Sam Bennett and Fernando Gaviria depart 2024 Tour de France as sprint exodus begins following final flat stage
Cycling
With the final day for the sprinters already done, there isn't much other than the lure of competing the Grand Tour to keep the fast men in the race at the 2024 Tour de France. After a brutal opening to stage 17 and with much climbing to come, both Fernando Gaviria and Sam Bennett have both now dropped out.
The two former Tour de France stage winners haven't been able to add another success to their respective palmares' this year. With, as mentioned, no traditional sprint on the cobbles of Paris on stage 21 this year due to the Olympic Games, there isn't much reason for the sprinters to keep struggling over the next few days, especially given the Green Jersey fight looks a two horse race between Biniam Girmay and Jasper Philipsen. As such, don't be surprised if we see more fast men depart over the next few days.
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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santiagobenites14-11-2026 - Indeed! A reluctant gift maybe. Even more reluctant gift from Roglic! Tho I can’t see that Rog would have beaten Ving anyway.Lozza14-11-2026
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❌❌ The sprinter exodus continues in the Tour de France, as expected. Bauhaus didn't start today's stage while Gaviria and Sam Bennett have abandoned. #TDF2024
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