The Grande Boucle will return to Ariège in 2024. The Plateau de Beille will welcome a summit finish. A first since 2015 when Joaquim Rodriguez was the last rider to raise hands on top of this iconic 15.8 km 7.9% climb.
Back in 2000s, the climb became very popular among the race organisers, as it was visited for a total of six times between 1998 and 2015. After nine years of absence, a spectacular show is once again expected on Plateau de Beille slopes.
In 2015, Gerorges Vigneau was already the director of the Ariège station. And it is an understatement to say that the return of riders to its slopes is great news. "The Plateau is a monument. This kind of event allows us to have extraordinary visibility. In the years preceding the Tour, there is an exponential number of cyclists."
And it is a brand new and beautiful Plateau de Beille that cyclists and spectators will discover as there is on-going investment of 8.5 million euros into infrastructure, comfort and aesthetics of the climb.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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