The route and favourites of the Tour de Luxembourg 2024

The Tour de Luxembourg starts this Wednesday, September 18. Marc Hirschi, Mathieu van der Poel, Mads Pedersen,… Here is the route and the favorites.

The 84th edition of the Tour de Luxembourg takes place from 18 to 22 September. The riders will set off for three hilly stages and an individual time trial. Created in 1935, the event is part of the UCI Pro Series calendar. Last year, Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) won the general classification ahead of his teammate Brandon McNulty and Ben Healy (EF Education-EasyPost). This year, the Swiss champion has won five in a row and will be one of the big favourites to succeed him. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Christophe Laporte (Visma | Lease a Bike) and Mattias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) will be at the start.

The winners of the Tour de Luxembourg

The route of the Tour de Luxembourg 2024

1st stage: Luxembourg → Luxembourg (158 km)

Andy Schleck: “It has always been our ambition to return to the heart of the capital. That’s where the people are, and that’s where they can easily follow the race. The ideal location for the ŠkodaTour of Luxembourg. This time, we start from Knuedler, finishing in Fëschmaart after a climb. The finish will be tough but very interesting with a long uphill sprint. So the suspense will remain until the end.”

2nd stage: Junglinster → Schifflange (155 km)

Andy Schleck: “We want to offer something for all types of riders. The second stage is certainly a stage for sprinters, even if the final course with the Poteau de Kayl is not exactly flat. Nevertheless, I think that most sprinters will be able to overcome this difficulty. For the spectators, it will be a great day, since the riders will pass through Schifflange twice before the finish.”

3rd stage: Rosport → Diekirch (201.3 km)

Andy Schleck: “We put a lot of thought into the design of the queen stage of the ŠkodaTour de Luxembourg 2024. This stage is already quite tough before you reach the final circuit around Diekirch, with three tough climbs to overcome. Even the strongest riders will have to dig deep to stay in the front ranks. In the last 31 kilometres, which will also take place on a circuit, there will be no fewer than six climbs! The profile is really interesting, especially in the second part of the stage. Many riders will cross the finish line alone or in small groups.”

4th stage (individual CLM): Differdange → Differdange (15.5 km)

Andy Schleck: “A time trial is also not easy to organise. You need a fairly long and completely closed circuit. The safety of the riders is our top priority. A time trial of more than 15 km has proven itself in recent years. Riders can create time gaps there. The kilometre-long Col de l’Europe demands climbing skills. Anyone who loses too much time on the climb will not be able to make up for it on the flat part of the course. Then comes the descent to Differdange. A descent so close to the finish is always tricky. But this is precisely the course on which we have already raced stages in the past, so it should not pose too many problems.”

5th stage: Mersch → Luxembourg (176.9 km)

Andy Schleck: “The final stage will be a real test again. On the last day, the motivation of the riders is usually different. But the final route with the ascent of the Pabeierbierg has proven itself in recent years. Why change something that works? There is a change in the Limpertsberg due to construction work, but it will not have much impact. This final stage is always a great spectacle that pleases spectators and riders alike.”