High altitude, an Italian debut in Florence and a finale on the French Riviera are on the three 492km route for the 2024 Tour de France unveiled on Wednesday.
READ | Remco Evenepoel ends hypothesis by staying at Soudal-Quick Step
The Tour begins from Florence on June 29.
The race options 4 excessive altitude finishes because it crosses the Alps twice and squeezes in two time-trials, together with a doubtlessly dramatic remaining day run from Monaco to Nice on July 21.
Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard stated he preferred the route.
“I’m really excited about it. It looks super hard, at least the third week looks super hard. The climbs, certainly the high-altitude ones, look harder,” stated the 26-year-old, the peloton’s most completed climber.
Asked who his rivals is likely to be, the Jumbo chief stated he hoped for a four-way wrestle this 12 months.
“There’s Tadej (Pogacar) and myself and now Primoz (Roglic) has joined Bora so if all of us and Remco Evenepoel are here it will be challenging, with four of us,” he stated.
British rider Mark Cavendish could have as many as eight dash levels however was downbeat on his probabilities of profitable a document thirty fifth stage.
“Honestly, I’m shocked at how hard this Tour de France is,” stated the Astana rider.
It would be the first time the race doesn’t finish in Paris which is off limits because it prepares to host the Olympic Games.
ALSO READ | Primoz Roglic confirms Jumbo-Visma exit amid merger talks
The route, as spectacular as it’s atypical, was revealed by Christian Prudhomme, president of the organisers ASO in entrance of just about 4 000 visitors and lots of the anticipated opponents, mayors from alongside the route and a big press pack at a convention centre in Paris.
The Florence begin and Nice finish had been already recognized. That had prompted pleasure over not solely the primary ever Grand Depart in Italy, however the first ever finale outdoors Paris.
“It’s difficult to replace Paris, so what better scenery could we give than a dazzling Monaco to Nice time-trial,” stated Prudhomme.
Nice mayor Christian Estrozi spoke of his Florentine ancestors and the way historic the race route was.
“To be the town chosen to host what is likely to be the only final day that isn’t in Paris, is a true honour and for me the fact it also begins in Florence is like a wink from destiny,” stated Estrozi.
Instead of the standard last-day parade alongside the Champs Elysees, followers can as a substitute anticipate a doubtlessly decisive particular person time trial alongside the Riviera shoreline and over the hills between Monaco and Nice. It ends alongside the Promenade des Anglais in entrance of Nice’s pebble seaside.
The final stage evokes recollections of the 1989 Tour, when American Greg LeMond began a uncommon final-day time trial 50 seconds behind French chief Laurent Fignon and ended up profitable the race by eight seconds.
First time in Italy
After the Florence begin, the race takes in Rimini on the Adriatic coast earlier than chopping throughout Italy through Bologna and Turin and into France over the Alps on stage 4.
“The Tour has never climbed so high, so early,” stated Prudhomme.
“The panoramas in the high Alps are just splendid.”
Stage six will catch the attention of wine lovers because it takes within the “Route des Grands Crus” between Macon and Dijon whereas stage seven goes by way of the vineyards of Nuits-Saint-Georges in Burgundy.
There are a collection of levels for the one-day specialists and for the sprinters, however the southern Alps will seemingly mark the beginning of the ultimate battle for the yellow jersey.
A much bigger than traditional 60km complete over the 2 time-trials will please the quick males equivalent to Evenepoel or Roglic.
The seven mountain levels, which embody 4 high-altitude finales, with the very best at 2 802m on stage 19, will likely be to the liking of defending champion Vingegaard.
After Troyes within the Champagne area the race swoops south-east towards Pau and the Pyrenees, then heads west by way of Nimes again to the Alps after which the mouthwatering finale on the Riviera.
By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
Source link
