Every rider who starts the Tour de France wants to finish the race, but there isn't a single edition of the sport's biggest show that doesn't end in heartbreak for a significant number of riders.
This year's Tour began in Florence, Italy rather than on French soil with the 2024 Paris Olympic Games pushing the race south with a finish in Nice rather than the usual parade onto the Champs-Élysées. It didn't take long for the first rider to add their name to the abandon list as the race set off into the searing Tuscan heat. Michele Gazzoli (Astana Qazaqstan) was the first rider to step off, but injury, illness and time cuts meant there were plenty more throughout the three weeks.
One of the biggest casualties came in the second week on stage 13 when Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), who had crashed on both stage 11 and 12, had to make the decision that his Tour de France was over. The abandons list then continued to grow right through to stage 19, when Arnaud Démare (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) became the last rider to leave the race. The French sprinter fought right to the line on the mountain stage, despite being outside the time cut, because "you don't give up on an event like the Tour".
