With the presentation of the 2024 Tour de France taking place on Wednesday afternoon, riders, teams and cycling fans now know how the race will look. One person particularly pleased by the route is former two-time Maillot Jaune winner, Tadej Pogacar.
“The course is pleasant," Pogacar told L'Equipe following the announcement of the route and profiles at the presentation. "I really like the first week, it is a little harder than in past years. You will have to arrive in good shape from the start of the Tour," he says regarding the tough, punchy opening in Italy.
"There is a difference in altitude, finishes for the sprinters, two time trials, which is super exciting. The mountain stages are pretty normal, nothing out of the ordinary, but it looks really good to me," the UAE Team Emirates leader continues. "Especially the last three days, the ones that will make the decision I think."
For the first time in the long and storied history of the race, the 2024 edition of the Tour de France will not finish in Paris due to a potential conflict with the Olympic Games. As such, the traditional curtain closer on the Champs Elysees will change for an individual time-trial in Nice.
"It's not a classic end to the Tour where we perhaps have a difficult finish on the last three stages," Pogačar analyses. "Here, the last three days are super hard, without the Champs-Élysées usually reserved for sprinters.
"The time trial between Monaco and Nice is super interesting, I'm really looking forward to it but you will have to arrive at this final stage with good legs to win," he concludes. "Spending the Tour on roads where I train most of the year will be special. Just seeing the profiles, this end of the journey makes me smile. It really is full of promise."
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