The world’s premier cycling events are returning to SBS.
The 2024 Tour de France begins June 29 with the first three stages in Italy this year. The Tour de France Femmes starts on August 12, the day after the Paris Olympics finishes.
Tour de France 2024 dates
Men: June 29 – July 21
Women: August 123 – August 18
With visits to Italy and two tiny microstates (San Marino and Monaco) the 111th Tour De France cycles through four counties this year.
For the first time in history, the race will not finish in its traditional Paris destination, but the city of Nice in the Cote d’Azur which will host the final stage of this year’s Tour.
Mediaweek on location in Italy
Prior to the start of the tour, Mediaweek has been on the road in Northern Italy, visiting the major cities that the tour will visit in its first three stages.
The cobblestone streets of Florence will be cleared of tourists for the start of the race on Saturday June 29. People watching on TV will, as usual, have the best views with the fleet of choppers set to deliver some of the most memorable images of the start of a Tour. US tourists in particular have returned en masse to Europe this year. Understandably, Florence is one of their key stops in Italy.
The Stage 1 route from the tourist magnet city tracks eastward toward the Adriatic Sea and the coastal town of Rimini. Along the way, the riders will visit San Marino, the microstate where you get a separate stamp in your passport on arrival. That stretch of the race promises the most impressive images as the riders climb the hilltops where San Marino sits.
Then it is downhill to the coast and Rimini. The aerial shots here too should be memorable as riders head to the finish line with miles of beach umbrellas and sun lounges hugging the coast. Much of the Rimini seafront is being upgraded. That together with thousands of visitors will ensure bedlam near the beach. Something that TV viewers will be able to marvel at, without being stuck in the gridlock.
Countdown clocks around Rimini prepare the locals for Stage 1
For Stage 2, riders travel by coach a little further north and then jump on their bikes from Cesenatico onto Bologna. It’s another 200k ride and the streets of Bologna too are heavy with visitors at this time of year. The crowds will be nothing like the crush in Florence though, with many visitors to this Italian city keen to sample the food delights. Along the way, riders cycle through the ancient Roman layout that makes Ravenna’s streets wide and flat. The local Carabinieri shouldn’t have too much trouble keeping the tourists and locals under control. Ravenna doesn’t attract the tourist hordes that invade other cities despite the reassures housed here in eight Basilicas. The town was the capital of the western Roman Empire with the now UNESCO Monuments offering a stunning collection of glittering mosaics from around 1500 years ago.
For Stage 3 of the Tour, it starts 90 minutes in a coach away from the end of Stage 2 in the smallish town of Piacenza. The town square is dominated by a Gothic Palace and a nearby eight-sided Basilica. A day of 230k will bring the riders to their final stop in Italy at the biggest city close to the French border – Turin. The streets in the old town are again wide and flat. There are impressive Piazzas at every turn, ringed with highlights of architecture from the last 500 years.
Overview of all 21 Stages of men’s race
Crossing 3,492 kilometres, including 52,340 metres of vertical gain over 21 stages, the Tour will visit 39 picturesque towns, through stunning scenery and historic landmarks.
Four mountain ranges, the Apennines, the French and Italian Alps, the Massif Central and the Pyrenees, will deliver spectacular scenery and the renowned difficulty associated with the Tour de France. In this years’ route, cyclists will tackle eight flat stages, four hilly stages, two individual time trials and seven mountain stages – four of which will conclude at the summit (Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet, Plateau de Beille, Isola 2000 and Col de la Couillole). For the first time in 35 years, the race will finish with an individual time trial.
Tour de France women
The Tour de France Femmes will begin the day after the Paris Olympic Games on August 12 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Travelling through Belgium and France, the race will cross three countries and three French regions, covering 10 departments. The cyclists will battle it out to the finish line on August 18 on the most famous Alpe in Tour history – Alpe d’Huez, making its debut in the women’s race route. The eight stages of the Tour de France Femmes include three flat stages, two hilly stages, two mountain stages, and one individual time trial.
SBS coverage of both events
Both Tours will be available to stream live, in full, on SBS On Demand, where visitors can also visit the Tour de France Hub for a variety of Tour content including extended highlights, full stage catch-up replays, and mini-stage recaps.
Live coverage of the Tour will include new cultural and historical segments. The SBS Sport website is the place to be for all the latest news updates, opinions, expert analysis, statistics, results, and short highlight videos. The Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes broadcast times vary.
Long-term SBS contract
After the 2020 Tour de France, SBS secured a long-term 10-year contract for the race. This is the fourth year of the 10 years covered in that contract.
SBS director of sport, Ken Shipp said: “With SBS’s extensive coverage of the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift, Australia’s home of cycling is going to be jam-packed with gripping cycling coverage following every twist and turn of the rigorous route cyclists are fearlessly tackling this year. Sport unites people from all corners of the globe, and the world’s biggest annual sporting event, the Tour de France, captivates audiences worldwide. SBS is incredibly proud to bring all the action and captivating moments to Australian audiences. We’re ready for this year’s event and cannot wait to cheer on the Aussies as they conquer these challenging routes.”
See also: SBS secures exclusive rights to Tour de France until 2030
SBS Cycling Podcast
The new exclusive daily Jayco & SBS Cycling Podcast is the destination for all things cycling during July and August 2024. Hosted on location by Christophe Mallet and David McKenzie alongside expert guests, the podcast will provide cycling enthusiasts with an exploration of the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift with in-depth race analysis, exclusive rider interviews, and behind-the-scenes insights taking audiences on a journey of the route.
An episode for each stage of the races is available for listeners on their favourite podcast apps.
SBS ŠKODA Tour Tracker app
All stages of the Tour will be available live on the SBS ŠKODA Tour Tracker app which will feature uninterrupted live coverage of every stage, combined with data and rider statistics giving cycling fans an enhanced viewing experience.
Aussie riders on the men’s Tour
176 riders will be attempting to conquer the men’s route this year. The star-studded line up of general classification contenders is expected to include international stars Jonas Vingegaard who will be attempting to achieve a Tour De France hat trick whilst defending his 2023 and 2022 title against David Gaudu, Simon Yates, Mikel Landa, and reigning Giro d’Italia winner Tadej Pogacar who will attempt to conquer both grand tours this year.
After Giro d’Italia victory in 2022 and winning a stage in the Tour de France last year, Australian Jai Hindley will be a top contender to secure a spot on the podium. Jack Haig also has his eye on the Tour de France podium this year, with fellow Australians Luke Durbridge and Chris Harper featuring in the Australian Jayco Aulula Team supporting their team leader Simon Yates.
SBS commentators guide
SBS’ expert commentary team will be on the ground in Europe, capturing all the action and fierce competition. Reporting on location will be Australia’s experts, the ‘Australian voice of cycling’ Matthew Keenan and national time trial champion Dr Bridie O’Donnell for both the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes.
They are being joined by Tour de France yellow jersey wearer and multiple Tour stage winner Simon Gerrans for the men’s race. Providing exclusive interviews and reporting on the ground for both Tours will be Australian National Road Race Champion David McKenzie, alongside Christophe Mallet who will deliver insights on race tactics and information on the cultural and historical significance of the captivating locations travelled.
Matthew Keenan
Matthew Keenan
2024 will be Matt’s 18th year commentating on cycling’s biggest event, the Tour de France. After two seasons of amateur racing in Europe, Matt turned to commentary, having since commentated on the Commonwealth Games, Tour of Spain, Paris-Nice, Giro d’Italia and Tour of Qatar. Known for his supreme cycling knowledge and ability to recall detailed information about individual cyclists, Matt is recognised internationally as one of the leading commentators in the business.
Simon Gerrans
Simon Gerrans
Simon Gerrans holds the unique position of being the first Australian to have won a stage in all three Grand Tours – the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana. He found competitive cycling as a teenager on the suggestion of Australian cycling legend Phil Anderson, who then lived on a property nearby Gerrans’ parents farm in country Victoria. Anderson, who saw Gerrans cycling as rehabilitation from a serious knee injury after a motor bike racing crash, encouraged him to take up the sport competitively. Simon has been a proud ambassador and active fundraiser of the Chain Reaction Challenge Foundation since 2010 and was the founder of the Victorian Inter-School Cycling Series.
Dr Bridie O’Donnell
Dr Bridie O’Donnell
Dr Bridie O’Donnell graduated from the University of Queensland Medical School. Between 1995 and 2006 she competed in Olympic distance and Ironman triathlon, finishing the Ironman Hawaii World Championships in 2006. In 2007, she began road cycling and in 2008 after winning the National Time Trial title, she raced in the Australian National Team, and then Professional Italian teams in Europe and the United States, representing Australia at three World Championships between 2008-2012. From 2013-2017, Bridie managed and raced for Rush Women’s Team in the Cycling Australia National Road Series and in 2016, she broke the UCI Women’s Hour World Record at the Adelaide Superdrome. In 2017, she was appointed the inaugural Head of the Office for Women in Sport and Recreation by the Victorian Government and in 2018, her cycling memoir Life and Death was published, detailing her experiences as a professional cyclist in Europe. When she’s not commentating cycling, she works in the Community and Public Health Division of the Victorian Department of Health.
David McKenzie
David McKenzie
David McKenzie brings nine years’ experience as a professional cyclist to SBS, providing in-depth analysis of the race, the riders and everything viewers need to know about road racing. Starting his career on the track, David made his first appearance for Australia at just 16. He joined his first professional cycling team in 1997 after a stint at the Australian Institute of Sport and in 1998 won the Australian National Road Championship. On the pro-cycling circuit David has competed in Australia and throughout Europe for various teams, winning stages at a number of events including the Giro d’Italia, Tour of Japan and Tour Down Under.
Christophe Mallet
Christophe Mallet
Christophe is a television presenter, podcast host and long-time Executive Producer of SBS Radio’s French program. In 2017 he was awarded a National Order of Merit – he was incredibly honoured to be introduced as a Knight of the Order of Merit in France. Over the course of his 10+ years at SBS, Christophe has been involved in many projects including hosting the Tour de France highlights show, Bonjour le Tour, alongside David McKenzie and has been heavily involved in SBS’s coverage of the Dakar Rally. He’s also been responsible for producing more than 6,000+ radio shows across the SBS network.
Special thanks to the team at SBS for their Tour de France 2024 guide. Large segments of this have been used in this preview.