Cycling Average Speed In Grand Tours: Road Cycling vs Track Cycling

The average cycling speeds of professional cyclists would be terrifying for most mere mortals.

Those among the cycling betting favourites for the three Grand Tours will average more going uphill than many casual, roadgoing cyclists would on flat surfaces.

It’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with the different cycling speeds if you are planning to embark on live betting on the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, or Vuelta a España.

TV cameras can be deceptive. All these cyclists bunched together travelling at almost identical speeds can make it look like they aren’t going that fast. When there’s contact or a rider makes a mistake, the resulting pile ups illustrate how quickly each cyclist is travelling.

What’s The Average Speed At The Tour de France?

The average speed across an edition of the Tour de France is usually between 25 and 26 miles per hour for the eventual champion. Tadej Pogačar averaged in this range during his wins in 2021 and 2024.

Inevitably, the average speed has increased over the decades with improvements to conditioning and bike technology. There are variances in the average speed year-to-year depending on the amount of climbs.

Tour de France riders also managed to average over 22 miles per hour on prolonged sections of cobblestone along with an average of roughly 30 miles per hour during time trial stages.

What’s The Average Speed At The Vuelta a España?

The average speed at the Vuelta a España is often slightly slower than at the Tour de France. The 2001 edition saw the highest ever average speed at 25.5 miles per hour.

While some stages get up towards an average of 30 miles per hour, the record average indicates most years see a lower average speed than the Tour de France.

What’s The Average Speed At The Giro d’Italia?

Pogačar’s average speed at the 2024 Giro d’Italia was just over 26 miles per hour. This was the highest ever average speed at the event.

Most recent editions of the Giro have seen the winner finish with an average speed between 24 and 25 miles per hour.

What Was The Fastest Tour de France?

The 2022 Tour de France was the fastest Tour ever. Jonas Vingegaard won the event at an average speed of 26.161 miles per hour.

What Was The Slowest Tour de France?

The 1919 Tour de France was the slowest ever. Firmin Lambot won the race at an average speed of 14.98 miles per hour.

How Many Calories Do Tour de France Riders Burn?

Tour de France cyclists burn between 4,000 and 8,000 calories per stage of the race, depending on the requirements of the stage. Soigneurs, the all-purpose team assistants, provide riders with sustenance and energy drinks along the route.

Riders chug up to 12 bottles of mixed drinks per day along with sandwiches and other high-energy snacks.

How Fast Do Road Cyclists Go?

On flat terrain, professional road cyclists sit between 25 and 31 miles per hour. Standard recreational cyclists are somewhere in the 10 to 15 miles per hour range – this is similar to what Tour de France cyclists average during mountain climbs.

During sprints, professional road cyclists can get up towards 50 miles per hour with some reaching the mid-50s or 60 miles per hour during steep descents.

What Are The Top Speeds In Track Cycling?

Sprint cyclists can clock 50 miles per hour in the velodrome. François Pervis, holder of the 200-metre world record, was at 48 miles per hour during his time trial.

Team pursuit track cyclists are capable of averaging over 40 miles per hour across a four-kilometre race.