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Road Cycling

Tour de france top speed | riders hit a huge 130kph / 81mph on stage nine of le tour, so the tour de france top speed is higher than the speed limit on the motorway....

What’s the best part of cycling? Going downhill! Obviously. We’re not saying that the odd-ascent can’t be enjoyable, but it’s the views at the top and the promise of the slope swapping around that often gives you – or give us anyway – the will to push on up.

Chris Froome hit the nail on the head recently when he raced to a spectacular descent victory on stage eight of the Tour de France , stating after: “I felt like a kid again, just trying to ride my bike as fast as I could.” And that’s it. At the end of the day, the reason we ride our bikes is for it’s fun.

Now, you might think that the Tour de France would be a place slightly void of fun – what with the brutal Tour de France crashes , the likes of Alberto Contador’s crash , and Chris Froome punching a Tour de France spectator on that same stage eight to get him out of the way – but alas, as long as there are downhills there is always going to be fun. And man, do they tackle those downhills fast.

IAM Cycling sprinter Leigh Howard blew a lot of minds in the cycling community when he showed that at one point during stage nine of the race he was riding at a full 122.7kph. The Australian was chasing the pack back after a full-bike replacement, tweeting that he was “#shittingmyself” later on as he smashed 75mph on a road bike.

But Howard’s crazy effort wasn’t even the Tour de France top speed on stage nine of the Tour. Below are a few stats to remember for next time your friends ask ‘what is the top speed in the Tour de France?’

Jeremy Roy later showed that he had managed to set a high speed of 127kph/79mph on the descent of the Cote de la Comella, while Marcus Burghardt of BMC took the bragging rights managing to aero-tuck his way to 130.7kph/81.2mph.

Just stop and consider that for a moment. Seriously. These three guys all broke the British speed limit for driving on a motorway, while riding a road bike. Think how terrifying that would be if you were in the saddle. You’d feel less stable than the British government and faster than Boris Johnson running away after the Brexit vote.

Seriously though, if Burghardt had been going that speed on the motorway in a car he probably would’ve been pulled over by the police, so needless to say the riders all broke the speed limit of the local French mountain roads. We somehow don’t think they’ll be getting any fines.

If you consider then that the German road cyclist finished 31 minutes down on stage winner Tom Dumoulin and Jeremy Roy only seven minutes quicker though, it certainly puts into perspective how difficult it must be to actually win a stage of the Tour de France 2016.

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Tour de France 2021: The 8 fastest sprinters to watch

Ewan, Sagan, Démare, Van Aert and Cavendish all feature on our rundown of the Tour's top sprinters

The 2021 Tour de France kicks off on Saturday and, while much of the discussion ahead of the race has centred on the likes of Tadej Pogačar, Primož Roglič and the other GC contenders , there will be plenty more going on beyond the battle for yellow over the next three weeks.

A major storyline set to begin early on, and run through the race, is the competition for sprint supremacy and the green points jersey. A possible eight flat sprint stages are scattered throughout the three weeks, with the first coming on stage 3 and the finale coming on the Champs-Élysées on July 18.

There's an inordinate number of chances for the fast men to fight for victory this year and consequently a long list of potential stage winners – even considering the absence of big names such as Sam Bennett, Pascal Ackermann, Elia Viviani, and Giacomo Nizzolo.

Here, we take a look at all the major names set to do battle in the sprint stages in France, from Chateauroux to Carcassonne and Pontivy to Paris.

Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal)

• Tours raced: 2
• Palmarès: 51 wins. 11 Grand Tour stages, including five at the Tour

The Australian kicks off his second Grand Tour of the 2021 season with stage wins already under his belt from the Giro d'Italia and his eye on more at this year's Tour and Vuelta a España. Ewan is hoping to become only the fourth rider to achieve that triple , following Miguel Poblet (eight wins in 1956), Pierino Baffi (six wins in 1958), and Alessandro Petacchi (15 wins in 2003).

He's off to a good start after winning two of the eight stages he started in Italy before a knee injury forced him out of the race, much to the chagrin of Eddy 'not like in my day' Merckx. He has three other wins to his name in 2021, too, including a stage of the UAE Tour and two at the recent Baloise Belgium Tour.

In short, Ewan is still among the very top tier of sprinters in the peloton, and arguably the best. The other man with a major claim to that title, Sam Bennett, won't be taking part due to a knee injury of his own. Meanwhile, Pascal Ackermann was left out of Bora-Hansgrohe's squad.

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That all leaves the path not exactly clear, but certainly clearer than it would otherwise have been, for Ewan to stamp his authority on the Tour. There are eight flat sprint stages at the race, including six in the first two weeks, and a tough opener in Brittany on Saturday which should only suit the most versatile of sprinters.

It's likely that Ewan will be at his best on the flatter stages later on. A shot at green could even be on the cards, though lead-out man Roger Kluge recently said that it's all about the wins.

Last year he had some troubles with his new lead-out train, but things are more dialled-in now, and, even if things don't run smoothly, Ewan can win improvising alone, as we saw at the Giro. He is outright team leader in France and has Brent Van Moer, Jasper De Buyst, and Kluge racing with him, so it would be a shock if Ewan doesn't add to his five Tour stage victories over the next three weeks.

Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ)

• Tours raced: 4
• Palmarès: 83 wins. Milan-San Remo, two Tour stages, five Giro stages and the points jersey

Former French champion Démare has racked up the wins in the past two seasons, taking a career-high 14 victories in 2020 and adding eight so far this season. Sure, he's padded his palmarès a little at smaller races such as the Tour Poitou-Charentes and Boucles de la Mayenne , but the 29-year-old looks to be in his sprinting prime.

Among those 22 wins since last August are nestled four stages of last year's Giro d'Italia. Démare beat Michael Matthews, Peter Sagan, Elia Viviani and Fernando Gaviria at last October's race, taking the maglia ciclamino in the process.

He'll face off against the first two of those men at the Tour as he looks to add to his two stage victories in the race, taken back in 2017 and 2018. Démare certainly has the speed, and he has a strong lead-out train, too, with Ignatas Konovalovas, Stefan Küng, Miles Scotson and Jacopo Guarnieri all set to work on his behalf.

After capturing the points jersey at the Giro, he'll be keen to try for green here, too. He has the speed, the experience and the team to do it, and we'll soon get an idea whether it's possible.

Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain Victorious)

• Palmarès: 29 wins, plus the recent 2021 Dauphiné points jersey

The newly crowned Italian champion is certainly the form sprinter heading into the Tour and he is part of the form team after some of the stunning displays Bahrain Victorious riders have put in over the past month.

At the Critérium du Dauphiné, Colbrelli finished twice three times and won a stage and the points jersey in a dominant display. He looks to be in the form of his life and only confirmed that with his victory on the hilly National Championships course in Imola, beating climber Fausto Masnada to the line on a day where only one other man finished within two minutes of the leading duo.

He could be a candidate for yellow on Saturday, though the three-kilometre, 5.7 per cent climb to the finish in Landerneau would test even the most versatile of men on this list to the limit. On the flip side, though, the Tour's sprint stages look to be largely devoid of any hilly difficulties in the finals.

For a rider who thrives on tougher stages as opposed to pan-flat pure sprint shootouts, that could be a problem for Colbrelli. To illustrate, his best results at the Tour – a pair of second places in 2018 – came on hillier finishes won by Peter Sagan, and he's more frequently seen in fourth or fifth place on the flat finishes.

The question, then, is whether Colbrelli's uptick in form can bring him to the speeds of Ewan or Démare. If he can win on the flat stages, and if he takes an interest in the intermediate sprints, he will be a real candidate for what would be his third points classification win in a row after Romandie and the Dauphiné.

Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe)

• Tours raced: 9
• Palmarès: 118 wins. 18 Grand Tour stages, including 12 at the Tour and seven green jerseys

The Slovakian, who will be back in his national jersey at this year's race after winning the title by over three minutes last week, is the king of the green jersey. He has seven under his belt and he's joint-16th on the Tour stage wins list with 12.

It's hard to doubt Sagan when it comes to Tour de France sprinting, though some have crept in over the past couple of years. From eight wins in 2018 – including three at the Tour – he slumped to four in 2019 and just one last year – that famous Giro breakaway win.

He's having a better year so far in 2021, with three wins to his name, though the sprint fields he beat in Catalunya, Romandie and the Giro weren't as tough as this Tour line-up.

Still, despite Sagan having lost some top-end speed, he can be relied upon to battle it out in the intermediate sprints and fight through to the end of a Grand Tour, while also nipping away in a break or two to collect points while other sprinters languish in the autobus.

At the Giro he took a stage win and finished in Milan with the points jersey. A repeat of that in France would indeed be a very good three weeks' work for Sagan.

Tim Merlier (Alpecin-Fenix)

• Tours raced: 0
• Palmarès: 15 wins. Six this year including a Giro stage

28-year-old Merlier began his debut Grand Tour, this year's Giro d'Italia, with a bang, sprinting to victory on the first road stage in Novara. The win, ahead of Giacomo Nizzolo and Elia Viviani, has so far been the crowning glory on an impressive opening half of the season.

Along with the Giro win, he has four others on his palmarès, all at Belgian semi-classics, including Le Samyn and the Ronde van Limburg. The cyclo-crosser has been making steps each year recently as his road programme has ramped up and a stage win at the Tour would certainly represent another shift up.

Merlier also has two other fast men on his team at their debut Tour in the shape of new signing Jasper Philipsen and a certain Mathieu van der Poel. Philipsen took out Scheldeprijs, plus two stages and the points jersey at the Tour of Turkey, while we all know what Van der Poel is capable of.

In truth, it wouldn't be a surprise to see any of the trio take a win at the Tour, with Van der Poel aiming for yellow on the uphill finish in Landerneau on Saturday as well as being a plausible green jersey challenger. His Olympic priorities, however, might put an end to that.

If the team can manage the chances for Merlier and Philipsen and come away with a win – in addition to whatever Van der Poel comes up with – the race will be a success.

Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma)

• Palmarès: 22 wins. Milan-San Remo, three Tour stages

After recovering from a bout of appendicitis and subsequent appendectomy back in May, Van Aert has been publicly playing down his chances of success at the Tour.

At the end of May he said going for yellow in the first week wasn't a realistic goal anymore, but sounded a more upbeat tone after outsprinting Edward Theuns to win the Belgian road race title last week, in what was his first race since April.

He said that it was his best sprint of the year in terms of numbers and the goal of yellow, or a stage win , or both, is back on. He will, once again, be at the beck and call of team leader Primož Roglič in the GC-facing stages, though, meaning a tilt at green looks out of the question.

Teammate Mike Teunissen did what Van Aert is aiming for – an opening stage win – in Brussels two years ago. Since then, he's endured a tough two seasons thanks to training camp crashes but finished fourth at the Dutch National Championships and provides another sprint option for the GC-focussed team, which is a rarity in such a squad in modern cycling.

Michael Matthews (Team BikeExchange)

• Tours raced: 5
• Palmarès: 37 wins. Eight Grand Tour stages, including three at the Tour and a green jersey

Matthews is looking for his first win since rejoining BikeExchange this season, but he's a big-race rider and never ends a season without a WorldTour result on his victory list.

Of Matthews' past 28 wins, 24 of them have come at WorldTour-level races, with eight of those coming from the three Grand Tours. However, he hasn't won a Grand Tour stage since the 2017 Tour de France, where he went on to win the green jersey, becoming one of only two men to break Sagan's stranglehold in recent history.

In the past month, the Australian has finished sixth at the GP Kantons Aargau and taken fourth on stage 3 at the Tour de Suisse. They're decent results, but nothing to suggest he's likely to dominate the sprints in France.

As more of a versatile fast man, who enjoys hillier stages and tough conditions, Matthews is another who might not be overjoyed at how flat so many of the sprints look at this year's Tour. Still, he's a quality rider and always grabs a big win somewhere during the year. Why not here?

Mark Cavendish (Deceuninck-QuickStep)

• Tours raced: 12
• Palmarès: 151 wins. Milan-San Remo, 48 Grand Tour stages including 30 at the Tour and points jerseys at all three

The 30-time Tour stage winner will on Saturday complete an unexpected return to the Tour , three years since his last appearance at Le Grand Boucle . Sure, it took a knee injury for reigning green jersey Sam Bennett for Cavendish to get a spot in the Belgian squad, but he is here on merit and would be an outright sprint leader were he on several of the other teams at the Tour.

After enduring a tough couple of years to end his stint at Dimension Data, including the spectre of retirement raising its head last October, he has bounced back in some style in 2021. 

Cavendish has taken five wins, including four at the Tour of Turkey. Earlier this month he beat Merlier, Ackermann and Ewan at the Baloise Belgium Tour, while he also has a podium at Scheldeprijs to his name. It's already his best season since 2016, where he took the most recent quartet of his Tour stage haul.

Another four would see him equal Eddy Merckx's Tour stage wins record, though of course nobody is expecting that. Backed up by the best lead-out train in the world – Tim Declercq, Kasper Asgreen, Davide Ballerini, and Michael Mørkøv – he has a real chance of adding to his 30 wins and he'll certainly be the most closely monitored sprinter at the race.

Best of the rest

Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo): More of a Classics man than a pure sprinter, but he took two second places last year. One to watch, while teammate Jasper Stuyven and Edward Theuns are also fast finishers.

Cees Bol (Team DSM): A stage runner-up last year and Paris-Nice stage winner in 2021. He has a nice lead-out but isn't quite at the top level of sprinters yet.

Christophe Laporte (Cofidis): No Viviani for the French squad this year, so Laporte takes the reins. Impressed at Paris-Nice and in the Classics but would do extremely well to win a stage.

Danny Van Poppel (Intermarché-Wanty Gobert): He has a Vuelta stage win to his name, but that was six years ago, and a sprint win here would be a big surprise result.

André Greipel (Israel Start-Up Nation): After a tough few years, Greipel has been back to winning ways in Spain. Can he add to his 11 Tour stage wins at the age of 38 without a full lead-out though?

Bryan Coquard (B&B Hotels p/b KTM): Something of a sprint nearly-man, Coquard has five Tour stage podiums to his name, no WorldTour career wins, and hasn't won since 2019. This might be a 'now or never' Tour for him. 

Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team TotalEnergies): He has 3 Tour stage wins, dating back to 2017 and 2011, and was second on a sprint stage last year but has been extremely quiet since moving teams. A result here would be a shock, quite frankly.

Dan McLay / Nacer Bouhanni (Arkéa-Samsic): It's unclear who will lead in the sprints, though Bouhanni has historically been faster. The Frenchman could win one on his day, but hasn't looked especially threatening since his ban.

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Dani Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Prior to joining the team, they had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly and Rouleur.

Dani has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France, World Championships, and the spring Classics. They have interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Mathieu van der Poel, Remco Evenepoel, Demi Vollering, and Anna van der Breggen.

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The tour de france’s greatest ever sprinters, from pelissier to cavendish, the fast men forever etched into tour de france history.

Mark Cavendish started the Tour de France for the tenth time this year, and with four stage wins reminded everyone of just how good a sprinter he is.

Cavendish was named the Tour’s greatest ever sprinter by L’Equipe in 2012 with no other sprinter winning as many stages of the race as the Manxman – in fact, following his stage six victory in Montauban, the only man with more Tour stage wins than him is the great Eddy Merckx with 34.

Add to that his points classification win in 2011, and the yellow jersey he finally pulled on after stage one of this year’s race, and you can see why L’Equipe afforded Britain’s most successful male professional cyclist such an honour.

But if Cavendish is the greatest ever, how do all the other great sprinters to have raced the Tour de France in its 103 editions compare?

We’ve picked out nine of the greatest fast men ever to take on the Tour. Are there any you would add to the list?

Mark Cavendish (GBR) – 2007 to present

Mark Cavendish made his Tour de France debut in 2007, during which he suffered two crashes and abandoned as the race headed into the mountains. It was an inconspicuous start given what was to follow.

Despite only riding the first 13 stages of the following year’s Tour – due to training for the 2008 Beijing Olympics – Cavendish picked up his first four stage wins in the race before bagging six in 2009 and five apiece in 2010 and 2011.

Riding for the HTC-HighRoad team, he and his lead-out train were simply untouchable at their best as Cavendish bagged the green jersey in 2011, crowning his win with a victory on the Champs-Elysees.

His era of dominance ended thereafter, but – in the jersey of world road race champion – he won three times in his solitary season with Team Sky, twice in his debut year with Omega Pharma-QuickStep and last year went clear into third place on the list of all-time wins thanks to his 26 th career triumph.

And just as he was being written off in some quarters, the Manx Missile  added four more wins to his  palmares in 2016, to go second in that list behind Merckx and pull on the yellow jersey for the first time.

Tour de France stage wins: 30* Tour de France points classification wins: one (2011)

Andre Darrigade (FRA) – 1952 to 1966

Frenchman Andre Darrigade has been dubbed the greatest French sprinter of all time by Raphael Geminiani with his phenomenal speed (and stamina) earning him 22 stage wins in his illustrious career.

Darrigade’s sprinting style meant he could win sprints from far back, often opting to lead out bunch finishes and ‘challenging others to pass him’, according to journalist Rene de Latour.

Darrigade’s sprinting ability didn’t just earn him stage wins either, with him wearing the yellow jersey 16 times in all too – winning the opening stage of the Tour in four consecutive years between 1956 and 1959, and again in 1961.

The Frenchman also twice won the points classification, in 1959 and 1961, and remains one of only six riders to have bagged 20 or more stage wins at the Tour.

Tour de France stage wins: 22 Tour de France points classification wins: two (1959, 1961)

Mario Cipollini (ITA) – 1993 to 1999

Exuberant Italian Mario Cipollini’s sensational sprinting exploits may have been more centred on the Giro d’Italia, but he still found time to win 12 Tour de France stages and spend time in the yellow jersey.

Cipo ’s well-publicised dislike of the mountains meant he never contested the green jersey, and his teams not being invited from 2000 to 2003 – despite him being world champion at the time of the latter race – also didn’t help.

He sits in the Tour record books, however, having won the race’s fastest ever stage in 1999 as part of his post-war record four consecutive stage wins.

But regardless of the bare statistics, few can doubt Cipollini was one of cycling’s greatest ever sprinters, not just at the Tour.

His 42 Giro d’Italia stage wins remain a record, and with his Tour and Vuelta a tally added to that, his career tally stands at 57 Grand Tour stage wins.

Tour de France stage wins: 12 Tour de France points classification wins: none

Erik Zabel (GER) – 1995 to 2008

Where Cipollini opted not to contest the green jersey at the Tour de France, Erik Zabel monopolised the points classification at the turn of the millennium.

The German won the green jersey six years in a row, from 1996 to 2001, and also celebrated 12 wins in all – picking up two on debut in 1995 and collecting his final victory in 2002.

Like Peter Sagan today, Zabel picked up points with a serious of consistent finishes on the sprint stages and could climb better than his fellow sprinters too.

But where Sagan has struggled to win stages, Zabel had no such problems – no German rider has won more stages, despite Andre Greipel and Marcel Kittel closing in fast.

Tour de France stage wins: 12 Tour de France points classification wins: six (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001)

Freddy Maertens (BEL) – 1972 to 1981

With Eddy Merckx and Roger de Vlaeminck dominating the Belgian cycling scene, it was going to take somebody pretty special to steal the limelight.

And while Merckx’s achievements on the road remain unparalleled, Maertens at least gave the Belgian faithful a new hero to celebrate – when he was not feuding with the more popular Cannibal at least.

Maertens was primarily a sprinter, but versatile enough to win the 1977 Vuelta a Espana – where he won 13 stages – and his Tour de France record stacks up well too,

Three times he claimed the green jersey, with his 1976 victory arriving courtesy of a record-equalling eight stage wins – five of which were from sprints and three against the clock.

Tour de France stage wins: 16 Tour de France points classification wins: three (1976, 1978, 1981)

René Le Grevès (FRA) – 1933 to 1939

René Le Grevès’ 16 Tour de France stage wins are all the more remarkable when you consider how short his professional career proved to be.

Journalist Jean-Paul Ollivier has dubbed him the Tour’s greatest sprinter, and he was certainly the greatest of the later interwar years – not least between 1934 and 1936 when he collected 14 of those 16 victories.

He was also crowned French champion in 1936, his annus mirabilis as he won six times at that year’s Tour before his star began to wane a little.

Le Grevès’ final stage win came in 1939 before the Tour was cancelled due to the war. The Parisian-born sprinter survived the war but died in 1946 in a skiing accident.

Tour de France stage wins: 16 Tour de France points classification wins: N/A (not run until 1953)

Robbie McEwen (AUS) – 1997 to 2010

Australian fast man Robbie McEwen was the first of his countrymen to win the points classification – something he achieved three times in his career.

McEwen relied on tactical nous and all-out pace rather than a sprint train as such, but that didn’t stop him clocking 12 Tour de France stage wins in all.

His first arrived on the Champs-Elysees in 1999, while his victory in Paris again in 2002 was enough to see him usurp six-time points back-to-back points classification winner Zabel.

He also wore the yellow jersey for a single day in 2004, before recovering from two bad crashes to win a stage and bag his second green jersey.

McEwen’s final stage win in 2007 was all the more remarkable because he recovered from a late crash to return to the bunch and win the kick to the line – proving not only his resilience but his sprinting speed.

Tour de France stage wins: 12 Tour de France points classification wins: 2002, 2004, 2006

Djamolidine Abdoujaparov (UZB) – 1990 to 1997

Uzbekistani sprinting legend Djamolidine Abdoujaparov did not earn the nickname “The Tashkent Terror” for nothing.

Abdoujaparov’s sprinting style was unorthodox to say the least – at worst, it was erratic and dangerous – but it was also clearly effective as he clocked nine stage wins.

Winner of the points classification three times, in 1991, 1993 and 1994, Abdoujaparov claimed the green jersey on the first of those occasions despite a now infamous, high-speed crash during which he hit the barriers on the Champs-Elysees and had to beat the pain barrier to win the stage unaided.

Not all of Abdoujaparov’s victories came from sprints – in fact his last at the Tour, in 1996, was a breakaway in the mountains – but there was no doubting where is best ability lay until his 1997 retirement.

Tour de France stage wins: nine Tour de France points classification wins: 1991, 1993, 1994

Charles Pelissier (FRA) – 1922 to 1939

Former French ‘cross champion turned sprinting extraordinaire Charles Pelissier reached his zenith in the 1930 Tour de France, one year on from his first Tour stage win.

Now, some 86 years on from that 1930 race, there is still no rider who has bettered his eight stage wins – despite Merckx and Maertens both matching it.

Pelissier’s record is all the more incredible when you consider he also finished second on seven occasions that year – there was no green jersey at the time, but you can guarantee the Frenchman would have won by a country mile had there been.

The following year he ‘only’ won five – wearing the yellow jersey for the second time in consecutive years early in the race.

Pelissier won twice more, at the 1935 Tour de France, before at the age of 36 the war curtailed his professional career.

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Top 10 Sprinters at 2021 Tour de France

Mathew Mitchell

• Published on June 22, 2021
• in Men's Cycling

Mark Cavendish

Team: Deceuninck-Quick Step 2021 Victories: 5 Tour de France Stage Wins: 30

Table of Contents

Mark Cavendish is back! 2nd only to Merckx in terms of stage wins and 1st when you take out time trials, Cavendish is statistically the best sprinter in the Tour de France ever. His last stage victory came back in 2016 and it’s been a hard road back to form for the British rider. He needs 4 stages to catch Eddy Merckx which feels ambitious, it could be his last chance.

Peter Sagan

Team: Bora-Hansgrohe 2021 Victories: 4 Tour de France Stage Wins: 12

The king of the green jersey was dethroned in 2020 for the first time since a controversial disqualification in 2017. Sagan has won the green jersey 7 times, including 5 straight from 2012 to 2016. Despite reports that he’d lost a yard of pace compared to his rivals, Peter Sagan continues to win races. He took the points jersey at the Giro d’Italia this season and will want to repeat that at the Tour de France.

Team: Lotto Soudal 2021 Victories: 5 Tour de France Stage Wins: 5

Ewan is a tough sprinter to rely on. At times he appears to be the world’s best but then will suddenly go missing in action. He took 2 Giro d’Italia stages earlier in the year before controversially (to some) leaving the race. Caleb Ewan won 2 stages in 2020’s Tour de France but would dearly like to win in Paris again like he did in 2019’s race.

Wout van Aert

Team: Team Jumbo-Visma 2021 Victories: 5 Tour de France Stage Wins: 3

Free Wout! It feels like Van Aert has a great shout to stroll to victory in the green jersey competition. However, he’s been press-ganging into service for Primoz Roglic’s GC ambitions at the Tour de France. The cyclocross world champion took his first Tour de France in 2019, beating the likes of Viviani, Ewan and Sagan in a straight sprint. He got let off the leash to perform a similar job in Stage 5 last season before taking advantage of the absence of sprint specialists to win the lumpy Stage 7. We’ll certainly see brief flashes of what Van Aert can do.

Arnaud Demare

Team: Groupama-FDJ 2021 Victories: 8 Tour de France Stage Wins: 2

Demare is some people’s top tip for the green jersey in this year’s Tour de France. He’s been more successful in the Giro d’Italia previously, with 5 stages in the last two years thereafter eschewing the Tour since 2018. The 2020 Giro d’Italia points jersey winner has been in good form in 2021, taking 8 victories and will take on Sagan in the battle for green. Demare won 3 stages at Boucles de la Mayenne, which also saw him win the GC and points jersey.

Tim Merlier

Team: Alpecin-Fenix 2021 Victories: 6 Tour de France Stage Wins: 0

There’s a bit of a battle for sprint supremacy on the Alpecin-Fenix team. Merlier has been successful with 6 wins this season, although they’re largely in tough Belgian one-day races rather than stage races. He’s got the small matter of Mathieu van der Poel on his team who will want opportunities and also Jasper Philipsen will be knocking on the door too. In an ideal world all 3 would combine into an amazing lead-out train but that feels unlikely.

Sonny Colbrelli

Team: Bahrain-Victorious 2021 Victories: 3 Tour de France Stage Wins: 0

Colbrelli is being seen as a great shout for the green jersey in this year’s Tour de France despite not taking a stage victory in 4 previous editions. His impressive form at the Tour de Romandie and Criterium du Dauphine saw Colbrelli take the points jerseys at both races and a stage victory in each race. His consistency is what people have noted though, with 4 more second places. That used to be the preserve of Peter Sagan at his peak at the Tour, where numerous 2nd places would set up a tilt at the green jersey in Paris.

Mads Pedersen

Team: Trek-Segafredo 2021 Victories: 1 Tour de France Stage Wins: 0

The former World Champion is coming into his own as a similar but better version of Tim Merlier. After winning Gent Wevelgem last season he followed that up by winning Kuurne Brussels Kuurne at the start of 2021. That run of form continued with podiums of 2 stages at Paris Nice and then 2nd at the Bredene Koksijde Classic. Pedersen is a better shout on tough days for the sprinters rather than the flat, drill to the line.

Bryan Coquard

Team: B&B Hotels p/b KTM 2021 Victories: 0 Tour de France Stage Wins: 0

Bryan Coquard is a bit of a budget Peter Sagan. He does a great job in the Coupe de France races but has never taken a grand tour stage victory. His best run was in 2016 where he hardly seemed to be out of the top-10 in the first week and looked to be giving Sagan a run for his money. A switch of teams meant he wasn’t seen at the tour de France until 2020. He returned to his old ways with 6 top-10 finishes.

Nacer Bouhanni

Team: Team Arkea Samsic 2021 Victories: 0 Tour de France Stage Wins: 0

It’s somewhat surprising that Nacer Bouhanni has never won a Tour de France stage. He’s taken 3 stages each at the Giro and Vuelta but circumstances have intervened at the Tour. Bouhanni famously missed the 2016 Tour de France after getting into a hotel altercation that needed an operation. His last Tour was in 2017 as Cofidis favoured other riders. Bouhanni also got into trouble in 2021, getting suspended for 2 months after sticking Jake Stewart in the barriers back in March. He’s only just returned to racing and was 5th behind Cavendish and Merlier in the Belgium Tour.

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For sprinters, there is perhaps only one prize greater than a stage victory in the Tour de France, the green points jersey. This summer, the world's best sprinters will once again descend upon France to treat fans to the most high-stakes pack finishes of the year. 

Join  PRO  to watch the  2021 Tour de France  live and on demand in Canada on FloBikes. Exclusive highlights and content will be available to our worldwide audience!

Peter Sagan , the seven-time winner of the points competition, was considered unbeatable until Sam Bennett dethroned him in 2020. Sagan's versatility and Bennett's power combined with the backing of his Deceuninck – Quick Step team make them the two favorites for the green jersey. 

However, there are no shortage of sprinters to contest stage wins, many of whom may also take a run at the overall points competition. Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal), Alexander Kristoff (UAE Emirates), Arnaud Démare (Groupama FDJ), Wout Van Aert (Jumbo Visma), and Mathieu Van Der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), are all heavyweight favorites for the bunch kicks.

The 2021 route will feature eight sprint stages. The first of which arrives on stage three, finishing in Pontivy. Many of the stage opportunities will favor the pure sprinters, giving Sam Bennett a chance to defend his title. After Stage three and four in Brittany, the other flat stages include stage six finish in Chàteauroux, Stage 10 in Valence following the rest day, stage 12 in Nîmes, 13 in Carcassonne, 19 in Libourne, and the traditional grand finale on the Champs-Élysées in Paris for stage 21. Here is our breakdown of each sprint stage.  

Stage 3: Lorient – Pontivy, 182km

The battle for green commences on stage 3 beginning in Lorient, the birthplace of the 2017 King of the Mountain winner, Warren Barguil . However, with a flat parcours favoring the pure sprinters, the French climber will be thoroughly outgunned on his home roads.

The riders embark on the 182 kilometer trek facing 2 category climbs before the run in to the stage finish in Pontivy and the first real test of the points classification. Pontivy is the birthplace of current UCI President David Lappartient, making its Tour debut. 

The first sprint stage of the Tour de France may not be a straightforward day for the peloton. The coastal region of Brittany carries an ever-present risk of crosswinds and foul weather. Teams of sprinters and GC riders alike will be on high alert in the opening stages, attempting to keep their leaders near the front of the race and out of trouble.

Stage 4: Redon – Fougères, 152km

Redon returns to the Tour de France, after a 10-year hiatus hosting a stage finish in 2011 that saw American Tyler Farrar win his first and only Tour stage. The short, 152 kilometer stage is the only part of Brittany yet to be visited by the race. 

While a pack finish is expected, the exposed and technical roads of Brittany will once again make for a stressful approach.

The finish in Fougères boasts the Chateau de Fougères, the largest medieval fortress in all of Europe. After 700km of racing, the Tour bids farewell to Brittany before the first time trial on stage 5. 

Stage 6: Tours – Chàteauroux, 144km

Borrowing well-known roads from Paris-Tours, the winds will likely be the big factor of the day in the final 75 kilometers. The domestiques will have their hands full, protecting their leaders and delivering them to an expected bunch or reduced group sprint. 

The finish in Chàteauroux was the setting of Mark Cavendish ’s first of 30 stage wins at the Tour de France. He would win again at Chàteauroux in 2011. The 1600m finishing straight is tailor made for the pure sprinters, but timing will be everything. 

Stage 10: Albertville – Valence, 186km

After three days racing at altitude, the riders will leave the mountains behind to begin stage 10 in the Olympic city of Albertville, the host city of the 1992 Winter Olympic games. 

Domestiques will once again have a hefty job ahead, protecting their leaders against the winds of the plains in the final 20km before the finish in Valence. 

The regularly hosts both the Tour and Critérium du Dauphiné. Last visited by the Tour in 2018, the 3-time World Champion Peter Sagan took one of his 12 stage wins in Valence, inching out Alexander Kristoff and Arnaud Démare for victory. 

Stage 12: Saint-Paul-Trois-Chàteaux-Nîmes, 161km

The scenic stage 12 follows the Gorges de l’Ardèche, a first for the Tour de France. The sinuous canyon road culminate in what is expected to be a bunch sprint in Nîmes. 

The ‘Pocket Rocket’ Caleb Ewan , was the most recent victor in Nîmes, winning a bunch sprint ahead of Elia Viviani and Dylan Groenewegen in 2019. Alexander Kristoff also notched a stage victory here in 2014. 

Stage 13: Nîmes – Carcassonne, 220km

The peloton departs Nîmes and its Roman arenas, which are considered to be some of the most well-preserved in the world, for another sprint stage. 

Stage 13 sends the peloton due west for a 220 kilometer race that deposits the peloton at the base of the Pyrenees. A similar route was used in the Tour 15 years ago, but in 2021 it has been made 30 kilometers longer.  

Race organizers explained the change at the route presentation in November, following the advice of former riders to avoid traffic furniture. “Safety is our priority,” Race Director Christian Prudhomme said. The citadel and ramps of Carcassonne will provide the backdrop for the finishing sprint.

After the celebrations in Carcassonne, sprinters will hunker down and focus on survival in the upcoming mountain stages.

Stage 19: Mourenx – Libourne, 203km 

Stage 19 begins in Mourenx for the first time in nearly 30. Sprinters that survived the mountains will be rewarded with a flat finish in Libourne as the points classification begins to wrap up. Racing fans will recall Eddy Merckx performance here in 1969, and Jacques Anquetil’s triumphant time trial victory in Libourne in 1957. 

Stage 21: Chatou – Paris Champs-Élysées, 112km

Stage 21 of the Tour de France begins as a celebration for the yellow jersey winner, and finishes in the Super Bowl of bunch sprints.

Chatou will host the start of the Tour's traditional final stage into Paris for the fourth consecutive year in the department of the Yvelines, and will continue doing so until 2023. 

Yvelines is clearly a region that loves cycling. In addition to its commitment to the Tour's iconic 21st stage, Yvelines has hosted the start of Paris-Nice for the past ten years now, and will welcome all cycling disciplines for the 2024 Summer Olympic Games.

The traditional parade and celebratory beginning of the stage will transition into full blown racing as the peloton flies past the Louvre's iconic glass pyramid en route to the stage's finishing circuits.

Sprint teams get down to business as the pelton enters the eight-laps circuit, which takes riders around the Arc de Triomphe, down the bone-jarring Champs-Élysées, around les Tuileries and the Louvre, across the Place de la Concorde and back to the thrilling sprint finish on the Champs-Élysées to conclude the 108 edition of the Tour de France.

• Mark Cavendish
• Wout van Aert
• Mathieu van der Poel
• Arnaud Demare
• Peter Sagan
• Dylan Groenewegen
• Sam Bennett
• Elia Viviani
• Alexander Kristoff
• Warren Barguil

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How Does a Tour de France Sprint Work?​

​Your guide to the organized chaos that is a Tour de France sprint finish

(For more cycling tips and secrets explained, subscribe to Bicycling magazine today!)

Catching the Break

We have a whole separate piece on the breakaway , but we’ll recap shortly here: primary responsibility for holding a steady gap to a breakaway lies with the race leader’s team. But protocol, sportsmanship, whatever you want to call it, holds that on days that are likely sprint finishes, sprinters’ teams also contribute a rider each to the chase. They may contribute more than one as the race goes on, particularly if the break is proving more unruly than expected and harder to catch.

The riders who perform this thankless task are as essential as they are invisible –sturdy rouleurs like Lotto-Soudal’s Adam Hansen, who can put out dependably high power for hours on end.

RELATED:  How to Watch the Tour de France

The 2017 Tour is the first in history to have all stages broadcast start to finish; typically, broadcasts would show only the final two or so hours, meaning that the yeoman’s work of holding a steady gap takes place entirely outside the TV audience’s view. When you see riders from teams like Lotto-Soudal, Quick Step and Katusha finishing far down the standings in the “grupetto” even on flat stages , remember: they’re not out of shape or sick; they just did a lot of work early in the race that you didn’t see.

As the race gets closer to the finish, the pace creeps up. An ideal catch comes with roughly 10-20 km to go. Once the catch is made, the sprinters’ teams will keep the pace very high, to discourage counterattacks from developing. At this point, the race will be traveling at about 50 kilometers an hour.

Catching a Train

With about 10km to go, you'll see the team “trains” start to form. These are four-to-six rider pacelines that move to the front of the peloton and lift the pace even higher. There are three goals: discourage breakaways by holding a pace so fast that solo riders can’t get clear; keep their team’s designated sprinter protected up front, where there’s less risk of crashes; and keep that sprinter in good position for the final showdown.

RELATED: Peter Sagan Disqualified from Tour de France After Crash with Mark Cavendish

Early on in a train, the sprinter’s teammates will rotate through a paceline, trading pulls, but from 10km down to about 1km to go is a chaotic time in the race. One team will hit the front hard with five riders, and things will briefly organize behind them. Then another team’s train will come forward and overhaul the first. Or the first train will somehow disintegrate as one or more riders discovers that they don’t actually have the legs that day to produce the supra-threshold efforts they need to.

Power files, which you’ll sometimes see posted to training sites like Strava or TrainingPeaks or SRM, can be fascinating ways to understand this crucial point in the race. In 2016, SRM analyzed Stage 1 power for Christophe LaPorte, the leadout man for Cofidis who became the team’s sprinter when Nacer Bouhanni didn’t start; LaPorte’s mean power for the last three kilometers was 499 watts, with an average speed of 68 kph. In the last 2km, it jumps to a massive 607 watts— and keep in mind that as a leadout rider those values are largely before the final, frenzied 30-second bunch sprint.

RELATED: Every Stage of the 2017 Tour de France Analyzed  

Catch the Right Wheel

As these trains duel, crashes are a constant risk as riders jostle and bump for position. Remember that one of the roles of a train is to keep a sprinter in protected position, especially in the final two kilometers, when the train leads out the sprint. A leadout works like a single-pull paceline, where each rider in line does a max-effort pull and then swerves off and fades back into the pack— kind of like segments coming off of a launching rocket when their fuel is spent. At the end of the line is the sprinter, who will sit relatively protected from the wind until the final 200 meters, when he opens his own sprint. (Again, protection from the wind is relative here, as you can see from LaPorte’s power numbers the last few minutes of the race.)

RELATED: The 2017 Tour de France's Green Jersey Competition Is Wide Open

Leadout trains can seem like fine-tuned machines, but there’s a lot that can go wrong. A sprinter can get bumped off the wheel of his teammate and lose contact with his train. He can get squeezed and have to brake, and lose precious position in the pack (sprinters want to be in the top 20 or so riders entering the final kilometer). Or the train itself may lose momentum if even one rider is tired and can’t sustain quite the same pace. And of course, there’s also usually a fight to get on the back wheel of whichever sprinter is thought to have the best form or chance that day.

Trains can form and fall apart in the matter of seconds, even as the race shifts and morphs all around like a murmuration of starlings. Complicating things is that not all sprinters have leadout trains. You’ll see BMC’s Greg Van Avermaet , for example, mixing it up in some sprint finishes, but his team is focused on protecting overall contender Richie Porte , not delivering him to the front.

RELATED: Stage 5 Daily Dish: Why Was BMC on the Front?

When the television coverage switches to an overhead shot, particularly right after the finish when they show a slow-motion replay, watch for the green jersey as he looks for the right wheels to follow and tries not to get boxed in between two slower riders, or between a rider and the barriers. Watch also for the way that these riders fight to defend a position, or take it from another rider. Live and at full speed, it’s easy to miss; it’s often easier to see during the replay. But the little nudges with the head, dropping an elbow over another rider’s elbow to assert position, or shouldering past another rider are, as much as raw power, the stuff of which great sprinting is made. Sprinters' bike-handling skills are literally marvelous.

Catch a Win

Into the last 500 meters, typically the trains have been reduced to maybe one teammate, in the throes of a final, desperate, hypoxic lunge. This is the leadout rider. The leadout is a decent sprinter (like LaPorte, or Dimension Data’s peerless Mark Renshaw), but their value lies in producing an acceleration that is almost as high as their teammate can muster. At the last possible moment, the sprinter slingshots out of the draft and goes around the leadout for the win. That’s the theory, anyway. If everything in your leadout train goes perfectly to plan, you might win 30 percent of the time (that’s according to Rolf Aldag, a former leadout man who’s now a director at Dimension). That’s what riders like Quick Step’s Marcel Kittel look for; Kittel in particular benefits from a textbook leadout; his team has one of the best and when it’s clicking, he’s tough to beat. (So is Lotto-Soudal’s Andre Greipel.)

RELATED: Marcel Kittel Wins 2017 Tour de France Stage 7 in Photo Finish

But leadout riders aren’t robots, and all sprints are different. Sometimes the train fizzles too far from the line, leaving a sprinter exposed to the wind. Or the sprinter mis-times his or her jump, going to early and flaming out, or going too late running out of real estate before the finish line comes. That’s when things get messy. Stages that finish on slight climbs , or into headwinds, are notorious for messy sprints. At that moment, it’s every sprinter for himself, and that’s where riders like Sagan and Cavendish excel.

The winning margins in sprints are sometimes so small that photo-finish cameras must be used to determine a winner. Stages have been won and lost by less than the width of a tire, which is why in the final few meters, you’ll see the riders throw their bikes forward toward the finish line.

Sprint stages overall aren’t always the most exciting to watch; sometimes the action can seem static, the tactics inscrutable. But there’s little in sports that surpasses the thrill of those last few frenzied kilometers: the catch, the leadouts and the final dash to the line.

RELATED: 14 Questions You've Always Had About the Tour de France

Sprint Trivia

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10 Tour de France top tips to sprint like a pro

First Published Jul 23, 2023

Going fast is what attracts many people to cycling with the feeling of speed being addictive. Tour de France sprinters are a unique type of rider and they not only possess tremendous speed but are also willing to take some big risks. But, what can you learn from the sprinters at the Tour de France about how to get really fast and how to set up your bike for pure speed?

Pic above: Zac Williams SWpix.com

Sprinters are capable of generating explosive speed over short distances but having the best sprint at the end of a road race is about more than just having the highest peak power. 

Tour de France sprinters must also have the endurance to climb the high mountains and complete every stage if they want to be in with a chance of winning on the Champs-Élysées.  

Your bike setup, positioning and tactics all have a part to play so here are 10 top tips to sprint like a pro and get you the win at that next town sign sprint. 

1. Gears that work properly 

> All the gear? Check out the gearing choices of the pros at the Tour de France

First and foremost, to be able to unleash the best sprint you can you're going to need to trust your drivetrain. A drivetrain that's in good working order should shift seamlessly with silky-smooth pedalling. 

However, this isn't always the case because your chainrings, cassette and chain can all wear which leads to poor shifting and lost efficiency. If you find your chain skipping a gear this could also be because your gears aren't indexed properly. 

You need to be able to trust your drivetrain fully so that when you decide to put the power down, you can 100% go for it. 

Even the pros sometimes have problems. On Stage 7 of this year's Tour de France, Mark Cavendish reported that he had a problem with his gears while sprinting, eventually finishing second to Jasper Philipsen.

2. Choose the right gear for the job

> Should you run a 1x set-up on your road bike?

After ensuring your gears are working properly, you're going to want to choose the right gear for the job. When you're coming into the final few hundred metres of a road race you'll often hear people changing down their gears which is a good indication they could be about to launch something. 

Sometimes it's better to choose a gear sooner rather than later so that you have time to react and can start putting the power down as soon as possible. The gear you choose should have enough resistance in the drivetrain to allow for the burst but you will likely have to shift down the cassette once you get on top of the gear. 

Many recreational riders will have a 50x11 or 52x11 as their largest gear ratio, (it'll depend on the brand of groupset used as well as the individual's preference) but the pros these days normally ride with a 54-tooth outer chainring with the sprinters often going for something even larger.

3. Decide where the wind is coming from 

> Beat the wind on your bike: 7 route planning hacks to increase average speed and make windy rides more enjoyable

Wind conditions can significantly affect sprinting performance, and adapting accordingly is vital. Sprinters at the Tour de France will employ strategies to navigate windy conditions during sprints and are fortunate in that they often have a team around them who they can draft. 

If, like most of us, you don't have a team around you, you'll need to decide where the wind is coming from before you start your sprint. If there's a headwind you should leave your sprint late and if there's a tailwind you can risk going earlier.  

4. Get yourself a Van der Poel 

> Canyon unveils Mathieu van der Poel edition Aeroad CFR

Jasper Philipsen has been powering to stage victories at this year's Tour de France, but this wouldn't have been possible without his lead-out man Mathieu van der Poel. 

Speaking of lead-outs, getting yourself a sprint train is a great way to go faster. Rope in a few friends and set them to the task. They might not be too keen at first, but you can usually bribe them with cake.

Doing some lead-outs with friends is great fun with each person’s turn getting shorter and faster until you finish it off with a glorious dash to a random sign on the edge of town.

5. Deep wheels 

> Are expensive carbon wheels worth it? Testing deep carbon rims vs classic aluminium

Switching to deeper wheels isn't always necessary but Tour de France sprints happen at speeds of over 60km/h so aerodynamics are exponentially more important and the margins of victory are small. 

If you take a look at a photo finish image from a sprint stage, you’re unlikely to see any wheels under 40mm deep in the top 10.

Using deeper wheels can be more aero, making it easier to hold onto speed. Deep wheels can also be far stiffer than shallower-section wheels, and that comes in handy when bikes are getting thrown around in a sprint finish.

6. Get low at the front

The easiest way to make yourself faster and bring up your speed is to get more of yourself out of the wind. The most aero bike on the planet isn't going to help a great deal if your body – which is responsible for the vast majority of drag – is acting like a giant sail to hold you back.

Sprinters often have long and low front-end setups that allow them to get head low when going for the line. Mark Cavendish (who has crashed out of the Tour this year) has a lower peak power than some of his sprint rivals, but he is able to tuck himself down very low to reduce resistance.

Be careful with going low. You might be far faster for 100m, but throwing your back out just to reach the drops won't do you any good. If you are moving your position, take things slowly with incremental changes.

7. Tighten up your shoes 

> Check out the best road cycling shoes 2023 

Many riders have rituals and something you see many sprinters doing is turning the dials on their shoes a few clicks before a big sprint. 

This isn't necessarily the most comfortable for a full day in the saddle, but a more secure shoe is favoured at higher power outputs.

8. Grippy bar tape

> Check out the best bar tapes for cycling 2023 

Grippy bar tape provides a secure and firm hold on the handlebars, improving the control and handling of the bike which is essential for Tour de France sprinters when they're manoeuvring through non-existent gaps at high speeds. 

A stable grip on the handlebars also facilitates efficient power transfer and so grippy bar tape allows you to exert force without worrying about your hands slipping. 

9. Specific training

> Can you get fit by cramming all of your riding into the weekend?

You can also do efforts on and off the bike to increase your peak power. On the bike, work can consist of a mix of high-speed sprints with a fast cadence and standing starts where you power a big gear up from almost stationary to top speed. Throw in a few sprints for town signs and you've got yourself a basic training session.

Off the bike, you can head to the gym to pump some iron. You can walk past all the big boys doing bicep curls and head straight for the squat rack and leg press machines.

Seeing as most of us are rather useless at lifting weights, you'll want to work on technique first to avoid injury before building the weight slowly.

10. Momentum is your friend 

A sprint can come down to millimetres so it might seem crazy to hear that leaving a gap between you and the rider in front could be exactly what you need to win a sprint. 

Whilst there's a time and a place for sitting tight on the wheel in front to hide from the wind, there are also times when it's good to leave a gap, often referred to as 'rushing the gap' or 'a slingshot'. 

A gap between you and the person in front gives you the opportunity to launch your sprint while still in their draft and by the time you need to come out of the wind to go past them, you will have reached a far greater speed and likely be moving too fast to be caught. 

Which tips will you be using to help you win your next town sign sprint? Let us know in the comments section below... 

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Without doubt, the best way to make my bike go faster in a sprint is to get someone else to ride it.

This also applies to climbing and, indeed, any other type of cycling or terrain.

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Tour de France 2023 – Robbie McEwen’s sprinter rankings as Mark Cavendish given 1% chance of stage win

Updated 30/06/2023 at 11:30 GMT

Eurosport expert and 12-time Tour de France stage winner Robbie McEwen ranks the top sprinters at the 2023 Tour de France. But anyone hoping for a Mark Cavendish victory on his swansong appearance are about to have their bubble of optimism burst, with McEwen claiming there are a group of fast men more likely to win a stage than the Manx Missile. Still, he’s happy to be proved wrong…

Cavendish on 'irrelevant' Tour de France record and admiration for 'legend' Thomas

Van der Poel crosses line in Roubaix Velodrome to seal dominant win

• Cavendish exclusive: Tour de France 'is my life' but record is 'irrelevant'
• Tour de France stage guide as Pogacar and Vingegaard chase yellow
• Yellow jersey guide and ratings: Can anyone topple Vingegaard and Pogacar?

1. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin–Deceuninck)

Jasper Philipsen.

Image credit: Getty Images

2. Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal–Quick-Step)

Fabio Jakobsen.

3. Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco–AlUla)

Dylan Groenewegen beats his compatriot Fabio Jakobsen for the third stage of the Tour de France

4. Caleb Ewan (Lotto–Dstny)

Image credit: Eurosport

5. Mads Pedersen (Trek–Segafredo)

Mads Pedersen wins Stage 6 at the Giro

6. Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan)

Mark Cavendish of Astana Qazaqstan during the team presentation of the 110th Tour de France 2023 at the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao / #UCIWT / on June 29, 2023 in Bilbao, Spain

Pedersen admits absence of Stuyven and Kirsch for Tour of Flanders a 'pain in the ***'

29/03/2024 at 19:52

Pedersen outsprints Van der Poel for second Gent-Wevelgem win

24/03/2024 at 16:52

Philipsen 'begged' Van der Poel for help, thanked team-mate after Milano-Sanremo win

17/03/2024 at 10:17

Tour de France 2022: Jasper Philipsen wins Stage 21 sprint

Jasper Philipsen was first over the finish line as Jonas Vingegaard sealed a Tour de France victory that he and Denmark can be proud of

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Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) won the Stage 21 sprint on the Champs-Elysees to close out the 2022 Tour de France.

It was a frenetic last 3km or so, with the trains forming to lead out their sprinters. The lead out men were used up early and the sprinters gathered near the front.

The sprinters were spread across the width of the road, with Dylan Groenewegen (BikeExchange-Jayco) going early on one side but he couldn't match the kick of Philipsen on the other side of the Champs-Elysees.

Rounding out the top 10 after an amazing Tour de France was Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious), what an amazing race the young British rider has had.

Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), a favourite for the day, had disappeared from the front of the race before the sprint kicked off. It became clear why he'd done so later, when he crossed the line arm-in-arm with his team – the yellow jersey of Jonas Vingegaard in the centre.

The stage was the usual spectacle we've become used to for the final stage of the Tour: photos, champagne, faux-attacks and plenty of posing for the cameras as the peloton made its way from somewhere near Paris to the Champs-Elysees.

But no one was complaining and we'll all be back in front of our televisions to watch again next year.

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Once the remaining riders in the 2022 Tour de France hit the famous boulevard, and had eight laps to go before the final crossing of the finish line, the pace went up and the race was on.

The attacks started and were either brought back quickly or always kept under control by the sprinters' teams before the final sprint.

Stage 21 at the 2022 Tour de France: Textbook final stage

Rolling out from not very far from away from the finish line, Stage 21 of the 2022 Tour de France ventured away from the centre of Paris to take in some sights and allow for the obligatory photoshoot of the jersey winners (and wearers) celebrating with champagne at the head of the peloton.

The only jersey wearer, but not winner, was Simon Geschke (Cofidis). The involuntary Miss Havisham was forced – by convention and contract – to wear the polka dot jersey since losing his lead in the competition on Stage 18, by which point there was no chance of recovering it.

At the flag drop, white jersey and second overall Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), green jersey Wout van Aert and this year's overall winner Jonas Vingegaard (both Jumbo-Visma) attacked off the front. Smiles on the faces of the former pair, possibly considering just going clear, were not matched by the latter, Vingegaard, who more likely wanted an easy day and to leave the riding to the sprinters' teams.

Jumbo-Visma rolled to the front and in a touching gesture held up the race numbers of their three teammates who started but did did not finish the 2022 Tour de France.

Ineos Grenadiers dropped off the back of the peloton to have a team photo, with all eight starters still present, to celebrate winning the team classification.

While they were posing with their yellow helmets and yellow numbers, the six Danish riders who will make it to the final finish line in Paris had a chat off the front for a while, posing for the cameras.

Geschke popped up again, riding over the KOM line to take the one point available on today's stage ahead of a slow moving peloton. He waved at the fans and smiled, proving he's a good sport.

The posing and backslapping stopped on the first passage of the finish line, which marked eight laps of the Champs-Elysees between the riders and the end of the 2022 Tour de France.

Several riders attempted breakaways, bumping all over the mini-cobbles as they tried to get a gap over the peloton. Stan Dewulf (AG2R Citroën) and Stefan Bissegger (EF Education-EasyPost) got away first before being joined by a few more riders.

First of those riders were Jan Tratnik (Bahrain Victorious), Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) and Daniel Felipe Martínez (Ineos Grenadiers).

With the sprinters' teams on the front of the main bunch, the doomed break's advantage barely flickered above 10 seconds. It didn't last long and they were back in the fold.

EF Education-EasyPost, with a lack of an out-and-out sprinter, were the most active as they launched again. Maximilian Schachmann (Bora-Hansgrohe) joined the EF pair of Owain Doull and Jonas Rutsch on a little ride around the Champs-Elysees. A two-up time-trial from Groupama-FDJ made its way to the head of the race to put a bit more fire power into the doomed enterprise.

With 25km to go they had 20 seconds over a fast moving peloton. Doull was the first to surrender to the inevitable but the remaining quartet kept the pressure on the pedals before falling away one-by-one. Schachmann and Rutsch were last to be caught with 6.9km to go – as the bell was rung was the final lap.

Maybe tired of the non-competitive nature of the final stage, Pogacar followed an attack from the Ineos duo of Geraint Thomas and Filippo Ganna to go about seven metres clear for no more than a minute; a good bit of excitement for the final lap.

From there we were into the lead outs, with the surprise (and disappointment) of seeing Van Aert going backwards through the group making it clear that he wouldn't be competing in the sprint.

His reasoning became clear after Philipsen had won: Jumbo-Visma crossed the line as a team, arm-in-arm.

Tour de France 2022: Stage 20 results

1. Jasper Philipsen (Bel) Alpecin-Deceuninck, in 2-58-32 2. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) BikeExchange-Jayco, at the same time 3. Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux, st 4. Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo, st 5. Peter Sagan (Svk) TotalEnergies, st 6. Jeremy Lecroq (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM, st 7. Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Bora-Hansgrohe, st 8. Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto-Soudal, st 9. Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Arkea-Samsic, st 10. Fred Wright (GBR) Bahrain Victorious, st

Final General classification of the 2022 Tour de France

1. Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma, in 79-33-20 2. Tadej Pogačar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates, at 2-43 3. Geraint Thomas (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7-22 4. David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, at 13-39 5. Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus) Bora-Hansgrohe, at 15-46 6. Nairo Quintana (Col) Arkea-Samsic, at 16-33 7. Romain Bardet (Fra) Team DSM, at 18-11 8. Louis Meintjes (RSA) Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert Matériaux, at 18-44 9. Aleksey Lutsenko (Kaz) Astana Qazaqstan, at 22-56 10. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers, at 24-52

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Jack Elton-Walters hails from the Isle of Wight, and would be quick to tell anyone that it's his favourite place to ride. He has covered a varied range of topics for Cycling Weekly , producing articles focusing on tech, professional racing and cycling culture. He moved on to work for Cyclist Magazine in 2017 where he stayed for four years until going freelance. He now returns to Cycling Weekly from time-to-time to cover racing, review cycling gear and write longer features for print and online.

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Mark Cavendish Top Speed – (Revealed! + 7 Facts)

By: Author Martin Williams

Posted on Last updated: March 19, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click an affiliate link and make a purchase, I may earn a commission. Also, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.--

Mark Cavendish is known as the fastest cycling sprinter in the world. But what is his top speed?

Mark Cavendish has a maximum recorded sprinting speed of 48.47 MPH (78 km/h) . This is cycling on the flat with no wind assistance. Cycling downhill and with wind assistance he would be able to go significantly faster than this – somewhere up t 60mph.

In this post, I’ll take a look at:

• The top sprints in Mark Cavendish’s career
• Some other famous cyclists top speeds
• Some unusual speed cycling records
• A few other facts about Mark Cavendish and his career

Mark Cavendish Top Sprints

Mark Cavendish is known as an outstanding and brutal sprinter and finisher.

Some of his greatest sprints include:

Tour de France 2010 – Stage 20 – Cavendish was a part of the leading pack until about 300 yards from the line when he suddenly accelerated ludicrously past the whole peloton and claimed another stage

Giro d’Italia 2013 – Stage 13 – This was an absolute nail-biter, where Cavendish claimed it on the line.

Milan – San Remo 2009 – This was one where he pipped his opponent on the line. His opponent was leading up until the final couple of yards and had been weaving this way and that across the road to block him.

World Championships 2011 Road Race – A prestigious win, and another really close race, where his superior sprinting abilities held out at the very end.

Tour de France 2012 – Stage 18 – This is possibly my favorite I’ve seen. Cavendish comes from miles back, slipstreaming several riders, and then in the end taking the Stage comfortably.

To check out these brilliant finishes, then check out this video:

Other Famous Cyclists Top Speed

Although cycling is not a sport that readily collates a lot of speed records, here are a few to give you an overview.

Eddy Merckx won the Tour de France five times. His fastest Tour de France was in 1971 where he had an average speed of 23.6mph (38km/h).

In 197s, Eddy Merckx set the record for the furthest distance travelled in one hour at 49.431km (30.7 miles). This would make his average speed during this time 30.7 miles per hour.

Lance Armstrong (later banned for doping), had an average speed of 25.9mph in the 2005 Tour (his fastest).

The current official hour record is 30.88 miles (49.7 km) which was recorded by Ondrej Sosenka.

More Unusual Cycling Speed Records

In the pantheon of cycling records, there are a range of truly bizarre ones!

These include cycling down volcanoes, over snow on downslopes, and first being towed by vehicles up to a speed of 100mph.

Here are a few of the more incredible ones that I found on Wikipedia: ( Source )

The Secret Of Mark Cavendish’s Speed

All elite cyclists have two characteristics: endurance and drive.

Cycling is arduous, and after you have been pedaling for hours, you must be able to maintain your motivation. Cavendish, Bradley Wiggins, and Marcel Kittel are said to adopt strategies such as visualizing how they would win the race to maintain their mental strength.

Professional cyclists must also pace themselves during a race. While it is normal to desire to push oneself hard at the start of a race to gain an advantage, the lactic in your thighs will cause your muscles to exhaust more quickly.

It is preferable to keep a steady pace and raise your speed approaching the finish line; the last lap.

Mark Works equally on his endurance and his sprinting. He has to maintain a level of freshness in his legs that will help him attack the end of the race.

His Training Regiment

Mark once informed Men’s Health journal that regular training is the key to success. Cavendish’s missile moniker would not have been earned without significant work and perseverance.

He states that exercise is his full-time occupation, spending 30 to 40 hours each week on the bicycle and the remainder of his time on weight training.

Cavendish focuses on his core as well as upper body strength while he is not riding his bike since he cannot strengthen these areas by pedaling. Increase your strength like Mark Cavendish by consistently doing plank exercises, crunches, and jackknifes, and by performing push-ups, pull-ups, and weightlifting.

Cavendish practices toward the conclusion of his normal rides in order to enhance his sprinting skills. To maintain his pace, he runs one or two runs over a length of around 300 meters, which is longer than competition sprints.

This provides Cavendish with confidence in his ability to complete the requisite distance at a high pace.

Cavendish, whose most popular name is “Manx Missile,” is presently third all-time in Tour de France stage wins, after Eddy Merckx as well as Bernard Hinault.

In 2011, as he was shortlisted for BBC Sports Personality of the Year, he garnered almost half of the citizenry’s votes (49%) and was granted an MBE for contributions to cycling.

At the time of writing, he is a part of the Omega Pharma-Quick Step squad, although he formerly rode for Team Sky, where he helped the team capture the yellow jersey in 2012. In 2010, he was the first ever British cyclist to win the Tour de France Points Classification, when he was awarded the Green Jersey.

For four years, Cavendish became the first rider in history to win the final phase on the Champs Elysees. He enhanced his record by winning the UCI World Road Race Championship and the famous Rainbow Jersey, which Britain had waited 46 years to acquire.

During the 2014 Tour de France, the sprint race in Harrogate may well have thrown the Manx Missile off his bicycle, but he immediately climbed back on and pushed his own psychological and physical limits.

Cavendish resumed racing after only six weeks – under the prescribed recuperation period – after the worst accident of his whole career, which resulted in significant ligament ruptures.

Even if I do not condone training with an injury, we cannot deny our appreciation for his unparalleled commitment to the sport.

Olympic Silver Medalist

Mark Cavendish grabbed Jason Kenny’s Olympic second prize to move towards first class on the return flight to the United Kingdom after returning to Beijing 2008 as just the sole member of Squad GB’s road cycling unit without a medal.

After a string of failures, including heartache in the road race at London 2012, Cavendish was able to win an Olympic second prize in the heptathlon at Rio 2016. “I won my Olympic medal,” said Cavendish, then 31 years old, to BBC Sport. The addition of gold would have completed the ensemble.

Cavendish had stated a desire to race at Tokyo 2020. However, he was not nominated to the British track squad for the world championships; therefore ending his chances of participating in the velodrome at the 2020 Olympics.

Take nothing for granted from Mark Cavendish when it comes to predicting what the Manxman does next.

Could Paris 2024 provide a second chance to win that coveted Olympic gold medal?

Will he return to the Tour in search of the one-stage victory that would propel him to the top of the all-time lists?

His Personality and Personal Endeavors

Cavendish has been regarded as self-assured and even haughty.

He said: When reporters at the Tour française ask me whether I am the greatest sprinter in the world, I respond “Yes, which is perceived as arrogant, but if they do not ask me, I don’t say it.”

Aside from race, he is perceived differently. In everyday life, he is a courteous gentleman. He is not the kind of rider that calls you to complain, as the majority of riders do. He calls to inquire how you are doing!

Cavendish married supermodel Peta Todd on the 5 th of October 2013 in London, becoming a father (born in 2006) out of a prior partner. Together, Cavendish as well as Todd, have 3 children Frey, Casper, and Delilah Cavendish. He owns three residences: a place on the Isle of Mann, one in Essex; as well as a training center in Tuscany, Italy.

In January 2015, Cavendish proposed the construction of a Rise Above Cycling event, a cyclosportive to be held in August 2015 in Chester as well as North Wales.

The College of Chester granted him an honorary degree in science for his contributions to cycling in November 2015.

In April of 2017, he was afflicted with Epstein–Barr virus and spent many months recuperating before competing in the 2017 Tour de France. In August of 2018, he received a second diagnosis of the virus and retired from training and competition to recover.

He Wrote A Book

Boy Racer, his debut book, was released in June and detailed his career to this point.

In a press conference in London before the Tour of France (2009), Cavendish said that the autobiography was too soon to be considered a comprehensive biography and also that his “greatest motive for creating it was to explain me better” because of the way he saw himself in post-stage interviews.

In his opinion, the booklet is “more of a memoir of previous year ‘s Tour stages victories.”

• International edition
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Tour de France: Jasper Philipsen powers to fourth sprint win this year on stage 11

• Belgian in green jersey too strong for chasing pack in Moulins
• No change in general classification on flat stage for sprinters

Jasper Philipsen took his fourth win of this Tour de France , claiming stage 11 from Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins by sprinting clear of his closest rival Dylan Groenewegen, of Team Jayco AlUla, in the final 100 metres.

The Belgian – already a winner in Bayonne, Nogaro and Bordeaux – mastered the fast finish with ease. This despite the absence of his steadfast lead‑out man and Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate Mathieu van der Poel, who was dropped by the bunch, after illness.

“I can win without Mathieu, but of course he makes it more easy,” Philipsen said. “I had to find my wheel [to follow] and it’s also finding the space. It’s hectic and dangerous, but I’m happy I could find a good wheel. Groenewegen opened up early, and I could go over [the top].”

The Tour’s defending champion, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), finished safely in the peloton and retains a 17-second lead over Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates).

A stage earmarked by the sprinters and the baroudeurs ( or breakaway artists) stuck to the script, with a three-man move dominating the proceedings until the last of the trio, Daniel Oss (TotalEnergies) was finally swept up with 13km to race. The speed increased as the riders sped over the Pont Régemortes, bridging the Allier river, despite steady rain falling in the closing kilometres. But Philipsen was always in control and unleashed his power in the final 100m to secure a comfortable victory. He now leads the points classification by 150 points.

With the peloton moving steadily towards the Rhone, before crossing towards the Jura and Friday’s next summit finish on the Grand Colombier, speculation continues on how high Yorkshire’s Tom Pidcock can finish in the General Classification. “You can’t say he couldn’t podium,” Rod Ellingworth, the Ineos Grenadiers deputy principal, said. “I think it’s in reach. He’s in that ballpark.”

Pidcock is eighth overall, almost five and a half minutes behind the race leader Vingegaard. Ellingworth said of Pidcock: “He wouldn’t want to lose any more time to the group below the leading two, but I think [a top-three finish] is possible. I definitely think top five is very realistic.

“He’s got that ability to raise his game on the day. You could see that when he won Strade Bianche. All the guys I know who have that ability, who have won Olympic and world titles, they don’t crumble.”

Meanwhile the uncertainty over Mark Cavendish’s future continues, fuelled by the suggestion from his Astana Qazaqstan team that he postpone his planned retirement until the end of 2024, in order to compete in next year’s Tour. According to his sprint consultant and former teammate, Mark Renshaw, Cavendish is now at home in Essex, awaiting surgery on his fractured collarbone. No decision has yet been taken on postponing his retirement, although it is thought that the 38-year-old will wait a couple of months before making a final call on his future.

While Cavendish ponders his plans, the evergreen Geraint Thomas, second overall in the Giro d’Italia this year and third in the 2022 Tour, is expected to sign a new two-year contract with Ineos Grenadiers. “I think we’re getting there,” Ellingworth said of negotiations with Thomas. “Even without results, his presence is massive. You can’t underestimate what Geraint brings to the team, on the bus, in training camps. The bigger the competition, the better he gets.”

Vingegaard may retain the race lead, but his post-race press conferences are becoming increasingly surreal, as the media continues to chisel at his aloof exterior. Asked to respond to the French newspaper Libération’s suggestion that he struggled with the “impossibility of being in the world”, the Dane looked flummoxed. “‘The impossibility of being in the world?’” he repeated after a long pause. “I don’t even know what that means. That’s a very deep question.” He added: “I guess we all are.”

• Tour de France 2023
• Tour de France

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