https://www.scmp.com/rss/322919/feed The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than 3,600 kilometres and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Associated Press Associated Press Cycling’s rising star Paul Seixas will compete at the Tour de France in July, with a whole country hoping that he can end a four-decade drought for French riders. The 19-year-old Frenchman, widely regarded as a potential great and France’s best hope for a future Tour de France winner, announced his participation at cycling’s showpiece race in a video released by his CMA CGM Decathlon team. Seixa’s precocity is rare. He has been in an impressive form this season, finishing runner-up to four-time... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3352401/new-french-star-paul-seixas-race-tour-de-france-19-whole-country-watching?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3352401/new-french-star-paul-seixas-race-tour-de-france-19-whole-country-watching?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 May 2026 02:00:12 +0000 Dubbed a “motorway for cyclists”, where avid amateurs can chase three-time Tour de France winner Tadej Pogacar up mountains teeming with the highest concentration of professional cyclists per square mile in the world, Spain’s Costa Blanca has forged a new reputation for itself in recent years. Long known as the ideal summer destination for those in search of sun, sea and sand, the coastal region in Spain’s southeast now has a winter vocation too. During the season break in December and January,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3295064/how-spains-costa-blanca-has-become-cycling-hotspot-winter?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3295064/how-spains-costa-blanca-has-become-cycling-hotspot-winter?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Jan 2025 06:45:08 +0000 Mark Cavendish has sprinted to one last victory on Sunday as he took the Singapore Criterium in a signature surge to the line. The 39-year-old Briton, who holds the record for most stage wins in the Tour de France, briefly latched onto the wheel of defending champion Jasper Philipsen coming out of the last bend before pulling away and raising his arms in triumph. The Isle of Man native had time to glance back before raising his arms in triumph one last time, to deafening cheers from the crowd... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3285965/british-cycling-great-mark-cavendish-wins-final-race-singapore-criterium-classic-style?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3285965/british-cycling-great-mark-cavendish-wins-final-race-singapore-criterium-classic-style?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Nov 2024 10:49:27 +0000 When cycling normally comes to Paris in the summer, it is a yellow jersey and not a gold medal the competitors are fighting for. But the Tour de France will take an unaccustomed back seat this year, as all eyes focus on gold across a variety of disciplines. From BMX freestyle, to road and track races, here’s all you need to know about cycling at the Olympics. Athletes to watch Chloe Dygert, United States: The reigning time-trial world champion will also compete in the road race and the team... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3269843/paris-olympics-2024-what-know-and-who-watch-during-cycling-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3269843/paris-olympics-2024-what-know-and-who-watch-during-cycling-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Jul 2024 06:00:09 +0000 The Tour de France starts in Florence next Saturday billed as a four-way struggle spearheaded by bitter rivals Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard on a route designed to take the world’s greatest bike race down to the wire. Team UAE’s Slovenian rider Pogacar goes into the 21-day race on red-hot form, while Visma’s Vingegaard, the two-time defending champion from Denmark, has not raced since suffering multiple fractures in a fall in March. Vingegaard’s fall offers Pogacar a chance at revenge for... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3267641/tour-de-france-tension-builds-rivals-pogacar-and-vingegaard-brace-fresh-duel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3267641/tour-de-france-tension-builds-rivals-pogacar-and-vingegaard-brace-fresh-duel?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Jun 2024 05:00:08 +0000 Attending football matches during my childhood in England was a rough and ready experience. Dad frequently took me to dreary towns, where stadiums were hemmed in by rows of decaying Victorian-era terrace houses. Cigarette smoke mixed with the whiff of sweat and asbestos dust, and you could smell the stench of the toilets long before you got anywhere near the entry turnstiles. Fortunately, not all sporting theatres are as dilapidated and dismal as those I visited in the 1970s. Here are seven... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3249599/7-worlds-most-spectacular-sporting-venues-europes-highest-football-pitch-longest-golf-course-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/post-magazine/travel/article/3249599/7-worlds-most-spectacular-sporting-venues-europes-highest-football-pitch-longest-golf-course-china?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Jan 2024 09:15:18 +0000 Who will win the next Tour de France is obviously going to be a hot topic in 2024 but talk of a new cycling league could also take centre stage as a handful of teams look to reshape the structure of the sport. Dane Jonas Vingegaard is hot favourite to snatch a third consecutive Tour title, although Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar, who is more of an all-rounder, could be a strong challenger if he does not favour the Giro d’Italia. Belgian prodigy Remco Evenepoel is expected to make his Tour debut in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3246118/cycling-looks-future-2024-tour-de-france-and-paris-olympics-dominate-league-talks-continue?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3246118/cycling-looks-future-2024-tour-de-france-and-paris-olympics-dominate-league-talks-continue?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Dec 2023 06:00:22 +0000 “Be patient, slow down,” I reminded myself as we neared the summit of the Col de la Colombiere in the French Alps, a climb that’s been ridden 23 times in the Tour de France. And, trust me, they don’t include it so regularly in the world’s most famous cycling race because it’s easy. The Colombiere is a 17.6km (10.9-mile) challenge with an average gradient of 6.5 per cent. (There’s a sign every that lets you know the gradient for the upcoming kilometre.) I’m not a professional cyclist and was... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3197853/where-go-cycling-france-alps-was-my-first-choice-post-covid-and-it-was-experience-i-wont-forget?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3197853/where-go-cycling-france-alps-was-my-first-choice-post-covid-and-it-was-experience-i-wont-forget?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Oct 2022 11:15:09 +0000 Jonas Vingegaard blossomed from a talented rookie to a dominant leader in his own right over three weeks of epic racing to win his first Tour de France title on Sunday. The former fish factory worker from Denmark dethroned defending champion Tadej Pogacar with memorable performances in the mountains in cycling’s biggest race. The 25-year-old Vingegaard, who was runner-up to Pogacar in his first Tour last year, excelled in the scorching heat that enveloped France this month and came out on top of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3186431/jonas-vingegaard-wins-first-tour-de-france-after-three-week-duel-tadej?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3186431/jonas-vingegaard-wins-first-tour-de-france-after-three-week-duel-tadej?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Jul 2022 18:39:53 +0000 Jonas Vingegaard insists he will not take any risks and that his “best should be enough” on Saturday’s key time-trial as he stands on the verge of being crowned Tour de France champion. The Danish rider leads two-time defending champion Tadej Pogacar by 3 mins 26 secs. Two years ago, Pogacar famously overturned a huge deficit on the penultimate time trial on La Planche des Belles Filles to snatch Tour de France victory from Primoz Roglic. But Vingegaard is confident he has enough in the bank... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3186328/my-best-should-be-enough-says-jonas-vingegaard-verge-tour-de-france-triumph?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3186328/my-best-should-be-enough-says-jonas-vingegaard-verge-tour-de-france-triumph?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Jul 2022 02:50:22 +0000 With only seven stages left in this year’s race, French riders face the embarrassing prospect of ending the Tour de France without a stage victory for only the third time since the event was created in 1903. While Romain Bardet, fourth overall, is fighting for a podium finish in Paris and David Gaudu can still hope to end up in the top five overall, none of the 27 French riders left, with the exception of Thibaut Pinot, appear in a position to raise their arms in celebration. Pinot, a 2014... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3185569/tour-de-france-french-riders-course-historically-bad-year-stage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3185569/tour-de-france-french-riders-course-historically-bad-year-stage?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Jul 2022 05:30:18 +0000 It’s the second week of this year’s Tour de France and the mountain climbs the race is famous for are about to separate those who aspire to win the yellow jersey and the rest. Luxembourg’s Bob Jungels won the first Alpine finish of this year’s race on Sunday, cruising across the finish line 22 seconds clear on the mountainous 193km (120-mile) stage nine route from Aigle in Switzerland to the ski resort of Châtel les Portes du Soleil. A rest day on Monday will be followed by three consecutive... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3184925/tour-de-france-enters-alps-here-are-climbs-will-separate-winners?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3184925/tour-de-france-enters-alps-here-are-climbs-will-separate-winners?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 11 Jul 2022 23:30:29 +0000 Cycling’s Tour de France is considered one of sport’s most prestigious events, and one of its toughest. That entails a strict dietary regime – although, in such a long race, a little bit of what you fancy does you good, too. “If something feels good to eat, then eat it,” says sports physiologist Allen Lim, who has worked for the RadioShack, Phonak and Garmin teams. “In one Tour de France, after 17 of the 21 stages, I cooked up chicken fried rice for the riders, and the rest of the time they had... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3184719/tour-de-france-what-do-cyclists-eat-during-and-after-racing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3184719/tour-de-france-what-do-cyclists-eat-during-and-after-racing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 Jul 2022 01:00:24 +0000 When professional cycling restarted following the first Covid-19 lockdowns in summer 2020 with a condensed season of highlights, things had changed. It seemed as if tradition and the rule book had been tossed out of the team car’s window. It was game on; a free for all, with younger riders no longer accepting their traditional long-term apprenticeship roles. Leading this youthful revolution was 21-year old Slovenian Tadej Pogacar of UAE Team Emirates. Going into that Tour he had been listed as a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3183620/tour-de-france-will-years-race-be-tadej-pogacar-show-once-again-or-can-jumbo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3183620/tour-de-france-will-years-race-be-tadej-pogacar-show-once-again-or-can-jumbo?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Jul 2022 00:00:11 +0000 Mark Cavendish went from being “the best in the world to one of the worst overnight”, to one of the best again after years of struggling with illness and clinical depression. Just as the sport collectively prepared to raise a glass to his unparalleled road sprinting career, the 36-year-old miraculously equalled Eddy Merckx’s all-time record of 34 Tour de France stage wins last summer. The “Manx Missile” may even surpass the 46-year milestone should he earn a spot at Le Tour in July. But he wants... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3170093/mark-cavendish-reflects-remarkable-tour-de-france-comeback?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3170093/mark-cavendish-reflects-remarkable-tour-de-france-comeback?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 13 Mar 2022 01:30:14 +0000 Girona in the Catalan region of northern Spain is one of the prettiest and most beguiling cities in the country. The city is well known for its historic architecture, rich and independent culture and world-class cuisine. In recent years Girona has had a far more international feel to it, largely thanks to it becoming home to many of the world’s top professional cyclists and their teams who compete on the UCI WorldTour. And for the first time, two female cyclists from Southeast Asia have joined... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3170223/singapores-chelsei-tan-and-malaysias-nur-alia-blazing-trail-regions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/article/3170223/singapores-chelsei-tan-and-malaysias-nur-alia-blazing-trail-regions?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 12 Mar 2022 01:44:07 +0000 The top professional cycling teams in the world will set off from Brest in northeast France on June 26 to take on the Tour de France, one of the most watched annual sporting events in the world (organisers claim an incredible 3.5 billion people tuned in to watch in 2018, according to reports). Teams select eight riders and, depending on their stature and aims, the rosters usually consist of one or two outstanding talents who will aim for the overall honours, with a backup cast to help them. More... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/3138538/tour-de-france-stages-jerseys-tactics-and-chosen-ones?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/3138538/tour-de-france-stages-jerseys-tactics-and-chosen-ones?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Jun 2021 10:00:24 +0000 UFC fans have been given hope that Conor McGregor might return to the octagon by the start of next year. In the meantime, the newly engaged 32-year-old Irish millionaire is enjoying his early semi-retirement. Having grown up with very little money, he has managed to become one of the richest MMA fighters in the world and he’s not frugal when it comes to spending his fortune. Besides the luxury cars that include a Lamborghini and a McLaren, and bagging the newest Patek Philippe watch, he owns a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3103304/conor-mcgregor-bought-kanye-wests-old-versace-robe-us3?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3103304/conor-mcgregor-bought-kanye-wests-old-versace-robe-us3?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Sep 2020 06:00:07 +0000 In a first, the Tour de France winner wore a face mask on the podium on Sunday, bright yellow to match the colour of the iconic jersey so snug on his young shoulders. But at least there was a winner. Three weeks ago, when 21-year-old Tadej Pogacar set off with 175 other competitors that he ended up beating, not even race organisers were sure they would make it through the storm of France’s worsening coronavirus epidemic and reach Paris. “Really, I was scared we wouldn’t get to the end,” race... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3102311/tour-de-france-slovenias-tadej-pogacar-becomes-youngest-champion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3102311/tour-de-france-slovenias-tadej-pogacar-becomes-youngest-champion?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 21 Sep 2020 00:12:33 +0000 The world’s greatest cycling race will culminate in a triumphant procession into Paris on Sunday after a 21-stage jaunt around France that provided thrills, spills, heroes and chokers while outsprinting the dark shadow of Covid-19. After 3,400km of intense racing, stage 21 of the Tour de France starts with a parade for the winners of the various categories before a pulsating finale of eight laps around the iconic Champs Elysees in Paris. The task of leading the peloton into the French capital in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3102263/tour-de-france-champagne-ice-tadej-pogacar-leads-peloton-arriving?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3102263/tour-de-france-champagne-ice-tadej-pogacar-leads-peloton-arriving?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Sep 2020 04:18:53 +0000 Tiny Slovenia is on edge. Two of its own, Primoz Roglic and Tadej Pogacar, go into the last two stages of the Tour de France first and second in the general classification. Neither has won the Tour before. If one of them does this weekend, they will also be the first champion from Slovenia. The nation of just two million people, known more for its alpine skiers, ski jumpers and basketball players such as NBA star Luka Doncic than cyclists, is expected to come to a standstill on Saturday as it... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3102201/tour-de-france-slovenias-primoz-roglic-and-tadej-pogacar-lead?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3102201/tour-de-france-slovenias-primoz-roglic-and-tadej-pogacar-lead?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 19 Sep 2020 04:26:29 +0000 Ireland’s Sam Bennett completed his set of Grand Tour victories when he prevailed in the 10th stage of the Tour de France on Tuesday. The Deceuninck-Quick Step rider, who already had three Giro d’Italia and two Vuelta stage wins to his name, narrowly outsprinted Australian Caleb Ewan and Slovakian Peter Sagan for his first win in cycling’s biggest event. “I’m in shock,” a tearful Bennett told Tour television afterwards. “I just want to thank the whole team ... everybody it took to get to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3100759/tour-de-france-irelands-sam-bennett-wins-stage-10?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3100759/tour-de-france-irelands-sam-bennett-wins-stage-10?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2020 15:30:08 +0000 All team members, riders and staff have undergone a coronavirus test and further participation in the Tour de France depends on the results that will be announced hours before the start of the 10th stage on Tuesday. The members of the “teams bubble” had until 11am (GMT) on Monday, the Tour’s first rest day, to take a test in the mobile laboratory provided by organisers. In an email to teams, the International Cycling Union (UCI) said the team doctors had until 10am on Tuesday to download the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3100620/tour-de-france-participants-face-tense-wait-covid-19-test-results?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3100620/tour-de-france-participants-face-tense-wait-covid-19-test-results?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 08 Sep 2020 03:25:11 +0000 Slovenians took the laurels on the Tour de France on Sunday as rookie Tadej Pogacar won a Pyrenean mountain slog and his compatriot Primoz Roglic grabbed the overall lead. Overnight yellow leader Adam Yates of Britain made a valiant effort to keep hold of the yellow jersey but fell gradually away on the final climb as the gradient hit 12 per cent. Pre-Tour contender Roglic has been the form man this season and after Sunday’s second place finish leads defending champion Ineos leader Egan Bernal... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3100475/tour-de-france-primoz-roglic-takes-lead-tadej-pogacar-grabs-stage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3100475/tour-de-france-primoz-roglic-takes-lead-tadej-pogacar-grabs-stage?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 07 Sep 2020 03:36:01 +0000 Nans Peters scored a first home stage win on the Tour de France on Saturday with Britain’s Adam Yates clinging on to the overall lead on a tough Pyrenean stage that caused an unexpected shake-up on stage eight of 21. Chief among the day’s victims was fancied French climber Thibaut Pinot, who dropped out of the race for the overall standings entirely on the penultimate climb. Peters achieved his win over three major mountains in the presence of French Prime Minister Jean Castex, producing a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3100413/tour-de-france-adam-yates-clings-yellow-jersey-amid-mountain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3100413/tour-de-france-adam-yates-clings-yellow-jersey-amid-mountain?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Sep 2020 03:59:53 +0000 The main hope of a home Tour de France win in 35 years Thibaut Pinot said on Saturday he had arrived at a “turning point” in his career after a dramatic stage eight meltdown in which he lost 15 minutes. A brooding and emotional man with a tattoo reading “only victory is beautiful” on his arm Pinot has pulled out of the race four times in his six previous attempts, but the French public love him. “My back hurts so much I can hardly pedal,” said Pinot, who fell and was run over on Nice’s Promenade... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3100410/tour-de-france-french-hero-thibaut-pinot-describes-meltdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3100410/tour-de-france-french-hero-thibaut-pinot-describes-meltdown?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 06 Sep 2020 03:40:24 +0000 Wout Van Aert picked up a second win of the 2020 Tour de France on Friday as aggressive tactics and crosswinds combined to produce an enthralling race that claimed several victims. British rider Adam Yates retained the yellow jersey while Peter Sagan took the green points jersey after his Bora team led a carefully plotted and brilliantly executed attack to drop his sprint rivals. The unflappable Yates said he had been expecting an easy day, on what was billed as a straightforward flat run... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3100353/tour-de-france-wout-van-aert-beats-wind-pick-second-stage-win?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3100353/tour-de-france-wout-van-aert-beats-wind-pick-second-stage-win?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Sep 2020 04:09:29 +0000 The Tour de France’s top guns have been biding their time since the Grand Depart on Saturday, making for an uneventful start to the 2020 race, but they have been excused by the race’s technical director, Thierry Gouvenou. On Wednesday, no breakaway was formed in the fifth stage, an almost unprecedented scenario in normal racing conditions, and the favourites held their fire again on a punishing climb during Thursday’s sixth stage. Defending champion Egan Bernal of Colombia and French darling... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3100205/tour-de-france-favourites-biding-their-time-after-tough-year-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3100205/tour-de-france-favourites-biding-their-time-after-tough-year-says?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 04 Sep 2020 04:25:38 +0000 Britain’s Adam Yates reluctantly took the Tour de France’s yellow jersey on Wednesday as overnight leader Julian Alaphilippe was penalised for taking on water in the final 20km, a decision which prompted the Frenchman’s boss to claim “he did nothing wrong”. Mitchelton-Scott’s Yates took advantage of Alaphilippe’s 20-second sanction for receiving a water bottle at the 17km mark as Belgium’s Wout Van Aert won the fifth stage. Taking on supplies from team cars is not allowed in the final 20km for... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3100016/tour-de-france-adam-yates-takes-unwanted-yellow-jersey-julian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3100016/tour-de-france-adam-yates-takes-unwanted-yellow-jersey-julian?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 03 Sep 2020 01:58:16 +0000 After just four stages at the Tour de France, the balance of power is already clearer: Primoz Roglic and his Jumbo-Visma team are looking like the ones to beat. Roglic, the Spanish Vuelta champion, used the race’s first summit finish on Tuesday in the ski resort of Orcieres-Merlette to erase any lingering doubts surrounding his form. Following an impressive collective performance from his teammates, the former ski jumper from Slovenia won a sprint to secure his third career stage win at the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3099863/tour-de-france-roglic-displays-strength-tours-first-mountain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3099863/tour-de-france-roglic-displays-strength-tours-first-mountain?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 02 Sep 2020 05:10:29 +0000 Australian rider Caleb Ewan produced an irresistible late burst of speed to pip a stunned Sam Bennett of Ireland on the finish line of stage three of the Tour de France on Monday. France’s Julian Alaphilippe retained the leader’s yellow jersey after the 198-kilometre stage from the Nice football stadium to the hilltop town of Sisteron in Provence. Ewan, 26, won three stages on the 2019 Tour but started this edition on his backside after a fall on the crash-strewn opening stage. Ewan, known as... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3099686/tour-de-france-caleb-ewan-rockets-bunch-sprint-victory-stage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3099686/tour-de-france-caleb-ewan-rockets-bunch-sprint-victory-stage?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 01 Sep 2020 05:07:18 +0000 A year after thrilling his home nation for a fortnight on last year’s Tour de France, a tearful Julian Alaphilippe produced an almost carbon-copy capture of a stage win on Sunday to claim the overall leader’s yellow jersey once again. On the day’s final climb, Alaphilippe launched a blistering attack to clinch bonus seconds at the summit before a white-knuckle descent to the finish line in Nice also gave him bonus time. Alaphilippe, described by former winner Geraint Thomas during last year’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3099501/tour-de-france-emotional-julian-alaphilippe-takes-yellow-jersey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3099501/tour-de-france-emotional-julian-alaphilippe-takes-yellow-jersey?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 31 Aug 2020 02:58:08 +0000 Ineos rider Luke Rowe said Saturday that the decision to call a truce on the rain-lashed and treacherous opening stage of the Tour de France was the right move and blasted a rival as “stupid” for ignoring it. The stage, which started and ended on Nice’s Promenade des Anglais, was won by Norway’s Alexander Kristoff. However, it was marred by so many crashes that it became a lottery before agreement was reached to slow the pace to avoid further damage. “Whilst you want to race and put on the best... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3099437/tour-de-france-stupid-ignore-opening-stage-truce-says-ineos-rider?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3099437/tour-de-france-stupid-ignore-opening-stage-truce-says-ineos-rider?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Aug 2020 05:18:01 +0000 You don’t have to be a cycling fan to become hooked on the Tour de France. For some, the racing is a sideshow to a three-week grand visual tour of the country. With live coverage of up to eight hours a day (plus highlight programmes) being beamed to almost every corner of the planet, the Tour provides glimpses of France’s most impressive sights and scenery, many of which are rarely seen outside the race coverage. The Tour de France dates back to 1903 and unlike stadium- or track-based sports,... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3099043/tour-de-france-2020-how-watch-who-could-win-and-why-you?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/travel-leisure/article/3099043/tour-de-france-2020-how-watch-who-could-win-and-why-you?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Aug 2020 06:45:07 +0000 On Saturday, August 1 the Belgian road and cyclo cross star Wout van Aert stormed out of the Italian dust clouds of the race entourage to take victory in the famous “Strade Bianchi” (“white” or “dirt road”) classic men’s race in Tuscany. As impressive as his victory was, and that of World Champion Annemiek van Vleuten in the preceding women’s race, it was the fact that the event even happened that was the big story. The race was originally scheduled for early March, but as Italy went into... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/3095797/return-world-tour-cycling-amid-conravirus-and-what-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/3095797/return-world-tour-cycling-amid-conravirus-and-what-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Aug 2020 00:00:13 +0000 Gravel bikes and gravel racing – long-distance off-road biking on thin tyres – could be at risk of losing its soul as cycling’s governing body clamours for a piece of the growing pie. Right from the get-go, races such as the Tour de France and the single-day classics such as Paris-Roubaix have incorporated sectors of dirt, gravel and cobbled roads. More recently, short off-road sections have made a comeback in other professional races, like the Giro d’Italia. That said, these limited gravel or... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/gadgets-gear/article/3049316/uci-set-get-involved-gravel-riding-could-ruin-free-soul?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/gadgets-gear/article/3049316/uci-set-get-involved-gravel-riding-could-ruin-free-soul?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 07 Feb 2020 00:00:15 +0000 Cadel Evans became the first Australian ever to win the Tour de France in July 2011, the greatest race in professional cycling. Two years earlier he had earned the rainbow stripes as world road race champion, making him one of the most successful riders of his generation. He retired from professional racing early in 2015, but has remained in what most mortals would consider as fine racing fettle. On occasions, he comes out to tackle more unusual events for fun. Some of these events have been in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/3033578/tour-de-france-winner-cadel-evans-heads-asia-bucket?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/3033578/tour-de-france-winner-cadel-evans-heads-asia-bucket?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 20 Oct 2019 00:00:14 +0000 Not so long ago, riding more than 100 miles (161km) was considered something of an epic for cyclists, and a century still is an endurance milestone for many. However, things have moved on in the deep-rooted and traditional sport of cycling, and many now consider 100 miles little more than a warm-up pre-breakfast ride. Welcome to the world of ultra cycling, the new benchmark in long-haul cycling, which is gaining pace faster than Slovakian pro rider Peter Sagan on an Alpine descent. Much as with... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/3024380/ultra-cycling-and-bike-packing-are-growing-cyclists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/3024380/ultra-cycling-and-bike-packing-are-growing-cyclists?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Aug 2019 09:06:14 +0000 The Tour de France is one of the biggest annual sporting events in the world, and has risen from once being a Eurocentric race for professional riders to a global phenomenon in the past decade or so. Now, amateur racers eager to put themselves through the same challenge have the chance. There are options for fit weekend warriors to replicate the famous climbs of the tours with many of the thrills and support the pro racers receive. Cyclists will no doubt be able to reel off the names of the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/3022966/cyclists-can-experience-tour-de-france-rise-amateur?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/3022966/cyclists-can-experience-tour-de-france-rise-amateur?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Aug 2019 00:00:13 +0000 Egan Bernal became the first Colombian to win the Tour de France when he retained the overall leader’s yellow jersey after Sunday’s 21st and final stage won by Caleb Ewan of Australia. The 22-year-old Bernal, the youngest rider to win the race in 110 years, gave Team Ineos – formerly Team Sky – their seventh title in the last eight editions. He beat teammate and defending champion Geraint Thomas of Britain with Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk coming home third. Also the winner of the white jersey for... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3020421/tour-de-france-2019-egan-bernal-becomes-first-colombian-win-title?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3020421/tour-de-france-2019-egan-bernal-becomes-first-colombian-win-title?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 28 Jul 2019 19:57:10 +0000 It’s sad to see there is just one Asian rider at this year’s Tour de France, Kazakh racer Alexey Lutsenko of the Astana team. This is despite the sport seemingly pushing so hard to become truly global, and to accommodate rising talent from minority cycling nations. There is just one Chinese rider registered to a World Tour cycling team, Wang Meiyin of the Bahrain Merida squad, and there has only ever been one Chinese rider in the Tour de France, Ji Cheng, who rode in 2013 and 2014, finishing... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/3020005/why-does-tour-de-france-have-so-few-asian-riders-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/3020005/why-does-tour-de-france-have-so-few-asian-riders-and?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 25 Jul 2019 02:32:15 +0000 Cyclists set off last Saturday from Brussels on the 106th edition of the Tour de France, one of Europe’s major summer sporting attractions, and a gruelling 3,460km (2,150 miles) examination that ends in Paris on July 28. Competitors raced southwards from Belgium to Tourmalet, then back up from Limoux northeast towards Val Thorens, before finishing off with the ceremonial 21st stage on the 128km stretch from Rambouillet down to the Champs-Élysées in the French capital. If you happen to be... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3018314/tour-de-france-2019-where-are-best-places-watch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3018314/tour-de-france-2019-where-are-best-places-watch?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Jul 2019 09:00:17 +0000 For cyclists, July equals Tour de France. For three long and hot weeks, the entire cycling world and its fans are glued to their TV screens or lining the roadsides of France to watch the spectacle of the world’s biggest annual sporting event. This year’s race is the 106th edition. It started in Brussels last Saturday and will take 176 riders on a grand tour of France. En route, the peloton will tackle the mighty mountain ranges of the Alps and Pyrenees before finishing on the Champs-Elysees in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/3017725/tour-de-france-asia-style-seven-best-road-bike-climbs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/extreme-sports/article/3017725/tour-de-france-asia-style-seven-best-road-bike-climbs?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Jul 2019 00:00:21 +0000 Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas fell heavily during the fourth stage of the Tour de Suisse on Tuesday, becoming the second high-profile rider to take a massive tumble after Chris Froome’s serious crash last week. But the Team Ineos ace was given the all clear to defend his Tour title next month. Thomas came down heavily in the peloton’s high-pace pursuit of an escape, and was still sitting ashen-faced on the tarmac five minutes later with doctors gingerly examining his shoulder. “As we... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3015093/geraint-thomas-suffers-heavy-fall-tour-de-suisse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3015093/geraint-thomas-suffers-heavy-fall-tour-de-suisse?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Jun 2019 15:25:35 +0000 Chris Froome will miss the Tour de France after being seriously injured in a training accident at the Criterium du Dauphine on Wednesday, Team Ineos leader Dave Brailsford has confirmed. A witness said Froome probably suffered a bone fracture, without giving further details. “It’s clear he’ll take no part in the Tour,” Brailsford told French television while four time Tour de France winner Froome was being treated at the scene in a parked ambulance. “He is in a very, very serious condition,”... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3014238/froome-out-criterium-du-dauphine-after-training-fall?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3014238/froome-out-criterium-du-dauphine-after-training-fall?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 12 Jun 2019 13:08:20 +0000 Tom Dumoulin needed to travel halfway around the world to finally get the victory he deserved as he shone in Sunday’s Hammer Series finale that finished along the Tsim Sha Tsui East promenade. After finishing runner-up in three major events this year – the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and the time trial at the world championships – the top Dutch rider tasted success at last, helping his team Sunweb to victory in the Hammer Chase that included 10 other world tour teams, plus four other... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2168513/victory-last-tom-dumoulin-helps-sunweb-win-hammer-chase-along-hong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2168513/victory-last-tom-dumoulin-helps-sunweb-win-hammer-chase-along-hong?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Oct 2018 12:00:00 +0000 Top Dutch rider Tom Dumoulin says he will focus all his energy on winning his first Tour de France title next year after being forced to settle for second behind Welshman Geraint Thomas in a year that saw him become the bridesmaid in three major races. Dumoulin, who is in town with his team, Sunweb, for Sunday’s finale of the Hammer Series, said the Tour would be his main target for 2019 and that it will have priority over the other grand tours – the Giro d’Italia and the Vuelta a España – so... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2168449/ill-give-tour-de-france-my-best-shot-next-year-says-sunweb-cycling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2168449/ill-give-tour-de-france-my-best-shot-next-year-says-sunweb-cycling?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Oct 2018 13:03:37 +0000 Tour de France runner-up and 2017 Giro d’Italia winner Tom Dumoulin will captain Team Sunweb for next month’s Hammer Series finale, the showpiece event to the Hong Kong Cyclothon which returns to the city for the fourth year. The Hammer Series is a team-based road cycling competition that staged previous legs in Norway (Stavanger) and the Netherlands (Limburg) last summer and Team Sunweb are one of 11 UCI Worldtour teams that will contest back-to-back races – the Hammer Sprint and Hammer Chase –... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2166047/2017-giro-ditalia-winner-tom-dumoulin-confirmed-hammer-series-finale?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/2166047/2017-giro-ditalia-winner-tom-dumoulin-confirmed-hammer-series-finale?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 27 Sep 2018 11:15:30 +0000 Britain’s Geraint Thomas fulfilled his childhood dream by winning the Tour de France on Sunday after the 21st and final stage won by Norway’s Alexander Kristoff. Thomas, of Team Sky, finished the race in Paris with a near two-minute lead on Dutch rival Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) to secure his first yellow jersey, with teammate and four-time and defending champion Chris Froome finishing third at 2:24. “It’s still not sinking in, it’s incredible,” said Thomas, looking gaunt and tired after three weeks... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2157372/tour-de-france-2018-geraint-thomas-fulfils-childhood-yellow?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/2157372/tour-de-france-2018-geraint-thomas-fulfils-childhood-yellow?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jul 2018 20:05:38 +0000 Briton Geraint Thomas is set to win his maiden Tour de France after holding on to the overall leader’s yellow jersey in the penultimate stage on Saturday to tighten still further Team Sky’s merciless grip on the race. Barring an accident in the procession to the Champs-Elysees on Sunday, the 32-year-old Welshman will give the team their sixth title in seven years after Bradley Wiggins in 2012 and Chris Froome in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Froome had been the favourite to retain his title but he... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/2157342/tour-de-france-2018-geraint-thomas-poised-title-chris-froome?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/2157342/tour-de-france-2018-geraint-thomas-poised-title-chris-froome?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Jul 2018 08:52:00 +0000