Australians eye opportunities as Tour de France offers an Olympics entrée
Michael Matthews of Team Jayco AlUla is one of six Australians set to contest the 2024 Tour de France. Photograph: Tim de Waele/Getty Images
The final stage of the Tour de France is the most iconic aspect of the most famous cycling race in the world. Even casual fans can immediately picture the scene: a route that takes in the landmarks of Paris, culminating with a pulsating sprint along the Champs-Élysées. The Tour first took place in 1910 and every one of the race’s 110 editions have concluded in the French capital. But not the 111th.
On Saturday, the 2024 Tour de France will begin in Florence. The location of the Grand Départ is appropriate for an unusual edition of the race; it is the first time in history the Tour has begun in neighbouring Italy. The peloton will cross the Italian countryside before navigating anti-clockwise around France and finishing by the Mediterranean in Nice – with the 21st stage taking place outside of Paris for the first time. The Tour will also conclude with an individual time trial, rather than a sprint – for the first time since 1989.
The decision to depart from history and end in Nice was forced upon Tour organisers by the Olympics – the race finishes just five days before the opening ceremony begins in Paris. Logistical difficulties involved in any overlap were blamed – although the last time the Games were held in Paris, in 1924, the Tour finished in the capital as usual midway through the Olympics. In any event the 2024 Games will loom large throughout the Tour, with many riders eyeing off medal prospects in the Olympic road race and time trial.
For cycling fans, then, the Tour serves up quite the entrée before the Olympic main course. The general classification battle is hotly-anticipated, as defending champion Jonas Vingegaard seeks to shake off a major injury, while Slovenian star Tadej Pogačar attempts to become the first rider in a quarter of a century to win the Tour-Giro d’Italia double. The heavy-weight clash for the yellow jersey might also feature Primož Roglič and Remco Evenepoel, as the pair seek to challenge the dominant Vingegaard-Pogačar duopoly (between them, the pair have won the last four editions).
Limited Australian general classification options
An Australian has only once won the hallowed yellow jersey – Cadel Evans in his famous 2011 triumph. But recent years have seen a considerable Australian threat in the general classification contest. In 2020, Tasmanian veteran Richie Porte ended years of Tour heartbreak with a podium finish. The following year it was Ben O’Connor’s turn, as the West Australian won his debut Tour de France stage and ultimately clinched an impressive fourth place finish.
The 2022 Tour saw Australian cycling enter on a high, following Jai Hindley’s historic Giro d’Italia pink jersey triumph, before falling back to earth as O’Connor and Jack Haig fell flat (although stage wins for Simon Clarke and Michael Matthews were worthy highlights). Last year Hindley won a stage and held yellow for a day, before ultimately finishing seventh.
This year’s Tour, in contrast, is not expected to see an Australian challenge for the yellow jersey. O’Connor opted to contest the Giro – finishing fourth – and will have to wait until the 2025 Tour, at which he is expected to be racing for the Australian team Jayco–AlUla. Hindley is being deployed as a super-domestique to Roglic for Bora-Hansgrohe; barring an unexpectedly poor showing or injury from his team leader, Hindley will be riding in a support role. And while Haig will ride for Bahrain-Victorious, his 16th place overall at the traditional pre-Tour warm-up race, the Critérium du Dauphiné, did not suggest form that would see him challenging for the podium.
Stage and sprint ambitions
Instead, the six-strong Australian contingent at the Tour will be furthering team ambitions and targeting individual stages. Jayco–AlUla are bringing a multi-pronged line-up to France, with British rider Simon Yates in general classification contention, Dutch fast-man Dylan Groenewegen challenging the sprints and former green jersey winner Michael Matthews able to tackle the intermediate stages.
Matthews has been in good form this season, finishing second at Milan-San Remo and enjoying two top-10 finishes during the Spring Classics. Compatriots Chris Harper and Luke Durbridge will also line-up for Jayco–AlUla.
The Olympics await
The 33-year-old Matthews will be among those in the Tour peloton keeping an eye on their fitness ahead of the Paris Games, with the three-time world championships medallist anticipated to be Australia’s leader in the road race. The men’s Olympic route will be a race of attrition, featuring almost 3,000 metres of climbing over 273km, which suits Matthews – the Canberran was not selected for Tokyo, but is an outside medal chance in Paris.
With the Tour de France broadcast late into the evening on SBS, the race will also serve as a warm-up for bleary-eyed spectators ahead of the Olympics, which will largely take place overnight for Australian viewers. But for those who can endure the sleep deprivation, it will be an exciting month of racing ahead.