Tour de France Tour de France 2024 route rumours and announcements

[OlavEH]

On the other hand, it's a good standalone MTF. Unfortunately, it was superfluous the last two visits, and thus saw muted racing.

I agree on this. The problem isn't Beille or AdH isolated, but that there are rarely any other well designed mountain stages. You can easily do a couple of these kind of MTFs in every Tour as long as the sequence of the stages are good and other mountain stages have a better design.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I agree on this. The problem isn't Beille or AdH isolated, but that there are rarely any other well designed mountain stages. You can easily do a couple of these kind of MTFs in every Tour as long as the sequence of the stages are good and other mountain stages have a better design.

In the case of Beille, it doesn’t help that it’s somehow always the final mountain stage of the Pyrenees block. 1998, 2002, 2004, 2011, 2015 and now seemingly also 2024. Only exception is 2007. Definitely the finish that highlights ASO’s incompetence the best.

 

[Billie]

In the case of Beille, it doesn’t help that it’s somehow always the final mountain stage of the Pyrenees block. 1998, 2002, 2004, 2011, 2015 and now seemingly also 2024. Only exception is 2007. Definitely the finish that highlights ASO’s incompetence the best.

but that's mostly it's geography being all the way east in the Pyrenees. It would always be either first or last of a block depending on where the race is coming from/heading to. Bonascre has always been first of the block so I guess it's most likely just depening on where the race is coming from.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

but that's mostly it's geography being all the way east in the Pyrenees. It would always be either first or last of a block depending on where the race is coming from/heading to. Bonascre has always been first of the block so I guess it's most likely just depening on where the race is coming from.

It is literally the only finish in the eastern Pyrenees that should never be the final one in the block. To have it be exactly that in 5 out of 6 (soon to be 6 out of 7) is just awful planning. If you want Beille, don’t have it in a year where you’re exiting the Pyrenees to the east. It’s hardly unusual for ASO to defer a stage finish bid by a year if it doesn’t suit that year’s route either, so it’s no excuse.

 

[gavia88]

It is literally the only finish in the eastern Pyrenees that should never be the final one in the block. To have it be exactly that in 5 out of 6 (soon to be 6 out of 7) is just awful planning. If you want Beille, don’t have it in a year where you’re exiting the Pyrenees to the east. It’s hardly unusual for ASO to defer a stage finish bid by a year if it doesn’t suit that year’s route either, so it’s no excuse.

yep exactly this. It's a perfect start for 2 or 3 days in the Pyrenees if you come from the east. Just a HC finish or eventually in combo with Pailhares. But as the most important stage of the pyrenees at the end of the masive, it's just very bad.

 

[Netserk]

In 2019 after the Tourmalet MTF, they started the following stage (to Prat d'Albis) from Limoux. So even if Beille is the end of the Pyrenees, you can still use Pailhères.

 

[velowire]

From Velowire (Yesterday there were some updates):

Which means something like:
stage 1: medium mountain (Col de Valico, Cote des Forche, Cote de Spinello, Cote de Barbotto, Cote de San Leo, Cote de Montemaggio, Cote de Saint Martin)

stage 2: hilly (cote de Monticino, Cote de Gallisterna, Cote de Botteghino di Zocca, Cote de Montecalvo, Cote de San Luca, Cote de San Luca)

stage 3: flat

stage 4: high mountain (Mont-Cenis and Telegraphe (and maybe Valmeier) or Sestriere, Montgenevre, Lautaret/Galibier Sud (and maybe Valmeier))
stage 5: medium mountain/hilly (if we are very lucky maybe Col des Portes)
stage 6: flat or hilly (options to have some hills from the cotes des beaujolais??)
stage 7: ITT
stage 8: flat (maybe if we are very lucky hilly with sterrato??) (the first stages are probably above average in dificulty for a first week, so a sprint stage would not be weird, although stage 9 and 10 will be flat as well and in between even a rest day. So maybe we can be lucky and have sterrato (as tested by the woman last year), but unlikely it is)
stage 9: flat
restday
stage 10: flat
stage 11: medium mountain (a mixture of the finales from 2016 and 2020 most likely) (Neronne, Pay de Peyrol, Perhus, Font de Cére, Le Lioran)

stage 12: hilly (or flat in worst case)
stage 13: flat
stage 14: high mountain (rumoured Val Louron-Azet and Pla d'Adet)
stage 15: high mountain (most difficult option: Peyresourde, Menté, Col de la Core, LaTrape, Col d'Anges, Plateau de Beille) (but most likely not all of the cols mentioned)

restday
stage 16: flat
stage 17: high mountain (well more medium mountain, but it's in the alps) (something like the Dauphinee stage is likely, Moissiere was rumoured to appear for the first time in the tour, but the easier option Bayard is possible as well, followed by Col du Noyer and Superdevoluy)

stage 18: flat (yes, a waste of opportunities, but considering state 17, 19, 20 and 21, its very unlikely that it is something more than a sprint or barodeur stage)
stage 19: high mountain (Vars, Bonette and 2/3 of Lombarde), something like the 2016 Giro stage, but with finish in Izola 2000)

stage 20: high mountain (Col de Braus, Col de Turini, Col de la Colmiane, Col de la Couillole)

stage 21: (mountainious) ITT (Turini, Col d'Eze)

Hello,

I don't like to post messages like these, especially since this is my first message ever here, but I unfortunately have no choice .

@gavia88:

Please DO NOT copy the table, or any other contents from velowire.com here (or anywhere else). The original source is the only place where this table should remain: https://www.velowire.com/article/11...d-the-stage-cities-of-the-111th-edition-.html (well, this copy came from the French version, but it exists in English of course )

As indicated, very close to where you copied the table from, copyright applies* and also, the table gets updated when new information arrives and any copy might thus be outdated very quickly after it gets published (this was actually the case only a few hours after your copy).

* this may surprise you, but yes, intellectual property and copyright do exist and apply on the web!

Please remove your copy. Otherwise, I'll have to ask cyclingnews to take your post down, and that might have other consequences as this is against the MEMBER CONDUCT paragraph of their Terms and Conditions.

@all:

Since the usual absence of messages in another language than French might refrain you from, please keep in mind that If you'd like to, you can of course take part in the discussions. By experience, I know that the French participants usually appreciate any comments in English in the same way as those in French, and some -who are able to- even do the effort to answer in English

Cheers,
Thomas

 

[Potomac]

Kuss for the General Cussification 2024

 

[gavia88]

Hello,

I don't like to post messages like these, especially since this is my first message ever here, but I unfortunately have no choice .

@gavia88:

Please DO NOT copy the table, or any other contents from velowire.com here (or anywhere else). The original source is the only place where this table should remain: https://www.velowire.com/article/11...d-the-stage-cities-of-the-111th-edition-.html (well, this copy came from the French version, but it exists in English of course )

As indicated, very close to where you copied the table from, copyright applies* and also, the table gets updated when new information arrives and any copy might thus be outdated very quickly after it gets published (this was actually the case only a few hours after your copy).

* this may surprise you, but yes, intellectual property and copyright do exist and apply on the web!

Please remove your copy. Otherwise, I'll have to ask cyclingnews to take your post down, and that might have other consequences as this is against the MEMBER CONDUCT paragraph of their Terms and Conditions.

@all:

Since the usual absence of messages in another language than French might refrain you from, please keep in mind that If you'd like to, you can of course take part in the discussions. By experience, I know that the French participants usually appreciate any comments in English in the same way as those in French, and some -who are able to- even do the effort to answer in English

Cheers,
Thomas

hi Thomas,

Always happy following your website and your quest for the tour route every year. Not completely understanding why you didn't like my post as I mentioned you explicitly as the source. But I will remove the table from my post.

Cheers

 

[sindreflto]

Is it unlikely to see at similar stage to 2007 stage 17 When Rasmussen won at The top of Col d’Aubisque (Then kicked out) and they inculded mountain like col de larrau, col de la Pierre saint Martin (Froome mountain), Col de Marie- Blance (Vingegaard playground) before Col d’Aubisque 🥹

 

[Max Rockatansky]

With the white roads it's basically official that the Tour is the new Giro. They just copied all the stuff that works well in Italy. Much more medium stages, sterrato, early mountain stages, f*** the sprinters, no or short time trials.

 

[Froome]

With the white roads it's basically official that the Tour is the new Giro. They just copied all the stuff that works well in Italy. Much more medium stages, sterrato, early mountain stages, f*** the sprinters, no or short time trials.

Fortunately, the tour is not the new giro, because the giro backload too much the mountains in the third week.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

With the white roads it's basically official that the Tour is the new Giro. They just copied all the stuff that works well in Italy. Much more medium stages, sterrato, early mountain stages, f*** the sprinters, no or short time trials.

If only they did some queen stages comparable to what the Giro did when it was the Giro...

 

[OlavEH]

With the white roads it's basically official that the Tour is the new Giro. They just copied all the stuff that works well in Italy. Much more medium stages, sterrato, early mountain stages, f*** the sprinters, no or short time trials.

Besides they don't have the mountains to do stages like Finestre/Sestriere, Mortirolo/Aprica, Stelvio/Torri di Fraele or similar variants (not that the Giro are using any of these at the moment). I think it's good that the Tour is adding some new aspects, especially the medium mountain stages. And early hilly and mountain stages. 20 years ago we had something like 10 flat sprinter stages, 5-6 high mountain stages (usually with a big MTF), 100 km of ITT and not much more. Even though we complain about the design of the high mountain stages in the Tour, there are some improvements compared to earlier.

 

[Netserk]

Besides they don't have the mountains to do stages like Finestre/Sestriere, Mortirolo/Aprica, Stelvio/Torri di Fraele or similar variants (not that the Giro are using any of these at the moment). I think it's good that the Tour is adding some new aspects, especially the medium mountain stages. And early hilly and mountain stages. 20 years ago we had something like 10 flat sprinter stages, 5-6 high mountain stages (usually with a big MTF), 100 km of ITT and not much more. Even though we complain about the design of the high mountain stages in the Tour, there are some improvements compared to earlier.

20 years ago, of the 10 flat stages only 6 were won in bunch sprints (the first 5 and the last stage). That's as many bunch sprints as in this year's edition, but this year was way closer to have more occur.

 

[Max Rockatansky]

Fortunately, the tour is not the new giro, because the giro backload too much the mountains in the third week.

It looks like stages 14, 15, 17, 19, 20 and 21 will be GC stages, mountain stages and one itt. But to be honest, in the Tour every stage is a GC stage.

 

[Froome]

It looks like stages 14, 15, 17, 19, 20 and 21 will be GC stages, mountain stages and one itt. But to be honest, in the Tour every stage is a GC stage.

If that is true, then the giro is backloading again.

 

[OlavEH]

If that is true, then the giro is backloading again.

For the Giro it looks like stages 15, 16, 17 and 20 will be GC stages. 19 could be, but probably not.

For the Tour it is the stages that @Max Rockatansky mentioned.

Edit: And 14 in the Giro if its a ITT. But that is not bad. Both ITTs and a total of 75 ITT kms and 4 mountain stages from 15 to 20 is at least an okay design. It could be much worse.

 

[Froome]

It looks like stages 14, 15, 17, 19, 20 and 21 will be GC stages, mountain stages and one itt. But to be honest, in the Tour every stage is a GC stage.

Sorry, i thought you were talking about the giro.

I think stages 4 and 5 will be also mountain stages in the tour. Stage 11 will also be a mountain stage with finish in le lioran. There will also be a TT on stage 8.

 

[Froome]

For the Giro it looks like stages 15, 16, 17 and 20 will be GC stages. 19 could be, but probably not.

For the Tour it is the stages that @Max Rockatansky mentioned.

Edit: And 14 in the Giro if its a ITT. But that is not bad. Both ITTs and a total of 75 ITT kms and 4 mountain stages from 15 to 20 is at least an okay design. It could be much worse.

I thought he was talking about the giro, my bad, but if it was like you are saying, i think they continue to backload too much.

I think a grand tour should have 7 high mountain stages or 6 high mountain stages +one mountain TT and 2 medium mountain stages.

2 high mountain stages and 1 medium mountain stage in the first week, 2 high mountain stages and 1 medium mountain stages in the second week, and three in the last week.

In terms of flats TT, i think 1 flat TT is enough, but with 50/60 km.

That's the type of route, i like to see in a grand tour.

 

[OlavEH]

2 high mountain stages and 1 medium mountain stage in the first week, 2 high mountain stages and 1 medium mountain stages in the second week, and three in the last week.

This could be possible in Italy, but in France it would create big limitations on route design. Then you had to follow much of the same route every year, but perhaps in opposite direction some times. Half of the country hardly has any mountains at all, and there aren't many high mountains either outside the Alps and the Pyrenees.

 

[Froome]

This could be possible in Italy, but in France it would create big limitations on route design. Then you had to follow much of the same route every year, but perhaps in opposite direction some times. Half of the country hardly has any mountains at all, and there aren't many high mountains either outside the Alps and the Pyrenees.

They could look more for the alpes maritimes/southern alps (col de la cayolle, cime de la bonette) for the jura mountains, vosges, massif central, and they could do something new in the atlantiques Pyrenees. They could use mont ventoux during the middle of the race.

 

[OlavEH]

They could look more for the alpes maritimes/southern alps (col de la cayolle, cime de la bonette) for the jura mountains, vosges, massif central, and they could do something new in the atlantiques Pyrenees. They could use mont ventoux during the middle of the race.

It would still be very difficult to scatter the mountain stages in the way you describe. Unless doing a lot of transfers and/or very similar routes every year.

 

[Froome]

It would still be very difficult to scatter the mountain stages in the way you describe. Unless doing a lot of transfers and/or very similar routes every year.

I think this year, they did a good job. They did mountain stages on stage 5 and stage 6, puy de dome on stage 9, col du grand colombier on stage 13, before the last week.
Of course they could have done better in some medium mountain stages, they missed one flat TT, and they could have done better in mountain stages like grand colombier and puy de dome adding some more climbs, but they didn’t backload the route, and we have entertainment very soon in the race.

I like some of the rumours i heard about the tour 2024. The first stage is a really good medium mountain stage, stage 4 will be the first high mountain stage, probably stage 5 is also a mountain stage, and then we are going to have a flat TT on stage 8.
Stage 11 on le lioran is a very nice medium mountain stage.
The comeback of cime de la bonette is very good even if the finish of that stage would be better in jausiers or super sauze instead of isola 2000. The finish on super devoluy is great, the last TT in nice is very good. I like also the rumours about a finish on plateau de beille.

Pla d adet is a decent finish, even if i preferred a finish on saint lary soulan after a sequence tourmalet-peyresourde, aspin, horquette ancizan, val louron azet.

The worst finish is on col de la Couillole, i think thy could have done better on that stage.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

I think this year, they did a good job. They did mountain stages on stage 5 and stage 6, puy de dome on stage 9, col du grand colombier on stage 13, before the last week.
Of course they could have done better in some medium mountain stages, they missed one flat TT, and they could have done better in mountain stages like grand colombier and puy de dome adding some more climbs, but they didn’t backload the route, and we have entertainment very soon in the race.

This year was good, but:

That‘s not a Tour de France, that‘s a squiggly line across the center followed by a parade. They had to leave out almost the entire country.