The Tour de France 2023 will hold its Grand Départ in the Basque Country, with a first stage in Bilbao on 1st July, and will finish in Paris on 23rd July, on completion of a 3,404-km route that will tackle the difficult slopes of the country’s five mountain ranges.
THE ROUTE
The Grand Départ will be the second to take place in the autonomous region of the Basque Country after Saint-Sébastien’s in 1992 and the 25th to be held abroad. After three stages on the western side of the Pyrenees, the rest of the Tour will take place in France. It will visit 6 regions and 23 departments.
The battle for the Yellow Jersey will witness a decisive and emotional episode on the Puy de Dôme, where a stage finish will be held 35 years after the victory of Denmark’s Johnny Weltz. The return to this legendary climb will be accompanied by the rise in importance of sites that will mark the Tours of the future, such as the Grand Colombier or the Col de la Loze.
The sole time-trial on the Tour de France in 2023 will take place over 22 kilometres between Passy and the Combloux ski resort in Haute-Savoie. The sprinters will also have the opportunity to express themselves on finishes in Bordeaux, Limoges, Moulins, before the grand finale on the Champs-Elysées.
Stage Profiles
In summary, the tour will see riders tackle:
• 8 flat stages
• 4 hilly stages
• 8 mountain stages with
• 4 summit finishes (Cauterets-Cambasque, Puy de Dôme, Grand Colombier and Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc)
• 1 individual time trial
• 2 rest days
FULL RACE MAP
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DEBUTANTS
Out of a total of 40, 12 new stage towns and other locations will appear on the 2023 Tour map:
• Bilbao (start and finish of stage 1)
• Amorebieta-Etxano (start of stage 2)
• Nogaro (finish of stage 4)
• Vulcania (start of stage 10)
• Moulins (finish of stage 11)
• Belleville-en-Beaujolais (finish of stage 12)
• Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne (start of stage 13)
• Les Gets Les Portes du Soleil (start of stage 15)
• Passy (start of stage 16) - Combloux (finish of stage 16)
• Poligny (finish of stage 19)
• Le Markstein Fellering (finish of stage 20)
MOUNTAIN RANGES
The race will visit all five of France’s mountain massifs. They are, in the order they occur, the Pyrenees, the Massif Central, the Jura, the Alps and the Vosges.
There are three new climbs: the Côte de Vivero (Basque Country), the Col de la Croix Rosier (Massif Central) and the Col du Feu (Alps).
The Puy de Dôme, which hasn’t appeared on the Tour route since 1988, will be making an eagerlyawaited return after its 35-year absence.
The Col de la Loze (2,304m) will be the “roof” of the Tour de France 2023.
TIME-TRIAL
There will be just a single individual test on the programme of the 110th edition. It will be held in the Alps, at altitude and in steep terrain, on the Passy > Combloux 16th stage, and over a distance of 22,4 km.
BONUS SECONDS
Time bonuses will be awarded at the finish of each stage and will amount to 10, 6 and 4 seconds, respectively, for the first three classified riders.
Bonus points will be located on passes or summits at strategic points along the route. The first three classified riders will be awarded bonuses of 8, 5 and 2 seconds, respectively (subject to approval by the International Cycling Union). These bonus points will not count towards the points classification.
PRIZE MONEY
A total of 2,3 million euros will be awarded to the teams and riders including € 500,000 to the final winner of the overall individual classification.
2023 STAGE GUIDE
| Stage | Date | Start and Finish | Distance (km) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sat, 1 July | Bilbao > Bilbao | 182 |
| 2 | Sun, 2 | Vitoria-Gasteiz > Saint-Sébastien | 209 |
| 3 | Mon, 3 | Amorebieta-Etxano > Bayonne | 187.5 |
| 4 | Tues, 4 | Dax > Nogaro | 182 |
| 5 | Wed, 5 | Pau > Laruns | 163 |
| 6 | Thurs, 6 | Tarbes > Cauterets-Cambasque | 145 |
| 7 | Fri, 7 | Mont-De-Marsan > Bordeaux | 170 |
| 8 | Sat, 8 | Libourne > Limoges | 201 |
| 9 | Sun, 9 | Saint-Léonard-De-Noblat > Puy De Dôme | 182.5 |
| Mon, 10 | REST DAY - Clermont-Ferrand | ||
| 10 | Tues, 11 | Vulcania > Issoire | 167.5 |
| 11 | Wed, 12 | Clermont-Ferrand > Moulins | 180 |
| 12 | Thurs, 13 | Roanne > Belleville-En-Beaujolais | 169 |
| 13 | Fri, 14 | Châtillon-Sur-Chalaronne > Grand Colombier | 138 |
| 14 | Sat, 15 | Annemasse > Morzine Les Portes Du Soleil | 152 |
| 15 | Sun, 16 | Les Gets Les Portes Du Soleil > Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc | 179 |
| Mon, 17 | REST DAY - Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc | ||
| 16 | Tues, 18 | Passy > Combloux ITT | 22.4 |
| 17 | Wed, 19 | Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc > Courchevel | 166 |
| 18 | Thurs, 20 | Moûtiers > Bourg-En-Bresse | 185 |
| 19 | Fri, 21 | Moirans-En-Montagne > Poligny | 173 |
| 20 | Sat, 22 | Belfort > Le Markstein Fellering | 133.5 |
| 21 | Sun, 23 | Saint-Quentin-En-Yvelines > Paris Champs-Élysées | 115.5 |
** ITT - Individual Time Trial
THE TEAMS
Race organisers, Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) have extended an invite to all 18 UCI WorldTeams, as well as four UCI ProTeams, to make up the 22-team peloton.
| TEAM | RIDERS |
|---|---|
|
AG2R Citroën Team
|
Oliver Naesen, Ben O'Connor, Felix Gall, Nans Peters, Benoît Cosnefroy, Aurélien Paret-Peintre, Clément Berthet, Stan Dewulf |
|
Alpecin–Deceuninck
|
Søren Kragh Andersen, Michael Gogl, Quinten Hermans, Mathieu van der Poel, Jasper Philipsen, Jonas Rickaert, Silvan Dillier, Ramon Sinkeldam |
|
Astana Qazaqstan Team
|
Gianni Moscon, Harold Tejada, Alexey Lutsenko, Yevgeniy Fedorov, David de la Cruz, Cees Bol, Mark Cavendish, Luis León Sánchez |
|
Bahrain Victorious
|
Fred Wright, Mikel Landa, Matej Mohorič, Pello Bilbao, Wout Poels, Nikias Arndt, Phil Bauhaus, Jack Haig |
|
Bora–Hansgrohe
|
Jai Hindley, Emanuel Buchmann, Danny van Poppel, Jordi Meeus, Bob Jungels, Nils Politt, Patrick Konrad, Marco Haller |
|
Cofidis
|
Axel Zingle, Anthony Perez, Bryan Coquard, Victor Lafay, Guillaume Martin, Simon Geschke, Ion Izagirre, Alexis Renard |
|
EF Education–EasyPost
|
Andrey Amador, Rigoberto Urán, Richard Carapaz, Magnus Cort, Alberto Bettiol, Neilson Powless, James Shaw, Esteban Chaves |
|
Groupama–FDJ
|
Valentin Madouas, Thibaut Pinot, David Gaudu, Kevin Geniets, Stefan Küng, Quentin Pacher, Olivier Le Gac, Lars van den Berg |
|
Ineos Grenadiers
|
Egan Bernal, Jonathan Castroviejo, Omar Fraile, Michal Kwiatkowski, Daniel Martinez, Tom Pidcock, Carlos Rodriguez and Ben Turner |
|
Intermarché–Circus–Wanty
|
Lilian Calmejane, Georg Zimmermann, Rui Costa, Mike Teunissen, Adrien Petit, Louis Meintjes (RSA), Biniam Girmay (ERI), Dion Smith |
|
Israel–Premier Tech
|
Simon Clarke, Krists Neilands, Hugo Houle, Guillaume Boivin, Dylan Teuns, Nick Schultz, Michael Woods, Corbin Strong |
|
Jumbo–Visma
|
Jonas Vingegaard, Sepp Kuss, Nathan Van Hooydonck, Dylan van Baarle, Wout van Aert, Tiesj Benoot, Christophe Laporte, Wilco Kelderman |
|
Lotto–Dstny
|
Caleb Ewan, Maxim Van Gils, Florian Vermeersch, Jacopo Guarnieri, Frederik Frison, Pascal Eenkhoorn, Jasper De Buyst, Victor Campenaerts |
|
Movistar Team
|
Alex Aranburu, Gorka Izagirre, Gregor Mühlberger, Antonio Pedrero, Enric Mas, Ruben Guerreiro, Nelson Oliveira, Matteo Jorgenson |
|
Soudal–Quick-Step
|
Julian Alaphilippe, Fabio Jakobsen, Kasper Asgreen, Remi Cavagna, Tim Declercq, Dries Devenyns, Yves Lampaert, Michael Morkov |
|
Team Arkéa–Samsic
|
Warren Barguil, Matis Louvel, Anthony Delaplace, Laurent Pichon, Simon Guglielmi, Jenthe Biermans, Luca Mozzato, Clément Champoussin |
|
Team DSM–Firmenich
|
Nils Eekhoff, Romain Bardet, Matthew Dinham, Sam Welsford, Chris Hamilton, Alex Edmondson, Kevin Vermaerke, John Degenkolb |
|
Team Jayco–AlUla
|
Luka Mezgec, Simon Yates, Dylan Groenewegen, Elmar Reinders, Christopher Juul-Jensen, Chris Harper, Luke Durbridge, Lawson Craddock |
|
Team TotalEnergies
|
Anthony Turgis, Valentin Ferron, Peter Sagan, Daniel Oss, Steff Cras, Pierre Latour, Mathieu Burgaudeau, Edvald Boasson Hagen |
|
Trek - Segafredo
|
Mattias Skjelmose Alex Kirsch, Mads Pedersen, Jasper Stuyven, Juan Pedro López, Tony Gallopin, Giulio Ciccone, Quinn Simmons |
|
UAE Team Emirates
|
Tadej Pogacar, Rafal Majka, Mikkel Bjerg, Felix Grossschartner, Marc Soler, Matteo Trentin, Vegard Stake Laengen, Adam Yates |
|
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
|
Rasmus Tiller, Tobias Halland Johannessen, Alexander Kristoff, Torstein Træen, Søren Wærenskjold, Anthon Charmig, Jonas Gregaard, Jonas Abrahamsen |
WHAT IS THERE TO WIN?
The rules are the Bible of a sporting competition. Their balance and rigour are intended to ensure equal opportunities, motivate riders and help spectators and viewers alike to understand the event. Here is an outline of the main points.
Prize money: A total of 2,3 million euros will be awarded to the teams and riders including € 500,000 to the final winner of the overall individual classification.
THE STAKES
A wide range of objectives coexist in the peloton, depending on each rider's disposition, strong points and assigned tasks. The most team-oriented of individual sports gives the majority of them a role in multi-layered strategies. The distinctive jerseys and other honours up for grabs during the 3 weeks of racing are listed below.
• Stage victories
The 21 stages of the 2023 Tour can be broken down as follows: 8 flat stages, 4 hilly stages, 8 mountain stages with 4 summit finishes (Cauterets-Cambasque, Puy de Dôme, Grand Colombier and Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc), 1 individual time trial.
Stage victories are sponsored by Continental.
• The Yellow Jersey
This jersey is worn by the leader of the general time classification. The yellow jersey is sponsored by LCL.
• The Green Jersey
This jersey is worn by the leader of the general points classification. Points are awarded at the intermediate sprint in each mass-start stage and the finish of each stage. The green jersey is sponsored by Škoda.
• The Red Polka Dot Jersey
This jersey is worn by the best climber in the general classification. Mountain points are awarded at the top of every categorised climb. The points for a summit finish are doubled. The red polka-dot jersey is sponsored by E.Leclerc.
• The White Jersey
This jersey is worn by the best young rider (age 25 or under in the current year) in the general classification. The white jersey is sponsored by Krys.
• The Combativity Award
This distinction is awarded at the end of each stage by a jury made up of cycling specialists. An overall winner is designated after the last stage of Le Tour. The winner wears red-coloured race numbers in the next stage. The combativity award is sponsored by Century 21.
• The team classification
This classification is calculated by adding the times of each team's three best riders on each stage. Riders in the team leading the classification wear yellow helmets and race numbers. The team classification is sponsored by Les Hauts-de-Seine.
• Seconds up for grabs
Time bonuses are awarded at the end of every mass-start stage (i.e. no time bonuses on offer in individual and team time trials). The first three riders get 10, 6 and 4 seconds, respectively.
• Mandatory helmet use
All cyclists are required to wear helmets throughout the duration of each stage.
• Falls in the last three kilometres
As has been the case since 2005, riders involved in a fall in the last three kilometres of a stage are given the same finishing time as the group they were riding in. Time trial stages and summit finishes are not covered by this rule.
Tour de France FAQs
Q: Why is the Tour overall leader's jersey yellow?
A: In 1919, Tour organisers decided the race leader should wear a special jersey making him easy to identify by spectators. They picked yellow as it was the colour of the paper on which L'Auto, the sports daily sponsoring the race, was printed.
Q: What is the green jersey?
A: It is the jersey awarded for the points classification and a great consolation prize for sprinters as they usually win more stages, albeit by a slimmer margin.
Points are awarded to the top 20 finishers in each stage; the rider finishing with the most points wins the jersey. The record green jersey winner is German Erik Zabel, who won it six times.
It was introduced 60 years ago to spice up the race.
Q: What is the polka dot jersey?
A: It is the jersey awarded to the best climber of the Tour or 'King of the Mountains'. Points are awarded at the top of each hill or mountain, which are rated from fourth to first category depending on their difficulty. Some exceptionally tough climbs, such as l'Alpe d'Huez or Mont Ventoux, are rated "hors categorie" (out of category).
The polka dot design was chosen as it was the same as one of the jersey's sponsors. The record winner of the King of the Mountains jersey is Frenchman Richard Virenque, who earned it seven times.
Q: Why do riders often finish in the same time?
A: Because only seconds are taken into account in the overall standings and not fractions of seconds. It is the convention in road cycling that all the riders included in the same group are given the same time on the finish line regardless of whether they are at the front or the back.
Another rule, applying only to flat stages, states that a rider who crashes in the last three kilometres will be awarded the same time as the group he was in before crashing.
Q: Cycling is an individual sport so why are there teams?
A: The Tour is raced by 20 teams of nine riders. Each team usually includes a leader - the man with the best chance for the final classification - sprinters, climbers and every type of rider who can help the team to win a stage, take a jersey and bring home prize money.
When some 200 competitors are cycling in a bunch at around 50 kph, the riders at the front waste much more energy than the ones immediately behind, who are sheltered from the headwind.
This is why team mates are often seen riding ahead of their leader - they are protecting him from the wind.
Team mates often act for their leaders in other ways, passing on one of their wheels if he punctures or picking up bottles and bags at the feeding zone.
Q: What is a "bordure"?
A: Also called an echelon, it is one of the nightmares of the peloton. When the wind is strong and blowing sideways, it can split the riders into little groups which are no longer sheltered inside the main bunch. They lose contact, find themselves on the most exposed side of the road and can lose considerable time. It happened to Alberto Contador in 2010 in a stage finish in La Grande Motte.
Q: What is the "omnibus?"
A: Also called the "gruppetto" (Italian for small group), it is the group formed by poor climbers in the mountain stages to help each other make it to the finish line at a reasonable pace, but inside the time limits.
Q: How do riders pee?
A: Spending some five hours on the bike, riders sometimes have to urinate during a stage. If the race is raging at full speed, riders do so on their bikes but most of the time they stop early in the stage when the pace is leisurely.
It is an unwritten rule of the peloton that you do not attack when a rider or a group has stopped to urinate.
Q: What is a domestique?
A: A domestique, or "gregario" is a rider who is not allowed any personal ambition on the race. He is picked for his ability to set the pace, suffer to the limit and drop out when his task is done. He is also expected to slide to the back of the bunch to fetch bottles, give his bike to his leader if necessary. Some riders, like Alberto Contador, have long-time, dedicated domestiques (or gregari).
Q: Where can I watch this year’s Tour de France?
A: SuperSport will bring you all the action from France, daily and LIVE on TV or to stream via DSTV. Check the TV Guide for details.
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