Review of the Tour
The 2024 Tour de France ended with a historic success for Tadej Pogacar (Team UAE), who became the first cyclist of the 21st century to achieve the rare Giro-Tour double. In an outstanding final time trial from Monaco to Nice, Pogacar not only secured his third overall victory in the Tour, but also won his sixth stage of the race. He left his main rivals, two-time Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma | Lease a bike) and debutant Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quickstep), far behind. Vingegaard, who celebrated a strong comeback after a serious crash in the spring, finished second, while Evenepoel came third in his first participation - and was at least able to secure the white jersey of the best young rider. One of the top favourites for a podium finish, Primož Roglič (Red Bull - Bora - hansgrohe), unfortunately had to abandon the Tour early due to 2 unfortunate crashes.
The 2024 Tour was also characterised by impressive performances from other riders. The legendary Mark Cavendish (Astana-Qasaqzstan) set a new record with his 35th stage win and bid farewell to the Tour de France, as did Simon Geschke and Romain Bardet. The fighting spirit of Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers), who won the mountains jersey, was particularly emphasised. Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) from Eritrea took the green jersey.
P.S.: The exclusive, strictly limited winner's jersey is already available.
This was our preview
The Tour de France, the world's most famous and demanding cycling race, is just around the corner, making the hearts of cycling fans race. With a rich history, legendary stages, and top-notch cyclists, the Tour de France is an absolute highlight in the sports calendar every year. Now, the upcoming edition of the Tour de France 2024 is looming large, promising once again to be a spectacular and unforgettable event. In this article, we take a first look at what awaits us at this legendary race – from the route highlights to the favorites and potential surprises. Get ready as the world of cycling takes to the streets of France and the riders battle for the coveted Yellow Jersey.
The Route
The Tour de France 2024 offers a fascinating mix of flat, hilly, and mountainous stages, including two decisive individual time trials. In total, the riders will face 21 stages crossing four countries: Italy, San Marino, Monaco, and France. The Tour starts for the first time in Florence and, due to the Olympic Games, ends not in Paris but in Nice. The route includes some of Europe's most famous mountain ranges, including the Apennines, the Alps, the Massif Central, and the Pyrenees.
1st Stage (June 29): Florence - Rimini
Length: 206 km | 3,600 m elevation gain
Hilly opening stage over the Apennines with a final 27 km downhill and flat.
2nd Stage (June 30): Cesenatico - Bologna
Length: 199.2 km | 1,850 m elevation gain
Challenging closing stages with steep San Luca ascent.
3rd Stage (July 1): Piacenza - Turin
Length: 230.8 km | 1,100 m elevation gain
Longest stage, flat with mass sprint in Turin.
4th Stage (July 2): Pinerolo - Valloire
Length: 139.6 km | 3,600 m elevation gain
Short but tough stage over Sestriere and Galibier.
5th Stage (July 3): Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne - Saint Vulbas
Length: 177.4 km | 1,050 m elevation gain
Opportunities for sprinters on flat terrain.
6th Stage (July 4): Mâcon - Dijon
Length: 163.5 km | 1,000 m elevation gain
Through vineyards, ends with mass sprint in Dijon.
7th Stage (July 5): Nuits-Saint-Georges - Gevrey-Chambertin
Length: 25.3 km | 300 m elevation gain
Individual time trial with Côte de Curtil-Vergy ascent.
8th Stage (July 6): Semur-en-Auxois - Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises
Length: 183.4 km | 2,400 m elevation gain
Hilly, chances for breakaways and sprinters.
9th Stage (July 7): Troyes - Troyes
Length: 199 km | 2,000 m elevation gain
Around Troyes, many gravel sectors.
Rest Day (July 8)
10th Stage (July 9): Orleans - Saint-Amand-Montrond
Length: 187.3 km | 950 m elevation gain
Crosswinds and changes of direction, opportunities for sprinters.
Stage 11 (July 10): Évau-les-Bains - Le Lorian
Distance: 211 km | 4,350 m elevation gain
Through the Massif Central, challenging climbing stage.
Stage 12 (July 11): Aurillac - Villeneuve-sur-Lot
Distance: 203.6 km | 2,200 m elevation gain
Over 200 km, sprinter teams need to control breakaways.
Stage 13 (July 12): Agen - Pau
Distance: 165.3 km | 2,000 m elevation gain
Before the Pyrenees, chance for breakaways.
Stage 14 (July 13): Pau - Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet
Distance: 151.9 km | 4,000 m elevation gain
First mountain finish, over Col du Tourmalet.
Stage 15 (July 14): Loudenvielle - Plateau de Beille
Distance: 197.7 km | 4,800 m elevation gain
Second mountain finish, five categorized climbs.
Rest Day (July 15)
Stage 16 (July 16): Gruissan - Nimes
Distance: 188.6 km | 1,200 m elevation gain
Flat, last chance for sprinters.
Stage 17 (July 17): Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux - Superdevoluy
Distance: 177.8 km | 2,850 m elevation gain
Climb to Superdévoluy ski station.
Stage 18 (July 18): Gap - Barcelonette
Distance: 179 km | 3,100 m elevation gain
Hilly, ideal for breakaways.
Stage 19 (July 19): Embrun - Isola 2000
Distance: 144.6 km | 4,400 m elevation gain
Three climbs over 2,000 meters, short but tough stage.
Stage 20 (July 20): Nice - Col de la Couillole
Distance: 132.8 km | 4,600 m elevation gain
Final mountain finish, consistently challenging.
Stage 21 (July 21): Monaco - Nice
Distance: 33.7 km | 650 m elevation gain
Individual time trial, finishes in Nice instead of Paris.
Favorites
Cycling fans are eagerly anticipating the rematch between Vingegaard and Pogačar. Both riders have already won the Tour de France and engaged in a tough duel in 2023, which Vingegaard emerged victorious from. The duel is overshadowed by Vingegaard's pre-race crash - it is still unclear if he can compete in his usual form. Also, Primož Roglič, who will compete in the Tour de France for the first time as a competitor to Vingegaard, is considered a favorite for the Tour victory.
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)
The 25-year-old Slovenian is aiming for the double of Giro and Tour. Pogacar has it all: he can climb, time trial, win classics, and even impress in sprints. His strong team and outstanding form make him the top favorite.
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma - Lease a Bike)
The defending champion from Denmark suffered a serious crash and is therefore an outsider. However, if he starts and is fit, he remains a serious contender.
Primoz Roglic (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe)
The experienced Slovenian, triple Vuelta winner and Giro champion, now aims to win the Tour de France. With his versatile skills and a strong team, he has good chances if he stays clear of crashes. The team starts the Tour for the first time in a new design - Red Bull has become the majority sponsor of the strongest German team.
Remco Evenepoel (Soudal - Quick Step)
The Belgian prodigy makes his Tour debut. Evenepoel is a strong time trialist and all-rounder. Despite a serious crash, he has had enough time to build his form and could provide a surprise.
Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers)
The young Spaniard showed his potential with a fifth-place finish in 2023 and won the 2024 Tour de Romandie. With his controlled riding style and a strong team, he could pose a serious threat to the favorites.
Simon Yates (Team Jayco-AlUla)
The British climbing specialist finished fourth in the Tour in 2023. Despite weaknesses in time trials and a less strong team, his Grand Tour experience could take him far.
Sepp Kuss (Visma - Lease a Bike)
The American Vuelta winner of 2023 could step in as a substitute captain for Vingegaard. Kuss is a strong climber but needs to overcome his weaknesses in time trials. Whether he can handle the pressure of the captaincy remains to be seen.
Classification Jerseys, Special Jerseys, and Team-Specific Jerseys
As always, the classification jerseys are available in the current design: The white jersey is for the winner of the youth classification. The red polka dot jersey on a white background is for the best climber. The green jersey is for the best sprinter. And of course, there is the yellow jersey for the winner of the general classification.
In 2023, Jumbo Visma, now known as Team Visma - lease a bike, managed to dominate most of the jerseys: Vingegaard won the mountain jersey and the yellow jersey, while Wout van Aert convincingly took the green jersey for best sprinter. The only classification that didn't go to Jumbo Visma was the youth classification, which went to Team UAE and Pogačar.
Tip: You can get the classification jerseys, as well as other pro team clothing, in our shop as either the "Race" version or the standard variant. The Race version is an exact replica in terms of functionality, offering a tighter, more aerodynamic fit compared to the standard version, making it excellent for hard training or competition.
In addition to these classification jerseys, there are also stage jerseys and special jerseys, such as the official jersey of the Grand Depart in Firenze. Some participating teams also wear special designs created specifically for the Tour. These include Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe and Team Visma - lease a bike. Here you can find the jerseys of all participating teams.
In this year's Tour, the following (automatically qualified) UCI WorldTeams started:
- Alpecin-Deceuninck, Belgium
- Arkéa-B&B Hotels, France
- Astana Qazaqstan Team, Kazakhstan
- Bahrain Victorious, Bahrain
- Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, Germany
- Cofidis, France
- Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team, France
- EF Education-EasyPost, USA
- Groupama-FDJ, France
- Ineos Grenadiers, Great Britain
- Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux, Belgium
- Lidl-Trek, USA
- Movistar Team, Spain
- Soudal-Quickstep, Belgium
- Team Jayco AlUla, Australia
- Team DSM-Firmenich PostNL, Netherlands
- Visma-Lease a Bike, Netherlands
- UAE Team Emirates, UAE
- Lotto Dstny, Belgium
- TotalEnergies, France
- Uno-X Mobility, Norway
- Israel-Premier Tech, Israel
Tour de France Femmes 2024 – Everything You Need to Know
The Tour de France Femmes 2024 starts with an exciting Grand Départ in the Netherlands and ends at the legendary L'Alpe d'Huez. In its third edition, the tour consists of eight stages over seven days, covering a total of 946.3 kilometers. For the first time, the Tour starts abroad, beginning on August 12 in Rotterdam and concluding on August 18 in L'Alpe d'Huez. This change is due to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, necessitating a later start for the Tour to avoid conflicts. The route offers a diverse mix of flat, hilly, and mountainous stages, including two half-stages on the second day and two crucial high-mountain stages towards the end.
Highlights include the flat start in Rotterdam, the technically challenging time trial through Rotterdam, and the queen stage ending in L'Alpe d'Huez. The final stage featuring the ascent to Col du Glandon and the 21 hairpin turns of L'Alpe d'Huez promises to bring a definitive decision in the battle for the yellow jersey for women. Cycling fans can look forward to thrilling duels, strategic maneuvers, and breathtaking landscapes.