Skip to main content
Rouleur
Become a member
The disappearing sprinter: Why the Grand Tour's fastest finishers are losing their race

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

The disappearing sprinter: Why the Grand Tour's fastest finishers are losing their race

Course design, all-rounders and a more competitive peloton have made the pure sprinter an endangered species at the Giro – and beyond

By Tristan Rees

Photography by Dario Belingheri/Getty Images

21 MAY 2026 | UPDATED 11.46 PM BST

View all

Join today for daily race updates, exclusive content and access to new collection launches.

Rouleur Issue 144 — The Tour Issue
In printIssue 144

Subscribe today

The Tour Issue

Le Tour de France: a race defined by colour, passion and history, whose drama and romance continue to shape the identity of cycling’s greatest stage.