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Niewiadoma Wins Women's Tour De France by 4 Seconds Overall After Alpe D’Huez Thriller

Polish rider Kasia Niewiadoma has done just enough in a thrilling battle with Demi Vollering on the iconic Alpe d’Huez to win the women’s Tour de France by four seconds overall

Niewiadoma Wins Women's Tour De France by 4 Seconds Overall After Alpe D’Huez Thriller

Peter Dejong

Tour de France Women's winner Katarzyna Niewiadoma of Poland, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, celebrates on the podium after the eighth stage of the Tour de France Women cycling race with start in Le Grand-Bornand and finish in Alpe d'Huez, France, Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

ALPE D'HUEZ, France (AP) — Polish rider Kasia Niewiadoma did just enough in a thrilling battle Sunday with rival Demi Vollering on the iconic Alpe d’Huez to win the women’s Tour de France by four seconds overall.

It was the smallest margin of victory in any Tour de France edition, including the men's race.

“It’s so crazy, this Tour has been a crazy roller-coaster,” Niewiadoma said after the eighth and final stage. “I’ve had bad moments. I hated every moment of this last climb, but when I heard that I had won the Tour de France, I could not believe it.”

Niewiadoma sat on the road after finishing, exhausted and waiting to get the confirmation that she had won. When the news finally came, she lifted her bike in triumph and appeared overwhelmed by the magnitude of her achievement.

Knowing she still trailed Niewiadoma overall, Vollering had been part of a breakaway Sunday with fellow Dutch rider Pauliena Rooijakkers earlier in the race. Vollering accelerated powerfully in the final stretch to win the stage.

But the gap wasn't quite enough as Niewiadoma finished fourth to narrowly clinch her first Tour title, with an overall time of 24 hours, 36 minutes, 7 seconds. Vollering's final time was 24:36:11.

Vollering, the defending champion, had fought back after suffering a crash in the fifth stage. She was inconsolable when she learned she had finished second overall after starting the stage more than a minute behind Niewiadoma overall.

“Right now I feel really bitter that I only lost by four seconds,” Vollering said. “It's really painful to know that I did not do enough today.”

Rooijakkers, also a title contender, finished third in the overall standings at only 10 seconds behind Niewiadoma.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Copyright 2024 The  Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Gritty Climber Triumphs in Stage 7 of Tour de France Femmes

S tage 7 of the Tour de France Femmes is in the books, with only the final 92.6-mile decisive mountain stage to the Alpe d’Huez standing in the way of the eventual champion. The Tour de France Femmes’ return to the world stage in 2022 has highlighted women’s cycling, and this year’s Tour has supercharged the sport with exciting and competitive racing. Demi Vollering, the defending race champion, continues to chase the Maillot Jaune Kasia Niewiadoma.

The 2024 Tour de France Femmes runs from August 12-18. The race began in Rotterdam, Netherlands, and will end today on the iconic Alpe D’Huez, France. The Alpe D’Huez represents the toughest final stage to the Tour de France Femmes in its three-year history on the world stage after a brief hiatus.

Stage 7 (Aug 17): Champagnole to Le Grand-Bornand (103.8-miles) - The longest and one of the most challenging stages. Stage 7 gained approximately 10,000 vertical feet, and proved to be a long and exhausting experience for the GC contenders. Tour Race Director, Marion Rouse, described Stage 7: “The longest stage of this 2024 edition will begin with a number of smallish hurdles, plus the long haul up the Col de la Croix de la Serra (12km at 5.1%), from the Saint-Claude side. It concludes with a new and steep finish at Chinaillon (7km, 5.1%), an authentic hamlet with traditional chalets on the flanks of the Col de la Colombière.”

‘Queen of the Mountains’ leader Justine Ghekiere led a breakaway late in the stage, that included defending champion Demi Vollering and race leader Kasia Niewiadoma. Ghekiere prevailed to take the stage win. Vollering played a strategic game all day, hugging the wheel of race leader Kasia Niewiadoma on the final climb to Le Chenaillon. Vollering took third place and set a déjà vu scenario heading into the final Stage on the Alpe d’Huez.  “It wasn’t steep enough,” Vollering told Dutch national broadcaster  NOS  after the stage. “It was a long, boring day that crawls into your legs. So I chose the wheel of Kasia. If you take the lead, everyone is able to profit from your efforts. I didn’t want to do that today. I wanted to make Kasia nervous and I think I did. That felt nice. My hopes are for tomorrow now - we get more real climbs and that will hopefully be enough for me .”

This is setting up exactly like last year’s Tour de France when Vollering  was over a minute down to race leader Lotte Kopecky before the penultimate stage to the Col du Tourmalet. There, she was dominant, winning the stage and the prestigious race.  Now the defending champion trails Niewiadoma by 1:15, but appears poised to perform well against contenders Mediacom, Puck Pieterse, and Juliette Labous in the final stage.

All hopes hinge on the iconic Alpe d’ Huez where high altitude and vicious climbs awaits. The final stage covers 93-miles (149.9km) between Le Grand-Bornand and Alpe d’Huez, taking in the second-category Col du Tamié before the hors-category Col du Glandon (19.9km at 7.2%) and finishing on Alpe d’Huez (14km at 7.9%). Vollering appears confident and prepared to defend her Tour title. “It’s hard to say how strong Kasia is. But we still have to see if I’m good enough to close the gap with her in GC. I have a good feeling about it.”

This article was originally published on www.si.com/onsi/adventure as Gritty Climber Triumphs in Stage 7 of Tour de France Femmes .

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Tour de France LIVE: Stage 20 results, highlights and standings as Tadej Pogacar wins in Le Markstein

Tadej Pogacar won stage 20 of the Tour de France to Le Markstein as Jonas Vingegaard could begin celebrating the defence of his title in the yellow jersey.

Pogacar proved unable to challenge Vingegaard for yellow in the last week of this race but made his point on the penultimate day as he outsprinted the Dane to the line on the final mountain stage before Sunday’s procession into Paris.

Felix Gall snuck ahead of Vingegaard for second place on the day, while Simon Yates and Adam Yates came in fourth and fifth, results that earn third overall for Adam and see Simon move up to fourth after Carlos Rodriguez suffered the impact of a crash early on the day.

Follow updates from stage 20 of the Tour de France below.

Tour de France 2023 – stage 20

Stage 20: 133km ride to Le Markstein ski resort in Vosges mountains

98km to go: Podium-chasing Carlos Rodriguez crashes

45km to go: Giulio Ciccone secures polka dot jersey

33km to go: Thibaut Pinot attacks!

11km to go: Pogacar and Vingegaard take charge at the front

Tadej Pogacar wins stage 20!

Jonas Vingegaard seals yellow jersey

Highlights of stage 20

16:38 , Lawrence Ostlere

Watch the last kilometre of that thrilling stage 20:

Tour de France LIVE – Simon Yates speaks

16:35 , Lawrence Ostlere

Simon Yates, who finished fourth today and fourth overall. “We were looking for the stage, but I didnt have the legs to jump across and UAE ramped it up in the final anyway. I’m pleased with [my Tour]. I lost 40 seconds early doors in a stupid crash, other than that, I’ve been quite good. I had a couple of days where I suffered in the heat but other than that I’m quite happy.”

Tour de France LIVE – Tadej Pogacar speaks

16:26 , Lawrence Ostlere

“I’m me again,” Tadej Pogacar says. “It was really cool to finish like this. Adam led me out really well, thanks to him it was a bit easier for me to prepare the finish.”

Stage 20 – top five

16:24 , Lawrence Ostlere

Here’s how they finished in that front group:

1. Tadej Pogacar2. Felix Gall3. Jonas Vingegaard4. Simon Yates5. Adam Yates

Adam Yates finishes on the podium

16:23 , Lawrence Ostlere

Brilliant by Carlos Rodriguez, who fought back after that nasty early crash to finish the stage, losing only one spot in the overall standings. Adam Yates takes third on the GC, Simon Yates finishes fourth, Rodriguez is fifth in his first Tour de France and Pello Bilbao is sixth. Jai Hindley is seventh and Felix Gall takes eighth.

Jonas Vingegaard wins the Tour de France

16:18 , Lawrence Ostlere

Jonas Vingegaard, of course, gets the consolation prize of confirming his second Tour de France triumph. He will enjoy the procession to Paris tomorrow.

🤝Respect. #TDF2023 | @TamauPogi | Jonas Vingegaard pic.twitter.com/fdD8mVe7dz — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 22, 2023

16:15 , Lawrence Ostlere

Tadej Pogacar sprints away from the climbers and Vingegaard sits up before the line, knowing the game is up. Pogacar celebrates fiercely – that meant a lot.

Tour de France LIVE – Vingegaard vs Pogacar

16:14 , Lawrence Ostlere

250m to go: Vingegaard tries to outsprint Pogacar around the outside, here we go...!

Tour de France LIVE – Yates setting up Pogacar for sprint

16:12 , Lawrence Ostlere

1km to go: Adam Yates leads Pogacar, with Vingegaard, Simon Yates and Felix Gall in tow...

2km to go: Simon Yates puts in a little accelaration and Pogacar leads the chase. The front five are now back together, with Adam Yates back on the front, trying to set up his teammate Pogacar to sprint to the line. Can anyone outsprint the Slovenian in this group? It seems unlikely.

Tour de France LIVE – five riders at the front contesting stage win

16:09 , Lawrence Ostlere

4km to go: The Yates twins have caught the leading trio, so we have five riders at the front now:

Adam Yates and Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates), Simon Yates (Jayco-Alula), Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and Felix Gall (Ag2R).

Tour de France LIVE – Adam Yates closing in to help Pogacar

16:07 , Lawrence Ostlere

5km to go: Gall, Vingegaard and Pogacar have crested the final climb and are riding slightly downhill towards the finish. Vingegaard looks at Gall as if to say, how do we stop Pogacar and Yates doubling up on us? Gall tells the yellow jersey to take a turn on the front, and he duly does. They are going to have to work together to stop the UAE Emirates duo from taking control of this finish.

Tour de France LIVE – Vingegaard, Pogacar and Gall lead

16:03 , Lawrence Ostlere

8km to go: A fascinating game of cat and mouse at the front here as Vingegaard keeps looking across at Felix Gall and Tadej Pogacar. Who will launch an attack first? Pogacar doesn’t need to – he can wait to the top where a plateau will open the chance for a sprint finish. Vingegaard probably needs to attack sooner, you’d think.

Behind them, Simon and Adam Yates are closing in – they are about 15 seconds behind these leaders.

Tour de France LIVE – Yates brothers, Rodriguez and Bilbao fight for third

16:00 , Lawrence Ostlere

9km to go: Felix Gall leads Vingegaard and Pogacar up towards the finish like a sacrificial lamb. Behind them, another race is forming for the podium places. Simon Yates is trying to shake off his twin Adam Yates, who occupies third spot right now. Carlos Rodriguez is also there after his ealier crash, being helped by Tom Pidcock, and Pello Bilbao is with them too.

You can see the current standings via the ‘stopwatch’ tab above.

Tour de France LIVE – Vingegaard, Pogacar and Gall move clear

15:54 , Lawrence Ostlere

11km to go: The three best climbers at this year’s Tour de France surge away from Pinot, Pidcock and Barguil – the Briton tries to respond but he cannot for long. That is the last we will see of Thibaut Pinot attacking on a mountain stage at the Tour de France. Chapeau.

Tour de France LIVE – Six riders now lead the race

15:51 , Lawrence Ostlere

Vingegaard, Pogacar and now Felix Gall have caught up to the front three: Pinot, Pidcock and Barguil. So these six riders lead stage 20 and surely one of them is going to win the day in Le Markstein.

Tour de France LIVE – Pogacar attacks!

15:49 , Lawrence Ostlere

12km to go: Tadej Pogacar launches clear of the yellow-jersey group! Only Vingegaard responds, and the two of them are suddenly only 20 seconds from Pinot. Pinot is meanwhile being caught by Pidcock and Barguil – there’s three in the lead now! Action everywhere.

Tour de France LIVE – Pinot struggling to hold on

15:47 , Lawrence Ostlere

15km to go: Pinot’s gap has been cut slightly on the descent as they now climb towards the final peak of the day – the Col du Platzerwasel. So it’s Pinot by 12 seconds to a flying Tom Pidcock and Warren Barguil, and the yellow-jersey group are now less than one minute behind Pinot. Is the Frenchman cracking?

Tour de France LIVE – David Gaudu crashes

15:37 , Lawrence Ostlere

20km to go: David Gaudu is down! A crash out of nowhere on the descent, and the Frenchman chasing a top-10 finish is having to shake off what looks like a painful fall.

Tour de France LIVE – Pinot begins descent to final climb

15:31 , Lawrence Ostlere

25km to go: Pinot goes over the top of the penultimate climb and begins the 10km descent with a 30-second lead over Pidcock and the chasers – that’s a phenomenal solo attack. How much has he got left for the final climb? This will be a famous, emotional victory if he can pull it off on his final Tour de France. The yellow-jersey group is still 1min 30sec back.

Tour de France LIVE – Pinot leads Pidcock and Barguil

15:27 , Lawrence Ostlere

The French fans are going utterly nuts as Pinot cycles into waves of supporters which part for their hero. Behind him, Chris Harper has lost touch with Barguil and Pidcock.

Tour de France LIVE – Pinot leads Pidcock, Harper and Barguil

15:25 , Lawrence Ostlere

27km to go: Pinot is charging towards the top of the Petit Ballon all alone, with a 20-second lead over Pidcock, Harper and Warren Barguil, who has caught on to their wheel. When he gets to the top, you can bet Pidcock will launch down the descent and make up that time gap – it could be a straight duel on the final climb.

The yellow-jersey group are still 1min 20sec behind Pinot. Have Vingegaard, Pogacar and co left it too late to win the stage?

Tour de France LIVE – Pinot moves into solo lead

15:19 , Lawrence Ostlere

30km to go: Pinot goes alone! He’s surged clear and is trying to make a huge race-winning move. Britain’s Tom Pidcock (Ineos) and Australian Chris Harper (Jayco-Alula) are the only two able to give chase, now about 15 seconds back from Pinot.

Tour de France LIVE – Thibaut Pinot attacks!

15:10 , Lawrence Ostlere

33km to go: The breakaway hits the first of the final two climbs and Thibaut Pinot puts his foot down! The Vosges mountains is the great Frenchman’s home turf and he is taking charge. Tom Pidcock and a handful of the other breakers have gone with him.

They are 1min 30sec clear of the yellow-jersey group now and that gap is growing.

Tour de France LIVE – breakaway leads peloton into final two climbs

15:04 , Lawrence Ostlere

So, we are in to the final 40km of this stage 20 and the state of play is this: a group of 10 riers are working together well at the front in a breakaway that is steaming towards the first of the two category-one climbs that precede the finish, the Col du Petit Ballon (9.3km at 8.1%). It’s pretty steep and pretty long and some will crack here. The leaders are:

Pinot, Madouas, Ciccone, Skjelmose, Harper, Barguil, Van Gils, Uran, Vermaerke, Pidcock, Uran, Madouas and Vermaerke.

Behind them, only a minute back up the road, UAE Emirates are chasing with a stage win for Tadej Pogacar in mind. Jumbo-Visma are right there too, because Jonas Vingegaard wants the victory too.

Tour de France LIVE – Giulio Ciccone wins polka dot jersey!

14:55 , Lawrence Ostlere

45km to go: Giulio Ciccone goes over the top of the Col de la Schlucht before the rest and that is that – he has won the polka dot jersey. There are not enough King of the Mountains points left for Felix Gall or Jonas Vingegaard to catch him. He grabs his jersey and smiles, then turns and thanks his teammates who helped make it all possible today.

On this day in 2012

14:42 , Lawrence Ostlere

Bradley Wiggins became the first British rider to win the Tour de France on this day in 2012.

Wiggins finished three minutes and 21 seconds ahead of compatriot and Team Sky colleague Chris Froome to be crowned champion in the 99th edition of the race.

The then 32-year-old was left on the verge of history following his impressive time-trial win on the penultimate day.

And there were no slip-ups during the 20th and final stage, where Wiggins helped another Team Sky rider Mark Cavendish to victory on the Champs-Elysees.

“I don’t know what to say, I’ve had 24 hours for it to soak in,” he said following his win.

On this day in 2012: Bradley Wiggins celebrates historic Tour de France victory

Tour de France LIVE – Pidcock and Pinot among seven riders in breakaway

14:34 , Lawrence Ostlere

60km to go: There are seven riders out in front now, with the peloton about a minute behind them.

The leaders are: Pinot, Madouas, Ciccone, Skjelmose, Harper, Barguil, Van Gils, Uran, Vermaerke and Pidcock.

A day for Thibaut Pinot on his final Tour de France? Could Tom Pidcock deliver a stage win to go with his victory on Alpe d’Huez last year? They could do with a bigger gap from the chasing peloton first, which includes Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar, both hungry for the stage win.

Tour de France LIVE – Giulio Ciccone closes in on King of the Mountains prize

14:17 , Lawrence Ostlere

75km to go : Giulio Ciccone is first of the breakaway over the top of the category two Col de la Croix des Moinats – that’s five more points and he is closing in fast on securing the polka dot jersey. He will need just a couple more KoM wins on the next ascents to seal the deal.

Tour de France LIVE – stage 20 profile

13:59 , Lawrence Ostlere

The breakaway is approaching the second categorised climb of the day. Among them is Giulio Ciccone, looking to clinch more King of the Mountains points.

Here’s a closer look at today’s profile:

Tour de France LIVE – breakaway forming ahead of peloton

13:53 , Lawrence Ostlere

85km to go: A breakaway of around 15 riders is trying to pull clear of the peloton, but UAE Emirates are working hard to haul them back and ensure Tadej Pogacar gets a look at winning this stage. The break are only around 20 seconds clear of the rest.

Tour de France LIVE: Sepp Kuss receives medical attention

13:46 , Lawrence Ostlere

91km to go: Jumbo-Visma’s Sepp Kuss is also struggling – he’s got a very similar injury to Rodriguez around his left eye and he’s receiving medical attention as he tries to catch up with the escaping peloton. Kuss’s teammate, the yellow jersey Jonas Vingegaard, was just one bike away from being involved in that crash. That could have been hugely dramatic.

Tour de France LIVE: Carlos Rodriguez injured in crash

13:39 , Lawrence Ostlere

98km to go: A crash in the peloton! It looks like Carlos Rodriguez, the man currently fourth in the overall standings, has hit the ground and he looks hurt, with blood pouring from around his left eye and more on his left arm and leg. The young Spaniard is back on his bike, trying to catch up with the peloton, but this looks pretty bad.

Tour de France LIVE – stage 20

13:34 , Lawrence Ostlere

Here is how the top of the King of the Mountains standings look after that ascent:

Giulio Ciccone 93 points

Felix Gall 82

Jonas Vingegaard 81

13:32 , Lawrence Ostlere

At the top of the first climb of the day, the Ballon d’Alsace, Giulio Ciccone is teed up by his teammates before sprinting to pick up the maximum five King of the Mountains points on offer for this category two climb. Felix Gall wasn’t bluffing when he said he wasn’t interested in contested for polka dots, but Jonas Vingegaard sneaks to the front to try and grab some extra KoM points – but Ciccone’s teammate Mads Pedersen spotted what Vingegaard was up to and sprinted ahead to deny Vingegaard any points haul.

So now we know: the polka dots will be fought between Ciccone and Vingegaard today.

13:24 , Lawrence Ostlere

110km to go: Victor Campenaerts has been reeled in and the peloton is back together as one. Lidl-Trek are working hard on the front to help Giulio Ciccone win the points he needs to protect the polka dot jersey.

13:09 , Lawrence Ostlere

Interesting to hear from Felix Gall ahead of the stage, who tells ITV he is not prioritising the polka dot jersey today. He is only seven points behind Giulio Ciccone and there are a maximum of 37 King of the Mountains points up for grabs here, but Gall insists he won’t be fighting for it.

“If it happens it’s somehing, we’ll see how it plays out, but for sure it’s not the first priority today.”

Tour de France 2023 – stage 20 preview

12:57 , Lawrence Ostlere

Here’s a closer look at today’s stage...

What is left to play for? The team category has been sewn up by Jumbo-Visma, to go with Vingegaard’s yellow jersey, and the green jersey has been won by Jasper Philipsen, assuming he can get through this day unscathed and before the time cut – his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammates will ensure that he does. The best young rider’s white jersey will almost certainly be won by Pogacar for the fourth year in a row.

But the polka dot jersey is still very much on the line. Giulio Ciccone currently wears the famous red and white colours but his tally of 88 points at the top of the standings is not definitive. Austrian rider Felix Gall – winner of the Souvenir Henri Desgrange as the first over the top of the highest point of the race – has 82 points on the board. Then there is Vingegaard, with 81 points. There are 37 points available on stage 20, so this is where the King of the Mountains will be decided.

There is also a final podium spot up for grabs. Pogacar’s UAE Emirates teammate Adam Yates currently occupies third in the general classification, an impressive achievement given the work he has put in for his leader throughout the Tour. But Yates is only a minute or so up on Ineos’s Carlos Rodriguez and his twin brother Simon Yates, while Bahrain Victorious’s Pello Bilbao is around two minutes back from the podium. We can expect some attempts to dislodge Adam Yates, who will now doubt have his teammates’ support in defence of his place, which comes with plenty of prize money as well as prestige.

Tour de France stage 20 preview: A fight to be King of the Mountains

12:49 , Lawrence Ostlere

Stage 20 has just begun and in news that will shock no one who has followed this Tour de France, Belgian chaos-magnet Victor Campenaerts has gone on the attack immediately. He has won both of the past two combativity awards for his aggression over the last two stages and he’s on one again.

Tour de France 2023: Latest updates from stage 20

12:45 , Lawrence Ostlere

Follow all the action from the final stage before Paris.

TOUR DE FRANCE 2024: All you need to know

The world's best riders are set to vie for overall victory in the 111th edition of the Tour de France.

Live Tracker | Watch LIVE on DStv

Newly crowned Giro d'Italia winner Tadej Pogačar is due to take on Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel – both of whom are currently returning from injury – and Primož Roglič.

WHEN: 29 June - 21 July

START: FLORENCE (Italy)

FINISH: NICE (France)

In the first Grand Départ for Italy, the race starts in Florence and traces a path east across the country, before heading back west towards France and into the Alps.

The riders will also take on the Apennines, Massif Central and Pyrenees mountain ranges, and pass through Italy, San Marino, Monaco and France.

BROADCAST DETAILS

SuperSport will bring you all the action, daily and LIVE on TV or to stream via DStv . Check the TV Guide for details.

The race will be live on SS Variety 1, Variety 1 Africa and Maximo 1 for the entirety of the Tour. The two rest days are Mondays, the 8th and 15th July.

You can also keep up to date with all the action with our  LIVE TRACKER

The route of the 2024 Tour de France covers a total of 3497.3 kilometres with some 52 320 metres of overall elevation.

There are eight flat stages and so eight sprint opportunities but the likes of Mark Cavendish, Jasper Philipsen and their teammates will have to fight hard for each one.

FULL RACE MAP

THE CONTENDERS

The list of contenders is topped by Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar, who have dominated the last four editions, with each winning the French grand tour twice.

Vingegaard – if he even starts – will be trying to complete a miraculous comeback.

Pogačar – if he wins – will achieve something that hasn’t been done in more than 25 years.

Behind the two riders, several others, the likes of Primož Roglič and Remco Evenepoel are competing to either pull off a major upset or stand beside them on the podium in Nice three weeks later.

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Tour de France 2021

Latest news from the race.

Tour de France 2022 tech trends: Who won with what?

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In the Winners’ Words: Tadej Pogacar

Tadej pogacar wins 2021 tour de france as van aert takes final stage.

Tour de France stage 21 - As  it happened

Wout van Aert ( Jumbo-Visma ) sprinted to the prestigious stage 21 victory in Paris to win the final stage of the 2021 Tour de France . The finish straight on the Champs-Élysées was 700 metres in length, 400 metres longer than in previous years, but that did not afford chasers enough real estate to catch Van Aert, who surged to the front of the peloton with under 250 metres remaining and took his third stage win of the three-week Grand Tour.

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Fenix) finished second, less than a wheel length from the line, to get his third second-place finish at the Tour. Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck-QuickStep) finished third, but held on to the green jersey as the overall points classification victor, beating Michael Matthews (Team BikeExchange) by 56 points.

UAE Team Emirates rode into Paris with Tadej Pogačar wearing the maillot jaune and safely escorted him to the final podium to claim three classifications – overall, mountains and best young rider.

For the first time since 2012, only two riders finished within 10 minutes of the yellow jersey - Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) finished second, 5:20 off the winning mark, and Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) placed third, another 1:43 back.

Bahrain Victorious won the team competition by 19 minutes ahead of EF Education-Nippo, and Franck Bonnamour (B&B Hotels p/b KTM) claimed the super-combativity award after an aggressive three weeks of racing.

Stage 21 started in Chatou with a gentle pace set by UAE Team Emirates, sporting new jerseys emblazoned with yellow bands to celebrate Pogačar’s second consecutive Tour win. The final 52km of the stage took place over the eight laps of the Champs Élysées, and while sprinters looked for glory in the stage win, Pogačar and his teammates eased across the finish to celebrate a job well done.

News and features

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• Tour de France: Standings at the 2021 race
• O'Connor: I hope to wear the Tour de France yellow jersey one day
• Mark Donovan completes first Tour de France weeks after family tragedy
• Richard Carapaz: I did everything I could to get a good result in the Tour de France
• Kelderman falls short in battle for Tour de France fourth
• Geraint Thomas: I had dark moments in what was mentally my toughest Tour de France
• Kwiatkowski says Ineos reverted to old-school Sky tactics in Tour de France
• New Factor 'Hanzo' time trial bike ridden by Chris Froome at the Tour de France
• Not a typical domestique: Vingegaard set for podium at debut Tour de France
• Tour de France: Mohoric aims ‘silence’ victory gesture at team doubters
• Tadej Pogacar says there is nothing illegal about his bike at Tour de France
• Mohoric says 'I felt like a criminal' after zipping lips in Tour de France stage win
• Anti-doping agency and French police communicating over Bahrain Victorious Tour de France raid
• Woods and López leave Tour de France with Tokyo Olympics in mind
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• Tour de France spectator saved from fall into ravine by Gilbert, Froome
• Ben O’Connor: I’m still going to be exactly the same bloke after this Tour de France
• Rigoberto Urán's Tour de France GC challenge collapses on final Pyrenean stage
• Mas falls short of Tour de France stage victory on 'the Spanish mountain'
• No gifts as Tadej Pogacar puts a seal on Tour de France at Luz Ardiden
• Vingegaard: Tour de France has been a big, big learning process for me
• Tour de France podium in view for Carapaz after final mountain stage
• Tour de France: Mark Cavendish survives Luz Ardiden with two chances to beat Merckx's record
• Rigoberto Uran cracks and loses chance of Tour de France podium
• Tour de France: Which GC riders lost time at Luz Ardiden
• Tour de France: I knew Carapaz was bluffing, says Pogacar
• Tour de France: Which GC riders lost time on the Col du Portet
• Pogacar doubles down on overall lead with win on 'hardest stage' of Tour de France
• Vingegaard: Second at the Tour de France is really amazing for me
• Majka: Now nobody can say Pogacar doesn't have a strong team at Tour de France
• Ben O'Connor: If I can keep fifth place at the Tour de France, that would be insane
• Kelderman makes gains in Tour de France GC despite crash on stage 17 descent
• Mark Cavendish survives time cut on hardest Tour de France stage so far
• Gaudu working his way up Tour de France hierarchy in final week
• Steven Kruijswijk abandons Tour de France, leaving Jumbo-Visma with four riders
• Nibali: Racing hard at Tour de France has helped me peak for Tokyo Olympics
• Wright makes his first breakaway of Tour de France to support teammate Colbrelli
• Van Aert sparks late skirmish for Tour de France GC favourites on stage 16
• Tour de France: Going long pays off for Konrad in Saint-Gaudens
• Michael Matthews closes in on Mark Cavendish in Tour de France green jersey race
• Chris Froome: If Pogacar stays on his bike this Tour de France is over
• Tour de France stage 16: Riders stop after cold downhill neutral start
• Tour de France stage 15 analysis: a team sport for individuals
• Pogacar broadens his lead on Tour’s first full day of Pyrenean racing
• Sepp Kuss ends 10-year-drought on American Tour de France stage wins
• Jonas Vingegaard: I'm growing into team leader role at Tour de France
• Guillaume Martin: When you have given everything, you can’t be disappointed
• Tour de France: Ineos vow to fight on despite Pogacar's continued dominance
• Tour de France: Which GC riders lost time on stage 15 in the mountains
• Nacer Bouhanni abandons the Tour de France
• Kelderman expecting 'different racing' in Tour de France's third week
• Tao Geoghegan Hart's Tour de France debut 'far from ideal'
• Mollema chooses his moment wisely at Tour de France
• Konrad: Mollema made smart move on twisty roads to net Tour de France victory
• Tour de France: Carapaz convinced Pyrenean stages will be 'very favourable'
• Tour de France: Vingegaard wears tag of challenger lightly ahead of Andorra test
• Woods 'proud' to lead Tour de France’s King of Mountains ranking
• Tadej Pogacar: Everybody in the top-10 is dangerous at the Tour de France
• Tour de France: Guillaume Martin climbs to second overall thanks to clever day in the break
• Tour de France: Michael Woods crashes in the breakaway but takes polka-dot jersey
• Kragh Andersen and Barguil abandon the Tour de France after stage 13 crash
• Lefevere: Mark Cavendish is the same rider as before but less stressed
• 1959 Tour de France winner Bahamontes warns Pogacar 'there's a long way to go yet'
• Mark Cavendish: I don't think I can ever be compared with the great Eddy Merckx
• Tour de France leader Pogacar congratulates Cavendish on 34th stage win
• Mark Cavendish: It’s another win on the Tour de France and what I’ve dreamed of as a kid
• Simon Yates abandons Tour de France after crash on stage 13 descent
• Tour de France: 3km crash rule extended to 4.5km mark on stage 13
• Vingegaard: We had to change our mindset at the Tour de France after losing Roglic
• Richard Carapaz: The Tour de France isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon
• Tour de France leader Pogacar warns he could attack again in the Pyrenees
• Breakaway denies Cavendish a chance to equal Tour de France stage record in Nîmes
• Politt seizes chance offered by Sagan's early Tour de France exit
• Alaphilippe rolls the dice in another Tour de France attack but misses out again
• Peter Sagan abandons the Tour de France
• Tour de France history made on Mont Ventoux with double ascent - Gallery
• Rowe on Tour de France: I hit the wall, guys who I'd normally out-climb were leaving me for dead
• O'Connor battles through 'hardest in-race moment' to stay in Tour de France top five
• Urán moves up to second in Tour de France after steady Mont Ventoux ride
• Tour de France: Wout van Aert claims 'best victory ever' over Mont Ventoux
• Mark Cavendish beats Tour de France time cut on Mont Ventoux as Rowe misses out
• Tour de France: Which GC riders lost time on the Mont Ventoux stage
• Tour de France: All the riders who have abandoned on the Mont Ventoux stage
• Tadej Pogacar: I push good watts, that's why I'm first at the Tour de France
• Michael Matthews: Mark Cavendish is just too fast these days
• UAE Team Emirates: No room to relax as Tour de France far from decided
• Woods draws up battle plans for Tour de France mountains jersey
• Van Aert: Everyone wants to be on the QuickStep train at the Tour de France
• Mark Cavendish questions BikeExchange tactics after third Tour de France stage win
• Nic Dlamini misses Tour de France time cut by 40 minutes but fights to reach Tignes
• Carapaz: Pogacar is in a different race to us at the Tour de France now
• Ben O'Connor: Tadej Pogacar is the next level above me at the Tour de France
• Pogacar attacks in Tignes to keep O'Connor out of Tour de France yellow jersey
• Ben O'Connor: Winning a Tour de France stage will make your heart stop
• Tour de France: Which GC riders lost time on stage 9 summit finish at Tignes
• Thomas undecided about continuing Tour de France despite Tignes fightback
• Cavendish beats time cut at Tour de France as Démare, Coquard miss out
• Mathieu van der Poel abandons Tour de France to focus on Tokyo Olympic Games
• Primoz Roglic abandons Tour de France
• Mathieu van der Poel’s dream week in Tour de France yellow ends in Alps
• Jumbo-Visma rewrite Tour de France game plan after Roglic loses 35 minutes in the Alps
• Tour de France: Teuns continues Bahrain Victorious’ remarkable run at Le Grand-Bornand
• Tadej Pogacar: I haven't killed the Tour de France, there's still a long way to go
• Woods 'comes apart' in sight of Tour de France breakaway win
• Ineos Grenadiers boss Brailsford says 'expect the unexpected' at Tour de France
• Tour de France: Which GC riders lost time on the first day in the Alps
• Pogacar: I could be my own biggest rival at the Tour de France
• Geraint Thomas' Tour de France challenge ends in the Alps
• Van Aert joins forces with Van der Poel in pursuit of Tour de France yellow
• Dan Martin: My Tour de France has been boring so far but my race starts in the Alps
• Tour de France: Geraint Thomas dropped but digs deep to survive stage 7
• Primoz Roglic’s Tour de France hopes fade on stage 7
• Tour de France leader Van der Poel rejects idea of becoming a future GC contender
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• Philipsen: There's no shame in being beaten by Cavendish
• Vincenzo Nibali stuck between rock and hard place with Tour de France break aspirations
• Consistent Bouhanni takes another sprint podium at Tour de France
• Cavendish says Châteauroux Tour de France win 'means as much as 13 years ago'
• Mørkøv: It’s the Cavendish at the Tour de France we know from 10 years ago
• Peter Sagan: I'm still in the hunt for the green jersey at the Tour de France
• Van Aert: I still believe in a stage victory at the Tour de France
• 'Don’t say the name!' Mark Cavendish plays it cool as Merckx’s Tour de France record edges closer
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• Tadej Pogacar lands major blow in Tour de France with time trial victory
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• Tour de France peloton to stage go-slow in protest of crash-filled stage 3 route
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The build-up

Here at Cyclingnews we've been counting down the days until the 2021 Tour de France, with a series of special features to build up to the Grand Départ on Saturday June 26. 

• Tour de France 2021: The essential race guide
• Tour de France bikes: who's riding what in 2021
• Form ranking: Tour de France 2021 contenders, pre-race
• Philippa York: I struggle to see Chris Froome as a Tour de France road captain
• Tour de France snubs: The 9 most controversial rider non-selections
• Out of Pinot's shadow and into the glare: David Gaudu takes aim at the Tour de France
• Tadej Pogacar: A life-changing moment captured in a photograph
• Analysing Ineos Grenadiers' 2021 Tour de France team
• Analysing Jumbo-Visma's 2021 Tour de France squad
• Tour de France 2021: 5 key stages
• Brandon McNulty: The Tour de France call-up
• Alberto Contador: Blowing the Tour de France apart

The 2021 Tour de France will start in Brest in Brittany , on Saturday, June 26 having originally been scheduled for a Grand Départ in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The opening two stages to Landerneau and Mûr-de-Bretagne will provide a chance for the puncheurs, versatile sprinters and climbers to take the maillot jaune early on before the sprinters get two chances to win as the race heads east across the centre of France.

An early GC showdown will come on stage 5 with the 27.2-kilometre time trial from Changé to Laval Espace Mayenne before the road racing resumes with two stages that take the peloton to the Alps.

Stage 8 to Le Grand Bornard will see the first major climbing of the Tour, with three first-category climbs – including the Col de la Colombière – in the second part of the 150.8-kilometre stage. The following day to the 21-kilometre long summit finish at Tignes is just as tough, revisiting the Critérium du Dauphiné one-two of the Col du Pré and Cormet de Roselend.

Tignes also hosts the first rest day on July 5, ahead of a sprint stage in Valence and stage 11's visit to Mont Ventoux, which will be tackled twice before a descent straight to the finish in Malaucène.

Nîmes and Carcassonne offer up two more sprint chances on the following days before a nailed-on breakaway stage in the hills to Quillan take the peloton to the Pyrenees.

There, stage 15 to Andorra brings with it three first-category tests, including the Souvenir Henri Desgrange as the race hits 2,408 metres at Port d'Envalira. A rest day in the microstate. A tough stage to Saint-Gaudens follows but all minds will be on the final two mountain stages.

Stage 17 takes the riders over the Col de Peyresourde and Col de Val Louron-Azet before the HC-rated summit finish at 2,215 metres at the Col du Portet. Stage 18 provides two more HC tests in the Col du Tourmalet and the summit finish at Luz Ardiden, the last chance for climbers to make their mark.

A penultimate sprint stage follows, taking the peloton to Libourne, where stage 20 brings the GC finale in the shape of a 30.8-kilometre time trial to Saint-Emilion. If the Tour hasn't already been decided, then it certainly will be here.

As ever, the grand finale and the crowning of the Tour de France champion comes in Paris on the Champs-Élysées following a 108.4-kilometre ride from Chatou on July 18.

Check out the full details of the 2021 Tour de France route here.

The contenders

Once again, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) and Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) will be the main favourites for the title. The two are among the strongest climbers in the peloton and are also world-leading time trialists, which could prove decisive with two tests against the clock lying in wait for the riders.

The pair have enjoyed stellar starts to 2020, with Pogačar taking wins at the UAE Tour, Tirreno-Adriatico, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, while Roglič took three wins at PAris-Nice and the overall at Itzulia Basque Country.

The main challenge to the Slovenian duo should come from Ineos Grenadiers, who are led by 2018 winner Geraint Thomas and 2019 Giro d'Italia champion Richard Carapaz . The Welshman recently finished third at the Critérium du Dauphiné and looks best placed to challenge in both the mountains and time trials, while Carapaz is arguably the stronger climber.

Movistar's triumvirate will this year be headed up by new signing Miguel Ángel López , alongside Enric Mas and Alejandro Valverde. The Colombian looked in dominant form at the Mont Ventoux Dénivéle Challenge in June and will hope to improve on his sixth place in 2020.

His compatriot Nairo Quintana is a three-time podium finisher at the Tour and once again leads out Arkéa-Samsic. He won the Vuelta Asturias earlier this year but was off form at the Dauphiné.

Another Colombian to watch is EF Education-Nippo's Rigoberto Urán , who finished second in 2017 and has taken two top 10s since. His teammate and countryman Sergio Higuita could end up the team leader this year.

Elsewhere, look out for Ben O'Connor (AG2R Citroën), David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ), Michael Woods (Israel Start-Up Nation), Jack Haig (Bahrain Victorious), Wilco Kelderman (Bora-Hansgrohe), Julian Alaphilippe (Deceuninck-QuickStep), Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo), and Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange). They're all likely to be in the top 10 GC battle, though fighting for the very top spots looks a little tougher.

Finally, the battle for sprint victories and the green jersey looks wide open, with Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) facing challenges from Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal), Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious), Tim Merlier and Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), Elia Viviani (Cofidis), Giacomo Nizzolo (Qhubeka Assos), Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ), Cees Bol (Team DSM), Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates), and more.

Bikes and tech

As the world's biggest bike race, the publicity and global reach that the Tour de France achieves is a sponsor's dream. As a result, the Tour de France is always a hotbed of tech, with new releases and custom colourways unveiled almost daily as brands work to capture the attention of onlookers. 

What's more, with the hard-fought battle for the yellow jersey, teams will do everything within their power to eke out marginal gains with innovative inventions and mechanical hacks. Most of the time this comes directly from their contracted sponsors, but occasionally teams will look further afield, breaking contracts in the pursuit of free speed. 

Here are the tech talking points we've seen so far:

• Tour de France bikes : who's riding what in 2021
• Oakley launches 2021 Tour de France collection
• Lapierre launches new Xelius SL ahead of the Tour de France
• Trek-Segafredo bikes given all-new colour schemes ahead of the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia Donne
• Pinarello launches new Dogma F in preparation for the Tour de France
• Michael Matthews gets a custom Bianchi Oltre XR4 for Tour de France
• Why are Jumbo Visma using blue tyres at the Tour de France?
• Ineos Grenadiers switch to sponsor-incorrect Princeton Carbonworks wheels at Tour de France
• Tour de France tech: All the tech and trends from the 2021 race
• Is Canyon's broken Aeroad handlebar now fixed? Van der Poel's Tour de France bike suggests it is
• Tour de France winning bikes : Which brand has won the most Tours in history?
• Julian Alaphilippe's S-Works Tarmac SL7 at the Tour de France
• Radical new sunglasses for Tadej Pogacar at the Tour de France
• Tour de France gallery: 40 years of time trial technology
• Mark Cavendish's Tour de France stage-winning S-Works Tarmac SL7
• 10-hour journey delivers sponsor-incorrect wheels for Van der Poel's Tour de France time trial
• Alpecin-Fenix go all-in with sponsor-incorrect tech as Van der Poel fights to keep yellow
• Kasper Asgreen to ride the Specialized Aethos in Tour de France mountain stages
• Tour de France helmets : Who's wearing what?
• Tour de France power analysis: Ben O'Connor's Stage 9 win in Tignes
• Spotted: Jumbo Visma on yet more non-sponsor wheels at the Tour de France

Race history

Pogačar is the reigning champion, having overhauled his Slovenian compatriot Roglič in the final time trial at last year's race. The 21-year-old became the race's second-youngest winner after Firmin Labot back in 1904.

Pogačar broke a Ineos/Sky stranglehold on the race, with the British team having won seven of the previous eight Tours de France with Egan Bernal, Geraint Thomas, Bradley Wiggins and four-time winner Chris Froome. Vincenzo Nibali, then riding for Astana, was the other man to break the British squad's dominance with a win in 2014.

The Tour wins record is currently held by four men, with Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil and Miguel Indurain all on five titles.

2020 was also the year which saw the rare occasion of Sagan getting beaten in the battle for the green jersey. He lost out to Bennett after a race-long battle, but still holds the all-time green jersey rankings with seven wins in nine participations. Erik Zabel's six jerseys lie second, ahead of Sean Kelly's four.

Pogačar is the reigning mountain classification champion, too, having won the yellow, polka dot and white jerseys in 2020. He broke a three-year French stranglehold on the jersey after wins for Romain Bardet, Julian Alaphilippe and Warren Barguil.

Richard Virenque holds the record for polka dot jersey wins at seven, and it won't be beaten anytime soon as Rafał Majka is the only current rider to have won more than one king of the mountains title, with two.

Read on for a list of the riders with the most wins of the Tour de France, the most stage wins, as well as the major jerseys (active riders in bold ).

Most Tour de France wins

• 5 – Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain
• 4 –  Chris Froome
• 3 – Phiilippe Thys, Louison Bobet, Greg LeMond
• 2 – Lucien Petit-Breton, Firmin Lambot, Ottavio Bottecchia, Nicolas Frantz, André Leducq, Antonin Magne, Sylvère Maes, Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi, Bernard Thévenet, Laurent Fignon, Alberto Contador
• 1 – Vincenzo Nibali , Geraint Thomas , Egan Bernal , Tadej Pogačar

Most Tour de France stage wins

• 34 – Eddy Merckx
• 30 – Mark Cavendish
• 28 – Bernard Hinault
• 25 – André Leducq
• 22 – André Darrigade
• 20 – Nicolas Frantz
• 19 – François Faber
• 17 – Jean Alavoine
• 16 – Jacques Anquetiil, René Le Grevès, Charles Pélissiier –
• 12 – Peter Sagan
• 11 – André Greipel
• 7 – Chris Froome
• 6 – Vincenzo Nibali

Most Tour de France green jersey wins

• 7 –  Peter Sagan
• 6 – Erik Zabel
• 4 – Sean Kelly
• 3 – Jan Janssen, Eddy Merckx, Freddy Maertens, Djamolidine Abdoujaparov, Robbie McEwen
• 2 – Stan Ockers, Jean Graczyk, André Darrigade, Laurent Jalabert, Thor Hushovd
• 1 – Mark Cavendish , Michael Matthews , Sam Bennett

Most Tour de France polka dot jersey wins

• 7 – Richard Virenque
• 6 – Federico Bahamontes, Lucien Van Impe
• 3 – Julio Jiménez
• 2 – Felicien Vervaecke, Gino Bartali, Fausto Coppi, Charly Gaul, Imerio Massignan, Eddy Merckx, Luis Herrera, Claudio Chiappucci, Laurent Jalabert, Michael Rasmussen, Rafał Majka
• 1 – Nairo Quintana , Chris Froome , Warren Barguil , Julian Alaphilippe , Romain Bardet , Tadej Pogačar

• Tour de France 2021 map
• Tour de France 2021: The Essential Race Guide
• Tour de France past winners

• Rest Day 1 2021-07-05

• Rest Day 2 2021-07-12

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Tour de France 2021: Stage 21 highlights - Video

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The 2025 Tour de France in the land of the Giants

The beginning to the 112th edition of the Tour de France has been presented at a press conference in Lille, the administrative centre of the Nord department. In 2025, the Grand Départ will focus on the qualities of the entire Hauts-de-France region, the Nord department and the European metropolis of Lille. 

The date of 5th July has been set for the first stage, whose route will form a loop around Lille. Next, the Pas-de-Calais department will have pride of place as the pack crosses it from east to west between Lauwin-Planque and Boulogne-sur-Mer. After that, the pack will then set off from Valenciennes, which makes its return to the route of the Tour after a 34-year absence. Dunkirk, which hosted the Grand Départ in 2001 as well as a stage start on the Tour in 2022 will be welcoming the finish of the third stage. Lastly, the start in Amiens will be the last opportunity to thank the inhabitants of the Hauts-de-France region for their welcome, before the Tour heads off to new horizons.

Northern France will be welcoming new giants. A far cry from the imposing puppets we are used to seeing at carnivals, fairs, special street markets or on Paris-Roubaix, these 176 ones will be of human size and riding bikes, ready to do battle through the plains, valleys and mountains of France. Northern France knows all about cycling giants: 2 winners (Maurice Garin, an adopted northerner, in 1903, and Henri Cornet in 1904); 7 Yellow Jersey wearers (Jean Alavoine in 1922, Amédée Fournier in 1939, José Catieau in 1973, Martial Gayant in 1987, Cédric Vasseur in 1997, Laurent Desbiens in 1998 and Christophe Moreau in 2001); plus a legend in Jean Stablinski, with more 100 professional victories including 5 stages on the Tour de France between 1957 and 1967, a world championship title (1962) and four French championship titles (1960, 1962, 1963 and 1964).

For the 5th time, the Tour de France will set off from this cycling-mad region, the cradle of Paris-Roubaix. In 2001, for the most recent Grand Départ, from Dunkirk, Christophe Moreau grabbed the Yellow Jersey on completion of the prologue. This time, on a regular stage, the battle for the first Yellow Jersey of the race will be fought at high speed and the victor will have to be on top form to triumph in the land of the giants.  

The European metropolis of Lille, the first site to host this Grand Départ, will also be the site for the edition’s first finish. On a stage that will form a loop around Lille, the wind will be a decisive factor: on roads open to the elements, the riders will have to be on their guard to avoid getting caught out. The fight for the best climber’s jersey should act as a curtain raiser for the battle for the Yellow Jersey: the slopes of Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, Mont Cassel (via its cobbled side) and the Mont Noir, forty kilometres from the finishing line, will be in the sights of the first breakaways of the edition. The sprinters will probably battle it out for victory at the end of a one kilometre-long straight, at the foot of the citadel.  

The following day, the peloton will leave the Nord department to cross through the Pas-de-Calais for a very tough finale on the Côte d’Opale before the fight for stage victory in Boulogne-sur-Mer. The end of this second stage, which is tailor made for punchers, will be no easy task for the previous day’s winner if he is a pure sprinter. In addition to the upwardly inclined final straight, the slopes at Saint-Etienne-au-Mont and Outreau, located less than ten kilometres from the finishing line, mean it is very likely the pack’s tough guys will be battling for the stage win.  

The race will return to the Nord department on 7th July for the last stage that will take place entirely within the confines of the Hauts-de-France region. Between Valenciennes and Dunkirk, watchfulness and tension in the peloton should be the order of the day. The start from Valenciennes and the first part of the stage do not hold any particular difficulty in store, unlike the finish, as the race nears Dunkirk, which could prove to be extremely tricky. Following the intermediate sprint at Isbergues, well-known to cycling aficionados, the route due north to the Côte de Cassel slope and then the finish of the stage promise to be spectacular if the wind invites itself to the party. On Tuesday 8th July, in Amiens, the historical capital of Picardy, it will be time for the Tour to leave the Hauts-de-France region for an as yet unknown destination...

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A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern. A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern. A high-powered CEO puts her career and family on the line when she begins a torrid affair with her much younger intern.

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