Tour de France 2025 Insights: Essential Facts to Consider
The Tour de France 2024 is set to begin on July 5 in Lille, France, with a flat stage of 185 kilometers, marking the start of an exhilarating three-week journey that will conclude in Paris on July 27, after a total of 3,339 kilometers.
Defending champion Tadej Pogacar is the favorite for the overall victory, having demonstrated his prowess in the 2023 Tour with an average speed of 41.4 km/h. However, Remco Evenepoel, last year's third-place finisher, is considered more of an outsider, ready to challenge the status quo.
The Tour de France 2024 promises to be a demanding race, with six mountain stages scheduled, five of which end with mountain finishes. Riders will have accumulated a total of 52,500 meters of elevation gain by the final stage. The legendary climb to the 1,910-meter summit of Mont Ventoux is featured in the 16th stage in Provence.
The race will also include two individual time trials, one in the first week and one in the second week, testing the riders' endurance and speed. During sprint finishes, specialists can race towards the finish at over 60 km/h, and on downhill descents, speeds of over 100 km/h are not uncommon.
The overall winner will receive €500,000, while a total of €2.3 million ($2.7 million) in prize money will be awarded by the Tour organizer, Amaury Sport Organization (ASO).
While improvements have been made in ensuring the cleanliness of cycling, doubts remain, particularly in light of Pogacar's vast superiority and recent revelations about the ease of obtaining medical equipment for blood doping in Slovenia.
Safety is a top priority for the Tour de France 2024. A media campaign informs fans how they can contribute to safety through their behaviour along the route. Three hundred security officers accompany the Tour throughout the race, with around 1,000 people, including marshals, trained in safety aspects in advance. Approximately 28,000 local police officers, gendarmes, and firefighters support the security officers along the route.
In addition to Pogacar and Evenepoel, other strong contenders include Mathieu van der Poel, a Dutch classics specialist, who has already achieved two major victories and is in contention for one or two stage wins. Biniam Girmay, the first Black professional cyclist from Africa to win a stage on the Tour, is awaiting his first victory in 2024. Jonas Vingegaard, runner-up in the 2024 Tour, is also a strong contender.
The Tour de France 2024 is shaping up to be an exciting and challenging event, promising thrilling competition and breathtaking scenery. As the race approaches, fans and cycling enthusiasts alike eagerly anticipate the action-packed three weeks ahead.
[1] Route Overview, Tour de France 2025, [www.letour.fr/en/start-2025/route-overview](http://www.letour.fr/en/start-2025/route-overview) [2] Elevation Gain, Tour de France 2025, [www.letour.fr/en/start-2025/elevation-gain](http://www.letour.fr/en/start-2025/elevation-gain) [3] Key Stages, Tour de France 2025, [www.letour.fr/en/start-2025/key-stages](http://www.letour.fr/en/start-2025/key-stages) [4] Alpine Stages, Tour de France 2025, [www.letour.fr/en/start-2025/alpine-stages](http://www.letour.fr/en/start-2025/alpine-stages)
The government's media campaign in Africa calls on its citizens to contribute to the safety of the Tour de France 2024 as the race makes its way across the world, bringing thrilling sports competition and breathtaking scenery to diverse regions. African cycling enthusiasts can also closely follow the race, cheering on strong contenders like Biniam Girmay, who made history by becoming the first Black professional cyclist from Africa to win a stage on the Tour, as he aims for his first victory in 2024.
