The 2023 Tour de France will take place from the 1st to 23rd of July 2023 and will be the 110th edition of the Grand Boucle. A race starting the Basque Country in Spain, it will see another set of masterful performances and show across the three weeks in what many term as the climax of the cycling season!
This article will be updated with the profiles and description of the route. The official stages of the race have been revealed with start and finishing locations. It will see the Grand Depart in the Basque Country with two hilly stages with finales in Bilbao and San Sebastián. The race will travel into France from it's southwest corner, and straight into the Pyrenees for two high-mountain stages on days 5 and 6 with finales in Lauruns and the Cauterets.
Also readProfiles & Route Tour de France Femmes 2023
The race will then head north with an expected sprint finish in Bordeaux, and a hilly stage into Limoges. The final day of the first week, on stage 9, will see the return of the famous Puy de Dôme climb, where the riders will find their hardest summit finish to date. The second week starts off with a hilly stage from Vulcania to Issoire. Stage 11 will have an expected sprint finish in Moulins, not too different from the next day with a finale in Belleville-en-Beaujolais.
Stage 13 sees the start of a new race, as the Jura mountains return, and the brutal summit finish to the Grand Colombier will be on the menu. It will be an incredibly difficult second weekend, with stage 14 having a downhill finale in Morzine after the tough ascent of the Col de Joux-Plane, and stage 15 will have a summit finish at Mont-Blanc Saint-Gervais with steep gradients and explosive terrain making it a decisive day for the overall classification.
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Stage 16, which opens up the third week of the race, is the only time-trial of the race. It is a 22-kilometer challenge that is fit for the climbers, as it will see two ascents including the famous Côte de Domancy before a finale in Combloux. Stage 17 may be termed as the queen stage, seeing a colossal mountain stage and a finale at the Courchevel Altiport following the ascent of the Col de la Loze.
Stages 18 and 19 will then be transitional days with finales in Bourg-en-Bresse and Poligny. Stage 20 will be the final mountain stage, in the Vosges, as the peloton tackle an explosive but very complicated climbing day en route to Le Markstein after a tough final combo of the Petit Ballon and the Col de Platzerwasel.
Note : Only stages 1, 2, 5, 6, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 20 have been officially confirmed. The remaining are reconstructions based on the race map and intel. Further updates will be done.
STAGES:
Stage 1: Bilbao - Bilbao, 188 kilometers
The race will start on one of cycling's sacred lands, the Basque Country. This is confirmed news, with an opening set of hilly stages, the first of which to revolve around the city of Bilbao. This will see a day suited to the puncheurs, possibly with the GC fight also detonating, as the riders will face the Alto de Vivero, and tackle and even more complicated climb towards the end with 2 kilometers at 9% [Côte de Pike] which finishes only 10 kilometers away from the finale in Bilbao.
Stage 2: Vitoria-Gasteiz - Donostia San Sebastián, 210 kilometers
The second day of racing won't be too different, only this time with a finale in Donostian San Sebastián. The decisive climbs of the Clasica won't be ridden, however the Jaizkibel will and will also be positioned relatively close to the finis. Featuring over 8 kilometers at 5%, this will thin down the peloton, before a fast descent and expected reduced sprint finale in the Basque city.
Stage 3: Amorebieta-Etzano - Bayonne, 185 kilometers
Stage 3 will be the first for the pure sprinters, although it won't be a completely flat run-in into France and the coastal city of Bayonne.
Stage 4: Daz - Nogaro, 182 kilometers
Stage 4 will see the race head east. It will be a pure sprinter day from Dax to Nogaro, with no real difficulties, where the fast men will test themselves.
Stage 5: Pau - Lauruns, 165 kilometers
Stage 5: Pau - Lauruns, 165 kilometersStage 5 from Pau to Lauruns will be the first high mountain day, in the Pyrenees. With the GC fight likely opened up in the opening stage, there will be some knowledge entering this day. Whilst usually the first mountain stage at the Tour is blocked, it should not be the case here, as the stage will feature the tough Col de Soudet [15.1Km; 7.2%] before the very steep Col de Marie Blanque [last 4.8Km; 10.5%] where it will be impossible to hide if there are attacks. A downhill and flat finale into Lauruns will follow, as was the case in 2020.
Stage 6: Tarbes - Cauterets Cambasque, 145 kilometers
Stage 6: Tarbes - Cauterets-Cambasque, 145 kilometersThe second day in the Pyrenees will see some more famous climbs on the menu. As is traditional - and will be features in the Tour de France Femmes - the Col d'Aspin [12Km; 6.5%] and Col du Tourmalet [17.1Km; 7.3%] combo will be in place. A lot of damage can be done here, but it will be unclear how the riders will race it, being so far from the finish.
That, will take place in Cauterets-Cambasque, at the end of a very short stage. It will be at the end of a rough day so differences can be made, but with 16 kilometers at 5.4% it is unlikely to be an ascent with many serious moves.
Stage 7: Mont-de-Marsan - Bordeaux, 170 kilometers
Stage 7 sees the riders leave the Pyrenees and start heading north. The metropolitan area of Bordeaux receives the Tour de France back, for a stage that will be perfectly suited to the fast men.
Stage 8: Libourne - Limoges, 201 kilometers
Stage 8 won't be too different. Although on the way to Limoges the roads will get rather bumpu in the final half of the day, the sprinters are still expected to fight it out in the slight drag to the line in the central-French city.
Stage 9: Saint-Léonard-De-Noblat - Puy de Dome, 184 kilometers
Stage 9 will see the grand return of the Puy de Dôme climb, after 35 years of absence. The day will be mostly rolling, with only the final climb as a serious challenge. It will indeed be serious however, the climb features a total of 13.3 kilometers at 7.7% However, the final 5 kilometers average out at around 11%, in an ascent that currently does not allow virtually any vehicles up the road, but will open an exception for the Tour de France.
Puy de Dôme: 13.3Km; 7.7%Stage 10: Vulcania - Issoire, 167 kilometers
After the first rest day of the race, the peloton will have a hilly day through the Massif Central. This is a textbook breakaway day, with a hilly and roller-coaster start, and several climbs throughout the day. There will be almost no flat roads throughout the day, with the final [categorized] ascent summiting with 27 kilometers to go, before a downhill finish into Issoire.
Stage 11: Clermont-Ferrand - Moulins, 180 kilometers
Stage 11 will see a little bit of that rolling climb trend, but the start is flat, and the route into Moulins shouldn't be hard enough to prevent a bunch sprint from taking place.
Stage 12: Roanne - Belleville-en-Beaujolais, 169 kilometers
Stage 12 is another day for the breakaway specialists. Climbers, puncheurs, time-trialists and classics specialists will come together on this day to pursuit the win on a day that is very difficult to predict. Whilst the rolling start will be quite complicated, the treble of ascents towards the finale in Belleville-en-Beaujolais will make it quite selective.
Stage 13: Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne - Grand Colombier, 138 kilometers
Stage 13 will see the return of a colossal mountain. The queen of the Jura mountains, the Grand Colombier will host the finale of what is a very short day with a pan-flat start and little climbing beforehad. It will all come down to the climb, which features 17.4 kilometers at 7.1%, featuring many switchbacks, some gradient inconsistencies and a steep finale to kick off the Alpine action.
Grand Colombier: 17.4Km; 7.1%Stage 14: Annemasse - Morzine, 152 kilometers
Stage 14: Annemasse - Morzine Les Portes du Soleil, 152 kilometersStage 14 will be one of the hardest stages of the race, featuring four ascents early in the day where the race will stabilize. It is another short stage, but one where differences can be made. The Col de la Ramaz [13.9 kilometers; 7.1%] will be a warm-up to the final climb of the day which will be the Col de Joux Plane [11.6 kilometers; 8.5%], before a descent into Morzine. This is a traditional Tour finale, one that frequently sees no differences between the favourites, but the stage provides the opportunity to create them.
Stage 15: Les Gets - Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc, 180 kilometers
Stage 15: Les Gets Les Portes du Soleil - Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc [Le Betex], 180 kilometersThe final day of the second week will be another explosive Alpine day. A longer one, it starts in Les Gets Les Portes du Soleil with a small uphill. It won't be as tough of a start, but the middle of the stage will be very complicated, specially with the presence of the Col de la Croix Fry [11.3Km; 7%] and Col des Aravis combo in quick succession.
The action should be saved towards the end however. Straight from a steep descent the riders enter the steep Côte des Amerands, 2.7 kilometers at 10.1% which summit with only 10 kilometers to go. A very short descent sees the riders in the center of Saint-Gervais-les-Bains where they'll start the final ascent to Le Betex, 7.2 kilometers at 7.7% which will make for an explosive finale.
Stage 16 [ITT]: Passy - Combloux, 22 kilometers
The first day of the final week and one which everyone has talked about. The only individual time-trial of the 2023 Tour de France, featuring only 22 kilometers in distance. Early on in the effort the riders will climb the Côte des Soudans [1.3Km; 8.8%] and descend back into the valley. This will be a day for the GC riders once again, and the differences will be important. The riders will climb the Côte de Domancy [2.7Km; 8.9%] that finishes with only 3.5 kilometers away from the finish, and continue on an uphill drag into Combloux where they will meet the finish line.
Stage 17: Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc - Courchevel, 166 kilometers
Stage 17: Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc - Courchevel, 166 kilometersStage 17 is perhaps the queen stage of the race. A brutal day in the mountains featuring 5400 meters of climbing. The start is rather flat, but features in it's early parts the Col des Saisies [13.3Km; 5.3%], and afterwards the Cormet de Roseland [19.9Km; 6.1%]. Afterwards the riders will ascent the Côte de Longefroy [6.6Km; 7.5], but all of that will be a warm-up to the final ascent.
The riders will ascend to the outside of Courchevel, climbing around 14 kilometers at 6% before a small flat section. The final 10.2 kilometers have 8.5% average gradient and will take the riders all the way up to the Col de la Loze at 2304 meters of altitude, and gradients of up to 20% near the finish. It is similar but not the exact same climb that was ridden in 2020. The summit will be placd 6.5 kilometers away from the finish, with a short descent leading to the Courchevel altiport, still with a hilltop finish that will see ramps of up to 18% on the road.
Stage 18: Moûtiers - Bourg-en-Bresse, 186 kilometers
Stage 18 will see the riders say goodbye to the Alps. They'll be heading north, and a stage between Môutiers and Bour-en-Bresse will be a reward for the sprinters who got through the main mountains of the race.
Stage 19: Moirans-en-Montagne - Poligny, 173 kilometers
Stage 19 will be a rolling and tricky day. On paper one for the sprinters, however there is space to surprise on what is one of the final days of racing, specially as the riders will face the Côte d'Ivory [2.4 kilometers; 5.8%] less than 30 kilometers of the finish line where some sprinters may find difficulties.
Stage 20: Belfort - Le Markstein, 133 kilometers
Stage 20: Belfort - Le Markstein, 133 kilometersThe final mountain stage of the race takes the riders into the Vosges for a short but very explosive day. The race is not over yet, and a lot can be done in these 133 kilometers which feature 3400 meter of climbing, in the terrain that decided the Tour de France Femmes last year. The Ballon d'Alsace [11.5 kilometers, 5.3%] will open things up for the day, and the middle section of the stage will see several hilltops and descents, hard terrain to control. It will all lead to a final combination of climbs however.
Petit Ballon [9.3Km; 8.1%] will provide terrain to attack seriously, summiting with only 24.5 kilometers to go. The riders will only have a very short and fast descent before the final climb of the race which is the Col du Platzerwasel, 7.1 kilometers at 8.4% which summit very close to the finish at Le Markstein, to conclude the battle for the yellow jersey.
Stage 21: Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines - Paris Champs-Élysées, 115 kilometers
The final day, at long last. Short, flat and with sight on the Champs-Élysées where the riders will finish the Tour de France. The start will take place in the velodrome of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines which hosted the 2022 Track World Championships.