The 2024 Tour de France route has officially been revealed. The race will start in Florence, Italy on Saturday 29th June and finish in Nice on Sunday 21st July, with Jumbo-Visma’s Jonas Vingegaard set to defend his title against rival Tadej Pogačar, former teammate Primož Roglič and Belgium’s great hope Remco Evenepoel.
With a Grand Départ in Italy for the first time and the finish outside Paris for the first time because of the Olympics taking over the French capital, it will be a historic edition whatever happens during the race.
It does mean, however, that it will be full gas racing from start to finish, with the opening stage from Florence to Rimini going straight in at the deep end with 3,600m of climbing on a hilly stage through Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna and San Marino – which will become the 13th foreign country to host the Tour. The finish in Nice won’t be a procession like we normally see in Paris either, instead the 2024 Tour will finish with a time-trial starting in Monaco and finishing at the Place Masséna, just off the Promenade des Anglais in Nice.
To separate riders between those stages (although let’s hope not too much to keep the drama going all the way to that final day à la Greg LeMond in 1989) will be not only an array of France’s toughest climbs including the Col du Galibier, Puy Mary, Col du Tourmalet (yes, again), Hourquette d’Ancizan, Pla d’Adet, Col de Peyresourde, Plateau de Beille, Col du Noyer, Col de Vars, Cime de la Bonette, Isola 2000, Col de Turini and the Col de la Couillole (and breathe), but also a gravel stage with 14 sectors around the Champagne gravel roads, as seen in the 2022 Tour de France Femmes.
All in all it’s officially eight flat stages for Mark Cavendish to get win #35, four hilly stages for spice, seven mountain stages for whittling down the GC, four summit finishes for maximum drama and two time-trials for Jonas Vingegaard to cement win #3.
Tour de France 2024: Key information
Dates: Saturday 29th June to Sunday 21st July 2024
Grand Départ: Florence, Italy
Finale: Nice, France
Total elevation gain: 52,230m
Total prize money: €2.3million
UK television coverage: ITV4, Eurosport, GCN+, S4C
2023 winner: Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma)
Most overall wins: Jacques Anquetil, Bernard Hinault, Miguel Indurain, Eddy Merckx (all 5)
Most stage wins: Eddy Merckx, Mark Cavendish (34)
Tour de France 2024 route
While the route doesn’t go to Paris, it does flirt with its Île-de-France region with stages in nearby Orléans and Troyes. The lack of Paris finish does mean that the transfers between stages look less drastic, which is a good thing. And not finishing with a procession is exciting. Maybe they should sack Paris off altogether – can 2025 finish in Brittany?
Tour de France 2024 route: stage-by-stage
Stage 1: Saturday 29th June, Florence – Rimini, 206km
Officially the hardest opening stage in Tour de France history, this beast begins by crossing Florence’s Ponte Vecchio and takes on a load of hills, including the climb up to San Marino, to create early gaps.
Stage 2: Sunday 30th June, Cesenatico – Bologne, 200km
Starting in Marco Pantani’s hometown of Cesenatico, it’s another hilly stage through Emilia-Romagna, finishing with two goes round a circuit including the Côte de San Luca, which is traditionally used in the Giro dell’Emilia.
Stage 3: Monday 1st July, Plaisance – Turino, 229km
Sprint day #1 – should Mark get the job done early or keep some suspense for the story?
Stage 4: Tuesday 2nd July, Pinerolo – Valloire, 138km
Yes it’s only Stage 4 and it’s mountains. And not just any mountains, it’s the Galibier and probably the race’s earliest ‘Souvenir Henri Desgrange’ prize, although it won’t be the summit of this year’s race.
Stage 5: Wednesday 3rd July, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne – Saint-Vulbas, 177km
Despite being firmly in mountain region still, Stage 5 is the second sprinters’ day.
Stage 6: Thursday 4th July, Mâcon – Dijon, 163km
Let’s hope Mark Cavendish can cut the mustard in Dijon, it’s sprint three.
Stage 7: Friday 5th July, Nuits-Saint-Georges – Gevrey-Chambertin, 25km, ITT
The first time-trial of the race comes in wine country, but no champagne will be sprayed yet (that’s Stage 9). It’s set to be flat apart from a 1.6km, 6.1% average kicker near the end. Someone tell Tadej Pogačar that is not enough to warrant a bike change!
Stage 8: Saturday 6th July, Semur-En-Auxois – Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, 176km
There are five categorised climbs on this one but nothing too crazy that a sprint can be ruled out. Breakaway beckoning?
Stage 9: Sunday 7th July, Troyes – Troyes, 199km with 14 gravel sectors
Stage 9 will be a day of reckoning for Jonas Vingegaard, who struggled on the cobbles of Roubaix in 2022, as now-cobbles legend Pogačar will surely look to put the pressure on his Danish rival over these 14 gravel sectors. For a taste of what’s in store, look back on Stage 4 of the 2022 Tour de France Femmes.
Stage 10: Tuesday 9th July, Orléans – Saint-Amand-Montrond, 187km
Race director Christian Prudhomme is making an early prediction of echeleons in this one, so no doubt it’ll be a slow bunch sprint day. If not, Cavendish has done the business in the crosswinds before.
Stage 11: Wednesday 10th July, Évaux-les-Bains – Le Lioran, 211km
It doesn’t look that impressive, but apparently there’s 4,350m of elevation gain on this one, including the brutal Puy Mary Pas de Peyrol climb. It’s the only day in the Massif Central.
Stage 12: Thursday 11th July, Aurillac – Villeneuve-sur-Lot, 204km
It’s probably a breakaway day with hills including the opposite way up where the final time-trial of the 2022 race went at the beautiful Rocamadour, but a versatile sprinter could take it.
Stage 13: Friday 12th July, Agen – Pau, 171km
It’s another that could either go to the breakaway or a sprinter that can climb with a few hills towards the finish.
Stage 14: Saturday 13th July, Pau – Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet
It’s a big boy. Three brutal climbs, finishing in the exact spot that Raymond Poulidor won in 1974, apparently. Will Mathieu van der Poel have to talk about his grandpa again?
Stage 15: Sunday 14th July, Loudenvielle – Plateau de Beille, 198km
Get the turbos out lads, it’s straight into the Peyresourde. Five categorised climbs across 198km with 4,850m of elevation. Count your lucky stars this isn’t the Étape stage.
Stage 16: Tuesday 16th July, Gruissan – Nimes, 187km
It’s a sprint, thankfully they’ve had a rest day to prepare. If Cav hasn’t done it by now then pray for teeth, nails, hair and hearts worldwide.
Stage 17: Wednesday 17th July, Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux – Superdévoluy, 178km
It looks like it’s one long 178km climb, so that means the breakaway has no chance. Pogačar uphill sprint win loading.
Stage 18: Thursday 18th July, Gap – Barcelonette, 179km
Prudhomme reckons this is a sprint day, but considering it’s officially classed as ‘hilly’, Cavendish won’t be contesting this one. There are a few hills to play with so it’s more likely to be a breakaway or a puncheur.
Stage 19: Friday 19th July, Embrun – Isola 2000, 145km
That’s another humongous day. Not only is the Cime de la Bonette the highest point of the race, it’s the highest road in France and third highest in Europe.
Stage 20: Saturday 20th July, Nice – Col de la Couillole, 133km
The final mountain stage looks set to be epic. That’s how a Tour de France profile should look, stunning. Early doors it’s the TV climbs like the Turini to get the blood pumping, and it culminates in the 15.7km climb up the Couillole to see if the fight for yellow will be decided in a final day time-trial.
This one is the 2024 Étape du Tour. Some day out that will be.
Stage 21: Sunday 21st July, Monaco – Nice, 34km, ITT
It could well be the most exciting finish to a Tour de France since 1989, although that hype probably means it’ll be sewn up by Stage 6. It’s by no means flat, climbing up the 8.1km, 5.6% average La Turbie out of Monaco and the 1.6km, 8.1% side of the Col d’Èze before descending into Nice. Could an Englishman win on the Promenade des Anglais? Probs not, sorry.
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