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Tour de France: a time trial in Nice for the last stage of the 2024 edition



The Tour de France will arrive in Nice in 2024, deserting Paris for the first time since 1905 because of the Olympic Games, indicated the city of Nice and the organizers of the Grande Boucle, Thursday December 1 during a press conference.

Another announcement: the last stage, traditionally a sprint on the Champs-Élysées, will this time be an individual time trial. It will be the first time that the Tour has finished on a time since the legendary outcome of 1989 when the Frenchman Laurent Fignon lost the yellow jersey by eight seconds, the smallest gap in history, against the American Greg LeMond.

A first since 1989

The start of this 111th edition should be given for the first time from Italy and the city of Florence. As is usually the case in an Olympic year, the race will be brought forward a week. She will therefore leave on June 29, 2024 and arrive on July 21, five days before the start of the Olympic Games.

“Nice has hosted the Tour 37 times with two starts in 1981 and 2020”this last “in a very difficult health context” with the Covid-19 pandemic, welcomed the mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi.

That the Tour de France arrives in Nice had been recorded for a while, while the Paris Games (July 26-August 11) will turn the summer sports program upside down that year. It is nonetheless a small revolution since the most famous race in the world has, with the exception of the first two editions in 1903 and 1904 arriving in Ville d’Avray (Hauts-de-Seine), until then always finished in Paris. First at the Parc des Princes (from 1906 to 1967), then at the Cipale velodrome (1968 to 1975) and since 1975 on the Champs-ÉlysĂ©es.

Return to Paris in 2025

“Nice is a city that shines, known worldwide. There is the beauty of the setting and the mountain next to it. The city offers an exceptional setting and a formidable field of expression for the champions that we are going to use”explains the director of the Tour, Christian Prudhomme.

For this Tour unlike any other, the organizers are planning a “Fireworks Final Weekend” with first, on Saturday, a stage “mountain oriented” from Nice. Then, the next day, as the ultimate justice of the peace, an individual time trial, 35 years after that between Versailles and the Champs-ÉlysĂ©es in 1989, an edition that remains in everyone’s memory.

In 2025, the return to normal is already scheduled, especially since there will be something to celebrate. “We will be delighted to find Paris and the Champs-Élysées for the 50th anniversary of the first arrival on the Champs”emphasizes Christian Prudhomme.

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Tour de France: Christophe Laporte, first Frenchman to win a stage



The 19th stage of the Tour de France ends (finally) with a French victory. Christophe Laporte (Jumbo Visma) is the first rider to cross the finish line on Friday July 22 in Cahors, during a flat stage serving as a transition between the Pyrenean triptych and the time trial scheduled for Saturday July 23 in Rocamadour.

The Belgian Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceunick), and the Italian Alberto Dainese (Team DSM) then came to complete the podium.

While the Tour de France ends on Sunday July 24, the general classification has not changed: Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo Visma) retains the yellow jersey (and the polka dot jersey), more than three minutes ahead of Tadej Pogacar and eight minutes on Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadier).

The 188 kilometers separating Castelnau-Magnoac and Cahors were not very lively and the rest of the general classification was not shaken either: the Frenchman David Gaudu retained fourth place, ahead of Nairo Quintana, whom he had passed the day before. .

An interruption was however marked 157 kilometers from the finish due to a demonstration on the road, as during the Megève stage. The gap between peloton and the breakaway was calculated and the riders left in the same positions.

A Frenchman in place of another

The breakaway did not survive for long and only the American Quinn Simmons (first in the intermediate sprint) tried to hold on. The youngest of the competition finally abdicated, 35 kilometers from the finish. His solitary getaway nevertheless earned him the bib of the most combative runner of the day.

The white jersey Tadej Pogacar attempted a small attack a few kilometers further, taking advantage of the aspiration of Alexis Gougeard. The hope of victory quickly vanished on this ground not conducive to widening gaps and the Slovenian was quickly overtaken by the great Wout van Aert, assured of keeping the green jersey.

Alexis Gougeard stayed ahead of the race alongside Briton Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious), Belgian Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo). But the teams wishing to see their sprinter go for the victory worked together at the front of the peloton to close the gap with the leading trio.

The Lotto-Soudal, QuickStep-AlphaVinyl and TotalEnergies teams thus took turns before catching up with the three riders, destroying Alexis Gougeard’s chances of victory. He will be fortunately replaced by another Frenchman, who escaped victoriously from the peloton 1.5 kilometers from the finish.

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Tour de France: Canadian Hugo Houle wins the 16th stage, Vingegaard retains the yellow jersey



After an eventful stage, on uneven ground, it was Hugo Houle who won in Foix on Tuesday July 19 during the sixteenth stage of the Tour de France. The Canadian from the Israel Premier Tech team crossed the finish line almost six minutes before the yellow jersey group, after 178 kilometers of racing from Carcassonne. As he passes, he grabs the bib of the most combative runner of the day.

Less than 40 km from the finish, he managed to outrun the breakaways in a descent, never to be caught again. One of his direct competitors, Jorgensen, indeed fell in a badly calculated turn, 12 km from the finish, leaving second place to Frenchman Valentin Madouas and third to compatriot and teammate of the winner, Michael Woods, victorious of a final sprint.

On the first day of the third and last week of racing, the Pyrenees put many runners in difficulty, especially in the last two passes of 1D category. Within the (skinny) group of favorites, then more than seven minutes from the breakaway, the white jersey and second in the general classification Tadej Pogacar took the opportunity to challenge the yellow jersey Jonas Vingegaard by attacking him several times from in a row 50 kilometers from the finish.

Romain Bardet, loser of the day

This was without taking into account the good form of the rider of the Jumbo Visma. With a 2-minute lead in the general classification, Jonas Vingegaard managed to keep the gap. When the group of contenders for the general classification arrived, this time it was the yellow jersey who tried to surprise his Slovenian rival. The disputed sprint between the two men will finally be won by the Dane. The virtual podium still does not evolve and the British Geraint Thomas retains his third place, 2 minutes 43 from the yellow jersey.

The last two passes, on the other hand, saw the Frenchman Romain Bardet weaken (4th overall at the start). Despite dancer positions and supportive teammates, he slipped from 4th to 9th place. Also in difficulty, the second Frenchman in the general classification, David Gaudu, for his part managed to limit the damage and return alone to the yellow jersey group. He moved up to fifth place, just behind Nairo Quintana, and passed first among the French riders, 4 minutes 24 behind Jonas Vingegaard.

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Tour de France: Michael Matthews wins the 14th stage



Two days the same scenario. Like the previous one, the 14e stage of the Tour de France between Saint-Étienne and Mende returned to the strongest of the breakaway. Present throughout the afternoon at the heart of a breakaway of 23 riders, Michael Matthews quickly appeared as the strongest of the group.

50 km from the finish, it was the Australian who accelerated to create a quartet in the lead. At the foot of the CĂ´te de la Croix-Neuve, the last difficulty (2.9 km at more than 10%) and judge of the peace of the stage, it was he again who let go of his companions. The Italian Alberto Bettiol joined him well in the “Jalabert climb”, and even a time slightly behind. But with a final thrust, Michael Matthews got the better of his competitor, and won alone at the Mende aerodrome.

New duel between Pogacar and Vingegaard

Finishing more than twelve minutes behind him, the favorites of the Tour also explained themselves in the CĂ´te de la Croix-Neuve. Already turbulent at the start of the stage, the second overall and double title holder Tadej Pogacar did not manage to get away from the yellow jersey Jonas Vingegaard; the two taking a little more distance from the other leaders.

In the general classification, Louis Meintjes, the best ranked of the 23 breakaways, achieved the breakthrough of the day. The South African passes from the 13e at the 7e place, now less than five minutes behind Jonas Vingegaard. The Dane still dominates two former Tour winners, Tadej Pogacar and Geraint Thomas, by more than two minutes.

Calvary by Caleb Ewan

The French Romain Bardet (4e) and David Gaudu (8e) are firmly in the top-10, more than four minutes away. The green jersey seems definitively acquired by the Belgian Wout Van Aert, more precarious, the polka dot tunic remains on the German Simon Geschke.

Far, very far from the breakaway and even from the whole peloton, Caleb Ewan crossed the line more than 39 minutes behind Michael Matthews. The pocket sprinter, winner of five stages in the Tour de France, was unclamped from the first kilometers, in pain after his fall on Friday in a bend. Alone and without the help of three team members, who volunteered to accompany him for a good part of the 192 km of the day, the Australian would not even have reached the finish on time on Saturday.

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Tour de France: Dane Mads Pedersen settles the breakaway of the 13th stage



After suffering in the Alps, the sprinters had all checked off the 13th stage of the Tour de France, between Bourg d’Oisans (Isère) and Saint-Étienne (Loire). Almost 200 steep kilometers, of course, but much flatter than the alpine peaks suffered the previous days. For a long time, Wednesday July 15, their teams managed the gap with the breakaway of the day at the head of the peloton, maintained all afternoon at less than three minutes. In vain.

Speed ​​lovers suffered several shards in the racing portion. Five times winner of stages on the big loop, the Australian Caleb Ewan first fell 70 kilometers, without managing to hang up the train. Further on, the CĂ´te de Saint-Romain-en-Gal, the last difficulty in the program, got the better of the sprinters’ teammates, despite the efforts of BixeExhange-Jayco to bring back Dylan Groenewegen and Michael Matthews. Guided by big riders – Filippo Ganna, Stefan KĂĽng, Mads Petersen – the six leading men took off, and the opportunity to fight for victory.

First Grand Tour win

Twelve kilometers from the finish, three men stood out under the impetus of Mads Pedersen, road cycling world championship in 2019: Hugo Houle, Fred Wright and the Dane. In a three-way sprint, the latter left no chance to his last two breakaway companions. Signing in Saint-Étienne the first victory of his career on a Grand tour.

This last stage didn’t change anything in the general classification. Dane Jonas Vingegaard still wears the yellow jersey, plus two minutes ahead of former Tour winners Tadej Pogacar and Geraint Thomas. The French Romain Bardet (4e) and David Gaudu (7e) are firmly established in the top-10. The green jersey seems definitively acquired by the Belgian Wout Van Aert, more precarious, the polka dot tunic remains on the German Simon Geschke.

After thirteen days of racing, no Frenchman has yet raised his arms. Leaving the prospect of a zero point for the tricolors. Unheard of on the Grand Boucle since the XXe century and the 1999 edition.

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Tour de France: Dane Cort Nielsen wins the stage, Pogacar retains the yellow jersey



It was Magnus Cort Nielsen, from the EF Education-Easypost team, who crossed the finish line first, at the end of a 100% Savoyard stage, in the end unbridled. After four medium-difficulty climbs, the Dane won by a few millimeters ahead of the Australian Nicolas Schultz (Team Bikeexchange-Jayco), after 150 km in the Alps between Morzine Les Portes du Soleil and Megève. The Spaniard Luis Leon Sanchez (Bahrain Victorious), who rode alone in the lead during the last kilometers, finished in third place.

Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates) keeps the yellow jersey of this Tour de France, as well as the white of best young person. The Slovenian however lost two teammates (including George Bennett, diagnosed positive for Covid the same day) and was particularly threatened by the German Lennard Kämna (Bora-Hansgrohe), member of a breakaway who managed to dig up to ten minutes ahead of the peloton. The latter, however, climbed to second place in the general classification, only eleven seconds behind the leader and ahead of Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo Visma). The French David Gaudu (Groupama FDJ) and Romain Bardet (Team DSM) also lost a place and are now in 6e and 7e positions in the provisional general classification.

The different jerseys do not change shoulders either: the Belgian Wout Van Art will present himself in green (best sprinter) during the eleventh stage, and the German Simon Geschke will always be dressed in the best climber’s polka dot jersey.

A stage disrupted by climate activists

Sunscreen on the neck, jerseys open, the riders set a steady pace from the start of the race and it took 64 kilometers before a real breakaway formed, made up of 25 riders. While the Italian Alberto Bettiol was trying to outrun the breakaway, an unexpected event disrupted the stage.

The race was indeed interrupted for nearly a quarter of an hour, 36 km from the finish, due to a demonstration on the track. A handful of climate protesters blocked the road by sitting on the pavement and the runners were stopped. The gaps have been raised to respect the positions before the suspension of the race.

A similar event occurred during the Roland Garros tournament, when an activist tied herself to the net in the middle of the semi-final to warn of the climate emergency. The Tour de France had not been interrupted since 2019, when a snowslide blocked the road.

This interruption did not prevent the leading Italian from continuing his effort and maintaining the gap with the breakaway, before being caught by a group of pursuers and distanced 7 kilometers from the finish. Despite everything, his efforts were hailed as he won the prize for the most combative runner.

The difficulties will really begin during the next stage, in the high mountains. After starting from Albertville, the riders will have 150 kilometers to cover to reach the finish line at the top of the Granon Serre Chevalier pass, at an altitude of 2,400 meters. This will be the second non-category pass of the stage, after the famous Col du Galibier.

(Archive – Video of 07/17/2019)

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Tour de France: the Pogacar yellow jersey wins the 7th stage at the top of the Planche des Belles Filles



Slovenian Tadej Pogacar (UAE), wearing the yellow jersey, won the seventh stage of the Tour de France on Friday July 8, at the top of the Super Planche des Belles Filles, in the Vosges mountains.

This is a second consecutive victory for Pogacar in this Tour de France. This time he narrowly edged the Dane Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) in the first finish at the top of the race. Slovenian Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) takes third place. Despite their efforts, Frenchmen David Gaudu and Romain Bardet finished sixth and eighth respectively.

General classification changes

Both however climb in the general classification since David Gaudu climbs to fifth position, just ahead of his compatriot Romain Bardet. The top of the ranking is changing slightly: if the young Tadej Pogacar, double title holder, keeps his yellow jersey (and his white jersey as the best young player), it is now the Dane Jonas Vingegaard who is second to him, with 35 seconds behind. The Briton Geraint Thomas climbed to the third step of the podium.

The former yellow jersey Wout van Aert keeps the green jersey of best sprinter on his shoulders and is now more than 18 minutes behind the leader of the classification. The polka dot jersey goes to Dane Magnus Cort Nielsen, who was particularly combative in the two previous events.

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Tour de France: Slovenian Tadej Pogacar wins the sixth stage and wears the yellow jersey



On this sixth day of racing, for a 219 km long stage between Binche (Belgium) and Longwy (Meurthe-et-Moselle), it is the white jersey Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates) who wins the final sprint… and the jersey yellow. This is his seventh stage victory since taking part in the Tour de France. Frenchman David Gaudu (Groupama FDJ) also distinguished himself by taking third position, behind Australian Michael Matthews (Bikeexchange-Jayco).

The general classification is upset since the Belgian Wout van Aert tumbles from first place to 54th, more than seven minutes behind. The last winner of the Tour, Tadej Pogacar, will therefore find the jersey he wore last year on the Champs-Élysées. While the American Neilson Powless (EF Education-Easypost) retains his second position, third is taken from Edvald Boasson Hagen (TotalEnergies) by the Dane Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma).

The French are getting closer

For his part, the Frenchman Romain Bardet (DSM) continues to nibble places, going from 18th to 9th, immediately followed by David Gaudu (Groupama FDJ).

The former yellow jersey Wout van Aert therefore suffered a crushing defeat, after dropping the peloton 148 km from the finish and riding in the lead for a long time. He was caught 11 km from the finish, then unhooked. However, he keeps the green jersey of the best sprinter and can also try to console himself with the red bib of the most combative runner.

The Dane Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education-Easypost), particularly combative on the two previous stages, retains the best climber’s polka dot jersey with a nine-point lead over the Frenchman Alexis Vuillermoz (TotalEnergies) and Wout van Aert.

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Tour de France: Australian Simon Clarke wins the 5th stage, Wout van Aert remains in yellow



It was the Australian Simon Clarke who won at the end of the fifth stage of the Tour de France, between Lille and Arenberg Porte du Hainaut. After 150 kilometers of racing in the breakaway, the Israel-Premier Tech rider came out on top after a final sprint, ahead of Dutchman Taco van der Hoorn and Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen.

The general classification changes slightly at the end of this day: if the Belgian Wout van Aert keeps the yellow jersey and the green jersey, two members of the breakaway managed to climb on the podium. American Neilson Powless (EF Education – Easypost) took second place, held before him by Belgian Yves Lampaert. For his part, the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, the last defending champion, was relegated to fourth place by Edvald Boasson Hagen (Total Energies). He still retains the white jersey of best young player.

Another failure for Magnus Cort Nielsen

The first Frenchman in the ranking is Romain Bardet, who gained six places in one day and is now in 18th position in the ranking. David Gaudu (Groupama FDJ) wins nine and ranks 20th, followed by Aurélien Paret Peintre, in 23rd position.

The Dane Magnus Cort Nielsen, wearing the polka dot jersey, tried his luck again after riding at the head of the race for 125 km the day before, finally caught up by the peloton and arrived in 168th place. During this fifth stage, he chose to repeat the experience by distancing the peloton from the first kilometers, alongside Taco van der Hoorn (IntermarchĂ© Wanty Gobert) and Edvald Boasson Hagen (TotalEnergies). All three were then caught by their pursuers, Neilson Powless (EF), Alexis Gougeard (B&B Hotels KTM) and Simon Clarke (Israel Premier Tech). Unfortunately for him, Magnus Cort Nielsen was again left behind by the breakaways, two kilometers from the finish. Thanks to his efforts, however, he won the bib of the most combative runner of the stage and kept the best climber’s polka dot jersey.

A course strewn with falls

After a flat first part of the stage, the second half turned out to be tougher, punctuated by several crashes on cobbled sections. After the Norwegian sprinter Alexander Kristoff and George Bennett (teammate of Tadej Pogacar at UAE Emirates), several famous riders fell at the exit of a roundabout, including Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal), the leader of Bahrain Victorius, Jack Haig, and Primoz Roglic (Jumbo Visma).

The yellow jersey, winner the day before, and his Jumbo-Visma team also found themselves in difficulty. After a fall in a bend in the first part of the race, Wout van Aert was left behind by the peloton 37 km from the finish, alongside the second in the general classification, Yves Lampaert, and one of the favorites of the lap, Matthew van der Poel. With the help of his teammates, the first in the standings finally managed to limit the damage.

The next stage will take place on Thursday July 7, over 219 km between Binche and Longwy. The riders will have to deal with two category 3 passes and one category 4 pass, on roads with a rough profile.

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Tour de France: the yellow jersey Wout van Aert wins the fourth stage



The fourth stage of the Tour de France 2022 ended with the resounding victory of Belgian Wout van Aert of the Jumbo Visma team. After 171.5 km of racing, the yellow jersey won in Calais ahead of his compatriot Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and his teammate Christophe Laporte.

The yellow jersey has therefore not changed hands and Wout van Aert remains at the top of the classification. The Fleming, author of a particularly successful season, has already finished in second place during the first three stages. During this fourth, pushed by his Jumbo-Visma team, Wout van Aert managed to take the lead at the top of the last climb and distance Adam Yates (Ineos Grenadier) and Jonas Vingergaard (Jumbo-Visma) who were on his heels. He also won the green jersey for best sprinter.

In the general classification, he remains closely followed by the Belgian Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team) and the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates). At 23, the latter retains the white jersey of best young player.

As for the French riders, Christophe Laporte is the highest in the ranking, in 16th position. The second, Romain Bardet (Team DSM), occupies 24th place, before David Gaudu (Groupama FDJ), in 29th.

Two runners left behind after a long breakaway

During this stage, punctuated by six category 4 climbs, the Dane wearing the polka dot jersey Magnus Cort Nielsen (EF Education Easypost team) and the Frenchman Anthony Perez (Cofidis team) attacked from the start. They managed to maintain a significant gap with the peloton for 125 km, before Anthony Perez decided to try his luck alone, 45 km from the finish. Magnus Cort Nielsen, for his part, was quickly caught up by the peloton. However, he distinguished himself by beating a record set by Frederico Bahamontes in 1958 since he managed to cross in first position and consecutively eight classified summits. He thus retains the best climber’s polka dot jersey.

The Frenchman was finally also caught by the peloton, 12 km from the finish, after having tried to resist during 160 kilometers of breakaway. His effort will nevertheless have earned him the price of combativeness on this stage.

Departing from Dunkirk, the runners also wanted to pay tribute to the victims of the shooting in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark where the first three days of racing took place. The attack, which occurred two days earlier, killed three people.

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