It will be the first time the Tour de France starts in Italy. The first three stages all add up to more than 200 kilometres, which is rather Giro-like.
Stage 1 will be a race of 205 kilometres with seven classified ascents between Florence and Rimini. The last climb is the Côte Saint-Marin – or, San Marino – , which is a 7.1 kilometres climb at 4.8% with its peak 25 kilometres before the finish. The riders descent from the enclave, the fifth smallest country in the world, back to Italian territory before the last 15 kilometres are played out on the flat.
The 2nd stage is 200 kilometres long and looks promising for puncheurs with a fast descent. Following four climbs the riders cross the line in Bologna for the first time before two 17.5 kilometres laps round out the route. The circuit features the steep San Luca climb and the ensuing climb to Montalbano. The first is 1.9 kilometres long and averages 10.6%, the second 1 kilometre at 5.4%. A 5 kilometres descent the leads to 4 kilometres on the flat.
Stage 3 kicks into gear in Piacenza to travel on virtual flat terrain to Turin. The race is 225 kilometres long.
The pink caravan sets off from Pinerolo on the fourth day to cross into the French Alps, possibly with the inclusion of such iconic climbs as Colle delle Finestre, Sestriere and Col de Montegenèvre, or the Colle dell’Agnello-Col d’Izoard combo. Another option is to enter French territory in the Provence.
The Tour will be back in the Provence on the last day of action anyway. The Champs-Élysées finish does not happen in 2024, as the Olympic Games are held in the same period. For a change, an ITT from Monaco to Nice will wrap things up. The penultimate stage looks very enticing also.
The riders are to tackle three intermediate climbs in te 20th stage – Col de Braus (10 kilometres at 6.6%), Col de Turini (20.7 kilometres at 5.7%), Col de la Colmaine (7.5 kilometres at 7.1%) – before finishing at the Col de la Couillole (15.7 kilometres at 7.1%). The 2023 edition of Paris-Nice saw a finale on the Couillole and Tadej Pogacar took the spoils. The double Tour de France winner outsprinted David Gaudu and Jonas Vingegaard.
The 2024 Tour de France serves an ITT on the last day of action. The riders set off from Monaco to enter the mountains. Firstly, they climb to La Turbie (8.1 kilometres at 5.6%) and after descending to Èze the Col d’Èze is tackled on the steepest side (1.6 kilometres at 8.1%) the last kilometres plunge down towards the Côte d’Azur.
The full route of the 2024 Tour de France will be unveiled in October 2023.
Tour de France 2024: route, profiles, more
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