High altitude, an Italian debut in Florence and a finale on the French Riviera are on the itinerary of the 3,492km route for the 2024 Tour de France unveiled on Wednesday.
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The route embarks from Florence on June 29 and features four high altitude finishes as the race crosses the Alps twice and squeezes in two time-trials, including a potential high drama final day run from Monaco to Nice on July 21.
It is the first time the race does not finish in Paris which is off limits as it prepares to host the Olympic Games.
As spectacular as it is atypical, the route was revealed at a Gala overseen by Christian Prudhomme, president of the organisers ASO in front of almost 4000 guests and many of the expected competitors, mayors from along the route and a large press pack at a conference centre in Paris.
The Florence start and Nice finish were already known, prompting much excitement about not only the first ever Grand Depart in Italy, but the race’s first ever finale outside Paris.
“It’s difficult to replace Paris, so what better scenery could we give than than a dazzling Monaco to Nice time-trial,” said Prudhomme.
Instead of the traditional last day parade along the Champs Elysees, fans can instead anticipate a potentially decisive individual time trial down the Riviera coastline and in the hills between Monaco and Nice.
The scenario brings to mind the 1989 edition when American rider Greg LeMond beat Laurent Fignon by eight seconds on a last day dash.
After the Florence start, the race takes in Rimini on the Adriatic coast before cutting across Italy via Bologna and Turin and into France via the Alps on stage four.
“The Tour has never climbed so high, so early,” said Prudhomme. “The panoramas in the high Alps are just splendid.”
Stage six will catch the eye of wine lovers as it takes in the “Route des Grands Crus”…
