2024 Tour de France Jun 29 - Jul 21

2024 Tour de France: from June 29 to July 21, 2024

Also visit our: (1) All Time Hardest Tour de France Climbs, (2) Most Legendary and Famous Climbs of the Tour de France,  and, (3) 10 Highest Climbs in Tour de France History pages for more Tour de France inside information.

2024 TOUR DE FRANCE INFORMATION AND CLIMB DETAILS

https://www.letour.fr/en/overall-route

2024 TdF Stage Statistics

Col du Tourmalet -- Stage 13: July 6, 2024

Since 1910 - 90 appearances in the TdF - more than any other climb.

KOM Corner

Official post-race summary for Stage 21 (from letour.fr)

Sunday’s final stage of the 2024 Tour de France saw Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) confirm his third overall Tour victory with first place in the ITT from Monaco to Nice. On a balmy afternoon on the Côte d'Azur Pogacar made light work of the climbs to La Turbie and Col d'Èze to take the time trial win by a considerable 1’03” margin from Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) for his sixth stage bouquet of this year’s race and his third overall Tour triumph. In the Yellow Jersey again, Pogacar finally finished the 2024 Tour 6’17” ahead of his great Danish rival, having dominated the race. Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick Step) was in tears at the end of his Tour debut in Nice’s Place Massena, finishing the final stage in third, behind Pogacar by 1'14”, leaving him also third overall, 9'18” adrift of the unstoppable Slovenian. The GC top five was rounded out by Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) at 19'03” and Mikel Landa (Soudal-Quick Step) at 20'06”.

Cavendish takes a bow
141 riders took part in the final stage of the 2024 Tour, a 33.7km Individual Time Trial from Monaco to Nice with everything on the line. Mark Cavendish was the second rider to start – after his Astana Qazaqstan teammate Davide Ballerini – and the veteran British rider achieved his objective of finishing his final Tour de France. With a record 35 stage victories in the Tour to his name, Cavendish ended his historic relationship with this race as a rider in the most beautiful way possible, concluding it for the 8th time in his 15 participations. Intermarche-Wanty's Biniam Girmay also knew that he would not win this ITT stage, but he too made it to the finish in Nice in style, to the cheers and support of the crowd, becoming the first African rider to win a ranking in the Tour de France, in his green jersey.

Martinez sets a marker
Groupama-FDJ’s young Frenchman Lenny Martinez completed the course at an impressive average speed of 41.8 km/h and in a time of 48'24” to position himself as the provisional leader, where he would remain for well over an hour, until Harold Tejada (Astana Qazaqstan) took over in the top spot, beating Martinez by 10”. In tears yesterday after his final Tour de France stage in the mountains, French hero and Yellow Jersey wearer on Stage 2 Romain Bardet (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) was given huge support by the fans on his last ever day on the Tour. Due to retire just before the 2025 Tour, Bardet finished today’s stage in 37th place and was 30th in the final GC.

Carapaz in polka dots
Ecuadorian star Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) finished a highly successful Tour as the winner of the Mountain classification with 127 points, compared to 102 for Pogacar and 70 for Vingegaard. It is Ecuador's first victory in any final ranking of the Tour de France.

The GC favorites fight for final win
Riders such as Harold Tejada (Astana Qazaqstan), Derek Gee (Israel - Premier Tech) and
Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike) all enjoyed a moment with the provisional lead before the GC top 3 finished their runs. Pogacar was already the fastest man in the first sector, 7” and 26” ahead of Vingegaard and Evenepoel, increasing those respective advantages to 24” over Vingegaard and 51” on Evenepoel at the second intermediate marker on Col d’Èze. Pogacar was absolutely flying by the time he reached the Place Île de Beauté in Nice (km 28.6), the third and final intermediate marker, with 1'04" over Vingegaard and 1'28" over white jersey winner Evenepoel, going on the wrap up the victory and a third overall GC success in superb style.

TOP 10 MOST FREQUENT CLIMBS OF THE TOUR DE FRANCE

(AND 10 FAMOUS ONES AFTER THAT)

©PJAMMCycing.com

Interesting 2024 TDF Facts

• This is the 111th Tour de France;
• Start: Florence, Italy on Saturday, June 29, 2024 - this is the first time the Tour has ever started in Italy.;
• Finish: Nice, France on July 21, 2024 - this is the first time the tour has ever finished outside Paris.

• The tour is not finishing in Paris because of a conflict with the 2024 Summer Olympics which will be centered in Paris from late July to early August.

•  22 teams, 8 riders each - 176 total riders starting in Florence.
• Countries visited: Italy (3 stages), Republic of San Marino (1), France (19) and Monaco (1)
• Mountain ranges included in the 2024 TdF: The French and Italian Alps, Apennines (Italy) Pyrenees (France) and Massif Central (France);
• Categorized climbs:  Not yet named.
• Col du Tourmalet returns for the 90th time, by far more than any other climb featured in the Tour.
• Other notable climbs appearances:

• Col du Galibier  (64 appearances - fifth all time)
• Pla d’Adet
• Col de Peyresourde (69 appearances - number 4 all time)
•  Col de Portet Aspet (59 appearances)

• Distance: 3,492 kilometers (2,170 miles) - the longest tour was in 1926 at 5,745 kilometers (3,570 miles);
• Longest stage: Stage 3 - Piacenza to Turin, Italy 227 km / 141 miles);
• Total Elevation gained: 51,737 m / 169,741 ’(well below 2023 at 57,378m/188,248’ but above 2022 at 47,861m / 157,024’);
• Most elevation gained on a stage: Stage 15 (4,901 m / 16,079’’; includes Peyresourde and Plateau de Beille);
• Most elevation gained on a climb: Cime de la Bonette at 1,586 meters (5,203’) over 24 kilometers (15 miles);;
• Highest point on the 2024 TdF is Cime de la Bonette (Stage 19) at 2,802 meters (9,192’)

• This is the highest the Tour de France has ever gone.
• Cime Bonette has been featured 5 times in the TdF.
• This is the first time Bonette has appeared in the Tour since 2008.

• Steepest climb: Col de Portet d’Aspet  4.4 kilometers at 9.9% (Stage 15);
• Steepest segments: (you can filter yourself using the sorting tool in to the left of the map, above)

• 1 kilometer: 14% Pla d’adet (Stage 14)
• 2 kilometers: 12.5% Puy Mary (Stage 11)
• 5 kilometers:  103% Pla d’Adet (Stage 14)
• 10 kilometers 8.6% Plateau de Beille (Stage 15)
• 1 mile: 12.7% Pla d’Adet (Stage 11)
• 5 miles:  9.1% Pla d’Adet (Stage 14);

• This is the 111th Tour de France since its first edition in 1903:

• No TdF 1915-1918 (WWI)
• No TdF 1940-1946 (WWII)
• TdF postponed from 27 June 2020, to 29 August 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic;

• Stages:

• 7 mountain stages (4 summit finishes)
• 4 hilly stages;
• 8 flat stages;
• 2 individual time trials
• Two rest days (one after Stage 9 and one after Stage 15);

•  There is an individual time trial on the final day of the Tour, the first TT on the last day since 1989 when Greg LeMond edged Laurent Fignon by 8 seconds to win his second of three titles.  
• There are four summit finishes:

• Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet - Stage 14, July 13
• Plateau de Beille - Stage 15, July 14
• Isola 2000 - Stage 19, July 19
• Col de la Couillole - Stage 20, July 20

• The five hardest climbs of the 2024 Tour de France are:

1. Cime Bonette (24 km at 6.55)
2. Col du Tourmalet (18.7 km at 7.1%)
3. Plateau de Beille (15.3 km at 7.9%)
4. Isola 2000 (16.2 km at 7.1%)
5. Col de la Couillole (15.9 km at 7.2%)        ;

• Bonuses:

• Time bonuses will be awarded at the finish of each stage: 10 seconds (first), 6 seconds (second), and 4 seconds (third).
• There will also be bonus seconds that will be located on climbs at strategic points: 8, 5, and 2 seconds for first through third riders past those points;

•  14 gravel segments on Stage 9 (Troyes to Troyes) with 32 of the total 199 kilometers consisting of strade bianche (white or gravel roads).
• No cobbles on this year’s Tour.
• HC & Category Climb: TBD
• Prize money:  Total $2,300,000 euros ($500,000 to the overall winner).

Historical Tour de France Facts of Interest

• Climb most often featured in the Tour: Tourmalet - 90 times as of 2024 with Col d’Aspin second as of 74.

From Campan: 16.9 km gaining 1267m at 7.5% average grade.

From Luz Saint Sauveur: 18.7 km gaining 1319m at 7.1%.

• Highest point ever reached in the Tour de France: Cime de la Bonette, at 2,802 meters

Cime de la Bonette is the highest point ever reached by the Tour de France.

2,802 meters - Stage 18 1962 (passed again in 1964, 1993, 2008, 2024).

Five highest points the Tour de France has ever reached.

Also see Top 10 Highest Points of the TdF

• Highest point of first (1903) TdF:  Col de la République (1,161m).

• Most TdF wins:

• Yellow Jersey - overall winner:

• 5 Jacques Anquetil (1957, 1961-1964)
• 5 Eddy Merckx (1969-1972, 1974)

• Merckx has the most Grand Tour wins of anyone (11 - 5 TdF, 5 Giro, 1 Vuelta)

• 5 Bernard Hinault  (1978-1979, 1981-1982, 1985)

• Has the second most Grand Tour wins (10 - 5 TdF, 3 Giro, 2 Vuelta)

• 5 Miguel Indurain (1991-1995)
• 4 Chris Froome:  (2013, 2015-2017)

• Polka Dot (King of the Mountains - since 1933):

• 7 Richard Virenque: 1994-1997, 1999, 2003, 2004 (best tour finish #2 1997)
• 6 Frederico Bahamontes: 1954, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964; nine in Grand Tours  

• Green Jersey (most points; since 1953)

• 7 Peter Sagan
• 6 Erik Zabel: 1997-2001

• Most days wearing the yellow jersey:

• 111 Eddy Merckx
• 79 Bernard Hinault
• 60 Miguel Indurain

• Most days wearing yellow jersey in a single TdF:

• 21: Jacques Anquetil 1961 - held the yellow jersey from day one.

• Most stage wins:  

• 34 Eddy Merckx
• 34 Mark Cavendish
• 28 Bernard Hinault

• Most stage wins in a single tour:  

• 8 Charles Pélissier, 1930
• 8 Merckx 1970, 1971
• 8 Freddy Maertens 1975

• Most times atop the podium (top three TdF finish):

• 8 Raymond Poulidor

• First mountain stage and climbs in the Tour:

• Stage 10 July 21, 1910: Luchon to Bayonne

• 326 kilometers
• Circle of Death: Col de Peyresourde, Col d’Aspin, Col du Tourmalet, and Col d’Aubisque
• On arriving at the top of Col d’Aubisque Octave Lapize (TdF 1910 winner) yelled to tour organizers what is variously reported as: “murderers,” “assassins,” or “criminals.”  He also said he would quit the tour after descending to Laruns, but he rallied to complete the stage and go on to win the 1910 Tour de France.

Circle of Death

Tourmalet was the highest point the tour had ever reached as of 1910 (2115m)

Previous high point had been Col de Porte (1326m).

• First mountain-top stage finish:  Alpe d’Huez (Dutch Mountain/The Alpe) was the first mountain-top finish in the history of the Tour de France in 1952, Stage 10.
• Country wearing the yellow jersey most:  

• France (709)
• Belgium (434)

Frenchmen have been in the maillot jaune (yellow jersey) far more than any other country.

• Winning TdF in first appearance:

• 11 between 1903 - 1983, but none since Laurent Fignon (1983) until 2020 and Tadej Pogačar 

• Youngest winner of the Tour:  

• Henri Cornet: France, age 19 (1904)
• Tadej Pogačar: Slovenia, age 21 (2020)

• Oldest TdF winner:

• Firmin Lambot: Belgium, age 36 (1922)

• Most TdF appearances:

• 18 Sylvain Chavenel (2001-2018 age 42; top finish 19 2009)

• King of the Mountains: Mountain Classification victories (first recognized in 1933; jersey introduced 1975)

letour.fr

“Symbol of the mountains, of a rider pushing beyond their limits and of courage, the red polka dot jersey, which is sponsored by Carrefour, is awarded to the Tour de France’s leader of the best climber classification. Although this classification was introduced in 1933, its symbol, the polka dot jersey, appeared in 1975, which was also the year the Tour first finished on the Champs-Élysées and was won by Bernard Thévenet. It owes its appearance to track racing specialist Henri Lemoine, who competed between the 1930s and 1950s, and that Félix Lévitan, co-director of the Tour with Jacques Goddetwhich, had particularly noticed. While Belgium’s Lucien Van Impe was its first winner and claimed the mountains classification six times, just like his illustrious predecessor, Spain’s Federico Bahamontes, the so-called “Eagle of Toledo”, Frenchman Richard Virenque holds the record for victories with seven titles” (Tour de France, Polka Dot Jersey).

• TdF:

• Richard Virenque: 7 (1994-1997, 1999, 2003, 2004; best tour finish #2 1997)
• Frederico Bahamontes: 6 (1954, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964; nine in Grand Tours)  

• Triples (none ever in the same year):  Frederico Bahamontes and Louis Herrera.
• Doubles same year (TdF+Giro):  Fausto Coppi, Charly Gaul, Lucien Van Impe, Claudio Chaippucci

King of the Mountains is designated by the red polka dot jersey.

• Most green jerseys (total points):

•  7 - Peter Sagan

• Most white jerseys (best young rider):

• 3 - Jan Ullrich (1996-1998),
• 3 Andy Schleck (2008-2010)

• Least finishers:  

• 10 in 1919

• Shortest margin of victory:  

• 8 seconds: Greg Lemond over Laurent Fignon in 1989.  Lemond overcame 50 seconds in the final time trial using aero bars for the first time in the TdF.

• Greatest margin of victory:

• 2h49’21” in 1903 between Maurice Garin and Lucien Pothier.

• Country with most wins:

• France (36)
• Belgium (18)
• Spain (12)
• Italy (10)
• Britain (6)
• Luxembourg (5)
• USA and Denmark (3)

• Hardest climb ever in the Tour de France:  Col de la Loze (Meribel).

• See our All Time Top 10 Tour de France Climbs page.

EXPLANATION OF KING OF MOUNTAIN, KOM POINTS, AND BONUS POINTS

FOR THE 2024 TOUR DE FRANCE

KOM DEFINED:  Climb-related points are accumulated during the race.  The rider with the most accumulated points at the beginning of the stage wears the red polka dot jersey that day, and the rider with the most points at the end of the race is crowned that year’s Tour de France King of the Mountains.

“Category”:  When the mountain classification (King of the Mountains) was introduced in 1933, there were points given to the first 10 riders over the summit (10 for first, 1 for tenth).  In 1947, the Tour introduced two climb “categories” with a certain amount of points for the second category and twice as many as for the first category.  Over the years “categories” were added, in addition to an “Above” category (Hors or HC) and since 1979 there have been a HC (hardest), Category 1 (second hardest) on down to Category 4 (least difficult climb).

The category of the climb is significant for two reasons:

• The points awarded for the TdF KOM for each climb is based upon the category of climb - thus, “category” is the basis for the points that are used to determine each year’s King of the Mountains.
• Most cycling fans, particularly Grand Tour fans, are very interested in the climb “category” because that tells them how hard each climb on a stage is, where the riders will struggle more, and the point in a stage where that day, or even the entire tour, will be won or lost.

KOM HISTORY:  

• King of the Mountains: Mountain Classification victories (first recognized in 1933; jersey introduced 1975)

• TdF:

• Richard Virenque: 7 (1994-1997, 1999, 2003, 2004; best tour finish #2 1997)
• Frederico Bahamontes: 6 (1954, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964; nine in Grand Tours)  

• Triples (none ever in the same year):  Frederico Bahamontes and Louis Herrera.
• Doubles same year (TdF+Giro):  Fausto Coppi, Charly Gaul, Lucien Van Impe, Claudio Chaippucci

• 2020 & 2021 King of the Mountains:  Tadej Pogačar, Slovenia (also won the TdF and the Young Rider classification)
• 2022 - Jonas Vingegaard (NED) - also won TdF.
• 2023 - Giulio Ciccone (ITA)

POINTS:  KOM points are awarded in three ways on the Tour de France:

•  To riders first over the summit of categorized climbs (in descending order HC, 1-4).  

• The higher the category the more riders receive points (HC points are awarded to eight riders, while CAT 4 points are awarded to only one rider).

• Bonus point (see below).
• Points for altitude finishes.

TDF POINTS FORMULA: Wikipedia has the best summary and graph we’ve seen for TdF KOM points distribution:

The points gained by consecutive riders reaching a mountain top are distributed according to the following classification:

Wikipedia - Mountains Classification - Tour de France

BONUS POINTS:  These points go towards the King of the Mountain designation and are awarded to the first (8 points), second (5 points), and third (2 points) riders reaching designated summits in the race.  

• There are no KOM bonuses in the 2022 Tour de France.  

MONEY PRIZES FOR KING OF THE MOUNTAINS

• Prize for first to eighth place:

• Winner = €25,000
• 2nd = €15,000
• 3rd = €10,000
• 4th = €4,000
• 5th = €3,500
• 6th = €3,000
• 7th = €2,500
• 8th = €2,000

• Daily prize for wearing the Polka Dot jersey = €6,000
• Per category climb:

• HC

• 1st = €800
• 2nd = €450
• 3rd = €300

• Cat 1

• 1st = €650
• 2nd = €400
• 3rd = €150

• Cat 2

• 1st = €500
• 2nd = €250

• Cat 3

• 1st = €300

• Cat 4

• 1st = €200

• Souvenir Henri Desgrange €5000 first to Col du Galibier pass Stage 11.

The maximum amount the KOM winner could earn if he won every stage and wore the jersey from Stage 2 to the finish is $60,300 Euros (62,773 USD)