Tough finish in store for 2024 Tour de France

The 2024 Tour de France will finish with a taxing time-trial from Monaco to Nice, a far cry from the traditional champagne procession and sprint up the Champs-Elysees, organisers revealed on Monday.

Due to the Paris Olympics, next year’s edition ends on the Cote d’Azur, the first time since 1905 that it will not reach its conclusion on the streets of the capital.

ASO, who run the event, had already unveiled the new look to the cycling spectacular in December.

On Monday they released the route for the closing 35.2km race against the clock which promises to serve up a rattling climax to the Tour that starts for the first time in Italy.

It features an 8.1 kilometre climb at a gradient of 5.6 percent to La Turbie, followed by the short but sharp 1.6km climb at 8.1 percent up the Col d’Eze before the finish line on Nice’s Massena square.

The 132km penultimate stage will be no picnic either, with no fewer than three ascents before the final 15.7km climb at a gradient of 7.1 percent to the summit finish at Col de la Couillole.

“It’s going to be a tough stage, without a metre of level ground, where anything is possible,” ventured Tour director Christian Prudhomme.

The Grand Depart, in Florence, has been brought forward one week to June 29 to avoid clashing directly with the Olympic Games with the Nice finish on July 21, just five days before the opening ceremony.