooiste sport op aarde.

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What Happens When an Amateur Cyclist Rides the Entire Tour de France Route

Data from a charity ride before last summer's Tour shows some obvious differences and surprising similarities to data from the pros.

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

The 2000s-era reality show Pros vs. Joes was a great concept, but it didn’t give recreational endurance athletes much to fantasize about. Getting struck out by Darryl Strawberry or dunked on by Dennis Rodman is one thing, but how about trying to reel in a breakaway by Jonas Vingegaard after cycling hundreds of miles?

That’s not quite what a new paper in the Journal of Applied Physiology offers, but it’s the closest scientific equivalent. Researchers from Spain and the United States, led by David Barranco-Gil, Xabier Muriel, and Pedro Valenzuela, present a head-to-head matchup of the physiological data from two cyclists who completed last year’s Tour de France. One was a 27-year-old all-arounder who competed in the actual race for one of the World Tour teams. The other was a 58-year-old, 212-pound amateur who rode the entire Tour de France route starting a week before the race, as part of a fund-raising event for leukemia.

The results weren’t close. The pro covered 2,116 miles with 170,000 feet of elevation gain in 21 stages in a cumulative total of 87 hours; the Joe covered it in 191 hours, of which 158 were spent actually cycling. But the data is nonetheless interesting for what it tells us about the unexpectedly high limits of sustained endurance in (as the researchers put it) “mortals.” With apologies to Samuel Johnson, a 58-year-old amateur completing the Tour de France is like a dog walking on its hind legs: it’s not that it’s done well, but you’re surprised to see it done at all.

To be clear, the amateur didn’t just roll off the couch and decide to do the Tour de France one morning. He started training for the event a year and a half in advance, and reported doing 10 to 15 hours of cycling a week for the year leading up to it, and 15 to 20 hours a week for the last four months. In comparison, the pro was doing 18 to 22 hours a week for those last four months, which isn’t that much more—although the pro was covering 400 miles a week, double what the amateur was doing.

Based on power meter data from training, the pro had an estimated VO2 max of 80.5 ml/kg/min, while the amateur was at 45.4 ml/kg/min. For reference , a value of 43.4 would put him at the 90th percentile for men in their fifties, though it would be right around the median for a man in his twenties. Their functional threshold powers, a measure of the threshold between sustainable and unsustainable outputs, were 375 watts and 286 watts.

These measures of fitness are important because they allow us to make an apples-to-apples comparison of how hard the riders were pushing. The amateur was slower, but was he pushing just as hard relative to his fitness? Not quite—which isn’t surprising, since the pro was racing for his livelihood while the amateur was on vacation, and also since the amateur was spending twice as long on his bike each day. Here’s the distribution of relative time spent in seven different intensity zones:

ride magazine tour de france

The differences aren’t enormous, but it’s clear that the amateur spent more time in the lower three zones, while the pro spent more time in the upper four zones.

The most significant piece of data, though, is one of the simplest. Over the course of the three-week event, the pro’s weight stayed stable, while the amateur lost just two or three pounds. This is despite the fact that the pro was burning an estimated 7,098 calories per day (based on his power data and estimates of basal and non-exercise metabolism derived from his body size), while the amateur was burning 8,580 calories per day. The difference is mostly because the amateur was bigger: 6’3”, 212 pounds compared to 5’11”, 148 pounds.

Back in 2019, I wrote about some fascinating research on what scientists dubbed “sustained maximal human energy expenditure” (and what journalists were calling the “ultimate limit of human endurance”). The basic idea was that, in the long term, our ability to sustain high levels of activity is fundamentally limited by our ability to consume, digest, and metabolize sufficient calories to fuel that activity. You can burn a stupid amount of calories doing a 24-hour race ( close to 10,000, by one estimate ), but you can’t do that day after day, because you’re operating at a deficit, burning calories that you’ve previously stored as fat.

When Herman Pontzer, John Speakman, and other researchers plotted calorie burn versus duration, they found that the curve flattened out at a calorie-burning rate of around 2.5 times your basal metabolic rate. You can burn more for short periods of time, but the clock is ticking because you can’t replace those calories. This “alimentary limit” on how many calories we can take in, the researchers proposed, is what ultimately defines our maximum sustained endurance.

There were a few scraps of data that didn’t seem to fit with this hypothesis, most notably from Tour de France cyclists who reportedly burned more than 3.5 times their basal metabolic rate for weeks at a time without losing appreciable weight. Was this because modern sports nutrition, with its easily digestible drinks and gels, enables endurance athletes to push beyond the normal limits of digestion ? Or because elite cyclists are digestive freaks of nature? It’s fair to say that the normal limit of human height is around seven feet, for example, but some people do grow taller. Maybe Tour de France cyclists are the Shawn Bradleys of digestion.

The new data, though limited by a sample size of just one in each group, suggests that pros aren’t the only ones who can break the proposed alimentary limit. The pro burned about 3.8 times his basal metabolic rate; the amateur hit 4.3, largely because he spent so much more time in the saddle and less time in bed. And they both did it without losing appreciable weight. Eating and digesting, in other words, is one event where the Joes really can compete with the pros.

For more Sweat Science, join me on Threads and Facebook , sign up for the email newsletter , and check out my book Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance .

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Top 5 Must-Do Rides Across the Pyrenees Mountains Tour de France Route

Phil Anderson

The Pyrenees mountain range located in southwestern Europe, specifically in south-south-west France, stretches from the Atlantic Ocean, reaching the Mediterranean Sea. The snow-capped chain of mountains is believed to have been formed 100 to 150 million years ago, which means they are older than the French Alps. Today, they act as a natural border separating France and Spain. The mountainous region is remote, with relatively unspoilt spots that are perfect for exploring, hiking, and of course, cycling. The area is raw and underdeveloped, with an exciting landscape and history that will captivate any cycling enthusiast.

It’s why Ride International’s good friend and partner Phil Anderson loves to cycle here and has hosted a number of tours in the French Pyrenees. Phil is well known for his Tour de France performance back in 1981, which is still an essential part of the event’s history up to this day.

Phil Anderson was a young rider who was one of the Tour de France’s participants and a member of the French Peugeot team. During the final Pyrenean stage held to the beautiful ski resort Pla d’Adet, Phil became the first non-European to win the honour to wear the coveted yellow leader’s jersey.

The beauty of the Pyrenees is not just about the breathtaking scenery; it’s also because the routes are for everyone, including relatively inexperienced riders or seasoned roulers on the bike. This blog showcases our top five Pyrenees rides (in no particular order), which are suitable for all neophytes and pros and cyclists of all fitness levels.

Col du Soulor

Col d’Aubisque via Col du Soulor

  • Overall Ride Distance (out and back): 60km
  • Overall Ride Vertical climbing: 1850m
  • Climb Rating: Hors Category (HC)
  • Climb Overall (Col d’Aubisque via Col du Soulor): 30km – 1550m
  • Undulating Climbing: 4.1% average
  • Col du Soulor: 19km – 1050m climbing
  • Col d’Aubisque: 11km – 500m climbing

Did you know that Alberto Elli from Italy won Stage 16 of the 1999 Tour de France over the Col de Peyresourde? Alberto’s a fantastic guy, he’s relaxed yet still super strong on the bike, he’s also one of our great Super Domestic tour hosts.

Introduced into the Tour de France in 1910, the Col d’Aubisque route is a Pyrenean must-try ride, it’ll also help you to understand why numerous cyclists prefer the Pyrenees over the French Alps. It’s a challenging route with no flat terrain. Still, the entire route is amazing as it captures the essence of the Pyrenees Mountains. 

The first 15km requires some climbing through the hills and meadows, an authentic green French paradise. You will then move past the gushing streams and glades, climbing through the isolated Pyrenean valley and towns of the Gave d’Ossau. Kilometres 4 to 38 make up the final portion of the 2018 Tour de France Stage 19.

ride magazine tour de france

The climb is undisputed, and it’s hard to do it justice with just some photos. But be sure you don’t miss the opportunity to take a selfie in front of the Col du Soulor signboard, as well as with the massive steel bike sculptures at the top of the Col d’Aubisque.

While on the topic of things you mustn’t miss, here are some suggestions that are sure to satisfy your caloric requirements:

  • Sip on morning tea or enjoy a coffee and a snack at the top of Col du Soulor
  • For lunch, try the Col du Peyresourde Chalet menu, specifically the Confit du Canard with roast potatoes. The locals stand by the deliciousness of the homemade tarte, so we recommend trying it as well.
  • Delight in afternoon tea, coffee, or ice cream in the Hautes-Pyrenees commune of Argelès-Gazost.

And if you think you’ve seen it all, the glorious route traversing across Col d’Aubisque on the Cirque du Litor is perhaps the most stunning and one of the best roads we’ve ever seen. But don’t take our word for it. Ride it to believe. 

ride magazine tour de france

Port de Balès to Col de Peyresourde – Pla d’Adet

  • Distance: 95km
  • Vertical climbing: 3850m

This course is similar to the final portion of Stage 17 of Tour de France 2021, running deep into the border region of the French Pyrenees. Don’t miss Port de Bales. You’ll most likely spot some Pyrenean eagles once you get to the top of the climb. Le Pla d’Adet, as we have mentioned, was where Phil Anderson’s historic day took place. The ski resort area of Le Pla d’Adet and Saint-Lary, has hosted Tour de France stage finishes on 10 occasions.

ride magazine tour de france

Crepes are a French must-try, enjoy one at the Chalet’s cafe while at the top of Col de Peyresourde. They’re not only delicious, but you’ll get the fuel you need to keep you going.

Let’s also not forget that the ski station and mountain altiport served as the filming locations for the hit 1997 Pierce Brosnan – James Bond movie, Tomorrow Never Dies . And 20 years later, it was also the Tour de France 2017’s Stage 12 finish.

ride magazine tour de france

Col du Tourmalet Loop

  • Ride Distance: 105km
  • Vertical climbing: 2200m
  • Col du Tourmalet: 17.5km 
  • Elevation Gain: 1275m
  • Elevation or Altitude at Top: 2115m
  • Average Climbing Gradient 7.5%
  • Max Climbing Gradient 10%

When speaking about the Pyrenees and Tour de France, Col du Tourmalet will always be a classic route. So, if you’re an avid cyclist, you should definitely have this on your bucket list. A significant portion of the 2021 Tour de France Stage 18, in particular the last 70km of the stage follows much of this big mountain route.

At 2,115m, Col du Tourmalet is one of the highest road passes in the Pyrenees mountain range. We’re highlighting the loop ride, which is remarkable and unforgettable for any cyclist. It begins with an easy 11km, serving as your warm-up and will pass the rolling countryside for the next 70km. And when it’s sunny or clear sky’s, you might spot the Pyrenean bearded vulture or lammergeier (Scientific name: Gypaetus barbatus). It’s easy to spot with its huge wingspan that can reach 2.9 metres or 9.3 feet.

ride magazine tour de france

The village of Sainte Marie de Campan enroute to the Col du Tourmalet featured an old metal forge, which has become a historical monument for the Tour de France. In 1913, Le Vieux Gaulois (the Old Gaul) Eugène Christophe, a renowned cyclist, repaired his broken bicycle in this area after descending the Tourmalet. Because part of the rules of the race was not to get assistance, he had to do it all by himself, causing him to walk 15km for the repairs. Although the incident cost him his victory, this moment did not go unnoticed. The plaque or monument commemorates his efforts to bring his bike back to life.

Now, if you’re looking to re-energise yourself, enjoy a cup of coffee or a hot chocolate at the mountaintop chalet at the Col du Tourmalet.

ride magazine tour de france

Hautacam & Luz Ardiden

  • Ride Distance: 95km
  • Vertical Climbing: 2800m

Luz Ardiden Climb

  • Height: 1720m
  • Length: 14.7km
  • 1,010m climbing
  • Average Gradient: 6.9%
  • Maximum Gradient: 10%.

Hautacam Climb

  • Height: 1,635m
  • Length:17.3km
  • 1,170m climbing
  • Average Gradient: 6.8%

Are you looking to achieve two climbs with just one ride? Here’s the answer. Luz Ardiden and Hautacam are classic Tour de France climbs in the summer and ski resorts in the winter. Luz Ardiden may be where the Tour de France winner of 2021 will be declared. The location is set to be the final climb for the Pyrenean Mountain stages this year. 

It won’t be the first time Luz Ardiden is a part of the Tour de France. It has been a part of the event since 1985, while Hautacam has been used five times starting in 1995. Hautacam has always been deemed the harder of the two, especially when getting into a rhythm, despite what statistics say. Nevertheless, both climbs will reward you with gorgeous sights of the Pyrenees Mountains from the beginning of the route until you reach the mountain tops.

Don’t miss Napoleon Bridge at Luz Saint Sauveur, which Napoleon III inaugurated in 1863. The area is right at the foot of Luz Ardiden. When you get to Luz Saint Sauveur, take the chance to try the local artisan beers at Brasserie du Pays Toy. It’s a popular microbrewery that features four craft beers, including Cuvée du Col du Tourmalet (Amber Beer).

ride magazine tour de france

Lourdes, The Locals Loop 

  • Ride Distance: 65km
  • Vertical Climbing: 1000m

Did you know that the town of Lourdes has the greatest number of hotel beds in the country of France outside of Paris? After all, it receives well over six million people from around the world annually. Some points of interest are Lake Lourdes and Grottes (Caves) de Bétharram. 

See the town of Lourdes like a local through this “local training route.” It follows a small road with a number of bodies of water and valleys before you climb up the hills to reach the views back down over Lourdes. Upon getting there, we highly recommend that you don’t miss the beautiful views over the town and up to the Pyrenees. Once you’re ready to return, take the “secret” local route, along Lake Lourdes. 

Enjoy a cup of coffee or sit down for lunch while sipping on a cool drink – all while admiring the serene views that the lake offers. For some lunch options by Lac de Lourdes, sample the plat du jour dishes (Plate of the Day) at the restaurant café. And you know you can never go wrong with grilled salmon paired with fresh salad.

ride magazine tour de france

Once you’re recharged, it’s time to head to the Grottes (Caves) de Bétharram. These underground caves have welcomed visitors for more than a century now. 

And that’s it! We’ve covered five of the most spectacular and iconic climbs shaping the Pyrenees Mountains – Tour de France experience.

Ready to Explore France?

Are you excited to explore France or the Tour de France more? You could be cycling through France in summer enjoying the amazing culture, food and wine experiences, seeing the Tour de France and challenging yourself on the beautiful rides on this list!

We’re taking bookings for our 2022 Ultimate Tour de France , 2023 Ultimate Tour de France and Pyrenees Signature tours . For more information, contact us below.

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Tour de France 2022

Latest news from the race, tour de france: unchained review - an addictive and entertaining netflix series, jumbo-visma auction cervelo team bikes, and bids are already topping €10,000, primoz roglic 'stands by words' accusing fred wright over vuelta crash, tour de france 2022 overview, vingegaard crowned tour de france champion while philipsen wins stage 21.

Tour de France stage 21 - How it happened

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

Results powered by  FirstCycling

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tour de France 2022 teams

  • AG2R Citroen Team
  • Astana Qazaqstan Team
  • Bahrain Victorious
  • Bora-Hansgrohe
  • EF Education-EasyPost
  • Groupama-FDJ
  • Ineos Grenadiers
  • Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
  • Israel-Premier Tech
  • Jumbo-Visma
  • Lotto Soudal
  • Movistar Team
  • QuickStep-AlphaVinyl
  • BikeExchange-Jayco
  • Trek-Segafredo
  • UAE Team Emirates
  • Alpecin-Fenix
  • Arkea-Samsic
  • B&B Hotels-KTM
  • TotalEnergies
  • Tour de France past winners
  • Tour de France 2022 route
  • Tour de France 2022 – The Essential Preview

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Court of Arbitration confirms Nairo Quintana's Tour de France tramadol disqualification

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News Quintana loses appeal after CAS upholds blood tests revealed use of pain killer

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You may not be wearing the yellow jersey, but taking a bicycle on the world’s most famous race is still thrilling

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“Going up is fun, and it’s tortuous and you’re testing yourself, but going down is also fun, and dangerous and you’re torturing yourself,” says Brent Garrigus, an amateur cyclist from Encinitas, California, who rode a stage of the Tour de France.

Every July, millions of spectators cheer on top professional cyclists over the 21-day race. The pros make a grand circuit of mountains and countryside covering more than 2,000 miles. When the route is clear before or after the race, cycling-mad fans can ride a stage themselves, either independently or in a group. For some, like Garrigus, the experience fulfills a lifetime dream. As a young BMX racer, he used to wake up early on Sunday mornings to watch television coverage of the Tour.

Then, in 2010, Garrigus rode in the Etape du Tour, a “cyclosportive” for amateurs held over a car-free stage of the Tour. “In the Etape, cyclists simulate in the best possible ways the conditions of racing in the Tour. You’re going to do it exactly as the pros do it. The stages that are chosen are the more challenging ones,” says Loren Siekman, president of Discover France, a U.S. travel operator that books trips to the Etape.

Garrigus completed the 17th stage: 113 hot, harrowing miles in the Pyrenees. He ascended a total of 13,530 feet over three peaks in about eight hours; the human machines in Lycra called pros did it in five . Nearly 7,000 cyclists finished the Etape, but about 1,000 dropped out.

A self-guided ride is another way to experience the Tour. Worldwide cyclist Nikolas Obriecht, of Baltimore, has ridden sections with friends several times. The benefit of this approach is that he could bike for several hours, then join the throngs of celebrating caravaners parked on the roadsides to watch the race come through. “France, especially Provence, is just fantastic for the cycling,” says Obriecht. “There is such a respect for the bicycle. . . Cars will always give you the right of way and everybody will smile and wave at you. It’s a phenomenal place to spend as much time as possible on a bike.”

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The youngest and oldest riders at the Tour de France

Twenty-two teams and 176 riders lined up for the 2022 Tour de France. We look at the youngest and oldest riders at the race and their relative place in the history books

It was 1904 when Henri Cornet won the Tour de France aged just 19. Since then, the ages of winners have seemed to converge on a median age of around 28. But, things seem to have been changing...

With young winners like Tadej Pogacar and Egan Bernal, you could be excused for seeing a trend for a newer, younger Tour de France.

Yet, older riders have also been faring well at the Grand Boucle in recent years. So what does the real breakdown of riders by age look like? How young is too young, and how old is too old?

Oldest riders at the 2022 Tour de France

You can never have too much experience, right?

Last year, Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) completed the Tour de France at the age of 41. He very nearly became the race's oldest winner too, finishing second to Sepp Kuss on the mountain stage to Andorra.

-  Tour de France 2022 route: everything you need to know about the 109th edition - Tour de France standings: the latest results from the race - Tour de France favourites: who will win this year's yellow jersey?

The oldest ever Tour de France stage winner was Pino Cerami, who won stage nine of the 1963 Tour de France aged 41 years and 65 days. On stage three last year, Valverde was the exact age that Cerami was when he won in Pau in 1963.

In 2022 though Valverde has chosen to skip the Tour de France in favour of riding the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España in his final season before retirement, leaving the door open for another rider to take on the mantle of the Tour's oldest competitor.

Philippe Gilbert at the 2022 Tour de France

Philippe Gilbert is the oldest rider at the 2022 Tour (Image: James Startt)

That man this year is Philippe Gilbert (Lotto-Soudal), who turns 40 on stage four of the race (July 5), and will be hoping to sign off from his 12th and final Tour de France with a stage win. 

Frenchman Cyril Lemoine (B&B Hotels - KTM) is the second oldest rider in 2022 at 39, while Movistar's Imanol Erviti is third at a spritely 38.

  • Philippe Gilbert - 39 years and 361 days (when race began) <
  • Cyril Lemoine - 39 years and 120 days
  • Imanol Erviti - 38 years and 228 days
  • Luis León Sánchez - 38 years and 219 days
  • Maciej Bodnar - 37 years and 116 days

Youngest riders at the 2022 Tour de France

Last year Britain's Fred Wright took the crown of youngest rider at 22 years and 14 days, but this year that age would only just crack the top-three. 

Quinn Simmons on stage one of the 2022 Tour de France

Quinn Simmons is the youngest rider at the 2022 Tour de France (Getty Images)

The next youngest rider is California's Kevin Vermaerke (Team DSM) at 21 years and 258 days, while another Californian, Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) is the fifth youngest, celebrating his 23rd birthday on the day of the Grand Départ).

Britain's Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) is the third youngest rider, making his Tour debut at the age of 22 years 336 days.

Defending champion Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) has slipped out of the top-10 for the first time in his three Tour appearances, languishing in 12th at the wise old age of 23 years and 283 days.

  • Quinn Simmons - 21 years and 54 days (when race began)
  • Kevin Vermaerke - 21 years and 258 days
  • Tom Pidcock - 22 years and 336 days
  • Matis Louvel - 22 years and 347 days
  • Matteo Jorgenson - 23 years and zero days

No-one at the Tour this year will have the opportunity to be crowned its youngest ever stage winner however. The youngest ever stage winner at the Tour de France was Fabio Battesini, who was just 19 years and 134 days old when he won a stage at the 1931 edition.

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What it's like to ride the Tour de France

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When the credits roll on the Champs-Elysees, the winner takes the top billing, his name in foot-high letters, filling the screen. But the cast of supporting actors and crew is long and everyone has a role to play in creating the drama. Even those without a speaking part add something to the story.

Cycle Sport has asked some of those who have suffered and survived the great race to reflect on the parts they played. Some enjoyed a moment of great joy. For some it was the springboard to further success, for others a single glorious memory to cherish. And for others the Tour pushed them to their limits.

We asked the question, what’s it really like to ride the Tour de France? Some of the answers offer the most revealing insight into what the great race is like.

Words by The Cycle Sport team Photography by Graham Watson

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO... WIN A STAGE SIMON GERRANS Australian, won a stage at Prato Nevoso in 2008

Now 30, riding for Team Sky

When people ask what you do for a living, you say you are a cyclist. The next question is “Do you race the Tour de France?” So, to say that you have won at the Tour de France is something else. You have the win with you for the rest of your career, your market value goes up.

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Winning at the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España was also important but I can promise you I did not get as many phone calls or messages. At the Tour de France, when I got to my phone one hour after the win, I had about 60 missed calls and 200 text messages. That just shows the power of the Tour, everyone knows what is going on there.

My wife drove to meet me immediately after watching the stage on television. I was glad I won the stage to Prato Nevoso because it was the closest stage to our home in Monaco. In fact, she arrived at the hotel nearly at the same time as I did!

I didn't get a lot of sleep that night, I was still buzzing for some time. It was my fourth Tour de France, it took me four times until I made the right breakaway and got a win. I had a tough time on the next stage, I was tired. But I can tell you that the win gave me more confidence and the knowledge that I am capable of winning.

MASSIMO PODENZANA

Italian stage winner at Villeneuve-sur-Lot in 1996 Now 49

I had won a stage at the Giro d'Italia, worn the pink jersey and won two national titles but the Tour de France was completely different. There was a sea of people at the press conference  - at the Giro there had been 10.

I was lucky, but talented as well. The year before I was second to Laurent Jalabert and this time I was in an escape with Michele Bartoli, Peter Van Petegem and Neil Stephens. I took my chance in the final kilometres, got 300 metres and kept it thanks to my abilities as a rouleur.

I made a roar at the finish line, which was not for me but payback for my wife and children, their sacrifices. They had suffered with me in that difficult year, when my San Marco team lost its sponsor only one month before. I thankfully got a contract with Carrera, so I was lucky even to be at the Tour.

Thanks to the win, I was able to get a good contract with Mercatone Uno for four years. I was already old, 34, but I was able to go on and help Marco Pantani win the Giro and Tour two years later. To ride down the Champs-Élysées and finish the Tour de France is amazing, but to ride down it with the overall winner is completely different. My win was huge but to help Pantani win the Tour was twice as big.

FILIPPO POZZATO Italian who won at Saint-Brieuc in 2004 Now 28, he rides for Katusha

I knew I was going well into that Tour, I thought something was possible. That win was one of my biggest wins after Tirreno-Adriatico the year before, and to consider I was only 22 and it was my first Tour de France. I won in the seventh stage, against guys like Paolo Bettini, Juan Antonio Flecha and Laurent Brochard.

There was nothing special that night, just a bottle of Champagne with the team at the dinner table. But, [team manager] Giancarlo Ferretti pulled me aside and said, 'Congratulations, it's not every cyclist that races the Tour at your age and wins a stage. You're a great rider and you should now realise that.' That meant a lot to me because of his history in the sport.

I really don't think I realised immediately what had happened, the significance took a while to sink in. The next day everyone in the peloton came up and congratulated me. A stage win gives you the feeling that you are a strong rider. Above all, it gives you respect from you peers in the group. The others start to consider you more, you can feel that you are no longer the same rider in their eyes.

EDDY SEIGNEUR

French rider who won on the Champs-Elysèes in 1994, riding for GAN Now 41, he manages logistics for the Astana team

The Champs Elysées was such an incredible opportunity for me. It’s always a stage for sprinters, and that one year, it fell to the rouleurs.

There were only three riders left in my team, and around 110 who actually finished the Tour, a lot fewer than these days. Thierry Gouvenou was our man to get into the break – he did so, but punctured. As soon as I saw that I attacked to take his place.

We held a 30 or 40 second advantage over eight laps of the Champs, and in my head, I’d told myself I’d go with a kilometre to go. But Frankie Andreu went just before the tunnel, with two kilometres to go – I was scared because he got an advantage while the others just watched.

I told myself, ‘keep to your plan’. If I won, I won. If I didn’t, I would still have done my best.

At 800 metres, I attacked, caught Andreu, and crossed the line first. Such enormous emotions. I was exhausted from three weeks in the peloton, always getting dropped in the mountains, and to lift my arms on the Champs Elysées was immense. We’d won the Prologue, with Boardman, and now I’d won the final stage – Roger Legeay [GAN manager] told us we’d given the Tour its beginning and end. Even though we were exhausted, we stayed out until five in the morning.

Two images stay with me from that day. First, Andreu attacking. I really thought that was the end for me. I felt both fear, and pity for myself, that I’d missed my chance. Then, looking up the Champs Elysées as I won the stage, at the Arc de Triomphe.

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO... WEAR THE YELLOW JERSEY

JORGEN VAGN PEDERSEN Dane who wore the yellow jersey for five days in 1986 Now 50, the former CSC directeur sportif works as an instructor for a chain of gyms in Denmark

I had won a stage in 1985, but 1986 was my second Tour. It was in the first week and I got in a breakaway with a number of other riders. I don't remember who was in it or who won [Ludo Peeters won, Miguel Indurain was third, Pedersen fourth from an 12-man break].

I was with the Carrera team and our leader was Stephen Roche, who was one of the favourites. We'd been second in the team time trial so we were all well-placed overall, all in the first 30.

I got in this break and I think I won some bonus seconds in the sprint but I wasn't racing for the yellow jersey, maybe the stage, but the main reason to be in the break was to keep an eye on things for Roche.

Towards the end, Davide Boifava, the sports director, came alongside me and he didn't say anything about the yellow jersey. I have no idea if he knew I had a chance of taking it but I know I didn't.

I crossed the line and I saw a Danish journalist I knew. He was excited but cautious. He said: "I've been doing some calculations and I think you have taken the yellow jersey. I think."

Well, I thought he must have got his numbers wrong because out on the road I had no idea I was close. I thought: "It can't be right." But then they are calling me up to the podium.

Then I realised he was right. It was absolutely huge for me. Incredible. I had the yellow jersey on my back and goosebumps on my skin.

When I came off the podium there was no one there, no one from the team waiting. Normally the sports director would be there to take you back to the hotel in the car. But no one knew about this, it seems, so I was left all by myself.

I'm in the yellow jersey, there's no one from Carrera around. I have my bag that the soigneur gave me after the finish, that's all. Fortunately, inside there was a piece of paper with the name of the hotel on. So, I am riding around this little town [St Hilaire du Harcouët in Normandy], in the yellow jersey, asking members of the public where the hotel was. That wouldn't happen today!

It was only a short ride, maybe ten minutes, and I arrive at the hotel and my masseur has seen what happened on TV and he is waiting for me outside the hotel with tears in his eyes.

I was not the leader in the team and there was a time trial two days later, so the first day I was in yellow I did not have any help. Boifava thought I'd lose it in the time trial but I didn't. I had been Danish amateur champion in the 50km time trial three times. I kept it for five days, until the Pyrenees. In the end, it was a relief to see it go. I got so much attention and there was a lot of stress. No one from the team explained to me how to handle it. Maybe they didn't know.

In the mountains all the big guns fired. Hinault, Lemond, those guys.

What's the best thing about the yellow jersey? There are many good things but something that sticks in my mind is this. In those days you had to wash all your own kit after the stage, in the bath or the sink. Having the yellow jersey was great because each day they gave you a fresh, new one, so it was one less thing to wash.

BRAD McGEE Wore the yellow jersey for three days in 2003 after winning the prologue in Paris Now 34, he's a directeur sportif for Saxo Bank

You’re like a rock star. I remember opening the camping car door at the start the morning after and there’s just a sea of people outside. The guys were laughing and I said: “Get a load of this.” For our team [Française des Jeux] it was a really massive thing.

You realise how symbolic that jersey is because all eyes are on the jersey, not on the mug that’s wearing it.

I’ve been at the Olympics and I’ve won gold but there you’re competing in one of a number of sports. At the Tour, there’s the same amount of attention on one race and you’re leading it.

It was extraordinary. After I won, my wife was fighting her way through the crowd to get to me and we managed to have a private moment and she said: “You’ve done it.”

I slept really well that night, but I’m not sure the team staff did. They had a few beers.

In the race, it’s an amazing feeling. You get more room, you get the respect that everyone shows the yellow jersey and people want to ride next to you. In the neutralised zone, Lance wanted to ride next to me.

For us, as a French team, the sun was shining and it was time to make hay. We maximised the publicity, we did every interview, every TV show we could because it was a huge deal for us and the sponsors. I was in incredible physical condition but all the extended interviews became mentally draining. When I lost the jersey I can remember Marc Madiot saying to me: “You know what? That’s enough now.” Having the yellow jersey extracts a lot more out of you than normal racing does and you get completely sucked in.

I got a bag of yellow jerseys but that went missing so I’m down to a couple. My brother put one in a nice frame, the other is in my trophy room, in a bag of old memories.

FLAVIO VANZELLA Italian who won the yellow jersey in Brighton in 1994 Now 46, he's a wine producer

I will never forget the day in Portsmouth. I did not think there would be so many fans on the roads, and ones who were yelling my name in an English accent.

I lost it on the first day in France to Sean Yates. I had hoped to keep the jersey until the time trial, but there was infighting between the Belgians and Italians on the team.

One of the yellow jerseys is still folded and sitting with other shirts in my wardrobe. I framed the other one and hung it on the wall at our winery. I started making wine right away after cycling. It is a difficult job and a beautiful environment to be a part of, like cycling. Gradually, my business is growing. We are now starting to work with a British importer. For the first time since that day in Portsmouth, I am going back to England for a wine fair and to help close a deal.

My days in the yellow jersey gave me more confidence in my career and it easily doubled my contract, though I still did not make the money of a football player. However, making wine, I am doing all right.

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO... WEAR THE YELLOW JERSEY FOR JUST A DAY

Irishman who wore the yellow jersey for one day in 1983 Now 54, he commentates for Eurosport

Growing up in Ireland I didn’t really have a sense of what the Tour of France meant or how significant the yellow jersey was. I knew of Shay Elliott but when I was 13, 14, just getting into cycling, you couldn’t find things out the way you can now. A guy in the club used to get Cycling Weekly, ten days or two weeks after it came out, and he’d keep it to himself for a week, so we were quite behind on what was going on.

In any case, the Ras, the big stage race in Ireland, was the main event for me. The leader wore a yellow jersey and I didn’t make the connection – I didn’t realise they had a yellow jersey at the Ras because of the Tour of France. We just assumed the Tour of France was a bike race for French people. Then you realise there’s a whole world out there.

By 1983, I’d ridden the Tour a number of times and I was on the long list of favourites. I was riding for the general classification, and to stay up there and take time on the climbers I was sprinting for the time bonifications. I knew, heading into Pau, that I had a chance to take the yellow jersey if I went for the intermediate sprints. By the time we arrived at the finish, I had calculated that if I won the sprint for third place I’d be in yellow. As it turned out, I took the lead from Kim Andersen by one second.

You go to the podium and get the jersey but even as you stand there and wave to the crowd you’re thinking ahead. You know there’s so much torture to come, you want to get into rest and recovery mode. The team manager, Jean de Gribaldy, was very experienced and he wasn’t carried away. The yellow jersey was nice but it wasn’t the goal.

My day in yellow was brutal. Over the Aubisque, the Tourmalet, the Aspin and the Peyresourde. I was very bad early on. Was it the pressure of the yellow jersey weighing on my shoulders or was it that I was always going to have a bad day there? The pace on the Aubisque was very fast. Just like now, there is so much attention on the yellow jersey, especially when he’s dropped. I had five or six motorbikes around me, cameramen filming me, taking photos. I didn’t lose my head at them but it was very irritating. It was a hot day and the fumes are so poisoning.

I felt better towards the end but I lost 10 minutes and slipped down overall, six minutes behind the new leader. It was very deflating but you have to carry on, get into recovery mode and forget about it.

I kept my yellow jersey, with the numbers still pinned to the back, to Paris. We were having a meal after the final stage and I left my suitcase in the car outside. The car was broken into, the suitcase was gone. I called the police and they found the suitcase and some possessions strewn in a nearby street, but not the yellow jersey. It was very upsetting to lose the one I’d actually worn, although the Tour de France did send me a replacement, which is framed at home. I put it up there with the Milan-San Remo and the Paris-Roubaix and the other big Classics I won.

Having the yellow jersey only once is a regret. When I rode for PDM, I was very close and the manager, Jan Gisbers, said I should go for the time bonus sprints. But I said no, I didn’t want to get into the situation of making the team defend the jersey. That was my decision, but I regret not going for it now. Still, to have the yellow jersey just once is special.

ROBBIE McEWEN Wore the yellow jersey for the team time trial in 2004 Now 38, rode for Katusha last season

The night I won the stage, the missus was really happy – she’d always wanted a Credit Lyonnais lion, and I got a big one and a small one. One for her, and one for my son.

I did a reasonable prologue in Liège, ran second the next day, won a stage, then when it split on the cobbled stage, I was third. Thor Hushovd had been caught behind, and a journo told me I’d got yellow. I didn’t believe it, but then a Tour guy came and told me to go to the podium. I’d won it by a second.

The next day was a team time trial. I didn’t get to be presented to the crowd – we just turned up, warmed up on the rollers and the television just ignored us because they were focused on US Postal and whoever.

I didn’t sleep in the jersey or anything, but I wore it back to the hotel. My family was there, so I carried on wearing it. Then French TV wanted to speak to me, so I had to wear it for them as well.

For the team time trial the team didn’t have any yellow aero helmets, so I rode with an ordinary helmet which was yellow. We lost five minutes.

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO... CRASH OUT IN YELLOW

CHRIS BOARDMAN

Knocked unconscious in a crash while wearing the yellow jersey during stage two in 1998 Now 41, he has his own brand of bikes

The Tour is all about elation and disappointment. You know the latter is coming at some point.

It was disappointing to crash out in yellow, of course, but it’s actually more embarrassing than anything else.

And it was actually more disappointing when I crashed out of the race the previous year, as it was a decision I had to make – pulling out five days after the crash actually happened. It’s that mental strain that is such a challenge, knowing I was as good as I could have been that year.

But in 1998, although I crashed out in the yellow jersey, it wasn’t a decision I could make myself – that was just a fate thing.

Of course, you also have to remember that this was 1998 – the year of the Festina affair – so the fact that I’d crashed out in yellow went somewhat under the radar.

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO... PULL OUT OF THE RACE WHILE IN YELLOW

STEPHANE HEULOT Quit the 1996 Tour with tendonitis while leading the race Now 39, he is manager of Pro Continental team, Saur-Sojasun

You live for moments like getting the yellow jersey in cycling. When it happened to me, it was a dream. For me, my biggest achievement was winning the French championships, but everybody else just remembers the yellow jersey.

I’d already had a bad knee for a few days before I took the jersey, and it got worse and worse in the bad weather.

In the mountains, I turned the pedals slower and slower, and then couldn’t turn them any more. The moment I put my foot on the ground, I knew it was over. I’d hoped and hoped and hoped, but it was impossible.

Sitting in the team car on the way to the finish was an interminable journey. There was silence. Nobody spoke. I’d wanted to lose the jersey in a battle – it was my regret not to be able to.

My yellow jersey is in my house. I’m proud of it, and people still talk to me of it, but frankly, it is in the past. I have another life now.

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO... RIDE IN A LONG SOLO BREAK

CEDRIC VASSEUR Made a 150-kilometre break on the stage to La Châtre in 1997 Now 39, president of the CPA, the professional cyclists' union

I got a win to match my dad's, 37 years later, only mine also came with the yellow jersey. I had not thought of trying to win a stage, it was only my second Tour de France. I think if you are Contador or Cavendish then you expect that you will win a stage one day and you are always fighting for that day. Whereas, I had nothing planned that morning.

Going solo was the idea of our director, Serge Beucherie. After one hour of high-speed racing, no escapes were allowed to go, and then we had about 30 minutes of calm, when I stopped for a piss. Afterwards, I talked to Serge and he said 'Why don't you try an escape because we are all falling asleep back here.'  Serge towed me back up to the group and I just kept going through it and off the front.

He kept me company with time checks and news on the group behind. I sensed France starting to go crazy because the previous stages had ended in sprints, dominated by foreigners, plus, French TV was making the most out of my escape. Because it was such a long escape, they had enough time to send a cameraman to my dad's bike shop to follow him watching the stage.

My big advantage was down to nothing and I was worried because I knew how minutes can turn to seconds in the last kilometres. I made it to the red triangle and I knew I had won it. I stated to celebrate and my dad celebrated too, as French TV was still showing him live.

That enthusiasm from the fans is different than today, I don't think that that same level has returned since the Festina Affair happened a year the year later. After the 1997 Tour, it was awful, I could not go to the shops without being recognised by everyone. Everyone had seen me on TV for three hours.

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO... FINISH OUTSIDE THE TIME LIMIT

JAY SWEET Australian rider, eliminated on stage 15 at Piau-Engaly in 1999, his only Tour Now 34, he's training for his sea skipper's licence in New Zealand

I was riding for Big Mat, a French team, but I was living with Stuey [O’Grady] and Henk [Vogels] at the time. I asked them what the Tour was like and they said “Mate, until you do it, you don’t know what it’s like, you can’t prepare for it.”

You race the all year round with the same riders but for some reason it’s different to everything else. The speed, the distance, the media attention, the specators. It’s intense.

Before the Tour, the team made me do three stage races back-to-back – the PruTour in England, one in Spain then the Route du Sud. Three weeks of racing. I had eight days rest but I was going into the Tour pretty fatigued. At the medical the doctor told my director I had a haematocrit of 39 and said: “He shouldn’t be starting.” My director said: “You try telling him that.”

Day two, they sent us over the Passage du Gois, this track that went out into the sea. It was ridiculous, wet and slippery but they did it for the spectacle. I’d crashed just before it in a big pile-up and I got back on just as we reached it and I went down again. I never crash twice in a day. I pulled myself out of the sludge on the side of the road and this guy, [Michele] Coppolillo of Mercatone Uno was screaming in pain. His handlebars had turned and the bung had come out of the end and it had taken a perfect piece of flesh out of his leg, the size of a cork. I thought he was out but later I saw him with his leg bandaged and I pushed him on a couple of the hills because I thought, if he has the guts to get back on after that, the least I can do is help him.

My troubles started then because I’d hurt my ankle pretty badly. I suffered every day but it was in the mountains it got really bad. The day to Sestrieres, I was just outside the time limit, by maybe three minutes, but they let me back in because the weather had been so bad. I was an hour behind Armstrong, who won the stage.

On one of the hilly stages I was in trouble again and it was just me and a Spanish guy [Pedro Horrillo] off the back. With 30k to go he was knackered and wanted to ease up but if he gave up, he wouldn’t make the time cut. So I pointed to my back wheel and told him to keep going. I dragged him to the finish and as we crossed the line, he thanked me. His team-mates and a director also came up to me the next day and patted me on the back.

The mountains were terrible. I spent day after day out the back, on my own, or with one other guy. At Sestrieres, as I climbed up, the crowd were walking down the mountain but after that the media had covered my story a bit and people were waiting for me. I assume the Broomwagon was behind me for a lot of the time but I never looked back. Never.

On the Alpe d’Huez stage I was really struggling on the flatter part in the wind and I let a gap open. If I’d been dropped then it would have been trouble but I felt a hand on my backside pushing me to help me close the gap. It was one of the guys from Mercatone Uno. He’d remembered what I’d done for Coppolillo. Stuff like that doesn’t happen in other races.

In the mountains, out the back, on my own, it was sheer agony for an hour, then you descend for half an hour then it’s sheer agony again. It’s very lonely out there, totally demoralising. You’re left alone with your mind but you can’t ease up because you’re calculating. How much time can I lose? Okay, I can lose 20 minutes on this 15-kilometre climb. It sounds a lot but it’s not. I wasn’t dawdling along picking my nose, I was going as fast as I could.

But you think – why am I doing this? Why can’t I ride up there with the bunch? You’ve got a lot of time to think and they are generally not positive thoughts. One half of your brain is saying “Pull over, it’ll all be over in a minute if you just pull over.” The other half is having a go at you, telling yourself not to be weak.

In the end, they eliminated me at Piau Engaly, the last mountain stage. I crossed the line outside the time limit and they said that’s enough. It was disappointing because I would have made it to Paris if they’d let me stay in but at the same time there was relief that it was over.

Now I’m working as a builder while I get my qualification for my skipper’s ticket so I can take a boat out and fish commercially off New Zealand. I love it out there when all you can see is water in all four directions. I was out a while ago and we got caught in a six-metre swirl, just water all around you as high as you can see. It’s like a watery wall of death, it can feel pretty intimidating, pretty claustrophobic. It’s a bit like the crowds on the mountains, peering in to have a look.

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO... FINISH LAST OVERALL

WIM VANSEVENANT Belgian who was lanterne rouge in 2006, 2007 and 2008 Now 38, he runs his parents' farm, growing wheat, corn and potatoes

It’s better to be last than second last. In 2005 I was second last, about ten minutes in front of a Spanish rider [Iker Flores]. After that, I had the idea to attempt to finish last. Of course, you can’t say to the manager “I want to ride the Tour and I want to be last.” That isn’t your ambition. You have to first be selected and you do that by working for the team.

I was there to work for Robbie McEwen or Cadel Evans. I did my job, I worked very hard and then, after my work was done, I could attempt to be last.

The easiest way to lose time is on the flat stages. My job was to chase down the escapes so I would be riding at the front for the last 120 kilometres to bring the gap down for McEwen, our sprinter. So I would help get the riders back and then I would get dropped with 10 or 15 kilometres to go and I would lose a lot of minutes without worrying about missing the time cut.

In the mountains, I was always tired because of the work I’d done on the flat. I had to crawl over the mountains and try to stay in the ‘bus’ [the gruppetto]. I didn’t look forward to the mountains at all.

I was surprised by the positive reaction I got. The thing is, if you finish last in the Tour it means you have finished the Tour and that is not easy.

I used to get invited to criteriums after the Tour, which was nice financially. At one criterium this 10-year-old little git said to me: “One day I want to be last in the Tour de France like you.” I thought he was being cheeky so I asked him to explain. He said: “Because if I am last, it means I have had the talent to ride the Tour and finish it.” That memory stays with me.

In 2008 I had a real battle with Bernhard Eisel. There was only about 45 seconds between us going into the last day. He got dropped on the last lap of the Champs-Elysees, so I had to drop back too. It may be strange to say but there’s no way I’ve suffered round France in last place only to be second last. I said ‘No way, Bernhard, it’s mine’ and we finished the last lap together about a minute behind the bunch.

I’m not sure you could call it an honour but you get a lot of attention as the Lanterne Rouge.

This article first appeared in the Summer 2010 issue of Cycle Sport.

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Edward Pickering is a writer and journalist, editor of Pro Cycling and previous deputy editor of Cycle Sport. As well as contributing to Cycling Weekly , he has also written for the likes of the New York Times. His book, The Race Against Time , saw him shortlisted for Best New Writer at the British Sports Book Awards. A self-confessed 'fair weather cyclist', Pickering also enjoys running.

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Tour de France cycling tours in 2024: behind the scenes of cycling’s biggest race

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Are you considering a Tour de France cycling tour for 2024?

Wondering whether to go DIY or opt for a Tour de France tour package?

Or perhaps you’re just intrigued as to what it takes to plan a trip to the world’s biggest cycling event?

This interview with Clément Cicuto, Sports Tours International’s General Manager for Europe, digs into the detail of planning the best Tour de France cycling tours.

Clément has been organising Tour de France holidays for Sports Tours International since 2011. His vast experience of the event means he has a ton of fascinating insights to share on everything from how to pick the best hotel for the stages you want to see, to what being a premium Tour de France tour operator means in practice.

Tour de France official premium tour operator

1. Why are Tour de France cycling tours so special?

The Tour de France is the world’s most famous bike race and watching it live is a magical experience. There’s simply nothing like seeing the icons of the sport at a summit finish or on the streets of Paris, in real life.

Of course there are lots of ways you can watch the spectacle, but if you want a really special experience of the Tour (the kind of unique experiences that are normally reserved for the pros), you need to go with an official Tour de France operator. I explain more about official operators for Tour de France tours 2024 below .

1.1 Experience the tour like a pro

One of my favourite memories of a recent Tour de France trip was in 2015. We arrived at the mountain top finish and, as usual, it was a tiny area full of people and buses.

Our clients were cycling to the finish that day; we saw them come over the finish line, take photos on the podium and then be directed to the special hospitality area amongst all the dignitaries and sponsors, just hours before the peloton arrived. When we went to the buses, ours was parked amidst all the team buses, bikes and riders.

Our clients were so happy to be able to speak with the pros and get some really special photos – you don’t get closer to the action than that!

1.2 Once-in-a-lifetime experiences

There’s nothing like the feeling of the buzz on the coach at the end of the day, after everyone’s had a really unique and special experience. It’s an honour to be providing these outstanding experiences to our clients.

Cyclists climbing the slopes of the mountains on Tour de France

2. What kind of Tour de France bike tours will you offer in 2024?

We offer Tour de France official tours and we try to cover all of the key stages of the Tour de France each year. We offer both Tour de France spectator tours and trips where you can ride and watch.

Map of the Tour de France route 2024

You can find all of our trips on our website, here.

2.1 Grand Depart

The Grand Depart in 2024 will start in Florence, pass through Piedmont and end in Emilia Romagna. Stages 1 to 3 are Florence to Rimini, Cesenatico to Bologna and Plaisance to Turin. This is the first time the Tour has started in Italy, which makes catching the Tour here a particularly unique experience. Expect incredible scenery, picturesque villages, and passionate supporters.

Sports Tours International is offering a four night tour that includes access to the Relais Etape mid-stage hospitality area on Stage 1, access to the Izoard finish hospitality area on Stage 2 and access to the Village Depart area on Stage 3 .

Check out the four-night spectator tour  – sporting weekends don’t get much better.

The Tour de France’s most memorable moments are often in the Alps.

We’re particularly excited to offer a trip that will take our cyclists from the Alps all the way to the finish in Nice. It includes four mountain stages, including stage 19 (Embrun to Isola 200 via the Cime de la Bonnette) and stage 20 (Nice to Col de la Couillole with a mountain top finish at Col de la Couillole) which are set to be key moments in the race. Our guests will also enjoy final day hospitality at the stage 21 time trial between Monaco and Nice. More details here.

2.2 Finish in Nice

Due to preparations for hosting the 2024 Olympic Games, the Tour de France will not finish in Paris this year. It’s the first time in its 121 year history that the Tour hasn’t finished in the Paris region!

Instead, Le Tour will finish with a time trial in Nice. It’s the first time since 1989 that the Tour has finished with a time trial that has the potential to topple the leader.

We offer a three day weekend trip with Tour de France hospitality access on Saturday (Izoard Finish) and Sunday (Grandstand Finish). More details here .

Surely every serious Tour de France fan has to experience this unique event?!

Cyclists cycling side of the hill on a Tour de France

2.3 Bespoke and custom getaways to the Tour de France

And finally, we also offer bespoke experiences – whether for a small group or 100 people.

Usually groups come to us knowing when they’d like to go and how many people the trip is for.

We’ll come up with an outline for what we can suggest. That might include a stage in an official Tour de France car, a Tour de France helicopter experience, access to the start village and stage finish or VIP finish hospitality.

We can also create special packages that put together different trips and experiences. There are some great options for those that aren’t riding too.

You can find full information about each trip on our website .

Tour de France at stage 21 on the Champs Elysees

3. What does it mean to be an official Tour Operator of the Tour de France?

There are six official Tour de France Approved Operators for the UK. Of these only two are Diamond tour operators (the rest are gold, silver or bronze level). Of course Sports Tours is at the Diamond level and this means Sports Tours International gets the first choice for experiences for our clients.

3.1 Approved Operators

We often find there’s quite a lot of confusion about what being an approved operator means.

The answer is that the Approved Operators get priority access to Tour de France experiences that non-Approved operators can’t get.

VIP Hospitality

Approved Operators can book VIP hospitality areas at the stage starts, finishes, and along the racecourse.

An example is the Izoard VIP access area. It’s usually within 200m of the finish and centres around big food and drink trucks parked in a great spot with a VIP viewing area. There will also be a terrace, tables, chairs, free food, beer, champagne – and of course a TV to follow the race. Our clients will be mixing with the sponsors, dignitaries and organisers.

There are also other hospitality experiences such as a high quality four course meal with wine, with the professional riders passing within the last five kilometres of the stage.

Riding closed roads

Approved Operators can also get permission to ride on the race route ahead of the pros when the road is closed to the general public and cross the finish line.

We also offer clients the experience of meeting the Tour de France organisers at the Flamme Rouge marker, with 1 kilometre before the finish. They then escort us with the official car across the finish line just three hours or so before the pro race crosses.

Podium photos and other extras

Approved Operators can receive permission to take photos on the official podium.

There are also additional extras such as the option to ride in the Tour de France official car.

Our clients often tell us that these experiences make their trip unforgettable.

They mean that our clients can do a lot more with their day – for example they don’t need to get to the race four hours early to make sure they can get a spot by the barriers.

It also means they’re not caught out by last minute changes to the road closures. For example when the police in Tignes made a last minute decision to close the road the night before, it sadly meant many people were caught out – but not guests with an Approved Operator.

Tadej Pogacar at the Tour de France 2022

3.2 Diamond level Approved Operators

Of the Approved Operators, only two are diamond level Approved Operators in the UK – and we are one of them.

This means we have unlimited access, and first call on the experiences mentioned above.

For example if there are a limited number of spaces at the hospitality area at a summit finish, like Alpe d’Huez that’s always really popular, we get first call on the places; this means our clients don’t miss out on the best bits of the Tour.

So if we get a request for a bespoke trip for 20 cyclists that want to be at the top of Alpe d’Huez on race day, our premium status means that we should be able to accommodate that. In contrast, the non-diamond operators might get given less tickets to an experience or be asked to pick a different stage finish. The diamond level operators get priority.

3.3 Weekly contact with ASO

During the ten months between October and the start of the Tour de France, we have weekly contact with ASO to discuss arrangements for the Tour. Sometimes it’s group briefing calls, sometimes it’s calls with our contacts directly.

They are really helpful in providing huge amounts of detailed information that we need to make sure our trips run smoothly for our clients. For example which routes we should take to the Tour de France hospitality areas, exactly where the premium operator parking is at the finishes, maps and addresses.

They also suggest things that could be a great experience for our clients and help us ensure our clients have a more amazing experience than they expected.

Cyclists in a mountain road on the Tour de France bike tour

4. What makes your Tour de France cycling holidays special?

We work really hard to make sure we offer the best tour de France cycling tours on the market. Our motto is “our experience makes yours” and we really believe this is true.

Our staff have a huge amount of knowledge and experience of the Tour de France – well over 50 years experience if you combine it together! It’s not just the hosts and guides our clients meet, but the people that our clients don’t always see – people like me!

I have been planning Tour de France trips for Sports Tours for fourteen years now and in total Sports Tours have been running Tour de France tour experiences for over twenty years (that’s twenty years of feedback to hone what we offer!).

I think this really makes a difference in the end product. The route changes each year and it’s only because of my and my team’s personal knowledge of the logistics for the Tour and connections that we can get the best accommodation and experiences for our guests.

The fact that we’re based in France and speak the language means we can have a very close relationship with the organisers and hotel owner. We have our own local knowledge of how things work in France that can really make the difference.

Finally, our guides are all passionate cyclists who love the Tour and looking after our guests. They make our guest experience unforgettable and deliver a first class service.

4.2 Support

We think we have the best logistics out there – we’ve got a fleet of minibuses and vehicles with bike racks and trailers, driven by French people that know their country and the race extremely well.

4.3 Diamond level Approved Operators

I’ve said a lot about the benefits this status has for our clients, so I won’t repeat that. However it does give us flexibility to ensure we can increase our numbers even when other operators have sold out their trips.

We try and incorporate each of the different VIP experiences described above within one of the four day three night Tour de France holiday packages. Usually it will be a different experience each day.

Three premium operators of the Tour de France tour packages

4.4 Larger numbers brings benefits for our clients

Every year we bring more than 500 clients to the Tour de France. We can do this because we’re diamond level Approved Operators and because our knowledge and planning means we can flex our team to ensure we still deliver the highest quality, unique experiences.

One of the reasons that it’s good for our clients that we have lots of clients, is that it means we can afford that diamond level operator access that provides the unique experiences. We can also justify services that other operators with less clients can offer. For example we can have more guides on the road with different speed riding groups. Or if we know we have a group of Spanish cyclists we’ll make sure we have a Spanish host.

We have more staff so we can be more flexible, for example if someone wants to spectate instead of ride or ride a longer or shorter route.

Finally, our clients tell us that they love the opportunity we provide them to meet other cycling fans from all over the world during their trip. The diversity of the countries our clients have come from makes for lots of interesting conversations and sometimes even lifelong new friends!

4.5 Based in the UK

We’re based in the UK, with an office in France and Ireland, and have all the necessary licences to operate in France, which many of our clients find reassuring.

We offer ABTA bonding too, just in case things go wrong. For example our clients won’t lose their money if the event doesn’t take place for some reason.

Take a look at all of our Tour de France trips on our website .

Some cyclists on a bike tours Tour de France

5. How does your Tour de France trip planning process work?

Planning our Tour de France bicycle tours is always a challenge because the route is different every year.

The upside for our clients is that it means they can book a trip with us every year and it will always be unique.

5.1 Finding the hotels

The first step in our planning process is to find the perfect hotels for our trips.

This is one of the most complicated areas to sort out because we can’t wait for the course to be announced to book the accommodation. If we did that, it would be too late and all the best places would have gone!

So we have to work on rumours of where the Tour de France route will go next year. We often have to take some risks and book hotels without having certainty on the route. It can be a bit stressful, but it’s mitigated by our extensive experience of planning these trips and we’ve never gone wrong yet.

We get calls ahead of time from our friends on the ground – for example our local French guides, hotel partners and contacts at tourist offices in the host towns. They tend to have the best knowledge about what’s likely to happen with the route and this means we can book the best accommodation before everyone else!

There’s more information on what we look for in our hotels, below .

5.2 Experiences

Once we’ve sorted out the hotels, we consider what hospitality and experiences we can build into the trip to ensure it’s really special for our clients.

We plan the best daily rides and climbs our cyclists can do to get to the Tour de France event. We flex these depending on our clients’ level of experience and fitness. We also plan unique activities for when it’s the Tour’s rest days.

Some clients ride, some don’t. If they ride, it’s up to them how far they go as we can accommodate non-riders in our support vehicles. Often it’s between 10 and 100km each day, but it’s up to them. We always have e-bikes available too so they can always jump on an e-bike if they’re not as fit as they thought! Our mechanics are always on hand to help with any bike problems.

5.3 Transport and suppliers

After accommodation, it’s time to arrange all the logistics, transport and transfers.

We work with suppliers like bike rental companies, we book restaurants and plan Tour de France merchandising for our clients.

We also prepare a detailed staffing plan to ensure we’ve got the best team on hand throughout each trip.

5.4 Itineraries

With these things in place we then create a detailed itinerary. The version clients see on our website is the brief version of the itinerary. We send a really detailed version to our clients about three weeks before the trip.

5.5 Working hand in hand with ASO

Everything we do is against the backdrop of the weekly calls and meetings we have with ASO. These start in October when the route is announced and continue all the way to the Tour itself. We have an excellent relationship with them and this means we can ensure the experiences we offer are the best, that the transport is slick and our itineraries create a unique trip our clients will remember forever.

An operator is standing with a signboard in his hand of Tour de France tour packages

6. How do you choose the hotels for your Tour de France holidays?

Picking the right hotels is key to the success of our trips.

6.1 Location, location, location

We look for a central location compared to the Tour de France route. This avoids our clients having to check in and out of a new hotel every day, which is not very relaxing and it’s very time consuming.

We also look for hotels that are accessible from an international airport, have lots to see around them, great views and good guided ride options.

6.2 Good quality

Our ideal hotels are good quality 3 or 4 stars with a secure room for the bikes. We aim to choose hotels that are family run as we find they offer a more authentic experience. The owners also often have a better understanding of what we need in terms of food and they’re great at connecting with our clients.

Two cyclists cycling on bike tours Tour de France

We also make sure our hotels offer an excellent breakfast and evening meal. In the morning it’s important for getting a busy day off on the right note and in the evening it’s got to be somewhere that’s good for a celebration!

6.4 Pro teams

Sometimes we are able to book our clients into the same hotels as a Tour de France pro team, which is really exciting.

We’re always on the lookout for where the pros will be staying and sometimes we get tips from the hotel owners that they’re going to get a pro team. Also in some towns we know which teams were allocated which hotels the previous time the Tour visited and usually they get allocated the same hotels again. It’s one of the benefits of booking with us – that we are so familiar with the history of the Tour and use this to maximise our clients’ experience.

Likewise, on normal years when the Tour visits Paris, everyone always loves the Mercure Hotel we stay at the Arc de Triomphe. It’s 200m from the Tour de France which is perfect.

BMC bikes outside the sports tours international hotel at the tour de france

7. How to go to the Tour de France: DIY versus a Tour de France package trip?

It can be tempting to plan your own Tour de France cycling trip. That can work well if you’re happy to just watch a stage and don’t mind making getting there, waiting, watching and going home the sole focus for your day.

However if you’re looking to get more from this great annual sporting event, an organised Tour de France trip is the way to get the perfect trip.

There are so many things that you can do on a tour with an Approved Tour de France Operator that you can’t do alone. It’s the things I mentioned above , things like having accreditation to ride the race route on closed roads, getting access to VIP areas and hospitality, having everything planned with the right information from the organiser which you can’t find online and having great hotels that are well-placed for the route.

A trip might only be three nights away in July, but you’re getting the benefit of a year’s worth of planning – and our twenty years of experience before that!

On a switchback of the Tour de France

8. Where can people find more information?

You can get more information about Sports Tours’ many Tour de France cycling trips on their website .

Clément and the team would also be very happy to answer any questions – just contact them at +44 (0)161 703 8161 or [email protected] .

A huge thank you to Clément for sharing such an insightful behind the scenes look at what goes into planning a Tour de France trip.

Have you been on a Tour de France bike tour?

If you’ve been to France to spectate the Tour de France, let us know how it went in the comments below!

For those coming into France by plane, you might find this website useful – it shares an overview of all flight routes worldwide.

Got a question for Sports Tours International?

Fill out this form and Sports Tours International will reply (within 24 hours wherever they possibly can!)

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Got a question for Clément?

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Clément Cicuto

Clément Cicuto is General Manager for Europe at Sports Tours International . He’s in charge of creating, planning and implementing all the company’s events in France. He’s been planning Tour de France (and L’Étape du Tour de France) trips since 2010 and loves the challenge, excitement and variety they offer. Based near Paris, he’s close to the Tour’s organisers and grateful to them for their continued support that ensure Sports Tours can offer such fantastic experiences to its clients.

The contents of this website are provided for general information purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice and you should not rely on it. You should carry out your own due diligence and take professional advice. We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content on our website is accurate, complete or up to date. If you use any information or content on this website, download from, or otherwise obtain content or services through our website, it is entirely at your own discretion and risk. Epic Road Rides Ltd disclaims all liability and responsibility arising from any reliance placed on the information and content on this website. Find out more here .

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