BORA – hansgrohe Team Manager Provides Initial Assessment of 2024 Tour de France Route

The recently announced route for the 2024 Tour de France has garnered mixed reactions from team managers and experts in the cycling world. Ralph Denk, Team Manager of BORA – hansgrohe, has shared his initial assessment of the route, highlighting its balance and challenging nature.

Denk stated, “At first glance, it’s a balanced Tour de France. For the fans, it’s exciting that the GC favourites have to show themselves straight away in the first week and that the decision about yellow won’t likely be made until the final TT. Two TTs and several altitude meters bode well for our plans.”

However, Denk expressed his dislike for cobbled and gravel sectors in Grand Tours, stating, “It is well known that I am not a fan of cobbled and gravel sectors in Grand Tours. That’s what the classics are for, in my opinion.”

Rolf Aldag, Head of Sports at BORA – hansgrohe, also analyzed the route and emphasized the challenges it poses. Aldag said, “We know that the Tour start is always nervous. Now add to that the fact that it is also very difficult from a sporting point of view. To plan more specifically, we will definitely look at the Italian stages.”

Highlighting the importance of the early stages, Aldag mentioned, “It won’t be a long wait – stage 4 is already a tough one. As a GC rider, it’s not enough to just be at 90%. It may be an old saying, but it certainly applies here: on this day you can’t necessarily win the Tour, but you can lose it very early on.”

Aldag also noted the unconventional route, explaining, “After that follows an unusual back and forth. It’s not a typical clockwise or counterclockwise loop through France. It’s more of an Alps-Pyrenees-Alps switch.”

The two time trials in the 2024 Tour de France were also discussed by Aldag, who emphasized their difficulty. He stated, “The time trials are both hard. Knowledge of the course, pacing strategy, choice of material – everything becomes very important here. The final TT, in particular, is unrhythmic, uphill out of Monaco and downhill into Nice. It could be an advantage that many riders live there and know the course.”

Aldag also highlighted the demanding final week of the race, saying, “The last week is particularly demanding and offers many chances for a preliminary decision. If you already have the chance to make up time here, you’d be sure to take it and avoid the decision on the final day.”

Lastly, Aldag acknowledged the presence of high mountains in the 2024 Tour de France, stating, “The 2024 Tour has some extremely high mountains. There will be a lot of riding above 2000 meters. Who will do well at that altitude? Not many riders can, and it’s the step up to the 2000-meter mark that quite often makes a difference among the climbers. We’ll adjust to that, and the altitude training camps will be even more important now in our preparation.”

As teams begin to analyze the route and strategize their plans, it is clear that the 2024 Tour de France will test the riders’ skills, endurance, and adaptability at every stage.