Mark Cavendish will return to the 2024 Tour de France for a record 35th stage victory, but Manxman seemed shocked by the severity of the route.

"It's so hard. I'm actually a bit shocked," Cavendish told the media, including Het Nieuwsblad and GCN behind the scenes after the route presentation in Paris. "It's probably the hardest route I've ever seen on the Tour de France."

Race organizer ASO indicated that during the three weeks of the race there will be eight flat stage, four hilly stage, seven Mountain stage and two time trials.

However, there are few real sprint opportunities, there are many mountains to climb, and winning on stage requires a lot of suffering. A strong breakaway appears to have a chance at some stages, although the overall contender will certainly dominate the other races, with eight mid-stage time bonuses, five and two seconds add an extra factor.

The first sprint opportunity appears to come to Turin on Stage 3, so in theory Cavendish will set a new stage victory record there.

There are other sprint possibilities in Stages 5 and 6, while Stage 9 includes 14 gravel sectors, but the entry level is not the same. Sheron could fill the profile from Stage 10 to San Aman Montrond, from Stage 16 to Nimes, and the climb from Stage 12 to Poe.

Every mountain stage, especially in the Alps of the final week, is a day of suffering for the sprinters and their lead-out trains, who must fight to finish within the daily time limit.

"There are some, but you have to get to them, that's the problem," Cavendish said of the sprint opportunities. "I think Turin should give the sprinters an opportunity. This is probably the toughest course I've ever seen during the Tour de France.

Cavendish spent a long spell training in central Tuscany, so he is looking forward to Grand Departmental in Florence. But the opening stage to Rimini includes an altitude of 3,600 meters passing through the Apennine Mountains, giving Cavendish and other sprinters, including 2023 Green Jersey winner Jasper Filipsen, little chance.

"The start in Italy is very good. I know the first kilometer really well because it is only a few kilometers away, but it's the difference because it is hard start, hard finish and all hard

"Beautiful in Italy, the Giro is always an incredible race and the people of Tuscany love cycling. We know that we have a lot to offer. It's really very special.

Cavendish crashed out of the 2nd stage of the 2023 Tour de France a day after finishing in the Bordeaux Sprint. He had announced his retirement, but the crash and show of the Tour de France sprint form convinced him that he would change his mind and race in 2024.

Cavendish returned to the race at the end of the season tour after surgery for a complex fracture. In 2024, he won the 35th WBC title for the first time in Italy.

Astana built a much more powerful and experienced lead-out train to help Cavendish in the 2024 sprint. Key Lead outman Michael Mørkøv joined the team in addition to Max Kanter of Movistar and Rüdiger Selig of Lotto-Dstny, along with another arrival from Soudal-QuickStep of Davide Ballerini.

"It's still like a process, we know roughly what we're doing next year. It's a good group, I've seen a lot of new people," Cavendish said.

His 2023 season will end this weekend at the Tour de France Criterion in Singapore, followed by the rest of the weekend in Saitama.