Tour de France 2024: My Thoughts as Someone Who Wakes Up at 5am to Watch

Set my alarm for some ungodly hour again. Wife thinks I am crazy. She is probably right. But the Tour started in Florence this year, and missing the Grand Depart felt wrong.

Worth it? Absolutely. Let me walk you through what made this edition special, from someone who has been following the race for about twelve years now.

Starting in Italy – A Big Deal

The Tour starting outside France always stirs up debate. But Florence was gorgeous on screen. Those Tuscan hills in the first week? The scenery alone justified the early mornings.

Italian fans went absolutely wild. The roadside crowds were massive. You could feel the energy even through the TV. It reminded me why watching cycling is different from other sports – the accessibility of seeing these athletes right there on public roads.

The Riders I Was Watching

Pogacar came in as the guy to beat. No surprise there. What surprised me was how aggressive he was from day one. Usually the GC contenders save their energy, play it safe in the first week. Not him. Attack after attack.

Vingegaard was the fascinating counterpoint. Different style, more calculating. Watching them go head to head on the climbs was the cycling equivalent of a boxing match. Strategic, brutal, and you never quite knew who had the edge until the final kilometers.

My dark horse pick was Evenepoel. Young, talented, first real Tour attempt as a GC contender. Made some rookie mistakes – attacked at weird times, burned matches he probably needed later. But watching him learn in real time was interesting. This kid is going to be a problem in future Tours.

Stages That Actually Mattered

The mountain stages in the Alps broke the race open. That stage to the Galibier? I was standing in my living room yelling at the TV like a lunatic. The time gaps on those climbs told the real story.

The two time trials were decisive in ways that people underestimate. GC riders can gain or lose the race there without any attacks or drama. Just pure power against the clock.

Sprint stages are fun to watch but honestly blur together for me. Philipsen, Girmay, Cavendish chasing history – exciting finishes, but not where the Tour gets decided.

The Tech Stuff I Noticed

Every year the bikes get more aero. Those cockpits with hidden cables everywhere. The helmets that look like alien heads. Part of me misses the days when bikes looked more… normal.

Power data is everywhere now. Following along with real-time watts makes you appreciate the absurdity of what these riders do. Sustaining 400+ watts for 20 minutes uphill? I can barely do that for 30 seconds on my trainer.

The team tactics have gotten more sophisticated too. Ineos used to just ride at the front and blow everyone up. Now every team is playing 4D chess with positioning and timing of attacks.

My Viewing Setup

Peacock for the live coverage. Their cycling coverage has improved a lot. The commentary team does a good job of explaining things without being condescending.

I keep a second screen open with live timing and twitter. The cycling community on twitter is hilarious during stages. Way more entertaining than the official commentary sometimes.

Coffee is mandatory. Lots of it. Those stages can run 4-5 hours.

The Experience of Following the Tour

There is something about watching the same race every July that creates ritual. Same way some families do football Sundays. My Tour morning is coffee, bibs on if I am riding later, and three hours of focused watching before the house wakes up.

The three week format demands commitment. You miss a stage or two and suddenly the general classification makes less sense. Context matters in cycling more than most sports.

And when it ends, there is always a weird emptiness. Back to normal life. No more early alarms for a while. Until next July.

Will I Keep Watching?

Every year I wonder if my interest will fade. It never has. Cycling is unpredictable, the scenery is incredible, and there is no sport where fitness and strategy intersect quite like this.

Already marked the 2025 dates on my calendar. Already warned my wife about the early alarms.

See you at the Grand Depart.