Peloton is reaching Dunkerque/Dunkirk on Stage 3.
CHATGPT PREDICTION
The Scene
Classic sprinter day. The route leaves the mining towns of the north and traverses rolling terrain into Champagne country. While the gradients are tame, open fields and a long drag to the finish add strategic depth.
Stage Story
Wind plays a quiet but persistent role. Lotto Dstny and Trek share break-chasing duties, with Alpecin holding back until the final 30 km. The day seems safe—until a crash 12 km from the finish brings down a few riders mid-pack.
GC teams remain vigilant. Visma rallies quickly to protect Jorgenson and Vingegaard. UAE is unbothered. The peloton reforms for a full sprint finish.
Arnaud De Lie, frustrated from Stage 1, finally gets his perfect launch—jumping early and holding off Pedersen and Groenewegen by half a wheel.
🏆 Winner: Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny)
🟡 Yellow Jersey: Arnaud De Lie (via bonus seconds)
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ON THIS DAY IN TOUR DE FRANCE HISTORY
1937 Gino Bartali takes the yellow jersey for the very first time
1949 Fausto Coppi’s first Tour de France stage victory
VINTAGE TOUR DE FRANCE IMAGE OF THE DAY
We know a very little about Giusto Cerrutti. But one thing is certain. He has a quite unlucky day when this photo (and several others from different camera angles) was taken at the Tour de France 1928
TOU DE FRANCE LEGEND OF THE DAY
For the sprint stage. let me introduce to you (especially to those who are new to road cycling) a sprinter today.
Sir Mark Cavendish (born 1985) had a rocky start to his Tour de France career. In his debut appearance in 2007 with the T-Mobile Team, he was expected to win flat stages as the team’s lead sprinter. However, the race ended in disappointment — not a single stage win or podium finish, with his best result being a modest 9th place.
Everything changed on July 9, 2008, when Cavendish claimed his first Tour de France stage victory. It was the beginning of a remarkable journey that would eventually see him win a record-breaking 35 stages — the most in the history of the Tour.
Cavendish's story arc is definitely one of the most exciting tales of modern day cycling. He of course, managed to win stages (a total of 17) at the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a Espana (3) and at several other multiple stage races with lesser importances.
Mark Cavendish was the dominant sprinter in the world of road cycling during the first years of the 2010s, among others, he won World Championship in 2012.
For decades, Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 individual Tour de France stage wins seemed untouchable. The closest anyone came was Bernard Hinault, with 28 victories. But at Tour de France 2016, Mark Cavendish reignited the dream. He won four stages, including his 30th career Tour victory on Stage 14. Suddenly, what once seemed impossible — breaking Merckx’s legendary record — began to feel within reach.
It wasn’t an easy road. A serious illness nearly ended Mark Cavendish’s hopes of ever reaching Eddy Merckx’s record. But in 2021, he returned to one of his former teams, Deceuninck–Quick-Step, and delivered a stunning comeback. He won four stages at that year’s Tour de France, including his iconic 34th victory on Stage 13 in Carcassonne, tying Merckx’s long-standing record.
In 2022, Cavendish wasn’t selected for the Tour. In 2023, his campaign ended early after a crash on Stage 8.
But in 2024, he returned for one final Tour — and made history. On Stage 5, on July 3rd, he achieved the unimaginable: his 35th stage victory, becoming the sole holder of the all-time stage win record in the Tour de France.
LESSER KNOWN CYCLIST WITH AN EXCITING STORY
In the early, punishing years of the Tour de France, Jean Alavoine emerged as one of the most formidable and consistent riders of his time. Born in 1888 in Roubaix, France, Alavoine raced during an era when roads were rough, support was minimal, and the Tour was a true test of human endurance.
Alavoine first competed in the Tour in 1909 and would go on to take part in eleven editions of the race between 1909 and 1925. Over that span, he won 17 individual stages, a number that places him among the most prolific stage winners of the Tour’s early decades.
In 1922, Alavoine finished second overall, his best result in the general classification. He wore the yellow jersey for several stages that year but ultimately lost the lead in the mountains. Still, his performance across flat and high-altitude terrain showed his versatility—a rare quality among riders of that era.
Alavoine’s first stage win came in 1912, and his last in 1922—a span of 10 years, later extended to 14 years if considering his entire stage-winning career. For nearly a century, this was the longest span between a rider’s first and last Tour stage victories. The record stood until Mark Cavendish surpassed it in 2024, achieving a 16-year span between his first and 35th stage wins.