The sports events have been absolutely thrilling, with the determination and perseverance of every athlete allowing spectators to truly feel the intense competition on the field. The annual Tour de France, coupled with the once-every-four-years Olympics, are both being held in France this year, offering cycling enthusiasts and sports fans worldwide an overwhelming feast of excitement. Let’s look back at the highlights of the Tour de France and anticipate the brilliance of the upcoming Olympics!
The Alien Gathering at the 2024 Tour de France
The recently concluded Tour de France, which took place from June 28 to July 21 across a total of 21 stages, has already witnessed numerous legendary records and extraordinary performances by “aliens.” Although these have been hotly discussed on social media over the past few weeks, the author still wants to recap the highlights of this year’s Tour de France for all the cycling fans out there!
1. Mark Cavendish - 35th Stage Victory
From his first Tour de France stage victory in 2008, Sir Mark Simon Cavendish, known as "The Cav," has been on a nearly 20-year journey of competition. On July 3, at the age of 39, he won his 35th career stage victory during the fifth stage, making him the cyclist with the most stage victories in Tour de France history. If you've watched the Tour de France documentary on Netflix, you'll surely know how hard-fought this stage victory was for "The Cav" after his comeback from injury. The cycling fans who witnessed this historic moment are indeed very fortunate!
2. Biniam Girmay - The First Black African to Win a Stage
Since the 19th and 20th centuries, due to the origins of cycling culture, major competitions have almost exclusively seen European and American white athletes vying for victories, with all the stage wins, sprint king, and mountain king titles being claimed by white riders. However, in the 21st century, everyone has the opportunity to fight for their dreams. Biniam Girmay, a cyclist from Eritrea, made history on July 1 by winning the first-ever stage victory for a Black African during the third stage. Not only that, he also went on to claim victories in the eighth and twelfth stages and became the first Black rider to win the green jersey as the sprint king of the Tour de France. At just 24 years old, we look forward to even more spectacular performances from Girmay in the future!
3. The Fierce Battle Among the “Aliens”
The biggest highlight of this year’s Tour de France was the fierce competition among the top three riders, who also claimed the top three positions overall: Tadej Pogačar, Jonas Vingegaard, and Remco Evenepoel. Although Vingegaard and Remco won the eleventh and seventh stages respectively, Pikachu Pogačar took the overall lead after winning the fourth stage and maintained his lead until the final stage, ultimately securing six stage victories in total. While the overall results might seem one-sided, the team strategies at each stage were still highly exciting, and Pogačar’s advantage in seconds was hard-earned. The highlights from each stage are definitely worth revisiting, as the brilliant performances of these three “aliens” made the 2024 Tour de France one for the history books.
After winning both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France this year, Pogačar unfortunately announced that he would not be participating in the Paris Olympics a week later. Fans speculate that he is setting his sights on the Vuelta a España, which starts on August 17, aiming to clinch victories in all three Grand Tours. Cycling enthusiasts around the world eagerly await his next performance.
Cycling Events at the Paris Olympics
Although the Olympic cycling events don’t offer as many days of competition as the three Grand Tours, they provide a great opportunity to watch other disciplines that are not often in the spotlight. Let’s take a look at the cycling events and schedules for this year’s Paris Olympics, and make sure you don’t miss out if you’re interested!
1. July 27 – Individual Time Trial (Men/Women) – Route: 32.4 km with 150 meters of elevation gain
2. July 28 – Mountain Biking
3. August 3 – Road Race (Men) – Route: 273 km with 2,800 meters of elevation gain
4. August 4 – Road Race (Women) – Route: 158 km with 1,700 meters of elevation gain
5. August 3 – BMX Racing
BMX is an extremely exciting and thrilling event, featuring a short 400-meter track with steep slopes, turns, and obstacles, testing the riders’ reactions and explosive power!
5. August 5-11 – Track Cycling
Track cycling races are usually short and intense, making them perfect for viewers who enjoy fast-paced action. However, there are various formats within track cycling, so it’s worth spending some time understanding them before watching.
Each year, the Tour de France gathers cycling enthusiasts from around the world to come together in France or in neighboring countries along the race route. This year, with the Paris Olympics following closely, many people have likely chosen to stay in France for one to two months, taking the opportunity to witness two major international events. The author has many friends who have taken long vacations to fly to France during this period, and seeing their messages makes one green with envy. For those of us following the broadcasts in Taiwan, let’s not just be envious—let’s ride out with our bikes and keep the passion alive!
Although we can’t race through the roads at high speed like professional “aliens,” we can take our bikes out with the Bone BikeTie5, a universal phone mount that allows for easy attachment and detachment of your phone, ensuring a safer and more stable ride as we explore more of Taiwan’s beautiful spots.
Of course, while watching various cycling events, don’t forget to support the outstanding athletes of the Chinese Taipei team. Let’s cheer them on and wish them great success this year!