2024 Tour de France begins June 29 and includes historic firsts. Everything to know

The Paris Olympics and Paralympics will not be the only prestigious international sporting event held in France this summer.

The Tour de France, the preeminent event on the men’s cycling calendar, will return for its 111th edition from June 29 to July 21. During the three-week ride, 176 cyclists, representing 22 teams of eight, will complete 21 stages across hilly, flat and mountainous terrain. The course includes a grueling 52,230 meters (over 170,000 feet) of elevation gain and is 3,492 kilometers (2,170 miles) long. The taxing schedule includes only two rest days.

This year’s race will start in Florence, Italy, and conclude at the Promenade des Anglais in Nice, France. It will be the first time the finish line is not in or near Paris because the city will be hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games. And the first time since 1975 the race will not finish on the Champs-Élysées.

The final stage will also break from tradition as it will be one of two time trial stages, which means the leader could be determined in the final leg. The last time the Tour de France ended with a time trial was in 1989.

In addition to Italy and France, the route passes through San Marino and Monaco. The route is famous for its picturesque scenery, from quaint rural villages to the towering Alps.

Each stage is timed, and the rider with the lowest cumulative time across all stages wins the acclaimed maillot jaune, or yellow jersey, to signify the general classification winner. Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard, 27, hopes to seek a coveted three-peat but is still working his way back from a serious crash that hospitalized him for 12 days in April. If he does race, he will face fierce competition from a talented field that includes 2020 and 2021 winner Tadej Pogača of Slovenia.

Separate awards are also given to the best sprinter, climber and young cyclist.

Sepp Kuss, who finished as the top American in 12th place at last year’s Tour de France, is also set to return. Like last year, he will race on the same team as Vingegaard.

How to watch the 2024 Tour de France live

All stages of the Tour de France, as well as pre- and post-race coverage, will be available to stream live on Peacock. USA Network will also stream some of the stages.

NBC will simultaneously broadcast select stages of the event.

Stage 1 will begin June 29 at 6 a.m. ET. The rest of the stages typically start between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m. ET.

Full Schedule:

Looking for reliable streaming options to catch it live on Peacock? Check out USA TODAY Home Internet for broadband service plans in your area.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2024 Tour de France: How to watch, what to know about historic race