The 111th edition of the Tour de France got under way in Florence, Italy on Saturday, 29 June with the three-week race ending in Nice on Sunday, 21 July.
The riders will tackle seven mountain stages including trips to the Pyrenees and Alps during the 3,492km (2,170-mile) race.
There will also be two individual time trials, with La Grande Boucle concluding with a race against the clock for the first time since 1989 – when Greg LeMond famously pipped Laurent Fignon to the yellow jersey by eight seconds.
BBC Sport looks at each stage of the gruelling 21-stage event, analysing where it could be won and lost.
This page will be updated throughout the Tour with the winner and a brief report following each stage.
Saturday, 29 June – stage one: Florence – Rimini, 206km
Winner: Romain Bardet
Report: Cavendish struggles as Bardet wins first Tour stage
Mark Cavendish struggles on a demanding opening stage of the Tour de France as Romain Bardet claims the yellow jersey in a thrilling finale in Rimini.
France’s Bardet and his DSM-Firmenich-PostNL team-mate Frank van den Broek hold off a high-quality group including all the main general classification riders to triumph by five seconds.
Manx rider Cavendish eventually crossed the line more than 39 minutes down and with just under 10 minutes to spare before the elimination time limit.
Sunday, 30 June – stage two: Cesenatico – Bologna, 199.2km
Winner: Kevin Vauquelin
Report: Pogacar takes yellow jersey as Vauquelin wins stage two
Arkea-B&B Hotels rider Vauquelin took his first Grand Tour stage win after breaking away from the front group, becoming the second Frenchman to take a stage win in as many days.
Tadej Pogacar, of UAE-Team Emirates, powered away on the final climb but took his main rival, and last year’s winner, Jonas Vingegaard with him.
Dane Vingegaard crossed the line with Pogacar, but the Slovenian took the yellow jersey after having a higher placing in the first stage.
Monday, 1 July – stage three: Piacenza – Turin, 230.8km
Winner: Biniam Girmay
Report: Girmay first black African to win Tour de France stage
Biniam Girmay makes history as the first black African to win a Tour de France stage as Mark Cavendish is held up by a late crash on the run into Turin. Eritrea’s Girmay powers to victory, with Colombia‘s Fernando Gaviria and Belgium‘s Arnaud de Lie in second and third. Meanwhile, Richard Carapaz becomes the first Ecuadorian to wear the yellow jersey based on accumulated finishing positions.
Tuesday, 2 July – stage four: Pinerolo – Valloire, 139.6km
Winner: Tadej Pogacar
Report: Pogacar claims thrilling stage-four win to regain yellow jersey
Tadej Pogacar regains the leader’s yellow jersey in thrilling fashion as he soloes clear to win the first big mountain stage of the Tour. Remco Evenepoel finishes second 35 seconds down, with defending champion Jonas Vingegaard 37 seconds back in fifth. Overnight leader Richard Carapaz loses more than five minutes and drops to 22nd in the general classification.
Wednesday, 3 July – stage five: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne – Saint-Vulbas, 177.4km
Winner: Mark Cavendish
Report: Cavendish breaks Tour de France stage record
Mark Cavendish broke the Tour de France stage wins record as he took his 35th victory in cycling’s greatest race to surpass the legendary Eddy Merckx with a sensational sprint finish in Saint Vulbas. Tadej Pogacar retained the yellow jersey, 45 seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel, after narrowly avoiding a crash.
Thursday, 4 July – stage six: Macon – Dijon, 163.5km
Winner: Dylan Groenewegen
Report: Groenewegen wins Tour stage six in photo finish
Dylan Groenewegen made a late surge for the line to beat Jasper Philipsen in a thrilling photo finish. Philipsen was later relegated to 107th place for shifting his line during the the final 150m, while there was no change at the top of the general classification standings.
Friday, 5 July – stage seven: Nuits-Saint-Georges – Gevrey-Chambertin, 25.3km
Winner: Remco Evenepoel
Report: Evenepoel wins time-trial as Pogacar stays in yellow
Remco Evenepoel claims his first victory at the Tour de France in stage seven’s individual time-trial as Tadej Pogacar holds on to the leader’s yellow jersey.
Primoz Roglic was third while defending champion Jonas Vingegaard lost more ground, finishing fourth.
Saturday, 6 July – stage eight: Semur-en-Auxois – Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises, 183.4km
Winner: Biniam Girmay
Report: Girmay sprints to second Tour stage win
Biniam Girmay claims his second win in the Tour de France in a sprint finish on stage eight as Tadej Pogacar retains the leader’s yellow jersey.
Jasper Philipsen and Arnaud de Lie finish second and third on the uphill finish in Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises.
Sunday, 7 July – stage nine: Troyes – Troyes, 199km
Winner: Anthony Turgis
Report: Pidcock pipped on line as Pogacar retains yellow
Britain’s Tom Pidcock is edged out on the line as France’s Anthony Turgis wins the ninth stage.
Pidcock, of Ineos Grenadiers, is narrowly beaten in a final sprint at the end of a frantic 199km stage in Troyes, which included several gravel sections.
Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar retains the leader’s yellow jersey following several attacks between contenders for overall victory.
Tuesday, 9 July – stage 10: Orleans to Saint-Amand-Montrond, 187.3km
Winner: Jasper Philipsen
Report: Philipsen powers to Tour de France stage 10 win
Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay and Germany‘s Pascal Ackermann finish second and third respectively.
Wednesday, 10 July – stage 11: Evaux-les-Bains to Le Lioran, 211km
Winner: Jonas Vingegaard
Report: Vingegaard outsprints Pogacar to win epic Tour stage
Denmark‘s Jonas Vingegaard won stage 11 of the Tour de France following a sprint to the line with rival and overall leader Tadej Pogacar.
Defending champion Vingegaard, of Visma-Lease a Bike, edged out Pogacar of UAE-Team-Emirates as the pair raced for the line after several climbs on the 211km stage to Le Lioran in France’s Massif Central region.
Pogacar remains in the yellow jersey and is now one minute six seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel, who was third on the stage, with Vingegaard a further eight seconds behind.
Thursday, 11 July – stage 12: Aurillac to Villeneuve-sur-Lot, 203.6km
Winner: Biniam Girmay
Report: Girmay wins again as Roglic crashes and loses time
Biniam Girmay sprinted to his third victory at the 2024 Tour de France by beating Wout van Aert in a frantic bunch sprint in Villeneuve-sur-Lot on stage 12.
But overall contender Primoz Roglic lost significant time after a late crash, as Tadej Pogacar retained the leader’s yellow jersey ahead of Remco Evenepoel and defending champion Jonas Vingegaard.
Friday, 12 July – stage 13: Agen to Pau, 165.3km
Winner: Jasper Philipsen
Report: Philipsen wins stage 13 sprint after crash
Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen won stage 13 of the Tour de France as a crash marred the sprint finish to the line in Pau.
His compatriot Wout van Aert and Germany’s Pascal Ackermann finished second and third as Tadej Pogacar came home safely in ninth and retained the yellow jersey.
Saturday, 13 July – stage 14: Pau to Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet, 151.9km
Winner: Tadej Pogacar
Report: Pogacar extends lead with stage 14 win in Pyrenees
Tadej Pogacar extended his overall lead with a dominant victory on stage 14 in the Pyrenees. The Slovenian powered up the Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet summit finish to cross the line 39 seconds ahead of Jonas Vingegaard, who climbed to second in the overall standings ahead of Remco Evenepoel.
Sunday, 14 July – stage 15: Loudenveille to Plateau de Beille, 197.7km
About 4,500 metres of elevation gain across four category one climbs and a 15.8km slog up the hors categorie Plateau de Beille await on Bastille Day.
On a huge day at the Tour, only strong climbers have any hope of succeeding in a breakaway.
There will also likely be a strong home presence in any group heading up the road with the likes of David Gaudu and Romain Bardet aiming to become the first French stage winner on 14 July since Warren Barguil in 2017.
However, fireworks should also be expected in the yellow jersey group and Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard (if fully fit) could also come into the picture.
Tuesday, 16 July – stage 16: Gruissan to Nimes, 188.6km
The final week of cycling’s greatest race gets under way with a predominantly flat run from Gruissan to Nimes straight after a rest day.
On a day tailor-made for sprinters, Cavendish will aim to turn back the clock and repeat his victory from his first Tour in 2008 – in what is expected to be his last.
Wednesday, 17 July – stage 17: Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux to Superdevoluy, 177.8km
Most of the elevation gain in this stage is packed within a demanding final 40km as the Tour travels back into the Alps.
The GC riders will likely eye the penultimate climb up the Col du Noyer to launch any attacks, although with a descent to follow they will need to construct a healthy advantage to make their move stick.
Thursday, 18 July – stage 18: Gap to Barcelonnette, 179.5km
The riders travel through the foothills of the Alps and will cross a number of the smaller peaks in readiness for the three pivotal days to follow.
With the GC riders almost certainly keen to save energy for bigger battles to come, this stage looks perfectly set up for the breakaway specialists to shine.
Friday, 19 July – stage 19: Embrun to Isola 2000, 144.6km
A steady opening 20km will do little to prepare the peloton for several hours of pain to follow.
An 18.8km slog up the Col de Vars is the precursor for the mythical climb up the Cime de la Bonette, evoking memories of the battle between Tony Rominger and five-time champion Miguel Indurain in the 1993 Tour.
At 2,802m it is the highest point in this year’s race and is some 22.9km long with gradients kicking up into double digits in the final section.
The day’s final climb to the ski resort of Isola 2000 is hardly any more enticing for the vast majority of the riders and will almost certainly ensure more fireworks between those fighting it out for the yellow jersey.
Saturday, 20 July – stage 20: Nice to Col de la Couillole, 132.8km
A short, punishing route with almost 4,800m of elevation that is even more demanding than the day before greets the riders on the penultimate stage of this year’s race.
Given the pace at the front of the peloton is likely to be strong throughout the stage, the Col de la Couillole seems the obvious scene for any GC battle.
However, quite how things play out could be determined by existing time gaps and the need to conserve energy for the final individual time trial.
Sunday, 21 July – stage 21: Monaco to Nice, 33.7km
The Tour concludes outside of Paris for the first time since 1905 due to a clash with the Olympics.
It is also the first occasion since 1989 that the concluding leg of the Tour has not been a processional affair.
With an 8.1km ascent of La Turbie that averages 5.6% and a short, sharp climb of Col d’Eze hardly making things easy, riders and teams will have to contemplate tactics and possible bike switches.
Could there be a duel in the sun to decide the yellow jersey and podium places in the most dramatic fashion?
EMEA Tribune is not involved in this news article, it is taken from our partners and or from the News Agencies. Copyright and Credit go to the News Agencies, email news@emeatribune.com Follow our WhatsApp verified Channel
