There’s no doubt, 2024 is set to be a blockbuster in the world of sports. In football, the champions of Europe will be crowned in the UEFA European Championships and the best team in South America will rise to the top in the CONMEBOL Copa America. Boxing will crown its first undisputed heavyweight champion in the last 20 years when Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk square off in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in May. And the sporting world as a whole will come together in August for the Olympic Games in Paris.
Cycling will be featured front and centre in the City of Lights, as it has every four years. But it’s the Tour de France that stands alone as the greatest event on two wheels. With both showpieces taking place in L’hexagone this year, the land of Les Bleus certainly has a big year ahead. Commencing in late June or early July and spanning three weeks, competitors from all corners of the planet will vie for the prestigious yellow jacket.
After narrowly pipping Sloevniana’s Tadej Pogačar to the crown in 2022, before stamping his authority on the cycling world the following year, Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard is the reigning back-to-back champion. Fans are able to bet on cycling with FanDuel bonus bets and the American company has made the reigning champion a -120 favourite for a trifecta of crowns, placing his great rival Pogačar narrowly behind him in the odds list at +220.
But what of the British contingent? The Brits have shone brightly in cycling events at the Olympics in recent years. They have topped the medal charts in each of the last four competitions, amassing a mighty 50 medals in the process, including 28 gold medals. But how have their riders faired on Le Tour?
Stage Winners
Tom Simpson became the first British cyclist to claim a Tour de France stage victory in 1965, outperforming Jacques Anquetil in the mountains. Following this triumph, plenty of his compatriots have had success, solidifying the UK’s significant presence as a major player in the sport. Chris Boardman won numerous stages in 1994, including victory in two time-trial stages.
Trailblazers
Throughout the tour, Britain has consistently shown strong performances, yet they had never boasted a cyclist who clinched general classification victory and the yellow jacket the comes with it. This streak was broken in 2012 when Britain finally joined the elite ranks of Le Tour champions.
Sir Bradley Wiggins was the individual responsible for the triumph-clinching three stages – an unprecedented feat for a British cyclist – en route to glory. His return from injury in the months prior to his crowning moment made his accomplishment even more extraordinary.
Recent Champions
The Tour de France saw its most recent British champion emerge in 2018. Geraint Thomas claimed victory after an impressive display in the challenging mountain stages. The Welsh star continued the trend of recent British supremacy, his win the sixth by a Brit in the last seven years.
Sandwiched between the triumphs of Thomas and Wiggins is the era of Chris Froome, who cemented his legacy as one of the finest cyclists to grace Le Tour with four victories in five years between 2013 and 2017. The initial win occurred one year removed from Wiggins’ history-making first triumph. What is it they say about London buses?
The following year, Froome again contested for victory. However, this time around he was pipped to the checkered flag by Italian Vincenzo Nibali. But that loss only served as motivation for Froome. He went on to achieve an incredible three-peat of wins in 2015, 2016, and 2017, making him the first cyclist since Spanish rider Miguel Indurain in the early 1990s to secure three successive yellow jackets.
In 2018, Froome attempted to emulate the Banesto rider by securing a fourth straight crown, but had to settle for third place. Despite his disappointment, he could sleep soundly in the knowledge that the yellow jacket would remain in the United Kingdom, as Team Sky teammate Thomas secured the victory.
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