Ride International Tours

The Tour de France: A Brief History

2020 Tour De France Alps Paris

The Tour de France is an undeniably remarkable cycling event that encourages riders from all over the globe to stretch their personal physical limits and resilience.

Beginning with the first edition in 1903, the race has been through many changes, such as adding new stages and routes, and has become the massive race we know today.

In this blog, we will explore the history of this thrilling race, including the early years, the golden age where French and Italian cyclists dominated, and the modern era of cycling. It’s an inspiring journey that celebrates human achievement’s incredible power.

Humble Beginnings

The Tour de France was an incredibly audacious venture brought to life by Henri Desgrange, editor of the French sports newspaper L’Auto from 1900-1932.

Inspired by his background in cycling and organising sports events, Desgrange saw great promise in the six-day races in the United States and decided to take a chance to do something even more remarkable – a multi-stage race around France!

So it all started with Desgrange’s race announcement in January 1903. Fast forward half a year, and the first race kicked off with six stages and 2,428 km of terrain to cover in 19 days.

It was a thrilling challenge of stamina, with riders overcoming tough terrain and unpredictable weather conditions. 60 riders embarked on the race, and only 21 completed it.

Maurice Garin, a Frenchman, emerged victorious, winning three stages and finishing over two hours ahead of the runner-up and fellow Frenchman, Hippolyte Aucouturier.

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

The Early Years

The wild ride begins, full of controversy, discontent, and chaos. Riders resorted to cheating and sabotage in a desperate attempt to gain an edge. At the same time, the race organisers worked fruitlessly to maintain order.

The government suspended the race during World War I and II. Yet, it still managed to experience tremendous growth in popularity.

Race organisers added new stages, new riders emerged as stars, and the race helped establish cycling as a major global sport.

The first official Tour de France race takes place, consisting of six stages covering 2,428 km. Maurice Garin of France wins the race.

Mountain stages are introduced, with riders navigating the Pyrenees and the Alps.

The Tour’s organisers introduced the yellow jersey to allow spectators to identify the race’s leader quickly.

However, it was in mid-July 1919, almost a month into the race, that the jersey was awarded.

Before the yellow jersey was introduced, the race leader would wear a green armband to signal their position.

What does the yellow jersey mean?

Organisers introduced the yellow jersey (Malliot jaune) as a means for spectators to identify the race leader quickly. Organisers introduced the yellow jersey (Malliot jaune) as a means for spectators to identify the race leader quickly.

However, in mid-July 1919, almost a month into the race, they awarded the jersey.

During the Dreyfus affair , a major political scandal in France, the cost of advertising space in a leading sports paper skyrocketed, causing advertisers to become unhappy.

Advertisers withdrew their support in response to the rising cost of advertising and dissatisfaction with the paper’s support of Dreyfus. Instead, they backed the rival publication L’Auto, funded by the same advertisers.

Interestingly, L’Auto used yellow newsprint, leading some to speculate that the iconic yellow colour of the Tour de France’s yellow jersey was to match the distinctive colour in the paper purposely.

The Golden Age

The golden age of the Tour de France was a time of unparalleled greatness. French and Italian cyclists reveled in glory and became the source of national pride.

People were out in droves, cheering their heroes on and relishing their country’s great success.

It was a breathtaking sight – all around, people seemed to have come out of their homes in masses, the air thick with their passionate cheers in honour of the cycling champions, a unified spirit of love and admiration for their nation reigning strong.

Golden moments

Gino Bartali, an Italian cyclist, had a moment of glory when he achieved his second victory.

This monumental achievement was met with extreme joy from the Italian people, especially after the sorrow following the end of World War II. His victory is heroic, and he remains celebrated as a national hero in Italy.

The world held its breath as Frenchman Louison Bobet accomplished unprecedented greatness.

Bobet made history with his remarkable feat of becoming the first rider ever to win three consecutive races, an incredible accomplishment that set him apart and pushed the boundaries of what others believe can be achieved.

The legendary Jacques Anquetil rose to the challenge and achieved the impossible!

His feat of a record-breaking 5th win is a remarkable testament to his skill and unyielding dedication, making him one of the greatest athletes the world has ever seen!

His accomplishment will forever be remembered and celebrated.

The Modern Era

The Tour de France of today looks drastically different from the humble event that began in France many years ago.

Just think, what was once a mere French event is now a global phenomenon, attracting riders from all corners of the world, each showing remarkable finesse and high competition standards.

Unforgettable highlights

The triumphs of French rider Laurent Fignon in 1983 and 1984 were legendary!

Famed for his daring and unorthodox approach to cycling, Fignon utilised aerodynamic equipment and a low riding position for a unique advantage over his competitors.

His feats of cycling prowess remain the stuff of legends.

The cycling world was devastated by the doping scandal, with multiple riders testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.

This led to urgent action from race organisers, taking necessary steps to prevent further cheating and bringing in stricter testing protocols and punishments for cyclists who violate the rules.

What an incredible moment for Australia when Cadel Evans, who had already tasted defeat twice in 2007 and 2008, finally won in 2011! This victory had a lasting impact on cycling in Australia, inspiring a new generation of riders and cycling enthusiasts.

The legend continues

The Tour de France stands head and shoulders above other sporting events – its real presence on the world stage continues its strength.

It remains the go-to competition for top cyclists worldwide, a gruelling challenge that tests every aspect of their skill and strength.

People come from near and far to witness this awe-inspiring event, and it continues to captivate the hearts and minds of millions across the globe.

Phil Anderson Signature Tour

New routes and stages

In recent years, organisers have updated the course design to make the race even more exciting and captivating, including the following:

On this historic day, the 109th edition marked its inaugural start in Yorkshire, England, thus beginning a new era for the world-renowned race.

Following the English Channel crossing, the riders continued through France, with a challenging mountain stage in the Vosges and a grand finale on the towering Puy-de-Dôme volcano.

The Tour de France included a particularly difficult stage that ended with a climb up the iconic Mont Ventoux. An unfortunate motorbike incident occurred at Challet Reynard near the summit.

Several riders, including overall race winner Chris Froome, had to run with their bikes to complete the stage.

The twenty-first stage provided a thrilling conclusion as riders faced a challenging ascent of the Col du Portet in the Pyrenees, with steep inclines and decreased oxygen levels at higher altitudes.

The race began in the enchanted region of Brittany and culminated in the City of Love – Paris, as is tradition! Yet, this year the cyclists were presented with new obstacles, including:

  • The daunting Mont Ventoux
  • The steep ascent up the Col du Portet in the Pyrenees!

With a booming start from Copenhagen, the 2022 tour began its epic 3,328km journey through Belgium, France and the Alps.

After battling six gruelling mountain stages and five altitude finishes, riders faced their final challenges in the Pyrenees mountains before the action-packed final stage on the Champs-Elysées in Paris.

This is a testament to how passionate the organisers are about creating a challenging and beautiful route that celebrates the diverse landscape of France and surrounding countries.

Ultimate Tour de France Gallery 01

Experience the Ultimate Tour de France Tour

We are absolutely in love with France – the people, its unique art and culture, its incredible food and wine , its long and fascinating history, the beautiful outdoors, the magnificent mountains and its unparalleled enthusiasm for the world’s biggest sporting event.

We are excited to show you the dream Tour de France experience, including our loop rides of:

  • Alpe D’huez
  • Mont Ventoux, Paris
  • Many more breathtaking locations around France.

View our Ultimate Tour de France cycling tour details for more information on an experience you won’t forget!

Follow Us On Instagram

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

join the FeedStation newsletter

We won’t over feed your email inbox. But we will keep it hydrated.

Newsletter Subscription

Ride International Tours

We are a passionate family business that prides itself on hosting exceptional cycling vacations since 2007.

Whether it’s your first time cycling abroad, or you’re an experienced rouleur, our team takes care of all the details on and off the bike to create wonderful travel experiences.

  • FeedStation
  • Term & Conditions
  • Tour Down Under
  • Giro d’Italia
  • Tour de France
  • Tour of Spain
  • Spring Classics
  • French Pyrenees Tour

P: 1300 140 311

E: [email protected]

TripAdvisor

The 5-minute essential guide to the Tour de France

‘la grande boucle’.

In over a century of existence, the Tour has extended its distance and passed through the whole country. Almost 3,500 kilometers are now covered each year in the first three weeks of July, with 22 teams of 8 cyclists. The 176 competitors criss-cross the most beautiful roads of France in 23 days, over 21 stages. More than a third of France’s departments are passed through, on a route that changes each year.

A little tour to start

The first ever Tour de France took place in 1903. It had just six stages – Paris-Lyon, Lyon-Marseille, Marseille-Toulouse, Toulouse-Bordeaux, Bordeaux-Nantes and Nantes-Paris – and 60 cyclists at the start line. At the time, the brave cycled up to 18 hours at a stretch, by day and night, on roads and dirt tracks. By the end, they’d managed 2,300 kilometers. Must have had some tight calves!

Mountain events are often the most famous and hotly contested. Spectators watch in awe as the riders attack the passes and hit speeds of 100 km/h. In the Pyrenees and the Alps, the Galibier and Tourmalet ascents are legendary sections of the Tour, worthy of a very elegant polka dot jersey for the best climber…

The darling of the Tour

In terms of the number of victories per nation, France comes out on top, with 36 races won by a French cyclist. In second place is Belgium with 18 wins, and in third is Spain with 12. The darling of the Tour remains Eddy Merckx, holding the record of 111 days in the yellow jersey. This Belgian won 5 times the Great Loop as Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault and Michael Indurain.

‘Le maillot jaune’

The yellow jersey is worn by the race winner in the general classification (calculated by adding up the times from each individual stage). This tradition goes back to 1919. It has nothing to do with the July sunshine or the sunflower fields along the roads; it was simply the colour of the pages of newspaper L’Auto, which was creator and organiser of the competition at the time.

The Tour de France is the third major world sporting event after the Olympic Games and the World Cup, covered by 600 media and 2,000 journalists. The race is broadcast in 130 countries by 100 television channels over 6,300 hours, and is followed by 3.5 billion viewers.

The Champs-Élysées finish

Each year the Tour departs from a different city, whether in France or in a neighbouring country. Since 1975, the triumphal arrival of the cyclists has always taken place across a finish line on Paris’ Champs-Élysées. It’s a truly beautiful setting for the final sprint.

And the winner is…

Seen from the sky and filmed by helicopters or drones, the Tour route resembles a long ribbon winding its way through France’s stunning landscapes: the groves of Normandy, the peaks of the Alps, the shores of Brittany and the beaches of the Côte d’Azur. In 2017, it was the Izoard pass in Hautes-Alpes that was elected the most beautiful stage, at an altitude of 2,361 metres. Which one gets your vote?

Find out more on the official Tour de France site: https://www.letour.fr (External link)

Journalist-traveller. I often voyage to the end of the world to explore what France offers... just next door. [email protected]

Join the Accor TRIBE in Paris newest hipster hub

Tour de France : Final stage of glory in Paris

Sofitel Hotels, ambassador of modern French style

Tour de France 2017 Route stage 20: ITT in Marseille

In recent years the ITT’s in La Grande Boucle were getting less and less prominent. The 2017 edition opens with a 14 kilometres chronorace, while this stage brings a route of 22.5 kilometres – that’s 36.5 kilometres combined. Not that long ago there were two time trials at that distance scheduled in one Tour de France.

The riders roll off the ramp near Stade Vélodrome to arrive there as well. The route runs on flat roads to the foot of the steep ramps to Notre-Dame de la Garde. This basilica overlooks the city of Marseille and the climb is 1.2 kilometre at 9.1%. Following a 2 kilometres descent the last 5 kilometres head back to the home base of the Olympique de Marseille football club.

The route goes along La Corniche, the picturesque seaside road, and the old harbour Le Vieux Port.

It is the 35th time Marseille hosts the Tour de France. In the very first edition, in 1903, Hippolyte Aucouturier won a 374 kilometres stage from Lyon, while Mark Cavendish sprinted to victory in 2013. This was also last the time the Tour de France visited Marseille.

Live ticker 20th stage . The arrival of the last rider is expected 17:32 (local time).

Read about the favourites  to win the stage and the start times .

Tour de France 2017 stage 20: Route maps, height profiles, and more

Click on the images to zoom

Tour de France 2017: All stages - source:letour.fr

  • Subscribe to newsletter

It's going to be so great to have you with us! We just need your email address to keep in touch.

By submitting the form, I hereby give my consent to the processing of my personal data for the purpose of sending information about products, services and market research of ŠKODA AUTO as well as information about events, competitions, news and sending me festive greetings, including on the basis of how I use products and services. For customer data enrichment purpose ŠKODA AUTO may also share my personal data with third parties, such as Volkswagen Financial Services AG, your preferred dealer and also the importer responsible for your market. The list of third parties can be found here . You can withdraw your consent at any time.  Unsubscribe

The Origin Story of the Tour de France

The Origin Story of the Tour de France

The first Tour de France took place over 100 years ago, back in 1903. Do you know why the race was held and who had the idea for cyclists to go around the whole of France?

The story begins at the turn of the 20th century with two French newspapers competing for readers. The editor-in-chief of the cycling newspaper Le Vélo, Pierre Giffard, held different political views from one of the newspaper’s major patrons, Jules-Albert Dion. They stood on opposing sides of the Dreyfus case. Alfred Dreyfus was an Alsatian Jew who was framed with manufactured evidence and given a life sentence for supposedly passing secrets to the Germans. This issue divided France, the conservative part wanted him sentenced, while progressives wanted him exonerated. Jules-Albert Dion decided to halt his support of Le Vélo and establish a new newspaper called L’Auto-Vélo to drive Pierre Giffard’s Le Vélo out of business.

Henri Desgrange was chosen as the editor for the new L’Auto-Vélo newspaper. Henri Desgrange was a man of many talents, he was a lawyer, cycling promoter, and former competitor himself. He set the first World Hour Record with 35,325 kilometres in 1893. He wrote a successful book about racing, Head and Legs . And he also managed a velodrome that got little mention from Giffard, which was further motivation for him to succeed with L’Auto-Vélo.

Henri Desgrange

In 1900, the first issue of L’Auto-Vélo came out printed on yellow paper to differentiate itself from the green paper of Le Vélo. Le Vélo was quick to sue the new magazine for plagiarism, claiming that they chose a name that was too similar. Le Vélo won the lawsuit and L’Auto-Vélo was forced to rename to L’Auto, the first blow to the new newspaper. As time went on, L’Auto kept losing the battle for sports readership with the more established Le Vélo. They needed something big to attract cycling fans.

In November of 1902, Desgrange called his core staff for an emergency lunch to brainstorm ideas that could reinvigorate the newspaper and give it an edge. Géorges Lefèvre, a writer who was covering cycling and rugby, came prepared.

Géorges Lefèvre: “Let’s organize a race that lasts several days longer than anything else. Like the six-day ones on the track, but on the road. Our big towns will welcome the riders.”

Henri Desgrange: “If I understand you correctly, petit Géo, you’re proposing a Tour de France?”

Géorges Lefèvre: “Yes, why not?”

Henri Desgrange: “I will ask Victor.”

Desgrange apparently took credit for the idea when he proposed the race to the financial controller of L’Auto, Victor Goddet. Goddet, to the surprise of Desgrange, approved the idea, despite the massive costs that would come with it. He understood the promotional value of this epic proposal.

The loss of the plagiarism suit and declining readership gave L’Auto reasons to proceed with speed with the race in order to promote the magazine to cycling fans. The other sports magazines had their own races, but Lefèvre’s idea would completely leapfrog these other races in scope and appeal.

They moved fast and on the 19 th of January 1903 L’Auto announced the biggest cycling race that would span 2,428 km over 6 stages from 31 st May to 5 th July. No assistance, no pacers, no coaches, no masseuses so that all riders have the same conditions.

There were only 15 signups for this monstrous race about a week before the start. Henri acted quick. He moved the start date to the 19 th of July and promised 5 francs per day for the top 50 riders and increased the prize pool to 20,000 francs. Soon, he has a peloton of 60 competitors ready to put on a show, 49 French, 4 Belgian, 4 Swiss, 2 German, and 1 Italian cyclist. Only 21 of these are professional cyclists and many of them aren’t even full-time competitors. Most of the participants are simply adventurers or unemployed.

Henri Desgrange remains sceptical of this whole risky endeavour and stays hidden in the newspaper office on the first day of the race. Géo Lefèvre is the true hero of L’Auto. He follows the whole race, sometimes on a bike himself, other times in a car or catching trains so he doesn’t miss a single checkpoint. He becomes the race director, commissaire, and reporter in one.

The race turns into a sensation. Hundreds of thousands of fans come to the streets to cheer the riders on their gruelling route and over 20,000 are waiting at the velodrome in Paris at the finish line. L’Auto rides the success and nearly triples its readership during the race.

It only takes another year for L’Auto to completely dominate the cycling world with Tour de France’s success and bankrupt its competitor Le Vélo. Pierre Giffard loses the battle of cycling newspapers and his job along with it. It doesn’t take long and Henri Desgrange offers him a position as a cycling reporter in his growing magazine L’Auto.

Articles you might like

wheels-roundup-lefevere-fined-visma-lease-a-bike-documentary-reveals-in-fighting-at-vuelta

Wheels Roundup: Lefevere Fined, Visma–Lease a Bike Documentary Reveals In-Fighting at Vuelta

Not long after criticizing both the lifestyle and the partner of his French rider Julian Alaphilippe, for which Lefevere had to apologize, he has been handed a conditional fine by the UCI for “public comments considered as disparaging towards women.”

2024-looks-like-a-great-year-for-sprinters

2024 Looks Like a Great Year for Sprinters

Soudal–Quick-Step’s Tim Merlier continued the bright start to his season by winning Wednesday’s sprinter-friendly Nokere Koerse for a third consecutive year. Fabio Jakobsen (DSM-Firmenich-PostNL) finished second and last year’s Tour de France Škoda Green Jersey winner, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), was third.

5-post-ride-mistakes-to-avoid

5 Post-Ride Mistakes to Avoid

Great job. That was another epic ride, and you killed it. Now, all you have to do is check your Strava stats and reflect on your ride. See what aspects of your ride you can improve. There’s nothing more important than this. Or is there?

remco-evenepoel-on-finishing-second-in-paris-nice-for-sure-i-should-be-happy

Remco Evenepoel on Finishing Second in Paris-Nice: ‘For Sure I Should be Happy’

Following his second-place finish in Paris-Nice, Remco Evenepoel chose to linger in Nice, contemplating his overall performance during the prestigious cycling event. The aftermath of the race saw him undertaking two laps of the challenging 34km Monaco to Nice time trial, a stage that will…

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

  • History Classics
  • Your Profile
  • Find History on Facebook (Opens in a new window)
  • Find History on Twitter (Opens in a new window)
  • Find History on YouTube (Opens in a new window)
  • Find History on Instagram (Opens in a new window)
  • Find History on TikTok (Opens in a new window)
  • This Day In History
  • History Podcasts
  • History Vault

The Birth of the Tour de France

By: Christopher Klein

Updated: May 8, 2023 | Original: June 28, 2013

Riders descend a hill during stage seven of the 83rd Tour de France in 1969.

On July 1, 1903, 60 men mounted their bicycles outside the Café au Reveil Matin in the Parisian suburb of Montgeron. The five-dozen riders were mostly French, with just a sprinkle of Belgians, Swiss, Germans and Italians. A third were professionals sponsored by bicycle manufacturers, the others were simply devotees of the sport. All 60 wheelmen, however, were united by the challenge of embarking on an unprecedented test of endurance—not to mention the 20,000 francs in prize money—in the inaugural Tour de France.

At 3:16 p.m., the cyclists turned the pedals of their bicycles and raced into the unknown.

Nothing like the Tour de France had ever been attempted before. Journalist Geo Lefevre had dreamt up the fanciful race as a stunt to boost the circulation of his struggling daily sports newspaper, L’Auto. Henri Desgrange, the director-editor of L’Auto and a former champion cyclist himself, loved the idea of turning France into one giant velodrome. They developed a 1,500-mile clockwise loop of the country running from Paris to Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Nantes before returning to the French capital. There were no Alpine climbs and only six stages—as opposed to the 21 stages in the 2013 Tour— but the distances covered in each of them were monstrous, an average of 250 miles. (No single stage in the 2013 Tour tops 150 miles.) Between one and three rest days were scheduled between stages for recovery.

The first stage of the epic race was particularly dastardly. The route from Paris to Lyon stretched nearly 300 miles. No doubt several of the riders who wheeled away from Paris worried not about winning the race—but surviving it.

Unlike today’s riders, the cyclists in 1903 rode over unpaved roads without helmets. They rode as individuals, not team members. Riders could receive no help. They could not glide in the slipstream of fellow riders or vehicles of any kind. They rode without support cars. Cyclists were responsible for making their own repairs. They even rode with spare tires and tubes wrapped around their torsos in case they developed flats.

And unlike modern-day riders, the cyclists in the 1903 Tour de France, forced to cover enormous swathes of land, spent much of the race riding through the night with moonlight the only guide and stars the only spectators. During the early morning hours of the first stage, race officials came across many competitors “riding like sleepwalkers.”

Hour after hour through the night, riders abandoned the race. One of the favorites, Hippolyte Aucouturier, quit after developing stomach cramps, perhaps from the swigs of red wine he took as an early 1900s version of a performance enhancer.

Twenty-three riders abandoned the first stage of the race, but the one man who barreled through the night faster than anyone else was another pre-race favorite, 32-year-old professional Maurice Garin. The mustachioed French national worked as a chimney sweep as a teenager before becoming one of France’s leading cyclists. Caked in mud, the diminutive Garin crossed the finish line in Lyon a little more than 17 hours after the start outside Paris. In spite of the race’s length, he won by only one minute.

“The Little Chimney Sweep” built his lead as the race progressed. By the fifth stage, Garin had a two-hour advantage. When his nearest competitor suffered two flat tires and fell asleep while resting on the side of the road, Garin captured the stage and the Tour was all but won.

The sixth and final stage, the race’s longest, began in Nantes at 9 p.m. on July 18, so that spectators could watch the riders arrive in Paris late the following afternoon. Garin strapped on a green armband to signify his position as race leader. (The famed yellow jersey worn by the race leader was not introduced until 1919.) A crowd of 20,000 in the Parc des Princes velodrome cheered as Garin won the stage and the first Tour de France. He bested butcher trainee Lucien Pothier by nearly three hours in what remains the greatest winning margin in the Tour’s history. Garin had spent more than 95 hours in the saddle and averaged 15 miles per hour. In all, 21 of the 60 riders completed the Tour, with the last-place rider more than 64 hours behind Garin.

For Desgrange, the race was an unqualified success. Newspaper circulation soared six-fold during the race. However, a chronic problem that would perpetually plague the Tour de France was already present in the inaugural race—cheating. The rule-breaking started in the very first stage when Jean Fischer illegally used a car to pace him. Another rider was disqualified in a subsequent stage for riding in a car’s slipstream.

That paled in comparison, however, to the nefarious activity the following year in the 1904 Tour de France. As Garin and a fellow rider pedaled through St. Etienne, fans of hometown rider Antoine Faure formed a human blockade and beat the men until Lefevre arrived and fired a pistol to break up the melee. Later in the race, fans protesting the disqualification of a local rider placed tacks and broken glass on the course. The riders acted a little better. They hitched rides in cars during the dark and illegally took help from outsiders. Garin himself was accused of illegally obtaining food during a portion of one stage. The race was so plagued by scandal that four months later Desgrange disqualified Garin and the three other top finishers. It, of course, wouldn’t be the last time a Tour winner was stripped of his title.

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

Sign up for Inside History

Get HISTORY’s most fascinating stories delivered to your inbox three times a week.

By submitting your information, you agree to receive emails from HISTORY and A+E Networks. You can opt out at any time. You must be 16 years or older and a resident of the United States.

More details : Privacy Notice | Terms of Use | Contact Us

Tour de France 2024

Latest news from the race, awe-inspiring ttt footage at paris-nice leads to possible drone footage for tour de france, bora-hansgrohe to roll out red bull branded kits, bikes before tour de france, ‘i’d like to get back’ - tour de france return remains the goal for chris froome, 2024 tour de france information.

The 111th edition of the Tour de France starts in Florence, Italy, on Saturday, June 29 and ends three weeks later in Nice on Sunday, July 21. It is the first time the Tour starts in Italy and the first time it finishes in Nice to avoid the preparations for the 2024 Paris Olympics Games, which begin just a week later.

The route of the world's biggest race covers a total of 3,492km with some 52,320 metres of overall elevation, passing through four nations – Italy, San Marino, France, and Monaco. It features two individual time trials for a total of 59km, four mountain-top finishes, a series of gravel sections on stage 9, and a final hilly time trial to Nice. The official route was unveiled on October 25 in a special ceremony in Paris.

Tour de France champion  Jonas Vingegaard  (Jumbo-Visma) won his second GC title last year and will be back to defend his title against top rival Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), who finished second overall. Vingegaard is likely to face a huge challenge from not just Pogačar, but also Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) and former teammate turned rival Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe).

Join Cyclingnews' coverage of the 2024 Tour de France with live coverage, race reports, results, photo galleries, news and race analysis.

  • Tour de France 2024 route

The 2024 Tour de France includes 52,230 metres of vertical gain across 3,492km of climbs, sprints and time trialling from Italy into France, with fewer high climbs than in the past and shorter stages. 

It is a balanced three weeks of racing that includes eight flat stages, four mountain-top finishes and two individual time trials, the final test against the clock is a hilly time trial to Nice that could create suspense. The race has 25km of racing above 2,000 metres and 27 mountains classified as second, first, or HC.

Florence, Italy, will host the team presentation, and stage 1 will roll out from Piazzale Michelangelo to open the Grand Tour for the first time. The first two stages are just over 200km each and include climbing, with the third day in Italy a flatter affair at 225km from Piacenza to Turin. 

Stage 4 heads into France and straight away to the Alps, with climbs across Sestriere, the Col de Montgenèvre and the Col du Galibier before a fast descent to Valloire. After two days with opportunities for breakaways and fast finishers, the first time trial comes on stage 7 at 25km. The first week ends with back-to-back stages ending in the champagne capital of Troyes to the southeast of Paris, including stage 9, which is a far tougher day due to the 14 sectors of gravel.

Week two of the 2024 Tour starts with a four-day ride south to the Pyrenees via the Massif Central and the rural France Profonde, with stages to Saint-Amand-Montrond, Le Lioran, Villeneuve-sur-Lot and then Pau. The Tour celebrates the Bastille Day holiday weekend in the Pyrenees with consecutive mountain finishes - stage 14 finishes in Pla d'Adet after climbing the Col du Tourmalet and the Hourquette d’Ancizan while stage 15 climbs the Portet d'Aspet and the Col d’Agnes for the finish up to Plateau de Beille.

Following the second rest day in Gruissan on the Mediterranean coast near the border with Spain on Monday, July 15, the final week leads into the Alps. The contenders should face a final shakeout once the race reaches stage 20, as the 2,802-metre high Cime de la Bonette and final ascent to Isola 2000 will be decisive. The final stage of the 2024 Tour is a 34km hilly time trial from Monaco to Nice.

Check out all the details of the 2024 Tour de France route .

  • There's no way to Jumbo-proof the Tour de France - 2024 route analysis
  • ‘I think it’s a good parcours for me’ - Jonas Vingegaard keen on 2024 Tour de France route
  • Mark Cavendish: 'It might be the hardest route I've ever seen at the Tour de France'
  • Jasper Philipsen sees 'a very difficult end' for sprinters in 2024 Tour de France
  • Tour de France 2024 gravel stage 'increases chance of bad luck' says Plugge
  • Remco Evenepoel tempted by 2024 Giro d'Italia-Tour de France combo
  • Regal reveals for Tour de France, Tour de France Femmes 2024 routes - Gallery
  • As it happened: All the information about the 2024 Tour de France route unveiled
  • Tour de France 2024 routes – All the rumours ahead of the official presentation

Tour de France 2024 Contenders

Defending Tour de France champion  Jonas Vingegaard will again have a strong Jumbo-Visma team to support his quest for a third title, but this time, former team leader Primož Roglič has turned to rival as he looks to give Bora-Hansgrohe top billing. Vingegaard will also face huge challenges from Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep). 

In the flat stages, look for last year's green jersey victor Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) to contest for another title against Fabio Jakobsen , now with Team dsm-firmenich, and Caleb Ewan , now with Jayco-AlUIa. And fastman Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) is back for an 18th pro season to mix it up in the sprints, on the hunt for a record-breaking 35th Tour de France stage victory.

And there will be opportunities across the three weeks for breakaway riders to shine, including the likes of Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal-QuickStep), Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck).

Tour de France 2024 stages

  • Tour de France past winners
  • Stage 1 | Florence - Rimini 2024-06-29 205km
  • Stage 2 | Cesenatico - Bologna 2024-06-30 200km
  • Stage 3 | Piacenza - Turin 2024-07-01 225km
  • Stage 4 | Pinerolo - Valloire 2024-07-02 138km
  • Stage 5 | Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne - Saint-Vulbas Plaine de l'Ain 2024-07-03 177km
  • Stage 6 | Mâcon - Dijon 2024-07-04 163km
  • Stage 7 | Nuits-Saint-Georges - Gevrey-Chambertin (ITT) 2024-07-05 25km
  • Stage 8 | Semur-en-Auxois - Colombey-les-Deux-Églises 2024-07-06 176km
  • Stage 9 | Troyes - Troyes 2024-07-07 199km
  • Rest Day 1 | Orléans 2024-07-08
  • Stage 10 | Orléans - Saint-Amand-Montrond 2024-07-09 187km
  • Stage 11 | Évaux-les-Bains - Le Lioran 2024-07-10 211km
  • Stage 12 | Aurillac - Villeneuve-sur-Lot 2024-07-11 204km
  • Stage 13 | Agen - Pau 2024-07-12 171km
  • Stage 14 | Pau - Saint-Lary-Soulan (Pla d'Adet) 2024-07-13 152km
  • Stage 15 | Loudenvielle - Plateau de Beille 2024-07-14 198km
  • Rest Day 2 | Gruissan 2024-07-15
  • Stage 16 | Gruissan - Nîmes 2024-07-16 187km
  • Stage 17 | Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux - Superdévoluy 2024-07-17 178km
  • Stage 18 | Gap - Barcelonnette 2024-07-18 179km
  • Stage 19 | Embru - Isola 2000 2024-07-19 145km
  • Stage 20 | Nice - Col de la Couillole 2024-07-20 133km
  • Stage 21 | Monaco - Nice (ITT) 2024-07-21 34km

Latest Content on the Race

By James Moultrie published 12 March 24

News 'Nothing has been decided but we're thinking about it' says broadcast director with eyes on Troyes gravel stage

By Stephen Farrand published 7 March 24

News German team working on new colours after energy drink buys 51% controlling stake

By James Moultrie, Stephen Farrand published 5 March 24

News Four-time winner lines out at Tirreno-Adriatico for his first WorldTour appearance since April of last year

Roglic predicts 'beautiful' Tour de France matchup with Vingegaard, Pogacar and Evenepoel

By James Moultrie published 20 February 24

News 'It's the best for us to have the highest level, and the best one will win' says Slovenian ahead of season debut in Paris-Nice

‘I’m not delusional but I’m not under-ambitious’ - Sepp Kuss clarifies his Tour de France ambitions

By Alasdair Fotheringham published 14 February 24

News American plays down idea of co-leadership with Jonas Vingegaard in 2024 Grand Boucle

'This is not our project' – Tour de France director claims One Cycling reforms doomed to failure

By Stephen Farrand published 13 February 24

News 'Every time cycling has tried to transform itself solely with money, it has failed' says Christian Prudhomme

Remco Evenepoel: Tour de France podium would be a dream come true

By James Moultrie published 9 February 24

News Belgian starts long road to the Tour at Figueira Champions Classic with the top three in Nice labelled as key goal for 2024

The event of the summer – Remco Evenepoel's Tour de France debut

By Daniel Ostanek published 8 February 24

2024 preview The countdown begins to the Belgian's battle with Vingegaard, Pogacar, and Roglic this July

'To fight for the same thing is exciting' – Geraint Thomas relishes Giro-Tour battle with Pogacar

By Daniel Ostanek published 2 February 24

News 'It's something that excites me. It scares me too, but it's a good thing' Welshman says of double Grand Tour attempt

Mark Cavendish lays the foundations for 2024 success at Colombian altitude camp

By Alasdair Fotheringham published 25 January 24

News 'Mark wants to improve his aerobic capacity' explains Astana head coach Vasilis Anastopoulos

Top News on the Race

Geraint thomas to ride giro d'italia and tour de france in 2024, 2024 tour de france wildcards awarded to uno-x mobility and totalenergies, alberto contador: if pogacar wins the giro d’italia and tour de france, he’ll try for the vuelta, mikel landa: 'i still dream of winning a grand tour', related features, tour de france 2024 - four contenders, four different paths to the big showdown, 'if nothing goes wrong, tadej is boss’ - adam yates on the tour de france and life with pogacar, 'it's a year to rebuild and find my feet again' – caleb ewan starts over at jayco-alula, tim wellens: if anybody can do the giro-tour double, it’s tadej pogačar.

facts abut tour de france

13 Enduring Facts about Le Tour de France

The Tour de France is a world-famous endurance and speed race held annually. It involves a 23-day tour through different countries but always involving and ending in France. Covering approximately 2,200 miles, It is the longest cycle race in the world ! Here are some fun facts about the Tour de France to help clue you up on this world-famous spectacle.

1. The Tour always ends in the same place.

The finish line of the Tour de France is always on the Champs Elysee in Paris, France. However, the route otherwise changes from year to year!

2. It’s been going for well over a century.

The first Tour de France was held in 1903. It’s captivated plenty of attention ever since, though there have been delays over the years. It was canceled during WWI and WWII, and there were delays during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

3. What is Le Grand Depart?

‘Le Grand Depart’, translates to mean ‘The big start’! It certainly is spectacular, with a build-up of anticipation and much media coverage.

facts about tour de france

4. Don’t worry… they take breaks!

Cyclists taking part in the Tour don’t actually ride for the full 23 days! They take two rest days off in between – there has to be a limit!

5. What is a stage, anyway?

A ‘stage’ in the Tour de France refers to a leg of the race. Stages can last for up to 6 hours each. Each day of cycling produces a stage winner, who takes a place on the podium. There are 21 stages in total, one for each of the 21 days of racing. Got all of that?

6. Go for yellow!

The Maillot Jaune is the famous yellow jersey worn by the rider who is acknowledged to have achieved the best time/s for the race. The aim is to finish in yellow, essentially!

7. The women will have their turn on the Tour!

A new women’s Tour de France race is to be launched in 2022. It will be known as the ’Tour de France Femmes’, translating to ’Tour de France Women’. Right now, women don’t take part in the main Tour de France races.

8. Cycling burns a TON of calories.

Cyclists burn between 5,000 and 7,000 calories during a daily stage! Musettes, or food bags, are passed to them as they cycle. The nutrients in the food is designed to sustain them through the race!

9. Not bad starting out!

In 1904, Henri Comet was the youngest driver to win the Tour de France. He was the champion 13 days before his 20th birthday that year! In 2020, Tadej Pogacar came close – he was was one day away from his 22nd birthday when he won.

facts abut tour de france

10. That’s a LOT of pedaling.

Eddy Merckx remains the all-time record holder with the most stages won – he claimed a total of 34 over the years!

11. Millions of people tune in – and who could blame them?

Believe it or not, the Tour de France is probably the most-watched sport on the planet. Millions of people watch it both in person and on TV!

12. Better prepare the cistern, then…?

Tour de France cyclists are said to produce enough sweat in one race to flush a toilet more than 39 times. Now there’s a fact you’ll want to remember…

facts abut tour de france

13. You’re never too old to tour!

The oldest ever winner of the Tour de France was Firmin Lambot – he was the ripe old age of 36 when he claimed the title!

FAQs about The Tour de France

Do tour de france riders pee during the race.

Yes - if they need to take a ‘comfort break’, riders can take to the side of a road to relieve themselves. This normally takes place organized ahead of time.

Has anyone died while taking part in the Tour de France?

Yes - there have been a total of four casualties that have taken place during the race over the years.

Has anyone cheated during the Tour de France?

There have been various scandals that have plagued the races - and Lance Armstrong’s exposure during a doping scandal was perhaps the biggest. He lost all seven of his TDF titles.

Do you know any fun facts about the Tour de France? Share them in the comments below!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This page was last modified on July 27, 2023. Suggest an edit

Related 'Sport' Facts

Brittany

10 Brilliant Facts about Brittany

The Blue Lagoon

12 Breezy Facts about the Blue Lagoon

Emmanuel Macron

10 Statesmanlike Facts about Emmanuel Macron

Share these facts, there are 1000s of interesting and fun facts to learn about our planet..

Explore our world map to discover some fascinating facts for every country…

Explore our world map and discover facts for every country

Latest Facts

1950s

22 Fierce Facts about the 1950s

1960s

54 Ultimate Facts about the 1960s

1970s

17 Ultimate Facts about the 1970s

1980s

39 Ultimate Facts about the 1980s

university life

6 Tips for Surviving University Life

  • Fact of the Day
  • In This Year
  • On This Day
  • tour de france

National Geographic content straight to your inbox—sign up for our popular newsletters here

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

A guide to Marseille: beaches, bouillabaisse and street art on the French Med

As France gears up to host the Rugby World Cup, take the time to explore one of its key venues — a truly Mediterranean city in the midst of a decade-old renaissance.

“Marseille has a strong personality,” says tour guide Alexandra Blanc Véa as we take in the art of the graffiti-splashed Cours Julien district. A Paris native who’s been a resident of Marseille for over 20 years, she leads me down streets hastily sprayed with calls for strike action, to reach the grand, climate-conscious mural Man vs Wild. This piece by local artist Mahn Kloix covers the side of a house and shows a man in yellow trunks and flippers swimming to meet an enormous turtle.

“You either like it here or you don’t, but you can’t stay in the middle,” says Alexandra. Marseille has a fascinating past, and receives more sun than anywhere else in France. It has a glittering harbour, magnificent seafood and easy access to the rugged beauty of nearby Calanques National Park. But bits of it are undeniably falling apart, after a mid-20th century slump in its fortunes that has only recently begun to improve. Marseille wouldn’t be the first great trading port to combine grit and grandeur, but its unpolished image sets it apart from most French cities.

At least there is plenty of material for street art tours. Cours Julien’s colourful streets spider off from a central square lined with bistros and bars, all abuzz with chatter. Almost every square inch of concrete is a canvas for bug-eyed cartoons, surreal patterns or eviscerating political statements.

This hilltop neighbourhood is the heart of a youthful and modern Marseille, but down at the cinematic Vieux Port (‘Old Port’) there’s also a buzz from the departing tour boats, harbourside cafes and fishermen selling their morning’s catch at makeshift stalls. Bouillabaisse, a traditional seafood stew, originates in this city and is said to have been invented by its fishermen, who boiled some of their catch in seawater while out at sea.

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

Maritime history runs deep in Marseille, where a pair of imposing forts flank the harbour entrance and a scattering of small, rocky islands lie in the sparkling sea just beyond. It was founded by Greek-speaking Phocaeans 2,600 years ago, making it France’s oldest city. As French colonial rule expanded across the globe in the 19th century, Marseille’s strategic location on the Mediterranean transformed the city into a place where all kinds of people, goods and ideas converged. But its hard-edged reputation in the late 20th century meant it never received the same attention as Cannes and Nice, further east along the Riviera.

Things changed in 2013 when Marseille served as European Capital of Culture and its waterfront was embellished with eye-catching projects. Foremost of these is the bold glass and black concrete lattice structure of Mucem, the Mediterranean culture museum, designed by Algerian-born architect Rudy Ricciotti. Next to it is the angular, cantilevered Villa Méditerranée, which houses a replica of the south-coast Cosquer Cave and its prehistoric rock art engravings. And at the inner end of the Vieux Port is L’Ombrière de Norman Foster, with its clever, mirrored canopy, dreamt up by the eponymous UK architect.

“Because of this, a lot of tourists suddenly came to visit and they realised the city was very interesting,” Alexandra says. “And that you have to go further, beyond the reputation.” Ten years after it drew the eyes of the rest of the world, and as it prepares to host several games at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, Marseille is once again in the spotlight.

What to see & do

Part of Marseille’s post-2013 revival, this is the first museum dedicated entirely to the culture of the Mediterranean. Exhibitions cover everything from trade and conflict to questions on why the Mediterranean diet is thought to lead to longer lives. The museum’s concrete lattice shell rises from the Vieux Port’s north shore, and is linked by a footbridge 60ft above the lapping waves to the 17th-century bastion of Fort Saint-Jean, offering stunning harbour views.

Street art tour

Alexandra Blanc Véa’s tours of the Cours Julien neighbourhood and its street art give context and colour to Marseille’s distinct identity. Learn about how hip hop influenced the city’s graffiti culture, why new art is being painted directly onto street surfaces and what avoir la banane (‘to have the banana’) means. There’s also a chance to meet local street artists, such as Mahn Kloix, in their studios. Book tours in English via [email protected]

North of the Vieux Port, Marseille’s oldest district was settled by the ancient Greeks. These days, it’s a typically Mediterranean street scene, with hanging baskets and pastel-green shutters. Street art and sun-dappled corner cafes add further colour. Downhill from the neighbourhood is the grandiose, 19th-century Marseille Cathedral, with its Byzantine-style domes.

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

City beaches

Marseille’s coast may lack the glamour of Saint-Tropez and Antibes, but its 21 beaches still provide a change of pace. Those of the Prado are the largest, while Plage des Catalans is the closest to the centre, just a 15-minute walk from the Vieux Port. Its 100 yards of sand are popular with locals, from volleyball players to tracksuit-clad retirees striking yoga poses.

Château d’If

Two miles from the Vieux Port, and reached by frequent sightseeing boats, is the rocky fortress made famous by its fictional inmate Edmond Dantès, otherwise known as the Count of Monte Cristo. Completed in 1531, the main castle is flanked by three stone towers, and its imposing walls, prison cells and ramparts can be explored on a self-guided tour.

Calanques National Park

Six miles south of the city is a coastline of limestone cliffs, carved into deep inlets over millions of years. This landscape of secluded coves and white rock dotted with sparse, brilliantly green vegetation is a favourite day trip from Marseille. Despite the lack of soil, it’s home to around 9,000 plant species, as well as rare birds such as the Bonelli’s eagle. Boat tours of the coast are popular, as are kayaking and paddleboarding. Road access into the park is restricted, but hikes from inland trailheads can open up this remarkable landscape.

Where to go shopping

Torrefaction Noailles

With a wrought iron canopy above the door, and alluring oak, coffee and chocolate aromas permeating the air, this combined cafe and chocolaterie has been running for nearly a century, and its heritage seduces immediately on stepping inside. Head home with handfuls of shining pralines, spongy nougat and rainbow-coloured bonbons. There are branches around town — the flagship is on the central avenue of La Canebière.

Savonnerie Marseillaise de la Licorne

Marseille has been producing soap for over 600 years, mixing sea water, olive oil and alkaline ash from sea plants. Traditionally pistachio-green, it now comes in a variety of colours. Look out for a painted wooden boat in a shop window on the Vieux Port’s south shore, before entering a space filled with rustic maritime decor and a heady blend of sweet scents.  

Trois Fenêtres

This concept craft store in Le Panier celebrates the warm tones of the Mediterranean through clothing, jewellery, decorations and photography. Locally designed T-shirts hang next to polaroid images of Marseille strung out on miniature clothes pegs, while potted plants add a homely charm to the room.  

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

Where to eat in Marseille

Au Comptoir du Livre

Part cafe, part bookshop, this quirky spot in Cours Julien masters French morning staples such as powerful black coffee and fluffy croissants. The real draw, though, are the dusty shelves of classic novels, an incongruous 1950s rock ’n’ roll soundtrack and a hodge-podge of rustic decor, including patterned rugs and kitsch chandeliers.  

Restaurant Fémina

Straw-hatted Mustapha Kachetel is the fourth-generation owner of this Marseille institution. The North African cuisine pays homage to his Berber family, who hail from northern Algeria’s mountainous Kabylia region. Barley couscous forms an inviting bed for lamb, beef and chicken stews, all of which can be enlivened with hits of fiery harissa.

Chef Christian Buffa’s fine interpretation of the quintessential Marseillais dish bouillabaisse is a masterclass in dramatic presentation and fidelity to the original recipe. Impeccably suited waiters in gleaming shoes glide between tables before presenting the classic fisherman’s soup, a richly flavoured Provençal broth of John Dory, anglerfish, eel and potatoes, with a dash of pastis added for good measure. The deboned fish are served separately.

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

Like a local

Secluded harbour

A 30-minute walk south of the Vieux Port, in part along the steeply set coast road, lies the more secluded Vallon des Auffes, a tiny enclosed fishing harbour flanked by some lovely wine bars and bistros. The craggy surrounding cliffs and stone bridge arching across the harbour entrance make for a postcard scene, but this languid afternoon sun trap is best enjoyed with a cold drink in hand.  

Pizza passion

While bouillabaisse is the dish most associated with Marseille, the city also has a deep affection for pizza. The wood-fired offerings are sublime at beloved, 25-seat La Bonne Mère, which sits on a small square in the hilly Vauban neighbourhood. Don’t miss the punchy anchovy pizza on a simple tomato base dotted with olives.  

Market scenes

Assorted markets set up every morning on the streets of this historic trading port. The Marché des Capucins in the old-world Noailles district brings an array of powerful North African spice aromas, while the Marché de la Plaine hawks everything from potent red chilli peppers to colourful puffer jackets.

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

Where to stay in Marseille

Hôtel Le Corbusier

Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier’s iconic Cité Radieuse is a UNESCO-listed modernist apartment building that also houses 21 hotel rooms. The wooden panelling and splashes of colour in its minimalist rooms are effortlessly cool. It’s two miles from the city centre, close to the stadium that will host the rugby. The private rooftop offers wonderful views.

Maison Montgrand

Scandi-modernist rooms spread across two converted 18th- and 19th-century townhouses in a relatively quiet neighbourhood just a few minutes on foot south of the Vieux Port. The bamboo garden is a welcome secluded green space in this part of the city, and one of Marseille’s finest breakfast settings.

Sofitel Marseille Vieux Port

From this hotel’s hilltop perch, guest rooms offer some of the best views of the harbour’s shimmering waters, bobbing masts and distant jumble of rooftops. Expect exceptional service and generously sized rooms, and don’t miss the sun-drenched rooftop cocktail bar.

After hours in the city

La Maison Hantée

Pounding beats reverberate through the walls of this live rock venue, in business for over 30 years and located on a sloping side street off Cours Julien. Despite its rock focus, theme nights take in everything from hip hop to soul. It’s a low-key, fairly intimate space, drawing an eclectic crowd.

This laid-back bar in the foothills behind the ramparts of Fort Saint-Nicolas, south of the harbour mouth, is the only one in Marseille to make all its wine on site; the metal vats where the grape juice is vinified can be seen behind the counter. A regularly updated chalkboard announces food pairings, which could range from tuna sashimi to devilled eggs.

Beer District

Hemmed in between a cigar shop and a Tunisian restaurant near the Vieux Port, this lively spot is deceptively spacious inside and its taps pour over 25 different beers, explained in detail on a big screen above the bar. Nineties grunge often thumps through the stereo, while a vast range of sours, stouts and IPAs keeps the patrons happy.

Related Topics

  • CITY GUIDES
  • CULTURAL TOURISM
  • FOOD TOURISM

You May Also Like

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

A food guide to Barcelona, from historic markets to atmospheric vermouth bars

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

A city guide to Bergamo, Italy

Limited time offer.

Get a FREE tote featuring 1 of 7 ICONIC PLACES OF THE WORLD

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

Are these the hottest chefs in the Southern states?

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

Paprika, peppers and plums: experiencing a family meal in Budapest

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

Where to find the best Nashville hot chicken

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

A Croatian coastal odyssey: why road-tripping from Split to Dubrovnik is easier than ever

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

From sundowners to fine dining: 8 culinary highlights in Lisbon

  • Environment

History & Culture

  • History & Culture
  • History Magazine
  • Mind, Body, Wonder
  • The Big Idea
  • Adventures Everywhere
  • Paid Content
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Your US State Privacy Rights
  • Children's Online Privacy Policy
  • Interest-Based Ads
  • About Nielsen Measurement
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
  • Nat Geo Home
  • Attend a Live Event
  • Book a Trip
  • Inspire Your Kids
  • Shop Nat Geo
  • Visit the D.C. Museum
  • Learn About Our Impact
  • Support Our Mission
  • Advertise With Us
  • Customer Service
  • Renew Subscription
  • Manage Your Subscription
  • Work at Nat Geo
  • Sign Up for Our Newsletters
  • Contribute to Protect the Planet

Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society Copyright © 2015-2024 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

Tour de France: What you need to know

E very summer, riders from all over the world gather in France to participate in one of the most prestigious and well-known cycling races.

In what’s known to some as “Le Grande Boucle” or “Le Tour,” men compete in a multistage bicycle race to win the Tour de France trophy.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2,200-mile race.

What is the Tour de France?

The Tour de France is held annually, typically in July, covering a distance of around 3,500 kilometers. The race typically lasts for three weeks.

The race is open to professional cyclists from all over the world. Each team usually consists of nine riders.

The route changes yearly, and usually includes stages in the Alps and Pyrenees mountain ranges.

The race traditionally ends with a time trial in Paris.

According to VeloNews , in 2022, the total prize money for the race was around $2.4 million, split between various winners, stages and teams. The prize for the overall winner of the race is about $550,000.

How does the Tour de France work?

The Tour de France is divided into 21 stages, with a different route for each stage.

The first stage of the Tour de France is typically a short, individual time trial and sets the order of riders for the rest of the race. In the following 20 stages, all riders start together and compete for each stage win.

The cyclist with the quickest time of each stage wears the yellow jersey or “Maillot Jaune.”

The rider who finishes with the lowest overall time after 21 stages is declared the winner of the Tour de France.

The rider who has taken the most time to complete the race is known as the “lantern rouge,” or red lantern. They are named after the red brake lights on the back of a car.

A brief history of the Tour de France

Journalist Geo Lefevre came up with the idea for the race as a publicity stunt for the French sports newspaper L’Auto, hoping to increase its circulation. The newspaper’s editor, Henri Desgrange, loved the idea and served as its first director, according to History.com .

The inaugural Tour de France was held in 1903 and featured just six stages from Paris to Lyon, Marseille, Toulouse, Bordeaux and Nantes, and back to Paris.

The race has since expanded over the years to 21 stages.

The Tour de France has been held every year, except for a few years during World War I and II.

The youngest rider to ever win the Tour de France was Henric Comet, who was only 19 when he won in 1904. The oldest was Firmin Lamb, who was 36 when he won in 1922.

Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain have all won the Tour de France five times.

The event has also been plagued by doping scandals, which have led to several riders being stripped of their titles, including Lance Armstrong.

The route changes every year, but usually includes stages in the Alps and Pyrenees mountain ranges.

4 days to learn about Marseille

Alexis Steinman

Nov 15, 2022 • 11 min read

Illustration of the summer in Marseille © Theo Giacometti/Lonely Planet

© Theo Giacometti/Lonely Planet

Marseille is both beachy and urban, French and Mediterranean, modern and historic. Go for the beach by all means, but with its diverse neighborhoods, street art and architectural tours, as well as cave paintings dating back 20,000 years in a new museum, there’s a lot to learn here too. 

Alexis Steinman lives in Marseille and offers this four-day itinerary to learn more about this city in the south of France. 

best-in-travel-2023-marseille-itinerary-intro.png

I am a food and travel writer who has been hooked on Marseille since I moved here in 2016. With its multicultural makeup, staggering beauty and striking contrasts, the 2600-year-old port is an endless trove of stories and experiences.   

Marseille itinerary snapshot

Why you should visit Marseille

With its rich diversity, Marseille seduces. Here, visitors find breathtaking natural beauty alongside urban grit, cultural traditions from the Provence region meeting ones from around the world, boisterous energy and laid-back pleasures. Though France’s second-largest city, Marseille feels like a collection of the “111 villages” that merged over the centuries to form the neighborhoods of the modern metropolis . Each boasts its own personality and charm, ideal for curious travelers seeking diverse experiences . Think swimming turquoise coves, exploring Roman ruins, seeing contemporary art, hiking limestone cliffs and watching a breakdance battle. And, of course, tasting flavors from all over the globe via the city’s fantastic food scene. More Mediterranean than French and truly one-of-a-kind, Marseille is all you love about France – and so much more.  

Marseille itinerary overview day 1

Start off strong with Marseille must-dos 

Marseille’s most-visited sites give you a great lay of the land, showing you the city’s unique architecture, vast scale and rich history. To start, don good walking shoes or take the 60 bus to Notre Dame de la Garde . Nicknamed the “Bonne Mère” (“Good Mother”) this Roman-Byzantine-style basilica is topped with a golden Madonna-and-child statue that watches over the city. (Don’t miss the bullet holes from a WWII battle on the eastern facade.) Inside, you’ll find dazzling mosaics along with ex-votos, offerings of wooden boats and nautical paintings to protect fishermen at sea. As the city’s highest point, the Bonne Mère boasts 360° views of the skyline from its grounds. If you’re hungry, make a pit stop at Carlotta With in the hip Vauban quartier for the city’s most buttery croissants. 

Lunch at Vieux-Port

Head down the hill to the Vieux-Port , once lined with merchant ships from across the globe and today filled with pleasure boats. The perimeter is lovely for a leisurely promenade – or, if you’re in a hurry, cross the basin on the ferry, whose 300-yard route is rumored to be the shortest in the world. Along the port, Chez Madie les Galinettes serves up Provençal classics, fresh fish and Marseille’s mythical bouillabaisse fish stew. Perhaps surprisingly, however, the city’s most popular dish is pizza. Our favorite in town is at Chez Etienne, whose wood-fired pies have lured a loyal following since 1943. Pair one with an order of the addictively garlicky squid.

Afternoon at Grotte Cosquer

Work off lunch with a voyage beneath the sea and back in time at the Grotte Cosquer , whose realistic reproductions of 27,000-year-old cave paintings later submerged by water are the city’s newest attraction. Next door, the Museum of Civilizations of Europe and the Mediterranean (Mucem) is also a must-see. Built in 2013, Rudy Riciotti’s webbed concrete cube is influenced by ancient Arabic design. Don’t worry if you don’t have time to explore the exhibits inside: the exterior walkways offer a dazzling display of light and shadows, while the rooftop has a restaurant-bar and seats for lounging. From there, take the footbridge to the Fort St-Jean , a 17th-century citadel with gardens, exhibits and videos that recount the city’s history. Notice how its canons point at rather than away from the city – a sign of Marseillais’ rebellious spirit then and now. 

Evening at bars à vins

Bars à vins (wine bars) are lovely for a light meal or dining solo. Les Buvards pairs natural and biodynamic wines with homey French classics like boudin noir (black blood sausage) and purée (whipped potatoes). For those with bigger appetites, Fioupelan dishes modern plates with Provençal flair, like daurade (sea bream) tartare on charcoal toasts. Grab dessert at Vanille Noire, whose black, salted vanilla ice cream is rumored to be colored using squid ink. End the night on a high note at Hôtel Hermès ’ rooftop bar, one of the best in town . Though removed from the port’s bustle, the tiny bar fills up fast on summer nights. Craft-cocktail enthusiasts should chart their course for Bar Gaspard across the port.   

Marseille itinerary overview day 2

Multicultural eats, heritage shops, and artisanal goods 

Fuel up at Deep or Brulerie Moka, two local roasters that have perked up the city’s coffee scene. Next, explore a farmers market – always a wonderful way to experience Marseille like a local. Buy bread, cheese and locally grown produce at the Reformés market on Tuesdays and Saturdays, and the Wednesday organic market in Cours Julien . Or let local experts be your guide on a Culinary Backstreets food tour as you dive into the city’s history, culture, architecture and (of course) food. 

Lunch in Noailles

Noailles is nicknamed the “belly of Marseille” for its central location and abundance of things edible. Taste sweet or savory stuffed Senegalese pastries at Pastels World, Tunisian chickpea soup ( leblebi ) at Chez Yassine and market-driven Mediterranean plates at Épicerie Idéal. With its street eats and food shops, the bustling Rue Longue des Capucins feels like you’re strolling through an African souk. Don’t miss the colorful Saladin Épices du Monde spice shop and the open food stall next door, where street chefs cook up m’semen crepes, date-stuffed bradj and other Maghrebi delights before your eyes.  

Afternoon at Maison Empereur

Lively Noailles is also home to two of Marseille’s oldest heritage shops: Maison Empereur, the oldest hardware store in France, an Ali Baba’s cavern of some 50,000 goods; and Père Blaize, which has sold healing teas and tinctures since 1816. Also make sure to swing by Jiji Palme D’Or, where Tunisian ceramics and home decor spill across four storefronts. Want to learn more about Marseille’s artisanal goods? Watch how the iconic Savon de Marseille soap is made at Fer à Cheval, mix your own pastis at Distillerie de la Plaine or visit one of the city’s oldest distilleries, Cristal Limiñana, to watch the team fabricate anisette, pastis and rum.  

Evening dinner with a view at La Caravelle

Quench your thirst like a Marseillais during apéro , the nightly happy hour that is practically a religion across the city. The always-packed hipster Café de l’Abbaye offers views of the harbor’s forts and ancient Abbaye St-Victor from its outdoor tables. La Caravelle has a vintage, nautical-inspired interior and the best Vieux-Port perch from its sliver of a balcony. Since apéro can often stretch into the night, if you prefer a sit-down dinner, Marseille’s food scene is bursting with young chef-driven tables. Enjoy carnivorous plates at Femme du Boucher, seasonal fare (and stellar octopus) in a park at Sepia and Mediterranean flavors at Golda.    

Marseille itinerary overview day 3

Street art and vintage shops 

Inspired by Marseille’s hip-hop culture, street art has become an integral part of the city’s look, with murals and tags especially prolific in the neighborhoods of Cours Julien and Le Panier . (We recommend a street-art tour of the latter, where you can discover local graffeurs like Nimho.) Both neighborhoods also are great for shopping. The city’s oldest district, Le Panier has winding streets that are home to crafts like Coutellerie de Panier knives and Arterra santons (clay figurines). Vintage shops and indie designers abound in Cours Julien.

Lunch at Limmat

Take lunch on Cours Julien’s famous colorful staircase at Limmat, a locavore spot that specializes in vegetarian and fish dishes, or dive into the freshest catch at the nautically kitsch La Boîte à Sardine. Care for a picnic? Pick up sandwiches at Pain Pan or a Lebanese spread at Exosud. Then, stroll to the grassy lawn and shady trees of the Parc Longchamp. Marseille’s most central park sprawls behind the Palais Longchamp, a majestic while monument from the 19th century. Two museums flank a lavish colonnade: the Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, a fantastic, 18th-century-style cabinet of curiosities; and the Musée des Beaux-Arts , famous for its paintings of the 1720 plague that wiped out half the city. Both are free to the public.

Visit Friche La Belle de Mai cultural center

Work off lunch at the nearby Friche La Belle de Mai , a tobacco factory–turned–cultural center that houses artist studios, exhibition spaces, a bookstore, skate park, restaurant and expansive rooftop. (Check their Facebook page for upcoming concerts, movie nights and other cultural happenings.) On the other side of town, the Unité d’Habitation at La Cité Radieuse – Le Corbusier’s utopian vision of mixed-use living that resembles a concrete cruise ship – is a must for architecture buffs. While the complex is free to visit, paid tours of apartments are offered at the tourist office by reservation.

Check out a football match or grab a Michelin star dinner

While some Marseillais don’t like football, everyone is a fan of OM. And the Olympique de Marseille home games are as legendary as the team, with firecrackers, giant banners and fervent fans filling the Orange Vélodrome . Get tickets online in advance or at the stadium on game day (the season runs from August until May). Prefer your stars on the plate rather than on the field? Splurge at the Michelin three-star AM par Alexandre Mazzia. Expect a 20+ course journey through smoked, spiced and roasted flavors paired with the farmed and fished bounty of the region – like raspberry harissa and a smoked-eel-and-dark-chocolate tart. The unpretentious vibe is also pure Marseille.   

Marseille itinerary overview day 4

A day in the Calanques and at the beach

A breathtaking mix of limestone cliffs and turquoise coves, this park is best explored by boat or by foot. Hit the high seas on a Bleu Evasion tour (for eight to 12 people), or book a private launch via rental platform Click&Boat (a splurge for a couple but more affordable for groups of four or more). Reach great heights at the Croix de Marseilleveyre (a three-hour hike via the 19 bus to Madrague de Montredon), or descend to the Calanque de Morgiou cove (two hours, plus a ride on the 22 bus to Les Baumettes). For the latter, you can pair your ramble with fresh fish at Bar Nautic or pizzas and Provençal fare at Chez Zé (be sure to reserve and bring cash at these secluded spots). Note: many trails are closed in July and August, prime forest-fire season.

Charming ports: Les Goudes or L’Estaque 

Marseille is bookended by two picturesque fishing villages. At the southern tip, Les Goudes is an Instagrammable mix of rocky ambles, swimming coves and cabanons (beachside cabins). Savor just-caught fish at a seaside table at Grand Bar des Goudes or Baie des Singes, a 15-minute walk away. Between July and October, the Friche de l’Escalette showcases contemporary art amid the beautiful ruins of a 19th-century lead factory. 

At the northern edge, L’Éstaque evokes Marseille’s industrial and artistic past: with its factories and Provençal light, the port once lured painters like Cézanne. Watch locals play pétanque beside the port’s traditional wooden barquettes (boats), then taste traditional fried snacks like chichis fregis (donuts) and panisses (chick-pea fritters) at Chez Magali. Hungry for a full meal? Hippocampe serves grilled fish in a secluded spot hidden from the main drag. From May to September, both villages are accessible by RTM Ferry Boat, the cheapest way to sail the Mediterranean. 

Hit the beach

With 26 miles of coastline, Marseille serves up a buffet of beaches within its city limits. The curved cove of Anse de la Maldormé has a pebbled beach with easy access for a dip. The flat boulders at Anse de la Fausse Monnaie are ideal for sunbathing and watching cliff divers plunge from the Corniche Kennedy. If you prefer sand, opt for the Plage des Prophètes or Plage des Catalans, the closest beach to the city center. The coast is easily accessible by the 83 bus or by pedaling along the revamped coastal bike path (which sometimes shares the road with cars). Just avoid swimming after heavy rains, when overflowing sewers pollute the sea. 

Sunset at Cabanon de Paulette

Technicolor sunsets deserve a front-row seat on the coast. Arrive early to nab a spot at the happening beach bar Cabanon de Paulette for moules marinère and frites. The Cabane des Amis pumps a mix of hip-hop, disco and techno into the early morning. Viaghijii di Fonfon serves charcuterie, cheese and spritzes in the charming Vallon des Auffes port. Or make like a local and bring a pizza to the beach: we’re fans of the pies at Eau à la Bouche near the Plage de Malmousque. 

Explore related stories

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

Jan 15, 2024 • 7 min read

They've got fame. Their weddings cost a fortune. But you'll fall in love with the destinations they've picked to tie the knot.

Marseille, France, June 8, 2017: Night view of a square full of restaurants at port vieux part of Marseille, France

Jan 13, 2024 • 10 min read

1Yayoi-Kusama-Dreaming-of-Earths-Sphericity-I-Would-Offer-My-Loveinstallation-view.jpg

Jan 2, 2024 • 7 min read

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

Jan 2, 2024 • 11 min read

Portrait of a happy mother and son riding on the train and looking through the window while pointing away - transport concepts

Dec 25, 2023 • 11 min read

Four Seasons Explorer Palau

Dec 8, 2023 • 6 min read

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

Aug 28, 2023 • 11 min read

food-trail.jpg

Aug 11, 2023 • 4 min read

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

Aug 4, 2023 • 11 min read

A woman enjoying the sea views on the Adriatic coast of Croatia

Mar 16, 2024 • 7 min read

Official games

PRO CYCLING MANAGER 2023 (PC)

2023 Edition

  • Stage winners
  • All the videos

Tour Culture

  • Commitments
  • key figures
  • Sporting Stakes

"Maillot Jaune" Collection

  • The jerseys

UCI Logo

2028 : the future remains green with Škoda

The 2025 tour de france in the land of the giants.

alt img

Discover the official Tour de France 2024 mobile...

alt img

2023 rankings

jersey

Stage 1 | 06/29 Florence > Rimini

Stage 2 | 06/30 cesenatico > bologne, stage 3 | 07/01 plaisance > turin, stage 4 | 07/02 pinerolo > valloire, stage 5 | 07/03 saint-jean-de-maurienne > saint-vulbas, stage 6 | 07/04 mâcon > dijon, stage 7 | 07/05 nuits-saint-georges > gevrey-chambertin, stage 8 | 07/06 semur-en-auxois > colombey-les-deux-églises, stage 9 | 07/07 troyes > troyes, rest | 07/08 orléans, stage 10 | 07/09 orléans > saint-amand-montrond, stage 11 | 07/10 évaux-les-bains > le lioran, stage 12 | 07/11 aurillac > villeneuve-sur-lot, stage 13 | 07/12 agen > pau, stage 14 | 07/13 pau > saint-lary-soulan pla d'adet, stage 15 | 07/14 loudenvielle > plateau de beille, rest | 07/15 gruissan, stage 16 | 07/16 gruissan > nimes, stage 17 | 07/17 saint-paul-trois-châteaux > superdévoluy, stage 18 | 07/18 gap > barcelonnette, stage 19 | 07/19 embrun > isola 2000, stage 20 | 07/20 nice > col de la couillole, stage 21 | 07/21 monaco > nice, tour culture, grand départ florence émilie-romagne 2024, grand départ lille-nord de france 2025, 2024 tour de france finale in nice, riding into the future, all the news, official tour operators, history of tour de france, accessories.

Receive exclusive news about the Tour

General Ranking

> Withdrawals

app uk

Accreditations

Privacy policy, your gdpr rights.

Deals of the Week   St. Patrick's Day   Up to 50% OFF

Marseille Tours & Trips

Find the right tour for you through Marseille. We've got 113 adventures going to Marseille, starting from just 5 days in length, and the longest tour is 79 days. The most popular month to go is September, which has the largest number of tour departures.

113 Marseille tour packages with 155 reviews

Cycle Provence Tour

  • Sightseeing
  • Wine tasting

Cycle Provence

There were problems in getting correct tour information from tourradar/Explore and in trying to pay for the tour. Erwin was a very good tour leader, enthusiastic and helpful.
  • 10% deposit on some dates Some departure dates offer you the chance to book this tour with a lower deposit.

Discovery of the Hinterland of Provence Tour

  • In-depth Cultural
  • Food & Culinary
  • Christmas & New Year

Discovery of the Hinterland of Provence

Simon is very friendly, helpful and flexible when we wanted change of plan. We only wish the tour schedule could be tighter. We had a lot of free time considering such a short tour. Overall, all the people we encountered are very nice and we had very pleasant experience with the tour.

Cultural and Gourmet Tour in Provence Tour

Cultural and Gourmet Tour in Provence

This trip is ideal if you want to admire the Provence region off the beaten track; its small villages, its gastronomy, its colors and its smells... What a week!

Romantic France ( 9 days ) Tour

  • Coach / Bus

Romantic France ( 9 days )

Magnificent France ( 10 days ) Tour

Magnificent France ( 10 days )

Lyon to the Tip of Provence on the Rhône and Saône Rivers (port-to-port cruise) Tour

Lyon to the Tip of Provence on the Rhône and Saône Rivers (port-to-port cruise)

We thoroughly enjoyed our cruise down the Rhone. All of the crew aboard Croisie's Van Gogh were delightfully helpful, the food excellent, and the scenery captivating. Special thanks to (Purser) Julie and the Chef and all waiting staff for attempting to manage an eating disorder one of us has.

Sensations of Lyon & Provence (Start Lyon, End Marseille) Tour

Sensations of Lyon & Provence (Start Lyon, End Marseille)

Cycle Marseille to Barcelona Tour

Cycle Marseille to Barcelona

Overall we had an excellent experience! Veronica and Lluiz form a great team and were very well organized throughout the tour. We saw beautiful and historic cities, villages, beaches and even saw unusual animals along the way…The only negative thing was needing to rely on public transportation in lieu of biking at certain points during the tour.

Paris and Côte d\'Azur (the French Riviera) - Paris, Marseille & Nice in 8 Days Tour

Paris and Côte d'Azur (the French Riviera) - Paris, Marseille & Nice in 8 Days

French Art and History Along the Rhône River (port-to-port cruise) Tour

  • River Cruise

French Art and History Along the Rhône River (port-to-port cruise)

Relaxed good time. Floating down the Rhone was a delightful, beautiful holiday. Excellent food, cheerful very helpful staff. All were patient and helpful with English speakers. Comfortable number of people on board. Comfortable cabin with awesome big window. Some of the standard bus excursions could be improved. Too Long bus trip sometimes with tantalizing short time at the destination. I would gladly return to the Rhone Princess, but would check out some of the optional tours.

8 Days in Rome, Pisa, Nice, Lyon and Paris. Tour

8 Days in Rome, Pisa, Nice, Lyon and Paris.

Sensations of Lyon & Provence with Paris - Arles - Marseille Tour

Sensations of Lyon & Provence with Paris - Arles - Marseille

Mediterranean Flavors Tour

Mediterranean Flavors

We covered a lot of places and Billy did a great job preparing us before we visited and then at the sites. Madrid tour guide was poor hard to understand and unfriendly. Don’t use Ibis hotels due to lack of porters. Hard for elders to haul their luggage. Visit Portofino and only one Cinque Terre village. Train on/off too difficult and time consuming.

Burgundy & Provence (2025) (Lyon to Arles, 2025) Tour

  • Walking Adventure

Burgundy & Provence (2025) (Lyon to Arles, 2025)

Burgundy & Provence (2025) (Arles to Lyon, 2025) Tour

Burgundy & Provence (2025) (Arles to Lyon, 2025)

Reviews of marseille tours.

Overall amazing experience! Met some amazing people and enjoyed some beautiful views. While it was the hottest time of the year, our team had a great support system to ensure everyone was well hydrated. The bikes were nice and sturdy, especially climbing up some of those monstrous hills and the paniers were very handy! I would recommend this trip to anyone looking to enjoy the countryside and south of France!
I had a really wonderful time on this holiday. Aix is beautiful and the hotel was fantastic, perfectly situated in the middle of Aix. The daily excursions were excellent. Travelling in an 8 seater is a great way to get to know people. The guides were amusing and encouraged us to talk. Restaurant meal was excellent. Altogether a brilliant 5 days. Great for a recharge of batteries. Lots of variety without being exhausted. Thank you Simon for your organisation. Only glitch was the beginning when the taxi driver from the station was held up and I wasn’t sure what to do, also a little mix up with the hotel about payments. These were soon solved by contact with Simon who was very helpful. Thanks for everything.

Tours starting from Marseille

  • for 10 Days (7)
  • to Europe (15)
  • to France (11)
  • France Travel Guide | All You Need to Know
  • Best 10 Day France Itineraries 2024/2025 (with Reviews)
  • Best 7 Day France Itineraries 2024/2025 (with Reviews)

International Versions

  • Deutsch: Marseille Rundreisen
  • Français: Circuits et voyages au Marseille
  • Español: Circuitos y viajes por Marsella
  • Nederlands: Marseille Rondreizen

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. How we test gear.

108th tour de france 2021 stage 21

Results and Highlights From the 2021 Tour de France

Stage-by-stage updates, results, and highlights from this year’s race.

Read below for stage-by-stage updates, results, and highlights.

108th tour de france 2021 stage 21

Tadej Pogačar won a second successive Tour de France on Sunday as Wout van Aert claimed the final stage on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.

In 2020, Pogačar didn’t take the lead until Stage 20, but this year he stamped his authority in the first week and pulled on the yellow jersey beneath the Arc de Triomphe as the undisputed champion aged just 22.

“We did it,” he said with a huge smile that was absent after his exhausting time trial on Saturday when he effectively sealed this victory. “It’s never over until the last lap of the Champs-Élysées.”

Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard, of team Jumbo-Visma, was a surprising second in the general classification, while Ineos Grenadiers’s Richard Carapaz was third to follow his 2019 triumph on the Giro d’Italia.

Pogačar survived a litany of crashes as the Tour embarked from the nation’s western tip at the Atlantic port of Brest. The Slovenian then dominated his rivals in the first time trial as the race headed towards the Swiss and Italian border ski resorts, where he also held his own.

The UAE Team Emirates leader then produced a pair of joyful mountain victories in the Pyrénées to rubber stamp his status as the best rider in the Tour this year.

Pogačar also won the awards for best rider under-25 and the king of the mountains polka-dot jersey—a triple he also achieved in his debut last year.

On Sunday, Belgian rider van Aert of Jumbo-Visma stormed past Briton Mark Cavendish to take Stage 21, after also winning the Stage 20 time trial at Saint-Emilion and a mountain stage on Mont Ventoux.

“It’s incredible to win again today, it hasn’t sunk in,” he said, holding his baby on the podium.

“It’s a great send-off for Tokyo,” he said, before flying off to the Olympic Games on Monday where he will lead the Belgian team.

The 36-year-old Cavendish of Deceunick-QuickStep narrowly missed out on a fifth stage win—and a record 35th ever in the Tour de France. Jasper Philipsen was second for the day and Cavendish was third, punching his handlebars in frustration as he crossed the finish line.

However, that doesn’t take away from Cavendish’s four wins in the six stages that ended in a mass bunch sprint. It was enough for him to equal Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 stage wins in the Tour and secure him the green sprint points jersey.

The Bahrain Victorious outfit won the team award to end the Tour with a smile, after a police anti-doping raid on their hotel and team bus earlier this week.

tour de france results

Wout van Aert of team Jumbo-Visma won the Stage 20 time trial by a solid 21-second margin on Saturday, making it his second stage win this Tour.

Tadej Pogačar all but became champion of the 2021 Tour de France as the UAE Team Emirates rider protected his large overall lead in the time trial, ahead of the traditionally ceremonial final ride to Paris. Defending champion Pogačar’s solid ride means he need only cross the Champs-Élysées finish line with the peloton on Sunday’s 21st and final stage to retain the fabled yellow jersey as the overall winner.

Pogačar won three stages on the way to his dominant triumph in a manner reminiscent of former champions Alberto Contador and Chris Froome, who were strong in both the time trials and the mountains. He will also win the awards for best rider under-25 and the king of the mountains polka-dot jersey—a triple win that he also achieved on his debut last year.

“I can’t say which one is more beautiful. Last year everything was decided on the last individual time trial and the emotions were by far stronger. This time, I took the yellow jersey earlier. It has been totally different,” said the man who will ride into Paris in yellow.

The Monaco resident, who earns five million euros (5.9 million dollars) a year, appeared overcome as he climbed onto the podium for his three jerseys, with Briton Mark Cavendish also wearing a huge grin as he was awarded his green sprint jersey.

“I’m so happy it’s coming to an end,” said Pogačar, admitting he was wiped out. “What a demanding three weeks it has been.”

cycling fra tdf 2021 stage20

“I wasn’t so motivated last night and had to get myself going,” said Pogačar, who ended the day five minutes and 20 seconds ahead of the second place rider in the overall classification. “It was very hot and I was suffering a bit. But I’m super happy. It still was a super performance.”

The top three in the standings remained the same after the 30K course on a sizzling hot Saturday, as rowdy fans packed the roadsides all the way to the scenic Saint-Emilion vineyards.

Jumbo-Visma’s Jonas Vingegaard goes into the final day in second, while Ineos Grenadiers’s Richard Carapaz is in third.

“I’d have told anyone they were nuts,” Vingegaard said with a sparkle in his eye as he dove into a large bowl of pasta. “Tadej was so strong in the rainy stages, he won it there in the rain.”

“He’s not unbeatable”

A second place for Dutch team Jumbo-Visma is a triumph of sorts after their leader Primož Roglič crashed hard early in the race. Van Aert’s victory on Saturday also gave them three stages, even though only four of the eight-rider team have made it through to the final stage after a series of falls.

“I’m very proud of our performance. These three wins and a second place in the general [classification] is great,” said van Aert, who also won Stage 11, which climbed up Mont Ventoux twice, while American Sepp Kuss took Stage 15 in the Pyrénées.

“But if we want to win the Tour de France we need to stay on our bikes and finish the Tour with a full team,” va Aert said. “Tadej deserves his win, but I don’t believe he is unbeatable.”

Van Aert also sent out a warning to Cavendish, who is targeting an all time record of 35 stage wins with the Champs-Élysées sprint Sunday.

“I’ll be challenging [it] for sure. I won’t miss out. The Champs-Élysées sprint is a huge thing in the career of any rider,” said van Aert.

A third place overall finish for the British team Ineos Grenadiers , which took no stage wins, seems like the end of their era, after the 2020 failure was blamed on Egan Bernal’s bad back.

The British team went into this race with four co-leaders, hoping to win an eighth title in ten years, but experienced terrible luck as three suffered bad falls, leaving only Carapaz to soldier on—although they did win the Giro d’Italia in May with Bernal.

108th tour de france 2021 stage 19

Bahrain Victorious’s Slovenian rider Matej Mohorič won stage 19 of the Tour de France on Friday, a day after his team hotel and bus were subjected to an anti-doping raid .

It was Mohorič’s second win this edition of the Tour. After he joined an early breakaway, he then broke clear for a solo win at Libourne, with the main peloton several minutes behind.

Overall leader Tadej Pogačar’s UAE Team Emirates team led the peloton over the line 20 minutes and 49 seconds later, with no change in the overall top ten ahead of Saturday’s decisive 30K individual time trial.

Mohorič made a gesture at the finish line, running a finger across his lips horizontally as if he were closing a zipper , after the team’s third victory at this year’s race.

Mohorič said his gesture was meant as a message for people to be careful about jumping to conclusions after the raid, which has led to a preliminary enquiry that authorities said was to see “whether or not there has been acquisition, transport, or possession of banned substances.”

Mohorič faced the press calmly after celebrating on the podium.

“It was a sign to show all people to be mindful that we are making sacrifices with our work away from home and family and on training camps. We have a good level here and also had it in the past,” he said.

Raid has united the team

The 26-year-old former junior world champion was trying to remain positive after the police raid, although he admitted it was deeply upsetting at the time.

“If someone needs to go through my stuff and take my phone, well if this eventually proves my innocence then so much the better,” he said. “I felt weird about my integrity being questioned, but then I felt it was good for the integrity of a sport that has had big problems in the past.”

Mohorič said that he felt the raid had helped unite his team.

“We are so determined to show we have nothing to hide. We are here to focus on a bike race and show we are one of the best teams in the world,” he said.

The winner raced the 207K at an impressive average speed of 47.9kph (29.7mph), often riding into a headwind through the Bordeaux vineyards. Along with winning the stage, he also took the most combative rider award for the day.

Christophe Laporte of Cofidis was second at 58 seconds back and Casper Pedersen of DSM was third for the stage.

The 19th stage had been billed as the day Mark Cavendish would set a new record of 35 Tour de France stage wins, his fifth win this edition. But an early mass fall and lack of will from other teams to stop a breakaway allowed a large group to build up a big lead over the main pack. Cavendish was unperturbed by the day’s action.

“I still have Paris,” he said of Sunday’s sprint finish on the Champs-Élysées.

“And I still have the jersey,” he said as he stepped down from the awards ceremony in the sprint points leader’s green jersey.

The 36-year-old was a late inclusion on the Deceuninck-QuickStep team roster but has won four stages so far this year, with a fifth possible win on Sunday when the race ends in the French capital.

Cavendish was given a fright as a mass domino-effect pileup swept through the peloton shortly after leaving the start town Mourenx on Friday, but the Briton was unhurt.

tour de france results

Overall leader Tadej Pogačar again proved his dominance in the Tour de France as he won a second consecutive mountain stage in the Pyrénées on Thursday—and said, “It's a game for me.”

On a short final mountain stage of 130K, Pogačar out-rode his two closest rivals, Jonas Vingegaard and Richard Carapaz, just as he did on the previous day. The 2020 champion continued the most dominant run in recent Tour memory, by climbing onto the post-race podium four times—as stage winner, as best young rider, best climber, and as the runaway overall leader.

The peloton left Pau under a shadow Thursday, after an overnight anti-doping raid on the Bahrain-Victorious team at their hotel.

“It’s something strange, maybe just one more control to see nobody’s hiding anything,” said Pogačar of UAE Team Emirates. “We only found out in the morning, I don’t know what to think.”

But by the time an Ineos Grenadiers quartet of riders were leading the remnants of the pack up the final climb of this Tour de France, the focus was on the possible challenges to the leader on the road.

“It was full gas racing today, Ineos were pressing from deep,” the leader said of what was likely Carapaz’s last chance to unseat him.

“We had nothing to lose today, so we are happy,” said the Ecuadorian. “Our goal was to win the stage. I think we put up a good fight.”

With 3K left to go, Pogačar, Vingegaard, and Carapaz were left to cross swords in a pulsating uphill battle to a finish line above the clouds at the ski resort of Luz Ardiden, with hundreds of thousands of fans lining the roadside and cycling-loving French President Emmanuel Macron in the race director’s car at the head of the action.

tour de france results

The struggle was quickly settled. Pogačar raced ahead with ease over the last kilometer and slowed down to take a look over his shoulder as he crossed the line for his third stage win this Tour.

“I felt good and I’m really happy with the win. It’s a game for me, I’m enjoying playing it,” said the 22-year-old who has dominated in the mountains and in the all important time trials, just as Spaniard Alberto Contador and Briton Chris Froome did in their time.

Pogačar enjoying new era

But Pogačar was adamant he is not on the cusp of greatness.

“This is not the ‘Pogačar era,’ but for sure a new generation is here,” he said.

“It’s important to have fun and enjoy what you are doing. Some you win, some you lose, but always have fun, my coach says,” Pogačar said, smiling and looking relaxed. “Tomorrow I aim to enjoy every minute of the flat run,” he said of Friday’s stage.

He did admit to worrying about the final challenge, a 30K time trial. “You can lose six minutes over 30K like that,” he said.

Pogačar pulverised the opposition in the first time trial, which he won on Stage 5.

Pogačar leads the Danish rider Vingegaard by almost six minutes, with Carapaz right on the Jumbo-Visma man’s tail in third with three stages left: a flat run on Friday, Saturday’s time trial, and Sunday’s parade into Paris.

Vingegaard is on paper a better time trialist than Carapaz, but with only a few seconds between the pair, it is too early to call a top three.

Whatever happens in Paris, the events in Pau on Thursday night may take longer to run their course, after French police said the investigation was in its preliminary stages.

“A preliminary inquiry has been opened to see if there has been, or not, acquisition, transport, or possession of banned substances,” the Marseille-based police unit overseeing the matter told AFP.

tour de france results

Tadej Pogačar emerged above the clouds atop the Pyrénéen Col du Portet to extend his overall lead and win Stage 17 of the Tour de France on Wednesday, after an epic struggle with his two closest pursuers, Jonas Vingegaard and Richard Carapaz.

Ecuadorian Carapaz launched a blistering attack 1.5K from the 2,200-meter summit finish, but was agonizingly reeled in by the defending champion Pogačar , for whom this was an iconic career moment, winning a tough stage with the overall leader’s yellow jersey already on his back.

After pulverizing the field on the Stage 5 time trial, the Slovenian took his second victory this Tour to extend his lead over the Vingegaard to 5 minutes and 39 seconds. The discrete Carapaz climbed to third overall four seconds back, after Rigoberto Uran was dropped on the final climb. The Colombian slipped to fourth overall at 7 minutes and 17 seconds behind Pogačar.

“It was the most difficult stage of the Tour, and I dedicate this win to my team who worked so hard for me here,” said Pogačar.

tour de france results

“This Tour isn’t over until the last lap of the Champs-Élysées,” he said when asked if he believed the defense of his title was now sealed.

Storming Bastille Day

On the French national holiday of Bastille Day, there were almost as many Slovenian flags on the final climb as French flags, and a healthy smattering of Basque berets were being sported as well in the huge crowds that lined the slopes.

French fans had plenty to smile about as Groupama-FDJ’s home hope David Gaudu came in fourth at a finish line above the clouds in this remote corner of France. Up-and-coming climber Gaudu raced the stage with the French tricolour on his helmet.

Another French team, AG2R Citroën, saw their Australian podium hope Ben O’Connor consolidate fifth overall as he rounded out the day’s top five, having previously won the Alpine stage up to the Tignes ski resort.

AG2R Citroën boss Vincent Lavenu told AFP that the stage, with its 36K of steep climbing in the final section, was a “race for second place and that half the contenders will be dropped here.”

It proved true, but Ineos Grenadiers rider Carapaz, who looked to be struggling after the lead trio broke off, kept fighting with his late but fruitless burst.

Before Vingegaard attacked an elite clique on Mont Ventoux last week, he was relatively unknown. Since then, the painfully shy Jumbo-Visma rider from the remote Danish region of North Jutland has emerged as a serious podium contender. With his team down to four riders, he admitted that on Wednesday “the plan was just to follow.” He cemented his grip on second by surviving the climb up Col du Portet and said he was “relieved, happy and proud” and said that his family was at the finish line.

The leader had warm words for the man hot on his tail.

“He’s fantastic, a top class rider,” said Pogačar who, like Vingegaard, is racing his second Tour de France. “I like racing against him. He’s a super good guy and he could win a Tour de France soon.”

One last mountain-top finish awaits the riders Thursday before Saturday’s potentially decisive time trial and Sunday’s parade into Paris.

tour de france results

Austrian Patrick Konrad won a hilly Stage 16 of the Tour de France on Tuesday, after joining an early breakaway and then attacking solo from 38K out on a rainy ride through the Pyrénées.

Overall leader Tadej Pogačar and his general classification rivals rode the 169K course at a gentle pace and were trailing the 29-year-old Bora-Hansgrohe rider by some 14 minutes on an unseasonably cold day, with two major mountain stages coming up over the next two days.

An elite clique of 15 riders including all of the top 11 in the general classification broke off the front of the peloton just outside Saint-Gaudens—with Slovenian Pogačar of UAE Team Emirates, EF Education-Nippo rider Rigoberto Uran, and Ineos Grenadiers rider Richard Carapaz all finishing with the same time after a last-gasp burst of speed.

On an overcast day in the Pyrénées, the peloton embarked from Pas de la Casa in the Principality of Andorra, where the roads appeared even narrower with the wet, overhanging foliage.

Green jersey wearer Mark Cavendish and a ten-man grupetto of stragglers fell off the back, but made it home within the time cut.

Konrad had been close twice before this Tour de France, a factor that drove him to attack.

“It makes me really proud,” said the Austrian national road race champion on his first ever Tour de France stage win, after being chased over the final 30K by David Gaudu and Sonny Colbrelli. “I’ve been in three breaks already, and I had waited until too late. Today, I said to myself I am the guy, and I had the legs to bring it to the finish.”

Monster Pyrénéen climbs next

After Monday’s final rest day and Pogačar leading the others in the top five by more than five minutes, there was little appetite for a major attack. But there’s three potential chances to overturn the order, starting with two summit finishes Wednesday and Thursday, and Saturday’s individual time trial to Saint-Émilion likely to deliver the champion.

Pogačar got the backing of four-time Tour winner Chris Froome Tuesday morning. “If Pogačar can stay on the bike, then it’s over,” Froome said.

Pogacar seemed as relaxed as ever after the 16th stage.

“I like this weather, and I hope it’s like this tomorrow,” said the 22-year-old. “We are going to ride as hard as we can. It will be a big GC battle.”

The race began with the rare sight of the entire peloton shuddering to a halt and engaging in a mass shedding of cold weather clothes after a 20K neutralized downhill start.

British rider Mark Cavendish kept the green jersey and has two opportunities—on Friday and on the Champs-Élysées on Sunday—to beat Eddy Merckx’s all-time record , after his four stage wins so far saw the sprinter equal the tally of 34 set by the Belgian great 46 years ago.

The race for the polka-dot jersey will be tense as Wout Poels leads just ahead of Michael Woods of Canada and Nairo Quintana of Colombia.

cycling fra tdf2021 stage15

American Sepp Kuss of the Jumbo Visma team won a grueling Stage 15, as the Tour de France entered the Pyrenees on Sunday. Defending champion Tadej Pogačar survived the torrid day in the saddle, with the Slovenian holding on to the overall lead despite constant pressure from a clique of Ineos riders.

Near the top of the last climb, Kuss skipped away from Spain’s Alejandro Valverde, who at 41 years old finished second, and Dutch rider Wout Poels, who pulled on the king of the mountains jersey after coming in third.

Many of the riders live in the tax haven principality of Andorra, and there was much talk ahead of the days racing of motivation to do well in front of families.

Kuss had been sent into the day’s long-haul attack with the aim of eventually dropping back and helping team leader Jonas Vingegaard, third overall.

“We had planned to help Jonas, but there were two of us so Steven [Kruijswijk] dropped back, so we got the stage and the team tactics right,” Kuss explained of the windy stage where the protection of a teammate can make all the difference.

“My girlfriend and my family were on the final climb cheering me on. I’m lost for words,” said climb specialist Kuss, whose family has roots in Slovenia.

“It was a hard day in the break, but I know this ride well from training and knew where I could get a break,” he said.

Pogacar said his family being there was also a boon.

“My family are here most days although I don’t always see them, but I did today,” he said, smiling. “When I see my mum it takes away the pain for a moment.”

Pogacar is perhaps the big winner on the day after he was isolated on the windy slopes of the third climb, but he kept his calm and, crucially, his pace as his closest rivals took turns to attack him.

Ineos have said they plan to grind him down in a bid to manoeuvre their own rider, Richard Carapaz, into contention for the yellow jersey.

The Ecuadorian currently lies fourth, five minutes and 33 seconds behind Pogačar. Colombian EF rider Rigoberto Uran is second at 5:18, while Denmark’s Vingegaard is third at 5:32.

“We’re doing everything for Richard now, I really hope we can get him on the podium,” said 2018 champion Geraint Thomas, who led a quartet of his teammates until he dropped off exhausted on the third climb.

But the 22-year-old champion scoffed at the Ineos tactics, despite watching his teammates drop off one by one.

“I didn’t feel scared because I was comfortable with Ineos’s placing,” said Pogačar.

“Sure, it’s looking like a really tough third week and today they made me work really hard,” he admitted.

While Monday is a well-deserved rest day, Sunday’s first Pyrenean stage was the first of four challenges in this secluded mountain range where the 2021 Tour is likely to be decided.

cycling fra tdf2021 stage14

Dutchman Bauke Mollema won stage 14 of the Tour de France on a semi-mountainous run from the citadel at Carcassonne to the small town of Quillan at the foot of the Pyrenees on Saturday.

Overall leader Tadej Pogačar was under no threat, even if he finished some seven minutes adrift on what he called a boring stage. His UAE team raced at the front of the main peloton with INEOS keeping an ever-watchful eye on them.

Frenchman Guillaume Martin of Cofidis was the day’s other big winner as he moved into second overall, four minutes behind the 22-year-old defending champion.

“Anyone in the top ten is dangerous, if I have a bad day any of them can catch me,” Pogačar said. “Cycling is like that, one day you’re the strongest, another day you aren’t.”

Martin looked drawn when he spoke at the finish line in the overwhelming heat.

“I took a risk, but this is the Tour and you have to take risks,” said Martin, a former philosophy student and author of the novel Socrates on a Bike .

“It was really hard. I saw an opportunity and it took a great deal of energy,” said Martin. “I’ll need to get back on form for tomorrow, this is the Tour, today it payed off, but who knows.”

Stage 14 was a grueling affair, exposed to beating heat, along narrow, winding Pyrenean foot-hill roads dotted with patches of melting tarmac and featuring over 20km of steep inclines and around the same of narrow, winding descents.

One of these tricky descents ended Michael Woods' chances of winning the stage from the escape group as the Israel Start Up Nation rider took a bend too wide and fell heavily.

He climbed back on his bike to make a small piece of Tour de France history for his own nation as he took the lead in the climbing category.

“I’m the first Canadian to get the polka-dot jersey,” Woods said after he had overtaken Colombian Nairo Quintana in the points race.

As a wearying afternoon sun beat down on the exposed hills, the 2018 champion Geraint Thomas and world champion Julian Alaphilippe dropped off the back of the peloton with 20km to go and it became clear the overall leader's chasing group would not catch the escape.

“Some of the guys in the escape group were not working, so I went from 45km on my own,” explained the 34-year-old Mollema, after winning his second Tour de France stage. “I like racing in the heat and most of my wins have been solo.”

On Friday, Mark Cavendish matched Eddy Merckx’s 46-year-old record for Tour stage wins. But the Deceuninck rider was well behind the peloton starting at the first slopes and trailed in more than 25 minutes behind Mollema’s winning mark.

Cavendish remained in green with two more mountain stages to survive before he has two more chances to break the record. He could steal the race winner’s thunder when the Tour winds up on the Champs Élysées, where he has won four times, on July 18.

108th tour de france 2021 stage 13

Mark Cavendish equaled the all-time tally of Tour de France stage wins when he sped over the finish line at Carcassonne on Friday for a landmark 34th victory in the race. It was Cavendish’s fourth win this Tour, tying the Belgian sprinter equal Eddy Merckx’s 46-year-old record of Tour de France stage wins.

Until Friday, Cavendish had steadfastly refused to hype the record due to his reverence for Merckx, who won the Tour de France five times.

“I can’t be compared to him,” said the Briton, who has two more flat stages in which to actually beat the record. “Eddy Merckx is the greatest rider of all time, and he will remain so.”

The feat is all the more remarkable considering Cavendish’s career looked compromised in December, teamless, without a Tour de France win in five years, and struggling to put a long bout of the tiring Epstein Barr virus behind him.

Team-less at the end of last season, Cavendish signed a short-term contract with Deceuninck – Quick-Step by maverick Belgian team boss Patrick Lefevere, a larger-than-life character Cavendish has always trusted and believed in.

Lefevere sent Cavendish to the level two Tour of Turkey in April and when he won four stages there, the foundation stone for a return to the top had been laid.

Tadej Pogačar retained the yellow jersey on Friday, and has a wide margin of five minutes to defend.

“I felt good on the day,” said the Slovenian, who was swift to praise the green jersey. “I watched him as a kid, sprinting like Rocketman, all respect to him.”

British Olympic hope Simon Yates pulled out of the Tour de France after a nasty mass-fall caused by gravel earlier on the stage.

Yates of BikeExchange looked dazed and badly grazed, and was one of the last men to remount and try and ride off his knock, but the British Olympic road-race hope was in too much difficulty and withdrew within 10 minutes of the accident.

tour de france results

Germany’s Nils Politt won Stage 12 of the Tour de France on Thursday, after early winds helped a breakaway build up a convincing lead over the main pack in the Rhone Valley and foil the best laid plans of the sprinters.

An escape group finished the short, flat stage to Nimes more than 15 minutes ahead of a resigned peloton, with the defending champion, UAE Team Emirates rider Tadej Pogačar , retaining his five-minute overall lead over a group of rivals.

“I felt good on the bike today, and in the coming stages I won’t hold back if I see an opportunity,” the Slovenian warned.

Stage winner Politt attacked from within a reduced group of 12 powerful riders who had defied the wind for a dominant solo victory.

“Directly after the start was the wind and it turned into a Tour de France win, it’s unbelievable,” said Politt, who rides for the Bora-Hansgrohe team.

“I attacked and opened up a gap from the other guys in the escape. This is my passion, and this is the biggest thing,” he said referring to the stage win.

108th tour de france 2021  stage 12

It was a sweet end to the day for Bora-Hansgrohe after a sore knee brought a premature end to the race for the team’s seven-time green jersey winner Peter Sagan, with only 157 riders taking to the starting line in Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateau on Thursday. It was the first time the Slovak has failed to finish the 21-day, 3000K haul, but his absence freed up Politt.

“Peter not being in the race allowed me to go for it, it could be a moment that changes my life,” said Politt, who came second the last time the grueling Paris-Roubaix was run.

Mock sprint from stone-faced Cavendish

The escape hampered an ideal scenario for the Mark Cavendish comeback roller-coaster. While Cavendish himself refuses to talk about equaling Eddy Merckx’s 35-year-old all-time record of 34 Tour de France stage wins, it appeared to be a feasible scenario ahead of the stage. When the peloton rolled into the red-roofed town of Nimes, the “Manx Missile” made a statement of intent by racing to the head of the main pack in a mock sprint, which he easily won.

After a five-year barren patch in the Tour de France, Cavendish is in a full blown Indian Summer following his last-minute call up to the Deceuninck-QuickStep roster at 36 years of age. The Isle of Man rider has seized his chance with three stage wins for a cumulative tally of 33, leaving him just a single stage short of Merckx’s record.

Due to what organizers called “favourable winds,” the start was delayed by 15 minutes, and as soon as it did get going a northern wind blustering down the vineyard-filled Rhone Valley caused immediate breaks in the peloton.

Cavendish stayed in the first group, looking relaxed as Stage 12 rolled through the magnificent Cevennes National Park—taking in the gorges of the Ardeche with its stone arch, the Pont d'Arc, and ending close to the Roman arena in Nimes, on what was billed as the 2021 Tour’s prettiest stage.

tour de france results

Wild crowds cheered Wout van Aert to a frantic Stage 11 win in the Tour de France on Wednesday, after a double ascent of Mont Ventoux —the first in Tour history within a single stage.

UAE Team Emirates leader Tadej Pogačar retained the overall lead by more than five minutes over his pursuers after a long, daredevil descent to the finish line with EF Education-Nippo’s Colombian Rigoberto Uran and Ineos Grenadiers’s Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz.

Jumbo-Visma’s van Aert crossed the summit of “the Giant of Provence” alone in his Belgian champion’s jersey on an incredibly hot day and was greeted after his expert descent by a group of fans at the finish line.

“There’s loads of Belgians here,” said an exultant van Aert, who played to the crowds by bending his ear to their acclamation.

On this iconic climb, where Tom Simpson died in 1967 and where Eddy Merckx, Marco Pantani, and Chris Froome climbed to memorable wins, van Aert’s effort was magnificent, and he rode with a free spirit now that his team leader Primož Roglič is out injured.

“It’s my best victory ever,” said van Aert, who finally reaped his reward, after his combative riding helped light the Tour fuse on the opening stages.

Behind him, his teammate Jonas Vingegaard climbed into the top three overall, crossing the line in the small group that included Pogačar, one min and 38 seconds after van Aert. Pogačar leads Uran by 5 minutes and 18 seconds, Dane Vingegaard is in third 14 seconds further back and a second ahead of Carapaz, while Australian Ben O’Connor is fifth. Colombian Nairo Quintana kept the polka-dot climber’s points jersey while Mark Cavendish came home seven minutes inside the time cut to hold on to the green sprinter’s jersey.

“Anything is possible”

Vingegaard dropped Pogačar after a struggle over the final 3K of the last ascent, only for the Slovenian’s group to catch up on the 25K descent.

“I couldn’t follow him, the heat, Ineos, there was a lot going on,” said a cool and relaxed looking Pogačar at the finish line, where he immediately went to see the stage winner. “We had some nice words for each other, I just wanted to say ‘great ride mate.’”

With a vehicle ban on Ventoux, police searched the vast crowds ascending on foot for alcohol and handed out bin bags after 40 tonnes of rubbish were left behind last time the Tour climbed the mountain.

108th tour de france 2021  stage 11

The peloton pulled out of the pretty Provence town of Sorgues to the summer sound of chirruping cicadas, with the mercury rising to over 30 degrees Celsius and the multicoloured peloton shimmering in the southern French sunshine.

By the time the lead group emerged above the clouds on bleak Ventoux, the peloton was scattered all the way down the 21K, one-hour climb. The leaders cut stark figures as they struggled for dominance across the lunar landscape.

Pogačar resisted concerted pressure from Ineos Grenadiers to lead an elite quartet across the line, but only after a wobble on the upper reaches of the second Ventoux slog.

After his dash to the finish, van Aert celebrated with sheer joy, his arms raised straight up in the air and standing high on his pedals.

“If you believe in it, anything is possible. Now, I’ll be helping Jonas in the overall and hopefully trying to win more stages,” said van Aert, who has promised to go shoulder-to-shoulder with Cavendish.

Thursday’s Stage 12 is a flat run to Nimes, where Cavendish will equal Merckx’s all-time Tour de France stage win tally of 34 if he claims a fourth victory in this year’s race.

tdfr 2021

Mark Cavendish won his third stage in the 2021 Tour de France on Tuesday, moving to within one of Eddy Merckx’s all time record of 34 stage wins, but said he is motivated more by inspiring people to overcome difficulties.

At the end of a flat run from Albertville to Valence, 36-year-old Briton Cavendish edged Belgians Wout van Aert and Jasper Philipsen to the line with his 33rd stage win in the world’s greatest bike race, while also keeping a firm grip on the sprint points green jersey.

Cavendish was a surprise late inclusion on Deceuninck-QuickStep’s Tour roster and had seized the opportunity, ending a five-year barren patch in the race with wins on Stages 4, 6, and now 10. The 2009 world champion, known as the Manx Missile, was teamless in December before being taken in by former mentor Patrick Lefevere on the Belgian team, where he has finally put behind him the after effects of the tiring Epstein-Barr virus .

“I’ve been blown away by the love and support from around the world,” a beaming Cavendish said. “People can be inspired by some kind of comeback if you think things are over, if anyone can use that to get inspired, that is the greatest joy for me.”

Cavendish cut a much lighter character when interviewed, after coming across prickly on his previous two triumphs here.

“I didn’t do anything today, they just delivered me, it was phenomenal again,” he said, after hitting 63.5kph (almost 40mph) on the home stretch.

Cavendish refuses to discuss the Merckx stage milestone; the Belgian won the last of his Tour stages in 1975. The former Team Sky rider is described by Tour director Christian Prudhomme as the greatest sprinter ever on the Grand Boucle, but will never win the race outright. On Sunday, he scraped over the line just inside the time cut on a major mountain stage and described this feat as perhaps his greatest victory.

“My boss has been talking about me winning a fifth stage on the Champs Elysees,” he said, a feat that would see him surpass the long-standing Merckx’s tally. “But I’m just taking it one day at a time, and I’ll keep trying to win stages.”

Pogačar ready to go full gas

The 22-year-old defending champion Tadej Pogačar retained the yellow jersey for the overall lead after keeping a low profile ahead of Wednesday’s monster double climb of Mont Ventoux , with its barren, lunar upper reaches.

“Yeah, I didn’t get too involved today, I need to get ready to go full-gas on Mont Ventoux,” said the overall leader. “There’s no point me risking everything going for a stage win.”

“I crashed the first day on the Tour, and I’ve crashed six times this year, so that’s my main stress on these flat stages, keeping out of trouble,” Pogačar continued.

Stage 10 embarked from the 1992 Winter Olympics host city of Albertville and took the peloton through the magnificent Rhone Valley, where the 165 survivors from the original 184 starters appeared relaxed after their rest day, all of them having tested negative for Covid-19 on Monday.

The race ended minutes before a heavy rainstorm lashed the finish line in Valence, halfway between Lyon and Marseille, that had been on an ‘orange alert’ in France for bad weather. A crosswind prelude to the storm picked up 30K out of Valence, known for its Crozes Hermitage wines, wafting the pungent scent of the lavender fields across the open plains outside the arrival town in the Drome region.

108th tour de france 2021  stage 9

Australian climber Ben O’Connor soared to a high-altitude stage win in the Tour de France on Sunday, on a cold, rainy day that culminated in a 21K climb to Tignes.

UAE Team Emirates controlled the main contenders and their leader, the 22-year-old defending champion Tadej Pogačar, again hurt his rivals and strengthened his hold on the Tour lead, while the Citroën AG2R rider O’Connor hauled himself into second in the overall standings.

O’Connor skipped up the 21K final climb to Tignes, leaving the other members of his breakaway group, including Colombian pair Nairo Quintana and Sergio Higuita, trailing in his wake.

“It’s mind-blowing, it can make your heart stop and it definitely did that to mine,” said a visibly thrilled O’Connor, who dedicated the win to his happy Citroën AG2R team, family, girlfriend and mates back in Australia.

The temperature was in single digits Celsius and rain fell most of the day.

“Conditions were atrocious,” O’Connor said, and riders looked frozen to the bone at the finish line, many trembling with cold.

Pogačar once again showed he is currently the strongest of the overall contenders as he dropped Ineos Grenadiers riders Geraint Thomas and Richie Carapaz with 4K to go, gaining another 30 seconds in his title defence.

tour de france results

Defending champion Tadej Pogačar soared into the Tour de France overall lead on Saturday on an Alpine stage won by Belgian Dylan Teuns, as British outfit Ineos Grenadiers’s hopes were again battered.

UAE Team Emirates’s Slovenian leader Pogačar finished fourth, around a minute behind Teuns, but took another three minutes out of his most credible rival Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz of Ineos.

Overnight leader Mathieu van der Poel went into a trademark “all or nothing at all” meltdown and looks set to drop out of the Tour as promised and jet off to Tokyo to contest the mountain bike gold medal.

At one point, a wind-blown umbrella flew across Van der Poel’s path, but the Dutch Tour rookie swerved brilliantly to avoid it, keeping his Olympic dream alive even as he let go of the yellow jersey.

Pogačar, who stunned his rivals with a Stage 5 time trial win, was again head and shoulders above the rest of the field. He attacked from the group of contenders a full 30K out after his sports director said ahead of the race, “the Tour de France starts here.”

tour de france results

With 13 stages remaining, Pogačar leads the Tour by one min and 48 seconds ahead of Belgian Wout Van Aert, who is Jumbo-Visma’s main hope, after Primož Roglič’s crash several days ago and subsequent decline in form.

The 22-year-old Pogačar will wear the yellow jersey for only the second time on Sunday. He took control of the 2020 Tour on the penultimate day, but rather than bide his time on this raucous edition, he has seized control early.

Teuns, a 29-year-old Belgian, who also won a stage of the 2019 Tour de France on the storied Planche des Belles Fille climb, dedicated his win to his grandmother—his grandfather passed away just two days before the start of the Tour.

“I hope she’s not suffering too much by being alone,” said Teuns, who was only 12 seconds ahead of Pogačar at the summit of the final climb.

“I didn’t know he was so close, there was so much noise up there,” said Teuns, who rode recklessly on the descent to open a larger lead on the gifted descender Pogačar.

Have fun up there

Before Van der Poel dropped off the pace on the second climb, he drew alongside Pogačar and the two chatted for a few moments.

“He wished me well and said he hoped I got the jersey today,” Pogačar said.

When Pogačar put the hammer down, as they say in cycling, only Carapaz was able to follow, but not for long.

“Attack is the best defence,” Pogačar said. “I haven’t won the Tour de France yet,” he said, looking ahead to Sunday’s stage with it’s summit finish at Tignes.

“Tomorrow we have a super, super hard stage, we may have to defend there,” he said, looking pale and cold after his long day in the rain.

Teuns’s Bahrain Victorious team had a second reason to be cheerful as Wout Poels took the King of the Mountains polka-dot jersey.

The 150K course, which culminated with the ascent and descent of a classic Tour climb, the Col de la Colombiere with a 7.5K climb at an 8.5 percent average gradient, was the first of eight mountain stages. There were large weekend crowds in the Upper Savoy region known for Evian water, melted-cheese dishes, and the Chamonix ski resort.

tour de france results

Slovenia’s Matej Mohorič won Stage 7 of the Tour de France on Friday, as Mathieu van der Poel kept the yellow jersey, after leading a breakaway on an epic 249K run from Vierzon to Le Creusot.

Defending champion Tadej Pogačar limited his losses and remains a force to be reckoned with, while Ineos’s best-placed rider Richard Carapaz wasted energy with a doomed late breakaway before being caught on the line as the British team continue to suffer.

A mass attack after 50K of the longest stage in 21 years stunned race favourite Pogačar, as over 20 riders got away after a 15K struggle to contain them wilted. The large escape group, all working hard to maximize the damage, soon opened up a seven-minute lead, leaving a sense of confusion in the teams left behind including UAE Team Emirates and Ineos Grenadiers. It was to produce an unexpected day of drama to round off an eventful first week.

Ahead of two tough mountain stages in the Alps, the rookie Van der Poel, who took the overall lead on Stage 2, is a defendable 3 minutes and 43 seconds ahead of fifth-placed Pogačar.

“It was just a brutal day, I haven’t witnessed this often on the bike, or even watching a race on television,” said Van der Poel, who insists the Tokyo Olympics is his chief aim.

“I just wanted to protect the jersey and followed my rivals in the attack,” he said in reference to Jumbo-Visma’s Wout Van Aert, who is now second overall at just 30 seconds back after the pair came home with six other riders, a minute and 40 seconds after the winner.

Brutal shock

Pogačar admitted after the race that he felt the effects of his individual time trial win on Wednesday, saying he had not refused to chase and thanking his team, even if they lost three minutes on Van der Poel.

“I knew it was going to be hard when they attacked in crosswind, but I’m super proud of the team. I can’t be the strongest every day,” said the 22-year-old.

His countryman, stage winner Mohorič, climbed to fourth in the overall standings and claimed the King of the Mountains polka-dot jersey.

“It hasn’t sunk in,” said a visibly thrilled Mohorič. “This completes my set as I won at the Giro and the Vuelta.”

“But this is something else, this is the biggest race in the world,” he continued.

Another Slovenian, Primož Roglič, had the biggest loss of the day and was dropped with 15K to go. The 2020 runner-up fell badly on Stage 3 and now appears to be out of the running after losing 3 minutes and 50 seconds on Pogačar and Carapaz.

With its hills, forests, and sheer length, Stage 7 had the feel of an Ardennes one-day classic, and Belgium’s Wout Van Aert and Van der Poel of the Netherlands were key protagonists in forcing a hesitant peloton into a dramatic charge for the line.

Mark Cavendish continued his astonishing return to form by following the escape in the crosswind, as he often did in days of old, to win an intermediate sprint and take another 20 points in the chase for the green jersey before dropping back to the peloton.

108th tour de france 2021 stage 6

The Mark Cavendish comeback gathered pace Thursday as he won his second stage in three days with a triumph on a day for pure sprinters along a 1.7K home straight at Chateauroux.

After a barren five-year spell at the Tour, the win on Stage 6 took Cavendish’s tally at the world’s greatest bike race to 32 stage wins, just two short of Belgian great Eddy Merckx’s all-time record of 34.

“Please don’t ask me that question,” Cavendish said at the line when asked about the record.

Nobody else dared, but the rider himself broached the subject.

“You can’t look at this as ‘there’s no two without three,’ let’s just take it one day at a time,” he explained.

On a pancake-flat sixth stage run over a scenic 160K run through the Loire Valley, Dutch rookie Mathieu van der Poel kept hold of the yellow jersey in a race that, for the first time this edition, passed off without any major incident.

Less of a shock

The stage finished in the actor Gerard Depardieu’s hometown, a city Cavendish knows well after two previous stage victories in 2008 and 2011 on a finale that suits out-and-out sprinting, and on Thursday he once again produced a deadly last-second pounce for the line.

“When I knew there was a finish here it didn’t make me feel romantic as such but, there’s this massive old school Tour de France sprint finish. Here, Paris, and Bordeaux are the big sprint towns,” he said.

Two days ago, Cavendish shook his head in disbelief after winning Stage 4, but he was all grace and smiles after launching his 70km/h (43.5mph) finish after a sign from world champion teammate Julian Alaphilippe.

“It was less of a shock today than Tuesday’s win, we knew we could do it now, but it means just as much as that win,” said the 36-year-old, who keeps the green jersey for best sprinter.

Story of the Tour

The man known as the Manx Missile dismissed any suggestion that the quality of sprinters remaining operational was diminished due to the crashes that marred the opening stages.

“I’m sorry about my friend Caleb Ewan, it would have been an honor to sprint against him,” he said of the Australian who won three stages in 2019, but crashed out on Stage 3 this year.

“But look at the speed today. When I won here in 2011, 52km/h was standard, now it’s 54 or 55 km/h,” he said. “There’s an incredible group of sprinters here.”

Cavendish was teamless in December, but his old mentor Patrick Lefevere took him in at Deceuninck Quick-Step, with a sponsor providing the salary. In his old Belgian hunting grounds, Cavendish regained his smile after recovering from the Epstein Barr virus, an energy-sapping illness.

Against all expectations, when he was sent to the Tour of Turkey in April he won four stages, and another one in the Tour of Belgium in June. Stunning everyone, Lefevere then selected him ahead of Irish sprinter Sam Bennett for the Tour roster.

“What a story this is, something you couldn’t make up. It’s incredible,” a glowing Lefevere said at the finish line.

Race favorite and defending champion Tadej Pogačar said he had enjoyed the incident-free stage after winning the time trial Wednesday.

“It was fast but I felt good racing here,” he said of the fast-paced run alongside vast wheat fields and through vaunted vineyards.

“Tomorrow might be tricky, tough with that punchy finish,” Pogačar warned.

Friday’s stage is the longest on the Tour at almost 250K and features a finish hard to call: either a shake up of the peloton or perhaps another chance for Cavendish to take a further step towards Merckx’s record.

tour de france results

Defending champion Tadej Pogačar fired out a defiant warning to would-be Tour de France title contenders by storming the individual time trial on Wednesday, while Mathieu van der Poel clung on to the overall lead after Stage 5.

Van der Poel kept hold of his yellow jersey by just eight seconds while Ineos pair Geraint Thomas and Richard Carapaz lost more than a minute on Slovenia’s ever-improving Pogačar, who is now second in the overall standings.

Ahead of the 27.2K time trial, Pogačar described the stage as critical to his chances of defending the title he won in 2020 and the manner in which he raced Wednesday backed up that statement.

Pogačar won last year’s Tour de France by overturning compatriot Primož Roglic’s comfortable lead in a time trial on the penultimate day, and here he appeared to do at least as well as that fateful day on the feted La Planche des Belles Filles slopes where he clinched the Tour on his rookie appearance.

“It couldn’t really have gone any better today,” said the 22-year-old UAE rider. “With so many fans along the route it was really emotional and I rate this as one of my best days in the saddle.”

“I have changed my riding position, it’s less aerodynamic but allows me a stronger push,” added Pogačar after timing 32 minutes exactly over the 27.2K course, clocking an average speed of 51km/h (32mph).

tour de france results

His time was 44 seconds faster than that of Roglič, who fell heavily on Monday, and one minute and 18 seconds quicker than 2018 champion Thomas, who dislocated his shoulder before managing to pick himself up and finish the same crash-marred stage.

Pogačar’s time unseated Stefan Kung of Groupama-FDJ, who held the fastest time through much of the stage, with a 19-second lead. Jonas Vingegaard of Jumbo-Visma placed third in the stage, with Wout van Aert of Jumbo-Visma placing fourth, and Van der Poel taking fifth. Primož Roglič also gave a strong performance, despite his injuries, and placed seventh.

Pogačar’s phenomenal ride didn’t quite give him the overall lead but it leaves him in the driving seat for the title, one minute and 44 seconds ahead of Carapaz, with Roglič and Thomas four and 10 seconds further adrift respectively.

“There are still some tricky stages, even an easy looking day, you never know what can happen,” said Pogačar. “I’m further ahead now and attacks will come every day.”

Welshman Thomas said he had been feeling poorly, and had mixed feelings after the stage.

“I got the pacing right, but lacked a bit of power. I woke up feeling dreadful, and only loosened up out on the road,” he said.

Carapaz said he was glad the test was behind him, while Richie Porte suggested it was far from over saying, “We have a good tactical card to play, it was a good performance.”

The yellow jersey “gave me wings”

Van der Poel had vowed to defend the yellow jersey, but this was only the second time he had raced a time trial at the top level, and he reached beyond expectations to hold the lead on his debut Tour.

“He’s a true champion, he deserves his yellow, and he put on a great show, didn’t he,” Pogačar said of Van der Poel.

The raw emotions that accompanied Van der Poel taking yellow on Stage 2, avenging his recently deceased grandfather and former cyclist Raymond Poulidor, who never wore yellow despite winning seven stages, made way to a lighter-hearted side of “VDP” (as fans call him).

“The jersey gave me wings. I’m really proud of this achievement, it’s one I’ll remember,” said the 26-year-old who was cheered wildly by French fans packed tightly along the course.

tour de france results

On a day when a spectator who caused a mass crash of riders on Stage 1 was arrested by French police, there were tens of thousands of roadside fans infringing onto the route as the tension mounted towards the finish line.

“This was the best day of my career, we didn’t think I could keep the jersey today, but we worked well past midnight last night in preparing it all,” said Van der Poel, who had a tailored yellow skinsuit on. Van der Poel will likely keep the overall lead a few days longer, with two flat stages to come.

Another happy man was veteran Mark Cavendish, who kept hold of the green jersey for best sprinter.

“I held back a bit today because there are two flat stages coming up and I’ll need my energy to sprint,” said the Isle of Man rider.

The Briton won Tuesday’s bunch sprint finish to take his Tour de France tally to 31 stage wins and close in on the all-time record of 34 held by Belgian great Eddy Merckx.

mark cavendish wins 108th tour de france 2021  stage 4

Mark Cavendish broke down and wept after sprinting to his first Tour de France stage victory in five years on Tuesday, taking his tally of wins to 31 in the world’s greatest bike race.

Cavendish only made the Deceuninck Tour de France roster after Irish sprinter Sam Bennett pulled out at the last minute and was generous in his praise of the team’s crucial role in his return to the top.

The signs looked good early on in the fourth stage when Cavendish won the intermediate sprint, his maximum 70-point gain on the day handing him the green jersey awarded to the sprint points leader. In the sprint on this relatively short stage Cavendish showed all his savvy, biding his time to edge ahead with 50 meters to go and eventually finishing ahead of French sprinter Nacer Bouhanni.

Known as the “Manx Missile,” the rider from the Isle of Man shook his head in disbelief as he pulled on the green jersey.

“It’s been five years too long,” said Cavendish, inching closer to Belgian cycling legend Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 individual stage wins between 1969 and 1975.

“There has been a lot of talk about my condition and I hope this gives hope to people in my condition,” said the 36-year-old who was diagnosed in 2017 with the Epstein-Barr virus, which can cause persistent fatigue.

Conversely, there was heartbreak for Belgian rookie Brent Van Moer as the 23-year-old Lotto-Soudal rider was caught just 150 meters from the finish line after leading an escape for the majority of the attack.

“I had fire in my eyes”

Cavendish hailed world champion Julian Alaphilippe, from whom he inherited the green jersey, after the Frenchman gave everything to get Cavendish into position.

“I didn’t think we were going to catch him,” Cavendish admitted. “The GC guys were ahead blocking the road and we couldn’t get them going.”

“But I had fire in my eyes,” said an emotional Cavendish.

“It’s not easy winning a Tour de France stage, the hardest thing has been people not understanding how hard it was to win those stages,” he said of the years when his career seemed to have stalled.

“It’s not about proving anyone wrong. I knew I could do it, I just need someone to believe in me and that was Patrick Lefevere, and my wife at home, those are the people I wanted to believe,” he continued.

Cavendish was out of contract in December but was taken ‘home’ to Deceuninck Quick-Step, who call themselves “the Wolfpack” by Belgian team boss Lefevere, a larger-than-life character Cavendish has always trusted and believed in. Lefevere sent Cavendish to the level two Tour of Turkey in April and when he won four stages there, the foundation for a return to the top had been laid.

“I know why I’m good or bad, and I need a happy place, a team that functions as a team, a bike that fitted me, that’s why I came back to [Deceuninck] Quick-Step for the happiest time of my life,” said the sprinter.

“The Wolfpack thing is not just the face of a wolf on a t-shirt, look at Julian Alaphilippe today giving all that, I feel privileged,” Cavendish said.

Alaphilippe won Stage 1 to take the yellow jersey before losing it to Mathieu van der Poel on Sunday, but on Wednesday’s time-trial the French rider, on paper at least, has a good chance of winning it back.

The 2020 champion, Tadej Pogačar, is also gunning for a win on Wednesday.

“Yes, tomorrow is critical,” Pogačar said. “I’ve been thinking about it since I got here.”

Dutch rookie Van der Poel, who shed tears in memory of his renowned cyclist grandfather, Raymond Poulidor, on Sunday, said he felt he would lose the overall lead during the Stage 5 time trial.

“We’ll be trying to get another stage victory somewhere else, it’ll be too tough for us tomorrow,” he said.

Alaphilippe has worn the yellow jersey 18 times and trails Van der Poel by just eight seconds, with Pogačar in sixth overall, a further 30 seconds down on his chief threat ahead of Wednesday’s 27K test.

tim merlier wins stage 3 of 108th tour de france 2021

Race favourites Primož Roglič and Geraint Thomas, as well as ace sprinters Peter Sagan and Caleb Ewan were all involved in nasty crashes before Tim Merlier won a drama-filled Stage 3 of the Tour de France on Monday, with one manager making a passionate plea for new safety measures.

Merlier’s teammate Mathieu van der Poel kept hold of the overall lead on a brutal day of racing peppered with falls on the rain-slick, narrow winding roads in Brittany with Thomas dislocating a shoulder and 2020 runner-up Roglič losing valuable time.

team ineos grenadiers geraint thomas of great britain receives medical treatment after crashing during the 3rd stage of the 108th edition of the tour de france cycling race, 182 km between lorient and pontivy, on june 28, 2021 photo by thomas samson  afp photo by thomas samsonafp via getty images

Yellow jersey wearer Van der Poel cut a dour figure compared to the tear-filled elation he experienced after winning Sunday's stage two.

“It was a very fast, technical run-in with all the general classification guys racing for their places, it’s difficult to say anything now,” said Van der Poel.

“It’s a big race, (in the) overall standings guys fighting against sprinters, for sure it’s a dangerous sport,” said the Dutch Alpecin-Fenix rider in muted celebrations after he not only retained the yellow jersey but also led out Merlier’s sprint train.

“Will mothers let their kids cycle?”

With two mass pile-ups marring Stage 1 and an ensuing hunt for the mystery culprit French police have vowed to catch up with, followed by the thrill and raw emotion of Van der Poel winning one for his illustrious cycling family on Stage 2, drama was always likely to be coming round the next corner.

And so it proved on the seafront at the Plage de Testel, 2018 champion Thomas losing his concentration and hitting the ground so hard he dislocated a shoulder before making it back to the peloton with the help of three teammates. Images of Thomas shaking his legs while having his shoulder put back in by medics won’t be easy to forget.

Slovenia’s Roglič then hit the tarmac hip first with 10K to go, and while shaken he also limited his losses with the help of teammates. Although his Tour is not finished, he now has time to make up on Tadej Pogačar and Thomas.

The worst fall came in the home straight with Caleb Ewan hitting Merlier’s back wheel at over 80kph and taking Slovak sprint specialist Sagan down with him, the pair sliding for tens of meters on the tarmac.

tour de france 2021 stage 3 crash

Ewan’s main sprint rival from FDJ, Arnaud Demare, had also fallen on a bend just outside Pontivy and his manager Marc Madiot was furious.

“Kids, families, mothers are watching this, will mothers want their kids to cycle? We have been speaking about this for years, this isn’t cycling , what condition is Ewan in,” said an impassioned Madiot.

Ineos’s Carapaz into third

In the chaos of all the crashes, Ineos’s Ecuadorian rider Richard Carapaz was the overall title contender ending the day with relative good news as he climbed to third in the overall standings.

Van der Poel enjoys an eight-second lead over Stage 1 winner Julian Alaphilippe, with Carapaz in third at 31 seconds along with Wout van Aert of Jumbo-Visma.

But Pogačar and Thomas both lost 26 seconds Monday while a grazed Roglič crossed the line one minute and 20 seconds down, having rallied heroically to save his Tour.

As for the mystery woman in yellow who caused the first crash on day one with her sign held up in front of the pack, French authorities are still actively looking for her , a high-ranking gendarme told AFP Monday.

“We don’t know who she is, if she’s German or Franco-German or whatever. But don’t worry, we’ll find her,” the gendarme said. “She isn’t at risk of much more than a fine, the ASO (race organizers) are making this move more as a warning to fans on the roadside.”

There were massed ranks of fans again Monday, but none of the falls were their fault.

tour de france stage 2

Mathieu van der Poel won Stage 2 of the Tour de France on Sunday to claim the overall leader’s yellow jersey and strike a blow for his famous cycling family.

The Dutch 25-year-old is the grandson of French cycling icon, the late Raymond Poulidor, who was a regular on the Tour de France podium and beloved of French fans despite never wearing the fabled yellow jersey.

Van der Poel dropped to the tarmac gasping for breath before weeping with his hands covering his face as the weight of Poulidor's historic legacy was settled on two dramatic ascents of the same Brittany hill, the Mur-de-Bretagne.

“Imagine how he’d feel, he’s not here,” said van der Poel of Poulidor who died in 2019 at the age of 83. “This was my last chance on the Tour to do it, it’s so good.”

cycling tour de france 2021 stage two

French fans saw their own hero Julian Alaphilippe lose the yellow jersey, but cheered the Dutchman both for his gung-ho passion and for his beloved grandfather.

Van der Poel won a maximum of 18 bonus seconds for crossing the summit in the lead twice, and then winning by a clear margin after accelerating away from a chasing clutch of elite road racers.

Defending champion Tadej Pogačar was second followed by Primoz Roglič, while Alaphilippe was fifth at eight seconds.

tour de france 2021 stage 1

Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe dusted himself off from a fall to claim the first yellow jersey of the Tour de France on Saturday, winning Stage 1 by a clear margin on a crash-marred opening day.

World champion Alaphilippe shot up the early section of the final 3K climb taking 10 bonus seconds at the finish line and ended another 12 seconds ahead of his nearest challenger.

Australia’s Michael Matthews was second and is second overall at 16 seconds while Slovenia’s Primož Roglič came third and is in the same position in the overall standings.

Crossing the line in his world champion's rainbow jersey, Alaphilippe put his thumb in his mouth in honor of his newborn son with his partner Marion Rousse, a former professional cyclist and now commentator.

INEOS Grenadiers leader Geraint Thomas and defending champion Tadej Pogačar were just behind this group on a hugely stressful finish with major time gaps at stake that almost certainly led to the second of two mass falls on the day.

Just before the finish, around 20 riders lay stricken and needing attention shortly after a first mass fall on the Tour de France opening stage including four time champion Chris Froome.

Unlike the earlier crash caused by a fan, the second came as the peloton was going around 70kph some 5km from the finish line.

tour de france 2021 stage 1 crash

A first fall happened some 45K away from the finish line of stage one of the Tour between Brest and Landerneau.

A fan brandishing a sign brought down German rider Tony Martin who was riding near the head of the pack and close to excited roadside spectators.

The Jumbo-Visma rider fell, bringing down a huge number of fellow peloton members behind him. The crash held up the race for five minutes while bikes and bodies were untangled.

The race leader slowed down to allow the stragglers to catch up and despite the spectacular tangle only one rider, Germany's Jasha Sutterlin of DSM, has so far had to pull out due to the accident.

Italian champion Sonny Colbrelli and Dutch rider Wout van Aert, who ran over Martin before falling head over heels, had both been amongst the favorites to win the first stage hilltop finish but were both badly delayed.

Hordes of unmasked fans decked out in red-and-white polka dot caps and shirts lined the narrow Brittany country lanes for the 197K stage as France eases its COVID-19 restrictions.

.css-1t6om3g:before{width:1.75rem;height:1.75rem;margin:0 0.625rem -0.125rem 0;content:'';display:inline-block;-webkit-background-size:1.25rem;background-size:1.25rem;background-color:#F8D811;color:#000;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-position:center;background-position:center;}.loaded .css-1t6om3g:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/bicycling/static/images/chevron-design-element.c42d609.svg);} Tour de France

109th tour de france 2022 stage 12

The 2024 Tour de France Can’t Miss Stages

2nd tour de france femmes 2023 stage 7

Riders Weigh In on the Tour de France Routes

2nd tour de france femmes 2023 stage 2

2024 Tour de France Femmes Can't-Miss Stages

topshot cycling fra tdf2023 women stage7

How Much Money Do Top Tour de France Teams Make?

110th tour de france 2023 stage 8

2024 Tour de France/ Tour de France Femmes Routes

2nd tour de france femmes 2023 stage 8

How Much Did Tour de France Femmes Riders Earn?

cycling fra tdf2023 women stage7

5 Takeaways from the Tour de France Femmes

2nd tour de france femmes 2023 stage 8

Who Won the 2023 Tour de France Femmes?

2nd tour de france femmes 2023 stage 8

Results From the 2023 Tour de France Femmes

3rd tour de suisse women 2023 stage 2

Previewing Stage 8: 2023 Tour de France Femmes

col du tourmalet pass

The Tour de France Femmes Takes on the Tourmalet

Accessibility Links

times logo

Marseilles travel guide

When to go, what to do, and why you’ll love it.

has the tour de france ever been through marseille

Why you’ll love it

T his article contains links from which we may earn revenue. These links are signposted with an asterisk. More information here .

Marseille is the most irrepressible city in France . In recent times the country’s second settlement has experienced a rush to respectability. After a long period of decline when headlines were hogged mainly by soccer and self-pity, rap and rapscallions, Marseille has been inundated with museums, galleries, posh shops, bars full of beer, beards and cocktails, and hotel openings on the half-hour.

High-speed rail — the TGV — has raced in, and big urban projects have transformed the Vieux Port (Old Port) and waterfront. La Canebière, the city’s main drag, is rediscovering its imperial dignity. Once again, there are glimpses of the grandeur created by colonial commerce that, from the 17th century through to the early 20th, made Marseille mighty.

But let us be clear, the gentrification is relative — there is far too much southern blood pumping through this city’s veins. Marseille has lived life loud for 2,600 years. Its DNA has equal parts of the seductive, the bombastic and the picaresque.

For years the sea brought in trade, but also the plague and a world-class collection of huddled masses. Bouillabaisse, the most full-frontal fish dish you’ll ever eat, was also born upon the briny. Now the seaside acts as a breathing space and safety valve, lest the boisterousness that bolts the city together implodes. Meanwhile, the staring sun — nowhere in France is sunnier — ensures heat, light and liveliness while still casting shadows sufficient for skulduggery. There’s no more exciting urban prospect in France.

Advertisement

Main photo: Marseille (Andrei Koscina/Unsplash)

The Vieux Port — the inlet into the heart of Marseille — has been the city’s focal point ever since the Greeks showed up two-and-a-half millennia ago. It remains so, even though commercial shipping moved out ages ago. This is where the Marseillais demonstrate, party and celebrate football. These days the Quai de la Fraternité at the port’s landside end is covered by Norman Foster’s reflective stainless steel canopy. Look up and you may see yourself buying sea bass at the quay’s famous fish market.

Nearby is the Colorbüs tourist bus stop. Buy a ticket and jump on. OK, it’s not the coolest thing in town, but if you want to trek all the way up to Notre-Dame de la Garde, go right ahead. In truth, the hop-on, hop-off service* is a practical way to see more of the city’s greatest hits. Be sure to make a pitstop at the Vallon des Auffes, a fishing village entirely engulfed by the city, but still full of cabins, little boats and some of the finer fish restaurants around.

Back on the bus, it’s 500 feet almost straight up to Notre-Dame, the great Byzantine basilica topping the town and itself topped by a golden Virgin, la Bonne Mère. She is much appreciated by the Marseillais because, apparently, she lets them do as they please. Outside there are great views over the sea and the city in its entirety. Inside, exuberant Romano-Byzantine decor reveals a late 19th-century church trying to be heard above the noise of the godless republic.

The bus winds down to the Vieux Port and on to the MuCem* , the Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilisations. It’s a startling, contemporary spot and covers the subject well, although not quite as well as it thinks it does. I find the Marseille History Museum, back along the Vieux Port, more coherent and convincing.

It’s handy, too, for a walk up the Canebière, the main drag that is making a return to stateliness. Sheer off to the Capucin fruit and veg market and surrounding district. Here, street life starts off raucous, then cranks up amid stalls of figs and spices, open-fronted emporia selling halal meats and salt fish, cafés loud with rai music and old blokes on orange boxes flogging black market fags. There’s more mainstream city centre shopping in the Rue Paradis, Rue St Ferréol and Rue de Rome.

At some point you must tackle Le Panier. Rising directly to the north of the Vieux Port, this is the oldest part of Marseille, a first stop for immigrants who stacked up in its narrow streets and suspect stairways. The French Connection — a drug-trafficking route that became the subject of a classic 1971 film — happened here. It’s smarter these days, with boutiques and bars, but old habits die hard and an air of conspiracy remains. Thank heavens. No one wants Marseille to be only on its best behaviour; that’s not the point of the city at all.

Central to Le Panier is La Vieille Charité, a former workhouse distinguished by the architect Pierre Puget’s centre-stage chapel. The premises now houses two museums, to which I would go, were I not invariably detained at the nearby Bar des 13 Coins. Poet and crime writer Jean-Claude Izzo, who captured Marseille better than anyone, used to drink here — there could be no finer recommendation.

Where to stay

The most prestigious district has always been around the Vieux Port, and so it remains, with a decent spread of hotels from the mid-range to the properly sumptuous. Up at the top is the Hotel-Dieu InterContinental* , magnificently adapted from the monumental old hospital, with Michelin-starred dining and the best bar terrace in town. But others, too, offer lovely views over the port.

The other key choice, especially if you wish to add a slice of seaside to your break, would be the south side, round the Corniche from the city centre. Here, along the Prado and Borély beaches, Marseille unexpectedly does the Riviera thong’n’shades shuffle, quite as well as most places that are actually on the Riviera. Frankly, the beaches here are the equal of those at St Tropez. And they come backed by sunlit hotels boasting everything necessary in the matter of seaview terraces and open-air restaurants.

Elsewhere, the Marseille city centre accommodation gamut runs from cheap and cheerful (also cheap and not very cheerful) through to some very acceptable chain hotels and family-run chambres-d’hôtes. Tucked away here and there are additional lovely spots, adapted from particularly classy townhouses. One point: check the location before booking. However attractive a hotel (or its price) might be, if it’s too far from the centre and the Vieux Port, you’ll spend too much time shuttling back and forth.

Food and drink

Marseille drinks and eats as it lives, with few concessions to the colourless. Aperitifs are obligatory — pastis is the thing, though Provençal rosé and cassis white wines work well too. You might do your sipping on a Vieux Port café terrace — it’s lovely as the sun sets — or join a cooler crowd overlooking the port’s south side. Rues Sainte, Endoume and Sainte Cathérine might not look promising but, come evening, spill over with bright young things, glasses in hand. Most notable is the Café de l’Abbaye on Endoume.

Another key zone is around the Cours Julien. Off the Canebière and up the hill, this is where even cooler people gather for street art, small-scale theatre, boutiques, and bars with moral philosophies. It’s also an area where you can eat well on a budget. I’m particularly keen on the tiny, sombre Rue des Trois Rois, where a range of restaurants offer three courses for around £25. That said, there is obviously great eating down by the Vieux Port and adjacent streets and squares. Also round on the south-side beaches, where bistros, brasseries and fish restaurants flourish.

Marseille can, of course, do posh. Michelin-starred restaurants abound, peaking at Gerald Passédat’s legendary Petit Nice on the Corniche. However, the time-honoured Marseille gastronomy is that which overwhelms. Bouillabaisse, for instance. The fishiest fish dish in the world represents southern feistiness in stew form. Should you find it for under £35 a throw, be suspicious. Daube is a beef stew with similar pugnacity, while pieds-et-paquets — lambs’ feet and intestines simmered in wine and herbs — are to be approached with caution.

The Cité Radieuse was the attempt by Le Corbusier to show postwar city folk how to live. In one vast block on stilts, the Swiss-born architect conceived of 337 apartments plus shops, schools, a hotel and restaurant and plenty of light, colour and open space. It remains an illuminating exercise in architectural optimism, with the hotel and commerce still operating. English-language visits are at 10am on Fridays and Saturday in school holidays, and should be booked ahead with the Marseille tourism office.

Alternatively, hop on a boat from the Vieux Port for the 25-minute trip to the Ile-d’If. The rock island is dominated by the fortress in which Edmond Dantès, the future Count of Monte Cristo, was imprisoned. You may be shown his cell by a guide, who doubtless will know as well as you do that Dantès was fictional. A few minutes further on, Frioul island* is bigger and more rewarding, offering great walking amid cliffs, creeks and deserted beaches. The views of Marseille from here are outstanding.

Know before you go

In Marseille you’ll be spending euros. Keep a close eye on them — the city remains a big brawling port where some people, at least, may have plans for your cash that don’t include you. To save money, consider a 24, 48 or 72-hour city pass, especially if you’re intending to do plenty of sightseeing. Meanwhile, don’t take locals on at pétanque (or boules), certainly not for cash — they’ll clean you out. Neither should you criticise the Olympique de Marseille — fans of the soccer club are fiercely loyal.

Take me there

Inspired to visit Marseille but yet to book your trip? Here are the best packages from BA Holidays* and Expedia* .

Sign up for the Times Travel Newsletter here .

Groupe en visite sur le toit de la cité radieuse

  • Visit Marseille

Guided tours Marseille

With family or friends, discover Marseille and its highlights! The Marseille Metropolitan Tourist and Convention Bureau offers a number of guided tours. The Old Port, the artistic districts, the small fishing ports, or even the walks in the historical districts of the city, visit Marseille and discover its history!

On the way to En-Doume

The Must-see guided tours in Marseille

Our guided city tours.

Discover the  Cité Radieuse du Corbusier in Marseille with a  guide, a masterpiece of architecture of 20th century architecture, classified as a historic monument and now a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Discover the shopping area, the rooftop terrace and  visit  a flat created  by Le Corbusier!

Don’t miss the ‘Vieux-Port’ and the ‘Mucem’ with our  guided tour “Marseille today, on the way to the Mucem”! Discover the architecture of Marseille’s monuments and places on the way to the Mucem.

Discover the creative and artistic districts  of Marseille with our  guided tours “Belsunce et ses sentiers créatifs” and “Marseille Trendy, the Sun King’s Old  Port ! Two visits that highlight the cultural richness of Marseille.

Visit  Marseille and its historical areas with guided tours  of the Panier, Mazargues or even Endoume !

Nature tours in the  city

Visit the natural side of  Marseille with our  guided tours on nature in the  city !

Discover the  very  lively tour of Jean- Marie  Sanchez in the  district of l’Estaque.  Visit the flowering houses of l’Estaque and  listen to the history of this small Marseille village!

At the  bottom of Marseilleveyre and close to the calanque, discover our Roy d’Espagne parc guided tours! An unusual walk in the Marseille countryside.

Have a  walk in Marseille and discover our  guided tours to  discover all the  city and  its history.

Visit the green areas of Marseille  with our  tour “Balade Buissonnière, la biodiversité en ville” Walk through the  city centre and  visit  Marseille in a different  way  !

visite-guidee-en-route-vers-le-mucem-joomtcm-37.jpg

Unusual  guided tours in Marseille

Family guided tours.

Visit Marseille with your family thanks  to our guided tours created especially  for  you and  your  children! Playful and  fun guided tours to learn about the history of Marseille and its districts!

Visit the  artistic area of  Cours Julien with our “Graffiti and street Art” tour! A funny guided  tour to  discover the street-art works district of Marseille.  An  exciting tour on the  history of the urban art in Cours  Julien, an  open-air art gallery !

Have fun with our “treasure hunt” discovering fish and mermaids! : A friendly tour that will make you discover the  sculpture in the  Vieux-Port district.

Have a  walk in the famous district ” Les Goudes” in the Calanques of Marseille and learn more about the fishermen’s port. A tour for the  family that will give  you the opportunity to meet the inhabitants.

Our guide introduces young and old alike to the Parc Pastré, at the foot  of the Massif de Marseilleveyre, on the edge of the Calanques. Awarness of the environment and its protection and discovery of the flora of the Calanques National Park.

Guided tour  of unusal districts

Live a memorable experience  in the belly  of Marseille with  our guided tour of the ‘M.I.N’ (National Interest Market), located in the Arnavaux district and walk  through the different alleys with our  guide for an exchange with the producers. Enjoy a breakfast at  dawn among the seasonal products.

Discover Marcel Pagnol’s village: La Treille, where you will be  able  to see the  different places where Marcel Pagnol stayed and where he filmed, with the evocation of  his artwork and characters.

Live  Marseille at 100%. Taste Marseille’s  specialities   (Aioli, sardines, octopus, pastis) and discover the unmissable Marseille   districts thanks  to the gastronomy tour offered by Do Eat Better! You  will walk  through the  most  beautiful districts of  Marseille (Le Panier, the Vieux-port , Noailles) and  you will learn some historical anecdotes !

Discover our activities and visits

Jeu-de-piste-Anses-et-calanques-urbaines-©joOMTCM-34.jpg

Marseille inspires you

Calanque De Port Pin

  • Professionals
  • Marseille Experience

no image

Aerial view of Marseille

Olympic Torch Relay Route

Follow the route

Stage Preview

The arrival of the Olympic flame in France on 9 May signals the start of a great story, one that is sure to be full of enthusiasm and smiles that will set the tone for the weeks ahead until the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games on 26 July. After sailing from Greece and crossing the Mediterranean on board the Belem , the Olympic torch will arrive in Marseille, the second-largest city in the country. It will start its tour of the Phocaean City from the Notre-Dame de la Garde Basilica , known as the "Good Mother", and head downtown.

It will then go from Parc Borély to the Palais du Pharo and on to the Cité Internationale de Marseille . The Olympic torch will also visit the Parc de Font Obscure , which commands a sweeping view of the Port of Marseille. The next leg will take it from Le Dôme to the Palais Longchamp museum and water tower. It will then zip past the Parc de la Moline before tackling the final segment of the day between Périer , a peaceful neighbourhood in the heart of the city, and Marseille Stadium .

Celebrations at Marseille Stadium

Stade de Marseille

The Olympic torch will finish its visit to this ancient city by visiting one of its most iconic landmarks: Marseille Stadium. The venue—more commonly known as Stade Vélodrome—was built in 1935 and inaugurated in 1937 by Léo Lagrange, the Under-secretary of State for Sport, who was pushing hard to promote sport in France. The stadium has since been expanded, upgraded and polished over the decades and now seats over 67,300. Home to Olympique de Marseille of Ligue 1 (the top men's professional football league in France), the stadium has been the setting of the most memorable feats in the history of this iconic club.

It has also hosted major football competitions, including matches of the 1938 and 1998 World Cups and the 1984 and 2016 European Championships, but it has always been a multi-sport venue. It has witnessed boxing fights featuring Marcel Cerdan, a baseball match in the aftermath of the liberation of France, rugby matches and even a stage of the 2017 Tour de France. As the focal point of sport in Marseille, it was the natural choice to host the Olympic torch for the evening's celebrations. The cauldron will be lit at the end of a ceremony to end the day on a high note.

Next stages

Var

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence

Bouches-du-Rhône

Bouches-du-Rhône

Presenting partners.

cocacola

Official partners

airbnb

Technical partners

IMAGES

  1. Marseille, Tour de France 2009. Photographie Bryn Lennon, Getty images

    has the tour de france ever been through marseille

  2. Les plus belles images du Tour de France

    has the tour de france ever been through marseille

  3. The Birth of the Tour de France

    has the tour de france ever been through marseille

  4. Sports

    has the tour de france ever been through marseille

  5. Sports

    has the tour de france ever been through marseille

  6. ‘One of the most thrilling stages of all time’: Readers share their

    has the tour de france ever been through marseille

COMMENTS

  1. Trace the Routes of More than 100 Years of Tours de France

    The Tour de France was first organised in 1903, usually takes up most of July, and has been held every year since, except during the World Wars and their immediate aftermath (1915-18 and 1940-46).

  2. Tour de France

    The Tour de France (French pronunciation: [tuʁ də fʁɑ̃s]; English: Tour of France) is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest of the three Grand Tours (the Tour, the Giro d'Italia, and the Vuelta a España) and is generally considered the most prestigious.. The race was first organized in 1903 to increase sales for the newspaper L'Auto and ...

  3. Tour de France

    Four riders have won five Tours each: Jacques Anquetil of France (1957 and 1961-64), Eddy Merckx of Belgium (1969-72 and 1974), Bernard Hinault of France (1978-79, 1981-82, and 1985), and Miguel Indurain of Spain (1991-95). A list of Tour de France winners is provided in the table. Special offer for students!

  4. Marseille and cycling

    The city of Marcel Pagnol and Zinedine Zidane has always been part of the Tour de France history. Already on the map of the first Tour de France in 1903 as the finish of a 374-kilometer stage from Lyon, it was also included on the map of the 50th anniversary (1953), of the centenary in 2003 and, more recently, on the route of the 100th edition in 2013. 2017 is also meaningful as Marseille has ...

  5. A Brief History of the Tour de France

    The Tour de France is an undeniably remarkable cycling event that encourages riders from all over the globe to stretch their personal physical limits and resilience. Beginning with the first edition in 1903, the race has been through many changes, such as adding new stages and routes, and has become the massive race we know today.

  6. The 5-minute essential guide to the Tour de France

    The first ever Tour de France took place in 1903. It had just six stages - Paris-Lyon, Lyon-Marseille, Marseille-Toulouse, Toulouse-Bordeaux, Bordeaux-Nantes and Nantes-Paris - and 60 cyclists at the start line. At the time, the brave cycled up to 18 hours at a stretch, by day and night, on roads and dirt tracks.

  7. The history of the Tour de France

    All historical information of the Tour de France. PRO CYCLING MANAGER 2023 (PC) TOUR DE FRANCE 2023 - VIDEO GAMES (PC, XBOX ONE, PS4 & PS5)

  8. Tour de France 2017 Route stage 20: ITT in Marseille

    Saturday, 22 July 2017 - Stage 20 in the Tour de France is an individual time trial of 22.5 kilometres in Marseille. Mostly flat, the route takes in the 1.2 kilometre climb at 9.1% up to Notre-Dame de la Garde. In recent years the ITT's in La Grande Boucle were getting less and less prominent.

  9. How long is the Tour de France?

    The Tour de France has long been considered the crowning glory of the cycling calendar. ... the shortest ever editions of the Tour de France were the first two, in 1903 and 1904, both the same ...

  10. The Origin Story of the Tour de France

    The featured articles below explore the most significant shifts and challenges "La Grande Boucle" has been through since 2004. Road cycling. The Origin Story of the Tour de France. By Jiri Kaloc July 8, 2022 at 1:33 pm 5 min reading. The first Tour de France took place over 100 years ago, back in 1903. ... "I have to perform at the highest ...

  11. The Birth of the Tour de France

    And unlike modern-day riders, the cyclists in the 1903 Tour de France, forced to cover enormous swathes of land, spent much of the race riding through the night with moonlight the only guide and ...

  12. Official website of Tour de France 2024

    Guillaume MARTIN. COFIDIS. + 00h 26' 30''. Full rankings. > Withdrawals. Tour de France 2024 - Official site of the famed race from the Tour de France. Includes route, riders, teams, and coverage of past Tours.

  13. Tour de France 2024: Results & News

    The 2024 Tour de France includes 52,230 metres of vertical gain across 3,492km of climbs, sprints and time trialling from Italy into France, with fewer high climbs than in the past and shorter ...

  14. 13 Enduring Facts about Le Tour de France

    1. The Tour always ends in the same place. The finish line of the Tour de France is always on the Champs Elysee in Paris, France. However, the route otherwise changes from year to year! 2. It's been going for well over a century. The first Tour de France was held in 1903. It's captivated plenty of attention ever since, though there have ...

  15. A guide to Marseille: beaches, bouillabaisse and street art on the

    A Paris native who's been a resident of Marseille for over 20 years, she leads me down streets hastily sprayed with calls for strike action, to reach the grand, climate-conscious mural Man vs Wild.

  16. Tour de France: What you need to know

    The Tour de France has been held every year, except for a few years during World War I and II. The youngest rider to ever win the Tour de France was Henric Comet, who was only 19 when he won in 1904.

  17. Special Place in Tour de France History Draws Nearer for Froome

    Sewing up his fourth Tour crown in a high-pressure time trial in Marseille means he needs just one victory more to join the record-holders who have five

  18. 4 days to learn about Marseille

    Why you should visit Marseille. With its rich diversity, Marseille seduces. Here, visitors find breathtaking natural beauty alongside urban grit, cultural traditions from the Provence region meeting ones from around the world, boisterous energy and laid-back pleasures. Though France's second-largest city, Marseille feels like a collection of the "111 villages" that merged over the ...

  19. Official website of Tour de France 2023

    Tour de France 2023 - Official site of the famed race from the Tour de France. Includes route, riders, teams, and coverage of past Tours. See you on 25th October for the announcement of the routes for the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes with Zwift in 2024.

  20. 10 Best Marseille Tours & Trips 2024/2025

    Marseille Tours & Trips. Find the right tour for you through Marseille. We've got 98 adventures going to Marseille, starting from just 5 days in length, and the longest tour is 79 days. The most popular month to go is September, which has the largest number of tour departures.

  21. Tour de France Results 2021

    From June 26 through July 18, the Tour de France returns to its summertime glory for 2021. ... on a fifth stage win—and a record 35th ever in the Tour de France. Jasper Philipsen was second for ...

  22. Marseilles travel guide: everything you need to know

    Know before you go. In Marseille you'll be spending euros. Keep a close eye on them — the city remains a big brawling port where some people, at least, may have plans for your cash that don ...

  23. Guided tours Marseille

    Guided tour of unusal districts. Live a memorable experience in the belly of Marseille with our guided tour of the 'M.I.N' (National Interest Market), located in the Arnavaux district and walk through the different alleys with our guide for an exchange with the producers. Enjoy a breakfast at dawn among the seasonal products.

  24. Marseille

    It has witnessed boxing fights featuring Marcel Cerdan, a baseball match in the aftermath of the liberation of France, rugby matches and even a stage of the 2017 Tour de France. As the focal point of sport in Marseille, it was the natural choice to host the Olympic torch for the evening's celebrations.