Stage 1
- Julian Alaphilippe became the first Frenchman to win at least one stage in four consecutive Tour de France editions since Bernard Hinault (1978-1982).
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Not since Thierry Marie (6) (between 1896 and 1992) and Richard Virenque (7 – number 6 achieved in 2003) (between 1994 and 2004) has a French rider won as many stages at the Tour as Alaphilippe (6). Only Hinault has more stage victories in four consecutive Tour de France editions (22).
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Alaphilippe was the first French rider since Jimmy Casper in 2006 to win the opening stage of a Tour de France – he also became the first rider to win a stage wearing the world champion jersey since Peter Sagan in 2018. Sagan was also the last world champion to wear the yellow jersey (also in 2018).
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Alaphilippe needs to hold the yellow jersey on his shoulders four days in order to leapfrog Thomas Voeckler’s haul of days in yellow (20); in the process, he would also pass Vincenzo Nibali (19) – leaving only Chris Froome to have worn the yellow jersey more (59) among the current group of active riders at the Tour.
- Alaphilippe ranked first in the green jersey (points competition) for the first time in his career – the only jersey he has not worn at the Tour de France is the white jersey.
Stage 2
- After Mathieu van der Poel’s win on stage two, and taking the yellow jersey from Alaphilippe, a Dutch rider had not won a stage this early in the Tour de France since Mike Teunissen in 2019.
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Van der Poel is the first father-son combination to have both won a stage and worn the yellow jersey.
- MVDP is the first Tour debutant since Peter Sagan in 2012 to wear the yellow jersey as early as (at the end of) stage two. A Tour de France debutant has previously taken the yellow jersey as early as the first stage – Fabian Cancellara in 2004.
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Alpecin Fenix is the first Continental/ProTeam since Europcar in 2011 (Thomas Voeckler) to be in possession of the yellow jersey.
Stage 3
- Tim Merlier became the first rider since Caleb Ewan in 2019 to win a stage in the Giro d’Italia and then in the Tour de France in the same year.
- The last time one team had two winners in two consecutive stages was in 2015 – Zdenek Stybar stage six and Mark Cavendish stage seven (Quick-Step).
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The last time a Belgian rider finished first earlier than the third stage was Jan Bakelants in 2013 (stage two); the last time a Belgian rider won stage three of a Tour de France edition was Tom Boonen in 2005.
- The last time a team had their riders finish in first and second place in the same stage was team INEOS’ Michal Kwiatowski and Richard Carapaz in last year’s Tour, stage 18.
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Julian Alaphilippe was the only rider to have finished in the top 10 of each stage thus far.
Stage 4
- The last winner at Fougeres was Mark Cavendish in 2015 – his 26th stage win; six years later he wins his 31st stage at the same destination. His last stage win was five years ago on stage 14. Of his 31 stage wins, only three were a shorter distance than today’s finish in Fougeres (150.5kms)
. - Since winning his first stage in 2008 (stage 5), a British rider has crossed the line first 48 times – Cavendish has done so on 31 occasions. David Millar (1), Bradley Wiggins (2), Steve Cummings (2), Simon Yates (2), Geraint Thomas (3), Chris Froome (7) have been the others. No other nation or rider has won more stages since Cavendish’s maiden Tour in 2008; British riders have now won 72 stages, 7th highest as a nation.
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Cavendish needs three more stage wins to equal Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 at the Tour de France, and four more to beat Merckx’s record. Cavendish has previously won four stages (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016) and five stages (2009, 2010, 2011) in one edition.
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The last Brit to win a stage at the Tour de France was Simon Yates in 2019, stage 15 – there were no British stage winners in 2020, where the previous time that has happened since Cavendish won his first stage in 2008 was in 2014.
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The five years in-between stage wins for Mark Cavendish is only beaten by fellow Brit David Millar, who went 9 years between stage wins (2003 and 2012).
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Cavendish is the oldest stage winner since Joaquim Rodriguez in 2015. Of sprinters to win a stage at the age of 36, most recently, only Alessandro Pettachi in 2010 was able to do the same. His stage four victory earns him the green jersey, which he last wore in the 2016 Tour de France.
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The last time two teams won the opening four stages was in 2019 (Jumbo Visma and Quick Step).
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Mathieu van der Poel is the first Dutch cyclist to wear the yellow jersey three or more days at the Tour de France for the first time since Teun Van Vliet in 1988 (three days).
Stage 5
- Tadej Pogacar now has more stage wins in the last two editions of the Tour de France (4) than any other rider still at the event in the last two years.
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Pogacar became the first rider to win back-to-back time trials since Bradley Wiggins in 2012; the young Slovenian was also the first rider since Erik Bruekink in 1990 to win a mountain time trial followed by an individual time trial.
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The last rider to win the last time trial of one Tour de France and the following time trial of the following Tour de France was Fabian Cancellara in 2008/2009.
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Mathieu van der Poel is the first Dutch cyclist to wear the yellow jersey for four stages since Gerri Knetemann in 1981 (also four).
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Of riders currently at the Tour de France, only Tony Martin (3) has won more time trials than Pogacar (two – on par with Chris Froome).