Tour de France 2024 Stage 16 preview - The sprinters' last dance

AlpecinDeceunincks Belgian rider Jasper Philipsen 3rd R sprints to the finish line ahead of Astana Qazaqstan Teams British rider Mark Cavendish L and Intermarche Circus Wantys Eritrean rider Biniam Girmay 2nd R to win the 7th stage of the 110th edition of the Tour de France cycling race 170 km between MontdeMarsan and Bordeaux in southwestern France on July 7 2023 Photo by Marco BERTORELLO AFP Photo by MARCO BERTORELLOAFP via Getty Images
Final chance for the sprinters on stage 16 (Image credit: Getty Images)

After suffering for two days in the Pyrenees, the sprinters should look forward to another shot, at victory at the Tour de France as the race heads away from the coast to Nîmes. The wind will probably be of major importance in the final 40 kilometres which are very exposed and see numerous changes of direction. 

In all reality, stage 16 should be the final stage for the sprinters to go for glory. Their teams will want to control the race but it won’t be that easy, as it’s the day after a rest day, following two brutal days in the Pyrenean mountains.  The sprinters and their teammates had to battle to make the time cut on Sunday, where both Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) and Arnaud Démare (Arkea-B&B Hotels) made it across the line with less than two minutes to spare.

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Lyne Lamoureux

Lyne has been involved in professional cycling for more than 15 years in both news reporting and sports marketing. She founded Podium Insight in 2008, quickly becoming a trusted source for news of the North American professional cycling world. She was the first to successfully use social media to consistently provide timely and live race updates for all fans. She is proud to have covered men's and women's news equally during her tenure at the helm of the site. Her writing has appeared on Cyclingnews and other news sites. 

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