Tour De France 2024: 'Most difficult route,' says cyclist Mark Cavendish after route revelation

Renowned cyclist Mark Cavendish has shared his astonishment at the challenging course set for the 2024 Tour de France. The recently unveiled route, scheduled from June 29 to July 21, will encompass two excursions to the Alps, with Paris excluded from the itinerary due to the concurrent Olympics.

Cavendish, who at 38 has postponed retirement to vie for the Tour stage wins record alongside Eddy Merckx, expressed his candid reaction, deeming it "perhaps the most difficult course I've ever seen for a Tour." Riding for Astana-Qazaqstan, Cavendish will have ample opportunities across eight sprint stages to pursue the coveted record shared with Belgian cycling icon, Merckx.

The British cyclist's aspirations were temporarily thwarted in this year's Tour due to a stage-eight crash that resulted in a broken collarbone. Reflecting on the upcoming challenge, Cavendish added, "Honestly, I'm shocked at how hard this Tour de France is."


The 2024 Tour de France promises early entry into the Alpine terrain by the fourth stage, with a return for the final leg of the race featuring a demanding individual time trial from Monaco to Nice. Additionally, the race will navigate through the Pyrenees, with stage 14 encompassing the formidable Col du Tourmalet and the Hourquette d'Ancizan. Stage 15 will test cyclists with nearly 5,000 meters of ascent across the Col de Peyresourde, Portet d'Aspet, and Col d'Agnes on Bastille Day.

Notably, this edition will mark the first instance since 1989 that the race's overall leadership will be contested on the final stage, challenging the tradition of a ceremonial Parisian procession. The alteration is a consequence of the Olympic Games commencing five days after the Tour's conclusion.

This monumental race will embark from Italy for the first time in its extensive history, commencing in Florence. The decision aligns with the centenary of Ottavio Bottecchia's pioneering Tour victory in 1924, marking the initial triumph by an Italian.

Tour de France director, Christian Prudhomme, remarked, "The Tour has never climbed so high, so early," emphasizing the spectacular vistas offered by the lofty Alpine terrains.