Introduction
The Tour De France is back for its 111th year running and for the first time, riders will be starting in Florence, Italy. In addition to this unusual starting location, the Tour will also be finishing in Nice, France, due to the 2024 Olympic Games taking place in Paris (the traditional location of the finish).
This year, the course is set to be one of the hardest in history, beginning with the hilliest opening stage in the past 35 years. The immense amount of climbs and challenging stages will make for an interesting general classification where Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, and Primož Roglič will battle it out for the maillot jaune. In years past, the Pogacar and Vingegaard’s rivalry has held center stage throughout the Tour, with the past few year's winners being determined in the final few stages.
Here, we will be providing an in-depth preview of each stage of the 2024 Tour de France.
Stages
Stage 1: June 29th: Florence to Rimini: 205km (127mi), 3600m (11,800ft)
Credit: Tour de France
The 2024 Tour De France will make its Grand Depart in Florence. After leaving the famed Italian city, riders will make their way through Forlì-Cesena, ending after a quick descent into the coastal town of Rimini.
Stage 2: June 30th: Cesenatico to Bologna: 198.7km (123.4mi), 1850m (6069ft)
Credit: Tour de France
Stage 2 of the Tour takes riders from the smaller port town of Cesenatico through some rolling climbs with a flatter finish in Bologna. Despite only having half the amount of elevation as Stage 1, Stage 2 will still be a challenge for riders, with a total of 6 categorized climbs.
Stage 3: July 1st: Piacenza to Turin: 230.5km (143.2mi), 1100m (3608ft)
Credit: Tour de France
The third stage of the Tour is much flatter than the prior stages and serves as the first sprint stage. The race features a fast finish in Turin, a familiar finish for those who have ridden the Giro d’Italia.
Stage 4: July 2nd: Pinerolo to Valloire: 139.6km (86.7), 3600m (11,800ft)
Credit: Tour de France
Stage 4 marks the first mountain stage of the Tour, featuring a brutal ascent up the Col du Galibier. The race finishes in Valloire after the fast descent down the mountain.
Stage 5: July 3rd: St-Jean-de-Maurienne to Saint-Vulbas: 177.4km (110.2mi), 1050m (3444 ft)
Credit: Tour de France
As another flat stage of the Tour, stage 5 takes riders from the city of St-Jean-de-Maurienne to Saint Vulbas. The stage features a sprint segment, two Category 4 climbs, and a fast flat finish.
Stage 6: July 4th: Macon to Dijon: 163.5km (101 mi), 1000m (3280 ft)
Credit: Tour de France
Stage 6 features another flatter route profile with only 1000 meters of elevation gain over the course of the stage.
Stage 7: July 5th: Nuits-Saint-Georges to Gevrey-Chambertin: 25.3km (15.7 mi), 300m (984ft)
Credit: Tour de France
As one of the two individual time trials, stage 7 will be a fast and flat time trial from one wine country to the other.
Stage 8: July 6th: Semur-en-Auxois to Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises: 183.4km (113.9 mi), 2400m (7874 ft)
Credit: Tour de France
Stage 8 holds a sprint 66km into the race. However, the sprinters are going to have to earn the opportunity to battle it out by hanging with the peloton through three categorized climbs.
Stage 9: July 7th: Troyes to Troyes: 199km (123.6), 2000m (6561ft)
Stage 9 of the Tour makes a loop around the neighboring cities near Troyes. With several small climbs scattered throughout the stage, sprinters will have to fight to stick with the peloton.
Rest day: July 8th!
At this point in the tour, a rest day is needed. During rest days, riders do everything in their power to recover and prep themselves both physically and mentally for the tough week ahead. Some methods of recovery include using dynamic air compression recovery systems, percussion massage guns, massages, and a short and easy ride with the team to keep the legs spinning (as if their legs haven’t had enough already!).
BUY PERCUSSION MASSAGE GUN
Stage 10: July 9th: Orleans to Saint-Amand-Montrond: 187.3km (116.3 mi), 950m (3116 ft)
Credit: Tour de France
Stage 10 is another flat stage featuring a sprint roughly 60 kilometers into the race. It should be the perfect race for some action from the sprinters.
Stage 11: July 10th: Évaux-les-Bains to Le Lioran: 211km (131.1 mi), 4350m (14271 ft)
Credit: Tour de France
After a few flatter stages, stage 11 brings quite a bit of climbing, with six categorized climbs. The stage finishes just after the Col de Font Cère.
Stage 12: July 11th: Aurillac to Villeneuve-sur-Lot: 203.6km (126.5 mi), 2200m (7217 ft)
Credit: Tour de France
Throughout the stage, riders will descend from Aurillac to Villeneuve-sur-Lot with a few climbs and a sprint. The race finishes with a flat and fast stretch.
Stage 13: July 12th: Agen to Pau: 165.3km (102.7 mi), 2000m (6561 ft)
Credit: Tour de France
Stage 13 is relatively flat and features a sprint halfway through the stage.
Stage 14: July 13th: Pau to Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d'Adet: 151.9km (94.3 mi), 4000m (13123 ft)
Credit: Tour de France
Stage 14 is the first day in the Pyrenees of the Tour de France. Riders will tackle the Col du Tourmalet and finish atop the Pla d'Adet.
Stage 15: July 14th: Loudenvielle to Plateau de Beille: 197.7km (122.8 mi), 4800m (15748 ft)
Credit: Tour de France
Before the last rest day of the Tour, riders must tackle one of the biggest days of climbing in the Tour. The race holds 4 Category 1 climbs and finishes atop the Plateau de Beille.
Rest day: July 15th: As the last rest day of the Tour, riders must maximize their recovery for the final few stages to come. Oftentimes, these last few stages are where the Tour is decided.
Stage 16: July 16th: Gruissan to Nimes: 188.6km (117.2 mi), 1200m (3937 ft)
Credit: Tour de France
Stage 16 offers riders a more relaxed welcome back to the Tour as they race their way through a much flatter stage with some good opportunities for the sprinters.
Stage 17: July 17th: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Superdévoluy: 177.8 km (110.4 mi), 2850m (9350 ft)
Credit: Tour de France
Stage 17 of the Tour marks the start of a set of hilly stages to bring the series to a close. Riders will start in the city of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux and slowly climb up to Superdévoluy, ending on a category 3 climb.
Stage 18: July 18th: Gap to Barcelonnette: 179.5 km (111.5 mi), 3100m (10170 ft)
Credit: Tour de France
The 18th stage of the Tour holds even more elevation than the prior stage. Riders will tackle five Category 3 climbs and a sprint midway through.
Stage 19: July 19th: Embrun to Isola 2000: 144.6 km (89.9 mi), 4400m (14435 ft)
Credit: Tour de France
As one of the hardest stages of the Tour, riders will climb two Hill Climbs, finishing on the Isola 2000, a category 1 climb.
Stage 20: July 20th: Nice to Col de la Couillole: 132.8km (82.5 mi), 4600m (15091 ft)
Credit: Tour de France
To conclude this series of extremely hilly stages, riders will complete several Category 1 climbs, eventually ending atop the Col de la Couillole.
Stage 21: July 21st: Monaco to Nice: 33.7km (20.9 mi), 650m (2132 ft)
Credit: Tour de France
In years past, the Tour has always finished along the Champs-Élysées. However, due to the Olympics in Paris, riders will be battling it out on the roads of French Riviera.
Overall, the unprecedented amount of climbing in this year's Tour de France will make for an interesting competition for the general classification contenders. Learn all about how to watch the Tour so that you can stay up to date with all the action.