The 108th edition of the Tour de France began in Brest and finishes in Paris on Sunday, 18 July.

BBC Sport looks at every stage of the gruelling three-week race, analysing where it could be won and lost and which riders are likely to flourish.

This page will be updated throughout the Tour with the winner and a brief report after each stage.

Saturday, 26 June – stage one: Brest – Landerneau, 197.8km

Winner: Julian Alaphilippe

Report: Julian Alaphilippe wins crash-affected stage one

Julian Alaphilippe produces a superb late attack to win stage one of the Tour de France after two major crashes in the closing stages. Primoz Roglic and Britain’s Chris Froome are among those to fall in two separate incidents in the final 45km. The first, caused by a fan holding a placard, prompts the race organisers ASO to say they will take legal action.

Sunday, 27 June – stage two: Perros-Guirec – Mur-de-Bretagne Guerledan, 183.5km

Winner: Mathieu van der Poel

Report: Van der Poel wins stage two to take yellow jersey

Mathieu van der Poel powers clear twice on the double ascent of the Mur-de-Bretagne to claim a superb victory, taking the yellow jersey in the process. Defending champion Tadej Pogacar is second with 2020 runner-up Primoz Roglic in third.

Monday, 28 June – stage three: Lorient – Pontivy, 182.9km

Winner: Tim Merlier

Report: Thomas and Roglic lose time as Merlier wins stage three

Race favourites Geraint Thomas and Primoz Roglic are both involved in crashes as Tim Merlier wins a dramatic stage three. Thomas dislocates his shoulder early on while Roglic time loses after a fall 10km from the end. Mathieu van der Poel retains the leader’s yellow jersey but Caleb Ewan’s crash near the finish ends his Tour.

Tuesday, 29 June – stage four: Redon – Fougeres, 150.4km

Winner: Mark Cavendish

Report: Cavendish wins first Tour stage for five years

Britain’s Mark Cavendish rolls back the years to win his first Tour de France stage since 2016. The 36-year-old moves within three wins of Eddy Merckx’s all-time record of 34 at the race. His victory comes as the riders protest about safety following Monday’s crash-affected stage three.

Wednesday, 30 June – stage five: Change – Laval, 27.2km individual time trial

Winner: Tadej Pogacar

Report: Pogacar crushes field in time trial to move second overall

Defending champion Tadej Pogacar makes a massive statement of intent by dominating the field to win the time trial and widen the gap to his rivals for overall victory. Mathieu van der Poel narrowly retains the yellow jersey with a fine ride to finish fifth. Primoz Roglic does well to limit his losses despite injury but Geraint Thomas struggles to do the same.

Thursday, 1 July – stage six: Tours – Chateauroux, 160.6km

Winner: Mark Cavendish

Report: Cavendish wins 32nd Tour de France stage to close on Eddy Merckx’s record

Mark Cavendish’s resurgence continues as he wins his 32nd stage at the Tour de France to move within two stage victories of Eddy Merckx’s record. Mathieu van der Poel finishes safely in the peloton to retain the yellow jersey.

Friday, 2 July – stage seven: Vierzon – Le Creusot, 249.1km

Winner: Matej Mohoric

Report: Mohoric wins first Tour stage as Van der Poel extends leads in yellow

The longest stage for 21 years sees Slovenia’s Matej Mohoric win his first Tour stage with a fine solo victory, leaving the last of his rivals behind 20km from the finish. Mathieu van der Poel gets in the day’s breakaway to extend his lead in the yellow jersey, though defending champion Tadej Pogacar will be confident of regaining that time in the mountains to come. Last year’s runner-up Primoz Roglic struggles to slip over five minutes down on Pogacar.

Saturday, 3 July – stage eight: Oyonnax – Le Grand Bornard, 150.8km

Winner: Dylan Teuns

Report: Pogacar claims yellow as Teuns wins stage

Defending champion Tadej Pogacar produces a superb solo attack as he takes the yellow jersey and inflicts a major blow on his rivals in the general classification race. Belgium’s Dylan Teuns holds off Ion Izagirre, Michael Woods and Pogacar to win stage eight.

Sunday, 4 July – stage nine: Cluses – Tignes, 144.9km

Winner: Ben O’Connor

Report: O’Connor wins stage nine as Pogacar extends overall lead

Australia’s Ben O’Connor solos to victory and briefly threatens to take the race leader’s yellow jersey until a late Tadej Pogacar attack sees him extend his overall lead.

Tuesday, 6 July – stage 10: Albertville – Valence, 190.7km

Winner: Mark Cavendish

Report: Cavendish wins 33rd stage to close in on Merckx’s record

Mark Cavendish moves to within one of Belgian legend Eddy Merckx’s record of 34 Tour stage victories with another superb sprint win, his third of this year’s race. Deceuninck-Quick-Step control the front superbly to deliver Cavendish with only 150m to go as he comfortably holds off his rivals.

Wednesday, 7 July – stage 11: Sorgues – Malaucene, 198.9km

Winner: Wout van Aert

Report: Van Aert claims stunning solo win on double ascent of Mont Ventoux

Belgium’s Wout van Aert shows off his stunning versatility to claim a famous victory on a stage featuring two ascents of the famous Mont Ventoux. A day after finishing second in a bunch sprint, the Jumo-Visma rider drops the remainder of the breakaway with 33km to go, taking the second summit alone and staying clear to the finish. Leader Tadej Pogacar shows a brief glimpse of vulnerability as he is initially dropped by Jonas Vingegaard but recovers to easily retain the yellow jersey, and now leads Rigoberto Uran by just over five minutes after Ben O’Connor slips back.

Thursday, 8 July – stage 12: Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux – Nimes, 159.4km

Winner: Nils Politt

Report: Politt claims stage-12 victory

Nils Politt solos to victory on stage 12 of the Tour de France as Tadej Pogacar retains the leader’s yellow jersey. The German rides clear with 12km left after being involved in a long-range 13-man break.

Friday, 9 July – stage 13: Nimes – Carcassonne, 219.9km

If ever a stage was made for the breakaway history would suggest that this is it.

Carcassonne is yet to see a bunch sprint to the line and the rolling terrain should suit smaller groups of attackers.

Riders to watch: Peter Sagan, Michael Matthews, Kasper Asgreen

Saturday, 10 July – stage 14: Carcassonne – Quillan, 183.7km

Stage 14 takes the Tour to the foothills of the Pyrenees, with the narrow winding roads and constant undulations favouring the breakaway.

There are five categorised climbs but none that will place great demands on the riders vying for the maillot jaune. Instead, expect the likes of Marc Hirschi, Alexey Lutsenko and Magnus Cort to be in the hunt for a stage win.

Riders to watch: Alexey Lutsenko, Magnus Cort

Sunday, 11 July – stage 15: Ceret – Andorre-La-Vieille, 191.3km

The race leaves France for the only time in 2021 passing into Andorra as it reaches the highest point on this year’s route, at over 2,400m on the Port d’Envalira.

This could arguably be one of the toughest days in the saddle, with a 19-kilometre uphill start followed by three punishing climbs before an anticipated battle on the Col de Beixalis, which could blow the race for the yellow jersey wide open.

Riders to watch: Simon Yates, Richard Carapaz

Tuesday, 13 July – stage 16: Pas de la Case – Saint-Gaudens, 169km

This could be a day that sees very little movement at the top of the general classification, with two pivotal days to follow and finishes on the Col du Portet and Luz Ardiden looming large.

The descent from the Col de Portet d’Aspet sees the peloton pass a monument in memory of Fabio Casartelli, the former Olympic champion, who crashed and died on the 1995 Tour de France. The parcours then flattens off until a sharp 500m uphill finish.

Riders to watch: This will be updated during the Tour

Wednesday, 14 July – stage 17: Muret – Saint-Lary-Soulan, 178.4km

Bastille Day is always a special occasion at the Tour de France and this year will be no exception.

The race organisers have served up a replica (albeit over a much longer distance) of stage 17 at the 2018 Tour, which saw Colombia’s Nairo Quintana superbly solo to victory and Geraint Thomas extend his overall race lead.

Climbs up the Col de Peyresourde and Col de Val Louron-Azet serve as an appetiser for the imposing Col du Portet, where a series of switchbacks and a gradient of more than 10% in the final kilometre, could see fireworks in the race for the yellow jersey.

Riders to watch: This will be updated during the race.

Thursday, 15 July – stage 18: Pau – Luz Ardiden, 129.7km

The final mountain stage of this year’s race is arguably the most punishing day of the lot.

Two small climbs inside the opening 60km are followed by the iconic Col du Tourmalet and there is little respite for the peloton before another classic climb up to Luz Ardiden.

Greg LeMond’s brilliant ride to the ski-station finish set him up for the last of his three Tour de France successes in 1990, while Miguel Indurain’s victory here was the precursor to five consecutive Tour wins.

Riders to watch: This will be updated during the race.

Friday, 16 July – stage 19: Mourenx – Libourne, 207km

With the race for the yellow jersey put on hold, the profile of this stage suits the sprinters as Libourne hosts a finish for the first time since 1992.

The other likelihood is that a number of riders will form a breakaway, hoping that fatigue and any caution prior to the final time trial, gives them enough leeway to make it decisive.

Riders to watch: This will be updated during the race.

Saturday, 17 July – stage 20: Libourne – Saint Emilion, 30.8km individual time trial

This time trial could deliver a sensational conclusion to the race for the yellow jersey for the second consecutive year.

Shorter and flatter than the route to La Planche des Belles Filles, where Tadej Pogacar dramatically took the yellow jersey away from Primoz Roglic in 2020, this course is unlikely to cater for big time gaps between the overall race contenders.

But if it is close, it could be an intriguing and tense afternoon.

Riders to watch: This will be updated during the race.

Sunday, 18 July – stage 21: Chatou – Paris, Champs-Elysees, 108.4km

The Tour concludes with its traditional processional final stage. Expect to see the overall winner and his team-mates sipping champagne and a leisurely ride towards Paris before a helter-skelter sprint on the Champs-Elysees cobbles.

Riders to watch: This will be updated during the race.