The road cycling programme is set to begin on the afternoon of July 27, the day after the Opening Ceremony, with both men's and women's time trials over an identical course of 32.4 kilometres.

"I am delighted that both men and women will be competing on the same time trial course for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, gender parity in cycling continues to progress," Lappartient said.

At last year's UCI Road World Championships in Wollongong in Australia, the time trial was also held over the same distance on the same course.

In the Paris 2024 time trial, racers are to start from the Esplanade des Invalides, only 1.6km away from the birthplace of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the Parisian who revived the Olympics for the Modern Era in the late 19th century.

Each rider heads for the Place de la Bastille and then out towards the medieval Chateau de Vincennes.

They are also to pass the velodrome at Vincennes, now named after Jacques Anquetil, the first man to win the Tour de France five times.

The Tour finished at the velodrome from 1968 to 1974 and the venue also hosted rugby, football and cricket at the 1900 Olympics, the first time they were staged in the French capital.

The riders then head to the Polygone de Vincennes, a popular spot with Parisian cyclists.

They turn at the French Institute of Sport and head back towards Paris passing through the Place de la Nation before reaching Place de la Bastille.

The races are to finish at the ornate Pont Alexandre III, built across the Seine in time for Paris 1900.

"I particularly like the profile, because lately we’ve been seeing a lot of time trials that are a bit hilly," Italy’s double World Championships Under-23 gold medallist Vittoria Guazzini said,

"I think this one reflects the main objective of the time trial, which is to go fast, I believe that this is the right course for an Olympic Games."

The men’s road race over 273km has been set for Saturday August 3.

The peloton is set to start from the Trocadéro. and heads out on a 5km procession to take in Parisian landmarks, including the Eiffel Tower, Les Invalides and the Latin Quarter before racing starts in earnest at the Rue Gay-Lussac in the fifth arrondissement,

The riders then head out towards Versailles.

They are to pass through the Chevreuse valley on the outskirts of the city with a succession of testing climbs in a region well known to cyclists.

When riders return to Paris, they pass the Louvre, its pyramid and the Opéra Garnier before a climb through the streets towards the Basilica du Sacré-Cœur which looks out over the city, 

There are three laps on what is described as a "tough cobbled climb" on the Butte Montmartre.

A 9.5km ride will take them down onto the Pont d’Iéna on the Seine, before a 230 metres sprint towards the finish at the Trocadéro.

The women's road race, over 158km, is scheduled for the next day on August 4.

"The Paris 2024 road cycling courses are a concentrated example of our ambitions for the Games, we’ll have a combination of a great show and great sporting event," Paris 2024 President Tony Estanguet said

"Every summer, road cycling proves that it is one of the most popular sports in France and the summer of 2024 will be no different."

Organisers have decided that tickets will only be needed for the start and finish areas. 

These are priced at €24 (£20/$26) 

"These events will enable thousands of fans to witness incredible sporting performances up close and allow those fans to participate in the popular and festive events associated with such performances," French Sports and Olympic and Paralympic Minister for Amélie Oudéa-Castéra said.