Nat Bromhead
Stage 21
Tadej Pogacar has done it, the 25yo Slovenian winning the final three stages and overall title of the 2024 Tour de France.
The victory comes just months after his convincing win of the first Grand Tour of the year, the Giro d’Italia.
“I think this was the first Grand Tour where I was totally confident every day,” an elated Pogacer said after the historic win.
“Even at the Giro I had one bad day … I won’t tell you which one. This Tour was amazing, I was enjoying it from day one until today. I had such a great support behind me, I couldn’t let anyone down and enjoyed it for the team as well.”
Winning the final lumpy time trial from Monaco into Nice, Pogacar said he ‘felt super good over the top of the first climb’.
“In my head I had (partner) Urska’s words that she hates me for doing this road all the time in training. We did it so many times this year, so I was like I will not waste it today … I have it under control.”
Speaking about the current calibre of top level cycling, Pogacar said the last two years we’ve been hearing ‘this is the best era of cycling’.
“This is the best competition ever,” he said. “I could also say it’s the best cycling era ever, at least for the GC. This kind of competition with Remco, Jonas and Primož, it’s just incredible,” he added. “I think we can all enjoy this moment of cycling, it is beautiful in my opinion.”
2024 Tour de France Top 10
1: Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)
2: Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) +6m 17s
3: Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick-Step) +9m 18
4: João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) +19m 3s
5: Mikel Landa (Soudal-Quick-Step) +20m 6s
6: Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) +24m 7s
7: Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers) +25m 4s
8: Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) +26m 34
9: Derek Gee (Israel-Premier Tech) +27m 21s
10: Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) +29m
Stage 20
Yes, he did it again. Tadej Pogacar has yet again stamped his dominance and authority on the Tour, the 25yo Slovenian winning Stage 20. His fifth stage victory of the 2024 Tour, Pogacar will now be aiming to win the 33km final stage Time Trial, a tough feat with Remco Evenepoel the the odds on TT favourite.
Stage 19
Ten kilometres from the mountain top finish Tadej Pogacar was more than three minutes behind on the lead group of six riders, three of who were former Grand Tour winners in their own right.
‘Not even Pogacar could claw back three minutes in 10 uphill kilometres like this,’ a leading commentator was heard to say.
But calmly making his move, patiently going when he was ready to go, the rider of the decade surged away from Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard.
Picking off rider after rider including 2018 Vuelta winner Simon Yates, 2019 Giro winner Richard Carapaz and 2022 Giro winner Jai Hindley, Pogacar steamed toward the line. His final victim was Visma-Lease-a-Bike’s Matteo Jorgensen – Pogacar putting on an extra burst of speed as he shot past the lead remaining rider on the Isola 2000 climb.
Bowing His head as he crossed the finish line, it was Pogacar’s fourth stage victory at this year’s Tour. He is now just over 5 minutes ahead of Vingegaard and 7 minutes over third-placed Evenepoel.
Tonight’s Stage 20 features another brutal mountain top finish, not before 4600m of climbing in 132km. It’s difficult not to imagine Tadej Pogacar completing his total domination of the race and taking his fifth stage victory of the 2024 Tour.
Stage 18
Veteran Belgian rider Victor Campanaerts has won stage 18 of the race, the Lotto Dstny rider enjoying a sprint victory after hours in a three-man breakaway.
It was the 32yo’s first TDF stage victory and an emotionally charged event.
“As a professional you have to ride the Tour, and have to finish the Tour,” said Campanaerts.
“Winning a stage is everyone’s dream. I’ve been dreaming of this for a very long time.
“After the Classics, I had a very difficult time. I had a verbal agreement with the team about extending my contract – I have a bright future in cycling and am feeling really good on the bike.”
Stage 17
EF Education Easy Post’s Richard Carapaz took Stage 17 in sensational style, and put his name in the history books by becoming the first Ecuadorian to win a stage at the Tour de France.
Carapaz, the 2019 Giro winner, enjoyed a solo victory at the end of the the 178km stage from Saint-Paul-Trois-chateaux to Superdevoluy.
“The win means everything to me … we’ve have been trying it since the beginning,” the Ecuadorian told reporters after the stage. “This was our first goal to get a stage win.
“Today was so difficult with attack after attack until eventually there was a big group. It’s going to be a day I will remember for my life. Ihad to wait for the right moment and made the most of it. We studied the course this morning with our sports director and I knew what I had to do.”
In other Stage 17 action Tadej Pogacar again showed his supreme form, the yellow jersey attacking later in the stage ‘just for the fun of it.’
“It was a stupid instinct,” he said after the stage. “ I did it to test the legs for the third week, and I think I’m going into the third week with a good shape. I also put some extra pressure on Remco and Jonas.”
General Classification After Stage 17
1: Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)
2:Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) + 00h 03′ 11”
3: Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) + 00h 05′ 09”
4: Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) + 00h 12′ 57”
5: Mikel Landa (Soudal Quick-Step) + 00h 13′ 24”
Stage 16
Belgian sprinter Jasper Philipsen secured his third victory in this year’s Tour de France, winning Stage 16 from Gruissan to Nîmes.
Philipsen was again towed towards the line by an almost flawless lead-out by Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate, World Champion Mathieu van der Poel.
While Philipsen celebrated his third stage victory fellow sprinter Biniam Girmay was slowly getting to his feet after crashing with around 1500m to go. Despite looking to be in pain, Girmay managed to finish the stage.
Meanwhile Mark Cavendish finished Stage 16 – the final sprint stage of his final Tour de France – in 17th place. I’m happy,” Cavendish told reporters at the Astana team bus after the stage. “We did what we set out to achieve at this year’s Tour.
“We did it early on, so we’re happy. It’s been successful. I think anything on top of the fifth stage would have been a bonus for us,” he concluded.
Now the final sprint stage is behind us the Tour continues into the southern alpes. Stage 17 features just under 3000m of climbing, predominantly in the final 40km of the 177km parcourse. On paper it looks like a day for the breakaway … but anything can happen at Le Tour.
Stage 15
Tadej Pogačar delivered a stunning performance on the second stage in the Pyrenees putting 1’08” into his main rival, Jonas Vingegaard.
The duel began when Vingegaard launched an attack from a reduced group of top riders after his teammate Jorgenson had set the pace. Only Pogačar, the UAE Team Emirates’ captain, could follow, staying on Vingegaard’s wheel for the next 5 kilometers. After a powerful acceleration, Pogačar surged ahead, leaving the Danish cyclist unable to respond.
Pogačar crossed the finish line with a triumphant 1’08” advantage over Vingegaard, who finished second. Remco Evenepoel of Soudal-Quick Step took third place, 2’51” behind.
The second rest day will see Pogačar hold a 3’09” lead over Vingegaard and a 5’19” lead over Evenepoel. The Tour will resume on Tuesday with the 188.6 km stage from Gruissan to Nimes, featuring an easier profile.
Reflecting on his performance, Pogačar said Sunday had been an incredible day.
“I would have never imagined this kind of outcome given how the second week began,” he said.
“I’m super happy with my shape. It was a super hard and super hot day, and I normally struggle a bit with warm weather. Yet my team did a super job. The Tour GC is looking really good right now. We have a comfortable lead and just need to stay focused for these final six days of racing. I have won a lot of stages in the Pyrenees. Somehow I like these mountains, and it is reciprocal! As for Plateau de Beille in particular, Adam Yates had told me this was the hardest climb he had ever done and I’m very glad I could win here.”
Tour de France – Stage 15 Results
1. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) 5h13’55”
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) +1’08”
3. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step) +2’51”
Tour de France – General Classification After Stage 15
1. Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) 61h56’24”
2. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) +3’09”
3. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step) +5’19”
Stage 14
Tadej Pogacar has further solidified his claim on the dual Giro / TDF title after yet another a stunning stage victory, this one in the Pyrenees.
A short, word-based report could never do justice to the history we are currently witnessing at the 2024 Tour – watching the visual stage 14 highlights is mandatory viewing for any keen fan. That said, after a surgically precise attack from Pogacar’s trusty teammate Adam Yates with 7 km to go, the winning move was underway.
Pogacar launched at 4.6 km to go with Vingegaard and Evenepoel chasing, but not as strongly or convincingly as on previous stages.
Pogacar blasted past Ben Healy, the only survivor of the breakaway, and – like an Exocet – remained locked in at full speed to cross finish line solo. Pogacar extended his overall lead to almost two minutes and it was the young Slovenian’s 13th career stage victory at the Tour.
Remco Vingegaard was 2nd with a gap of 39” and Remco Evenepoel 3rd at 1’10”.
Tonight’s Stage 15 looks even more brutal with a second consecutive high-country thriller on the table.
Stage 13
Jasper Philipsen has secured his second stage victory of this year’s Tour, but the Belgian sprinter has also been hit with renewed criticism over his race tactics.
Philipsen of team Alpecin-Deceuninck narrowly avoided a crash in the last kilometer and managed to fend off Wout Van Aert and Pascal Ackermann in Place de Verdun, Pau.
“We are already with two stage wins, so it’s not a bad Tour,” said an elated Philipsen after the stage. “We always want more, but we just have to go day by day and enjoy the victory today.”
“Wout was piloted perfectly by Christophe Laporte,” he continued, speaking of van Aert who finished second. ‘I was on the wheel but I had to launch early so I could pass him. So I’m really happy with the sprint and the feeling.
After the stage tensions flared as Israel-Premier Tech’s Ackermann refused to shake Philipsen’s hand, asserting that his rival should be relegated.
“Philipsen took my front wheel when he was passing me, turned right, and I nearly crashed,” Ackermann said. “He has done this multiple times, and he’s still at it. I hope they relegate him today, it’s too much.”
When asked to respond Philipsen replied, “I don’t like this kind of question, no comment.”
There was no change to General Classification, however we could be in for fireworks and a shake up after tonight’s stage that includes 4000m of climbing and a mountain finish.
Stage 12
Eritrean sprinter Binian Girmay won his third stage of this year’s Tour, the 24yo powering to victory in Villeneuve-sur-Lot.
In the points classification Girmay further consolidated his lead with 328 points, 107 more than closest rival Jasper Philipsen.
“I’d like to thank my team-mates and the staff,” Girmay said “Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to prove that I’m the fastest man on this Tour de France.
“I knew from the start of the Tour that I could achieve good results if all the conditions were right,” he continued.
“Over the last two weeks, I’ve proved that I can win any sprint if I’m in the right position. I didn’t feel any stress in the team today. As the final sprint approached, I told the team managers that I was feeling very good. I simply asked my team-mates to give me some support, and that was it.”
Overall GC After Stage 12
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 49hr 17min 49s
2. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step) +1min 06s
3. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) +1min 14s
4. Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) +4min 20s
5. Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers) +4min 40s
Stage 11
In arguably the most exciting GC battle of this year’s Tour to date, Jonas Vingegaard edged out Tadej Pogačar to win Stage 11 in Le Lioran.
All the action occurred in the final three climbs of the day, with Vingegaard ultimately out-sprinting Pogačar at the stage finish. The 211km stage, the longest of this year’s Tour, saw early breaks but ultimately came down to the main contenders, with the top four in the overall standings finishing at the front.
This win was particularly significant for Vingegaard, who hadn’t raced for three months due to his collapsed lung and fractured rib from that horror Basque crash.
“It’s very emotional for me,” Vingegaard said. “Coming back from the crash, it means a lot and all the things I went through in the last three months, it makes you think of that and I would never have been able to do this without my family.”
Pogačar now leads second-placed Remco Evenepoel by 1 minute and 6 seconds with Vingegaard a further 8 seconds back in GC.
Stage 10
Jasper Philipsen has powered to success at the end Stage 10.
Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck team rediscovered his sprinting prowess winning the stage from Orléans to Saint-Amand-Montrond. After an incredibly powerful leadout by World Champion Mathieu van der Poel, Philipsen finished ahead of Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay.
Philipsen, who secured four stage wins in 2023, had faced challenges in this year’s Tour.
“It’s never easy to win,” he said of his first victory in this year’s race. “Last week we had a rough time, and today maybe we made it look easy, but we know how difficult it is.”
Nicknamed ‘Jasper the disaster’ for his accident-prone style, Philipsen had been struggling since the Tour began in Florence. But he and MVDP finally rekindled their partnership. “For me, he was 10 out of 10,” Philipsen said of his teammate. “He played completely to his strength. This was what I imagined and what I hoped for – to see the world champion leading me out. All credit to him.”
Stage 9
It was one of the most memorable and action packed days in modern Tour de France history – a 199km stage starting and finishing in Troyes delivered nonstop drama and excitement.
More like a one-day classic, the day was marked by relentless attacks, potentially stage-changing moves, punctures, bike changes, and a host of on and off-bike incidents.
Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) emerged victorious on a stage that featured 14 gravel sectors. Tom Pidcock, renowned for his exceptional bike handling, finished a close second, with Derek Gee taking third place.
Key contenders Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) faced issues that forced them to expend valuable energy chasing back on as yellow jersey holder Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) launched multiple thrilling attacks.
Aussie Michael Matthews also made one of the day’s standout moves, accompanied by World Champion Matthew Van der Poel and dual stage winner Biniam Girmay. However, they couldn’t catch the lead riders and finished a minute behind.
Following a week of intense action, which included three unforgettable stages in Italy, Mark Cavendish’s triumphant Stage 5 victory, and Biniam Girmay’s two stage wins, today’s thrilling gravel stage sets the stage for the riders’ first rest day of the tour.
More to come.
Stage 8
Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty) has won his second stage of this year’s Tour, the Eritrean surging across the line after outsprinting Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceunick).
Other than Bini’s impressive win (after his Stage 6 2nd), the standout rider of the stage Jonas Abrahamsen of Uno-X Mobility – the sprinter / polka dot jersey holder who famously went from 60kg (two years ago) to around 80kg today!
The Norwegian powerhouse was out front solo today, and up to 6 minutes ahead! And yes, he was named most aggressive rider of the day.
Tomorrow’s Stage 9 is shaping up to be an absolute thriller. A 199km loop of Troyes, the stage includes numerous challenging gravel sectors – it will definitely be one worth staying up for.
Stage 7 – Individual Time Trial
Remco Evenepoel was absolutely flying at the Stage 7 ITT, the World TT champion proving yet again he is the fastest in the lonely solo race against the clock. Pogacar finished 2nd to Remco, with Roglic third and Vingegaard 4th.
Pogacar maintains his overall lead of the Tour, he’s now 33 seconds ahead of Evenepoel. Last year’s winner Jonas Vingegaard is in third, 1min 15 sec back.
Stage 6
Dylan Groenewegen of Jayco Alula has won stage six of the Tour de France, the Dutch champion beating Jasper Philipsen by a nose.
Philipsen was later relegated after the race jury said he deviated form his line and boxed out Wout van Aert. Subsequently Biniam Girmay was elevated to 2nd and Fernando Gaviria third.
Wearing his 350 euro Scicon aero nose piece, Groenewegen’s unusual ‘Batman’ nose cover has sparked conversation in the Tour’s first week, though its actual aerodynamic benefits remain uncertain.
Nonetheless, Groenewegen effectively used the clear air on the left side of the road to secure the Australian registered team’s first stage win of the 2024 Tour.
Sir Mark Cavendish, who celebrated his record-breaking 35th career Tour stage win just a day earlier on Stage 5, was unable to properly contend for the win after losing position in the final 100m.
Stage 5
He’s done it.
Mark Cavendish is now the leading Tour de France stage winner of all time.
Making history on Stage 5 of the race in Saint Vulbas, Cavendish passed Eddy Merckx long-standing record set when he retired in 1975.
Mark Cavendish aka ‘the Manx Missile’ last won a TDF stage in 2021 Tour. He came close to #35 on Stage 7 of the 2023 Tour, then crashed out with a broken collarbone on Stage 8.
He wore the rainbow jersey after winning the 2011 Road World Championships in Copenhagen, Denmark. The following year, in July 2012, he became the first rider to win the final stage of the TDF four consecutive times and also became the first rainbow jersey holder to win the final stage into Paris.
The veteran of 15 Tour de Frances, Cavendish had a shocker on stage 1 of this year’s Tour, struggling with illness in the heat. Explaining Saturday’s suffering he said “I don’t like bad days and don’t like to suffer. It normally takes me a few days to get into the Tour de France,” he added.
And today, on Stage 5, he was certainly into it. With team Astana showing unity and a very organised sprint train for the past 30 minutes of racing, the perfect outcome started to materialise within the final 500m.
Threading through gaps and surging to 65k/ph down the left side of the finish, Cavendish sprinted to perfection to win by a bike length.
“The boys got me into the best position today,” he said after the historic victory. “I shot onto any train that was going … I’m in a little bit of disbelief.”
“We gambled to come here and win at least one stage. It’s a big gamble for my boss, Alex Vinokourov, he knows we have to go in. And we’ve done it. We’ve worked out every little detail. Every little detail has been put into stages like today.
“It doesn’t mean we’re going to be the top of the UCI rankings or anything, but the Tour de France is bigger than cycling.”
More to come.
Stage 4
Tadej Pogačar has dominated on the first true climbing stage of the 2024 Tour, the Slovenian making a decisive move on the Galibier and, for his efforts, resuming custody of the Yellow Jersey.
In thrilling racing amid a backdrop of stunning scenery, the 139km Stage 4 started in Pinerolo, finished at Valloire, and included the climbs of Sestriere, Montgenevre and the famed Galibier.
Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a bike) initially held Pogačar’s wheel but dropped back around 350m later to have a deficit of 13 seconds at the top.
The final descent to the finish helped Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quickstep, 2nd), Juan Ayuso (3rd) and Primoz Roglic (Red Bull-Bora, 4th).
Tadej is the new leader of the GC with 45” on Evenepoel and 50” on Vingegaard.
Pogačar said it was “a dream stage, and finishing it off solo was very special.”
“I wanted to hit hard today, as I was confident I could win and put some seconds on my rivals,” the 2024 Giro winner said.
“I know this stage pretty well. I’ve trained a lot here and it felt like a home stage, passing through Sestrière and Montgenèvre. There was a lot of headwind in the Galibier climb, so the pace didn’t feel that hard when following wheels.
“I knew the downhill, and that helped a lot, but it was a bit scary and surprising to see that the first few corners were wet,” he continued.
“The gaps I created are good news for me. I can be happy with the position and the shape I am in right now. Yet there are three demanding weeks ahead of us, and as for this week in particular there is an ITT that can create some gaps.”
Stage 5 is a lot flatter with just 1000m of total elevation. It will start from Saint Jean de Maurienne and will finish in Saint Vulbas, a distance of 177 km. The second stage for the sprinters, we’re looking forward to seeing a fast finish.
Stage 3
Eritrean Biniam Girmay has made history as the first black African to win a stage of the Tour de France, the 24yo claiming the Stage 3 victory in Turin.
Girmay of team Intermarche-Wanty said “thanks to God … for giving me all the strength and support,” soon after the Turino finale.
“Since I started cycling I was never dreaming of being part of the Tour de France … now I can’t believe it,” he continued.
“Thank you to my family, my wife, to Eritrea and Africa,’ he said.
“We must be proud. Now we are part of the big races and have success. Now is our moment, now is our time, this for all Africa,” he significantly concluded, with Rwanda due to host the 2025 UCI Road World Championships.
Cavendish Misses His Stage 3 Opportunity
From shortly after the moment the route of the 2024 Tour de France was revealed Mark Cavendish started thinking Stage 3 was a huge opportunity to take sprint win #35. Some say the ‘Manx Missile’ based his entire training program around the 230km stage from Plaisance to Turin, and particularly the fast run into the line.
But bike racing can be a very cruel sport, the hourly variables incalculable.
Cavendish managed to avoid a large crash with just 2km to go, but the disruption was enough to knock him out of contention and make that 35th stage victory a little more difficult to grasp.
“Something was going to happen, you could feel it but you didn’t know where,” he said at the Astana team bus after the stage. I heard it and was on the brakes,“ he continued. “Thankfully we were OK. I don’t think anyone was hurt .. you don’t want anybody to crash. So we didn’t sprint, but we’re safe and that’s the main thing,” and upbeat Cavendish concluded.
EF Education-EasyPost rider Richard Carapaz is now in the yellow jersey, the 31yo Ecuadorian the first from his country to wear the famed jersey. With an exciting climbing stage tomorrow, Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard will be hot on Carapaz’s heels, the three riders on the same time in GC.
2024 Tour de France Stage 3 Top 5
1. Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty)
2. Fernando Gaviria (Movistar)
3. Arnaud de Lie (Lotto Dstny)
4. Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
5. Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla)
Stage 2
French team Arkea – B&B Hotels have enjoyed their first Tour de France stage victory with Kevin Vauquelin crushing the Stage 2 finish in Bologna.
The second successive victory to a French rider after the second day on Italian roads, a rider from another of Italy’s neighbours has slipped into the Yellow Jersey. Yes, Giro winner and one of the TDF race favourites Tadej Pogacar is now in yellow, with four others right on his tail.
Mounting the first real attack of the 2024 Tour, Pogacar made a trademark move on the Sam Luca climb, some 600 meters from the summit. Jonas Vingegaard was able to match the move and seemed happy with his form post-stage.
“I was happy I was able to follow Tadej on the second climb, this is probably one of the stages we feared the most,” he said. “Or we expected to lose time … because of the preparation of only one and a half months for this race to prepare properly. I think I can be super happy with my performance. I knew before my crash this was a stage that suited him better … after my crash maybe I was even more behind. At least now I can say I’m back – at least I’m super super close.”
General Classification After Stage 2
- Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 9:53:30
- Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) +0″
- Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) +0″
- Richard Carapaz (EF Education – EasyPost) +0″
- Romain Bardet (DSM-Firmenich PostNL) +6″
- Maxim van Gils (Lotto Dstny) +21″
- Egan Bernal (INEOS Grenadiers) +21″
- Pello Bilbao (Bahrain – Victorious) +21″
- Thomas Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers) +21″
10. Giulio Ciccone (Lidl – Trek) +21″
Stage 1
The Tour de France has begun with gusto with heatwave conditions and the first stage’s 3600m of climbing making for thrilling and challenging racing.
Frenchman Romain Bardet (DSM-firmenich PostNL) ultimately won the stage and will wear the first yellow jersey of his career when Stage 2 begins in Cesenatico at noon on Sunday.
One of the major stories of stage one was that of veteran sprinted Mark Cavendish who was visibly sick and struggled for most of the tough stage. For more on this you can see a video interview with former Aussie pro Mitch Docker on the Bicycling Australia Instagram.
Top 10 After Stage 1
1. Bardet (DSM-Firmenich PostNL)
2. Van Den Broek (DSM-Firmenich PostNL)
3. Van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike)
4. Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)
5. Van Gils (Lotto Dstny)
6. Aranburu (Movistar)
7. Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)
8. Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step)
9. Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious)
10. Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost)
