The 2024 Tour de France will have a total of 3,492 km and 52,230 meters of elevation gain, with 8 flat stages, 7 mountain and 4 medium mountain, in addition to having two time trials individual 25 and 34 km, and 32.2 kilometers of dirt roads on the 9th day.
The route will be varied and with new aspects. The race will cross Italy, San Marino, France and Monaco, and Four mountain ranges will be climbed: Apennines, Alps (French and Italian), Pyrenees and Massif Central, with a total of 27 major ports (Special Category, 1st or 2nd category) and four summit finishes: Saint-Lary-Soulan, Plateau de Beille, Isola 2000 and Col de la Couillole.
It will be a less mountainous Tour than in past editions but it will have a explosive start on Italian soil. It will start this Saturday 29th with a stage between Florence and Rimini with 3,600 meters of accumulated elevation gain and seven 2nd and 3rd category passes through the Apennines, and the next day another six 3rd and 4th category passes will be faced, with a double climb in the final part to the explosive San Luca height (1.9 km at 10.6%). And to top off the tough start to the Tour, on the 4th day -in which cyclists will go from Italy to France- a will be uploaded Hors Categorie like the Galibier, of 23 km at 5.1%, crowning at 2,642 meters of altitude and just 19 km from the finish line in Valloire, which will be reached after a rapid descent. In addition, Sestrieres and Montgenevere -both 2nd- will go up first in a day that could mark the first differences between the favorites.
The next key date will come in the 7th stage, with a 25.3 kilometer time trial between Nuits-Saint-Geroges and Gevrey-Chambertin, which includes a 1.5 km climb at 6% in its central section. Another important novelty will be the gravel sections similar to those of the Italian classic Strade Bianche in the 9th stage (Troyes-Troyes), where they wait for Champagne 14 unpaved sections with a total of 32.2 kilometers.
The first day of rest will recharge the batteries of a peloton that will face an explosive 11th stage in the Central Massif, between the volcanoes of Auvergne, with up to four ascents in its final stretch, the last reaching The Lioran, 3.3 km at 5.8% average gradient. A classic within the Tour that, after two days of transition, will land in the Pyrenees with two summit finishes, one in the 14th stage in Saint-Lary-Soulan (10.6 km at 7.9%) after having climbed the mythical Tourmalet and the Hourquette d’Ancizan, and another on the 15th in the endless Plateau de Beille15.8 kilometres at 7.9%. This stage – which will be held on 14 July, a national holiday in France – will be the most important day in the Pyrenees, with a succession of legendary mountain passes such as Peyresourde, Col de Menté, Portet d’Aspet and Col d’Agnes before the final climb to Plateau de Beille.
A second day of rest and a flat day will bring the Alps, with two mid-mountain events with endings in Superdevouly and Barcelonabefore facing the 19th stage, one of the hardest of this Tour, with final in Isola 2,000 (16.1 km at 7.1%) after passing through the Col de Vars (18.8 km 5.7%) and the Bonette (22.9 to 6.9%), which will be the highest peak of this edition with its 2,800 meters.
The last great mountain day will take place in the surroundings of Nice (more than 4,000 meters of elevation in its 132.8 km), with a 20th stage on the Paris-Nice routes with ascents to Col de Braus, Turini and Colmiane before the final climb to the Col de la Couillole, of 15.7 km at 7.1%,
The final flourish will come with the Time trial on the last day, 33.7 km between Monaco and Nice with two promotions, La Turbie (8.1 km at 5.6%) and Col d´Éze (1.6 to 8.1%), although its end is flat, in front of the Paseo de los Ingleses. A very demanding time trial that can make a difference and turn around the general classification on the last day of a Tour that appears exciting.