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Tour de France 2022 LIVE - Stage 1 result: Yves Lampaert beats Tadej Pogacar and Geraint Thomas to Yellow Jersey
Belgian rider Yves Lampaert won the Tour de France opening stage while two-time defending champion and favourite Tadej Pogacar impressed by finishing third on Friday.
Pogacar placed ahead of his Slovenian countryman and main rival Primoz Roglic, the 2020 runner-up, who was eighth in the time trial. Lampaert is a former world champion in team time trial but this was his first stage win at the three-week Tour. He clocked 15 minutes, 17 seconds on the 13-kilometer (eight-mile) route around Copenhagen. The Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider was five seconds ahead of countryman Wout van Aert — Roglic’s Jumbo-Visma teammate — and seven ahead of Pogacar, who leads UAE Team Emirates. Pogacar was nine seconds clear of Roglic.
Adam Yates and Tour debutant Tom Pidcock impressed on their return from Covid-19, with the Ineos Grenadiers pair 13th and 15th, 16 and 17 seconds off Pogacar’s time respectively. Team-mate Geraint Thomas, who rode the stage in a gilet after forgetting to take it off before the start, was one second further back.
The Copenhagen crowd produced a fine atmosphere in the soggy conditions, with local rider Jonas Vingegaard — Roglic’s teammate and the Tour runner-up last year — sparking wild cheers as he rolled down the start ramp. He placed seventh, one second ahead of Roglic.
Tour de France 2022 - Stage 1
Exclusive interview - Tadej Pogacar: The invisible champion out to win historic third Tour de France
Jumbo-Visma’s Yellow Jersey contenders Primož Roglič and Jonas Vingegaard train in Bjerge near Copenhagen
Geraint Thomas welcomes ‘Grandad’ Bradley Wiggins’ Tour de France underdog tip
GC contender Roglic negotiates slick conditions superbly
Thomas safely negotiates Stage 1 and dangerous, wet conditions
Yves Lampaert stuns Wout Van Aert to win time trial
Thomas not happy with Stage 1: ‘ The first half was the worst cornering I’ve done in a TT'
Lampaert reacts to shock Stage 1 win to claim Yellow Jersey
Tour de France 2022 - Stage 1 leaderboard and standings
Tour de France 2022 Stage 2 preview: Route map and profile
Friday 1 July 2022 19:07 , Jack Rathborn
The Tour de France resumes for Stage 2 on Saturday after Yves Lampaert claimed the first Yellow Jersey in a shock win in a soaked Copenhagen. The Belgian beat out defending champion Tadej Pogacar by seven seconds in an impressive 15 minutes and 17 seconds to beat compatriot Wout van Aert by five seconds.
With GC contenders Primoz Roglic, Jonas Vingegaard and Geraint Thomas all safely negotiating the treacherous conditions, attentions switches to another stage which could be defined by weather.
Stage 2 promises spectacular imagery and, if the wind picks up, plenty of action on the road as the peloton traces the Danish coastline before crossing the majestic Great Belt Bridge.
One of the beauties of the Grand Depart going on Tour is that it throws up totally unknown routes and almost anything could happen on a day like this one. Fierce crosswinds could split the pack and put a serious dent in the hopes of those who come out on the wrong side.
Fabio Jakobsen and Dylan Groenewegen eye Stage 2 win at Tour de France
Tour de France 2022 - Stage 1 result and leaderboard
Friday 1 July 2022 18:59 , Jack Rathborn
Yves Lampaert (Bel) QuickStep-AlphaVinyl 00:15:17
Wout van Aert (Bel) Jumbo-Visma 00:00:05
Tadej Pogacar (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 00:00:07
Filippo Ganna (GBr) Ineos Grenadiers 00:00:10
Mathieu van der Poel (Ned) Alpecin-Deceuninck 00:00:13
Mads Pedersen (Den) Trek-Segafredo 00:00:15
Jonas Vingegaard (Den) Jumbo-Visma 00:00:16
Primoz Roglic (Slo) Jumbo-Visma 00:00:16
Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo 00:00:17
Dylan Teuns (Bel) Bahrain Victorious 00:00:20
Tour de France 2022 - Stage 1: Yves Lampaert reacts to shock win
Friday 1 July 2022 18:58 , Jack Rathborn
Lampaert: “Everybody is free to pedal as hard as he can in a time trial, but to beat Van Aert, Van der Poel, Ganna, it’s unbelievable for me. The roads were still really wet when I went, so I think I had the same conditions as the main favourites. I always thought on the corners, ‘Yves, go faster, trust in your tyres, or you’ll lose seconds in the corners.’
“And in the end I came in 5 seconds up on Van Aert. I think I’ll only realise what I’ve done when the Tour is over and I go back to my family. Or maybe on Monday when I see my girlfriend and my son. I think I have to be proud of myself.
“I’ll be thinking of the team on the podium and also my best friend Tim Declercq, who had to go home [due to COVID-19 - ed.] I really wanted to celebrate this moment with him, even if I didn’t expect to have it. It’s a pity he’s not here.”
Tour de France 2022 - Stage 1: Yves Lampaert wins Copenhagen time trail
Friday 1 July 2022 18:41 , Michael Jones
Tour de France 2022 - Stage 1: Post-race thoughts from Lampaert
Friday 1 July 2022 18:34 , Michael Jones
“My mind is exploding,” said an emotional Yves Lampaert. “I came with expectation that the top 10 would be great but I have beaten all the best. I can’t believe it.
“I’m just a farmer’s son for Belgium, to win a stage in the Tour de France, this is something I could never believe would happen and now I’ve done it. To beat Van Aert, Van der Poel, Ganna ... it’s unbelievable.
“The potholes were full of water and the road was wet but I always thought in the corners ‘Yves, trust your tyres!’ I’m only going to realise when the Tour is over that I will have had the yellow jersey for at least one day. Or maybe on Monday, when I see my girlfriend and child.”
Tour de France 2022 - Stage 1: Yves Lampaert wins Copenhagen time trail
Friday 1 July 2022 18:30 , Michael Jones
Tour de France 2022: Stage 1 leaderboard
Friday 1 July 2022 18:25 , Michael Jones
Yves Lampaert (Bel/Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) 15:17
Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) 15:22
Tadaj Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) 15:24
Filippo Ganna (Ita/Ineos Grenadiers) 15:28
Mathieu van der Poel (Ned/Alpecin–Fenix) 15:30
Mads Pedersen (Den/Trek-Segafredo) 15:32
Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) 15:32
Primoz Roglic (Slo/Jumbo-Visma) 15:33
Bauke Mollema (Ned/Trek-Segafredo) 15:34
Dylan Teuns (Bel/Bahrain Victorious) 15:37
Tour de France 2022 - Stage 1: Post-race thoughts from Lampaert
Friday 1 July 2022 18:22 , Michael Jones
“I have beaten the great Wout van Aert. It’s incredible! I never expected that. For now, I don’t understand. It’s the Tour de France.
“My mind is exploding, I came with the expectation that top-10 would be great but now I’ve beaten the best riders in the world. This is something I never could dream of and I did it.
“I think I have to be proud of myself.”
Tour de France 2022 - Stage 1: Yves Lampaert wins Copenhagen time trail
Friday 1 July 2022 18:18 , Michael Jones
🏆 🇧🇪 @yveslampaert wins the TT in Copenhagen!!
🏆 🇧🇪 @yveslampaert remporte le contre-la-montre inaugural du #TDF2022 ! pic.twitter.com/6BwbaFQSId— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 1, 2022
Tour de France 2022 - Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 18:16 , Michael Jones
The Yellow Jersey is heading the way of Yves Lampaert. Marc Soler eases his way through the course and comes home with a time of 16:45.
Nowhere near challenging enough for the top half of the draw which wasn’t his aim in all honestly.
Tour de France 2022 - Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 18:13 , Michael Jones
15th! A remarkable run from Tom Pidcock sees him cross the line in 15:41, +24s behind leader Yves Lampaert. A very strong start to the Tour from the 22-year-old.
Tour de France 2022 - Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 18:09 , Michael Jones
Britain’s Tom Pidcock was 12 seconds down on Christophe Laporte’s earlier mark through the first time check but he was quicker than Dylan Teuns at the intermediate check point and could be on for a top-10 finish if he finishes strongly.
Tour de France 2022 - Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 18:04 , Michael Jones
Spanish cyclist Marc Soler is last man down the starting ramp while Yves Lampaert remains in the lead and is extremely unlikely to be caught.
Mikkel Honoré is down!
He loses his grip round one of the slippier corners and hits the deck.
Tour de France 2022 - Stage 1: Filippo Ganna reveals puncture
Friday 1 July 2022 18:04 , Jack Rathborn
Filippo Ganna has revealed he suffered a late puncture in the final kilometre, but the Italian has been humble enough to dismiss it as the reason for failing to win today.
“It’s not an excuse, I don’t think I lost because of that, but it went like that,” said Ganna. “The pain in my legs was considerable, I was trying to limit the damage. With the rain, I didn’t feel at my ease on the corners but on the straights I was quite constant. It went like that.
“It was supposed to be dry when I set off, but it was already wet and then it started raining. Like everybody, like Wout and Tadej, we set out early for that reason. We can’t have any regrets. There were just stronger riders today.”
Tour de France 2022 - Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 17:59 , Jack Rathborn
Tour de France 2022 - Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 17:55 , Jack Rathborn
Wout having a good long look at Lampaert's socks... 😃 @OutOfCycling pic.twitter.com/nearJQQAK0
— Ian (@cyclingbetting) July 1, 2022
Tour de France 2022 - Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 17:53 , Michael Jones
Alexey Lutsenko has won a time trial before at stage 5 of the 2014 Tour of Denmark. It was his first pro victory and he also won the ITT at the Critérium du Dauphiné last year.
At present he is 22 seconds slower than Christophe Laporte at the half way mark.
Tour de France 2022: Stage 1 leaderboard and standings
Friday 1 July 2022 17:45 , Jack Rathborn
Yves Lampaert (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) 15:17
Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) 15:22
Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 15:24
Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) 15:28
Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 15:30
Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) 15:32
Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) 15:32
Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) 15:33
Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) 15:34
Magnus Cort (EF Education-EasyPost) 15:38
Tour de France 2022 - Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 17:38 , Jack Rathborn
It’s not what Chris Froome would have hoped for, but the four-time winner is back inside and must settle for 85th.
He’s 1:15 down on that sensational time from Lampaert.
Tour de France 2022 - Stage 1: Bradley Wiggins on Chris Froome
Friday 1 July 2022 17:17 , Jack Rathborn
“The day you underestimate Chris Froome, he will do something at your peril. There’s not as much surface water.
“Chris has a good opportunity here and have a really good ride.
“He wants to put in a good performance and show he’s physically right up there. Wouldn’t it be great to see him win a fifth Tour?”
Tour de France 2022: Stage 1 leaderboard
Friday 1 July 2022 17:07 , Jack Rathborn
1 Yves Lampaert (QuickStep-AlphaVinyl) 15:17
2 Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) 15:22
3 Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) 15:24
4 Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) 15:28
5 Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 15:30
6 Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) 15:32
7 Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) 15:32
8 Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) 15:33
9 Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) 15:34
10 Magnus Cort (EF Education-EasyPost) 15:38
Tour de France 2022: Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 17:01 , Jack Rathborn
New leader!
Yves Lampaert with a stunning ride, topping Van Aert by 4.55 seconds.
The aerosocks will be a controversial topic now. Let’s see now he’s in pole for the Yellow Jersey.
Tour de France 2022: Geraint Thomas reacts to Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 16:54 , Jack Rathborn
“No, not really, the first half was the worst cornering I’ve done in a TT.
“Everybody was saying don’t take risks. I need flow, you don’t have to go fast, but a nice straight line. Nice and smooth. I felt bitty, I was 18-down, behind Van der Poel, I said forget about it and just race.
“A shame about the start. That blinking gillet. Nobody spotted it. I did think about taking it off, but that’d have been dodgy. The main thing is the legs are good.
“I felt really good, in a straight line, I felt like I had power. Mentally that was the toughest TT in a while.”
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 16:46 , Jack Rathborn
Meanwhile, Yves Lampaert is being criticised on the broadcast for his rather long songs.
There is a feeling they do not meet UCI regulations, they are at least half-way up his shin.
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 16:45 , Jack Rathborn
Christophe Laporte is down!
That’s a horrendous fall, he slides a good 5-10m on the wet ground, he only had 4.5km to go.
He’s immediately back up and gets going again, but he can forget the Yellow Jersey now.
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1 top 10
Friday 1 July 2022 16:25 , Jack Rathborn
Lampaert 15’17”
Van Aert +5”
Pogacar +7”
Ganna +10”
Van der Poel +13”
Pedersen +15”
Vengegaard +15”
Roglic +16”
Mollema +17”
Jungels +23”
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 16:21 , Jack Rathborn
Pogacar is 2.48 seconds slower than Van Aert, wow, the Slovenian has beaten Ganna over 13km.
A serious statement from the favourite for the Tour. Real drama in the rain.
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 16:19 , Jack Rathborn
Pogacar is two seconds quicker than Ganna.
Stunning!
Meanwhile Ganna undercuts Van der Poel by almost three seconds. Fascinating.
Pole position for the Italian, a Yellow Jersey in sight.
But here’s Van Aert, he’s flying! He’s 5.67 seconds faster than Ganna, astonishing.
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1: Top 10 times
Friday 1 July 2022 16:12 , Jack Rathborn
1 Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) 15:30
2 Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) 15:32
3 Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) 15:32
4 Primoz Roglic (Jumbo-Visma) 15:33
5 Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) 15:34
6 Bob Jungels (AG2R Citroën) 15:40
7 Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) 15:40
8 Jan Tratnik (Bahrain Victorious) 15:42
9 Michael Matthews (BikeExchange-Jayco) 15:42
10 Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) 15:42
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 16:08 , Jack Rathborn
Ganna is cautious on these corners.
It’s an intense battle for the Italian, he’ll have had great hopes entering today.
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1: Bradley Wiggins update
Friday 1 July 2022 16:05 , Jack Rathborn
“The favourite, my favourite, it’s raining like cats and dogs.
“Conditions aren’t ideal for him, physical and also the skills of these corners.
“He looks his robotic self. This is where the tour starts to get going.”
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 16:03 , Jack Rathborn
Filippo Ganna is out! The favourite, cann the Italian live up to the expectations?
Next up, Van Aert and Pogacar, the big guns!
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 15:58 , Jack Rathborn
Geraint Thomas goes through the finish line +11.77 on Van der Poel at 50.4kmph.
Impressive ride from the Briton, who has navigated a dangerous stage. He’ll be delighted to get back into the warmth.
Roglic was three seconds off Van der Poel, so no damage done for Thomas.
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 15:53 , Jack Rathborn
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 15:46 , Jack Rathborn
Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) shoots up to second and just 1.83 seconds behind Van der Poel.
Impressive, too, from Nairo Quintana, who passes Caleb Ewan.
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 15:45 , Jack Rathborn
Wiggins: “This is the heaviest fall all day. Thomas has kept on his gillet, it’s quite cold, a sign he won’t commit everything to this.
“He didn’t throw caution to the wind. He’s looking gingerly, take it a bit easy, he’s got to do that, it’s three weeks, he doesn’t want to finish on the streets of Copenhagen.
“Thomas is not here to win, it’s a cautious game. A potential podium finish, he could win this race. Fingers crossed for Geraint in these treacherous conditions.”
Tour de France Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 15:43 , Jack Rathborn
Geraint Thomas and home favourite Jonas Vingegaard, two more GC contenders, are next out.
Huge cheers for Vingegaard from the Copenhagen crowd.
Tour de France Stage 1 current standings
Friday 1 July 2022 15:38 , Jack Rathborn
Van der Poel
Roglic 3’
Mollema 4’
Jungels 10’
Tratnik 12’
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 15:36 , Jack Rathborn
Dani Martinez is 30 seconds behind Mathieu van der Poel.
Roglic is 2.5 seconds back and home, 50.9 km/h average speed. A statement from the GC contender.
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 15:31 , Jack Rathborn
Mathieu Van der Poel grabs the early lead, 15:30 at an average speed of 51.1kmph.
Nairo Quintana is out too now.
Roglic looking smooth too, nine minutes in, 0.8 seconds down on Mollema at the check point.
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 15:26 , Jack Rathborn
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 15:22 , Jack Rathborn
Bissegger is down again! A nightmare for the Swiss, Dani Martinez is out for Ineos.
And so is Primoz Roglic, one of the big men to watch.
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 15:18 , Jack Rathborn
Lecroq is first over the line, he clocks 16:19.01.
That’s your reference for the next few hours. He averaged 48.5kmph.
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 15:17 , Jack Rathborn
Bissegger is down! Wow, that was nasty, the Swiss takes a tumble.
A huge blow for one of the favourites. Bradley Wiggins has outlined how dangerous it is out there, but he does maintain there is reward for those who go for it as others hold back.
The former Tour winner says on Eurosport: “He just went down like a sack of, you won’t lose the Tour here, it’s 13km, it’s a real risky one.
“They’d have got word of the crash. It’ll play on people’s minds. Go for it or hold back? There’s enough distance to gain 20 seconds on your rivals. It’ll make it very difficult. It is treacherous.”
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 15:13 , Jack Rathborn
Mathieu Van der Poel is out!
The Dutchman will be eyeing the Yellow Jersey within the first few stages of the Tour.
These are sketchy conditions and there’s more risk than reward today.
Bissegger looked like he almost went down on these greasy roads, but a tidy adjustment and one of the favourites is back under control.
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 15:11 , Jack Rathborn
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 15:10 , Jack Rathborn
Stefan Bissegger is out! The Swiss is second favourite and in bright pink.
Tour de France 2022 Stage 1 odds
Friday 1 July 2022 15:07 , Jack Rathborn
Ganna 1/1
Bissegger 5/2
Van Aert 4/1
Kung 12/1
Van der Poel 14/1
Pederson 18/1
Thomas 25/1
Roglic 25/1
Pogacar 33/1
Asgreen 50/1
Tour de France 2022: Stage 1
Friday 1 July 2022 15:02 , Jack Rathborn
We’re underway in the 2022 Tour de France!
Lecroq is out, the atmosphere is sensational.
It’s very wet on the roads, so a clear advantage to go out later today when it will hopefully dry out somewhat.
Tour de France 2022
Friday 1 July 2022 14:59 , Jack Rathborn
Filippo Ganna is the favourite today, the Italian has won 11 of the last 15 time trials.
He’s a three-time Italian National Champion and a two-time World Champion.
After skipping the Giro to concentrate on Le Tour, clearly Ganna means business and wants to pull on the Yellow Jersey here.
Tour de France 2022
Friday 1 July 2022 14:57 , Jack Rathborn
The training has been logged, with that data now available to for 79 percent of the Tour out of a possible 176 riders.
Strava had revealed that the average pro cyclist logs over 400 hours on the bike in individual training hours this year, with the high-volume riders up at 600 hours.
That’s about 30 hours each week or over 1,000km per week. In terms of elevation: Over 180,000 meters this year, or the equivalent of climbing Mt Everest over twenty times.
Tour de France 2022: Five riders to watch
Friday 1 July 2022 14:45 , Jack Rathborn
Dani Martinez
Age: 26
Nationality: Colombian
Team: Ineos Grenadiers
Previous appearances: 2020 (28th), 2018 (36th)
Stage wins: One (2020 – stage 13)
The devastating training accident which left 2019 Tour winner Egan Bernal in intensive care at the start of the year ripped up the Ineos Grenadiers’ plans. They go into the race they dominated for the best part of a decade without a stand-out general classification hope but three options in Martinez, 2018 champion Geraint Thomas and Adam Yates. Martinez made his name as Bernal’s super-domestique in last year’s Giro d’Italia, the sight of him urging on his fading compatriot on the slopes of the Sega di Ala one of the defining images of Bernal’s eventual victory. This year he has been rewarded with leadership roles, and after third-placed finishes at the Volta ao Algarve and Paris-Nice he claimed the win in the Tour of the Basque Country. Ineos will try to use their strength in numbers and considerable experience, but it is the youngest of their potential contenders who looks the most likely.
Tour de France 2022: Five riders to watch
Friday 1 July 2022 14:40 , Jack Rathborn
Aleksandr Vlasov
Age: 26
Nationality: Russian
Team: Bora-Hansgrohe
Previous appearances: None
Stage wins: None
Bora-Hansgrohe’s shift in focus since the departure of Peter Sagan in the winter has brought swift rewards, none greater than Jai Hindley’s victory in the Giro d’Italia. Now it is the turn of Vlasov to target the Tour. The 26-year-old, who has never previously ridden the race, has victories in the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana and the Tour de Romandie and is an intriguing outsider.
Tour de France 2022: Five riders to watch
Friday 1 July 2022 14:35 , Jack Rathborn
Primoz Roglic
Age: 32
Nationality: Slovenian
Team: Jumbo-Visma
Previous appearances: 2017 (38th), 2018 (fourth), 2020 (second), 2021 (DNF – withdrew after stage eight)
Stage wins: Three (2017 – stage 17; 2018 – stage 19; 2020 – stage four)
Expect to see plenty of repeats of that haunting image of Roglic, helmet askew, eyes searching for a finish line that would not come on La Planches des Belles Filles, as a 2020 Tour he had dominated slipped away on that time-trial. Roglic’s bid for redemption last year was ruined by an early crash, but he comes into the 2022 race looking in better nick than the past two years. Roglic had made final-day collapses an unfortunate speciality – losing his grip at the death on the Criterium du Dauphine in 2020 and 2021, and Paris-Nice in 2021 as well, but he has won both races this year – results which would once have made any rider the stand-out favourite for yellow.
Tour de France 2022: Five riders to watch
Friday 1 July 2022 14:30 , Jack Rathborn
Tadej Pogacar
Age: 23
Nationality: Slovenian
Team: UAE Team Emirates
Previous appearances: 2020 (first), 2021 (first)
Stage wins: Six (2020 – stages nine, 15, and 20; 2021 – stages five, 17 and 18)
The short opening time-trial aside, the first real test for the general classification contenders at this Tour comes on stage eight to La Planche des Belles Filles. It was on this climb that Pogacar dramatically snatched the Tour away from Roglic in 2020. And since then, it has been hard to think of anyone else winning it. Still only 23, Pogacar makes everything look so easy, from stage racing at the UAE Tour and Tirreno-Adriatico to one-day classic Strade Bianche, though he did blow a podium finish at the Tour of Flanders. He is once again the man to stop in France.
How the British became so successful at the Tour de France
Friday 1 July 2022 14:16 , Jack Rathborn
If the average British sports fan knows anything at all about Tom Simpson it’s that he died riding his bike. Ascending the notorious Mont Ventoux in the 1967 Tour de France, he collapsed. That year he was among the favourites for overall victory, the first Briton so heralded. But as the Tour entered its second week Simpson fell ill with diarrhoea. He laboured on. The 13th stage of the race, on 13 July, tackled the 1,909m peak of Ventoux. It was stiflingly hot.
The incredible rise of British success at the Tour de France
‘Everyone wants it’: Tour de France Femmes hailed as big moment for cycling
Friday 1 July 2022 14:04 , Jack Rathborn
After years of waiting there is less than a month left until the start of the Tour de France Femmes.
A women’s edition of cycling’s biggest race has been top of the wish-list for many riders for a long time, and it will be granted when the peloton sets off from Paris on July 24 – the final day of the men’s race – reaching a climax on La Planches des Belles Filles a week later.
There have been tokenistic attempts, not least the much criticised La Course held alongside the Tour in recent years, but it has taken until now for a proper eight-day women’s Tour to be born.
“As a cyclist people always ask you, ‘Are you doing the Tour de France?’” former British champion Alice Barnes, a rider for Canyon-SRAM, told the PA news agency. “You’d have to say no and explain it’s because there isn’t one.”
‘Everyone wants it’: Tour de France Femmes hailed as big moment for cycling
Tour de France 2022 talking points: Pidcock’s debut
Friday 1 July 2022 13:52 , Jack Rathborn
While there are hopes that Geraint Thomas, winner of the Tour de Suisse less than two weeks ago, has the form to challenge for yellow, in the absence of Cavendish the main draw for British fans will be Tom Pidcock’s Tour de France debut. Still only 22, the mountain bike Olympic champion and cyclo-cross world champion has the cycling world at his feet. Pidcock is in no hurry to start focusing solely on the Grand Tours, but after he rode last year’s Vuelta a Espana for experience, it will be fascinating to see how he handles a second three-week race, and where and when he might decide to have a dig.
Tour de France 2022 talking points: Bahrain-Victorious investigation
Friday 1 July 2022 13:41 , Jack Rathborn
On Monday the Bahrain-Victorious team announced a number of riders and staff had their homes searched by police prior to their departure for Copenhagen. It comes after police last year raided the team’s hotel during the Tour, with the team saying the latest searches are a continuation of the same anti-doping investigation, though few details are known. Whether or not more comes to light over the next three weeks remains to be seen.
Tour de France 2022 talking points: Pressure on Jakobsen?
Friday 1 July 2022 13:31 , Jack Rathborn
It has long been QuickStep-Alpha Vinyl’s plan that Fabio Jakobsen and not Mark Cavendish would be their man for the sprints this summer, but confirmation of a Cav-less eight-man squad was still met with disappointment. Cavendish illuminated last year’s Tour with his remarkable run of four victories, a stunning comeback as he matched Eddy Merckx’s all-time record of 34 Tour stage victories, but the Manxman will not be adding to that tally as the ruthless Patrick Lefevere favours the younger man this time. After Cavendish’s superb display in last weekend’s British national road race, Jakobsen – who has fought back from a life-threatening crash at the 2020 Tour of Poland – must surely be feeling the pressure to prove his boss’s decision was right.
Tour de France 2022 talking points: Threat of Covid looms again
Friday 1 July 2022 13:19 , Jack Rathborn
The most obvious factor that could upend this Tour is the rise of Covid-19 cases across the continent once again. The Tour de Suisse, a key warm-up race, was badly hit as almost 30 riders withdrew either because they had contracted the virus, been deemed a close contact, or because their teams pulled out en masse due to cases within their camp. Already QuickStep-Alpha Vinyl have been forced into a change with key domestique Tim Declerq having tested positive just a few days before the Tour, and there is a real fear there will be more cases in the coming days. The UCI has tightened its Covid regulations in response, but will it be enough to keep the peloton safe?
Tour de France 2022 talking points: Can anyone break up the Pog v Rog show?
Friday 1 July 2022 13:07 , Jack Rathborn
A lot has happened in the world since 2019, and Egan Bernal’s victory in that summer’s Tour certainly seems a long, long time ago. Tadej Pogacar has won two Tours since then and such has been his dominance in stage racing since it already seems the natural order of things. The only man who has been able to challenge him has been fellow Slovenian Primoz Roglic, who had seemed so in control of the 2020 Tour until the time trial on the penultimate day. The two start as odds-on favourite and most likely challenger. A case can be made for the likes of Geraint Thomas, Dani Martinez, and Aleksandr Vlasov but can any of them genuinely challenge unless the top two run into trouble?
Tour de France 2022: Danish police raid cycling team Bahrain Victorious on eve of Grand Depart
Friday 1 July 2022 12:55 , Jack Rathborn
Danish police carried out a search at the hotel of cycling team Bahrain Victorious at the request of French authorities on Thursday, Copenhagen Police said in a statement on the eve of the Tour de France Grand Depart.
Authorities searched all team vehicles and the rooms of staff and riders at 5:30 a.m. local time in Brondby. The homes of riders and staff were also searched by police on Monday before their departure for the Tour.
French prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation into doping allegations against Bahrain Victorious after police searched the team’s hotel late in last year’s race.
“Based on a request from the French police, as part of an ongoing investigation in France, we have carried out a search at a hotel in Brondby,” Chief Superintendent Dannie Rise said.
Danish police raid team Bahrain Victorious on eve of Tour de France
Tour de France 2022: Stage 2, Saturday 2 July: Roskilde-Nyborg, 202.5km
Friday 1 July 2022 12:40 , Jack Rathborn
This long stage could prove pivotal as the peloton traces Denmark’s northern coastline, where crosswinds could split the back and put a serious dent in the hopes of those on the wrong side. Three categorised climbs feature in the middle of the stage before what is set to be a spectacular finale across the Great Belt Bridge
Tour de France 2022: Stage 1, Friday 1 July: individual time trial, Copenhagen, 13.2km
Friday 1 July 2022 12:25 , Jack Rathborn
The Tour usually begins on Saturday but the transfer from this year’s opening three stages in Copenhagen to northern France means an early rest day and a Friday start to accommodate it. A flat time trial through the streets of Copenhagen opens the show with plenty of intricate tight corners, but given it is only over 13km there shouldn’t be huge time gaps created among the leaders. Even so, the pure climbers will be conscious to minimise losses here.
Tour de France 2022 stage-by-stage guide, route maps and profiles
Friday 1 July 2022 12:12 , Jack Rathborn
The 2022 Tour de France begins in Copenhagen on Friday 1 July and finishes in Paris on Sunday 24 July, where Slovenian superstar Tadej Pogacar hopes to be wearing yellow and be crowned champion for the third year in a row.
Standing in his way is the sheer strength and depth of Dutch team Jumbo-Visma, who carry multiple threats including Pogacar’s national teammate Primoz Roglic and last year’s Tour runner-up, Jonas Vingegaard. Ineos Grenadiers are without their leading light Egan Bernal, the 2019 champion who is still recovering from injury, but they do have the in-form Geraint Thomas fresh from winning the Tour de Suisse, as well as potential stage winners Adam Yates and Tom Pidcock.
Here is a stage-by-stage look at this year’s route.
Tour de France 2022 stage-by-stage guide
Geraint Thomas welcomes ‘Grandad’ Bradley Wiggins’ Tour de France underdog tip
Friday 1 July 2022 11:56 , Jack Rathborn
Geraint Thomas was happy to hear his prospects for yellow at this year’s Tour de France talked up by “Grandad Brad” Wiggins but insisted he will take things as they come over the next three weeks.
Thomas goes into Friday’s opening stage in Copenhagen on the back of victory in the Tour de Suisse two weeks ago. However, he is one of three leaders of the Ineos Grenadiers – alongside Dani Martinez and Adam Yates – as they look to take on the likes of defending champion Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic.
Wiggins last week told a Eurosport podcast that the 36-year-old Welshman might be an underdog this summer but warned to “dismiss Geraint Thomas at your peril” as he backed him for a podium finish.
“It’s always nice when you hear Grandad Brad says things like that about you,” Thomas said of the man he won Olympic gold alongside in 2008.
“I’m feeling good. Suisse showed I was in decent shape, so we’ll see how it goes here. We’ve got a super-strong team. The main thing is we ride together, we’re aggressive together and we ride off each other, which is what we’ve done all year.”
Geraint Thomas welcomes ‘Grandad’ Bradley Wiggins’ Tour de France underdog tip
Tour de France 2022: Jumbo-Visma contenders enjoy training session
Friday 1 July 2022 11:40 , Jack Rathborn
Tour de France 2022: How to watch on TV and online
Friday 1 July 2022 11:37 , Jack Rathborn
Tour de France coverage can be found this year on ITV4, Eurosport, Discovery+ and GCN+ (Global Cycling Network).
Live racing each day will be shown on ITV4 before highlights typically at 7pm each day. ITV’s website lists timings here.
Eurosport and GCN+ will show every minute of every stage. More on Eurosport’s coverage here and the GCN+ coverage here.
It is also being shown on Eurosport’s Discovery+ streaming service, with broadcast info here.
Tadej Pogacar: The invisible champion out to win historic third Tour de France
Friday 1 July 2022 10:39 , Jack Rathborn
In Monaco, Tadej Pogacar blends into the city. He walks invisibly through the streets and potters freely around his local supermarket. Even in his favourite bike shop, the best cyclist in the world queues among the muggles without being disturbed. “I like to go inside and see what’s new, and of course I don’t mind if there’s customers in front of me, it’s normal,” he says.
By all measures a double Tour de France champion should be one of the most recognisable athletes on the planet, a bonafide global superstar unable to walk through a hotel lobby without dark glasses and an entourage, but somehow Pogacar has not yet transcended the sport. One suspects if he was from cycling’s European heartlands or the US with a name that rolled off the tongue, his profile might be a little different. His “TP” brand with an eagle motif and a “never give up” tagline is yet to take off quite like Roger Federer or Tiger Woods.
But understated and low-key is how Pogacar approaches life and cycling, just riding for the joy of it, an ethos which has brought rich rewards so far. After winning back-to-back Tours de France, an historic third next month would set him firmly on course to becoming one of cycling’s all-time greats, and what makes it all possible is just how little he is driven by his own sporting legacy. “For me that’s not something that I would enjoy after [my career] too much and brag about it. I work hard to win a lot of races, but for me the priority is just to be a good friend to my friends and have good relations with the people I want in my life.”
Pogacar is sitting in a lodge in the Italian Alps where he’s been preparing for the Tour, which begins on Friday. He likes it here because he can drive over the border and be home in a few hours – Monaco might be his place of residence these days but it is clear that “home” to Pogacar still means Slovenia. “For me honestly the hardest part of racing is being away from your home so much. It’s our passion and we live a good life so I will not complain, but if you don’t enjoy it anymore, the cycling life, if everything starts to bother you then it’s better if you just find something else that makes you happy.”
Among his 10 victories this season have been many different ways to win, from the gradual grinding of opponents into the dirt to late solo bursts and even what he describes as a “stupid, dangerous move” to win the prestigious Strade Bianche with an attack over treacherous gravel 50km from home. Of the final three stages of the Tour of Slovenia this month, the only one he didn’t win was decided over a game of rock, paper, scissors with his teammate approaching the finish line (Pogacar chose paper to Rafal Majka’s rock and so finished second).
Tadej Pogacar: The invisible champion out to win historic third Tour de France
