Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) led going into the final stage of the 2024 edition of the Tour de France Femmes, and the Polish rider was able to hold her lead, winning the overall classification by four seconds on the Alpe d’Huez.

The 149.9 kilometers stage went from Le Grand-Bornand to a mountain finish on the famed Alpe d'Huez. Niewiadoma started the stage with a 1:15 lead over defending champion Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime). Vollering attacked on the first categorized climb at the Col du Glandon, dropping Niewiadoma and gaining a one minute advantage.

On the Alpe d'Huez, Vollering pushed hard to make up time and ended up winning the stage. Niewiadoma, however, fought back on the final climb, arriving at the summit finish in time to secure the overall victory. This was the closest margin of victory in Tour de France history for either the women’s or men's and women's races. Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck) finished third overall, only 10 seconds behind Niewiadoma.

Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) would finish as winner of the points category, while Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance–Soudal–Quick-Step) was crowned queen of the mountains. Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) finished as the best young rider at this year’s race.

The sun was out for Stage 2 of the 2024 Vuelta a España, which travelled over 194 kilometers through Portugal from Cascais to Ourém over hilly terrain with 2,700 meters of elevation gain.

Two Spanish riders, Ibon Ruiz (Kern Pharma) and Luis Angel Maté (Euskaltel-Euskadi), went off the front early in the day, building a gap of up to five minutes on the peloton. The two riders shared the road at quite distinct stages of their careers. This year will be the last of 12 La Vueltas for the 40-year-old Maté, who will retire at the end of the season, while this was the first La Vuelta for Ruiz who is 25 years old.

At the intermediate sprint in Alcobaça, Maté would edge Ruiz at the line, while Kaden Groves (Alpecin–Deceuninck) would beat out Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) for third.

Dylan Van Baarle (Visma-Lease a Bike), former winner of Paris-Roubaix and seasoned professional on the circuit, unfortunately crashed with 90 kilometers remaining and the effects were clear, as he was able to get back in the saddle but would be dropped by the peloton in the final 50 kilometers after Ruiz and Maté had been caught and would eventually abandon the race.

The front of the race came together under 50 kilometers to go before a counter-attack formed with 30 kilometers remaining.

Mauri Vansevenant (Soudal Quick-Step) put in his own individual attack on the final climb of the day at the Alto da Batalha, but under 10 kilometers to go the front came back together.

A bunch sprint set up on the line, and while Wout van Aert made the first move, Kaden Groves would prove to be stronger at the line on the day, sprinting to victory in Ourém after more than 5 hours and 12 minutes riding.

Despite having to settle for second on the day, Wout van Aert will wear the red jersey as overall race leader to start Stage 3. Groves will wear green as the leader of the points classification, while Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) will wear the polka dot jersey as king of the mountains classification leader. Mathias Vacek (Lidl–Trek) sits atop the best young rider classification.

Stage 3 will be the final day in Portugal, starting in Lousã and finish in Castelo Branco. The stage will take the peloton over a distance of 191.2 kilometers on mostly flat terrain with climbing sections in the Serra da Estrela mountain range.

The 2024 edition of the Vuelta a España opened with a 12-kilometer long individual time trial in and around the city of Lisbon, Portugal. The route went near the coast, and riders faced windy conditions on a clear, sunny day.

Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) would end the day with the fasted time, covering the course in 12:41. Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) would earn second on the day, 2 seconds slower than McNulty, while Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) would finish the day in third with a time of 12:44. This was McNulty's first Grand Tour stage win, providing grounds for celebration in the UAE Team Emirates squad and for the 26-year-old American.

Among the main general classification contenders, Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) had the best showing, finishing in 8th, 17 seconds back of McNulty, while João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) was 10th, 19 seconds back. Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) would lose 34 seconds on the lead, while Sepp Kuss (Visma-Lease a Bike) fell behind nearly a minute, 54 seconds behind fastest time.

Stage 2 will stay in Portugal, covering a distance of 194 kilometers from Cascais to Ourém. The hilly terrain means the peloton will face nearly 2,700 meters of elevation gain and two categorized climbs, the first at the Alto do Lagoa, lasting 5.7 kilometers at a 4.6% average gradient and the second at the Alto da Batalha, which covering 7.1 kilometers at an average gradient of 3.3%.

Stage 7 of the Tour de France Femmes 2024 was the longest stage of this year’s edition, covering 166.4 kilometers in the mountains.

The stage featured two main climbs near the finish, first at the Col de Saint-Jean-de-Sixt, lasing 5.4 kilometers at a 5.1% average gradient and second at the Grand Bornand - Montée de Chinaillon, covering 7 kilometers at the same 5.1% average gradient.

Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance–Soudal–Quick-Step), who came into the day wearing the polka dot jersey, as leader of the queen of the mountains category would prove to command the mountains, going off the front to pull away from the break and separate herself on the final climb of the day.

Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) will keep the lead in the general classification, while Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) sits in second place overall, 1:19 behind Niewiadoma.

Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) retains the green jersey as leader of the points category, while Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) keeps the white jersey as best young rider.

Julie Van De Velde (AG Insurance–Soudal–Quick-Step) was voted the most combative rider on the day, while Lidl-Trek leads in the best team category.

Stage 8 will be an exhilarating finale to the Tour de France Femmes 2024. The day will take the peloton over 149.9 kilometers from the start at Le Grand-Bornand and finish atop the summit of the Alpe d'Huez, featuring 4,000 meters of overall vertical gain. Key climbs include the Col de Tamié (Category 2), Col du Glandon (Hors Category) and covering a grueling 19.7 kilometers at a 7.2% average gradient, and the final Alpe d'Huez (Hors Category) climb of 13.8 kilometers.

Stage 1 of the 2024 Vuelta a España is set to kick off with an individual time trial from the capital city of Lisbon to Oeiras in Portugal.

The stage features a flat 12-kilometer individual time trial along the Portuguese coast, which should moderate temperatures at the race start. The route follows the mouth of the Tagus River, starting near Libon’ iconic Belém Tower and finishing close to the São Julião da Barra fortress in Oeiras.

This scenic course offers a straightforward dash along the shoreline, with virtually no elevation gain. This will be the longest opening individual time trial in a Vuelta since 2001 and accounts for a third of the total time trialing kilometers in the entire race. The flat profile favors pure power riders, as opposed to more technical, endurance-focused time trial specialists.

Riders to watch on Stage 1 include:

Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), who is known for his time trial prowess and is coming off a bronze medal finish at the 2024 Olympic Men’s Time Trial.

Joshua Tarling (INEOS Grenadiers) who also is known for his time trial results and won the Great Britain National Time Trial, while also finishing in fourth at the 2024 Olympic Men’s Time Trial.

Primož Roglič (Red Bull-BORA-Hansgrohe) who has not been in top form in 2024, but did win the overall race, as well as the points classification, at the 2024 Critérium du Dauphiné in June.

Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) and Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Dstny) are two strong time trialists to also keep on the radar, while local favorite João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) could also very realistically put in a top 5 ride on the opening day.

Stage 3 of the 2024 PostNord Danmark Rundt began frmo the city of Kolding, covering 156 kilometers to Haderslev across Southern Denmark.

The pleoton set of fit towards Gelballe, where the first hill sprint occurred, before setting out towards Skamlingsbanken, Hejlsminde and Christiansfeld. The riders then set out South-west to Vojens and then to Tørning Mølle before the final three laps in Haderslev. It is the 6th time that Kolding was the starting city for PostNord Danmark Rundt, while Haderslev has been the destination city only once before.

Seven riders set the early pace on the breakaway on the day, with the group including Jakub Kaczmarek (Mazowsze Serce Polski) Victor Vercouillie (Flanders-Baloise) Andreas Stokbro (Leopard TOGT) Mads Andersen (Restaurant Suri-Carl Ras) Martin Szokody (Giotti Victoria-Savini Due) Cole Kessler (EF Education-EasyPost) Aksel Bech Skot-Hansen (Riwal). The breakaway group was unable to create a winner on the stage however, as they were reeled in by the peloton under 2 kilometers from the finish line.

Danish rider Tobias Lund Andresen (dsm-firmenich PostNL) emerged victorious, outsprinting race leader Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Dstny) at the finish line in Haderslev. Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility), the previous day's stage winner, secured third place.

Despite not winning the stage, Arnaud De Lie maintained his lead in the general classification. After the stage, De Lie held a five-second advantage over Magnus Cort in the overall standings.

Stage 4 will take the peloton from Stevns to Holbækover 177.5 kilometers with 1,200 meters of elevation gain, including 5 categorized climbs.

Stage 6 of the Tour de France Femmes 2024 ran from Remiremont to Morteau, covering a distance of 159.2 kilometers. The hilly stage profile meant that there was an opportunity for an early break to hold off the peloton was possible, and contenders atop the leaderboard could look to separate themselves.

The early break held off until the final climb of the day at the Côte des Fins, with the peloton coming back together with the front of the race. At this point, general classification contenders Kristen Faulkner (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) and Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) were both dropped from the peloton.

Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) would be the first to reach the final summit of the day, while Cédrine Kerbaol (Ceratizit-WNT) and Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck) would soon launch an attack off the front on the descent.

With 11 kilometers remaining, Kerbaol would pull away from Rooijakkers, creating a 30 second gap with less than 7 kilometers to go.

Cédrine Kerbaol would hold her lead, winning Stage 6 on a solo victory 21 seconds ahead of Marianne Vos in second and Liane Lippert (Movistar) in third.

Kasia Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) would maintain her lead in the general classification, with Kerbaol moving into second overall 16 seconds back.

Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance–Soudal–Quick-Step) would secure the polka dot jersey, as leader of the queen of the mountains category, after early breakaway riding.

Puck Pieterse lost both the polka dot jersey, as leader of the queen of the mountains category, and her place on the podium but, she retained the white jersey as best young rider.

Marianne Vos would go into the lead of the points classification, wearing the green jersey going into Stage 7.

Stage 7 will run from Champagnole to Le Grand-Bornand, covering a distance of 166.4 kilometers. This makes it the longest stage of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes, and will be a mountainous stage featuring five categorized climbs.

A hot, sunny Stage 3 set of from Ringkøbing and offered 2,000 meters of elevation gain over 231.3 kilometers on the way to Vejle. What set this stage apart was its brutal nature, especially in the latter part of the race, as the final 70 kilometers featured several steep hills with gradients of 18% or more

This stage East Jutland region near Vejle and Gresdal provided challenging terrain and exciting racing on display during this stage, which also showcased the natural beauty area.

A breakaway emerged early, made up of Emil Toudal (ColoQuick), Kristian Egholm (Lidl-Trek Future Racing), Daniel Stampe (Airtox – Carl Ras), Luke Verburg (Parkhotel – Valkenburg), Jasper Dejaegher (Flanders – Baloise), Halvor Utengen Sandstad (Coop – Repsol), and Michal Pomorski (HRE Mazowsze Serce Polski), who were able to create up to a five minute lead.

Now riders from the early break were able to hold out, and on the grueling day, Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility) would emerge victorious after overcoming a crash earlier in the stage. Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny) had attacked off the front, but Cort was able to time his response perfectly to overtake De Lie on a sprint finish and capture the win on the day. Fellow Dane Søren Kragh Andersen (Alpecin–Deceuninck) would cross the line in third on the stage, 4 seconds back of Cort and De Lie.

While he did not win the stage, De Lie would stand atop the podium as leader of the general classification at the end of the day and best young rider, only 0.2 seconds ahead of Cort in the overall time standings. Daniel Stampe (Airtox-Carl Ras) leads in the mountains classification, while Cort holds the points classification lead.

Stage 3 will go from Kolding to Haderslev in Southern Denmark covering 156 kilometers and providing 1,300 meters of elevation gain, with the finish involving three laps on an 8.2 kilometer long circuit to be decided on the 1,100 meter long finish hill on the Christian X's Vej.

Stage 5 of the Tour de France Femmes 2024 marked the first day on French soil of this year’s edition.

The stage began in Bastogne, Belgium, and finished in Amnéville, France, crossing through Luxembourg along the way. The peloton covered a distance of 152.5 kilometers on a generally flat route, which contained three categorized climbs. The first was at the Côte de Fermont, lasting 1.5 kilometers at a 4.6% average gradient, the second at the Côte de Briey, a 1.1 kilometer climb at a 4.4% average gradient, and the last categorized climb at the Côte de Montois-la-Montagne, taking 1.7 kilometers at a 6% average gradient.

Kata Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime) emerged victorious on the day, beating out Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) at the line. The multi-talented Hungarian rider previously won the 2024 Hungarian National Road Race and finished 4th overall in the 2024 Olympic Road Race.

Despite not winning the stage, Niewiadoma would move into top place overall in the general classification, meaning she will wear the yellow jersey to start Stage 6.

Olympic Road Race gold medalist Kristen Faulkner (SD Worx-Protime) sits in second place overall, followed by Stage 4 winner Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) in third. Charlotte Kool (dsm–firmenich PostNL) retained her lead in the points classification and will once again wear the green jersey on Stage 6, while Stage 4 winner Pieterse leads in the mountains classification and best young rider classification.

Stage 6 of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes will run from Remiremont to Morteau, covering a distance of 159.2 kilometers and be moderately hilly.

Stage 1 of the PostNord Danmark Rundt featured a team time trial (TTT) format, which provided an exciting start to the race. The 33rd edition of PostNord Danmark Rundt had its a historic start in the city of Holstebro, departing for a 13.7 kilometer long team time trial course. This marked the first time that a team time occurred at an edition of the PostNord Danmark Rundt.

After the start at the city's famous art museum, it followed to Viborgvej, towards Sletten, and then past Vandkraftsøen, before the teams pass the intermediate time at the 7.5-kilometer mark. This year's PostNord Danmark Rundt is part of the celebration of the city's 750th anniversary, which will be celebrated throughout 2024. It is the 10th time the race has visited Holstebro.

The riders then arrive into Mejdal, before taking large roads to the finish line. The finish was located next to the Musikteatret (Music Theater), right in the center of the city. The route was largely flat, and overall technically easy, testing the teams’ power and coordination along the course.

Tobias Lund Andresen (dsm-firmenich PostNL) sits atop the leaderboard after the stage, with teammate Johan Dorussen in second going into Stage 2.

Jesper Rasch (Parkhotel Valkenburg) leads the mountains classification, capturing three points on the stage.

Stage 2 will run from Ringkøbing to Vejle, with 2,000 meters of elevation gain spread over 231.3 kilometers. The start will mark the third time a stage has begun in Ringkøbing, and the first since the last visit back in 2015. The long, hilly day will prove an early challenge for the peloton and open up a breakaway opportunity for strong climbers.

Stage 4 of the Tour de France Femmes 2024 kicked off from Valkenburg in the Netherlands, heading out on a route of 122.7 kilometers to the finish in Liège, Belgium.

The stage contained a number of categorized climbs, including Bemelerberg (Category 4) lasting 1.3 kilometers at a 4.9% average gradient, Cauberg (Category 3) covering 0.7 kilometers at an 8% average gradient, Geulhemmerberg (Category 4) lasting 1.1 kilometers at an average gradient of 5.1%, Mont-Theux (Category 3) taking 2.8 kilometers at an average gradient of 5.6%, the Côte de la Redoute (Category 2) covering 1.6 kilometers at a 9.4% average gradient, the Côte des Forges (Category 3) lasting 1.3 kilometers at an average gradient of 7.8%, and the steepest average climb of the day on the Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons (Category 2) covering 1.3 kilometers at a strenuous 11% average gradient.

In a battle at the line, with three riders contending for the stage victory, Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck) beat out Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) by mere centimeters, while Katarzyna Niewiadoma (Canyon-SRAM) finished in third on the day.

With her performance on the day, Pieterse moved into second place in the general classification, while also moving into positions as leader of the Queen of the Mountains classification meaning she will wear the polka dot jersey at the start of Stage 5, as well as being top of the best young rider classification.

Demi Vollering would keep the maillot jaune going into Stage 5, holding a 22 second lead over Pieterse in the general classification.

Niewiadoma would move into third overall in the general classification after her third place stage finish. Justine Ghekiere (AG Insurance-Soudal) was voted the most combative rider on the day. Charlotte Kool (dsm-Firmenich PostNL) will wear the green jersey as leader of the point classification.

Stage 5 will start in Bastogne, Belgium and finish in Amnéville, France, covering a distance of 152.5 kilometers. This will be the first stage of this year’s edition of the Tour de France Femmes entering into France, with the border crossing occurring around 65 kilometer-mark. The stage is moderately hilly, including five categorized climbs, and could set up well for a breakaway victory off the front.

Stage 2 of the 2024 edition of the Tour de France Femmes was a sprinter-friendly route from Dordrecht to Rotterdam covering a distance of 69.7 kilometers. After victory in Stage 1, Charlotte Kool (dsm-firmenich PostNL) came out and was in the running in another bunch sprint for the Stage 2 victory. Kool was able to kick and overtake Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime) to push to back-to-back stage wins.

Stage 3 was a short, intense individual time trial in the city of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, covering 6.3 kilometers over a flat, yet technical course.

Elena Pirrone (Roland) put in a strong early ride, finishing in 7:44 and sitting atop the leaderboard after 20 riders had completed the course. Loes Adegeest (FDJ-Suez) would soon finish in 7:30 and take the place atop the leaderboard. Ultimately, however, Lorena Wiebes would emerge victorious, finishing in a time of 7:25. She beat out second place Chloe Dygert (Canyon-SRAM), while Loes Adegeest would end the day in third place on the Stage 3 individual time trial.

Demi Volling (SD Worx-Protime) would stand atop the podium in the maillot jaune as leader in the general classification, three seconds behind Vollering, while Chloe Dygert is in third overall after her second place showing on Stage 3, five seconds behind Vollering.

Cristina Tonetti (Laboral Kutxa - Fundación Euskadi) will wear the polka dot jersey as Queen of the mountains, while Charlotte Kool will wear the green jersey as overall points leader going into Stage 4. Anninna Ahtosalo (Uno-X Mobility) sits atop the best young rider classification.

Stage 4 of the Tour de France Femmes 2024 is a hilly stage starting in Valkenburg in the Netherlands and covering 122.7 kilometers before a finish in Liège, Belgium. The stage is reminiscent of the Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège classics, and will feature a total of eight categorized climbs.

The Tour de France Femmes 2024 opened on Monday, August 12, 2024.

The stage ran from Rotterdam to The Hague in the Netherlands, covering a distance of 123.8 kilometers. The stage was classified as flat, setting up in favor of the sprinters. The stage start in Rotterdam's Museum Park, marking the first foreign Grand Départ for the Tour de France Femmes. The stage passed through towns including Schiedam, Vlaardingen, and Maassluis. There is one categorized climb, the Category 4 Maasdelta Tunnel at the 61 kilometer mark, lasting 1 kilometer at an average gradient of 4.4%.

The early break was caught with 20 kilometers remaining on the day, and as the peloton reached under 2 kilometers to go from the line, the pace picked up as teams began to lead out their sprinters. The dsm-firmenich PostNL and Uno-X Mobility teams were best positioned on the approach to the line.

Charlotte Kool (dsm-firmenich PostNL) was able to make a move off the front in the final kilometer and hold off the competition on the sprint to capture victory on the initial stage of the 2024 Tour de France Femmes, beating out Anniina Ahtosalo (Uno-X Mobility), who earned second on the day, by 4 seconds, followed by Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) in third.

Following her victory on the day, Kool was elated, stating in regard to the result, “It's incredible, it's a dream. It wasn't an easy season, but this is what matters. The final was very hectic, but I like that. I launched my sprint pretty early. It's the best day of my life.”

Stage 2 is another day for the sprinters, running from Dordrecht to Rotterdam over a distance of 69.7 kilometers.

The Olympics concluded on Sunday, August 11th and after exciting Road Race and Individual Time Trials competitions for both the men and women, with Belgian Wout van Aert taking gold in both competitions on the men’s side and on the women’s side Austrialian Grace Brown taking gold in the time trial while American Kristen Faulkner pulling of an impressive tactical win in the final kilometers of the road race.

Through the final days, track cycling events took center stage. in the Men's Individual Sprint Final, Dutch phenom Harrie Lavreysen successfully defended his gold medal by defeating Matthew Richardson from Australia. Lavreysen would also capture gold in the team sprint competition. Harrie Lavreysen claimed the gold medal in the Men’s Keirin event to pull of a trifecta gold medal showing.

In the Women's Sprint Final, New Zealand's Ellesse Andrews emerged victorious, winning the gold medal. Like Lavreysen on the men’s side, Andrews would wine gold as part of New Zealand’s team sprint competition. Ellesse Andrews, not to be outdone, secured gold in the Women’s Keirin event to carry out her own gold medal three-count.

In the Men’s Omnium, Benjamin Thomas of France won the gold medal to the excitement of the host country, with Iuri Leitao of Portugal taking silver and Fabio van den Bossche of Belgium winning bronze. In the Women's Omnium Finals, Jennifer Valente of the United States emerged victorious, maintaining her lead after winning the elimination race.

In the Men's Madison competition, the gold medal was won by the Portuguese duo of Iuri Leitao and Rui Oliveira. The silver medal went to Italy's Elia Consonni and Simone Vivia, while Denmark's Michael Mørkøv and Lasse Norman Larsen secured the bronze medal.

In the Women's Madison competition, Chiara Consonni and Vittoria Guazzini of Italy won with a total of 37 points, followed by Elinor Barker and Megan Barker of Great Britain and bronze went to Dutch riders Lisa van Belle and Marlies van Duin.

Jonas Abrahamsen has extended his contract with the Uno X-Mobility cycling team until 2028. The announcement was made on August 7, 2024, highlighting Abrahamsen's impressive development as a cyclist, particularly following his performance in the Tour de France. The team expressed pride in renewing his contract for an additional two years, emphasizing their confidence in his potential and contributions to the team

General Manager of the Uno-X Mobility team, Thor Hushovd, in a statement on X (formerly known as Twitter) that, “The way Jonas is developing is simply impressive! He has been part of the Uno-X family since the beginning, where we have grown together to compete among the world’s best. Proud and happy to extend the contract by 2 more years until the end of 2028! This proves that Uno-X Mobility is thinking and investing long-term!”

The 28-year-old rider from Norway just finished the final stage of the 2024 Arctic Tour of Norway, where he worked in support of Uno-X Mobility team sprinter and fellow Norwegian Alexander Kristoff to help Kristoff achieve victory in the first two stages. Uno-X Mobility rider Magnus Cort of Denmark would also show an outstanding performance for the team, as Cort emerged as the winner of this final stage, ahead of Clément Champoussin (Arkéa–B&B Hotels) and Kevin Vermaerke (dsm–Firmenich PostNL), while taking the general classification win.

Abrahamsen has achieved notable results over the past two years. In 2023, he placed 3rd in the road race competition at the Norwegian National Road Championships and in 2024 has won the Brussels Cycling Classic, while placing second at the Dwars door Vlaanderen and Dwars door het Hageland. He also put in a strong Tour de France showing in 2024, wearing the King of the Mountains and Points classification leader jersey for short periods.

Artem Nych (Sabgal-Anicolor) went into the final stage of the 2024 Volta a Portugal as the general classification leader, looking to keep a hold on his position.

The final stage of the 2024 Volta a Portugal was an individual time trial (ITT), which covered a 26.6 kilometer route with 369 meters of elevation gain across the city of Viseu southeast of Porto in northern Portugal. The relatively short distance and moderate elevation gain presented a generally fast course which would favor strong time trialists while also still presenting some challenges across the lightly rolling terrain of the Portuguese countryside.

In the end, Nych was able to win the stage, narrowly beating his Sabgal-Anicolor teammate Julius Johansen by just three seconds, while Swiss rider Colin Stüssi (Team Vorarlberg) finished 30 seconds behind Nych.

Colin Stüssi finished second overall after his third place finish on the final stage, while Abner González (Efapel) would be third in the general classification. Over ten stages, the general classification remained close until the end, with

Colin Stüssi recording an overall time only 1:23 behind Nych, and Abner González only 2:38 behind the general classification winner.

The time trial stage provided a fitting conclusion to the 85th edition of Portugal's most prestigious stage race, as Nych was able to capture victory in both the last stage and the overall classification after taking the win at the summit finish on Stage 9.

Nych has been providing professional cycling results for over a decade, first achieving an 8th place finish in the Road race at the UCI Junior Road World Championships in 2013 before getting 3rd in 2014 the National Under-23 Road Championships and 6th overall at the Tour of Szeklerland. He then won the National Under-23 Road Championships and was 2nd in the Trofeo Banca Popolare di Vicenza in 2015. By 2021, he earned a wine at the National Road Championships in the road race category in Russia, and in 2023, Nych was the general classification winner of the GP Beiras e Serra da Estrela and also was 4th overall in the Volta a Portugal the same year.

Like the men’s road race the day before, the women’s field set of at the 2024 Olympic road race on a 5-kilometer procession, passing iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Seine, Les Invalides, and the Latin Quarter, before the official race start on Rue Gay-Lussac in the 5th arrondissement. For the first time in Olympic history, there was also an equal number of male and female participants, with 90 men and 90 women. 

An early break off the front was made by Nora Jencusova of Slovakia, putting in a two minute gap on the peloton with 120 kilometers remaining. is in the front with a 1m51s gap to the peloton. A few riders are trying to move and join her on the breakaway at the moment.

A chase group 50 seconds behind Jencusova formed with 117 kilometers left on the day, which included Hanna Tserakh (AIN), Thị Thật Nguyen (Vietnam) Rotem Gafinovitz (Israel), and two Kenyan riders, Fariba Hashimi and Yulduz Hashimi.

The gap to the front of the race had increased to as much as six minutes among the break with 90 kilometers to go to the finish, but they were reeled in with under 50 kilometers remaining, as the last two riders remaining from the breakaway were caught by the peloton with 47 kilometers left.

American rider Chloe Dygert, who was a gold medal favorite in the Olympic time trial this year, and captured bronze despite a crash, also had an unfortunate crash on the road race 46 kilometers from the finish.  

42 kilometers to go Belgian rider Lotte Kopecky and nine additional riders were at the front, and with 30 kilometers remaining this group had grown to include twelve riders. With 21 kilometers to go, Dutch rider Marianne Vos and Hungarian rider Blanka Vas held a 10 second gap at the front. 

15 kilometers from the line, Vos and Vas had increased their lead to 30 seconds. 

With 8 kilometers to go, Kopecky and Kriten Faulkner of the United States of America formed a two-woman chase just 6 seconds behind Vos and Vas. 

3.4 kilometers from the line, the chasing two riders connected with Vos and Vas at the front, with Falkner soon separating from the other three riders. Faulkner created a 10 second gap in the following kilometers and none of the other three riders put in a challenge. 

Faulkner would continue to build her gap off the front, capturing gold for the United States on the day in an outstanding show of determination, endurance, and tactics.

On a three-woman battle for silver and bronze, Marianne Vos would take home silver for the Netherlands, while Lotte Kopecky would earn bronze for Belgium, giving the country another medal after Remco Evenopoel won gold on the same finish the day before.

Kristen Faulkner grew up in the fishing community of Homer, Alaska, where she was one of five siblings. She attended Phillips Academy in Massachusetts, excelling academically and athletically as a varsity runner, swimmer, and rower. She later graduated from Harvard University in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science, where she also competed in varsity rowing and set the record for the fastest 2-kilometer indoor rowing time for lightweight women.

Faulkner began her cycling career in 2016 while living in New York City. She quickly developed a passion for the sport and relocated to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2018. In 2020, she joined Team TIBCO–Silicon Valley Bank, transitioning to professional cycling while working full-time as an investment associate at Threshold Ventures, a venture capital firm. Her rise in competitive cycling has been notable. 

In 2023, she won the Women's road time trial at the Pan American Games and secured multiple victories in the 2024 season, including the Omloop van het Hageland and Stage 4 of La Vuelta Feminina. Additionally, she won the Road Race and finished second in the Time Trial at the USA National Road Race Championships in May 2024. 

Stage 9 of the 2024 Volta a Portugal featured a mountainous route covering 170.8 kilometers leading to a grueling finish on a 10-kilometer climb to the summit at Mondim de Basto, sitting at 900 meters high with its landmark being the charming Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Graça built in 1775.

After distancing himself from the second rider on the day,Artem Nych (Sabgal-Anicolor), in the final kilometers to the summit finish, Abner González (Efapel Cycling) emerged victorious on Stage 9 of the 2024 Volta a Portugal, the queen stage of the race. 

González managed to distance himself from Nych enough to finish six seconds ahead, while David Delgado (Burgos-BH) arrived in third, 22 seconds back. Artem Nych's performance, however, allowed him to take the overall race lead, moving from 13th going into the day to the top of the general classification going into the final stage. This shift displaced the previous leader, Portuguese rider Afonso Eulálio (ABTF Betão-Feirense). Nych's strategic move to join an early breakaway of 30 riders proved crucial in his ascent to the general classification lead. 

Germán Nicolás Tivani Pérez (Aviludo–Louletano–Loulé Concelho) would keep his lead atop the points classification while Jaume Guardeño (Caja Rural - Seguros RGA) stood atop the Best Young Rider classification and the veteran Spanish rider Luís Ángel Maté (Euskaltel–Euskadi) was the leader of the King of the Mountains classification going into the final stage.

The final stage of the Volta a Portugal is a hilly 26.6-kilometer individual time trial in the city of Viseu, which will determine the general classification winner of the race.

The 2024 Olympic men's eoad eace began with a 5-kilometer procession, passing iconic landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, the Seine, Les Invalides, and the Latin Quarter, before starting on the Rue Gay-Lussac in Paris's 5th arrondissement. The 273.3-kilometer-long route wound through France's Hauts-de-Seine département, passing by Château de Versailles and through the Chevreuse Valley. 

On a lengthy day, the intensity would rise in the final 70 kilometers, with three riders, Ben Healy and Ryan Mullen of Ireland and Alexey Lutsenko of Kazakhstan, holding a 32 second lead over the peloton with 68 kilometers to go to the finish. A chase group of seven riders would then form with 55 kilometers left., challenging the three riders off the front.

With 46 kilometers to go, Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel attacked from the peloton, with Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel matching van der Poel's move. Julian Alaphilippe of France, Matteo Jorgenson of the United States of America and Toms Skujins of Latvia also reacted, looking to stay in contention with the new offensive development at the front of the race. 

With 36 kilometers remaining, Ben Healy maintained a 23 second gap of the chase group, but Healy was caught as the riders entered the mark signaling there were under 30 kilometers to go. 

Remco Evenepoel and Valentin Madouas of France soon established themselves at the front, with several riders in the chase behind, and with 15 kilometers left on the day, Evenepoel was able to separate himself from Madouas.

With under 10 kilometers remaining, Remco Evenepoel had a 38 second gap on Valentin Madouas, which the Belgian rider would be able to keep, powering towards the finishing line and capturing gold at the Men's Road Race. 

France would also leave the race with pride, taking silver and bronze on the day, as Valentin Madouas crossed the line in second for silver and Christophe Laporte would come in third, wearing bronze on the podium.

Evenepoel also claimed the gold medal for Belgium at the Men's Individual Time Trial, finishing the 32.4 kilometer route, which started at the Esplanade des Invalides and finished at the Pont Alexandre III bridge, in a time of 36:12.

Evenepoel rides for the UCI WorldTeam Soudal-Quickstep, and is a two-time World Champion, winning the road race in 2022 and the individual time trial in 2023. Evenepoel became the first Belgian to win a Grand Tour in 44 years by clinching the Vuelta a España in 2022, where he also won two stages. Tour de France: In 2024, he made history by finishing third overall in his debut at the Tour de France, marking the first time a Belgian rider has reached the podium in 43 years. He also won a stage and the white jersey for the Best Young Rider. He also has captured multiple victories in prestigious one-day races, including Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 2022 and 2023, and the Clásica San Sebastián in 2019, 2022, and 2023.

The Women's Road Race will take place tomorrow, on August 4th.

Stage 8 of the Volta a Portugal would be a longer day for the riders, as the peloton would cover 182.4 kilometers on the day, setting off from the city of Viana do Castelo in the Norte region of Portugal on the way to a finish in the city of Fafe in the Braga district, 60 kilometers from Porto.

The stage would start on essentially completely flat terrain, with more climbs being met in the second half of the day. There would be three intermediate sprints, as well as two Category 4 and two Category 3 climbs across the stage.

The Argentinian rider Tomas Contte (Aviludo - Louletano - Loulé Concelho) would emerge victorious on the day after an exciting sprint finish, beating out Andoni López de Abetxuko (Euskaltel - Euskadi) and Rafael Reis (Sabgal-Anicolor) at the line. Contte has previously won the individual time trial event at the 2016 National Junior Road Championships, while finishing second in the road race that year. 

Afonso Eulálio (ABTF Betão - Feirense) would maintain his spot at the top of the general classification following the stage.

Stage 9 of the 2024 Volta a Portugal will take riders from Maia to Mondim de Basto, culminating in a challenging climb to Srª da Graça. This stage is known for its demanding profile, featuring significant elevation changes that will test the climbers in the peloton. The stage is crucial for general classification contenders, as the final ascent to Srª da Graça often plays a decisive role in the overall standings.