Why there will be no bonus point despite an accident first week

This year, on the big loop, the bonuses will only be distributed upon arrival of the stages.

For several years, they had become one of the attractions of the beginning of the Tour de France: the bonus points. Placed on strategic ribs at the end of the stage, they allowed runners to take bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds even before the finish line. “We had notably done it in Bilbao or last year in Bologna, to energize the race”recalls Christian Prudhomme, director of the Tour de France.

Another striking example: in 2021, during the first of the two passages in Mûr-de-Bretagne, which had allowed Mathieu Van der Poel to take the yellow jersey. “The principle of bonus sprints, or bonuses, was to reward attacks in the penultimate climbs before arrival, to energize the race”explains Thierry Gouvenou, director of the race and head of the route. “It was also the case in Nice in 2022 with the victory of Julian Alaphilippe”. But not this year.

With a first week that spreads from Hauts-de-France to Brittany, including Normandy, we say, however, that the organizers could have put a little spice on the menu. “If we look from far away, it's a traditional course with a long period of plain. But if we look more precisely, there will be meetings for the backpackers and the northern pumpers in Brittany”however, warns Thierry Gouvenou.

“We played the coast map on the whole first week of the Tour de France. This first week is a trompe-l'oeil. On paper, it's plain, but in truth there is a stage for Putnuckers in Boulogne, another in Rouen who can also please the favorites, one in Vire, and of course Mûr-de-Bretagne”details Christian Prudhomme, who adds: “Of course they are not large passes, but short and very steep ribs. In Rouen, the Saint-Hilaire ramp is worthy of the Huy wall!”

“In Norman Switzerland between Bayeux and Vire, we have 3,500 meters of elevation with a very selective final, then the arrival the next day in Mûr-de-Bretagne. As in 2019, we took the side of the coasts to energize the first week.”

Christian Prudhomme, director of the Tour de France

In Franceinfo: Sport

In truth, between Lille and Mûr-de-Bretagne, the first seven stages will give pride of place to the pumpers and the attacks. In this context, no need to encourage the offensive with bonus points, estimates the organization. “We are pragmatic: this year it did not make sense, so we did not do it. But, the bonus points, we will put them back in due time”assures Christian Prudhomme. “”We worked a lot on the course of the first week, and if we had applied our principle on the bonuses, we would have put too much, no doubt, and that would have had too much weight on the race “adds Thierry Gouvenou.

In other words, the organizers of the big loop preferred to encourage the offensive by drawing a very damaged first week, rather than abusing bonus points. Which is not necessarily bad news for runners, anticipates Yoann Offdo, Franceinfo consultant: Sport: “Sometimes it was quickly turned into a fight between leaders. We remember Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard who get the flock for a bonus, and suddenly, the backpackers and punchers who had no chance of winning the stage.”

“The bonus points have created a problem: on the stages concerned, it was very complicated to exist for very good climbers, prisoners of the Cadors struggle for the general classification.”

Yoann Offdo, former runner

In Franceinfo: Sport

Consultant for France Télévisions, Yoann Offero even wonders about the usefulness of these bonus points: “I don't have the impression that it necessarily brings something …”. An observation accentuated by the temperament of current champions, like Tadej Pogacar, recognizes Thierry Gouvenou: “Today, the runners are very offensive, very focused on the attack, so there is less need for these bonifications which were a device to energize the race. Perhaps one day, they will disappear definitively, because runners have a tendency to attack much more than before, during years (Chris) Froome.”