Tour de France 2024 stage 1 preview: Route map and profile of 206km from Florence to Rimini

The first ever Grand Depart in Italy launches the riders into the Tuscan hills for one of the toughest opening stages ever seen at the Tour de France

The opening stage sees the peloton cross Italy to Rimini on the east coast (Letour)

The Tour de France starts on Saturday with the Grand Depart in Florence – the first time the race has begun in Italy in its 121-year history – and the peloton will be immediately treated to a hard day’s climbing.

With 3,600m of elevation to conquer over 206km of racing, on a route across the Italian countryside featuring six categorised climbs, this is one of the toughest opening stages ever seen at the Tour de France.

After beginning on the banks of the Arno river and heading east out of Florence, the first ascent is the toughest – the Col de Valico Tre Faggi (12.5km at 5.1%) and it would no surprise to saw some bold attacks right from the off. The peloton will pass through San Marino for the first time – the Tour’s 13th country – before finishing on the beachfront in Rimini, on Italy’s easy coast.

Even the strong puncheurs may find themselves out of the mix here, and for once a rider with climbing legs could grab the yellow jersey from the start. It is not hard to imagine Tadej Pogacar turning up the heat on his rivals half an hour into this 21-day odyssey in a bit to control the race from pillar to post.

Likewise, Primoz Roglic might try to make a statement here, and the fast descent into Rimini would suit the handling skills of Tom Pidcock if he’s still in the mix.

If the pace isn’t too aggressive from the start, that might allow some of the more rounded riders to the fore. Mathieu van der Poel arrives fresh from another stellar season and the Alpecin–Deceuninck star can win just about any day he puts his mind to, while the flat finish will suit the explosive speed of Wout van Aert, should he be involved in a successful breakaway.

But expect Van der Poel, Van Aert and most of the heavier riders to be dropped on the climbs if the tempo is high. Pogacar could attack this first stage so hard that no one can follow.

Stage 1 map and profile

Stage 1 profile (letour)

Stage 1 map (letour)

Start time

The stage is set to begin at 11.40am BST in Florence, and is expected to conclude at around 5.45pm.

Prediction

The simple answer would be to plump for Tadej Pogacar, who would love to grab hold of the yellow jersey and dominate the race. But let’s choose someone else – how about Tom Pidcock? He has the climbing legs to get over the numerous lumps and bumps along the way, and the brilliant technical skill to fly down the final descent into the finish at Rimini. If he’s near the front at the top of the last climb, the Ineos rider will be a major threat.