The Tour de France 2023 has some good news for us: it’s starting in the Basque country! The first three of the scheduled twenty-one stages will pass through Spanish territory. Wouldn’t you like to experience them as a spectator? We’ll fill you in on everything you need to know.
Tour de France 2023 Route
The Tour de France 2023 will start in Bilbao on the 1st of July and will end, as is the tradition, on the Champs Elysées in Paris on the 23rd of the month. Between the two cities, a total of twenty-one stages await the participating cyclists.
The first stage will cover 182 kilometres and will end where it started: Bilbao. On the following day, the 209-kilometre-long route between Vitoria and San Sebastián will put the peloton to the test. On 3 July, the route will start in Amorebieta, heading towards Bayonne and out of Spain for the greatest team cycling challenge on the planet.
Tour de France Dates
Are you someone who likes to be prepared and get to know the Tour de France route in advance? Do you make sure not to miss any of the evening TV highlight programmes?
If so, make a note of the Tour de France dates as soon as possible. The action kicks off on 1 July, which makes it pretty hard to forget. And there will only be two rest days before it ends on 23 July. These are the dates: 10 July, with a break in Clermont-Ferrand and a week later on the 17th, with a break in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc.
Tour de France Stages
Once you’ve got to grips with the official 2023 route, it’s time to take a closer look at the Tour de France and its stages. Until now, it has only entered into the Basque country once; in 1992, with San Sebastián at the heart of the action. This year, and now in French territory, it will cover six regions and twenty-three French departments.
In total, you’ll notice a Tour de France with varied profiles:
- Flat ground: eight stages.
- Rolling stages: four.
- Mountains: eight stages, four of them with summit finishes. Specifically, in alphabetical order: Cauterets-Cambasque, Grand Colombier, Puy de Dôme and Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc.
- Time trial: one stage, individual.
The biggest new addition, after thirty-five years of absence is the return of the legendary Puy de Dôme. Without a doubt, the highest point will be Col de la Loze, at an altitude of 2304 metres. The race will cover five French mountain ranges: The Pyrenees, Massif Central, Jura, Alps and Vosges.
The individual time trial covers 22 kilometres and will be in the Alps. It will therefore include steep ground and altitude, which won’t favour all-rounders.
Tour de France Teams 2023
The Tour de France 2023 lineup will include twenty-two teams. As is customary, they will be chosen in the following way:
- The 18 WorldTeams.
- The two top squads in the 2022 ranking, on this occasion Total Energies (France) and Lotto-Dstny (Belgium).
- The two invited teams, the debutant Uno-X Pro Cycling Team (Norway) and Israel-Premier Tech (Israel).
The final lineup will include five French, four Belgian, two American and two Dutch teams. Movistar Team will be the only Spanish participant. There will also be representation from Kazakhstan, Germany, the UK, Bahrain, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Israel and Norway.
If you’re interested in further information, you’ll find it on the official Tour de France website.
The Women’s Tour de France
The women will start the Tour de France 2023 in Clermont-Ferrand on the day the men’s race ends: that is on 23 July.
The main new feature of the race this year is that it will include a time trial and, like last year, it will have a summit finish.
The Col du Tourmalet ascent in the seventh stage, at a total of 90 kilometres, with 17 km of ascent at an incline of 7.3%, will be the hardest section. It also includes the Col d’Aspin!
The competition will end in Pau on Sunday, 30 July, with an eighth stage of 22 kilometres, by which point everything, presumably, will already be decided.
Where to see the Tour de France
The live broadcast rights for the Tour de France in Spain haven’t received final sign-off. It looks like Eurosport will be showing the stages, and if the same happens as last year, the same channel will also be broadcasting them through DAZN. There will also be a live stream on the official tour website.
Despite all that, doesn’t it seem like a good idea to make the most of the Tour’s presence in Spain to stay in the Basque country for those dates in early July? If you’re in the area, you’ll definitely be able to come and see the action live in all its glory.
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