Tour de France 2024 Stage 21 Preview: The Final Challenge
Tour de France 2024 Stage 21 Preview: The Final Challenge
The backdrop will be different, but the scene will be similar. Tadej Pogacar's expected to claim his third TDF win and the first Giro-TDF double since 1998.
This will be the first time since 1905 the Tour de France isn't concluding in Paris, and that's due to the incoming 2024 Olympic Games, which will kick off with an opening ceremony July 26.
It also will be the first year since the mid-1970s the race isn't finishing on the famed Champs-Élysées, a street in Paris that has become synonymous with the TDF and it's 111-year legacy.
Instead, for the first time since 1989, the Tour de France will close with an individual time trial - a 33.7-kilometer ride from Monaco to Nice.
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For cycling fans who may not love how the last stage usually is more ceremonial than competitive, this year's finale has/had the potential for an exciting showdown, though the top spot in the General Classification may be a little out of reach at this point.
Heading into Stage 21, two-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogacar leads two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard by 5 minutes, 14 seconds, while first-time participant Remco Evenepoel is 8 minutes, 4 seconds off the lead. Then, there's almost nine minutes between third and fourth place.
Can anything happen? Certainly. Just like in 1989 when Greg LeMond of the United States took advantage of the format and overtook Laurent Fignon for the yellow jersey in the final-stage time trial, winning the GC title by eight seconds.
While Pogacar does look to be in a great position to become the first cyclist since 1998 to win the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France in the same year, it's not over until it's over.
How To Watch The Tour de France 2024 Stage 21
In Canada, the Tour de France is streaming live on FloBikes and the FloSports app.
In the United States, the NBC family of networks and the streaming service Peacock are broadcasting the race.
FloBikes and the FloSports app are home to race highlights, stage breakdowns and more breaking news.
Stage 21 Tour de France 2024
Stage 21 of the Tour de France usually is more about celebration and camaraderie than it is about competition, at least for the first half of the race. More below.
This year, however, the final day of the Tour de France will be a bit challenging, even if it doesn't necessarily offer the GC-deciding drama it could have.
Stage 21 this year will be a time trial, the first time-trial finale since 1989. It will be a 33.7-kilometer ride from Monaco to Nice that will offer all kinds of terrain, much of which many of the riders have seen before when competing in the annual Paris-Nice race.
With that be an advantage? Probably not.
This stage will have a flat start and a flat finish, but there will be some hills and some climbing along the way, and possibly enough variation to necessitate bike changes to better handle the diversity of the terrain.
Within the 33.7 kilometers, riders will see a couple of climbs and gradients as high as 8.1%, followed by descents that could be tricky, depending on the type of bike each chooses to ride.
The final portion of the stage will be flat, as the riders cruise into the city center and the finish line.
Stage 21 will take some strategy and concentration, and it will test their form and versatility, especially after three weeks of intense racing and tough mountain stages the two days prior.
33.7 Kilometers To Miles: How Long Is Stage 21 Of The Tour de France 2024?
Stage 21of the Tour de France is 33.7 kilometers, or about 21 miles long.
Tour de France 2024 Stage 21 Profile
Here is what the elevation looks like for Stage 21:
Who Won Stage 21 Of The Tour de France in 2023?
Traditionally, Stage 21 of the Tour de France, at least the first half of it, is ceremonial and celebratory, allowing riders to enjoy a time of reflection and recognition of the eventual winner, who isn't challenged on the final day. It's not guaranteed, but it's tradition, and the leader usually is ahead by enough that a lead change would be unlikely.
The final leg isn't without its excitement, however, as the last portion brings the riders into Paris and around the Champs-Élysées for eight laps, before a sprint finish determines one last stage winner for the year. That also means Stage 21 sometimes determines the winner for the green sprinters/points jersey.
In 2023, Vingegaard led the GC by more than seven minutes heading into the final stage, so it really was a victory lap for him.
Belgium's Jordi Meeus won Stage 21of the 2023 Tour de France, upsetting some of the world's best sprinters on perhaps the most famous road in the history of cycling. It was the first TDF stage win of Meeus' career.
What kind of drama and excitement will Stage 21 bring in 2024?
TDF Results: Here's Who Has Won Each Stage So Far In 2024
- TDF Stage 1 Results
- TDF Stage 2 Results
- TDF Stage 3 Results
- TDF Stage 4 Results
- TDF Stage 5 Results
- TDF Stage 6 Results
- TDF Stage 7 Results
- TDF Stage 8 Results
- TDF Stage 9 Results
- TDF Stage 10 Results
- TDF Stage 11 Results
- TDF Stage 12 Results
- TDF Stage 13 Results
- TDF Stage 14 Results
- TDF Stage 15 Results
- TDF Stage 16 Results
- TDF Stage 17 Results
- TDF Stage 18 Results
- TDF Stage 19 Results
- TDF Stage 20 Results
Tour de France 2024 Route Map
Here is the map for this year's Tour de France:
Here are a few more things to know about the Tour de France:
How To Watch Tour de France 2024 In The United States
A live broadcast of the 2024 Tour de France will be available on Peacock for those watching from the United States.
Peacock is the exclusive home of the event in the United States through 2029, with start-to-finish coverage of every stage, though select stages also will air on NBC.
How To Watch Tour de France 2024 In Canada
FloBikes will provide a live broadcast for Canadian audiences.
Viewers in Canada will be able to watch all 21 stages of the Tour de France 2024 live on FloBikes and the FloSports app.
FloBikes also will provide updates, highlights and behind-the-scenes coverage throughout the entire event for all Flo subscribers.
On What Channel Is The Tour de France 2024?
The Tour de France will be on the NBC network and will stream daily in the United States on Peacock. The entire race will be broadcast on NBC's channels and USA Network.
Tour de France Teams For 2024
There will be 22 teams and up to 176 competitors in this year’s Tour de France:
Teams
- Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team
- Alpecin - Deceuninck
- Arkéa - B&B Hotels
- Astana Qazaqstan Team
- Bahrain - Victorious
- BORA - hansgrohe
- Cofidis
- EF Education - EasyPost
- Groupama - FDJ
- INEOS Grenadiers
- Intermarché - Wanty
- Team Visma | Lease a Bike
- Lidl - Trek
- Movistar Team
- Soudal Quick-Step
- Team dsm-firmenich PostNL
- Team Jayco AlUla
- UAE Team Emirates
- Israel - Premier Tech
- Lotto Dstny
- Uno-X Mobility
- TotalEnergies
When Does The Tour de France 2024 Start?
The Tour de France is a 21-stage event.
The 2024 edition will begin in Florence, Italy, on June 29 and conclude in Nice, France, on July 21.
Every day, the cyclists start together to complete the stage of a race. Every stage varies in distance and physical demand.
What Is The Schedule For The Tour de France 2024?
Here is the complete schedule for the 2024 Tour de France.
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