The fast-tracked growth of the Tour de France Femmes gathers pace on Monday, when the 2024 edition starts in Rotterdam, its first foreign Grand Départ. Less than 24 hours after the Olympic closing ceremony, 22 teams of seven riders will roll away from the Dutch city to race almost 1,000km in seven days, climaxing with a set-piece mountain finish on Alpe d’Huez.
Over eight stages, including a split stage of road race and time trial on Tuesday, the peloton will race south from the Low Countries to the Alps, via the Ardennes, Vosges and Jura. The highest point will be the 1,924-metre Col du Glandon, appearing on stage eight’s route to the Alpe, when the peloton will tackle just under 4,000 metres of climbing.
