It’s not typically that the mighty Col du Galibier raises its lofty head early within the first week of the Tour – however right here she is, the springboard for at this time’s winner because the peloton bids arrivederci to Italy and bonjour to France for the primary time. Earlier than crossing the border, the riders will sort out two robust climbs – mere amuses-bouches forward of what must be a really tasty plat du jour. Rising to 2,642m and tackled through Briançon and the interminable Col du Lautaret, the Galibier is a legend in its personal proper. The distinguished Memento Henri Desgrange prize can be up for grabs over the summit – however the rewards could possibly be far higher 20km away within the valley city of Valloire, famend for its genuine Savoyard delicacies.
One other probability for the sprinters because the race leaves behind the Alps – in the meanwhile – and heads in direction of Saint-Vulbas, a hotbed of the normal French recreation of boules and a jack’s throw from the culinary capital of France, Lyon. The route can be a veritable feast for the aerial digital camera crew because the peloton snakes by Alpine valleys through quite a few châteaux earlier than hugging the majestic Rhône river. A few quick climbs shouldn’t come between the inexperienced jersey hopefuls and the race’s second bunch dash – supplied the breakaway is delivered to heel in time forward of the quick finale.
If Mark Cavendish and his Astana-Qazaqstan lead-out practice have but to click on then they might effectively lower the mustard in Dijon. Ignoring a small early climb, this would be the first totally flat day on the programme which suggests it’s virtually assured to be a dash. And in a race that received’t enter Paris for the primary time in its lengthy historical past, it’s maybe becoming that the riders at the least go to Dijon, the beginning city of Gustave Eiffel, the engineering colossus behind the world’s most well-known wrought-iron tower. Dijon additionally boasts a metropolis centre with UNESCO World Heritage website standing and produces its personal crème de cassis, or blackcurrant liqueur. It simply stays to be seen which sprinter can be ingesting a Kir Royale after popping the Champagne corks at this time.
If the names of the beginning and end cities usually are not a sufficiently big clue then a number of the locations the race passes at this time – together with Chambolle-Musigny, Villars-Fontaine and Morey-Saint-Denis – actually give the sport away. Sure, we’re deep into the Burgundy wine area with a person “wine” trial that ventures into the hearts of a number of the most well-known vineyards in France. It’s a reasonably flat race of fact with simply the one climb – the Côte de Curtil-Vergy (1.6km at 6.1%) – coming round midway by. Will Jonas Vingegaard present the sort of kind that noticed him wrap successfully up final 12 months’s race in the course of the TT, or will Tadej Pogačar get his personal again? Pour your self a glass of rouge, sit again and discover out…
5 categorised climbs plus quite a few lumps and bumps pepper the route because the race cuts by the picturesque Haute Marne. The relentless succession of hills might make it difficult for the groups of the sprinters to maintain a spirited breakaway in test. Even when it does come again collectively earlier than the end, the house straight comes with a slight uphill gradient making this ultimate for the likes of Mads Pedersen, Wout van Aert, Biniam Girmay and different classics specialists with a powerful kick. The quaint end city of Colombey-les-Deux-Églises is the resting place of Charles de Gaulle, the famend statesman, soldier and former French president.
Effectively, it’s about time the Tour de France caught up with the occasions and joined the gravel revolution! The final leg of the opening week of the race is that this tremendous difficult classics-style take a look at that options 32km of gravel over 14 sections of conventional white roads amid the vineyards of the Champagne area. First used to dramatic impact in the course of the Tour de France Femmes in 2022, these mud tracks might effectively boost the battle for yellow greater than any mountain to date. Winner of Strade Bianche in March following a long-range solo assault over comparable gravelled roads in Tuscany, two-time Tour champion Tadej Pogačar will maintain all of the aces. However be careful for an additional Slovenian within the type of Matej Mohoric, a former winner of the gravel world championships.
After kicking again within the gorgeous metropolis of Orléans for the primary relaxation day, the riders enter the second section of the Tour with this largely flat traipse previous châteaux, by sleepy cities and the dense Sologne forest, and alongside rivers – most notably the Loire and the Cher. On paper, it’s one for the sprinters – though a bit of kicker inside the ultimate 10km might see a number of the fastmen distanced and play into the fingers of plucky rouleurs or baroudeurs alike. Rather a lot can even depend upon the climate: it was on this neck of the woods when, 11 years in the past, crosswinds break up the pack on uncovered roads with a 15-man group going clear. The winner that day? A chap known as Mark Cavendish.
The stage that can have followers reserving their subsequent summer season holidays within the majestic Massif Central. After the Apennines and Alps comes the third mountain vary of the race in a stage that remembers the day Greg van Avermaet rode into yellow in the course of the 2016 Tour over the identical sequence of climbs. Whereas not one of the six categorised climbs are monsters, they actually pack a punch with the Col de Neronne averaging 9.1%, the beginning of the Col du Perthus hitting double digits, and the ultimate two kilometres of the beastly Puy Mary Pas de Peyrol rising at a constant 11% to the summit. All in all, there’s a complete of 4,350m of vertical achieve in the course of the rugged experience to the ski resort of Le Lioran. Sit again, lap it up, then seek for B&Bs quick earlier than they’re all booked up…
Extra undulating roads because the race heads south-west through the image postcard cliffside city of Rocamadour, perched on the sting of a gorge overlooking a tributary of the Dordogne. If the highway appears acquainted right here that’s as a result of the decisive time trial within the 2022 race tackled the identical climb in the other way on a day Wout van Aert took the spoils forward of team-mate Jonas Vingegaard, who all however secured the yellow jersey. The profile will get flatter for the second half of the stage – though on the 2 earlier visits to Villeneauve-sur-Lot (the plum capital of France) the breakaway managed to carry off the rampaging peloton.
Pau: the gateway to the Pyrenees, the third-most visited metropolis within the historical past of the Tour, the positioning of quite a few relaxation days and virtually as many drug busts and doping scandals. Hopefully these days are a factor of the previous. With two arduous days within the mountains forward, there are simply the 2 quick however comparatively sharp climbs within the remaining third of at this time’s stage – however this might nonetheless be sufficient to place the metaphorical chat amongst the pigeons and spoil issues for the sprinters. However with no Champs-Élysées and Paris to sit up for this 12 months, the groups of the fastmen will do their finest to carry this all again collectively.
The primary in a weekend mountain double-whammy which is bound to offer some fireworks. Right here, the 2024 race will tackle the Pyrenees, and what a primary encounter… Col du Tourmalet, the Hourquette d’Ancizan and the climb to Pla d’Adet all characteristic within the remaining 80km of racing. Sure to be a feast for the eyes, with gorgeous views of the wild and rugged mountain vary that kinds the border between France and Spain. Pyrenean meals tends towards the hearty mountain fare, whereas the parcours additionally passes by the key Christian pilgrimage website of Lourdes on its solution to the mountains. Nice for a fridge magnet or a novelty statue, if that floats your boat.
Race director Christian Prudhomme has mentioned of today of the Tour “the terrain on this stage is ripe for revenge or affirmation”, which actually amps the drama issue as much as eleven. As you’d count on from the finale to the second week of Le Tour, it’s an enormous climbing day with 4,800m of ascent throughout a gruelling 197km. Most of the normal classification riders can be clinging on to attempt to survive to the remainder day, whereas others might even see it as an opportunity to take again time misplaced earlier within the race. Then there’s the French climbers, who received’t want any further motivation on Bastille Day. However be warned – Plateau de Beille is a brute of a climb that takes no prisoners. Whoever wins the day, that is positive to be an enthralling stage to observe – so guide the couch and the TV for 14 July now!
A dash stage with a real gladiatorial really feel, the primary stage of the ultimate week serves up a delicate starting forward of a end that appears virtually sure to supply a bunch gallop. The historic metropolis of Nîmes is house to some enchanting Roman architectural remnants, together with the well-known amphitheatre. This would be the final probability for the likes of Cavendish and Girmay to grab a stage. It’s price including that the not too long ago knighted Cavendish took his fourth ever Tour stage win in Nîmes again in 2008. If he hasn’t already consigned Eddy Merckx to the rearview mirror, then at this time can be the best alternative for Sir Mark to snare win #35 and make historical past.
This stage begins off benign, virtually boring, however shortly intensifies towards the tip with a sequence of class 2, 1 and three climbs to shut it out. With fatigue within the peloton’s legs, this can be a chance for a break to rise up the highway and contest the spoils. The stage begins within the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes area of France, most well-known for its spectacular Côtes de Rhône pink wines. The end is the race’s first stage again within the Alps since bidding them non permanent adieu on stage 5. We’re undecided all 200 of the riders can be happy to see them once more – however at the least a handful can be salivating on the prospect of some uphill tussles.
Tauntingly described by the race director because the sprinter’s remaining probability to bag a stage win, this parcours really options greater than 3,000m of climbing. We’re extraordinarily sceptical of a pure sprinter taking victory right here, however possibly a punchier fast-man can cling on. No stress, then, Mads Pedersen… To not be confused with the worldwide clothes juggernaut of the identical identify, Hole is a city with an abundance {of professional} biking historical past, though extra typically it’s a end than a begin… The beginning and end cities are each located in a area of the Alps recognized for a delicacy known as Tourtons du Champsaur, a bit of potato-filled parcel of pastry. Double carbs? Signal us up!
Over the Cime de la Bonette, France’s highest highway, you understand that is going to be a day for the pure climbers. It’ll rely closely on the GC state of affairs, however we wouldn’t be stunned to see an enormous group go away in quest of the stage win, with a secondary race between the general favourites some minutes again. Isola 2000 is, actually, a ski resort city however the hovering temperatures in late July imply you’re way more prone to see riders tucking right into a Tornado ice lolly than a bowl of hearty tartiflette. The beginning city of Embrun’s largest landmark is the roman catholic cathedral, which dominates the skyline.
With no Paris end this 12 months (as a result of Olympics) the race concludes on the French Riviera as an alternative, and the penultimate stage is a large GC climbing day of 4,600m elevation. If the riders weren’t knackered from the previous three weeks of intense competitors, they actually can be by the tip of this one. So far as native meals goes, the niçoise salad is an undefeated large of the sport, whereas the broader area of Provence is well-known for its dreamy rosé wines. The end climb of the Couillole is an everyday within the Paris-Good stage race – however can it play host to a remaining twist within the tail?
All of it comes right down to the race of fact. The Tour hasn’t concluded with a time trial since 1989, in what’s broadly agreed to have been the best version of all-time. We actually received’t be sorry to see the again of the turgid procession-into-Paris stage, however will anybody be capable of overpower both Tadej Pogačar or Jonas Vingegaard within the self-discipline they’ve dominated so aggressively lately? Filippo Ganna the Italian powerhouse has not been chosen by Ineos Grenadiers, so it might fall to Remco Evenepoel to disclaim one of many two yellow jersey favourites their remaining crowning victory.
