The Tour de France starts from Tuscany, all for Bettiol. It’s already the countdown

Castelfiorentino, 28 June 2024 – The appointment with history is now almost here. Tomorrow for the first time in 111 editions the Tour de France will start from Italy, more precisely from Firenze. A first stage that will lead the 176 participants, divided into 22 teams, from the Tuscan capital to Rimini after having covered 206 kilometres of racing with a difference in altitude of 3,600 metres and seven mountain grand prix. A start with a bang, in short, which for three and a half days (in the fourth stage starting from Pinerolo there will be the definitive return beyond the Alps) will see the caravan of Big loop moving through the Italian roads, a period in which the eight Italian riders will feel a bit at home. One tomorrow will really be.

At the start of the most important stage race in the world cycling scene from Piazza della Signoria there will also be Alberto Bettioljust 40 km east of its CastelfiorentinoFor the 30-year-old rider of the American Riders EF Education-Easypost, this is his sixth participation in the Tour de France, with 40th place in 2022 being his best placing so far.

If for the general classification at the last finish line in Nice on July 21st there are many other favorites, the Slovenian champion Pogacar, dominator of the last Giro d’Italia above all (Vingegaard, winner of the last two Tours, Roglic, Evenepoel the others), on the cyclist from Val d’Elsa and on Ciccone (polka dot leader of the climbers last year) are placed most of the hopes that an Italian can be a protagonist, perhaps right on the roads of home. A stage victory, which is still missing from his palmares, is certainly the goal of Bettiol who in terms of results and consistency of performance is perhaps experiencing the best season since he turned professional in 2014. He will also ride with the tricolor jersey of champion of Italy, won last Sunday in Sesto Fiorentino ahead of the director of the Tour de France Christian Prudhomme.

A shirt that the cyclist from Castelfiorentino will wear with great pride as he declared last Tuesday during the party dedicated to him at the Teatro del Popolo in Castelfiorentino for the tenth anniversary with Cannondale, on which occasion a docu-film dedicated to the champion from Castellano was screened. And his family, his friends from Circolo Il Bastione and his fan club will certainly be accompanying him until his departure tomorrow, after yesterday he marched together with all the other protagonists of this event in the official presentation of the teams from Palazzo Vecchio to Piazzale Michelangelo.