2023-10-25 13:00:20
With an unprecedented start in Italy, an arrival in Nice instead of Paris and a time trial as the last stage, the Tour de France is adapting to Paris 2024.
Published on: 10/25/2023 – 1:00 p.m.
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Italy for the first time with Florence, capital of Tuscany and its Renaissance architecture. A historic cycling nation, La Botte will finally experience a “big start” with the first three stages, a hundred years after Ottavio Bottecchia’s victory.
Nice for a final finish, with a 34-kilometer time trial starting from Monaco, to perhaps decide between the favorites for the final throne, as in 1989 with the Fignon-Lemond duel. The 2024 Tour de France will be a separate edition with the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. There will therefore be no traditional parade on the Champs-Elysées as since 1975, where the final winner takes a final lap of the track nightfall.
On the lands of Marco Pantani
The city of Nice will carry out “ the dream of every Tour de France director », bring the mountain closer to the final finish. “ Everything could be decided on the last day during the time trial », says Christian Prudhomme. This time promises to be a real justice of the peace since it will go up to La Turbie, then to the Col d’Eze, before finishing at Place Massena.
But before the final bouquet, there will be slopes to climb, with a total of 25 kilometers of suffering at more than 2000 meters of altitude for the “ road convicts ».
« It’s less mountainous than last summer, but it’s going to go very high », rejoices the director of the Tour, Christian Prudhomme. The Col du Galibier will be climbed from the 4th day, something never seen before according to the organizer. “ The summit of La Bonnette at an altitude of 2802 meters, 48 hours from the final arrival, is also unheard of », insists Christian Prudhomme.
The Tour de France 2024 map © ASO
During this 111th edition, when the peloton will cross part of Italy, the second stage between Cesenatico and Bologna (200 km, June 30), should revive the memory of Marco Pantani, winner of the Tour de France and the Tour d Italy in 1998. “The Pirate”, born in Cesenatico, still remains very present in the hearts of Italians. Another place of memory, Colombey les Deux Églises, where General de Gaulle had his residence, and where he died on November 9, 1970 (8th stage on July 6).
The world’s biggest stage race will start early on June 29, a week earlier than usual, and end on July 21, a week before Paris 2024 kicks off.
The Tour de France Femmes will start from Rotterdam in the Netherlands
The route of the women’s Tour de France, also influenced by the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, will also start from abroad. Placed until then as an extension of the Men’s Tour, the race will this time start on August 12 from Rotterdam for an arrival scheduled for August 18, in the Alps, with Alpe d’Huez. In 2023, the runners climbed the legendary Tourmalet in the Pyrenees. In 2022, for the first edition, they tackled La Super Planche des Belles Filles. Three of the eight stages will take place in the Netherlands, including two on the same day including a time trial, to compensate for the fact that the race will have one day less. She will only leave on a Monday, again due to the Paris Games which will end the day before. After the Netherlands, direction Belgium, with a passage through Liège. On August 15, the girls will arrive in France, in Amnéville, during the 5th stage.
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