Preparing for Tour de France 2024

It's never too early to start preparing for next year's Tour de France. Not even on a small blog like PelotonTales. But especially for a small blog is very crucial to find a topic for the months of the off-season, which sometimes can be cruel. Sometimes it looks like I have to start from the very beginning to introduce PelotonTales for its readers in next spring.

Therefore, during the off-season months I am even more grateful, if you would like to support the blog with a small donation. You can choose as little as 3$ but also more, 5, 10, 20 or 25$, please, select the opcion below. (I'm very grateful for the 3$, it would already mean, you appretiate what I do here on PelotonTales, and I can feel, that it's worth to spend time and creative energy to write this blog.)

Thank you.

  As you probably know already,

Tour de France 2024 will start in Italy,

more precisely in Florence on the 29th June 2024. There will be 3 stages in Italy, the route will pay attention to the legacy of the great Italian cyclists who won the Tour de France, especially to Ottavio Botteccia, the first Italian Tour de France winner. (I picked him climbing the Tourmalet for the featured image of this blog) Ottavio Bottecchia won the Tour de France in 1924 and 1925. I know, that there is little about him on PelotonTales blog, although he played an important role in the 1920s, and this time period is one of the most mentioned here on this blog. Although Bottecchia had a very successful career, sadly a very short one. The circumstances of his untimely death in 1927 are, despite several theories, still pretty much unclear, even almost hundered years after it happened.

Thus one of the topics I intend to write more during the upcoming months is Ottavio Bottecchia's career. By the way, if you want to take a glimpse at the list of Italian Tour de France winners, just click here!  About the subsequent two Italian winners, Gino Bartali (1938 and 1948) and Fausto Coppi (1949 and 1952) of course, you can find  siginificantly more content on PelotonTales.

Especially about Tour de France 1949 what is considered one of the best editions ever.

Speaking of Fausto Coppi. Isn't it just fascinating, that he had such a huge impact on the history of  Tour de France with only three participations?

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The first Italian Grand Depart ever

Although Tour de France visited Italy for several times, the first time the race will start from Italy will be the first stage of Tour de France 2024

So, I thought, while preparing for Tour de France 2024, I try to find some interesting stories or fun facts about any occasion the race visited the neighbour country.

Also, talking about Tour de France abroad generally seems to be a good topic for the next months.

Tour de France visiting foreign countries always had a certain cultural (and historical)  impact, as the story of the  first foreign stage finish (ironically, it was in Metz, a French city, but it was in 1907) proves it.

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The fascinating early years of Tour de France 

As you can see, there are plenty of exciting stories from the early years of Tour de France, another topic I like to share content frequently. Isn't it exciting to follow how a successful sport event was created, maintained and developed through the years, especially in the early part of its history?

Anyway, one of the most bussiest categories on PelotonTales blog are related to the early period of road cycling races, especially to Tour de France, which with its multiple stage format was a revolutionary new type of cycling events, that has proved to be a successful model.

(If you would like to read more earlier stories,  or learn about the recvolutionary impact of bicycle on the late 19th century society, please visit the special Cycling Revolution project of PelotonTales.)

The early period of road cycling races ends with the outbreak of the First World War (1914-1917).

Not only because during the years of fights road cycling races were barely held, but also because the world, the sentiment in road cycling races were born disappeared with and entire generation of young  (and not so young) men.

The First World War was a big shock for the entire European society, the shock still remembered every November in many European countries.

The  devastating connection between the war and the  world of road cycling races is one of the main topic PelotonTales used to focus on during the off-season. (Note, the blog refers to the First World War sometimes as "The Great War" )

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OTHER TOPICS

Cycling in bad weather seems also a good topic during the autumn and winter months (especially in the Northern Hemisphere).

There are plenty of exciting mini-biographies in Faces from the Peloton category. The cyclists I introduce in this category are usually lesser know, but there is something unique and /or iconic in their life or career or just in their appearance, what is worth write (and hopefully) read about them.

Beause PelotonTales is mostly about stories.

Small stories, big stories. Fascinating stories, unbelievable stories. Always something, even the smallest, most unique and unusual elements of a possibly great story.

Iconic moments in the high mountains is another topic with almost endless possibilities to find a fascinating story. Mountain stages of the grand tours are usually the most popular ones, obviously, partially because their decisive nature. But people can like mountain stages for different reasons. Let's find out why you like them.

Just scroll through the post recommendations below, I'm pretty sure, you will find some interesting topics.

And don't forget, you can help to continue the blog's journey into the deepness of road cycling history. Please, as I asked before, comsider to support the blog with a small donation. Thank you!

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