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Lads on (Grand) Tour: The 11 British riders at the 2024 Tour de France
Slap on the sunscreen and grab yourself a bière — it’s time to go on Tour. The 2024 Tour de France gets underway in Florence on 29th June, and this year there are 11 British riders among the 176 starters facing 3,498km over the next three weeks to reach Nice.
The total of 11 riders improves on last year’s tally of eight. This is, in fact, the highest number of British riders in the Tour de France ever! Chris Froome of Israel-Premier Tech has once again been omitted from the team’s Tour de France squad. On top of the 11 British riders, Ireland brings two riders to the Tour in Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost) and Sam Bennett (Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale).
Between the British riders set to start this year’s Tour de France, they boast 41 stage wins, a yellow jersey, two green jerseys and a whole lot of hope. Let me introduce you to our 11 lucky lads.
Sir Mark Cavendish, Astana Qazaqstan
2024 sees the grand comeback of Manxman Mark Cavendish. After crashing out on the road to Limoges at last year’s Tour de France, Cavendish has returned for one last dance – or so we think.
Cavendish is undoubtedly the greatest sprinter in the sport’s history. The record-breaking 35th stage win will set him apart as the rider with the most stage wins in the history of the Tour. There are eight chances for Cavendish to claim his win before rounding out his Grand Tour career in Nice.
Once again lining up for Astana Qazaqstan, Cavendish will be joined by an all-star sprint train including his former lead-out man at QuickStep, Michael Mørkøv. Cavendish appears earnest ahead of his final Tour de France, but the pursuit of the 35th stage win weighs heavy on his shoulders.
Let us know in the comments whether you think he’ll get that win.
Adam Yates, UAE Team Emirates
Adam Yates rode a seminal Tour in 2023. The UAE Team Emirates rider took a stage win on the first day of racing in Bilbao, giving him the yellow jersey for four days. After supporting Tadej Pogačar in his bid to topple Jonas Vingegaard, Yates climbed onto the podium, finishing in third place overall. Having never made a Grand Tour podium, he proved that he is more than a domestique.
This year, Yates has consolidated his Grand Tour status. A recent win overall at the Tour de Suisse showed real signs of promise while a win at the Tour of Oman at the beginning of the year underlined UAE Team Emirates’ year-long ambition of smashing stage races.
Yates will ride in support of Pogačar. He has been clear in this role. However, there is a chance that he could contend for a stage win and fight for the podium once again.
- Read our profile of Adam Yates
Geraint Thomas, Ineos Grenadiers
Ineos Grenadiers has a Tour de France winner in their ranks in Geraint Thomas. The Welshman won the yellow jersey in 2018 and has made the podium twice thereafter.
Geraint has come off a solid Giro d’Italia, finishing in third place. Remarkably, he still possesses the pedigree to reach the Grand Tour podium, even at the age of 38.
Thomas has said that two Grand Tours in a year is not his strong suit, but his abundance of Tour de France experience should come in handy. In fact, this year will be his fourteenth Tour appearance, making him the most experienced rider in the bunch this summer.
- Our Geraint Thomas profile will be available this week in Cyclist Issue 154
Tom Pidcock, Ineos Grenadiers
It feels like a long time ago that Tom Pidcock took a breakaway victory atop Alpe d’Huez in 2022. Since then, Pidcock has consolidated his place as one of the best cyclocross and mountain bike riders in the world. On the road, the same lofty heights have not been equalled. However, the Tour offers a real opportunity for Pidcock to announce himself again.
He’s coming off decent form after a top-ten finish at the Tour de Suisse and will be chasing his own ambitions here. He has said that he will decide whether to go for the GC or not, with the upcoming Olympics being his main goal this year.
Stevie Williams, Israel-Premier Tech
Currently riding his strongest season to date, Stevi Williams will make his Tour de France debut in 2024. In April, he sealed a career-defining win at La Flèche Wallonne after taking his first UCI WorldTour stage race win at the Tour Down Under back in January with a final stage victory at Mount Lofty.
Born in Aberystwyth, Wales, Williams will be one of Israel-Premier Tech’s strongest stage-winning cards at the Tour. He can climb well and has a strong punch, particularly if it goes over 10% in gradient.
Recent results also show a flare in the sprints, so expect Williams to back himself against breakaway companions if it comes down to a reduced group. If you’re looking for a suggestion, stages 11 and 17 look good for Williams to claim a debut Grand Tour stage win.
Simon Yates, Jayco-AlUla
Jayco-AlUla are led by Englishman Simon Yates. The Bury-born rider will look to improve on his fourth-place finish from last year. Often under the radar among the GC favourites, Simon Yates should be a firm contender for a top-ten finish. His climbing legs and aggressive tactics make for entertaining watching and equally fruitful results.
Simon Yates has taken two stage wins in the Tour de France before, both back in 2019. Since then, Yates has had a tumultuous relationship with Grand Tour racing having been scarred at the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España due to bad luck and irregular form.
Yates has not shown the same level of form as his twin brother Adam. Simon is yet to take a WorldTour stage win in 2024, and his only victory came back in February at the AlUla Tour in Saudi Arabia. Startlist snubs recently have shown that he is trying to lock in for the Tour, however, a looming transfer to Visma–Lease a Bike has occupied more airtime in the pre-Tour period.
- Our Simon Yates feature is available in Cyclist Issue 153
Fred Wright, Bahrain Victorious
The Bahrain Victorious rider has ridden well at the two previous Tours de France, coming closest to a stage win in Saint-Étienne in 2022. The weekend before the Tour last year, Wright took the British national title, giving him the honour of wearing the red, white and blue ribbons for a year.
Since then, he has been consistent in the Classics with top-25 finishes at Gent-Wevelgem and E3, and a top-15 at Paris-Roubaix. He also featured in the top ten in the only sprint finish at the Dauphiné earlier this month, showing signs of an upward trajectory in form before the Tour de France.
The Londoner still qualifies for the white jersey at the age of 25, but will be hoping for a stage win, most likely from a breakaway. He came so close before, so there will be belief invested in Wright this year.
- Read our Q&A with Fred Wright
Oscar Onley, DSM-Firmenich-PostNL
We may have been knocked out of the Euros, but Scotland is still in Europe this summer courtesy of Oscar Onley. The 21-year-old from Kelso in the Borders will make his Tour debut this year.
A strong climber, Onley made headlines in 2022 after fiercely challenging Jonas Vingegaard at the Cro Race. However, he has broken through in 2024. A win came early in the season at Willunga Hill during the Tour Down Under for Scotland’s first WorldTour win in 12 years. He then finished inside the top 20 at Itzulia Basque Country and eighth overall at the Tour de Suisse.
Onley’s Tour appearance is a big deal for Scottish cycling. This is the first time in ten years that a Scottish rider will take on the Tour, and the first time in 31 years that a Scottish-born rider will take to the startline of the Grand Boucle. That rider won the polka-dot jersey. Here’s to more success for the Scots.
Dan McLay, Arkéa-B&B Hotels
Born in New Zealand but raised in the East Midlands, Dan McLay has often been this past decade’s overlooked British sprinter. This is partly due to his commitment to Breton team Arkéa (formerly Fortunéo) where he has spent the majority of his career.
His race-winning sprint at the 2016 GP Denain went viral and remains in YouTube sprint compilations to this date. That same year, he rode a convincing Tour de France, finding the top ten on four occasions. His Grand Tour success stretched out to 2022 Vuelta where he once again came close to stage victory.
McLay will be on leadout duties for Tour stage winner Arnaud Démare this time around. His recent results don’t point towards another dance at the podium, but his wit and eccentricity should hopefully shine through.
Ben Turner, Ineos Grenadiers
Ben Turner will line up for his second Tour de France. Billed as ‘The Clock’ – a frustrating nickname given that Big Ben is the bell rather than the clock – the 25-year-old Turner has become a dependable cog in the Ineos machine.
Turner’s inclusion is a surprise to some. The Doncaster-born rider was up against some real opposition to make it onto the Tour startlist. However, after a solid string of spring Classics results and a reliable ride at the Dauphiné, he has been given the nod.
The Ineos rider is a strong rouleur who will prove useful in the transitional stages. He will also act as a valiant helper, fetching bottles and taking early tows at the head of the peloton. He is one of the unsung heroes needed within a Grand Tour-winning squad, and could well get an opportunity or two in the breakaways.
Jake Stewart, Israel-Premier Tech
The 24-year-old from Coventry Jake Stewart will make his Tour de France debut this year. Formerly of Groupama-FDJ, the Brit moved across to the UCI ProTeam Israel-Premier Tech last winter.
At Groupama-FDJ, Stewart finished as runner-up at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in 2021 at the age of 21. In the following years, he took a stage at the Tour de l’Ain in both 2022 and 2023, though his results this year have not been at that same level. He has only finished one WorldTour race this season and his preparation was derailed further at the Tour de Suisse a week ago where he also abandoned.
Stewart is a hardy sprinter. He can get his way over some tough hills, has a quick kick to him and he’s capable enough to sprint without a lead-out train. Jake’s best Grand Tour results have come in sprints previously at the Giro and Vuelta. A sixth place at the Rome sprint finale of the 2023 Giro is his current best result on a Grand Tour stage.
Israel-Premier Tech are going all-in for stage wins, so expect Stewart to help lead out Pascal Ackermann in sprints and potentially feature in a few breakaways.
- Read our stage-by-stage guide to the 2023 Tour de France
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- For more on the Tour de France, visit our hub page
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