The Tour de France is the pinnacle of professional road cycling and a sport that is, at its core, a very European affair. For a rider to infiltrate cycling's elite ranks from nations outside Europe represents years of hard work, discipline and sacrifice, while often isolated from family and friends.

The Tour de France peloton has landed in Copenhagen and is ready for Friday's grand depart. The past several years have been dominated by the young guns, chief among them is 23 year old defending champion and top favorite Tadej Pogačar.

Four-time winner Chris Froome was named on Wednesday in Israel Premier-Tech's team for next month's Tour de France.

The 2019 and 2020 editions of the Tour de France were won by two of the youngest riders in the history of the race. Tadej Pogacar and Egan Bernal are at the forefront of a new generation of young cyclists which are continually raising the bar and upsetting the established favorites. The 2021 Tour de France will be another battle between the dynamic youth and the experienced establishment.

Andreas Kron was awarded the sixth stage of the Tour de Suisse on Friday after Rui Costa was penalized for swerving across the road in the final sprint.

Ecuadorian rider Richard Carapaz won stage five of the Tour de Suisse on Thursday to take the overall lead in the race at a summit finish at Leukerbad.

The Tour de Suisse, June 6 to 13, will be the last opportunity for the classification stars to shine ahead of the Tour de France. So who are the favorites for the eight-day Swiss race, the cyclists we could see fighting also for the Tour victory a month later?

The 2021 Tour de Suisse, June 6 to 13, will reveal quite a lot about those riders who could shine big in future stage races including the Tour de France the following month.

The Critérium du Dauphiné is the ultimate test for the star riders heading to the Tour de France, but the race is also known to reveal surprising underdogs for the summer of racing in France.

The cobbles are behind us, as the peloton prepares for the first of the Ardennes Classic races – Amstel Gold. 

Sunday marks the beginning of the beloved Ardennes Classics, with the return of the Amstel Gold race following the race's 2020 cancellation. 

Britain's Tao Geoghegan Hart won the Giro d'Italia on Sunday to claim his first Grand Tour win just 39 seconds ahead of Australian Jai Hindley as the three-week race went down to the wire in the 21st and final stage time-trial.

Portuguese pink jersey wearer Joao Almeida survived a stiff challenge to his overall race lead from Dutch title rival Wilco Kelderman who closed in on the leader after Sunday's Giro d'Italia 15th stage.

Peter Sagan soloed to victory in the Giro d'Italia's 10th stage on Tuesday after two teams, Mitchelton and Jumbo-Visma, were forced to pull out before the stage because of positive COVID-19 tests.

Arnaud Demare took the Giro d'Italia sprinting honours in Brindisi on Friday, his third stage win in four days secured with a record average speed for the race of 51.234 kph.