grand tours for cycling

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for video reviews.

Tour, Giro, and Vuelta: Cycling Grand Tours Statistics Compared (2023)

I love cycling, and I enjoy playing with numbers. One day, I asked myself:

What if I combine these two hobbies? What if I create a comparison of cycling Grand Tours statistics?

The result is a unique comparison of all three Grand Tours – Tour de France , Giro d’Italia , and Vuelta a España .

I am sure you will see some of these stats for the first time.

Below, you find comparisons of all edition distances, average stage lengths, general, mountain, and points classification winners’ height & weight data, rider’s BMI, and many more interesting stats.

Abbreviations used: GC – General Classification, GT – Grand Tour, TdF – Tour de France, BMI – Body Mass Index

I used publicly available data from sites such as wikipedia.org , procyclingstats.com , and official GT websites letour.fr , giroditalia.it , and lavuelta.es for the statistics and charts below. Some data is not available (especially the rider’s weights/heights).

Please, also remember the following:

• The Tour de France did not take place between 1915-1918 and 1940-1946.
• Giro d’Italia did not take place between 1915-1918 and 1941-1945.
• Vuelta a España did not take place between 1937-1940, 1943-1944, and 1951-1954.
• Lance Armstrong was stripped of all his results and prizes from 1 August 1998. No alternative winners of TdF 1999-2005 were declared yet.
• The actual rider’s racing weight could vary.

I update this article once a year once all Grand Tours are finished.

Grand Tours Total Distance

Let’s start with the basics. The chart below shows the total distance of individual Grand Tour editions. The Tour de France was the longest Grand Tour for decades.

The average Grand Tour length of all editions is 3,747 km . It was around 3,680 km between 1960-1980, 3,720 km between 1980-2000, and “only” 3,390 km between 2000-2020. The average length of the 2023 Grand Tours is 3,297 km .

Number and Length of Grand Tours Stages

The number of stages experienced an opposite trend to the average length. While the first Tour de France editions had only six stages, this number multiplied in the following decades. For the past decades, it has oscillated around 21 .

The average Grand Tour stage length of all editions is 200 km (time trials included).

It was a whopping 278 km between 1909-1939 to 191 km between 1949-1979 (excluding Vuelta because its first edition took place in 1935). The average stage length of the 2023 Grand Tours is 157 km .

Grand Tours Average Speed

The average Grand Tours speed of all editions is 35.42 km/h .

It increased dramatically over time, mainly thanks to technological progress, better training methods, and nutrition—it exceeded the mighty 40 km/h mark.

The average speed of the 2023 Grand Tours was 40.49 km/h .

Will we ever see a Grand Tour surpassing the average speed of 45 km/h?

TIP : Interested in cycling? Feel free to read my guide on how to choose a bike type in 5 minutes or less.

Grand Tours (Historical Extremes)

What about the longest and shortest editions ?

Not surprisingly, the longest Grand Tour ever was the Tour de France in 1926. Riders had to cover 5,745 km (about the same distance from New York to London).

The longest Giro d’Italia took place in 1954 (4,337 km), and the longest Vuelta a España was in 1936 (4,407 km).

The shortest Grand Tour ever was also the Tour de France.

The first two editions (1903 and 1904) were the same length of 2,428 km .

The shortest Giro was 15 km longer (1912), and the Vuelta 14 km longer (1963), resulting in 2,443 and 2,443 km.

Speaking of length, here is another “best” for the Tour de France.

The longest Grand Tour stage ever ( 482 km ) was the 5th stage in the 1919 edition.

Meanwhile, the longest Giro stage (stage 3 in 1914) was 52 km shorter. Vuelta falls behind with only a 310 km stage (stage 6 in 1935).

However, Vuelta holds a record for the fastest Grand Tour edition ever. Riders covered the 58th edition of Vuelta a España (2003) with an average speed of 42.53 km/h .

The fastest TdF was in 2022 (41.84 km/h) and Giro in 2011 (41.86 km/h).

The title for the slowest Grand Tour holds Giro d’Italia. 1914 Giro was ridden at an average speed of 23.37 km/h .

My humble guess is that this record won’t be broken – 8 out of 12 stages were classified as mountain stages.

The slowest Tour de France took place in 1924 (5,425 km). The winner, Ottavio Bottecchia, reached the winning time of 226h 18′ 21″, resulting in an average speed of 23.97 km/h.

The slowest Vuelta a España (25.72 km/h) took place in 1948. It took the winner 155h 06′ 30″ to cover the 3,990 km.

IMPORTANT NOTE : Many websites (including Wikipedia) list the 1919 Tour de France as the slowest TdF ever. This figure is incorrect because the winning time of Firmin Lambot was 231h 07′ 15″. The 1919 edition was 5,560 km long. When we do some math, it is easy to calculate that the average speed was 24.0567 km/h.

Rider’s Height, Weight, and BMI (Over Time)

How do the rider’s height, weight, and BMI develop over time? How do these data differ between riders for the general classification, climbers, and sprinters?

Unfortunately, the weights and heights of riders from the past century are often missing. So, the resulting trends can be skewed.

General Classification Winners

Are GC riders getting taller and leaner?

The past decades have shown that even riders above 1.85m can win Grand Tours—to name a few: Chris Froome, Bradley Wiggins, Miguel Indurain, Fabio Aru, or Tom Dumoulin, who are all tall riders.

The GC winner’s height oscillates around 179 cm (±10 cm). Giro and Vuelta seem to be more “short riders friendly.” More riders below 175 cm won these Grand Tours in the past decades.

The trend for the lower weight also seems not to be a myth.

Although many heights and weight data are not available, the following chart shows that riders are really getting leaner on average .

An average GC winner’s weight was 67.67 kg between 1980-2000, while only 64.33 kg between 2000-2020.

Probably the most interesting chart of the series of these 3 is the following BMI chart. BMI uses your height and weight to work out if your weight is healthy. ( Source )

Here is a quick guide on how to interpret the values:

• Below 18.5 – underweight,
• 18.5-24.9 – normal,
• 25.0-29.9 – overweight,
• 30.0 and above – obese.

The GC winner’s BMI has varied between 21 and 19 in recent decades, averaging around 20.11 . For example, Chris Froome’s BMI was around 19.08 when he won his Grand Tours, and Sepp Kuss’s (Vuelta 2023 winner) was even lower at 18.42.

BMI CALCULATOR

Mountain Classification Winners

The height data of the winners of mountain classification is also exciting. The average height of the GT mountain classification winner is 1.74 m .

Vuelta is, according to some people, considered the toughest GT. However, based on data, the average weight of the Giro mountain classification winner is 64.4 kg.

The average weight of the GT mountain classification winner is 64.4 kg .

The average BMI of mountain classification winners is 21.19 .

We can see a similar trend as with GC winners. Nowadays, climbers have a lower BMI on average than at the beginning of this classification. The average BMI of mountain classification winners is lower than the BMI of GC winners (21.51).

Points Classification Winners

Sprinters and all-around riders’ height rarely goes below 1.70 m or exceeds 1.85 m . The average height of a points classification winner is 1.79 m .

Not surprisingly, sprinters and all-around riders are heavier than climbers. The average weight of a GT points classification winner is 71.3 kg .

The average BMI of points classification winners is 22.3 . However, the BMI variance of individual winners has been relatively significant in recent years.

Rider’s Height, Weight, and BMI (Historical Extremes)

The following stats are focused on historical extremes. You can easily compare your own height and weight with Grand Tour GC winners.

The average height of a Grand Tour GC winner is 1.77 m .

The tallest GC winner ever is Bradley Wiggins (TdF 2012). He is 1.90 m tall.

The shortest GC winner ever was Romain Maes (Tour de France 1935 winner). He was 1.60 m tall.

The average weight of a Grand Tour GC winner is 67.4 kg .

The heaviest GC winner was Tour de France 1909 winner François Faber. He weighed 88 kg .

The lightest GC winner was Marco Pantani. He won Tour de France and Giro in the same year (1998), weighing just 57 kg .

A GC winner has an average BMI of 21.51 .

A GC winner with the highest BMI was François Faber. He won the 1909 Tour de France with a BMI of 27.77 (1.78 m, 88 kg).

A GC winner with the lowest BMI was Sepp Kuss. He won the 2023 Vuelta with a BMI of 18.42 (1.82 m, 61 kg).

The average height of a mountain classification GT winner is 1.74 m .

The tallest mountain classification winner ever was Mauricio Soler (TdF 2007). He is 1.90 m tall.

The shortest mountain classification winner ever was Mariano Díaz (Vuelta 1967). He was 1.59 m tall.

The average weight of a mountain classification winner is 64.4 kg .

The heaviest mountain classification winner was the Giro d’Italia 1933 mountain classification winner Alfredo Binda. He weighed 77 kg .

The lightest mountain classification winner was José Rujano. He won the 2005 Giro mountain classification weighing just 48 kg .

A mountain classification winner has an average BMI of 21.19 .

A mountain classification winner with the highest BMI was Mariano Díaz. He won the 1967 Vuelta a España mountain classification with a BMI of 24.92 (1.59 m, 63 kg).

A mountain classification winner with the lowest BMI was José Rujano. He won the 2005 Giro mountain classification with a BMI of 18.29 (1.62 m, 48 kg).

The average height of a points classification GT winner is 1.79 m .

The tallest points classification winner ever was Tom Boonen (TdF 2007). He is 1.92 m tall.

The shortest points classification winner ever was Stan Ockers (TdF 1955 and 1956). He was 1.65 m tall.

The average weight of a points classification winner is 71.3 kg .

The heaviest points classification winner was Rik Van Steenbergen. He won Vuelta a España 1956 points classification weighing 83 kg .

The lightest points classification winner was Joaquim Rodríguez. He won the 2012 Giro points classification weighing just 57 kg .

A points classification winner has an average BMI of 22.3 .

A points classification winner with the highest BMI was Walter Godefroot. He won the 1970 Tour de France points classification with a BMI of 24.94 (1.71 m, 73 kg).

A points classification winner with the lowest BMI was Chris Froome. He won the 2017 Vuelta points classification with a BMI of 19.08 (1.86 m, 66 kg).

Overall Victories & Stage Wins

Eddy Merckx is the rider with the most Grand Tour GC wins (11). He won TdF and Giro 5 times, as well as Vuelta once.

The following table shows the three riders with the most stage wins for a given Grand Tour.

Consider these Incredible Bicycle Statistics to discover more about the sport we all love so much.

We have a song in the Czech Republic that goes like this:

“Statistics are boring, but it has valuable information…”

I have never enjoyed statistics, but spending dozens of hours putting this comparison together was fun. I was surprised to see some Grand Tour data visualized. The riders’ height, weight, and BMI data points are pretty interesting. What do you think about these cycling Grand Tours statistics?

I hope you like this comparison. If so, don’t forget to share it with your friends.

You can also check out my other articles dedicated to individual Grand Tours that go into more detail:

• Tour de France Statistics
• Giro d’Italia Statistics
• Vuelta a España Statistics

Cycling Grand Tours FAQ

Yes, several riders won all three Grand Tours at least once (TdF Wins, Giro Wins, Vuelta Wins): Eddy Merckx (5, 5, 1) Bernard Hinault (5, 3, 2) Jacques Anquetil (5, 2, 1) Chris Froome (4, 1, 2) Alberto Contador (2, 2, 3) Felice Gimondi (1, 3, 1) Vincenzo Nibali (1, 2, 1) No rider has won all three Grand Tours in the same calendar year.

The Giro d’Italia proves to be challenging, mainly due to the demanding Alp and Appennine climbs, as well as frequent inclement weather. The Tour de France stands out as the premier cycling event worldwide, drawing significant attention and placing considerable mental strain on riders. Nevertheless, there’s a consensus among some that the Vuelta a España is the toughest because it serves as the final Grand Tour of the season, with riders already exhausted. I’ll let you decide, but it’s evident that no Grand Tour can be considered easy.

Depending on how you define “the greatest.” However, the rider with the most GT wins is Eddy Merckx. He won 11 GT (5 times Tour de France, 5 times Giro d’Italia, and once Vuelta a España).

wikipedia.org procyclingstats.com letour.fr giroditalia.it lavuelta.es

Browse Other Cycling Statistics

General Stats Bicycle Statistics & Facts Best Bicycle Brands Road Bike Prices & Weights Statistics Road Bike Wheels Weights Statistics How Much Does a Tour de France Bike Cost?

Grand Tours Cycling Grand Tours Statistics (Compared) Tour de France Statistics Giro d’Italia Statistics Vuelta a España Statistics

Cycling Monuments Cycling Monuments (Compared) Milan–San Remo Statistics Tour of Flanders Statistics Paris–Roubaix Statistics Liège-Bastogne-Liège Statistics Giro di Lombardia Statistics

About The Author

Petr Minarik

4 thoughts on “tour, giro, and vuelta: cycling grand tours statistics compared (2023)”.

Great work! Can you add a cumulative vertical meters comparison to each GT? And create a weighted index according to Cumulative distance – Cumulative ascent – Average speed.

Thanks a lot. – Eran

Hi Eran, I thought about doing something like you describe. Unfortunately, total vertical meters are unavailable for many editions. Therefore, I decided not to include it. But you are right, that would be interesting!

You’re the guy to do it, you’re Great! I’d like to see day by day where riders have gained or lost time to the current GC leader. Does that make sense? I think it would be interesting as hell! Thanks for doing such a great job at what you do!!!

Hi Dan, Thank you for your trust and appreciation. I am afraid this is beyond my time capacity. However, this would be interesting data. 🙂 – Petr

Leave a Comment Cancel 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.

Start typing and press enter to search

Ranked: The best Grand Tours of the 21st century

We count down the best that this century has seen so far...

• Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

Images from Getty

If the Grand Tour hadn't existed in 2000, would someone have invented it?

The cost, the complexity of running it, the sheer size of the event all for what are often fleeting moments of high drama would make it likely they would not have.

The Grand Tour format is in many ways a throwback to another time when a day's worth of racing would only serve to be packaged down into several pages of newsprint, not shown live all day long. "Do the kids of today have the attention span for a three-week race?" the sport's commissioners would have asked.

As a fan, you have to invest in a Grand Tour. While there are always intriguing and entertaining plot lines in the opening days, the main event frequently doesn't crackle into life until the end of the first week at best - despite race organisers' attempts to force the issue higher up the peloton's agenda. In that respect, though, it parallels a more recent phenomenon - the DVD series boxset.

A good Grand Tour is binge-worthy sport delivered on a daily release schedule. The best ones are The Wire ; should Contador have waited for Schleck when he dropped his chain is a question up there with whether McNulty would have ever caught Stringer Bell.

>>> Subscriptions deals for  Cycling Weekly  magazine

The worst, well we simply don't think about them, they're dull and procedural and all the characters do exactly what you expect them to. But we tune in next time because we know that it's good when riders are going toe-to-toe, and when they're doing things we couldn't possibly imagine it's transcendent. Something like that would always be worth inventing.

Get The Leadout Newsletter

The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!

5. 2018 Giro d'Italia

British riders have won 10 Grand Tours this century, and this was surely the pick of them. Simon Yates dominated the first three-quarters of it, taking the lead when he and Mitchelton team-mate Esteban Chaves finished ahead of the other favourites on Mount Etna. Winner of three stages over the following 10 days, Yates gradually extended his lead to more than two minutes and still held half of that advantage after the stage 16 Rovereto TT.

Two days later, though, the first cracks in the Lancastrian's armour appeared at Preto Nevoso. The next day, Yates and the rest of the field were swept away by a daring 80km attack by Chris Froome that started on the gravel slopes of the Finestre. The all-or-nothing escapade gave him a full set of Grand Tour titles.

Final general classification

1. Chris Froome (GBr) Sky, in 89-02-39

2. Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Sunweb, at 46 seconds

3. Miguel Ángel López (Col) Astana, at 4-57

4. 2005 Giro d'Italia

Another race that adds weight to the theory that Grand Tours are often more exciting when the big names struggle or are absent. This one was supposed to be a walk in the park for Ivan Basso, and when the Italian took the lead at the summit finish of Zoldo Alto on stage 11, becoming the eighth holder of the maglia rosa in the process, it looked like the GC had been locked up for good.

Basso, however, was hit by stomach trouble two days later at Ortisei, where Paolo Savoldelli inherited the pink jersey. Harassed by Danilo Di Luca, José Rujano and, above all, Gilberto Simoni, Savoldelli held on until the finish.

Nicknamed 'the Falcon' for his almost incomparable skill on descents, Savoldelli drew hugely on that ability to save the Giro title on the penultimate stage over the Finestre, dropping like a stone to wipe out the race-winning advantage Simoni had opened.

1. Paolo Savoldelli (Ita) Discovery Channel, in 91-25-51

2. Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Lampre-Caffita, at 28 seconds

3. José Rujano (Ven) Colombia-Selle Italia, at 45s

3. 2015 Vuelta a España

Another topsy-turvy affair, with Tom Dumoulin at the heart of the action that highlighted the tendency for the Vuelta to produce unpredictable contests at a point in the season when riders’ physical resources are running low. It featured the top-four finishers from the Tour de France five weeks earlier – Chris Froome, Nairo Quintana, Alejandro Valverde and Vincenzo Nibali – but this illustrious quartet all ended as bit-part players in a contest that revealed several new Grand Tour contenders, notably Dumoulin, Esteban Chaves and Fabio Aru.

Like all of the best three-week races, it also featured plenty of other intriguing and controversial back stories to keep interest bubbling, beginning on the first day when the short team time trial into Marbella had to be neutralised because the polished marble coastal path was covered in sand. On stage two, it was Nibali’s turn to appear in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. Delayed in a crash, he was caught on camera holding on to his team car’s door and being ferried at high speed back up to the bunch. That evening, the Italian was kicked off the race.

Chaves’s stage win that same day gave him the red jersey. He lost it to Dumoulin three days later when the bunch split coming into the finish, then regained it on the following stage thanks to a second hill-top finish success. The Dutchman snatched it back again three days later with a summit win of his own at the Cumbre del Sol, where Froome was a close second. Yet, just as the Briton’s form appeared to be peaking, he was forced out of the race after breaking his foot when he crashed into a kerb during a devilish six-climb tour of Andorra devised by local resident Joaquim Rodríguez. Here, Astana scooped the jackpot, Mikel Landa and Aru finishing first and second, the latter moving into the leader’s jersey.

>>> Cycling Weekly is available on your Smart phone, tablet and desktop

The see-saw contest continued across the Cantabrian mountains and into Asturias, where Dumoulin steadily ceded ground as Rodríguez emerged as Aru’s closest rival, moving within a second of the Italian thanks to a stage win at Sotres Cabrales on the third weekend, the Spaniard then moving a second ahead the next day. Would the Spanish veteran finally win a Grand Tour? Could he overcome his weakness in time trials? The long solo test delivered a resounding verdict – no! Dumoulin smashed it, Aru coped with it, leaving the Dutchman three seconds ahead. He doubled that advantage racing into Avila, two days from home.

Sadly for the Dutchman, there was one final twist, Aru and Astana shredding Giant-Alpecin’s defences around Dumoulin on the penultimate day on the heights to the north of Madrid. Isolated and attacked on all sides, he finally yielded, Aru riding away to claim his first Grand Tour success, a breathless contest finally decided.

1. Fabio Aru (Ita) Astana, in 85-36-13

2. Joaquim Rodríguez (Spa) Katusha, at 57 seconds

3. Rafał Majka (Pol) Tinkoff-Saxo, at 1-09

Points: Alejandro Valverde (Esp) Movistar

Mountains: Omar Fraile (Esp) Caja Rural

Teams: Movistar

2. 2017 Giro d'Italia

Having flirted with victory at the Vuelta a España in 2015, before faltering at the last and losing the title to Fabio Aru, Tom Dumoulin took his first Grand Tour win with a gritty and hugely courageous performance, coming through from fourth place to first in the Milan time trial on the final day to beat former winner Nairo Quintana and defending champion Vincenzo Nibali. Along with Thibaut Pinot, this quartet spent the second two weeks of the race constantly searching to deliver a knock-out blow to their rivals, the momentum swinging wildly between them, the spectacle entirely befitting the Giro’s 100th edition.

The race provided a perfect contrast of radically different racing styles, most obviously on the climbs. Strapping Dutchman Dumoulin was the archetypal rouleur grimpeur, trying to maintain a steady rhythm on the climbs, happy to lose ground to punchier rivals then steadily claw it back. At the other end of the scale was flyweight Colombian Quintana, far more spring-heeled, constantly darting away from his rivals, probing for a weakness, full of verve. Nibali and Pinot, meanwhile, were somewhere in between, both full of vim and tactically very smart.

The race began in Sardinia, where points winner Fernando Gaviria claimed the first of four stage wins (on stage three), but was supposed to come to life after a rest day transfer to Nibali’s Sicilian homeland. However, a strong headwind on the Mount Etna summit finish kept a lid on the action. The GC contest finally erupted on stage nine to the fearsome Blockhaus summit finish in the Abruzzo. It began with controversy as the group of main contenders had to swerve around a policeman’s bike. Wilco Kelderman clipped it, the subsequent domino effect leaving Sky’s Geraint Thomas and Mikel Landa on the deck, along with Orica’s Adam Yates, shattering the maglia rosa hopes of all three.

After Movistar had thinned out the lead group, dispatching race leader Bob Jungels in the process, Quintana fizzed into action. Initially countered by Nibali and Pinot, the Colombian went again, destined for the stage win and the pink jersey. It was Dumoulin, though, who emerged as best of the rest, judging his effort perfectly in order to limit his losses, Pinot clinging on to his wheel. Twenty-four hours later, the Dutchman struck back hard on his favoured terrain, demolishing the whole field in the Montefalco TT to take the lead with two and a half minutes on his rivals.

Impressive on the Blockhaus, Dumoulin was sensational at Santuario di Oropa. Apparently struggling when Quintana went on the rampage once more, the Dutchman worked his way back up to his rivals and then powered past them to win the stage and push his lead out a little further. The battle continued to rage the next day into Bergamo, where Jungels led in a very select dozen. Then came the biggest stage of the race, over the Mortirolo, Stelvio and Umbrail Pass into Bormio. It was always likely to be special, but we had absolutely no idea…

The peloton had been well shredded approaching the third of these mighty ascents, Dumoulin apparently well in control, until he braked to a sudden halt, flung off his kit and dropped into the ditch to relieve an urgent need.

For a while his rivals eased off, but when one attacked, the rest piled in. Out on his own, Dumoulin rode all out to protect the lead he’d built up. After Nibali’s descending skills, including bunny hopping obstacles, helped him to the stage win, Italy’s first of this 100th edition, Dumoulin came in more than two minutes down, his cushion now just 31 seconds.

Three major mountain stages remained, and each delivered an enthralling spectacle, fortunes yo-yoing this way and that, the favourites often so isolated from their team-mates that rivals would become allies for a few kilometres, then they’d be going at each other tooth and nail again. This was racing with the gloves well and truly off.

When Quintana swept the maglia rosa at Piancavallo two days from Milan, Dumoulin looked finished. But on the penultimate day over Monte Grappa to Asiago, he judged his effort and gave all he had to stay in the overall contest. On the final day, he unleashed everything he did have left and it was just enough.

1. Tom Dumoulin (Ned) Sunweb, in 90-34-54

2. Nairo Quintana (Col) Movistar, at 31 seconds

3. Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-Merida, at 40s

Points: Fernando Gaviria (Col) Quick Step

Mountains: Mikel Landa (Esp) Sky

Best young rider: Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick-Step

1. 2011 Tour de France

Often the best Grand Tours occur in between moments of dominance by a pre-eminent rider. Think of the 1987 Tour de France, when defending champion Greg LeMond was sidelined and the lead changed hands nine times, Stephen Roche ultimately claiming the yellow jersey on the penultimate day. Or of the 1956 race, which fell in between the last of Louison Bobet’s three consecutive wins and the first of Jacques Anquetil’s five victories, the lead changing hands eight times before the unheralded Roger Walkowiak took the title. In both of these cases, these riders emerged triumphant thanks as much to their astute tactical thinking as to their talent and endurance.

Among the five dozen races in the current century, the 2011 Tour went closer than any other to being a ‘Tour à la Walko’, of being a race where an outsider showed the nous and guts to upset the big guns and almost pull off the most unlikely of victories. The fact that this dark horse, Thomas Voeckler, was French also made this race stand out. What’s more, like the 1956 and 1987 Tours, the racing was often outstanding and unpredictable, with talking points aplenty. The context for the race increased the likelihood of it deviating from the standard script for Grand Tours. 2010 Tour winner Alberto Contador was under a cloud, awaiting the result of an appeal having tested positive in taking that title.

While he was waiting for the Court of Arbitration for Sport to reach its verdict, the Spaniard had raced and won the Giro d’Italia, a challenge that had sapped his resources. This edition was also the last before Sky imposed its authority on the Tour.

The 2011 Tour route highlighted race director Christian Prudhomme’s desire to bring the overall contenders out of the shadows as often as possible. The short but steep finish at Mont des Alouettes on the opening stage saw Philippe Gilbert blast away from the pack to take victory, with Cadel Evans, one of the favourites for the title, the Belgian’s closest challenger, although the impressiveness of the Australian’s performance was largely overlooked by the first significant incident, a late crash costing Contador more than a minute. Three days later, though, Evans took all of the headlines as he out-thought and out-raced Contador at Mûr-de-Bretagne to win the stage.

As Garmin-Cervélo’s Thor Hushovd defended a one-second lead over Evans, attention switched to the sprinters. Mark Cavendish won at Cap Fréhel, the next day Edvald Boasson Hagen gave Sky their first Tour stage win at Lisieux. Cavendish won again at Châteauroux, where Sky’s very promising first week came apart. A high-speed crash in the bunch with 40km remaining, left a number of riders on the deck, sixth-placed Bradley Wiggins among them. A broken collarbone ended his race before the first week was over.

This Tour’s elevation from good to gripping began on stage nine to Saint-Flour, where Hushovd’s seven-day spell in yellow ended. The route took the riders through the heart of the Massif Central, crossing eight categorised climbs. Descending off the second of them, the Pas de Peyrol, another big crash in the bunch saw two more favourites abandon, Alexandre Vinokourov and Jurgen Van den Broeck. As the peloton eased up, the five riders in the break up ahead – Voeckler, Johnny Hoogerland, Luis León Sánchez, Juan Antonio Flecha and Sandy Casar – pushed their advantage out to almost eight minutes, presenting Voeckler with the chance of the yellow jersey.

In a day packed with incident, the most striking of all occurred when a France Télévisions car attempted to overtake the break, skidded in the grass verge and swerved towards the riders, clipping Flecha, who collided with Hoogerland, the Dutchman and his bike cartwheeling off the road and into a barbed wire fence. Although both riders were able to continue, Hoogerland’s multiple lacerations later required 33 stitches. At the finish, Sánchez breezed to the stage win, Voeckler took the lead, his advantage 2-26 on Evans, with the Schleck brothers just seconds behind the Australian.

After a third win for Cavendish, the race reached the Pyrenees. Just as he had in 2004 when he’d led the race for 10 days, Voeckler began to draw on the magical force of the yellow jersey. At Luz Ardiden, he lost 30 seconds to Evans and 40 to Fränk Schleck, who moved into second. Crossing the Aubisque on the subsequent stage into Lourdes, he lost nothing. Much more remarkably, on a six-climb stage through the Pyrénées Ariégeoises to Plateau de Beille, he was as strong as his rivals. Urged on by French fans, feeding off their enthusiasm, Voeckler began to make the almost impossible look slightly feasible.

Another win for Cavendish in his pomp was followed by a wet stage into Gap, where Voeckler’s daring on the sodden descent off the Col de Manse saw him gain time on the Schlecks. It presaged four days of the kind of wonderful racing that is rarely seen in the second half of any Grand Tour’s third week. On the first, to Pinerolo in Italy, Voeckler, pressing too hard, went off the road twice on the final descent, 27 seconds of his lead chipped away.

Then came the stage to the Galibier, the Tour’s highest-ever summit finish. Overnight, the Schlecks and their Leopard-Trek team-mates cooked up a daring plan, then set about enacting it. It began with Joost Posthuma and Maxime Monfort finding their way into the break on the long climb back into France via the Col Agnel. Approaching the highest sections of the second climb, the Col d’Izoard, Schleck junior took off on his own and bridged across to them. Although Posthuma soon fell back as they started towards the Col du Lautaret, Monfort lasted longer, before Andy Schleck pressed on solo. With Eddy Merckx an enthralled spectator in Prudhomme’s lead car, his ride was like something from another era, when long-range attacks that overturned the standings were not uncommon.

Andy Schleck’s lead over his rivals was four and a half minutes with 10km to go. At this point, sensing his Tour hopes were fast disappearing, the diesel-like Evans engaged his turbo. With barely any help from the other contenders, the Australian powered after Andy Schleck in what became the most extraordinary of pursuit matches. Evans’s barnstorming chase meant that Voeckler, who’d doggedly stuck to the Australian’s wheel, kept his lead by 15 seconds over Andy Schleck.

If that was sensational, the next day to Alpe d’Huez was almost as good. It was just 109.5km long, and Contador attacked almost as soon as the first climb, the Col du Télégraphe, began, Andy Schleck, Voeckler and Evans chasing after him. The Australian soon dropped back to find his team-mates. However, as Contador and Andy Schleck accelerated again, Voeckler found himself in no-man’s land. Rather than following the Australian’s example, he persisted with his chase, his long hold on yellow leading him to overestimate his own ability.

This uncharacteristic tactical misjudgement not only cost him the lead, but a place on the podium, as Andy Schleck moved into yellow, 53 seconds up on brother Fränk and 57 ahead of Evans. It didn’t look enough of an advantage to fend off the Australian in the undulating time trial at Grenoble on the penultimate day, and it wasn’t. Evans was two and a half minutes quicker and took the lead for the first and the most critical time. As Cavendish clinched a fifth stage win and the points title in Paris, Evans received the ultimate prize for his persistence, a very worthy winner of a wonderful race.

1. Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC, in 86-12-22

2. Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek, at 1-34

3. Frank Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek, at 2-30

Points: Mark Cavendish (GBr) HTC-Highroad

Mountains: Samuel Sánchez (Esp) Euskaltel

Team: Garmin-Cervélo

Best young rider: Pierre Rolland (Fra) Europcar

The full version of this featured ranked all 60 Grand Tours of the century so far and originally appeared in the print edition of Cycling Weekly. Subscribe now to never miss an issue or find it on sale in newsagents and supermarkets, priced £3.25.

Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Peter Cossins has been writing about professional cycling since 1993, with his reporting appearing in numerous publications and websites including Cycling Weekly ,  Cycle Sport  and  Procycling - which he edited from 2006 to 2009. Peter is the author of several books on cycling - The Monuments , his history of cycling's five greatest one-day Classic races, was published in 2014, followed in 2015 by  Alpe d’Huez , an appraisal of cycling’s greatest climb. Yellow Jersey - his celebration of the iconic Tour de France winner's jersey won the 2020 Telegraph Sports Book Awards Cycling Book of the Year Award.

Brit to make senior debut in race he won as an under-23 and junior

By Tom Davidson Published 6 April 24

Proceedings already filed against people alleged to have thrown beer at Mathieu van der Poel

Useful links

• Tour de France
• Giro d'Italia
• Vuelta a España

Buyer's Guides

• Best road bikes
• Best gravel bikes
• Best smart turbo trainers
• Best cycling computers
• Editor's Choice
• Bike Reviews
• Component Reviews
• Clothing Reviews
• Contact Future's experts
• Terms and conditions
• Privacy policy
• Cookies policy
• Advertise with us

Cycling Weekly is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site . © Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

GET $450 OFF EVERY ATOM ORDER + 1 YEAR FREE HUB+ SUBSCRIPTION

Wattbike Atom

• Training apps

News & Information

• For Business
• 855-800-4477
• Help & Support

Your Cart is Empty

• $0.00 Subtotal

Taxes and shipping calculated at checkout

Indoor bike trainers

Wattbike comparison guide

Turbo trainer comparison guide

Atom Smart Bike

Nucleus Air Bike

Accessories

Training essentials

Training bundles

All accessories

Polar Heart rate sensor

Wattbike Floor Mat

Wattbike Water Bottle

Vacmaster indoor fan

Wattbike Hub

Power your performance with our free training app and access over 100 workouts, plans, tests and challenges to enhance your indoor training.

Wattbike compatible apps

TrainerRoad

TrainingPeaks

Get free app trials when you purchase the Wattbike Atom

Wattbike News

Product Guides

Push Your Peak Podcast

Wattbiker Stories

Read our Wattbiker stories

Training & Performance

Training Hub

Performance Guides

Grand Tours

Cycling Workouts

Sports Zone

Listen to our podcast

Your Guide to the Cycling Grand Tours

January 10, 2024 5 min read

The Grand Tours are known for their infamously hard climbs, breathtaking battles to the top and impressive feats of athleticism. We’re taking a look at the 3 cycling Grand Tours which dominate our cycling calendars over the summer. 

Table of Contents:

What are the 3 Cycling Grand Tours?

• Tour de France

Giro D’Italia

• Vuelta a España
• Ride the Grand Tour Stages Virtually with Wattbike

The cycling Grand Tours are the three major European cycling races which take place between May and September each year. All three Grand Tours are three-week races with daily stages for professional cyclists to tackle. The three tours are famous for their gruelling climbs, tests of endurance, and feats of power. 

The three Grand Tours are the: 

Tour de France 

The Tour de France is one of the Grand Tours which is held primarily in France, and takes place during July, annually.

The  Tour de France   was first held in 1903, making it the oldest of the 3 cycling Grand Tours. The race consists of 21 stages, each a day long, and the route of these stages primarily takes place in France. Around 20 teams take place with a number of riders each, and each rider is timed on each day. 

Whilst this cycling Grand Tour is a men-only race, there have been many versions of the race for women over the years. The ' Tour de France Femmes '  was held for the first time in 2022, allowing female riders to compete in their own version of the iconic race. 

Standout Stages

Iconic climbs of the Tour de France   include the infamous Alpe d’Huez climb. With its seemingly endless hairpin bends in an upwards gruelling challenge, this stage is usually vital in determining the winner of the cycling Grand Tour. 

The rider with the lowest accumulative time during  the Tour   is the current leader and wears the famous yellow jersey. 

• There are 4 riders who have won this cycling Grand Tour the most times. Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain have each taken the title 5 times. 
• In 2012, Bradley Wiggins became the first Brit to win this prestigious cycling Grand Tour. 
• Kenyan-British cyclist Chris Froome has won the Tour four times (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017).
• Welsh Geraint Thomas won the Tour in 2018. 

The Giro D’Italia Grand Tour takes place in Italy primarily, and is usually held in May or early June. 

The  Giro D’Italia   was first held in 1909 and welcomes cyclists from all over the world. This cycling Grand Tour primarily takes place in Italy, although the route often dips in and out of its neighbouring countries. As with the other cycling Grand Tours, the Giro consists of 21 stages with each stage taking place over a number of days. 

There are a number of types of stages that are used in the Giro: the mass-start stages,  individual time trials ,  and team time trials. As with the Tour de France, there are  iconic climbs of the Giro D’Italia   which push the cyclists to their limits, including those through the Alps and Dolomites. 

• 3 riders have the most Giro wins: Eddy Merckx, Alfredo Binda, Fausto Coppi each have 5 Giro wins to their names.  
• British-Kenyan rider Chris Froome won in 2018 riding for Team Sky. 
• Tao Geoghegan Hart won in 2020, riding for the INEOS Grenadiers. 

As with the Tour de France the cyclist with the shortest aggregate time is the leader, and begins the following stage wearing a pink jersey (or la maglia rosa). Within  the Giro ,  there are other competitions taking place - with the ability to win the mountain, points, young rider, or team classifications. 

Vuelta a España 

The Vuelta a España is the Grand Tour held primarily in Spain, which usually takes place over August and September annually. 

La Vuelta a España   was first held in 1935. The Vuelta primarily takes place in Spain, but as with the other cycling Grand Tours, often visits other European countries. The Vuelta welcomes riders from all over the world to compete in two time trials, passage through the mountain chain of the Pyrenees, and cross the finish line in Madrid. 

There are multiple mountain stages for each year of the  Spanish Grand Tour ,  which in the past have included:

• Lagos de Covadonga
• Les Praeres de Nava
• La Cobertoria
• Puerto de San Lorenzo

As with the other cycling Grand Tours, the rider with the lowest time at each stage of the ride will be the leader, donned in the red jersey. Whilst there are also winners of different classifications, which each wear different jerseys: points, mountains, combination, and team classifications. 

• Roberto Heras holds the record of most Vuelta victories, with four. 
• Alberto Contador, Tony Rominger and Primož Roglič have each won three times.
• British-Kenyan Chris Froome won the general classification in 2011 after Juan José Cobo was found guilty of doping by the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale). Froome also won in 2017, taking the points and combination classification in the same year. 
• In 2018, British cyclist Simon Yates won the Vuelta, also taking the combination classification in the same year. 

Ride the Grand Tour Stages Virtually with Wattbike 

Indoor cycling   is a great way to prepare for the Grand Tours. You can train for the different stages using your  indoor bike trainer .

• Training for the Tour de France with Wattbike   means tackling the climbing workouts in our Wattbike Hub cycling app. Complete climbing, sprinting, or endurance workouts on the  Wattbike Hub cycling app   to see your performance improve. You can even recreate the famous Alpe D’Huez climb without leaving the house!
• Complete the Tour de France stages with Alex Dowsett   to get a proper taste of the tour. This tempting tasting menu will get the job done in eight stages, each under 45 minutes, charting the heady heights and peak pressure moments that make for a complete Tour de France experience.
• You can  ride the Giro D’Italia on your indoor bike   to see how you measure up against the professionals. Complete your training and prepare to be put to the test. 
• Ride the Vuelta a España on your indoor trainer   and see how you fare against the gruelling climbs of the iconic Spanish cycling Grand Tour. 

Whether you’re  training for cycling sportives   or just a fan of the thrilling races, you can follow along from home and see what it takes to compete. 

Virtual Racing with Zwift 

Connect to the  Zwift cycling app   and pedal yourself through virtual races from the cycling Grand Tours. You can even compete with friends along the iconic routes with  visually spectacular recreations of real-world locations. 

Not only that, but the app offers the chance to enter the Zwift Racing League, which involves teams competing in virtual events on smart bikes or  turbo trainers . 

Wattbike: More than Exercise

Also in grand tours, la vuelta a españa training & simulation.

August 18, 2022 4 min read

Expert training tips for the La Vuelta Grand Tour. Simulate key stages at home with the Atom & Wattbike Hub. Push your peak.

How to Train For Tour de France Stages

July 06, 2022 3 min read

Ride the 2022 Giro d'Italia from your Home

May 06, 2022 4 min read

WIN A TRAINING BUNDLE

SUBSCRIBE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN an Essential Accessories Training Bundle. PLUS, GET THE LATEST TRAINING TIPS AND OFFERS.

Everything you need to know about the Grand Tours of road cycling

Share this:

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

The Tour de France is one of the world’s most famous sporting events. But did you know it is just one of three road cycling Grand Tours?

The Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España  are the other road cycling Grand Tours, each one comprised of 21 stages. The Grand Tours each cover more than 3000 kilometres during three weeks of racing with little rest for the riders.

Keep reading to learn more about the Grand Tours of road cycling.

When and where do the Grand Tours take place?

The Giro d’Italia is the first Grand Tour on the annual calendar. It takes place throughout Italy each May.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia)

The Tour de France comes next, taking place throughout France each July.  

The Vuelta a España is the final Grand Tour of the year, held each August/September in Spain.

The routes for all three cycling Grand Tours change each year. Every so often, race organizers will choose to have a Grand Tour start outside the primary host country. This happened recently for the Grand Départ of the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023, which began in Denmark (Copenhagen) and Spain (Basque Country), respectively. The 2022 Giro d’Italia had its Grande Partenza in Hungary. The first three stages of the 2022 Vuelta a España were in the Netherlands.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tour de France™ (@letourdefrance)

Since 1975, the Tour de France has always finished on the Champs-Élysées, providing classic images of cyclists going around the Arc de Triomphe, the winner sometimes with a glass of champagne in hand. The Vuelta a España traditionally concludes in Madrid. The Giro d’Italia has moved around its final stage, holding it in cities such as Rome, Verona, and Milan.

How old are the road cycling Grand Tours?

The Tour de France is the oldest of the Grand Tours. First held in 1903, it has been an annual highlight of the summer, except during World War I (1915-18) and World War II (1940-46).

The Giro d’Italia has been held annually since 1909, with similar exceptions because of the First and Second World Wars.

The Vuelta a España was first organized in 1935 but endured many disruptions during its first two decades because of wars and a difficult economic situation. For many years, it didn’t have the same level of prestige as the two older tours and didn’t attract a lot of top international cyclists. But that changed in the mid-1990s when it was moved from the spring to late summer, no longer putting it in near-conflict with the Giro d’Italia.

What is a stage race?

Road cycling races can be classified as a one-day race or a stage race. A one-day race is exactly what the name says. A stage race takes place over multiple days and can include various forms of racing. In a 21-stage Grand Tour, there are usually only a couple of recovery days interspersed, so fitness is key.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by La Vuelta (@lavuelta)

Some stages might be held in a time trial format, with riders leaving the start in intervals and racing directly against the clock. Most stages will be of a mass start format, in which the first rider across the finish line wins that stage.

But stage wins are not what matters most. The winner of a stage race is the rider who has the fastest overall time at the end of all stages. Some stages will cover flat terrain well suited to sprinters. Some stages will be hilly while some will include big mountains best suited to strong climbers. You can be sure that whoever wins a stage race is strong in all aspects of road cycling.

What do the different coloured jerseys mean?

It’s pretty well known that the most coveted prize in the Tour de France is the yellow jersey, or maillot jaune . That is given to the leader in the general classification – the rider with the fastest overall time.

The leader of the Giro d’Italia general classification wears a pink jersey, or maglia rosa . It is pink because Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, which created the race, is printed on pink paper. 

At the Vuelta a España, the leader of the general classification wears a red jersey, or maillot rojo .

But there are several other classifications for which the leaders in each race are given special jerseys in various colours and patterns.

The points classification is based on riders winning sprints. More points are available when a stage is conducive to a sprint finish. There is also usually an intermediate sprint during each stage for which points are awarded.

• Giro d’Italia: purple
• Tour de France: green
• Vuelta a España: green

The king of the mountain classification is almost self-explanatory. Points are awarded to the best riders on specific climbs in each stage.

• Giro d’Italia: blue
• Tour de France: red polka dots
• Vuelta a España: blue dots 

The best young rider classification is restricted to cyclists who are under the age of 26.

• Giro d’Italia: white
• Tour de France: white
• Vuelta a España: white

Do women race in Grand Tours?

Sort of is the complicated answer. It is only in recent years that the organizers of the Grand Tours have begun staging women’s races. But they are not yet of the same scale as the men’s races.

The Giro d’Italia Donne is the longest running women’s stage race. Formally known as the Giro Rosa, it was first held in 1988. The 34 th edition in 2023 will feature 10 stages in early July. Canadian Olympian Leah Kirchmann wore the maglia rosa during the 2016 and 2018 editions of the Giro Rosa.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Leah Kirchmann (@leahkirchmann)

After an initial attempt in 1955 to hold an equivalent women’s race, the Tour de France Féminin took place from 1984 to 1989. Over the next two decades, there were different women’s stage races in France, but without a direct link to the Tour de France. From 2014 to 2020, La Course by Le Tour de France was primarily a one-day race. In 2022, Tour de France Femmes was launched as an eight-stage race. The 2023 edition will begin on the same day the men’s Tour de France concludes in late July.

La Vuelta Femenina was created in 2015 and has since expanded from a one-day race. Held in early May, the 2023 edition featured seven stages.  

Has a Canadian cyclist ever won a Grand Tour?

In 2012, Ryder Hesjedal became the first Canadian to win the general classification of a Grand Tour. He claimed the maglia rosa at the Giro d’Italia by coming from behind in the final stage. It was just the second time in the history of the race that there was a lead change on the last day.  

Prior to that, the best a Canadian had ever finished in the general classification of a Grand Tour was a fourth-place finish by Steve Bauer at the 1988 Tour de France. Bauer had made history on the opening day of that race when he became the first Canadian to win a stage of the Tour de France.

More than three decades later, Hugo Houle became the second Canadian to win a Tour stage. It was an emotionally charged day, as he dedicated his Stage 16 victory to the memory of his younger brother Pierrik who had been killed by a drunk driver 10 years earlier.

Hesjedal was the first Canadian to win a stage of the Vuelta a España, achieving that in 2009 and 2014. Mike Woods earned stage wins at the Vuelta in 2018 and 2020.

Related Stories

Team Canada takes silver at the 2024 World Men’s Curling Championship

Chloe Morrison April 7, 2024

Team Canada is going for gold at the Men’s World Curling Championship

Chloe Morrison April 6, 2024

Team Canada 2023-2024 snow sport highlights

Caela Fenton April 5, 2024

Related Athletes

Cycling - Road

Hugo Houle has been racing professionally on the UCI World Tour since 2013, with AG2R La Mondiale (2013-17) and Astana…

Ryder Hesjedal

Ryder Hesjedal made his third consecutive appearance at an Olympic Games in 2012 and competed in road cycling's individual time…

Guillaume Boivin

Known for his sprinting abilities, Guillaume Boivin has been a professional cyclist since 2009

Related Sports

Cycling – Road

The current Olympic program includes a road race and an individual time trial for men and women. All are one-day…

Cycling – Mountain Bike

There are four specialties of mountain bike, but only cross-country was added to the Olympic program at Atlanta 1996.

Cycling – Track

There are six different track cycling events on the Olympic program, all of which have men’s and women’s events.

Wattbike AtomX

Wattbike Nucleus

Wattbike Pro/Trainer

Wattbike Hub

• Training Apps

News & Information

• For Business
• Help & Support

Indoor bike trainers

Wattbike Atom

Pro/Trainer

Accessories

Training essentials

Training bundles

All accessories

Polar Heart rate sensor

Wattbike Floor Mat

Wattbike Water Bottle

Vacmaster indoor fan

Power your performance with our free training app and access over 100 workouts, plans, tests and challenges to enhance your indoor training.

DOWNLOAD FREE NOW

Wattbike compatible apps

TrainerRoad

TrainingPeaks

Get free app trials when you purchase the Wattbike Atom

Wattbike News

Product Guides

Push Your Peak Podcast

Wattbiker Stories

Training & Performance

Training Hub

Performance Guides

Grand Tours

Cycling Workouts

Sports Zone

Listen to our podcast

Your Guide to the Cycling Grand Tours

January 10, 2024 5 min read

The Grand Tours are known for their infamously hard climbs, breathtaking battles to the top and impressive feats of athleticism. We’re taking a look at the 3 cycling Grand Tours which dominate our cycling calendars over the summer. 

Table of Contents:

What are the 3 Cycling Grand Tours?

• Tour de France

Giro D’Italia

• Vuelta a España
• Ride the Grand Tour Stages Virtually with Wattbike

The cycling Grand Tours are the three major European cycling races which take place between May and September each year. All three Grand Tours are three-week races with daily stages for professional cyclists to tackle. The three tours are famous for their gruelling climbs, tests of endurance, and feats of power. 

The three Grand Tours are the: 

Tour de France 

The Tour de France is one of the Grand Tours which is held primarily in France, and takes place during July, annually.

The  Tour de France   was first held in 1903, making it the oldest of the 3 cycling Grand Tours. The race consists of 21 stages, each a day long, and the route of these stages primarily takes place in France. Around 20 teams take place with a number of riders each, and each rider is timed on each day. 

Whilst this cycling Grand Tour is a men-only race, there have been many versions of the race for women over the years. The ' Tour de France Femmes '  was held for the first time in 2022, allowing female riders to compete in their own version of the iconic race. 

Standout Stages

Iconic climbs of the Tour de France   include the infamous Alpe d’Huez climb. With its seemingly endless hairpin bends in an upwards gruelling challenge, this stage is usually vital in determining the winner of the cycling Grand Tour. 

The rider with the lowest accumulative time during  the Tour   is the current leader and wears the famous yellow jersey. 

• There are 4 riders who have won this cycling Grand Tour the most times. Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain have each taken the title 5 times. 
• In 2012, Bradley Wiggins became the first Brit to win this prestigious cycling Grand Tour. 
• Kenyan-British cyclist Chris Froome has won the Tour four times (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017).
• Welsh Geraint Thomas won the Tour in 2018. 

The Giro D’Italia Grand Tour takes place in Italy primarily, and is usually held in May or early June. 

The  Giro D’Italia   was first held in 1909 and welcomes cyclists from all over the world. This cycling Grand Tour primarily takes place in Italy, although the route often dips in and out of its neighbouring countries. As with the other cycling Grand Tours, the Giro consists of 21 stages with each stage taking place over a number of days. 

There are a number of types of stages that are used in the Giro: the mass-start stages,  individual time trials ,  and team time trials. As with the Tour de France, there are  iconic climbs of the Giro D’Italia   which push the cyclists to their limits, including those through the Alps and Dolomites. 

• 3 riders have the most Giro wins: Eddy Merckx, Alfredo Binda, Fausto Coppi each have 5 Giro wins to their names.  
• British-Kenyan rider Chris Froome won in 2018 riding for Team Sky. 
• Tao Geoghegan Hart won in 2020, riding for the INEOS Grenadiers. 

As with the Tour de France the cyclist with the shortest aggregate time is the leader, and begins the following stage wearing a pink jersey (or la maglia rosa). Within  the Giro ,  there are other competitions taking place - with the ability to win the mountain, points, young rider, or team classifications. 

Vuelta a España 

The Vuelta a España is the Grand Tour held primarily in Spain, which usually takes place over August and September annually. 

La Vuelta a España   was first held in 1935. The Vuelta primarily takes place in Spain, but as with the other cycling Grand Tours, often visits other European countries. The Vuelta welcomes riders from all over the world to compete in two time trials, passage through the mountain chain of the Pyrenees, and cross the finish line in Madrid. 

There are multiple mountain stages for each year of the  Spanish Grand Tour ,  which in the past have included:

• Lagos de Covadonga
• Les Praeres de Nava
• La Cobertoria
• Puerto de San Lorenzo

As with the other cycling Grand Tours, the rider with the lowest time at each stage of the ride will be the leader, donned in the red jersey. Whilst there are also winners of different classifications, which each wear different jerseys: points, mountains, combination, and team classifications. 

• Roberto Heras holds the record of most Vuelta victories, with four. 
• Alberto Contador, Tony Rominger and Primož Roglič have each won three times.
• British-Kenyan Chris Froome won the general classification in 2011 after Juan José Cobo was found guilty of doping by the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale). Froome also won in 2017, taking the points and combination classification in the same year. 
• In 2018, British cyclist Simon Yates won the Vuelta, also taking the combination classification in the same year. 

Ride the Grand Tour Stages Virtually with Wattbike 

Indoor cycling   is a great way to prepare for the Grand Tours. You can train for the different stages using your  indoor bike trainer .

• Training for the Tour de France with Wattbike   means tackling the climbing workouts in our Wattbike Hub cycling app. Complete climbing, sprinting, or endurance workouts on the  Wattbike Hub cycling app   to see your performance improve. You can even recreate the famous Alpe D’Huez climb without leaving the house!
• Complete the Tour de France stages with Alex Dowsett   to get a proper taste of the tour. This tempting tasting menu will get the job done in eight stages, each under 45 minutes, charting the heady heights and peak pressure moments that make for a complete Tour de France experience.
• You can  ride the Giro D’Italia on your indoor bike   to see how you measure up against the professionals. Complete your training and prepare to be put to the test. 
• Ride the Vuelta a España on your indoor trainer   and see how you fare against the gruelling climbs of the iconic Spanish cycling Grand Tour. 

Whether you’re  training for cycling sportives   or just a fan of the thrilling races, you can follow along from home and see what it takes to compete. 

Virtual Racing with Zwift 

Connect to the  Zwift cycling app   and pedal yourself through virtual races from the cycling Grand Tours. You can even compete with friends along the iconic routes with  visually spectacular recreations of real-world locations. 

Not only that, but the app offers the chance to enter the Zwift Racing League, which involves teams competing in virtual events on smart bikes or  turbo trainers . 

Wattbike: More than Exercise

Also in grand tours, la vuelta a españa training & simulation.

August 18, 2022 4 min read

Expert training tips for the La Vuelta Grand Tour. Simulate key stages at home with the Atom & Wattbike Hub. Push your peak.

How to Train For Tour de France Stages

July 06, 2022 3 min read

Ride the 2022 Giro d'Italia from your Home

May 06, 2022 4 min read

Sign up to our newsletter for the latest news, exclusive offers, and more...

• Training and Health
• How To…
• Live Streaming

Grand Tours

Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana news, results, reactions and live streaming

• Featured posts
• Most popular
• 7 days popular
• By review score

Pogacar to ride Giro d’Italia for the first time in 2024

Geraint Thomas to focus on Giro and Tour in 2024

Wout van Aert says will target Giro d’Italia in 2024

Sepp Kuss wins Vuelta as Groves claims final stage

Kuss set for Vuelta victory as Poels takes stage 20

Dainese sprints to19th stage victory at the Vuelta

Evenepoel wins stage 18 as Kuss moves closer to first grand...

Primoz Roglic: The road will tell who wins this Vuelta

Sepp Kuss: I want my shot, but I’m happy to work...

Roglic conquers Angliru as Kuss hangs on to Vuelta lead

Vingegaard closes in on Vuelta lead with stage 16 victory

Rui Costa lands his first Vuelta win as Kuss retains lead

Editor picks.

2024 Paris-Roubaix LIVE STREAM

2024 Scheldeprijs LIVE STREAM

2024 Itzulia Basque Country LIVE STREAM

Popular posts.

Giro d’Italia, Milan-San Remo under threat of cancellation due to coronavirus

2020 UAE Tour LIVE STREAM

Ewan storms to victory on stage 2 of UAE Tour

Popular category.

• Results 1805
• Grand Tours 1566
• Tour de France 707
• POPULAR THIS WEEK 616
• Live Streaming 564
• Giro d'Italia 547
• Interviews 382

6 Things You May Not Know About The Grand Tours

Published: June 2020

The Grand Tours in cycling are the three major professional cycling stage races: the Giro d'Italia, the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España. Together they are known as the ‘Grand Tours’. All the Grand Tours follow the same format: a three-week bike race with daily stages covering a variety of terrain - flat, rolling and mountainous - and a couple of rest days thrown in for good measure.

The Grand Tours are the truest test for the best all-round riders in the pro peloton. The rider finishing with the fastest cumulative time across all the stages wins the overall title, also known as the ‘general classification,’ and wins the relevant race winner’s jersey - yellow for the Tour de France, pink for the Giro d’Italia and red for the Vuelta a España. As well as the overall title (the most prestigious) there are also classifications for the best team, the best young rider, the best climber and the rider who wins the most points across all the stages.

We’ve all got our own memories of the yellow jersey or maglia rosa but how well do you really know cycling’s biggest races? Here are 6 things you might now know about the Grand Tours.

Grand Tour wins vs nationality

As you would expect, the three nations hosting the Grand Tours are pretty dominant when it comes to wins at the major races in the cycling calendar, with Italy topping the tally with 85 wins across all 3 Grand Tours, followed by France and Spain.

The last Italian to win a Grand Tour is the ‘Shark of Messina’, Vincenzo Nibali, who last won the Giro d'Italia in 2016. In recent years we have seen the total dominance of Team Sky (now Team INEOS) on the top step of the podium with British riders Bradley Wiggins, Chris Froome, and Geraint Thomas. But with the emergence of a highly talented crop of young riders, including the likes of 2020 winner Tadej Pogacar, the Belgium Remco Evenepoel and the ever-impressive Primoz Roglic, it looks like it's all change at the top of cycling's most prestigious podium.

How much do the pros get paid?

How much do Grand Tour riders get paid? We know pro cyclist salaries are on average significantly lower than other sports, but some superstar cyclists can earn as much as the very best paid footballers or basketball players. Peter Sagan is thought to earn around €5.5 million a year at Bora-Hansgrohe and seven-time Grand Tour winner Chris Froome pocketed in the region of €4.5 million each year when he rode for Team Ineos. Despite coming back from a career-threatening injury and with age catching up, his contract at new team Israel Start-up Nation is estimated at a whopping €5.5 million a year!

They are the exception rather than the rule, though. Most pro cyclists at World Tour level are on significantly less and while the very best domestiques (the likes of Wout Poels and Luke Rowe) may earn north of €1 million each year, most are likely to be on contracts worth €100,000-300,000 a year. The UCI sets a minimum annual salary requirement of €38,155 for men’s World Tour teams.

Grand Tour team budgets

How big are the budgets of Grand Tour teams? INEOS remain the team with the deepest pockets, by quite some margin. Backed by British billionaire, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the team’s budget is at least $10m more than their closest rivals and it’s difficult to argue that all that money hasn’t had a significant bearing on their results over the last eight years. The contrast is stark when you consider that even well-established teams like Trek-Segafredo and UAE Team Emirates are making do with budgets around 30% of the size of INEOS. Time for a fairer distribution of funds?

Which bike brand has been the most dominant at the Grand Tours?

When it comes to Grand Tour-winning bikes, there’s one brand that has reigned supreme over the last 30 years. 26 of the 75 Grand Tours over the last 30 years have been won by a cyclist riding a Pinarello bicycle, largely thanks to the dominance of the likes of Team Sky and Banesto in the 1990s. A trio of american brands follow, with Specialized, Trek and Cannondale all winning their fair share of Grand Tours. Spanish brand BH proudly has three Vuelta a España wins, helping them scrape into the top 10.

Which groupset has won the most Tour de France titles?

These days the ‘big three’ dominate when it comes to bicycle groupsets: Shimano, SRAM and Campagnolo. In fact, no current World Tour team uses a groupset from outside of these three manufacturers. Of the Men’s teams, 14 use Shimano groupsets, 3 use Campagnolo and 2 prefer SRAM.

But which groupset has won the most Tours de France? There’s really only one winner here. Campagnolo has won a total of 41 Tour de France races in the history of the race (now 42 with Tadej Pogacar's win in 2020). Some of this can be put down to Campagnolo starting out in 1933 while Shimano started producing groupsets in the 1980s. The last winner to win with Campagnolo was Tadej Pogacar in 2020. The last SRAM winner, one of only two, was Andy Schleck in the 2010 Tour where he finished second behind Alberto Contador, but was retroactively awarded the general classification after the Spaniard was stripped of his title following a positive test for a banned substance. There’s also a few gems on that list. Who knew Mavic, famous for their wheels these days, used to make groupsets? And don’t forget Simplex, one of the pioneers of derailleurs and components. The now defunct French brand won 10 Grand Tours in total.

Tour de France average speeds

Average speeds at the Tour de France have always been an interesting topic in professional cycling. Here we look at the average speeds during the race’s history. The fastest ever race took place in 2005, at the height of the Lance Armstrong era where the American ‘won’ his seventh overall title. The average speed was a mind boggling 41.7kph over the 3 weeks of racing.

With advances in aerodynamics, weight and technology we can expect the races to be getting faster year after year but there are a few noticeable spikes through the years where the speed has increased significantly.

In 1971 Eddy Merckx won his third Tour de France with an average speed of 38.1kph, taking home the points and combativity jersey at the same time. In 1981, Bernard Hinault also won his third Tour with an average speed of 39kph. Another noticeable year is 2015, where Chris Froome won his second ever Tour de France and the average speed was much lower than the years around it, with a speed of just 38.6kph.

So there you have it. Some facts to digest and share about the biggest races in the cycling calendar.

Giro d'Italia 2021

Latest news from the race.

10 most memorable moments of 2021

Ciccone's Grand Tour ambitions remain intact for 2022 despite ill fortune

BikeExchange open to Simon Yates racing Giro d’Italia and Tour de France

Giro d'italia: damiano caruso wins stage 20.

Giro d'Italia stage 20 – As it happened

• Giro d'Italia dates: May 8, 2021 to May 30, 2021
• Giro d'Italia 2021 start list
• Giro d'Italia history
• How to watch the Giro d'Italia 2021 – live TV and streaming
• Giro d’Italia 2021: The Essential race preview

Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) cruised to the overall victory in the 2021 Giro d’Italia , taking no risks on the final 30.3km individual time trial in Milan.

Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious) gained time on Bernal and Simon Yates (BikeExchange) but it wasn't enough to overtake the young Colombian in the final standings.

Bernal finished the 21 stages, covering 3,479.9km just one minute 29 seconds faster than Caruso, with Yates third, finishing 4:15 behind the Ineos rider.

The final time trial was another triumph for Ineos Grenadiers, with Filippo Ganna taking home the stage win after a challenge by Rémi Cavagna evaporated in a crash in the final kilometre.

Ganna himself overcame a last kilometre puncture to seal the stage win, his second after the opening time trial in Turin.

Giro d'Italia news

• Crash costs Cavagna Giro d'Italia time trial victory
• Damiano Caruso lives 'a day like a champion' at the Giro d'Italia
• Egan Bernal: Caruso's attack was the most complicated moment of the Giro d'Italia
• Bilbao: Nobody deserved Giro d'Italia stage win more than Caruso
• Bardet's disappointment over Giro d'Italia stage near miss overshadows GC gain
• Carthy slips to 7th at Giro d'Italia as Alpe Motta takes its toll
• Giro d'Italia: Which GC riders lost time on stage 19 to Alpe di Mera
• Simon Yates recognises going for second overall is 'more realistic' in Giro d'Italia
• Giro d’Italia stage 19 analysis: Damiano Caruso closes in on podium
• Giro d'Italia: Almeida misses out on stage win but makes big time gains on GC
• Egan Bernal: Simon Yates is the strongest at the Giro d’Italia right now
• Damiano Caruso: Maybe it was a mistake to follow Simon Yates but I had to do it
• Giro d'Italia peloton to donate stage 19 prize money to those affected by Stresa cable car crash
• Remco Evenepoel off the bike for 'a few days' as scans reveal no further injury
• Cavagna: A frustrating end to a final Giro d’Italia breakaway opportunity
• Vlasov not giving up on Giro d’Italia podium despite downward trend
• Peter Sagan fined for 'intimidation' in Giro d'Italia stage 18
• Damiano Caruso downplays prospect of attacking Egan Bernal in Giro d'Italia
• Former Flanders winner Bettiol returns to racing roots with Giro d'Italia triumph
• Bernal aiming to profit from current GC advantage on crunch Giro d'Italia climbs
• Alberto Bettiol: I know I can do well when my legs are better than my luck
• Giulio Ciccone out of Giro d'Italia due to stage 17 crash
• Bardet to fight on at Giro d'Italia but podium gap builds
• Schultz fractures hand in Giro d'Italia crash
• Evenepoel out of Giro d'Italia after stage 17 crash
• Caruso stays steady in second at Giro d'Italia's tough summit finish
• Egan Bernal's name not on the trophy just yet at Giro d'Italia after Sega di Ala time loss
• Simon Yates: I didn’t even realise Egan Bernal was dropped
• Martin was unsure of Giro d'Italia stage victory until 100 metres from line
• Giro d'Italia: Which GC riders lost time on stage 17 to Sega di Ala
• Egan Bernal cracks and loses 57 seconds to Simon Yates at Giro d'Italia
• Evenepoel, Ciccone, Nibali go down in crash at Giro d'Italia
• Eddy Merckx: Evenepoel will have to improve in many areas to win a Grand Tour
• Van Emden blames Vermeersch for Giro d'Italia stage 15 crash
• No COVID-19 cases reported in latest round of tests at Giro d'Italia
• Simon Yates: It would take something very special to win the Giro d'Italia
• Once in a lifetime: Damiano Caruso closes in on Giro d'Italia podium
• Giro d'Italia stage 19 rerouted after tragic cable car crash at Mottarone mountain
• Egan Bernal chased up Giro d'Italia climb by chainsaw wielding fans
• Bardet: Bernal untouchable but Giro d'Italia podium is up for grabs
• Remco Evenepoel's 'ego dented' at Giro d'Italia, says Lefevere
• Egan Bernal will not race 2021 Tour de France
• Ciccone: Following own pace instead of attacks at Giro d’Italia paid off
• Caruso keeps climbing higher at Giro d’Italia
• Romain Bardet surprises himself with second on stage 16 at the Giro d'Italia
• Remco Evenepoel out of Giro d'Italia GC battle after brutal day in Dolomites
• Egan Bernal makes light of hard rain in Dolomites to put Giro d'Italia further out of reach
• Hugh Carthy moves into podium position as EF-Nippo go for broke at Giro d'Italia
• Giro d'Italia: Which GC riders lost time on stage 16 in the mountains
• Simon Yates suffers bitter blow in Giro d'Italia GC battle on Passo Giau
• Carthy sensed a chance to win Giro d'Italia before stage 16 alteration
• De Gendt leaves Giro d'Italia with knee pain
• Giro d'Italia queen stage cut back due to weather and safety concerns
• Van Emden breaks five ribs in Giro d’Italia crash
• Bernal 'ready for everything' as rough weather looms on Giro d'Italia queen stage
• Battle for break pinpointed as possible cause of massive Giro d'Italia crash
• Giro d'Italia: Vincenzo Nibali sustains rib injury in stage 15 crash
• Simon Yates: The Giro d’Italia is Egan Bernal’s to lose
• Giro d'Italia: Riesebeek rues missing the chance of a lifetime
• Giro d'Italia: Bennett rides Zoncolan for second time to thank teammate Affini
• Emanuel Buchmann forced to abandon Giro d'Italia in stage 15 mass crash
• Giro d'Italia stage 15 neutralised due to early mass crash
• Nizzolo leaves Giro d'Italia to recover for future goals
• Damiano Caruso stays in podium contention at Giro d’Italia
• Fortunato savours debut Giro d'Italia win for him and Eolo-Kometa
• Giro d'Italia: Vlasov loses ground as Astana ambush peters out
• Giro d'Italia leader Bernal underlines mountain strength with late attack on Zoncolan
• Remco Evenepoel drops further out of Giro d'Italia GC fight on Zoncolan
• Simon Yates: Bernal has shown he's the man to beat at the Giro d'Italia
• Giro d'Italia: Which GC riders lost time on the Zoncolan stage
• Jai Hindley forced out of the Giro d'Italia with saddle sore and intolerable pain
• Giro d'Italia leader Bernal takes old-school view of fast-looming Zoncolan
• Carthy: a different Giro d'Italia starts on Saturday on the Zoncolan
• Groenewegen leaves Giro d'Italia empty handed
• Evenepoel: Winning the Giro d'Italia will be difficult because Bernal is so strong
• Nizzolo finally ends his drought on Giro d’Italia stage wins
• Zoncolan marks new phase of Giro d’Italia for quiet challenger Vlasov
• Gaviria loses saddle in Giro d'Italia sprint
• Matej Mohoric: The helmet saved my life
• Chris Hamilton takes rare chance to break onto WorldTour podium at Giro d’Italia
• Vincenzo Nibali’s attacking instincts come to the fore in Giro d’Italia
• Gianluca Brambilla relegated in Giro d'Italia sprint spat with George Bennett
• Giro d'Italia: Evenepoel glosses over tension with Almeida after losing time
• Marc Soler abandons the Giro d'Italia on stage 12 after early crash
• Alessandro De Marchi suffers broken collarbone, ribs in Giro d'Italia crash
• Harm Vanhoucke ‘unbelievably disappointed’ after crash takes him out of Giro d’Italia stage hunt
• Damiano Caruso eager to keep believing after moving up to third at Giro d'Italia
• Giro d'Italia: Vlasov moves up the billing at Montalcino
• Evenepoel staying confident despite Giro d'Italia defeat
• 'Onwards and upwards' for Simon Yates after positive day on Giro d'Italia sterrato
• Bernal: I never thought I only had one rival at the Giro d'Italia
• Dan Martin suffers major loss in Giro d'Italia GC battle
• Bardet: We've seen nothing of this Giro d'Italia yet
• Egan Bernal: Giro d'Italia has been a fight for seconds but gaps will be much bigger from now on
• Tim Merlier leaves Giro d'Italia with fatigue
• Vincenzo Nibali: I knew this Giro d'Italia was always going to be difficult for me
• Gaviria comes closest yet to stage victory in 2021 Giro d'Italia
• Egan Bernal: The Giro d'Italia isn't only a battle with Remco Evenepoel
• Schmid unleashes his inner Cancellara to win on dirt roads at Giro d'Italia
• Giro d'Italia: Which GC riders lost time on the Montalcino dirt road stage
• Remco Evenepoel suffers and loses time on dirt roads of Giro d'Italia
• Cadel Evans: Racing on dirt roads at the Giro d'Italia is like taking an F1 car to a rally
• UCI eases rules to break bidon bottleneck at Giro d'Italia
• Simon Yates looks to Giro d'Italia high mountains to regain lost time
• No COVID-19 cases reported in Giro d'Italia race bubble after rest day PCR testing
• Ciccone: After the Zoncolan, I'll understand where my Giro d’Italia can go
• Evenepoel: 'I can't predict how I will feel' in Giro d'Italia's second half
• Sagan delivers Giro d'Italia slam dunk after stellar Bora-Hansgrohe assist
• Egan Bernal and Remco Evenepoel fight for bonus seconds on Giro d'Italia stage 10
• Caleb Ewan: I'm more disappointed than anyone to leave Giro d'Italia
• Vlasov moves to third on GC at Giro d'Italia after challenge of gravel finish
• Tunnel incident puts Remco Evenepoel on back foot for Giro d'Italia gravel climb
• No cases of COVID-19 detected in second round of rapid tests at Giro d'Italia
• Ciccone changes from attacker to contender at Giro d'Italia
• Egan Bernal back to his best with blistering Giro d'Italia attack
• Giro d'Italia: Which GC riders lost time on the Campo Felice gravel stage 9
• Mohoric out of Giro d'Italia as bike snaps following horrific downhill crash
• Marczynski out of Giro d'Italia with long COVID
• Dowsett experiencing a better kind of stress at 2021 Giro d'Italia
• Carthy ready for Sunday’s GC battle in Giro d’Italia
• Schultz stepping up to play key role for Simon Yates at Giro d’Italia
• Giro d'Italia: Vincenzo Nibali suggests Ciccone leadership as bad luck continues
• Former Etape du Tour winner Lafay solos to victory in Giro d’Italia
• Valter: I think it’s possible to keep Giro d'Italia lead at Campo Felice
• Jai Hindley's Giro d'Italia suffers another blow after stage 8 crash hold-up
• Caleb Ewan abandons Giro d'Italia
• Mollema bypasses Giro d'Italia GC battle for first time in decade
• Ewan says 'leadership is not easy' as he sweeps up second Giro d'Italia stage
• Giro d'Italia: Remco Evenepoel primed for duel with Egan Bernal
• Dan Martin: I've got zero expectations for the Giro d'Italia
• Valter captures Hungary's first Giro d'Italia lead on San Giacomo climb
• Evenepoel bounces back on first full summit finish of Giro d'Italia
• Mäder lays ghosts of Paris-Nice to rest with Giro d'Italia summit win
• Team BikeExchange DS booted from Giro d’Italia after running team car into Serry
• Giro d'Italia: Which GC contenders lost time on stage 6
• Dombrowski out of Giro d’Italia after crash concussion confirmed
• Dombrowski heads to hospital after late, hard crash in Giro d'Italia
• Ineos set to fight on after crash takes Sivakov out of Giro d'Italia
• Jai Hindley: Every day is a GC day at the Giro d'Italia
• Giro d'Italia: Ewan considers abandoning mid-race to prepare for Tour de France
• Nizzolo takes 11th Giro d'Italia second place in chaotic Cattolica sprint
• Merlier loses Giro d'Italia points jersey after chain problem in stage 5 sprint
• Mikel Landa out of Giro d'Italia after crash on stage 5
• Sivakov's Giro d'Italia aspirations evaporate with stage 5 crash
• Giro d’Italia: Echelons, rain could disrupt sprinters on stage 5
• Evenepoel has 'nothing to complain about' after shedding time on stage 4 of Giro d'Italia
• Egan Bernal steps up on first climbing test of the Giro d'Italia
• Dombrowski's roller-coaster career turns upward with Giro d'Italia stage win
• George Bennett 'overcome and broken' by the cold in first big Giro d'Italia test
• Giro d'Italia: Which GC contenders lost time on stage 4
• Almeida avoids ‘yellow card’ penalty after judges correct Giro d’Italia littering decision
• Matt White: I'm not concerned about Simon Yates peaking too early at Giro d'Italia
• Roche returns to Giro d'Italia aiming to banish bad memories of the race
• Intermarché-Wanty Gobert praise Van der Hoorn for seizing rare chance at Giro d'Italia
• Van der Hoorn fends off Giro d'Italia sprinters for dramatic victory
• Ganna impressed by Evenepoel's strength on early climbs at Giro d'Italia
• Giro d'Italia kicks off 2021 triple Grand Tour challenge for De Gendt
• Giro d'Italia leader Ganna nabs sprint bonus to take seconds away from Bernal's rivals
• Giro d’Italia stage 4 race bubble COVID-19 tests all negative
• Vincenzo Nibali suffers to limit damage in first test at Giro d’Italia
• De Marchi: My way of doing things is more romantic than modern cycling allows
• Landa: I felt I was a favourite since before the Giro d'Italia
• Filippo Ganna sacrifices Giro d’Italia pink jersey to work for Bernal
• Viviani takes confidence-boosting third place in Giro d'Italia's opening sprint

Groenewegen returns to sprint fray at Giro d'Italia after nine-month ban

• Caleb Ewan regrets poor positioning in opening Giro d'Italia sprint
• Merlier honours Weylandt's memory as he takes breakthrough Giro d'Italia stage win
• First Giro d'Italia sprint nearly ends in disaster for Gaviria
• Wouter Weylandt remembered at the Giro d'Italia
• Simon Yates blows away the cobwebs in Giro d’Italia opening stage
• George Bennett on track in opening Giro d’Italia TT despite minor pacing errors
• Dan Martin loses Giro d'Italia lieutenant as Neilands breaks collarbone
• Sivakov regrets being 'too careful' in opening Giro d'Italia time trial
• Bernal 'feeling really good' in time trial as he makes Giro d'Italia debut
• Remco Evenepoel: I had tears in my eyes after finally returning at Giro d’Italia
• Giro d'Italia: Which GC riders lost time in the opening time trial

2021 Giro d'Italia stage highlight videos

• 2021 Giro d'Italia: Stage 18 highlights - video
• 2021 Giro d'Italia: Stage 17 highlights - Video
• 2021 Giro d'Italia: Stage 16 highlights - Video
• 2021 Giro d'Italia: Stage 15 highlights - Video
• 2021 Giro d'Italia: Stage 14 highlights - Video
• 2021 Giro d'Italia: Stage 13 highlights - Video
• 2021 Giro d'Italia: Stage 12 highlights - Video
• 2021 Giro d'Italia: Stage 11 highlights - Video
• 2021 Giro d'Italia: Stage 10 highlights - Video
• 2021 Giro d'Italia: Stage 9 highlights - Video
• 2021 Giro d'Italia: Stage 8 highlights - Video
• 2021 Giro d'Italia: Stage 7 highlights - Video
• 2021 Giro d'Italia: Stage 6 highlights - Video
• 2021 Giro d'Italia: Stage 5 highlights - Video
• 2021 Giro d'Italia: Stage 4 highlights - Video
• 2021 Giro d'Italia: Stage 3 highlights - Video
• 2021 Giro d'Italia: Stage 2 highlights - Video
• 2021 Giro d'Italia: Stage 1 highlights - Video

Giro d'Italia tech

Grand tours are always a hotbed of tech and you'll often find creative new colourways, innovative inventions and speed-increasing hacks aplenty as riders, teams and sponsors look to eke out marginal gains and take advantage of the enormous publicity surrounding the race. The Giro d'Italia is no different, and we've already seen a range of tech talking points. 

Giro d'Italia tech roundup: highlights from the final week of racing

• Hugh Carthy's Cannondale SuperSix Evo
• Peter Sagan gets new ciclamino Specialized Tarmac SL7 at Giro d'Italia
• New Pinarello spotted at the Giro d'Italia: is this the new Dogma F14?
• Israel Start-Up Nation's kit inspired by red wine
• EF Education-Nippo's kaleidoscopic changeout kit
• Rest day tech: highlights from the opening week
• Qhubeka-Assos announce new tyre sponsor for Giro and beyond
• Filippo Ganna's stunning new Pinarello TT bike
• Nizzolo's second new-bike-day in six weeks
• Tech highlights from the opening time trial
• Hugh Carthy's new-but-old Euphoric TT bike
• Why is Caleb Ewan using 11-speed Campagnolo
• A closer look at Elia Viviani's brand new De Rosa time trial bike

Giro d'Italia 2021 countdown

Day - 10: Form ranking: Giro d’Italia 2021 contenders Day - 9: Giro d’Italia 2021: The Essential race preview Day - 8: Giro d’Italia 2021: Strade Bianche stage set to add spectacular twist to GC battle Day - 7: Giro d'Italia: 90 years of the Maglia Rosa Day - 6: Remco Evenepoel: Between stardom and superstardom Day - 5: Hindley: The Giro d’Italia is about doing what I did last year or maybe even better

Day - 4: Giro d'Italia 2021: Team-by-team guide

Day - 3: Giro d'Italia 2021 - The seven fastest sprinters to watch Day - 2: Giro d'Italia: The ambush stages Day - 1: Philippa York's Giro d'Italia favourites

• Giro d'Italia past winners

• Rest Day 1 2021-05-18

• Rest Day 2 2021-05-25

Latest Content on the Race

By Barry Ryan last updated 16 December 21

News 'I was really nervous before the race and also in the race' says Dutchman after fourth place in Novara

By Jackie Tyson, Laura Weislo, Patrick Fletcher, Daniel Benson, Simone Giuliani published 22 November 21

Feature Highlights and puzzle pieces from the peloton that made headlines this past season

By Cyclingnews last updated 21 November 21

News 'Things with Nibali didn't work out like we were hoping'

By Daniel Benson last updated 16 November 21

News Team leaning towards another major tilt at the Italian Grand Tour

Vincenzo Nibali in line for Paris-Roubaix debut in 2022

By Cycling News published 27 October 21

News Italian eyes riding all five Monuments and Giro d'Italia on return to Astana

RCS Sport confirms foreign start for 2022 Giro d'Italia

By Cyclingnews published 2 October 21

Milano-Torino shifts to March ahead of Milan-San Remo

Giro d'Italia Donne: Longo Borghini's all-or-nothing ride nearly pays off

By Lukas Knöfler published 8 July 21

News Italian champion finishes second to Marianne Vos on stage 7

Giro d'Italia Donne: 30 is an incredible number, says Marianne Vos

By Amy Jones published 8 July 21

News Jumbo-Visma rider speaks to record number of wins

Egan Bernal diagnosed with COVID-19

By Cyclingnews published 4 June 21

News Colombian cancels plans after pre-travel test comes back positive

By Josh Croxton published 1 June 21

Tech Simon Yates' sponsor-provoking wheelset, the curious case of Nizzolo's overshoes, and a closer look at Factor's new TT bike

Top News on the Race

Dan Martin impresses at Giro d'Italia despite spring COVID

Giro d'Italia 2021 – Mega gallery

Peter Sagan nears Sean Kelly’s all-time points jersey record after Giro d’Italia success

Vlasov: Fourth at the Giro d'Italia brings motivation and satisfaction

Almeida moves up to sixth as reward for strong final week at Giro d’Italia

Simon Yates likely to head to Tour de France after Giro d’Italia podium finish

Related features.

5 conclusions from the 2021 Giro d'Italia

Daniel Martínez steadies Egan Bernal’s course towards Giro d’Italia victory

Giro d’Italia: Egan Bernal the favourite but resurgent Simon Yates can test his resolve

Charity Ride-Like-A-Pro Grand Tours to Paris or Rome

“Riding in a peloton, gliding through junctions with the aid of our motorcycle escorts, with every type of support, it’s the closest a recreational rider can get to the full professional cycle experience”

“The buzz of cycling in a Grand Tour style but with family & friends (old and new), all for a great cause – what’s not to love about that?”

“Some of the best days I’ve ever had on a bike”

London Paris

The classic cycle challenge from the historic heart of London to the destination City of the most famous cycle race in the world – The Tour de France.

Over 4 days the journey unfolds through Kent’s Garden of England before crossing the English Channel to the beauty and tranquillity of northern France, before the ‘piste de resistance’ of cycling traffic free on the cobbled streets around the Arc de Triomphe to finish at the iconic Eiffel Tower.

“If you only ever do one multi-day cycling event – this is the one you should do, and this is the way you should do it”

Andy Usher (Paris Rider)

Our Italian Grand Tour is step up from France, both as a challenge and as an experience for the senses. Your cycling journey from Pisa to Rome is an immersive odyssey through Italy’s timeless landscapes. From the flatlands surrounding Pisa, the route steepens and unveils picturesque Tuscan vistas – rolling vineyards, cypress-lined avenues, spectacular valleys and medieval towns perched on hill-tops. Then down through Lazio, taking in the volcanic lakes before arriving at the Eternal City. Each pedal stroke taking you deeper into the region’s rich history.

Bob’s Story

With another unsuccessful treatment for the incurable Myeloma blood cancer under his belt, Bob’s enforced sofa residence in the summer of 2012 was an unlikely genesis for his dream to buy a road bike and get fit enough to cycle through France in a peloton. But having watched every minute of Bradley Wiggins’ Tour de France victory that year, he was inspired to launch Myeloma UK’s first ever mass participation cycle, a 4 Day, London to Paris Grand Tour – ‘Pro Ride For Amateurs’ Fundraiser in 2016.

Escorted by motorcycle outriders, creating a rolling roadblock, and with full mechanical and physio support, 125 cyclists including his own team of 45 family and friends, experienced the thrill of cycling through the French countryside before sweeping along the Champs Elysees, past the Arc de Triomphe, in a peloton, to the Eiffel Tower. A now annual event raising millions for the charity.

In 2023, having worked tirelessly as a fundraiser and patient advocate, and survived 11 years, against all the odds, Bob launched his 2nd Charity Grand Tour Cycle from Pisa to Rome for Myeloma UK. Same professional peloton ride adventure from the Tower of Pisa, through Siena and the spectacular, and very hilly, Tuscan scenery to the Vatican City and a gladiatorial finish at the Colosseum.

Another awe-inspiring experience for the riders and dramatic response and engagement from supporters and sponsors.

“Bob organised and led from the front in the only way that Bob does. He is one of those people who creates change, makes things happen. He has all the characteristics that Malcolm Gladwell identified in his book ‘The Tipping Point’. He is well informed and researches, a Maven. A wonderfully articulate and natural networker who persuades others to help his cause. He confers an image of a preferred future”

“Bob, you are simply amazing. I was so happy to be part of this trip and contribute to an amazing charity. It was just so rewarding”

“Thanks so much Bob, for organising such a fantastic event and everything you do to support the Myeloma community and Myeloma UK”

Our Expertise

Why grand tour cycling for your charity’s cycling event, the charity events industry.

With little in house expertise, most charities entrust the organisation of their cycling events to commercial ‘charity event companies’ who offer a suite of cycling, running, walking, climbing etc. trips to numerous exotic locations all over the world, right up to the iconic London to Paris Cycle.

This delegation necessitates covering the heavy overheads of these multi-event companies, as well as your own charity’s expenses, and dilutes the passion and focus required for recruitment and engagement of your supporters.

The resulting poor ‘Return on Investment’ and minimal participation levels understandably leads to the charities’ further neglect of what can, and should, be an inspirational, lucrative and impactful mass participation event for you, in the right hands. Just saying.

A Grand Tour Cycling Event

As both passionate cyclists and ‘skin in the game’ charity fundraisers, we use our committed and specialised experience of organising groups of, circa 100+ charity supporters per trip, on just 2 iconic and aspirational cycle routes – London-Paris & Pisa-Rome – our Grand Tours.

We organise and oversee every aspect of your event and, crucially, manage costs in a way that everyone would hope their chosen Charity would do, utilising your own charity’s supporters and volunteers and their skills and generosity. This ultra efficient model will boost your Return On Investment off the scale.

But here’s the best bit, our incredible events – cycling with motorcycle escorts and rolling road blocks, supported by mechanics and physios, as you cruise in a peloton through incredible scenery on the way to our iconic finishes at the Arc de Triomphe / Eiffel Tower or The Vatican / Colosseum, in the Charity’s team kit, is the closest any of us will get to ‘riding like a pro’. These aspirational events galvanise your charity’s supporters and key stakeholders (including medical professionals and related commercial company sponsors and staff) into huge participation, engagement and inspiration to fundraise. Giving them the experience of a lifetime and your charity the funds and awareness to do your valuable work.

“Bob did the most amazing job keeping us on track, fed, watered and in excellent spirits on this absolutely amazing, emotional and challenging adventure. The friendships will last a lifetime. Bob, I can’t thank you enough for this experience”

“An amazing fun week with lots of laughs, fantastic views, meeting inspirational people. Totally in awe of everyone’s achievements. Those hills looked brutal!”

“Thank you for all your wonderful support”

Ride Like a Pro

This is not just cycling, this is grand tour experience of a lifetime cycling.

“Having recovered sufficiently (see Story above), in 2014 I’d bought my first road bike and by 2016, I’d organised Myeloma UK’s first ‘Pro Ride For Amateurs London to Paris Fundraiser. Cycling had already become my physical salvation, helping me to stay fit as I endured constant cancer drug treatment, and now it starred in the dream I had when I was prone on the sofa watching every minute of the Tour de France victories of Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome.

The detailed organisation meant that the 125 riders of our peloton would get the closest experience possible to that of the pro teams. Team kit, full mechanical, physio and nutritional support and, crucially, professional motorcycle escorts who provide a rolling road block all through the French countryside and the streets of Paris, round the Arc de Triomphe, to our destination at the Eiffel Tower.

Like the big kid I am, I’d pictured myself (in the TV helicopter shot), sweeping down hills in a peloton and waving to the crowds on the Champs Elysees. And here I was doing just that. The combination of this dreamlike scenario and completing a tough 4 days of cycling with family, friends and a group of new friends bonded by the mission to raise funds for the charity, left most of us in tears. Truly the experience of a lifetime.

The annual Myeloma UK London Paris has since raised over £1.5 million but with Paris veterans looking for the same Pro-Rider experience in another location, in 2023, I put together Pisa to Rome in exactly the same format, but with Italian support. A step up in terms of the hills to be climbed, but also in the scenery you get to see as you glide through the heart of Tuscany and onto The Vatican and the Colosseum. And this time with the drone footage that featured in my dream!”.

“Amazing, fantastically well organised and a truly wonderful experience. We have been thrilled to cycle both routes and honoured to support the charity in its exceptional work researching for new drugs and finding the cure patients need”

“It has been tiring, exhilarating, challenging but incredibly rewarding. Congratulations to the amazing Bob Munro who made it all possible”

“Stunning routes. Mechanics and Physios were incredible but the Motorcycle Outriders were my personal highlight”

Let’s Fun Raise!

If you’d like to engage and enthuse your supporters with one of our Grand Tour Cycling Fundraisers, call or email Bob for a chat.

Grand Tour Cycling LTD Registered No: 15309290

4/6/2023 – Danny Holman

Gears, Guts and Glory: The Grand Tours of cycling

The Grand Tours of cycling - the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, and La Vuelta - are considered the most prestigious events in cycling. They're revered by riders, fans, and media. But what makes them unique and how does La Vuelta compare against its two older rivals?

"The Grand Tours are more than just races, they are cultural events that bring people together from all over the world to witness the triumph of the human spirit." - Greg LeMond

The special appeal of the Grand Tours

The FIFA World Cup, the Olympic Games, the Superbowl, Le Mans, Wimbledon. These famous events all represent the height of achievement in their respective sports. And for cycling, it is the Grand Tours. The three separate races of the Grand Tours are considered the absolute pinnacle of the sport, attracting the very best cyclists from around the world to compete in the race, and winning brings sporting immortality.

"The Grand Tours are a reflection of life itself - they have their ups and downs, their triumphs and setbacks, but in the end, it's the journey that matters most." - Chris Froome

But despite obvious similarities, the three events are distinctly different with their own character and flavour. Their fame has grown over the decades for different reasons but why are they so important and revered by cyclists?

1. Tradition and History:

The Grand Tours all have a rich history, dating back over a century. The Tour de France, first held in 1903, is the oldest, while the Giro d'Italia and La Vuelta were first held in 1909 and 1935, respectively. Over the years, these races have become an integral part of cycling culture - both nationally and internationally, with fans and riders alike eagerly anticipating each edition of the race.

2. Difficulty and Challenge:

The Grand Tours are purposely designed as incredibly tough and demanding races. They typically last over three weeks and cover thousands of kilometres over 21 stages, with riders facing gruelling mountain stages, flats, and time trials. Winning a Grand Tour requires not only exceptional physical ability but also mental toughness, tactical astuteness, as well as teamwork.

3. Prestige and Recognition:

Winning a Grand Tour is one of the greatest achievements in professional cycling. It is an indisputable mark of excellence and places a rider among the sport's elite. But while honour is great, the financial rewards cannot be ignored either. The media attention and public recognition that come with winning a Grand Tour will help a rider secure sponsorship deals and significantly increase their earnings.

4. Cultural Significance:

The Grand Tours are also important cultural events, with each race featuring stages that pass through historic cities and landmarks. Each Tour is seen as a reflection of the soul of the country. They showcase the beauty and diversity of the host countries and attract millions of spectators each year.

"The beauty of the Grand Tours is that they are not just races, but journeys. They take you on a physical and emotional rollercoaster that is both exhausting and exhilarating." - David Millar

The Tour de France

The Tour de France, or the Tour as it is affectionately known, is undoubtedly the most famous of the three races, and is considered by many to be the most prestigious. Usually held in July, the race covers a distance of around 3,500 kilometres over 21 stages (in 2023 it will be 3404 km). The original purpose of the race was to boost newspaper sales but this has evolved over the decades to boost the culture and heritage of the country. It's quite a progression. The Tour features a mix of flat stages, mountain stages, and individual time trials, but it is most famous for its mountain stages, where riders must climb steep peaks such as the Alpe d'Huez and the Mont Ventoux. The Yellow Jersey, or Maillot Jaune, is worn by the race leader and has become an iconic symbol of excellence in the sport and even beyond that. There are other jerseys to battle for: the green jersey, or maillot vert, is awarded to the rider who accumulated the most points in the intermediate sprints and stage finishes. The polka-dot jersey, or maillot à pois rouges, is awarded to the rider who accumulated the most points in the mountain stages and the white jersey, or maillot blanc, is awarded to the best-placed rider under 25 years of age. The race attracts millions of spectators every year, who line the roads of France to fervently cheer on their favourite riders. The most successful rider in the history of the Tour de France is Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx, who won the race five times between 1969 and 1974.

FREE! Try out ROUVY

Ride with ROUVY, the world’s most realistic cycling app. With 1,300+ real routes, pro training plans and more, staying motivated is easy with ROUVY, Get a free trial!

TRY ROUVY FOR FREE

The Giro d'Italia

The Giro d'Italia, or the Tour of Italy is perhaps the second most well-known race in the world of cycling with the Pink Jersey, or Maglia Rosa worn by the race leader. The Giro is famous for its challenging mountain stages, which often take riders through the Italian Alps. The race usually takes place in May and so the weather is often unpredictable at this time of the year. Snow can be encountered at some of the higher altitudes. The Giro has become famous for its sprint finishes, where riders battle it out in a final dash to the finish line. This race attracts a large international following and has been won by some of the greatest cyclists of all time, including icons such as Eddy Merckx and Marco Pantani. The race has seen its fair share of drama over the years. In 1949, the "Fight of the Century" took place between Italian riders Gino Bartali and Fausto Coppi. The two were fierce rivals, and their rivalry reached boiling point during Stage 17, where Bartali punched Coppi. Bartali went on to win the race, while Coppi finished second.

La Vuelta a España

And then there is La Vuelta a España, or the Tour of Spain. It's the youngest of the three Grand Tours, having been first held in 1935. The race covers a distance of around 3,000 kilometres over 21 stages, often with challenging mountain stages through the Pyrenees and the Sierra Nevada. The race is also famous for its gruelling time trials, where riders must push themselves to the limit against the clock. Despite a shorter history than the other two, La Vuelta has still featured some of the greatest cyclists of all time, including Miguel Indurain and Alberto Contador.

"La Vuelta is a race that captures the spirit and passion of Spain, and is one of the greatest events in professional cycling." - Eusebio Unzue

What makes La Vuelta special?

Initially overshadowed by the Tour de France and Giro d'Italia, La Vuelta struggled to establish itself as a major race in the cycling world in its early years. The race suffered from financial difficulties and an inability to really establish its own identity. However, in the 1990s, the race underwent a transformation, with new organizers and a renewed desire to define the race's unique character. The organizers introduced new routes through less obvious regions that showcased the many beautiful and varied landscapes of Spain. The new approach worked and a new generation of riders and fans were drawn to the race.

La Vuelta has ultimately found success by trying to be different from the other two Grand Tours, rather than an imitation. So how does it stand out? La Vuelta is usually the last of the Grand Tours in the calendar year, running from late August to September. That means it misses the scorching heat of the midsummer that characterizes the Tour. But the heat still plays a key role in the character of the race - it's often perfect weather for both cyclists and spectators but it can still get hot on La Vuelta and with that heat comes passion. Earlier versions of La Vuelta included lots of long, flat stages. These were the safe but uninspiring options. What audiences and spectators really love are the shorter, punchier mountain stages such as Alto de l'Angliru . The introduction of these stages has reinvigorated the race, which now attracts huge crowds of enthusiastic hardcore fans, known as "aficionados", who line the stages to cheer on their heroes.

The Tour that showcases Spain

The race often passes through ancient cities and historic landmarks, giving fans a glimpse into the rich cultural heritage of Spain. The race also has a strong emphasis on food, with each stage featuring local cuisine and delicacies. La Vuelta is a celebration of Spanish culture, and the race is seen as a symbol of national pride. The race also features traditions unique to Spain, such as the daily siesta, which often results in later start times for the stages. This is also reflected in the atmosphere of the festival. It's perceived as a little more chilled and accessible than the others. La Vuelta is now considered by many to be the most exciting of the three Grand Tours. It has developed a reputation for being unpredictable, which is a good thing for audiences. There are some murmurs that the long flat 200 km+ stages of the Tour de France are boring. La Vuelta doesn't suffer from that perception. As the youngest of the Tours, it can be more adventurous and progressive. The Spanish cyclist Alberto Contador has won all three Grand Tours in his career, but has often spoken about his love for La Vuelta. In fact, he has won the race three times (2008, 2012, 2014) and described it as the most beautiful and exciting of the Grand Tours.

"The fans in Spain are incredible, and the passion they have for La Vuelta is contagious." - Fabio Aru

How you can ride La Vuelta for yourself

Each of the Grand Tour's has its own unique character that defines it, although it has changed over the decades. Here at ROUVY our favourite of the three is La Vuelta but then we are a little biased as we are exclusive virtual partners and have a proud relationship with this amazing event. This means we are the only indoor cycling platform to give riders the chance to ride the routes of La Vuelta from their own homes. So if you want to explore some of these epic rides through Spanish towns and countryside, ROUVY can help you with the experience.

Related posts

Key workouts for long course triathlon by ROUVY

ROUVY has a library of 7000 workouts to support your long slow distance and high-end interval triathlon training.

Read article

Get ready to beat the GCN presenters in La Vuelta Virtual

La Vuelta Virtual brings new challenges into the ROUVY indoor cycling app. See if you can beat Conor Dunne or Manon Lloyd.

La vuelta national day of Spain join the 5 day fiesta with ROUVY

To celebrate the National Day of Spain, ROUVY is having an indoor cycling fiesta. There will be races, rides and prizes with routes from La Vuelta.

• What's new
• Ride with ROUVY
• Indoor trainer compatibility center
• Press releases
• Whistleblowing

Information

• Video tutorials
• Community portal
• Strava club
• Official Facebook group

Copyright © 2024 , VirtualTraining s.r.o. All rights reserved.

Remco Evenepoel and Jonas Vingegaard Suffer Broken Collarbones at Itzulia Basque Country

Stage 4 of Itzulia Basque Country was marked by a devastating crash, which left multiple top riders hospitalized.

Among the injured, Visma-Lease a Bike’s Vingegaard suffered a broken collarbone and several fractured ribs and will remain in the hospital. Evenepoel (Soudal-Quickstep) also suffered a broken right collarbone and right scapula, according to each of the riders’ teams.

UAE Team Emirates’ Jay Vine also sustained fractures to three of his vertebrae, while Roglič (Bora-hansgrohe), already grappling with injuries from a prior crash, was forced to abandon the race but fortunately sustained less severe injuries and was attended to by medical staff on-site.

The incident occurred approximately 35 km from the finish line as the peloton navigated a tight right-hand bend within dense woodland. One rider’s slide triggered a domino effect, resulting in multiple riders tumbling down, some landing in unprotected concrete ditches. Initial reports suggest at least ten riders were affected, six requiring immediate hospitalization.

The severity of the crash prompted the race organizers to neutralize the competition, with concerns mounting as ambulances rushed to the scene to attend to the fallen riders. The extent of the injuries varied, with some riders, like Jay Vine of UAE Team Emirates, requiring hospitalization for further evaluation.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation. However, local rider Mikel Bizkarra shed light on the treacherous conditions of the road, citing the presence of underlying tree roots that rendered the asphalt uneven and prone to accidents.

As the race organization dealt with the aftermath, decisions were made to neutralize the GC battle for the day, with only the breakaway riders continuing their pursuit to the finish line. Riders like Vingegaard, conscious but under observation, were transported to hospitals for further assessment.

.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);} Racing

Men’s Tour of Britain Shortened for Gender Parity

Peter Sagan Back to Training After Heart Surgery

2024 Paris-Roubaix: New Chicannigans?

2024 Paris-Roubaix | How to Watch, Route & Faves

Wireless Tire Pressure Systems at Paris Roubaix

Van Aert’s Giro Dreams in Jeopardy

UCI Head Sock Ban Sparks Itzulia Controversy

Is Tadej Pogačar Peaking Too Early?

2024 Paris-Roubaix Weather Watch

Van der Poel in Spain Ahead of Paris-Roubaix

2024 Tour of Flanders Results

Here Are the Contenders Primed to Challenge Cycling’s Dominant Duo in the Giro and Tour de France

[table-of-contents] stripped

As we grow nearer to Grand Tour season, the story is no doubt going to center around cycling’s two biggest names: Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard. Can Pog pull off the Giro/Tour double? If he’s going to, he’ll have to vanquish Vingegaard, the only rider who’s been able to go toe-to-toe with Pogačar. On the other side of the coin, can Vingegaard go three-for-three, becoming just the ninth rider to win at least three Tours (and the sixth to win three consecutively)?

But what about the other riders in the peloton who have a real chance at dethroning the two-headed monster? Surely there are more names to watch than just Pogi and Jonas, more riders who— like Sepp Kuss did in last year’s Vuelta —can shock the world by taking down the giants.

Here are the contenders primed to challenge cycling's dominant duo in the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France :

Remco Evenepoel

There’s no denying that Evenepoel is one of the most talented riders in the WorldTour ranks. And with a pair of Liège-Bastonge-Liège wins and a Vuelta win, he already has a palmarès that most riders dream of. But after a bitterly disappointing Giro abandonment last season and years of answering questions about when he’s going to race the Tour, the time may be here for Evenepoel to exorcize some of the demons and answer the questions that always seem to be following him around.

Yes, he’s won a Grand Tour, but it wasn’t the Grand Tour. Maybe 2024, his Tour debut, is the year to rectify that for and with his Soudal-Quick Step team.

Primož Roglič

With a new team in Bora-Hansgrohe, Roglič will once again be looking to avenge one of the most bitter losses in cycling history: to recapture the Tour de France win that he was just one heartbreaking stage away from in 2020.

That 2020 loss, combined with Vingegaard’s unexpected ascension, pushed Roglič to the fringes of the Grand Boucle. Now, he’ll head into France as the undisputed team leader. And while Roglič’s had a less-than-stellar season thus far, according to Bora’s performance director Rolf Aldag, all eyes are on the Tour for Roglič and his team.

Cian Uijtdebroeks

Just twenty years old, Ujitdebroeks is heading into the Giro with expectations that are simultaneously high and reasonable. Early reports are that the Visma-Lease a Bike all-rounder will be chasing both stage wins and the pink jersey.

Uijtdebroeks finished eighth in last summer’s Vuelta a España and none of the seven riders ahead of him are slated to start the Giro. Of course, it’ll help his cause that he’ll have Wout van Aert, perhaps the world’s greatest domestique, working for him throughout Italy.

Ben O’Connor

Last year, Ben O’Connor asked his French team, Decathlon-AS2R La Mondiale, if he could shift his focus from the Tour de France to the Giro d’Italia. After two consecutive Tours marred by crashes, sickness, and just plain bad luck, O’Connor is hoping to right his ship with a go at the pink jersey.

To the surprise of many, AG2R acquiesced and, as O’Connor has the most WorldTour points of any Giro entrants as of this writing, early returns say they may have made the right move.

Geraint Thomas

Like Pogačar, Ineos Grenadiers’ Geraint Thomas is targeting the Giro/Tour double. He’ll be the team’s sole GC hunter in Italy, as he aims to avenge the pink jersey he lost to Primož Roglič on the penultimate stage of last year’s Giro.

The picture in France gets a bit murkier, as Ineos will be sending Tom Pidcock and Carlos Rodríguez both to the start line in June, making Thomas’s hunt for a second yellow jersey—he won the Tour 2018—a far less straightforward proposition.

Alexsandr Vlasov

The 27-year-old Bora-Hansgrohe rider raised plenty of eyebrows at the dawn of this season when he said he would let the road decide whether he would race for or against his new teammate—and presumed team leader—Primož Roglič.

Well, the reality of that statement might come to a head sooner rather than later. Vlasov has been looking strong this spring, with his most eye-catching performance coming in Paris-Nice, where he finished fifth overall, seventh in the points classification, and fourth in the KOM race. Roglič, on the other hand, finished that race tenth, eleventh, and tenth in those very same classifications.

Simon Yates

Whereas so many riders are bolstered by hype, Simon Yates’s chances for a surprise Tour victory are supported by the fact that he just always seems to be there, near the front, toe-to-toe with the best and the brightest. The Jayco-AlUla leader, who finished fourth overall in 2023, will be making his seventh Tour appearance, so he knows the race as well as just about any of the other contenders. But more than anything, he’ll likely need a few breaks to roll his way.

Jai Hindley

The 2022 Giro champion is expected to ride in support of Roglič in the Tour. But we all know how mercurial Roglič can be, which means Hindley may be presented with a sudden and unexpected chance to fight for the yellow jersey.

Sepp Kuss, Juan Ayuso, and Adam Yates

I’m combining these three, as their longshot potential to make a run at GC would depend on Vingeaard and/or Pogačar blowing up or abandoning, neither of which either does very often. Kuss has shown that he has the strength and the grit to win a Grand Tour, but his shot at the yellow jersey would wholly depend on whether or not Vingegaard is at or near the front.

The same goes for Ayuso and Yates, who will both ride in support of Pogačar this summer. Yates finished third in last year’s Tour, proving that he’s much more than just another domestique. Meanwhile, all signs have been pointing to UAE Team Emirates grooming the 21-year-old Ayuso to be something of a 1A to Pogačar.

• NURBURGRING WEBCAMS
• WORK FOR US

If This Isn’t The Worst Car Ad Ever, What Is?

300-Mile Camaro Z28 Crushed By Nissan In Freak Dealer Accident, Allegedly Repaired And Sold

2026 BMW iX3: Everything We Know About The Electric Neue Klasse SUV

Editor's picks.

Dodge Hornet Outsells Alfa Tonale 10:1, Stellantis Sees 10% Drop In Q1 Sales

The Grand Tour Will Reportedly Be Rebooted, Who Do You Think Should Host?

With Clarkson, Hammond, and May bidding adieu to the show, The Grand Tour is getting ready for a reboot, complete with fresh faces and a revamped format

by Michael Gauthier

• Studio Lambert has reportedly won a contract to create an updated version of The Grand Tour.
• Little is known about the retooled show, but it’s expected to feature new presenters as well as a revised format.

With Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May leaving The Grand Tour , many thought the show was dead. However, a new report suggests that might not be the case.

According to Broadcast , Studio Lambert has been awarded a contract to “develop a fresh version” of the show. Details are limited, but the publication said the studio beat out rival pitches from Shine TV and Orchard Studios.

More: Jeremy Clarkson Says He’s Too “Unfit, Fat And Old” To Keep The Grand Tour Going

The show reportedly hasn’t been formally greenlighted at this point, but Studio Lambert is said to be working on an updated format. The reboot is also expected to have new presenters, although there’s no word on how many or who might get the role.

The latter is obviously the biggest question as the bond between Clarkson, Hammond, and May was almost as interesting as whatever they were doing on screen. It’ll certainly be hard to replicate that as Top Gear found out following their departure.

The Sun quoted an unnamed industry insider as saying, “The Grand Tour is one of Prime Video’s most watched shows and Jeremy, James and Richard have a devoted following, but the guys have made no bones about the fact they’re all advancing in years and they have lots of other projects to pursue.” They added the trio wanted to go out on a high note.

While there are more questions than answers at this point, the show isn’t exactly a stranger to reboots. While it initially had a Top Gear -like feel and roughly a dozen episodes per season, The Grand Tour was eventually retooled to focus on a handful of road trips.

It remains unclear if the latest evolution of the show will stick to this format or try to find its own path. However, with Top Gear taking a “rest,” there might be an opportunity to return to that style format.

With all that being said, what would you like to see out of a Grand Tour reboot and who do you think should host?

Lead image YouTube/The Grand Tour

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

‘We take the risks’: Van der Poel believes riders are biggest danger in cycling

• Jonas Vingegaard taken to hospital after crash on Thursday
• Dutchman aiming to successfully defend Paris-Roubaix title

Mathieu van der Poel, who aims to retain his Paris-Roubaix title ­on Sunday, says riders are the main danger when it comes to race safety.

Thursday’s stage four in the Tour of the Basque Country was marred by a horrific crash in which Jonas ­Vingegaard broke a ­collarbone and ­several ribs and also sustained a ­pulmonary contusion and a ­pneumothorax. The crash happened at a turn on a high-speed descent and the race leader, ­Primoz Roglic, was forced to ­abandon, while Remco Evenepoel ­suffered a fracture to his right ­collarbone and his right shoulder blade.

“I think the most dangerous part of cycling is the riders themselves,” the Dutchman told a press ­conference for Sunday’s race. “We take the risks and that’s the main problem, ­everyone wants to be at the front in the same place and it’s not possible. We can change a lot of things to make it better, but it’s never going to be completely secure.”

Van der Poel won his third Tour of Flanders last Sunday , and this ­weekend the world champion is favourite for Paris-­Roubaix as he seeks to defend the title. Race organisers have ­implemented a chicane in an effort to slow the riders down as they head into the notorious cobbled Trouée d’Arenberg, one of the most dangerous sections of the Hell of the North. After the change was announced a few days before the race, Van der Poel responded to a video of the chicane posted on social media platform X by asking: “Is this a joke?” – and the rider is still not convinced.

“I think it’s good that they’re trying something. But in my opinion, the chicane is not the right solution and also to do it in the week before the race is not the best option either,” he said. “Obviously, it’s one of the most dangerous places of the season, so it’s good that they’re thinking about change, but for me change isn’t always the best thing to do. If you go into Arenberg in 20th position, it’s pretty good, you’re still in the race, but if you go into the chicane in 20th position, I think everyone who is after positions five to 10 will get stuck and then you easily lose 30 seconds.”

Van der Poel’s belief that riders themselves are the biggest danger will not, however, see him change his tactics for the race as he pursues his sixth Monument title. “Like I said, the riders are the main issue, but I’m also joining the party, if you want to win, you have to be where everyone wants to be at the crucial moments.”

Most viewed

Paris-Roubaix 2024: Mathieu van der Poel retains classic cycling title in style

A blistering attack 60km from the finish saw Mathieu van der Poel make it back-to-back wins in the Paris-Roubaix men's road cycling classic.

The Dutch star, who last weekend claimed a third victory in the Tour of Flanders , surged clear of the lead group at the start of sector 13 -- the sectors count down from 29 to one - of the cobbles.

And the reigning road race world champion was able to avoid mechanical mishaps on the infamous terrain, coming home exactly three minutes clear on Sunday (7 April 2024) in the hardest one-day race on the road cycling calendar.

Speaking after the race, van der Poel said of his break, "I just wanted to make the race hard from thereon because I know that’s my strength. I felt super good today. When I had the gap, I knew that it was a tailwind to the finish for the most part.

"You always know in Roubaix a puncture is never far away, but I had quite a gap and the car also behind me so I was confident. And I could really enjoy the moment more than I could last week. I was really at my limit last week but today I felt incredible and I could really enjoy the last part.”

He also gave thanks to his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammates, including second-placed Jasper Philipsen , saying, “I’m super proud of the boys and very happy to finish it off."

The 29-year-old is the first man since Tom Boonen in 2009 to win back-to-back Paris-Roubaix races, with the Belgian going on to claim a record-equalling four victories.

Van der Poel also became the eighth man to win the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in the same year, a feat last achieved by Fabian Cancellara in 2013.

Fellow world champion Lotte Kopecky claimed the fourth edition of the women's 'Paris-Roubaix Femmes' race on Saturday.

Kopecky was in a group of six riders entering the the Roubaix Velodrome, and the Belgian outsprinted Elisa Balsamo to secure her first Paris-Roubaix triumph.

Tour of Flanders 2024: Mathieu van der Poel converts Koppenberg attack into third triumph

• Mathieu van der Poel exclusive on switching between cycling disciplines: “It used to be easier”

Van der Poel on top again despite course criticism

The build-up to the 119th edition of the 'Hell of the North' was dominated by concerns about crashes after a number of riders were injured in the Itzulia Basque Country race on Thursday.

Two-time reigning Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard suffered multiple injuries including a collapsed lung and broken collarbone, while Jay Vine avoided requiring spinal surgery having slid off into a concrete ditch.

The Australian will spend up to six weeks wearing a neck brace and is doubtful for both the Tour de France and the Olympic Games Paris 2024 .

Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic also face time on the sidelines after being caught up in the mass collision.

A new sharp U-turn was introduced on the Paris-Roubaix course this week to slow riders down before the Arenberg Forest section, a measure van der Poel had questioned on social media with the words, "Is this a joke?"

The 55.7km of cobbles in the 259.7km test are notoriously hard on both body and bike, but the pre-Arenberg chicane was free of incident. And the riders had not even reached the cobbles when a pile-up forced Elia Viviani to abandon.

The early cobbled sectors and strong winds triggered big splits in the peloton before the halfway stage.

Just after the Arenberg Forest section, a group of three made the first serious break with Stefan Küng , Nils Politt and van der Poel's Alpecin teammate Gianni Vermeersch going clear.

Tom Pidcock was among those working hard at the front of the pack, and the trio was soon reeled in before van der Poel made his decisive attack.

Denmark's former world road race champion Mads Pedersen tried to close the gap, but the presence of Alpecin riders Vermeesch and Philipsen in the chase group made his task almost impossible as van der Poel extended his lead to two minutes with 35km remaining.

Vermeesh was then dropped from the chase group, and New Zealander Laurence Pithie lost his front wheel on a bend transitioning from tarmac to the cobbles while in second place.

Despite a mighty effort, Pithie was unable to close the gap leaving Philipsen, Pedersen, Küng and Politt to fight it out for the podium places.

Philipsen attacked with 10km to go with Küng unable to go with him, but could not shake off the others.

Pedersen led the three into the velodrome, Politt moved alongside, but Philipsen found a gap down the inside to make it an Alpecin one-two ahead of the Dane with Politt fourth.

Results from Paris-Roubaix 2024 men's race (top six):

• Mathieu van der Poel (NED, Alpecin-Deceuninck) 5:25:58
• Jesper Philipsen (BEL, Alpecin-Deceuninck) +3'00"
• Mads Pedersen (DEN, Lidl-Trek) +3'00"
• Nils Politt (GER, UAE Team Emirates) +3'00"
• Stefan Küng (SUI, Groupama–FDJ) +3'15"
• Gianni Vermeersch (BEL, Alpecin-Deceuninck) +3'47"

Results from Paris-Roubaix Femmes 2024 (top six):

• Lotte Kopecky (BEL, Team SD Worx-Protime) 3:47:13
• Elisa Balsamo (ITA, Lidl-Trek) +0"
• Pfeiffer Georgi (GBR, Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) +0"
• Marianne Vos (NED, Team Visma Lease A Bike) +0"
• Amber Kraak (NED, FDJ-Suez) +0"
• Ellen van Dijk (NED, Lidl-Trek) +6"

Related content

2024 Tour of Flanders: Preview, schedule, how to watch men's and women's cycling classic races live

Gent-Wevelgem 2024: Mads Pedersen beats Mathieu van der Poel in two-man sprint finish; Lorena Wiebes takes women's title

Milan-San Remo 2024: Jasper Philipsen wins in frenetic sprint to the finish

You may like.

• Sport Betting
• Yearly calendar
• Latest results
• English Español French Italiano Nederlands

TheSports.org

  All sports Site

Field hockey - Dinamo Elektrostal Moscow

Hockey Club Dinamo Elektrostal is a field hockey team from Russia, based in Moscow. The club was founded in 1994.

Dinamo Elektrostal Moscow - Results

2021/2022 2018/2019 2017/2018 2017 2015/2016 2013/2014 2011/2012 2007/2008

Men's Euro Hockey League - Final Round - 2021/2022

Dinamo elektrostal moscow - identity.

• Official name : Hockey Club Dinamo Elektrostal
• Country : Russia
• Location : Moscow
• Founded : 1994
• Wikipedia link : http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinamo_Elektrostal

Dinamo Elektrostal Moscow - Titles, trophies and places of honor

• Best result : First Round in 2021/2022
• Best result : 1st
• 1 times first in 2010
• 1 times second in 2009
• 1 times third in 2017

Postal Address

Moscow Metro Tour

• Page active

Description

Moscow metro private tours.

• 2-hour tour $87:  10 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with hotel pick-up and drop-off
• 3-hour tour $137:  20 Must-See Moscow Metro stations with Russian lunch in beautifully-decorated Metro Diner + hotel pick-up and drop off. 
• Metro pass is included in the price of both tours.

Highlight of Metro Tour

• Visit 10 must-see stations of Moscow metro on 2-hr tour and 20 Metro stations on 3-hr tour, including grand Komsomolskaya station with its distinctive Baroque décor, aristocratic Mayakovskaya station with Soviet mosaics, legendary Revolution Square station with 72 bronze sculptures and more!
• Explore Museum of Moscow Metro and learn a ton of technical and historical facts;
• Listen to the secrets about the Metro-2, a secret line supposedly used by the government and KGB;
• Experience a selection of most striking features of Moscow Metro hidden from most tourists and even locals;
• Discover the underground treasure of Russian Soviet past – from mosaics to bronzes, paintings, marble arches, stained glass and even paleontological elements;
• Learn fun stories and myths about Coffee Ring, Zodiac signs of Moscow Metro and more;
• Admire Soviet-era architecture of pre- and post- World War II perious;
• Enjoy panoramic views of Sparrow Hills from Luzhniki Metro Bridge – MetroMost, the only station of Moscow Metro located over water and the highest station above ground level;
• If lucky, catch a unique «Aquarelle Train» – a wheeled picture gallery, brightly painted with images of peony, chrysanthemums, daisies, sunflowers and each car unit is unique;
• Become an expert at navigating the legendary Moscow Metro system;
• Have fun time with a very friendly local;
• + Atmospheric Metro lunch in Moscow’s the only Metro Diner (included in a 3-hr tour)

Hotel Pick-up

Metro stations:.

Komsomolskaya

Novoslobodskaya

Prospekt Mira

Belorusskaya

Mayakovskaya

Novokuznetskaya

Revolution Square

Sparrow Hills

+ for 3-hour tour

Victory Park

Slavic Boulevard

Vystavochnaya

Dostoevskaya

Elektrozavodskaya

Partizanskaya

Museum of Moscow Metro

• Drop-off  at your hotel, Novodevichy Convent, Sparrow Hills or any place you wish
• + Russian lunch  in Metro Diner with artistic metro-style interior for 3-hour tour

Fun facts from our Moscow Metro Tours:

From the very first days of its existence, the Moscow Metro was the object of civil defense, used as a bomb shelter, and designed as a defense for a possible attack on the Soviet Union.

At a depth of 50 to 120 meters lies the second, the coded system of Metro-2 of Moscow subway, which is equipped with everything you need, from food storage to the nuclear button.

According to some sources, the total length of Metro-2 reaches over 150 kilometers.

The Museum was opened on Sportivnaya metro station on November 6, 1967. It features the most interesting models of trains and stations.

Coffee Ring

The first scheme of Moscow Metro looked like a bunch of separate lines. Listen to a myth about Joseph Stalin and the main brown line of Moscow Metro.

Zodiac Metro

According to some astrologers, each of the 12 stops of the Moscow Ring Line corresponds to a particular sign of the zodiac and divides the city into astrological sector.

Astrologers believe that being in a particular zadiac sector of Moscow for a long time, you attract certain energy and events into your life.

Paleontological finds 

Red marble walls of some of the Metro stations hide in themselves petrified inhabitants of ancient seas. Try and find some!

• Every day each car in  Moscow metro passes  more than 600 km, which is the distance from Moscow to St. Petersburg.
• Moscow subway system is the  5th in the intensity  of use (after the subways of Beijing, Tokyo, Seoul and Shanghai).
• The interval in the movement of trains in rush hour is  90 seconds .

What you get:

• + A friend in Moscow.
• + Private & customized Moscow tour.
• + An exciting pastime, not just boring history lessons.
• + An authentic experience of local life.
• + Flexibility during the walking tour: changes can be made at any time to suit individual preferences.
• + Amazing deals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner in the very best cafes & restaurants. Discounts on weekdays (Mon-Fri).
• + A photo session amongst spectacular Moscow scenery that can be treasured for a lifetime.
• + Good value for souvenirs, taxis, and hotels.
• + Expert advice on what to do, where to go, and how to make the most of your time in Moscow.

Write your review

Giro d'Italia 2024 - ALL TOURS

From 5 days to 8 days

Giro d'Italia

30 - 200km daily

100 - 4,000m+ daily

3 May 2024 - 27 May 2024

As the "Official Premium Tour Operator" of the Giro d'Italia, Grand Tours Project is in a special position to deliver the ultimate experience for passionate cyclists. Our 2024 tours are now live and open for bookings . We are experts in guiding the ultimate Giro D’Italia race experience. We’ll cover the best stages of the race and ride 70-100km each day .We’re also the experts in guiding passionate cyclists in riding every kilometre of this amazing race, on the same day as the event, just a few hours ahead of the pros. Join us for a cycling holiday of a lifetime at "the toughest race in the world’s most beautiful place – Italy"

Our Giro Tours have been a great success in recent years. With many guests with smiles and dreams achieved.

GIRO D'ITALIA 2024 TOURS ARE NOW LIVE AND OPEN FOR BOOKINGS!

You can now book your tour and guarantee your place now. Join us for the ultimate Giro d'Italia 2024 tour on one of our ' Experience' tours, as we ride 70-100km each day and witness the live stage each day. You will have more time to watch the race at the finish line, visit the VIP zones, enjoy poolside drinks at the hotel, and explore the village we're staying in each evening.

With our ' Ride Every Kilometre' tours, we're offering the opportunity to ride the entire route - every single kilometre. You can choose to ride 3, 6, 9 or all 21 stages. You will need to be a strong cyclist to achieve this challenge, but you don't need to be an elite athlete ... ours is a journey, not a race, and we'll leave enough time on each day to enjoy our lunch breaks and photo stops. Once we conclude the stage every day, we'll sit back and watch the race as the "fight for pink" takes place only a couple of hours after us.

There are very limited spaces on these tours - with a maximum of 14 riders on each tour, supported by 2 expert guides and 2 drivers/mechanics. This small group will ride together and will always have the support van close by – with drinks, snacks and dry clothing. Riding on the racecourse just a few hours before the pros, with the support of the crowds and our team, makes this an unforgettable experience.

If you are interested in Ride Every Km 21 stages, get in touch as we have an exclusive special program that is not published here. Get in touch here and specify REK 21!

Total price: From €2,750

• Experience the best moments of the Giro d'Italia with expert planning (Official Tour Operator since 2016)!
• "Ride Every Kilometre" of the Giro d'Italia, the entire distance, all 21 stages, on the race route, just a few hours before the pros ... or enjoy a more relaxing tour with our "Experience" trips, exploring the Italian countryside and following the Giro
• Watch the Giro stars fight for the pink jersey, from the best vantage points.
• On at least one of the stages, cycle across the finish line, stand on the winners podium, and watch the race from the Giro VIP zone with a celebratory prosecco or beer in hand
• As an "Premium Tour Operator", we have special access to the race route, VIP zones, and behind the scenes areas
• Expert logistic and support from our team (guides, mechanics, drivers)
• Maximum group size: 14 (with 2 guides)
• Bike rental available (Bianchi Infinito CV Disc 2023 with Shimano Di2 12SP)
• Experience the Grande Partenza in Torino and the superb Italian culture!

Giro d'Italia - VIP Spectator Experiences

You don't need to be on your bike to enjoy the passion, excitement and spectacle of the Giro d'Italia. As an Official Tour Operator of the Giro, we can also offer VIP Spectator (non-rider) experiences, from the start-line and finish-line VIP zones, to following the peloton in a car or helicopter. Join us for an extraordinary experience, close to the pros.

GIRO D'ITALIA “GRANDE PARTENZA” Torino Escape

Torino, Italy

5 Days | 4 Nights | Stages 1,2 & 3

3 MAY - 7 MAY 2024

FROM €2,890

A truly unique Grand Tours Project: the first 3 stages of the Giro, with five days of action: awesome riding, some VIP experiences, total immersion in Italian cycle culture experiencing the Giro d’Italia, plus Torino´s food and wine. Perfetto!

GIRO D'ITALIA "EXPERIENCE" Week 1

Cinque Terre, Tuscany & Napoli

7 Days | 6 Nights | Stages: 5 to 9

7 MAY - 13 MAY 2024

FROM €3,980

Week 1 of the Giro d’Italia and the race heads south. The route skirts the Ligurian coast before heading into the interior from lovely Lucca in Tuscany. Onto the wild and remote Apennines and the first Individual Time Trial before a huge climb through the mountains in the Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso and then Napoli.

GIRO D'ITALIA "EXPERIENCE" Napoli, Amalfi Coast & Pompei Escape

Napoli, Amalfi Coast & Pompei

5 Days | 4 Nights | Stages: 9 & 10

11 MAY - 15 MAY 2024

FROM €2,850

Warm sunshine, a short escape, some southern Italian style and hospitality, dramatic landscapes, coasts, a historic city and ancient ruins; Giro d’Italia 2024 escape to Naples, the Amalfi coast and Pompeii with Vesuvius as the backdrop!

GIRO D'ITALIA "EXPERIENCE" WEEK 2

Pompeii, Adriatic Coast, Lago di Garda & Livigno

8 Days | 7 Nights | Stages: 10 to 15

13 MAY - 20 MAY 2024

FROM €4,790

Ride 60-100km daily along stages 10 to 15 of the Giro, just hours before the pros. Enjoy everything that the Giro and Italy have to offer - the scenery, local food and wine, great hotels, and the camaraderie of our cycling friends.

GIRO D'ITALIA "EXPERIENCE" WEEK 3 - DOLOMITES & ROME

DOLOMITES & ROME

8 days | 7 nights | Stages: 16 to 21

20 MAY - 27 MAY 2024

FROM €4,980

GIRO D'ITALIA “GRANDE PARTENZA” TORINO RIDE EVERY KILOMETRE

TORINO, ITALY - REK Stages 1,2 & 3

FROM €2,790

If you would like to Ride Every Kilometre of the Giro d’Italia but one week is too much for you or you want to test yourself before committing to a whole week or more, we have designed a Ride Every Kilometre (REK) tour that offers you a chance to ride 3 full stages of the Grand Partenza in the Piemonte region.

GIRO D'ITALIA "RIDE EVERY KILOMETRE" WEEK 1

THE FULL WEEK 1

11 days | 10 nights | Stages: 1 to 9

3 MAY - 13 MAY 2024

FROM €6,490

Ride Every Kilometre of stages 1 to 9 of the Giro, just hours before the pros. A long week that start in Torino and heads south crossing a few of the most beautiful places of Italy!

GIRO D'ITALIA "RIDE EVERY KILOMETRE" WEEK 2

Pompeii, Adriatic Coast & Livigno

8 days | 7 nights | Stages 10 to 15

FROM €4,590

Join us as we Ride Every Kilometre of the Week 2 of the 107th Giro d'Italia. Grand Tours Project’s signature tour, Ride Every Kilometre, promises 6 full stages of riding. In 2024 this means from the Tyrrhenian Sea, across the Apennines to the Adriatic Sea; then north along Lombardy, the glamorous lake Garda and into the mountains (via Switzerland) finishing at Livigno.

GIRO D'ITALIA "RIDE EVERY KILOMETRE" WEEK 3

Livigno, Dolomites & Rome

Ride Every Kilometre of the Stages 16 to 21 of the Giro, just hours before the pros. From the mighty Dolomites to the big finish in Rome.

GIRO D’ITALIA "RIDE EVERY KILOMETRE" - ALL 21 STAGES - THE ULTIMATE CYCLING CHALLENGE

From Torino to Tuscany and Naples, Emilia Romagna to Alps, Dolomites & Rome!

25 Days | 24 Nights | Stages 1 to 21

03 MAY - 27 MAY 2024

FROM €14,890

This is the ultimate cycling challenge: Ride Every Kilometre of one of the Grand Tours on the same day... and the Giro d’Italia is typically the toughest! We'll be riding on exactly the same route as the race, every single kilometre, just a few hours ahead of the pros. That's over 3,300km, and 44,000+ metres of climbing, over 21 stages.

Our tours at the Giro d'Italia are designed for Intermediate to advanced cyclists

For our "Experience" tours:

• Level of fitness: MEDIUM - fit enough to ride 2 to 4 hrs or 50 to 80 km per day
• Intermediate to advanced cycling abilities and skills.
• Some experience on mountain climbs and descents.
• Adequate training in advance of the trip.
• The guides will set clear parameters such as road rules, food breaks, and waiting at the top of a pass. His/her instructions must be followed at all times.
• The safety of all our team members is our first priority. You are required to ride safely, respect all road rules, and follow the instructions of our guides and of any officials, for your benefit and for the other team members.

For our "Ride Every Kilometre" tours:

• Level of fitness: FIT TO ADVANCE - fit enough to ride 5 to 8 hours or 140 to 200 km per day
• Good experience on big mountain climbs and descents, long distance riding, and back-to-back days on the bike.
• Adequate training in advance of the trip … you will be attempting to ride several stages of a pro race - it is achievable when you have trained well.
• Time is an important factor on this trip. In order to achieve our goal of riding every kilometre before the pros, we must stick to a strict timetable. This includes starting early in the morning as instructed and adhering to the time allocated for our food breaks during the ride.
• If for some reason you are behind the group due to fitness or mechanical reasons, you may be asked to jump into the van to catch up with the rest of the group. Vice versa if you are too fast and ahead of the group … you may need to wait for the group.

The full Giro experience, delicious food, being cheered by the fans, stunning landscapes, challenging climbs, new friends, pure air and time away from your smartphone are guaranteed on this trip.

• 3, 7, 10, or 24 nights in hotels (depending on the tour)
• All Meals (Breakfast / light lunch / dinner)
• Energy nutrition
• Knowledgeable and experienced guide(s)
• Fully supported tour with vehicle and mechanic
• Cleaning kit and tool kit available for use
• Grand Tours Project cycling kit
• Road book including all the details you need to know on your trip
• Gpx files - for Garmin device upload
• Transfers from and to a designated airport, within a predefined time window
• Flights / transportation to the trip pick up location
• Travel insurance
• Alcoholic drinks
• Bike rental (Bianchi Infinito CV Disc) available on request

Here's what our guests have to say about this trip:

"What an experience!! Spending a week in Italy amongst the excitement of the spectacle that is the Giro – each day offering up something truly memorable in terms of terrain, difficulty (hail to the mighty Zoncolan!) and what many of us love so much about Italy, the food and wine. The Dolomites were a true highlight of the week. The team at GTP was brilliant and really enabled our small group to make the most of the experience; from getting close up access to the race to making tweaks to the itinerary to get the best out of the day. Cudos to the Rid Erevery Km group – incredible effort. Huge thanks to Kerry, (our guide extraordinaire), Keith and the entire team at GTP for making it such an unforgettable experience"

Jon, Giro d'Italia : Week 2 Experience Tour, 2018

"Giro 2019 Week 3 was a fabulous experience. Nothing compares to riding the Giro route the same day as the professionals. The crowds, the excitement, fantastic food, amazing destinations and the superb planning of the Grand Tours team make this an experience not to be missed for any cyclist looking for an adventure. Everything about the Giro, Italy and the Italians was amazing, but it was the meticulous attention to detail, hard work, passion and dedication of Uri leading the cyclists, with a superb crew of Joel and Fabio in the support vehicles that really brought this experience to the next level. I had to leave early, but upon departure immediately started planning for Giro 2020. Thanks Uri and the team for an incredible adventure! If you are looking for an amazing cycling experience, look no further!"

Michael - guest on our Giro d'Italia 2019, Final week tour

"What an experience!! Spending a week in Italy amongst the excitement of the spectacle that is the Giro – each day offering up something truly memorable in terms of terrain, difficulty (hail to the mighty Zoncolan!) and what many of us love so much about Italy, the food and wine. The Dolomites were a true highlight of the week. The team at GTP was brilliant and really enabled our small group to make the most of the experience; from getting close up access to the race to making tweaks to the itinerary to get the best out of the day. Cudos to the ridereverykm group – incredible effort. Huge thanks to Kerry, (our guide extraordinaire), Keith and the entire team at GTP for making it such an unforgettable experience."

Jon - guest on our Giro d'Italia 2018, "Experience" Week 2 tour (Assisi to the Dolomites)

"The week I spent riding across Italy with the Grand Tours Project team was one of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had. The scenery was incredible, the riding was exceptional, and the company was second to none. Every detail of our trip was meticulously planned. We had the pleasure of residing in historic castles, enjoying incredible local cuisine, visiting local coffee stops in small villages, and immersing ourselves in the full Giro experience as we were up close and personal to the athletes each day. The riding was challenging, beautiful, and well supported. Keith and his team ensured all of our needs were met and that no stone was left unturned. Friendships were built that will last a life time, I laughed until I cried, and this is an experience that has surpassed all others. A big THANK YOU to Grand Tours Project for making this a journey that we’ll never forget!”

Ashley, Giro d'Italia 2018: Week 2 "Experience" Tour (Assisi to the Dolomites)

"Cycling in Israel for the start of the 2018 Giro d’Italia was an amazing experience! GTP did a fantastic job arranging rental bikes, planning rides, and getting access to the race. It was a truly incredible to ride the TT course on closed roads in Jerusalem! The guides were wonderful and I would love the opportunity to ride with Grand Tours Project in the future. It was a fantastic way to experience both the excitement of the Giro and history and culture of Israel. I’m sure there will be another Grand Tours Project trip in my future!”

Wendy , Giro d'Italia 2018: GrandePartenza "Experience" Tour (Israel)

"The wonderful group that gathered in Jerusalem for this event, It is a memory that I will always cherish. The team were so accommodating and friendly. A casual but warm atmosphere prevailed with a professional relaxed but organized team. I highly recommend Grand Tours and really enjoyed meeting such a great group of diverse cyclists and characters at the same time. I hope to one day again be part of a Grand Tours group.The photos you sent bring back a constant reminder of these warm memories.

A Selection of our Bike Tours

Challenge yourself on the most beautiful roads of Europe, Asia & America

Custom & Private Tours

Maratona dles dolomites enel getaway 2024, a taste of sicily tour, switzerland explorer: the best kept secret of alpine riding, france grand tour 2024 - all gtp tours, alpe d'huez to stelvio / powered by bianchi, switzerland iconic passes getaway, l'eroica & chianti tour, strade bianche 2024 - tour, race & gran fondo, hokkaido cycling explorer, alula explorer - wonder of arabia.

You can also take our trips as private tours, corporate tours or have a go on a customized trip designed just for you.