Tour de France 2023: The route & all stages

The start of the Tour de France 2023 is impressive. With the start and finish in Bilbao, we get exactly what we expect: a bumpy stage. No time trialist will be allowed to put on the first yellow jersey and no classic sprinter either. Because on the last 50 kilometers there are three climbs to be mastered: the Col de Morga, the Cote de Vivero and the Cote de Pike. And the worst thing about it: They are getting steeper and steeper. Only a puncheur can win today.

Result:
What a start. Adam Yates wins ahead of his twin brother Simon, making him the first person to wear the yellow jersey. The tour begins tragically for Enric Mas and Richard Carapaz.
Click here for the detailed stage report.

The professionals of the 2023 Tour de France remain in the Basque Country today. And the Basque Country remains true to its reputation. It's wavy. So bumpy that even today no pure sprinter will have a chance of winning the stage. After the top of the last climb, there are still 16 kilometers to the finish line. Quite possible that a late breakaway will form here. But a sprint out of a very decimated main field is more likely.
Result:
Victor Lafay wins the second stage of the 2023 Tour de France. With a spirited attack in the last kilometer he thwarted Jumbo - Visma and Wout van Aert. The Frenchman thus ensured the first victory of a Frenchman on the second day.
You can find the detailed stage report HERE.

Finally the time has come. On the third day of the 2023 Tour de France, the sprinters will get their first chance. There will be a bunch sprint in Bayonne.
Result:
Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin – Deceuninck) lived up to his role as favourite. The Belgian gets the day's win.
The detailed report is HERE.

The 2023 Tour de France finally hits French soil on the fourth day of the Tour. Despite the slightly bumpy profile, there will be another mass sprint in Nogaro.
Result:
The stage to Nogaro was marked by boredom. In the end, a sprint decides who wins the day. And Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin – Deceuninck) celebrates again.
HERE is the report.

After Paris and Bordeaux, Pau is the third most visited city on the Tour de France. Also this year we visit the French region Nouvelle-Aquitaine. The first mountain stage of the tour starts here. With the Col de Soudet, the first mountain of the highest category is on the program. However, since it has to be completed by the middle of the stage, it will not have a major impact on the race result. The other two climbs are too easy for the class riders, so today a breakaway could get through for the first time.
Result:
A bang from Bora – hansgrohe. The German racing team drove Jai Hindley into the yellow jersey with a tour de force and a tactical masterpiece.
How that happened, see HERE.

mountain arrival! Already on the sixth day of the Tour de France 2023 it could be tight for one or the other class driver. If you don't have a good early form, you can't have a bad day. The Col d'Aspin and the Col du Tourmalet are two real heavyweights. In the long descent, however, some drivers who have been left behind are likely to roll back into the group of favorites. And will the final climb be enough to provoke large gaps? Probably not. Because with a length of 16 kilometers it is quite long, but with only 5,4 percent on average not really steep enough. It's likely that a breakaway will be able to celebrate again today.
Result:
Jumbo - Visma attacks but Tadej Pogacar (UAE) counters. The Slovenian answers after a weak previous day and makes the Tour de France 2023 exciting again.
Here is the detailed stage report.

After two nerve-wracking mountain stages, there will again be a classic mass sprint in Bordeaux today. The Cote de Beguey is not only too easy, but also too far from the goal. No sprinter will have trouble here.
Result:
Another sprint in Bordeaux. Another day win for Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin – Deceuninck). But Mark Cavendish (Astana) almost set a new record.
You can see how narrowly the Brit missed his 35th stage win in the detailed stage report on Velomotion.

The eighth stage of the 2023 Tour de France can be described as tricky. The three mountain classifications are completed in the second half of the race and apart from these mountain classifications, there are always ups and downs towards the end of the section. Pure sprinters will have their problems here. Therefore, today not only offers the chance for a successful escape group, but also for those sprinters who can get over the hills quite well.

Result:
Mads Pedersen (Lidl – Trek) wins the eighth stage of the Tour de France. Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin – Deceuninck) was strong again, but today it's only enough for second place. Bitter: Mark Cavendish (Astana) and Steff Cras (TotalEnergies) have to leave the 2023 Tour de France after a fall.
You can find the detailed stage report HERE.

Before the first rest day of the tour, the Tour de France 2023 offers us a real highlight. In the French Massif Central we climb the Puy de Dome volcano. The Tour of France has already written some stories here. More could be added this year. Because before the first day of rest, one or the other could come up with daring ideas. One thing is clear: only a top climber will be able to win here. And we can assume that the dream of a tour victory will already burst for some class riders today.
Result:
Michael Woods (Israel - Premier Tech) celebrates the prestigious stage win on the Puy de Dome. The Canadian was part of a large breakaway group and best managed his strength on the steep final climb. Meanwhile, Tadej Pogacar (UAE) continues to nibble seconds away from Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo – Visma).
The detailed stage report is HERE on Velomotion.

The pros are awakened from their first rest day with five mountain classifications. Nevertheless, the day will not be for the ranking drivers. You will hold back and let the breakaways take over. After they were able to conserve energy the day before, the escape group may become gigantic. The stage winner has to be good over the mountains - but should also be a good downhill skier.

Finally, the sprinters can once again dream of a day's victory. The eleventh stage leads the pros over mostly flat kilometers, because the greatest effort is already at the beginning of the section. A few breakaways will try again today, but in Moulins a mass sprint will ultimately decide the day's victory.

On July 13, a breakaway will cheer at the 2023 Tour de France. Because the twelfth section leads the pros over five mountain classifications, which are probably too easy for the class riders. The three mountains in the second half of the race are all just over five kilometers long and between six and eight percent steep. Since there are still more than 25 kilometers to the finish after the last summit, none of the classification drivers will dare to leave cover.

On the French national holiday, the professionals at the 2023 Tour de France will be really challenged. The stage is short at under 140 kilometers, but experience has taught us that these short stages are often the most action-packed. 1.500 meters up the Grand Colombier. Three years ago, Tadej Pogacar won here. Today, too, only one top climber will be able to celebrate. But it's quite possible that a breakaway group could finish ahead of the favorites.

Today's stage is merciless. If you feel bad because of an illness or if you are simply at the end of your strength after two weeks of torture, you will miss the time limit today. Because the 14th section of the Tour de France 2023 is not only rock hard with five mountain classifications, but also rather short at just over 150 kilometers. In addition, it is uphill right from the start. There is almost no flat kilometer, which greatly increases the chances of a successful breakaway. However, the favorites will only attack on the last climb, as the wind after the penultimate climb makes a solo escape seem too risky. A climber with a lot of courage and good downhill qualities could gain a decisive amount of time today.

Before the pros treat themselves to some rest on the second rest day, it's time to get down to business again today. There are five climbs on the program for the last 80 kilometers, with the final ascent divided in two and thus offering room for attacks. Since an early attack by a favorite can almost be ruled out, the breakaways have a good hand – as long as there is a really good climber in the breakaway group.

The Tour de France 2023 will not do without time trials after all. Directly after the second and last day of rest, the drivers have to go into battle against the clock. However, the individual time trial is only 23 kilometers long and also bumpy. Thanks to their good regeneration abilities, the classification riders will probably fight for the day's victory among themselves, especially because they've already had two weeks in their legs. A duel between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard is expected.

The 17th stage of the 2023 Tour de France heads to Courchevel. There are two climbs in the first category, one in the second and one in the highest category. The highlight at the very end is the Col de la Loze, on which the riders reach an altitude of over 2.300 meters. It is over 28 kilometers long and has an average gradient of 6 percent. Today, however, downhill skills could be even more important than climbing skills. Because after reaching the summit, it's still 6,6 kilometers downhill to the finish line.

Also in the last week there is not much for the sprinters. But they won't let the 18th stage go. It is quite possible that only two or three riders dare to break away, because even if the teams of sprinters are tired, they will of course not miss the Sprint Royale with this flat profile.

At first glance, the 19th stage also looks like a mass sprint. But we must not be deceived. Not only are there two mountain classifications to be completed, the rest of the route profile is also slightly bumpy and certainly not easy after 18 stages. If the sprinters are struggling on the Cote d'Ivory, a mass sprint is not guaranteed. A breakaway group definitely has a chance of winning today.

The last mountain stage of the Tour de France 2023 is also convincing with only a few kilometers. However, a whopping six mountain classifications will ensure that the yellow jersey will be attacked again today. The Petit Ballon and the Col du Platzerwasel are on average more than eight percent steep. They follow each other directly and after the last climb it's not downhill. A short plateau provides further time intervals. So we only get to see the queen stage of the 2023 Tour de France on the penultimate day - and excitement is guaranteed.

The 2023 Tour de France ends in Paris on the Champs-Élysées. Traditionally, the winner in the yellow jersey is honored here. But it's still about the green jersey and the stage win. In the Sprint Royal, a driver may even be happy about both.