Pogacar favourite as Tour de France sets off from Florence
The Peninsula
Florence, Italy: The Tour de France set off from the Italian city of Florence in searing heat on Saturday with Tadej Pogacar gunning for a historic Gi...
Florence, Italy: The Tour de France set off from the Italian city of Florence in searing heat on Saturday with Tadej Pogacar gunning for a historic Giro-Tour double, while champion Jonas Vingegaard seeks a third straight title.
The pair led the peloton past the Palazzo Vecchio, the Duomo and other key sites in the Renaissance city which was packed with holidaymakers and fans braving soaring temperatures.
The hilly first of three stages in Italy could already create surprises with temperatures of 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) forecast in the shade.
Ahead is a gruelling 3,498 kilometre-route that crosses the Alps twice and ends exceptionally on the French Riviera rather than the Champs-Elysees on July 21 due to the upcoming Paris Olympics.
The 2024 Tour is billed as a four-way struggle.