The Tour of Austria 2024 adds a day of competition compared to the previous edition and continues its renewed consolidation in the international calendar. The stage race that will take place from 2 to 7 July it remains in the UCI 2.1 category, but the menu presented by the organizers is certainly of interest. The Austrian competition, relaunched after a few years of absence, will certainly attract good riders at the start, also stimulated by the many climbs present, even if the coincidence with the Tour de France 2024 obviously disadvantages, in this respect, the race, which has the particularity of be set up thanks to the collaboration between the various Continental teams in the country.
Tour of Austria 2024 route
The added race day is the prologue, which will take place on the streets of Sankt Pölten: in the 3 kilometers designed there will be a total of 4 curves, a U-turn and also a couple of short climbs not to be underestimated. Stage number 1 will start and finish at Bad Tatzmanndorf, with 177.9 kilometers of race: the day seems to be favorable for the sprinters present, who however will have to absorb 3 third category Gpm, of which two. Sulzriegel and Mariasdorf, located in the last 20 kilometres. The ending, in general, is quite eventful and could also leave room for some attackers. The third stage is also eventful and quite complicated Maria Taferl to Steyr: along the 184.5 kilometers designed there are 4 Mountain Grand Prix, and on this occasion too two of these will be tackled in the finale. One is that of Saass, located just a few kilometers of the first passage under the finish line banner; the runners will then have to face a 21 kilometer ring that will take them back to the finish area and which includes two climbs within it, one of which, the Porscheberg one, located just over five kilometers from the finish line.
The third stage involves a lot of climbing, as well as a series of passages in snow-bound locations. We start from Schladming, temple of alpine skiing, and you immediately go upwards, for an uncategorized climb. Descent and sharp ascent towards Ramsau, a location known to biathlon enthusiasts. The central stretch will be a little quieter, with the passages of Altenmarkt and Bischofschofen anticipating the grand finale: the route in fact includes the fearsome climb of Dientner Sattela steep descent, a couple more climbs and the arrival at St. Johann Alpendorf, which will be reached after a couple of kilometers of ascent. The next day we will start again from St. Johann Alpendorfto go towards Kals am Grossglockner: it is the stage, in fact, of the Glockner, the massif where the highest peak in Austria stands. The route could only be alpine and involves climbing the Fuscher Törl, whose summit is 2422 meters above sea level; after the Gpm, which will be classified as “Out of category” (17.8 km at 8.8 percent average gradient, with a maximum peak of 21.7%), a short descent will be faced and then a new stretch of climb, up to the top of theHochtor (2495 altitude). From there a very long descent will take the runners into the valley: the difficulties, however, will not be over, given the Iselsberg climb and, above all, the stepped climb of just over 10 kilometers which will lead to the finish line.
If the ranking has not yet been decided, the verdicts will come at the end of the match Kufstein-Kühtai, short and very demanding section. A flat stretch of around 90 km will take the runners to the foot of the Tulfes climb, which will be followed a short distance by the Patscherkofel climb. Minimal breather and then off with the last climb, towards the arrival location, located at 2021 meters above sea level: the ascent measures 20 kilometers and has an average gradient of 6.1 percent, but has various peaks well over 10 percent.
Tour of Austria stages 2024
Prologue (02/07): St. Pölten – St. Pölten (3 km – time trial)
Stage 1 (03/07): Bad Tatzmanndorf – Bad Tatzamanndorf (177.9 km)
Stage 2 (04/07): Maria Taferl – Steyr (184.5 km)
Stage 3 (05/07): Schladming – St. Johann Alpendorf (153.1 km)
Stage 4 (06/07): St. Johann Alpendorf – Kals am Grossglockner (151.7 km)
Stage 5 (07/07): Kufstein – Kühtai (143.8 km)
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