Stage 1, Saturday 29 June: Florence to Rimini, 206 km
Ironically, this is Italy’s first Grand Départ in a country where cycling talent is almost scarce in this traditional heartland. There are almost no Italians in the starting lineup and there is zero chance of a repeat of the Italian team’s last championship win with Vincenzo Nibali in 2014. However, with three second levels to climb, who would bet on Tadej Pogacar trying to gain an early advantage?
Stage 2, Sunday 30 June: Cesenatico to Bologna, 199 km
Today begins in memory of Marco Pantani, the 20th anniversary of his death. The ‘pirate’, winner of the 1998 Tour de France and Giro d’Italia, grew up in Cesenatico, where there is a museum and a statue dedicated to him. Today was not a good day for sprinters as there were two climbs in San Luca in the last 32 kilometers. This is a powerful climb used in the 2023 Giro dell’Emilia, won by Primoz Roglic and for Mathieu van der Poel (Mathieu van der Poel), this route is perfect.
Stage 3, Monday 1 July: Piacenza to Turin, 230.5 km
After Gino Bartali on Saturday and Pantani on Sunday, if it is Monday, we will definitely pass through Tortona and pay tribute to Fausto Coppi. Coppi) tribute. Very champion. Things should calm down briefly today as far as the race goes, with a relatively innocuous but lengthy sprint period providing the first opportunity to assess the form of the quickie and Mark Cavendish for the first time There is a chance to break this record – to break the stage win.
Stage 4, Tuesday 2 July: Pinerolo to Valois, 140 km
Gone are the days when the opening week of the Tour was a series of boring sprint stages: it was pure climbing. The first 50 kilometers are uphill, but it gets stinging towards the end. Crossing the Galibi Pass so early is unprecedented for the Tour de France. If defending champion Jonas Vingegaard is out of form, we’ll find out here; the finale of the downhill will suit Tom Pidcock, arguably the fastest downhiller of the bunch.
Stage 5, Wednesday 3 July: Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne to Saint-Vulbas, 177.5 km
Leaving the Alps and passing through Chambéry, home of the Decathlon-Ag2R team since its founding in 1992. Bennett returns to the Tour de France for the first time since 2020.
Stage 6, Thursday 4 July: Mecon to Dijon, 163.5 km
It’s the first of two days in some of France’s most storied years, passing through Meursault, Champs-de-Montrachet and Pouilly, which should follow the same pattern as the day before: doomed breakthroughs and rushes before the rush ending. By now it should be clear which sprinter is this year’s champion First grade gardenPhilipson will be the favourite, but Cavendish, Bennett, Dylan Groenewegen and Fabio Jacobsen could all pose threats, so there’s plenty of competition.
Stage 7, Friday 5 July: Nuits-Saints-Georges to Gevrey-Chambertin, individual time trial, 25.3 km
The time trial between the two names will have wine lovers salivating, and after days one and four we have a look at the third favourite. It’s a very flat track, so it works in the favor of reigning world champion Remco Evenepoel, who dominated a similar stage in last year’s Giro d’Italia and should be virtually unbeatable here of. If Roglic, Pogacar and Vingegaard (along with 2019 champion Egan Bernal) can limit their losses to a matter of seconds, the race is on.
Stage 8, Saturday 6 July: Semur-en-Auxois to Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, 183.5 km
The amazing cultural, gastronomic and historical reference points continue: now we head to the home and cemetery of Charles de Gaulle. In 1960, on the way to Troyes, riders stopped to greet France’s wartime leaders; in an anti-climactic moment, lower-ranked Pierre Beuffeuil took advantage of the stop and charged into the race. road and won the stage. No chance today; looking forward to the fourth group sprint.
Stage 9, Sunday 7 July: Troyes to Troyes, 199 km
As the second round of France’s Macron snap election approaches, the Tour de France is an intense day of constant small climbs and 14 sections of gravel road through the Champagne vineyards. It will be dusty, spectacular, and full of punctures and crashes, especially if it rains. Pogakka will relish this as he has twice won the very similar Italian Strade Bianche race; cyclocross specialists Van der Poel and Wout van Aert could also shine.
Stage 10, Tuesday 9 July: Orléans to Saint-Amand-Montron, 187.5 km
It was unremarkable on paper, but when the wind blew here in 2013, the game was split, with Alberto Contador pushing Alejandro Valverde over Arena. There were 3 changes of direction in the last 30 kilometers on exposed road and this could happen again. The burly Uno-X Norwegian had a chance to win the stage for the experienced Alexander Kristoff, but on that blustery day in 2013 the winner was none other than Cavendi Cavendish.
Stage 11, Wednesday 10 July: Evo-les-Bains to Le Leolan, 211 km
There were no breaks on this trip; it was a brutal day in the Central Plateau: 4000 meters of climbing, culminating in a grueling 60 kilometers to the summit, including the super-steep Puy Mary and two more climbs before the finish. A shorter climb. The race should start with a big break for a stage win – with the finish suitable for a strong rider like Ireland’s Ben Healy – with the favorites keeping a close eye on each other for signs of weakness.
Stage 12, Thursday 11 July: Aurillac to Villeneuve-sur-Lot, 204 km
On “rough” terrain where it is difficult for teams to organize a chase, this should make for a classic battle between the Breakers and the Sprinters; the last two races both ended in Breakers. The jagged silhouette is perfect for tour newbies: like 22-year-old Belgian player Arnaud de Lie. Hailing from the Ardennes region, the “Bull” was able to overcome climbs and win classics such as the Grand Prix of Quebec and the Tro-Bro Léon.
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Stage 13, Friday 12 July: Agen to Pau, 165.5 km
This is the 75th time the Tour de France has visited the “Viewpoint of the Pyrenees”. After this, there is only one sprint phase left, so the pressure will be on those fast players who stay in the game, especially if they have missed out so far. There are a few climbs in the final that can be climbed by anyone struggling, but it will be another day for Philipson, Jacobson, Groenewegen et al.
Stage 14, Saturday 13 July: Pau to Saint-Lary-Soulan/Pla d’Adet, 152 km
To mark the 50th anniversary of Raymond Poulidor’s incredible victory ahead of Eddy Merckx, the Tour de France returns for this legendary finale. With two Super Category climbs, today is a good day for someone to firmly own the polka dot King of the Mountains jersey. A slew of riders outside the hot circle should take part in the stage race; the 10km finish climb will suit Vengergaard (if he has returned to his previous form) or young Spaniard Carlos Rodríguez .
Stage 15: Sunday 14 July: Ludenvière to Plateau Beyer, 198km
More Pyrenean squalor; starting at the Peyresourde Pass would be scary for anyone struggling. Three early first-grade climbs to soften the legs, the Col d’Agnès will create an initial selection before culminating in the 15km “Plateau of Bees”. Today is Bastille Day, so there will be a buzz with French climbers: maybe the last flourish of Romain Bardet or Warren Barguil, or maybe Romain Grégoire ) or Aurélien Paret-Peintre’s breakthrough. More likely, foreigners will win.
Stage 16: Tuesday 16 July: Gruissan to Nimes, 189 km
The course for the final sprint was generally flat. “Lesgrosescuisses” doesn’t want to let this go, although if the wind picks up, the race could be as divided as it has been in the past. This could suit the big Dane Mads Pedersen or the diminutive Frenchman Brian Coquard, either of whom could be a big win for points given the number of stages it would be difficult for a pure sprinter to score Those who are interested in the green jersey.
Stage 17: Wednesday 17 July: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Superdévoluy, 178 km
This is a “transitional” phase that takes the riders into the Alps for the final showdown, which should be a good opportunity for the all-rounders to rest and fight for the finish, so the first few kilometers will be intense. Stage hunters like Magnus Cort, Ben Healy, Pello Bilbao or Simon Yates will love this one. With the final weekend demanding, the favorites will have to wait and see.
Stage 18: Thursday 18 July: to Barcelonanette, 180 km
The last chance to break before the overall battle takes center stage, although the constant ups and downs of the five third-level climbs mean this stage will probably only be of interest to sprinters who can climb a bit, especially if the green jersey is still up for grabs scramble. If Pedersen or De Lie feel good, their Lidl-Trek and Lotto-Dstny teams can try to limit this event, but given the terrain, good luck to you.
Stage 19: Friday 19 July: Embrun to Isola 2000, 145 km
The early green jersey sprint was the last we saw of the sprinters before it was a day for the climbers. The Col de Vars is a rugged mountain, but Bonette is in a league of its own, being the highest climb challenged in the Tour de France. Some will remember Robert Millar’s valiant escape from that monster in 1993; as on that day, the chances of the break reaching the finish line are slim as the overall battle will take center stage.
Stage 20: Saturday, July 20: Nice to Couillole, 133 kilometers
Shorter than the day before, but with more vertical climbing. By now most of the questions should be answered: can Pogacar maintain the form that won him the Giro, can Evan Poole find some climbing legs in his first Tour de France, Rogge Have Leach and Vingard recovered from April’s horrific crash, and is Egan Bernal any closer to his old self? Like Friday, this is a unique day for all competitors on the final weekend of the Tour.
Stage 21: Sunday, July 21: Monaco to Nice individual time trial, 33.7 kilometers
With the Olympics due to start later this week, it is the first time the event has been completed outside of Paris. Not since the LeMond-Fignon epic in 1989 has the Tour de France ended with a time trial; it might have been just as memorable if the top spot in the standings was tight, but usually the race is set now. The conditions of the race were far from dull and very technical, suggesting that Pogacar or Vingegaard rather than Evenepoel would win, but on day 21 the race would largely depend on who still had something left in the tank.
