The route of the Tour de France 2023: Return from the Puy de Dôme, a single time of 22 km, the Markstein to “finish”

Before thus dividing up French territory, the event (July 1-23) will start from Spain, and Bilbao, where the punchers will be expected. Three stages will start on the Iberian Peninsula. The last will end in Bayonne. Geographical promise kept: the road will rise quickly, thanks to the Pyrenees, with a finish in Laruns from the fifth day of the race. In 2020, Tadej Pogacar – present on this day of presentation – won there, after a five-man sprint, ahead of Primoz Roglic.

A single stopwatch, 22 km and full-bodied

The 6th stage will be the scene of the first arrival at altitude, in Cauterets (after passing through the Tourmalet), closing of the Pyrenean diptych. The Alps, they will be entitled to more exposure, from Morzine to Courchevel, from the 14th to the 17th stage. Just before, the Jura will have marked the bodies, with the Grand Colombier (13th stage, July 14). At the heart of this intense part of climbing: a 22 km time trial (16th stage). The only one of this Tour, including the coast of Domancy.

A treatment of solitary effort similar to that witnessed during the 2020 edition, marked by the stopwatch of the Planche des Belles Filles, Pogacar’s birth certificate for the general public. Satisfying pure CLM specialists does not seem to be in ASO’s view. Implicit to this confirmed trend: a lack of appeal from the foot to world champion Remco Evenepoel, recent winner of the Vuelta.

“The routes of the Tour are made well in advance“, underlined Christian Prudhomme, with AFP, adding “dream(r) to find the opposition of a super roller like Jacques Anquetil and a super climber like Federico Bahamontes“. Regarding the possible arrival of Evenepoel on the roads of the TDF, the race director specified that he would be “absolutely delighted that he is coming, whatever year he chooses.” He also recorded the return of “bonus points” (bonus seconds during the stage), six times.

Puy de Dôme 35 years later, the bet of Markstein

Between the Pyrenees and the Alps, the Massif Central occupies an important place in this 110th Tour. Whispered since June, the return of the Grande Boucle to the Puy de Dôme was recorded on Thursday. The event has not surveyed the famous dormant volcano for 35 years. In 1964, he gave birth to a legendary duel between Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor, an iconic photo at stake. The 9th stage will thus have a historic significance.

The respect of the last mountain dweller will therefore go to a fifth thief, in the jousting of the massifs. The Vosges will be the setting for the penultimate stage, with the Markstein station as the epilogue. Annemiek van Vleuten triumphed there, during the Women’s Tour de France. As for the sprinters, they seem barely less alienated than they were in 2022 (six “flat” stages according to the organization’s website, eight “plain” stages announced this Thursday). The “crossing of France” may seem long to them.

Details of the 21 steps

• 1st stage: Bilbao – Bilbao (182 km) – Hilly
• 2nd stage: Vitoria-Gasteiz – San Sebastian (209 km) – Hilly
• 3rd stage: Amorebieta-Etxano – Bayonne (185 km) – Flat
• 4th stage: Dax – Nogaro (182 km) – Flat
• 5th stage: Pau – Laruns (165 km) – Mountain
• 6th stage: Tarbes – Cauterets Cambasque (145 km) – Mountain
• 7th stage: Mont-de-Marsan – Bordeaux (170 km) – Flat
• 8th stage: Libourne – Limoges (201 km) – Hilly
• 9th stage: Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat – Puy de Dôme (184 km) – Mountain
• 1st day of rest
• 10th stage: Vulcania – Issoire (167 km) – Hilly
• 11th stage: Clermont-Ferrand – Moulins (180 km) – Flat
• 12th stage: Roanne – Belleville-en-Beaujolais (169 km) – Hilly
• 13th stage: Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne – Grand Colombier (138 km) – Mountain
• 14th stage: Annemasse – Morzine (152 km) – Mountain
• 15th stage: Les Gets – Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc (180 km) – Mountain
• 2nd day of rest
• 16th stage: Passy – Combloux (22 km) – Time trial
• 17th stage: Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc – Courchevel (166 km) – Mountain
• 18th stage: Moûtiers – Bourg-en-Bresse (186 km) – Hilly
• 19th stage: Moirans-en-Montagne – Poligny (173 km) – Flat
• 20th stage: Belfort – Le Markstein (133 km) – Mountain
• 21st stage: Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines – Paris Champs-Élysées (115 km) – Flat