There will then be time to delve deeper, get to the heart of the matter, explain, and make plans. For now, the presentation of the two Tours in Paris has touched the eyes and souls of those present and those who experienced it from home. Tour Women's cycling and Tour of men told in one go, with great evidence of planning, to the point of having brought Martha Cavalli to try out the last stage of the women's race, so that a video could tell it today.
ASO and cycling
We listened words that leave a mark, like those of Jean Etienne Amaury, president of ASO.
«The 2023 Tour – he says from the stage – gave us a great response from the public, with 42 million people in France and 150 in the rest of the world. Big feedback came thanks to social media and Unchained, the Netflix series. The Tour aims to promote cycling as an environmentally friendly means of transport, which reflects our philosophy of respect for the environment.We have reached a very important agreement with the Ministry of Sport and the Ministry of Education, for provide the greatest number of children aged 6 to 11 with the necessary equipment for cycling. And with a view to the development of cycling, we have renewed the agreement with the French Federation."
Women's cycling from Rotterdam
The Tour de France Femme by Zwift will begin on August 12th from Rotterdam. The moment of the announcement is introduced by the images of the last edition, until the arrival on stage of Christianm Prudhomme e Marion RousseAnd immediately from the words of the blonde former athlete, you understand that there will be a surprise.
«The first edition – he says – has shown us that it is an exceptional event, for which drawing the second one was easier, because we knew the direction to takeFrom the first to the last day we had and will certainly have a great audience.The Tourmalet was an epic and evocative moment, but next year we will be no less».
There will be 8 stages, the total kilometers are 946,3 with important distances for the category. The hard stuff starts right away, with the arrival in Liège offering the roads of the Doyenne, and in the finale with the double uphill finish. Le Grand Bornand and grand finale at Alpe d'Huez. And as the graphics drew hairpin bends on the mountain's profile, the audience at the Palais des Congres, having understood, greeted the decisive finish line of the Tour.
Men's Tour, the memories
The men's Tour is announced by Prudhomme alone, not before having relived the 2023 edition, which opens with Pogacar's words of surrender: "I'm dead."
Then, in a long flashback, the screen shows the first clashes between Vingegaard and the Slovenian. Cavendish's lost look forced him to retire. The emotion of Pello Bilbao which wins for Gino Mader. Pogacar's burst of shots, which now seem almost mocking. The time trial, Vingegaard's first blow, who states: «Probably the race of my life». Then the Pogacar shipwreck in Courchevel. Mohoric's tears and Ciccone's exultation on the decisive climb, before the crowds flock to Thibaut Pinot.
The start from Florence
La Great Partenza will be given, as we well know, by Italy.'The arrival for the first time will be far from Paris, in Nice, as the capital will be occupied by the organization of the Olympics.
He goes on stage Stefano Bonaccini, president of Emilia Romagna, introduced with splendid words by Prudhomme.
"It was strange that a country like Italy," says Prudhomme, "with great champions who tied their fortunes to the Tour, had never hosted a Tour start. It's rare for the Tour de France to start with more than 3.600 meters of elevation gain – in fact, it's never happened before! And it's also the first time that the race has touched Gino Bartali's hometown. The succession of hills between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna will probably be the setting for an immediate and challenging confrontation, in particular the climb towards San Marino, where the race will add a 13th name to its catalogue of visits abroad."
And Bonaccini, first part in French and then switch to Italian. "As Gianni Mura used to say," he says, " The Tour is a human adventure. Sport becomes a universal language, spoken and understood throughout the world. The Grande Depart is a dream come true, a historic event for our country. We're ready to welcome the Tour de France, thanks to the exceptional teamwork that began three years ago. Together, we achieved this feat."
Closure in Nice
Then it's the turn of Nice, the arrival point, with the words of the mayor who is moved when recalling his Italian originsAnd when Nice also wishes everyone a great Tour, the veil is finally lifted on the 2024 edition of the Tour de France, which will start on June 29th in Florence.
The route is challenging from the start. Suffice it to say that the first stage features 3.600 meters of elevation gain and that the second stage will feature two climbs of Colle di San Luca in Bologna. The longest stage of the Tour is also Italian, the one from Piacenza to Turin with 229 kilometersAnd the stage starts in Italy with the Souvenir Desgrange climb: the fourth, from Pinerolo to Valloire, which will climb the Galibier from Lautaret, before the final descent.
We start on June 29th
The 2024 Tour consists of 21 stages, plus two rest days. There are also two time trials: the last one on the Saturday before the grand finale, and it's very tough. It starts in Florence and finishes in Nice, with the Alps before the Pyrenees.
| 1nd stage | 29nd June | Florence-Rimini | 206 |
| 2rd stage | 30nd June | Cesenatico-Bologna | 200 |
| 3rd stage | 1th July | Piacenza-Torino | 229 |
| 4rd stage | 2th July | Pinerolo-Valloire | 138 |
| 5nd stage | 3th July | St Jeanne de Maurienne-Saint Vulbas | 177 |
| 6rd stage | 4th July | Macon-Dijon | 163 |
| 7nd stage | 5th July | individual time trial, Nuits Saint Georges-Gevrey Chambertin | 25 |
| 8rd stage | 6th July | Semur en Auxois-Colombey les Deux Eglises | 176 |
| 9rd stage | 7th July | Troyes-Troeys | 199 |
| Rest | 8th July | Orleans | |
| 10nd stage | 9th July | Orleans-Saint Amand Montrond | 187 |
| 11rd stage | 10th July | Evaux les Bains-Le Lioran | 211 |
| 12nd stage | 11th July | Aurillac-Villeneuve-sur-Lot | 204 |
| 13rd stage | 12th July | Agen-Pau | 171 |
| 14rd stage | 13th July | Pau-Saint Lary Soulan (Pla d'Adet) | 152 |
| 15rd stage | 14th July | Loudenvielle-Plateau de Beille | 198 |
| Rest | 15th July | Gruissan | |
| 16nd stage | 16th July | Gruissan-Nimes | 187 |
| 17nd stage | 17th July | Saint Paul Trois Chateaux-Superdevoluy | 178 |
| 18rd stage | 18th July | Gap-Barcelonnette | 179 |
| 19rd stage | 19th July | Embrun-Isola 2000 | 145 |
| 20rd stage | 20th July | Nice-Col de la Couillole | 133 |
| 21rd stage | 21th July | individual time trial, Monaco-Nice | 34 |
| Total Kilometers | 3.492 |
Pyrenees and then the Alps
The Tour is a hedgehog that winds between hills and cities. Climb the Pyrenees before the Alps, with the arrivals of Plateau de Beille and Pla d'Adet on the 14th and 15th stages, but already in the 9th it offers a continuous up and down on dirt roads that will risk doing a lot of harm.
Stages 17 to 20 will feature a significant amount of climbs, with the arrivals at Superdevoluy, Barcellonette, Isola 2000 and the Col de la Couillole on the French Riviera. It will also be the Tour of high altitudes, given that 25 kilometers of mountain will be covered above 2.000 meters.
And if the climb isn't enough, there will be two time trialsFor specialists, the 25,3-kilometer seventh stage to Gevrey Saint Martin. For stamina riders who still have something to give. the 21st from Monaco to Nice, 34 kilometers long, with the climbs of the Col d'Eze and La Turbie along the way. Paradoxically it could still be everything up for grabs until the last kilometer.
The feeling is that of a tough but not too tough Tour, also to wink at the Olympics which are already knocking at the doorThe teams now have what they need to prepare their riders' programs. The women await the Giro d'Italia Donne route. In the coming weeks we will delve deeper into the discussions.When the lights go out in the Palais des Congrès in Paris, once again the feeling is that of to have witnessed something great and well done.
