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".
Ultimately 141 of the 176 riders that started the race crossed the final finish line in Nice, nine less than made it to the end last year but considerably more than the 134 that finished in 2022.
Cyclingnews tracked the withdrawals from the Tour de France right from stage 1 to the finish on stage 21 so read on for the full tally.
Stage 1
Michele Gazzoli (Astana-Qazaqstan) DNF
Astana's Tour de France got off to a terrible start, with Mark Cavendish struggling off the back in the searing heat of Tuscany on stage 1. As his team rallied around him, helping him through episodes of vomiting, Gazzoli was hit by apparent leg cramps and climbed off, not finishing the stage and missing the opportunity to race the Tour de France through his home region of Lombardy on stage 3.
Stage 4
Casper Pedersen (Soudal-QuickStep) DNS
Casper Pedersen was a DNS on stage 4 of the Tour after crashing heavily in the closing kilometres of stage 3, breaking his collarbone. The Soudal-QuickStep completed stage 3 into Turin in 175th position, but after the full extent of his injuries were revealed later in medical examinations, he could not continue the race.
“Actually, the physical pain is not so bad compared to the mental pain of having to leave because it was a long process to get here,” Pedersen said in a video the team posted to Twitter. “I’ve been very motivating to make it into this squad, focusing on the GC with Remco. So, yeah, it’s really depressing.”
Get well soon, Casper 💪The Wolfpack will miss you but knows you will come back stronger 🤗 pic.twitter.com/b7u9WODMH5July 1, 2024
Stage 8
Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) DNS
Mads Pedersen was forced to abandon Tour de France ahead of stage 8 due to injuries that he sustained from a crash on stage 5. Despite no visible fractures, the Dane's shoulder injuries worsened throughout stages 6 and 7, and so he will now switch his focus to the Olympic Games.
Stage 10
Aleksandr Vlasov (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) DNS
Aleksandr Vlasov crashed heavily on stage 9 and while he managed to make it to the finish, it was announced on the race's first rest day that he would not start the second week. The Russian was sent flying into a ditch with around 50km to go on the gravel stage and got to his feet very gingerly, raising concerns over concussion. However, it later turned out he had broken his ankle. His departure is a blow for the team's leader, Primož Roglič, Vlasov having been one of the Slovenian's key lieutenants for the mountains.
Unfortunately, Aleks Vlasov will leave the Tour de France due to an ankle fracture. Heal up soon, Aleks 🙏🏻 #tdf2024 pic.twitter.com/yhzf8nGFARJuly 8, 2024
Stage 11
Ion Izagirre and Alexis Renard (Cofidis) DNF
Cofidis suffered a double loss on Wednesday's stage 11, both Ion Izagirre and Alexis Renard withdrawing in the early kilometres of the climbing day. A Tour stage winner in 2023, Izagirre was a rider who could have taken advantage of the severely hilly terrain, but just 40km into the 211km ride he was not in the breakaway nor near the front of the race. Izagirre was struggling off the back, along with his Cofidis teammate Alexis Renard and Fred Wright of Bahrain Victorious. By the time the peloton pounded out another 20km, leaving 150km to go, Wright marched on along, but both Izaguirre and Renard had pulled off to the side of the road and withdrew.
Tim Declercq (Lidl-Trek) DNS
Lidl-Trek lost another rider ahead of stage 11 after already having Pedersen pull out, as Tim 'El Tractor' Declercq was unable to take the start in Évaux-les-Bains after suffering with illness in the days prior. This leaft the American squad with only six riders at the race.
🚨 Unfortunately @Tim_Declercq will not start @LeTour Stage 11 due to illness.Tim has been feeling unwell for a couple of days and after yesterday’s stage it was decided that it was in his best interests to go home to recover. Get well soon, Tim 🫶#TDF2024 📸 Zac Williams pic.twitter.com/7jZIFyYhe8July 10, 2024
Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) OTL
Stage 11 turned out to be a day of full-on suffering for 25-year-old Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious), one that he said he "wouldn't wish on my worst enemy". The former British road champion said he did not feel his best on stage 10, and just a few kilometres into the mountainous day of riding began to struggle. He rode at the back of the race all day, mostly alone once the Cofids tandem of Alexis Renard and Ion Izagirre withdrew and his only company was the broom wagon. He finished more than an hour behind stage winner Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike), which was well off the allowed time limit and will not start start 12.
Stage 12
Michael Mørkøv (Astana-Qazaqstan) DNS
Michael Mørkøv, Astana-Qazaqstan's lead out expert and key lieutenant to Mark Cavendish, abandoned the Tour de France ahead of stage 12 after testing positive for COVID-19. The Danish rider didn't have what Astana Qazaqstan described as ‘essential symptoms’ but the team’s medical staff took the decision to pull Mørkøv from the race ‘to protect his health from long-term effects the virus could provoke in the future.’
Fabio Jakobsen (Team DSM-Firmenich-PostNL)
The Dutch sprinter climbed off after a fast and furious opening to stage 12, with the team announcing he wasn't feeling well.
"Tough times never last but tough people do," the team wrote. "After battling through a fast and climb-filled #TDF2024, Fabio Jakobsen is forced to abandon the Tour, not feeling 100%."
Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious)
Stage 12 was a big blow for the Bahrain Victorious team's GC rider who was lying 15th in the Tour de France GC standings after stage 10 but suffered enormously on stage 11 and lost over 38 minutes. The Basque rider climbed off halfway through the stage on Thursday.
Søren Kragh Andersen, Jonas Rickaert (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Yevgeniy Fedorov (Astana Qazaqstan) - OTL
These three riders did not make the time cut on the stage.
"[Rickaert] crashed early in the stage and didn't feel fit all day, although there was no concussion. Søren has been suffering from saddle pain for a few days and knew a abandonment was near. With his last efforts he still assisted Jonas in the hope of making the time limit," the Alpecin-Deceuninck team said.
"Sad that I have to leave the Tour like this," Soren says. "The saddle pain got worse and worse. I had no more option than to leave the Tour. I really was hoping to bring Jonas at the finish on time, as last task here. Too bad it didn't work out."
"Big thanks for Soren's sacrifices," Rickaert said. "A real pity, because with an good night I might have gotten battle-ready again by tomorrow. I really wanted to try to help Jasper get a second stage win in this Tour. But it was not meant to be.”
Stage 13
Primož Roglič (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) - DNS
One of the "big four" overall Tour de France contenders, Roglič was once again struck by bad luck, suffering back-to-back crashes, hitting the deck on stage 11 and 12. While he finished the stage, dropping to sixth place overall, Roglič abandoned before stage 13.
Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) - DNF
The Spanish climber abandoned his debut Tour de France on stage 13 after falling ill. The team confirmed Ayuso had tested positive for COVID-19 but had continued racing while being sequestered from his team outside the race. He struggled with the furious pace in the crosswinds and fought at the back of the peloton before finally giving in and heading to the broomwagon.
Jesus Herrada (Cofidis) - DNS
The Spaniard had been struggling with illness for a few days and weakened, according to the team. He did not start on stage 13.
Stage 14
Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) - DNS
Ineos Grenadiers suffered a big hit before racing hit the Pyrenees, as the British star Tom Pidcock had to leave the 2024 Tour de France ahead of the start of stage 14, experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and being advised to go home and recover instead. His focus will now switch to the Paris Olympic Games where he will look to defend his MTB title and compete in the road race.
Guillaume Boivin (Israel-Premier Tech) - DNS
Israel-Premier Tech had their first rider pull out of the 2024 Tour as Canada's Guillaume Boivin was unable to take the start in Pau due to illness.
Amaury Capiot (Arkea-BB Hotels) - DNF
Involved in a hard crash at the finish on the previous day, Amaury Capiot (Arkea-BB Hotels) abandoned the Tour de France on stage 14. Starting the day bandaged up, Capiot and could not continue 3km into the day. He underwent further tests, with his team later revealing in a medical update that he had a non-displaced sacral fracture, as well as a left peri-symphyseal fracture.
Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-Easypost) - DNF
Italian champion Alberto Bettiol abandoned due to exhaustion according to his EF Education-Easypost team.
Louis Vervaeke (Soudal-Quickstep) - DNF
Soudal-Quickstep saw a second rider leave the Tour de France when Louis Vervaeke did not finish the stage. His teammate Casper Pedersen did not start stage 4 after breaking his collarbone in a crash the previous day.
Stage 15
Gerben Thijssen (Intermarché-Wanty) - DNF
Bram Welten (dsm-firmenich PostNL) - OOT
While the battle raged at the front of the race for the GC contenders, another battle, quieter but still fierce, animated the back of the field. The fight to make the time cut on a difficult mountain stage. Two riders that joined the gruppetto on the first climb of the day will not be able to take the start on stage 16.
Intermarché-Wanty had their first rider pull out of the 2024 Tour as Gerben Thijssen abandoned the race in his first appearance at La Grande Boucle.
Bram Welten fought til the end but did not make the time cut when he crossed the finish line atop Plateau de Beille. Team dsm-firmenich PostNL will be down two riders in the third and final week of the Tour.
It's not just the big battles at the front of the race, the riders throughout the whole @LeTour peloton fought hard today and unfortunately @bramwelten was OTL after today's #TDF2024 stage 😔Uphill and full gas from the start, before a long ride in the grupetto, it was a… pic.twitter.com/98ZQIxntrVJuly 14, 2024
Stage 16
Maxim Van Gils (Lotto Dstny) - DNS, COVID-19
On the Tour de France's second rest day, Lotto Dstny announced that Maxim Van Gils would leave the race after testing positive for COVID-19.
"Week 2 of our Tour de France ends unfortunate with leaving us. Thank you, Maxim and see you on the road soon again Your team will continue to fight," Lotto Dstny wrote on social media.
Chris Harper (Jayco-AlUla) - DNS, COVID-19
Harper's team announced before stage 16 he was suffering from COVID symptoms and would take the doctors' recommendation to go home to rest.
Stage 17
Elmar Reinders (Jayco-AlUla) - DNS
Reinders left the race to attend the birth of his son.
Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) - DNF
Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) - DNS
With no more sprint stages, Bennett and Bauhaus departed on stage 17.
Fernando Gaviria (Movistar) - DNF
Gaviria dropped out as planned to begin his preparations for the Olympic Games where he will return to his roots in track cycling.
Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan) - DNF
Lutsenko, struggling from the injuries of an earlier crash, abandoned the Tour on stage 17 in tears.
Stage 19
Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) - DNS
The team did not give a reason for Küng not taking to the start line but the Swiss rider is set to represent his nation in both the time trial and road race at the Olympic Games.
Jake Stewart (Israel-Premier Tech) - DNS
The British rider didn't take to the start line due to illness.
Nils Eekhoff (DSM-Firmenich-PostNL) - DNF
"After a not ideal preparation coming into the Tour, today was finally too much for Nils so we took the decision for him to step-off the bike so he can rest and recover ahead of his next goals,” said dsm-firmenich Post NL coach Matt Winston.
Arnaud Démare (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) - OTL
The French sprinter wasn't able to make it within the time limit on the tough climbing day but forged on to cross the line regardless because "you don't give up on an event like the Tour".
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