For two years the Tour had showcased its excellence. The format stretched from three weeks to four, inviting women to participate in a race that grew in excitement and competitiveness. When the men finished their grind on the Champs-Élysées and parked their bikes in Place de la Concorde, the event took on a distinctly stronger feminine spirit as the roads remained alive with energy and determination.
But everything changes in 2024. The schedule shifts dramatically with the Olympics cast into the middle of the calendar. The men will not parade through Paris in the Tour, and the women will not begin their fourth week in August on dates that would stall them. They will start racing the day after the Olympic conclusion and finish as the Vuelta a Portugal takes its first steps. At first glance, the move seems to threaten momentum for women’s cycling, with the UCI appearing to look away instead of backing a more harmonious calendar that could keep four full weeks of racing intact. The aim is to avoid a hangover from the Games and the separate Tours while ensuring that Florence remains a potential destination for a future grand route, free from conflicting schedules.
Official route updates for the TDFF 2024 are highlighted in partnership with Zwift. The event’s official program emphasizes the collaboration with Zwift to map the routes and provide engaging, immersive experiences for fans and riders alike, even as discussions continue about balancing lengthy stages with the players’ rest and recovery needs.
To address calendar pressures and logistics, the organizers have positioned the third Tour Femmes under ASO, the company that owns the Tour de France, with Rotterdam as the starting point for 2024. The plan features three stages in the Netherlands and marks a fusion of the Amstel Gold Race and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, culminating in a summit finish at Alpe d’Huez. This strategic start is designed to celebrate the capabilities of the riders and to appeal to a broader European audience while maintaining the race’s prestige and competitive allure.
Dispute dates run from Monday, August 12, to Sunday, August 18. When the women enter the Alps, finishing from Le Grand Bornand on Saturday, August 17, the male riders will be navigating Lisbon, drawing substantial media attention toward the Tour and Spain. The sport remains dynamic, with a notable number of riders eyeing the Vuelta as a key target, mirroring the excitement seen in 2023 when Jonas Vingegaard and Primož Roglič featured prominently on that course.
On the third day, plan includes a six-kilometer individual time trial held in Rotterdam. The fourth stage will conclude in Belgium with crafting routes that echo the familiar walls of Amstel Gold Race or Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The longest stage, finishing in the French town of Morteau, will cover 167 kilometers, slightly shorter than the previous year’s finish in Rodez. The route also showcases a famous ascent toward Alpe d’Huez planned for the final weekend, with an early peak at the Glandon pass as a prelude to the 21 iconic bends that define the cycling world.