In an Unexpected Turn of Events, Paris Olympics Forces Tour de France to Re-Route 2024 Season

Cycling, as one of the most competitive sports in the Olympics history, has some news in store this time. Having the primary focus on gender equality, the Summer Olympics welcomed 514 cyclists with an equal split between women and men. For the first time, women cyclists will enjoy special quotas, which were previously occupied by men. With some significant changes still awaiting incorporation, the five disciplines underwent a change of venues. Moreover, the host nation faced some alterations as well.

Besides an internal change, the Paris Olympics pushed the last leg of the Tour de France to some other venue. While the Olympics gets the limelight, the annual men’s multiple-stage bicycle race will relocate this year. With a confused heart, the cycling enthusiasts couldn’t help but respect the decision.

A change of plan due to the Summer Olympics

As the words go, everything boils down to the Olympics. For people who have enjoyed the beautiful feats for ages, the decision change is a major blow. The big event kick starts on July 26, so the final finish of the Tour de France gets shifted to Nice. On the other hand, since Paris 2024 ends on August 11, the women’s cycling event gets shifted to August 12. Earlier today, the race organizers announced the final routes, which came as a disappointment to most.

The Parc des Princes Stadium near the Bois de Boulogne and the Bois de Vincennes had witnessed the big event for decades. Streets filled up with spectators, the Arc de Triomphe in the background, and the racing loops looked like a festival. While the Olympics demand more attention from sports fanatics, the host city stays out of reach. The reason is that most hotels, food outlets, and stadiums will boast Olympic-related people.

Along similar lines, a cycling legend stays confused at the schedule of the Olympics and Tour de France almost clashing. The multiple medal winner might withdraw from the latter event because of the big game.

The legendary dilemma

Lotte Kopecky, the Belgian cyclist, had bagged six gold medals and is popular for being a multiple world winner on the track. For her, the 2023 Tour de France Femmes Avec Zwift was a huge success, as she clinched the second overall and green jersey. Moreover, with her opening stage win, the cycling world highly anticipates her prolific displays. As the Tour de France tracks, she spilled water on her fans’ hopes with a confusing confession. Since all her August track events are back-to-back, the 2020 Tokyo fourth finisher is about to give up on her national dreams. She said, “There is currently no clarity about participation in the Tour and I will only make that decision very late”. 

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Like Kopecky, several other cyclists might get the same thoughts. When she said, “The Tour is every year while the Olympic Games are only once every four years,” it made absolute sense.

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