The route for the 2024 Tour de France has been revealed! On Wednesday, all 21 stages were officially presented at the Palais des Congrès in Paris. While the organizer ASO had previously disclosed the details of the first three stages and the final two stages, there's still more to look forward to. In this summary, we'll provide an overview.
As previously known, the Tour de France will kick off in Italy for the first time in its history. The Grand Départ will take place in Florence, the hometown of Gino Bartali. This stage is one of the five whose details were already known in their entirety before the final route presentation. The race will conclude 205 kilometers later in Rimini, after a stage that includes a challenging seven categorized climbs.
On the second day, the peloton will make their way from Cesenatico, paying tribute to Marco Pantani, to Bologna, covering a 200-kilometer distance. This stage is filled with rolling hills and culminates with the famous climb of San Luca, promising a spectacular finale. The third stage, from Piacenza to Turin, spanning 225 kilometers, is expected to favor the sprinters.
Already on the fourth day of the Tour, we'll face a serious climb with the inclusion of the Galibier, which reaches an altitude of more than 2,600 meters. Following two sprint opportunities on the fifth and sixth days, the seventh day features a 25.3-kilometer time trial, which is relatively flat with just a short climb. In the second weekend of the Tour, we'll start with sprinting, and then in the ninth stage, riders will tackle a challenging 32 kilometers of gravel roads (spread across fourteen sections) around Troyes. This stage includes 2,000 meters of elevation gain, with most of the gravel sections concentrated in the finale.
The second week kicks off from Orléans, with the potential for crosswinds on day ten and a great opportunity for strong climbing attackers on day eleven, in the Central Massif. The twelfth stage is typically favorable for breakaways as well. In the third stage, we'll see a sprint finish in Pau before entering the Pyrenees. On day fourteen, riders will tackle the Tourmalet, Hourquette d'Ancizan, and Pla d'Adet (3900 meters of elevation gain), and on the last day before the second rest day, they will climb the Peyresourde, Col de Menté, Portet d'Aspet, Col d'Agnès, and Plateau de Beille. With nearly 5,000 meters of elevation gain, it promises to be a grueling stage!
In the third week, the focus shifts to the Alps, but not before we potentially encounter crosswinds once more as we depart from Nîmes after the rest day. In the Alps, there will be three days of racing, with stage seventeen featuring Col Bayard, Col du Noyer, and Superdévoluy, and a chance for attackers on the following day towards Barcelonnette. The nineteenth stage will take us over Col de Vars, Cime de Bonette, and towards Isola 2000, with 4600 meters of elevation gain and climbs reaching well above 2,000 meters.
The penultimate stage heads towards Southern France and is not suited for sprinters. With the Col de Turini, Col de la Colmiane, and Col de la Couillole, we'll face familiar climbs seen in Paris-Nice. Finally, on the last day in Nice, there will be no procession to Paris! Before finishing in the southern French city, the riders will tackle a 35-kilometer time trial, featuring climbs up La Turbie and Col d'Eze.