Although the shift shaves about 45km off the distance, the race organisers added a jog east toward Piacenza before bringing the riders back to the historical route near Tortona.
The Passo del Turchino continues as the first climb of the race which will clock at 288km this season. The trio of small climbs along the Mediterranean coast - the Capo Mele, Capo Cervo and Capo Berta - mark the start of the end game, with the last climb coming with 39km to race.
The fight for position will begin as the race hurtles toward the Cipressa which riders summit with 21.7km to go, and then again as the contenders reach the final ascent, the Poggio.
With just 5.6km to go before the line, the Poggio's summit isn't always the decider as the technical descent can favour riders with keen skills heading downhill, such as Matej Mohorič in 2022 and Mathieu van der Poel in 2023.
While the start changes, the finale remains the same with the winner crowned on the Via Roma.
Profile of the Cipressa (Image credit: RCS Sport)
Profile of the Poggio (Image credit: RCS Sport)
Profile of the final kilometre (Image credit: RCS Sport)
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Laura Weislo is a Cyclingnews veteran of 20 years. Having joined in 2006, Laura extensively covered the Operacion Puerto doping scandal, the years-long conflict between the UCI and the Tour de France organisers ASO over the creation of the WorldTour, and the downfall of Lance Armstrong and his lifetime ban for doping. As Managing Editor, Laura coordinates coverage for North American events and global news.
Stage 20 may be the ultimate queen stage in Tour history, 5,600 metres of elevation gain packed into 170.9 kilometres, and placed on the penultimate day of the race for the very first time, with another finish on Alpe d'Huez
