The Tour de France 2024 will be a special edition. In addition to the arrival, located in Nice and not in Paris, the Grand Boucle will start in Italy. The yellow caravan has arrived many times in the Belpaese; the first arrival dates back to 1948, when the 11th stage ended in Sanremo.

It might surprise you that Turin, the arrival city of the third stage of the 2024 edition, has already hosted three stage finishes of the French race. In 1956, 1961 and 1966, the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino welcomed the Tour de France riders.

The stage I describe in this Collection is the 1966 stage. The winner of that stage was Franco Bitossi, who took good advantage of Van Springel's route error. On the same day Aimar, helped by his team-mate Anquetil, surprisingly won the yellow jersey thanks to an ambush. The Frenchman, who was not one of the favourites at the start of the race, got into a breakaway with seven other cyclists, and the margin gained in that stage was not recovered by his more esteemed opponents, among whom Poulidor stood out. Most probably that breakaway was orchestrated by Anquetil, to favour his team-mate and to ensure his rival 'PouPou' Poulidor lost once again.

From Italy, you can reach Briançon, the town where stage number 17 of the 1966 Tour de France started, via the Arriva bus from Turin. You could also arrive in Oulx by train and then cycle to Briançon over the easy Montgenèvre pass. Turin is well connected to the Italian and French Alps: from the Piedmontese capital, you can reach various mountain towns. Briançon is connected to many other French cities thanks to its train station.

Along the route that recalls this historic stage of the Tour de France, you’ll climb four hills: Montgenevre, Sestriere, Colletta di Cumiana and Braida. The climbs aren’t too demanding, only a small section of the Braida Pass exceeds 10%. I recommend, however, that you use a road bike as the route is surfaced throughout.

Along these 164 kilometres (102 mi), you’ll encounter beautiful alpine landscapes, enchanting valleys and historic towns, such as Briançon, where the fortress built by Vauban stands out, and Fenestrelle, also famous for its huge fortress. You’ll have no trouble finding places to eat as there are many small towns along the route.

In the second part of the itinerary, you can admire the beautiful lakes of Avigliana and learn about the history of the Sacra of Saint Michele, an abbey consecrated in the 13th century and symbol of the Piedmont region. Pass in front of the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino (formerly Comunale), the arrival venue of that famous 1966 stage, and complete the route at the Porta Nuova railway station.

Unlike almost all other Alpine passes, Montgenèvre is open all year round, unless there has been heavy snowfall. You could, therefore, also travel this route in winter. However, I’d recommend the spring and autumn seasons to avoid both the winter cold and the summer heat.

I will now describe what awaits you along this splendid route, along which poor Poulidor, second to Anquetil, lost his chances of winning his much-desired Tour de France.