The Tour de France is a gruelling 3-week test for cyclists and typically covers around 3,500km. The 2022 race winner, Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark, completed the 3,344km route at an average speed of 42.03km per hour. Vingegaard is the current leader and likely winner of the 2023 race which finishes in Paris on Sunday.

Earlier editions of the race often covered longer distances. The longest race was 5,745km and was completed in just 17 separate stages. Today’s race is typically made up of 21 stages.

Crashes and injuries often force riders to withdraw from the race. In 2022 there were 176 riders at the start and 135 at the finish. 64 riders started the 1903 race and 21 finished. Only 41 of 126 riders completed the longest race in 1926.