This just popped up as I was scrolling after dinner.

Si, Le Tour is starting in Firenze on June 29, 2024, with what looks like a very hilly stage to Rimini, where Marco Pantani was found dead in a hotel room on Feb 14, 2004. He was born up the road, just inland from the start of Stage 2, so I imagine there’ll be 20th anniversary commemorations. This stage finishes in Bologna, where you would guess that the organizers will not miss the chance to put the Basilica San Luca climb in.

The 3rd stage ends in Torino, which happens to have a basilica climb of its own: Superga, THE climb in Turin. However, the TDF site seems to suggest that this one will be a sprinters’ stage.

So now we know the first 3 and last 2 stages (Nice), which are interestingly close to one another. If the peloton doesn’t hop on a plane after Torino, then they are into the Alps on Stage 4 already. I’ll leave it there and let the rumor sites give us the rest.