2024 Tour de France Femmes finishes atop Alpe d’Huez in thrilling finale
The 946.3 kilometre route for the 2024 Tour de France Femmes features a mixture of flat stages, an individual time trial, two hilly stages, two mountain stages and a finale in the Alps
It has also been moved from late July to mid August to accommodate the Olympics, in what will be the third edition of the modernised women’s Tour de France, competitors will battle it out across eight stages and seven days from August 12 to August 18.
The Grand Départ is in the Netherlands before crossing into Belgium and finishing in France. Host cities for one of the world’s most iconic races include Rotterdam, The Hague, Drodrecht, Valkenburg, Liege and Bastogne before it concludes in the Alps.
The women's and men's route was revealed in Paris this week by A.S.O and features a date change to accommodate next year’s Paris Olympics, which runs from July 26-August 11.
The Grand Départ starts with a 40km loop that features two trips through a long and newly built tunnel beneath the waters of the River Scheur – the tunnel will be formally opened on this great occasion. The riders will then find themselves in flat and wind-exposed terrain, the route running between tulip fields and through urban areas. The last five kilometres, which are wide and free of significant difficulties, will lead to a final straight on an avenue that’s perfect for a bunch sprint.
Riders will then have to tackle two stages on August 13, with the 67km road race from Dordrecht to Rotterdam followed by a 6.3km individual time trial.
Stage 4 starts in Valkenburg and finishes in the Belgian city of Liege and features 122km of hills which includes eight categorised ascents.
The fifth stage is flatter but still has five categorised ascents across 150km from Bastogne to Amneville.
Stage 6 will continually demand more from riders over 160km and five categorised ascents, before the race heads into the Alps.
The longest phase of the race at 167km, Stage 7 is the first in the mountains and finishes at Le Grand-Bornand.
Finally, Stage 8 includes three ascents across the 150km, with the Alpe d'Huez providing a fitting backdrop for what promises to be a thrilling finale. A truly beautiful mountain stage with two big climbs. The highest point of this third edition of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift comes on the Col du Glandon (1,924m), which will be tackled via its hardest side (19.7km at 7.2%). Then, for the grand finale, we have the mythical 21 hairpins Alpe d’Huez, where the 2024 champion is destined to emerge.
Demi Vollering of SD Worx won the 2023 Tour de France Femmes, with team-mate Lotte Kopecky finishing second and Poland’s Katarzyna Niewiadoma finishing third overall.
Demi Vollering is excited ahead of next year's famous summit finish saying "I’ve always wanted to ride Alpe d’Huez!"
Lotte Kopecky was apprehensive, "I don't know if I will ride Tour de France Femmes next year. The decision will be made quite late. First, I will focus on the Classics. After that, we'll see if riding the Tour is possible. Skipping track omnium is not an option."
Photo: 2024 Tour de France Femmes Race Map, credit: A.S.O
