For the first time in race history, the Tour de France will not conclude in Paris in 2024.
That’s according to a report in Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, which states that the riviera city of Nice will be the host of the final stage in two years.
Why is the Tour—a race known for holding true to history—bucking its time-honored tradition? The French capital is set to host the summer Olympics from late July into mid-August, and government officials do not want overlapping logistical and security issues from the two major sporting events.
The final stage of the Tour has always been held in Paris—or in nearby suburbs—since its first edition in 1903. Starting in 1975 the final stage has ended with a sprint along the Avenue des Champs-Élysées at the foot of the Arc du Triomphe.
La Gazzetta reports that an official confirmation could come as soon as this week.
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The 2024 edition of the Tour is expected to boast another first: An opening stage in Italy. The Tour is expected to begin with stages in Tuscany and the Piemonte regions before dipping into France.
The race would then embark on its traditional “grande boucle” route around France, but instead of heading to Paris, it will loop back toward Nice for a finale along the Mediterranean coastline.
Nice recently hosted the “grand départ” of the 2020 edition of the Tour that was rescheduled for September in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Details of the 2023 edition are already revealed, with the race starting in Spain’s Basque Country, and the final stage, as always, in Paris.
The post The Tour de France Will Likely Skip the Paris Finale in 2024. Here’s Why. appeared first on Outside Online.
by POM Administrator via Outside Online
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