Tour de France is a real summer classic: ups, downs, drama, smiles, and tears spread over 21 stages and three weeks. ProXCskiing.com follows the Tour day by day, from the Individual Time Trial (ITT) in Copenhagen, Denmark on July 1 to stage 21 in Paris on Sunday, July 24.

Throughout this year’s race, you get a daily update about the stage that awaits every morning, and thoughts on the upcoming stage with Eurosport’s experienced commentator Roberto Vacchi.

“This year’s edition of the Tour will be tough, incredibly tough,” says Vacchi about this year’s course.

But compared to the first editions of the legendary race, this year’s start is ‘easier’ than in the first edition of the Tour de France held in 1903, a challenging first stage on 467km from Paris to Lyon. 

The winner of both the first stage and the first edition of the Tour de France was the Frenchman Maurice Garin, who after a total of 94 hours of cycling won almost three hours ahead of the next rider Lucien Pothier. 

Since that start, the prestigious cycling race has continued, only interrupted by two world wars.

This year’s Tour de France consists of 21 stages. These are categorized as follows:

• 6 flat stages 
• 7 hilly stages
• 6 mountain stages of which five have a mountain top finish (La super Planche des Belles Filles, Col du Granon, Alpe d’Huez, Peyragudes and Hautacam)
• 2 individual time trial stages
• 2 rest days 
• 1 travel day (from Denmark to France)

In total, the cyclists will cover 3.349,8 kilometers during the Tour de France, which this year begins with three stages in Denmark. First, a time trial in Copenhagen:

“It is a really tough version of the Tour de France, and they already get the first challenge in Denmark. The cyclists will, among other things, cross the Great Belt. You have to have respect for how (the wind) can blow there,” says Eurosport’s cycling commentator Roberto Vacchi to ProXCskiing.com.

Who do you think will win the Tour de France?
“Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia), who has won the last two years has looked very strong, so he will be difficult to beat. But a lot can happen during these three weeks,” says Vacchi, who will comment on around 125 hours from the Tour de France during the month of July.

On July 24, the same day as the men finish on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, the women start their Tour de France. The women’s race has eight stages this year. ProXCskiing will follow their stages in the same way as the men with information about each stage every morning. Stay tuned! 

FACTS: Tour de France 2022

• When:  July 1 to July 24 (men) and July 24 to July 31 (women)
• Who:  UCI World Tour
• What:  Stage race over 21 stages in 24 days (men) and eight stages in eight days (women)
• Where:  Mainly in France. This year, the men’s Tour de France starts with three stages in Copenhagen.
• Distance:  3.349,8 kilometers (men) and 1.029 kilometers (women)
• Established:  1903
• Owner:  ASO
• Website:  www.letour.fr

FACTS: Team line-up Tour de France 2022

• UAE Team Emirates (United Arab Emirates)
• Jumbo-Visma (The Netherlands)
• Ineos Grenadiers (United Kingdom)
• AG2R Citroën (France)
• Bora-Hansgrohe (Germany)
• Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl (Belgium)
• Movistar (Spain)
• Cofidis (France)
• Baharain Victorious (Bahrain)
• Groupama FDJ (France)
• Alpecin-Deceuninck (Belgium)
• Team DSM (Netherlands)
• Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Materiaux (Belgium)
• Astana-Qazaqstan (Kazakhstan)
• EF Education-Easypost (USA)
• Arkea-Samsic (France)
• Lotto Soudal (Belgium)
• Trek-Segafredo (USA)
• TotalEnergies (France)
• Israel – Premier Tech (Israel)
• Bikeexchange-Jayco (Australia)
• B&B Hotels-KTM (France)