The 2024 Tour de France will cover a distance of around 3,500 kilometers. For the first time, it will start in Italy, with the finale in Nice also being a premiere at the Tour. In between there are several kilometres of time trial and gravel and over 50,000 meters of altitude.
Shortly after the route presentation, Ralph Denk, Team Manager of BORA - hansgrohe, gave his initial assessment: “At first glance, it's a balanced Tour de France. For the fans, it's exciting that the GC favourites have to show themselves straight away in the first week and that the decision about yellow won't likely be made until the final TT. Two TTs and several altitude meters bode well for our plans. It is well known that I am not a fan of cobbled and gravel sectors in Grand Tours. That's what the classics are for, in my opinion.”
Rolf Aldag, Head of Sports at BORA - hansgrohe, has already analysed the route: "We know that the Tour start is always nervous. Now add to that the fact that it is also very difficult from a sporting point of view. To plan more specifically, we will definitely look at the Italian stages. There will be plenty of opportunities around Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico in the spring to do our homework."
"It won't be a long wait - stage 4 is already a tough one. As a GC rider, it's not enough to just be at 90%. It may be an old saying, but it certainly applies here: on this day you can't necessarily win the Tour, but you can lose it very early on. After that follows an unusual back and forth. It's not a typical clockwise or counterclockwise loop through France. It's more of an Alps-Pyrenees-Alps switch."
"The time trials are both hard. Knowledge of the course, pacing strategy, choice of material - everything becomes very important here. The final TT, in particular, is unrhythmic, uphill out of Monaco and downhill into Nice. It could be an advantage that many riders live there and know the course."
"The last week is particularly demanding and offers many chances for a preliminary decision. If you already have the chance to make up time here, you’d be sure to take it and avoid the decision on the final day."
"The 2024 Tour has some extremely high mountains. There will be a lot of riding above 2000 metres. Who will do well at that altitude? Not many riders can, and it's the step up to the 2000 metre mark that quite often makes a difference among the climbers. We'll adjust to that, and the altitude training camps will be even more important now in our preparation."