Tour de France 2023

[Debs]

TOUR DE FRANCE 2023: OVERVIEW

Start date: 1 July 2023 - Finish date: 23 July 2023

Total distance = 3,404 kilometres (2115 miles)
Number of stages = 21

Start location: Bilbao, Spain
Finish location: Paris, France

Total climbing / elevation gain = 56,467 metres!

2022 winner Jonas Vingegaard

TV coverage (UK) Discovery+, GCN+, ITV4
TV coverage (US) Peacock, NBC Sports

<<>>

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.

There will be 21 stages:

6 flat stages
6 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

<<>>

Stage one <> 1 July Bilbao (Spain) Bilbao (Spain) 182km Hilly
Stage two <> 2 July Vitoria-Gasteiz - San-Sebastian (Basque Country) 209km Hilly
Stage three <> 3 July Amorebieta-Etxano (Basque Country) Bayonne (France) 185km Flat
Stage four <> 4 July Dax Nogaro 182km Flat
Stage five <> 5 July Pau Laruns 165km Mountain
Stage six <> 6 July Tarbes Cauterets-Cambasque 145km Mountain
Stage seven <> 7 July Mont-de-Marsan Bordeaux 170km Flat
Stage eight <> 8 July Libourne Limoges 201km Hilly
Stage nine <> 9 July Saint-Leonard-De-Noblat Puy de Dome 184km Mountain

Monday 10th July - REST DAY

Stage ten <> 11 July Vulcania Issoire 167km Hilly
Stage 11 <> 12 July Clermont-Ferrand Moulins 180km Flat
Stage 12 <> 13 July Roanne Belleville-En-Beaujolais 169km Hilly
Stage 13 <> 14 July Chatillion-Sur-Chalaronne Grand Colombier 138km Mountain
Stage 14 <> 15 July Annemasse Morzine les Portes du Soleil 152km Mountain
Stage 15 <> 16 July Les Gets les Portes du Soleil Saint Gervais Mont Blanc 180km Mountain

Monday 17th July - REST DAY

Stage 16 <> 18 July Passy Combloux 22km ITT
Stage 17 <> 19 July Saint Gervais Mont Blanc Courchevel 166km Mountain
Stage 18 <> 20 July Moutiers Bourg en Bresse 186km Hilly
Stage 19 <> 21 July Moirans-en-Montagne Poligny 173km Flat
Stage 20 <> 22 July Belfort Le Markstein Fellering 133km Mountain
Stage 21 <> 23 July Saint Quentin en Yvelines Paris (Champs-Élysées) 115km Flat

[Debs]

^ click on image to enlarge

[Debs]

I’ll put the start list up when it’s confirmed and finalised complete with race numbers.

22 teams competing as usual, 8 men per team = 176 riders

<>

Really looking forward to this tour, it suits the climbers this year, and the stages are not too silly long as usual, only two stages go over 200km, so hopefully not too dragged out and knackering to leave energy for more action instead

[crispyduck]

Nice one @Debs. Might be worth putting a ‘Spoiler Alert’ in title if results of stages are going to be revealed before evening highlights? Just an idea ATB

[GeoffC]

Anticipating another great race, new T-Shirt is ready for the start on Saturday.

[Debs]

^ click on picture to enlarge (if like me you wear reading glasses)

[Debs]

Anyway, team Trek were told off for drinking too much coffee during the Giro, so the manager sent them into the local Lidl to buy some healthy fruit and veg instead, and while up the bargains aisle they also bought some cheap new jerseys sale price €4.99

The hairy young handsome holding the pineapple and wearing the Road Race National Championship USA jersey is Quinn Simmons, the youngest competitor in this TdF.
The Italian guy behind him fondling his banana is Giulio Ciccone who was unfortunately prevented from starting this year’s Giro due to Covid, however he’s leading the team here and all set be the winner of this 2023 TdF (Spoiler Alert! sorry about that!)

[Svetty]

They were ripped off for the jersey’s, I wouldn’t pay more then £0.99

[Debs]

Breaking News:

The UCI has banned Lidl-Trek’s new domestique powered team support bike!

[Debs]

Saturday 1st July 2023

Stage 1 : Bilbao - Bilbao (182km)

The first stage this year forgoes the customary short stage one prologue time trial and instead goes right in with a testing 182km hilly road race circuit.
Whoever wins this stage will put on the yellow jersey so it’s going to be very competitive.

[Neilb1906]

I sincerely hope the public disorder in the major towns in France do not disrupt this Tour.

[Martinzero]

its not 'public" disorder, far from it. France is an utter dump now. We have friends in Paris who are extremely worried now. Such a shame

[Debs]

Good point, the race is a bit out of the way initially in the Basque Country until it arrives in France on Monday, but the first notable problem riot area is Wednesday’s race start at Pau.
Hopefully the protests will be over by then.

[Debs]

Today’s stage 1 has just started on ITV4 (Channel 26) Live!

11:00 - 17:00

[GeoffC]

@Debs

Today’s stage 1 has just started on ITV4 (Channel 26) Live!

Scrolled through the next 7 days on my TV’s Guide and it’s on Live every day on ITV4, so they must be showing the whole tour and not just highlights.

Thanks for the heads up.

[SiBrighton]

On Eurosport too.

Great if have access to both channels as can toggle between the two, and that way avoid most adverts

[Debs]

It has begun!

[Ardbeg10y]

Indeed, we’re watching too whilst cleaning etc.

[R.K]

So many adverts

[Debs]

@R.K

So many adverts

It’s go make a brew time