L'Etape du Tour 2024

Name: L'Etape du Tour 2024
Start: 07 Jul 2024 7:00am
End: 07 Jul 2024 7:00am
Location: TBC

07 Jul 2024 -

The 2024 edition of Etape du Tour will take place on Sunday 7 July 2024.

Entries open to the general public at 4pm on 31 October 2023.

The course follows the route of Stage 20 of the 2024 Tour de France, starting in Nice and finishing with a climb of Col de la Couillole.

The 138km route - that's 5km longer than the course the pros will race - takes in 4600 metres of elevation gain, with four major climbs comprising Col de Braus (1002m), Col de Turini (1607m), Col de la Colmiane (1500m) and Col de la Couillole (1678m).

On paper the distance and elevation is typical of past editions, but the organisers describe the 2024 parcours as one of the hardest in the history of L'Etape du Tour:

"Please note that the 2024 edition of L'Étape du Tour de France promises to be one of the toughest of the last 31 editions. The 4600m of ascent over the 138km route will test your endurance, strength and determination. It's essential that you're well prepared for this challenge."

Entry starts at €150 with various upgraded entry packages available for a surcharge. Sportive fans may be interested in the "Plays it like a pro" offer, which includes entry to both L'Etape du Tour and the Paris-Roubaix challenge for €185.

General entries open 31 October 2023. Sign up to our free email alerts to be notified when entries open for L'Etape and other major European sportives.

L'Etape du Tour - cycling's greatest sportive?

The Etape du Tour is probably the most famous sportive in the world, and is the only chance each year to ride the same route as the pro riders in the Tour de France on closed roads.

Each year around 16,000 lucky riders get the chance to ride a stage of the Tour de France just a few days before the professional riders cover the same route. Always run on one of the rest days of the Tour, the Etape du Tour has the same support cars and police outriders as the actual Tour.

The Etape du Tour is run by ASO, who also run the Tour de France, and the organisers tend to try and choose one of the shorter but mountaineous routes as their route.

Registration for the 2023 Etape du Tour opens on 2 November 2022. Usually there is a huge rush of registrations on the first day - it's not unusual for L'Etape entries to sell out within hours of opening.

One of the hardest choices is to decide whether to go to the Etape as part of an organised group or whether to make your own arrangements. A good travel company may cost a bit more but it can make life an awful lot easier as they pick you up from the airport, organise getting to the start and being picked up from the finish and often have their own feed stations along the Etape route. Read our guide to Etape du Tour travel operators to see who we recommend.

However if you plan well in advance and are part of a group of riders you will save a lot of money making your own plans. Remember that it is very unlikely that you will want to cycle home an extra 30km after finishing the Etape so making sure you are able to get home easily is important.

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