Tour de France 2024: discover the profile and times of the first stage, terrible for the nerves and the legs

Le grand départ du Tour de France aujourd’hui à Florence. MAXPPP – Jean-Marc Quinet

La première étape du Tour de France samedi promet des étincelles d’entrée avec pas moins de sept ascensions répertoriées sur les 206 km entre Florence et Rimini.

The first stage of the Tour de France on Saturday promises to be a flash in the pan with no fewer than seven climbs listed over the 206km between Florence and Rimini. "With more than 3,600 meters, it is the first stage with the greatest elevation gain in the history of the Tour de France", Thierry Gouvenou, the architect of the route, emphasizes to AFP.

Seven climbs listed on the 206 km between Florence and Rimini. Antoine Llop

This observation is not so much due to the desire of the organizers to make the race tough from the start as to the geography of the place. "You have to cross the Apennines. We don't go very high but still at 900 meters with hills that are hard ", adds the technical director of the Tour. The roller coaster course looks like a mini Liège-Bastogne-Liège, enough to please punchers and strong men like world champion Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert on paper.

Pogacar d’entrance ?

But the first one thinks that it’s "a little too hard" for him, while the second is in his "worst form" since he did the Tour de France after his spring injuries. Remco Evenepoel, who has the profile but promised to remain wise and save money at the start with a view to the general classification, as well as David Gaudu said that they would put a coin on the Dane Mads Pedersen.

"The last difficulties are a little less difficult and quite far from the finish, so for me there is a real opportunity to improve. have a breakaway that can go to the end", estimates Thierry Gouvenou for his part. Will Tadej Pogacar take the opportunity to plant his first banderillas, knowing that the last hill is still 25 km from the finish which could discourage the boldest ?< /p>

He could instead wait for the second stage and the San Luca hill on Sunday, but with the Slovenian will-o'-the-wisp you never know. The stage will visit the hometown of Gino Bartali, near Florence, before crossing Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna.

It will also pass through the micro-state of San Marino, which becomes the 13th foreign country visited by the Grande Boucle, before arriving in Rimini on the Adriatic coast where Marco Pantani died twenty years ago from an overdose.

Departure in Florence at 12 p.m. (actual at 12:40 p.m.) arrival in Rimini at 5:49 p.m. (timetable calculated on an average of 40 km/h) .