Tour de France 2022
The 109th edition of the Tour de France is one of cycling's three grand tours scheduled to take place in the Danish capital of Copenhagen on Fri July 01, 2022. The 2021 Tour was supposed to start in Denmark, but a combination of COVID-19 and the European Football Championships pushed the organizers to come up with a different scenario. In 2022, Denmark will host three stages, the start of which is known as the Grand Départ. The race runs as a 2.UWT event on the UCI Worldtour and puts a great competitive spirit on the riders.
The race has been held annually since its first inception in 1903, although there were a few exceptions as well. It is predominantly a men's multi-stage cycling race that primarily runs in France, while also occasionally traveling in neighboring countries. It involves 21 extreme stages likewise the other Grand Tours including the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España.
As it is an extended popular course, more riders from all over the world are seen competing in the event every year. With the exception of the teams invited by the organizers, the Tour is a UCI World Tour event, which means that the teams competing in the race are largely UCI WorldTeams. These days, it is considered the biggest annual sporting event in the world.
The Route
While the route changes from year to year, the race's format stays consistent, with time trials, passage through the Pyrenees and Alps mountain chains, and a finale on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. The modern Tour de France consists of 21 day-long stages over 23 days, covering around 3,500 kilometers of the race distance. The race rotates between counterclockwise and clockwise French circuits.
The three ultimate stages will be found on the Denmark road, possibly one of the most renowned races ever. The event will most likely begin with a flat individual time trial. Despite some fast curves, the route is designed for experts who can push a big gear. The second stage will be a 199-kilometer seaside ride between Rosskilde and Nyborg. The first half of the race features short slopes hills in quick succession including Côte d’Asnæs Indelukke, Côte de Karup Strandbakke and Côte d’Høve Stræde, although the Storebælbro with 16 kilometers is not completely flat.
The same scenario can be gone for stage three where it is going to begin from Vejle to finish at Sønderborg with a 182 kilometers long journey. A little more undulating, but the day's highest point says it all. Côte de Genner Strand reaches a height of 57 meters, therefore this one is equally suitable for prompt finishers.
Participating Teams
Typically, there are 20 to 22 teams, each with eight riders. The riders' times are compounded with their previous stage times in order to time all of the stages to the finish. The rider having the best cumulative finishing times is the leader of the tour and wins the yellow jersey. Even Though the general classification receives the most appeal, the tour also features other competitions such as the sprinters' points classification, climbers' mountains classification, young rider classification for riders under the age of 26, and team classification, which is based on the first three finishers from each team on each stage. A stage win also confers prestige and is frequently achieved by a team's sprint specialist or a rider in a breakaway.
Recent competing teams: Lotto Soudal, Bahrain - Victorious, Team BikeExchange, Astana - Premier Tech, UAE-Team Emirates, Team Jumbo-Visma, INEOS Grenadiers, Trek - Segafredo, Deceuninck - Quick Step, Movistar Team, BORA - hansgrohe, Groupama - FDJ, Cofidis–Solutions Crédits, Alpecin-Fenix, EF Education - Nippo, AG2R Citroën Team, Team Arkéa Samsic, Team DSM, Team Qhubeka NextHash, Team TotalEnergies, and so on.
Recent Winners
Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar is the most recent titleholder of the 2021 Tour de France. He took the premiere position riding for the UAE-Team Emirates ahead of Jonas Vingegaard (Team Jumbo-Visma) and Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers). He was also the winner of the 2020 edition, which is really a great achievement in his cycling career.
Other contemporary champions are Egan Bernal (Team INEOS) 2019, Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) 2018, Chris Froome (Team Sky) 2017, 2016, and 2015.