«Mesdames et messieurs, voilà le Tour de France number 110". The Grande Boucle was presented this morning in Paris, at the Palais des Congrès, in front of a crowd of champions, sports directors, managers, past greats and enthusiasts.
The path? We'd call it innovative. A first week that gets into full swing right away and could determine an already well-established ranking. A second week full of climbs and a finale without any monster stages, but fraught with pitfalls. Almost as if the order between the first and third weeks had been "reversed".
Christian Prudhomme (in the opening photo), the Tour director, seemed prouder than ever. The race runs from July 1st to 23rd: 21 stages, 3.404 kilometers, eight mountain stages, four uphill finishes. And again: eight flat stages, four hilly stages and just one time trial, which was also quite short. Only two fractions above 200 kilometers.
The Pyrenees immediately
We start from abroad, in Spain, from the Basque Countryi.e. more precisely from BilbaoAnd here Prudhomme was not light on his judgments: «After Belgium, the hottest cycling fans in the world are in the Basque Country. And since 1992, they've been wanting the Grand Departs, and they've been running for 30 years. The Basque organization was present at the start in Denmark last year. They saw the enthusiasm, and I told them, 'Now you know what to expect.' It's boxing stuff."
Just like for boxers, it's the first week. The second stage, for example, arrives in San Sebastian and is an (almost) faithful replica of the classic of the same name. The third stage is also a "scream" of just 137 kilometers with four categorized climbs—not hard, okay, but still four climbs. And everyone still has fresh legs.
The real climbs, the Pyrenees, arriving two days later in Pau-Lauruns. In the final you climb the Marie-Blanque is not a long climb, but it is tough and suffocating due to its humidity. And the next day there is the Tourmalet and the final climb to Cauterets, a long but rideable climb (16 km at 5,4%) typical of the Tour.
It's not part of the first week, but it closes the first stage of the Tour, the legendary Puy de Dome. It's the ninth stage. It goes from Saint Léonard de Noblat-Puy de Dôme, historic and very tough climb in the Massif Central, the “third” mountain group in France: 13 kilometres at 7,7%, but the last 4 never drop below 11%.
How many Alps
The Tour de France thus observes its first rest day. And it does so, more or less, in the geographic heart of its nation.
From here, we move on to the central section, probably the decisive one. If stages 10, 11, and 12 are "easy," then it's no joke. And this is where the long journey through the Alps begins. This year, the Tour will spend a truly long time between Savoy and Dauphiné on several occasions: seven days.
It starts with the arrival at the top of the Col du Grand Colombier, among other things on the national holiday. Then it's Morzine's turn with the classic Col de Joux-Plane before the finish. Difficult climb and very difficult descent (if you have to push hard to escape or finish).
The 15th stage, the Les Gets les Portes du Soleil-Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc will be a real nightmare: there are only four GPMs, but there could be at least a dozen. And that's no joke. There's over 5.200 meters of elevation gain to cover in 180 kilometers. There's not a single meter of flat ground. The remaining contenders for the yellow jersey will be very few at this point.
Les Gets les Portes du Soleil – Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc le Bettex: 15th stage of 180 km
Belfort-Le Markstein: Stage 20, 133 km
Les Gets les Portes du Soleil – Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc le Bettex: 15th stage of 180 km
Belfort-Le Markstein: Stage 20, 133 km
A long sprint
After the Alpine hat-trick, here is the second rest day which will be the appetizer for the curious and eagerly awaited stage number 17: the Passy-Combloux It will be raced individually and against the clock. It's a 22-kilometer time trial with a final steep climb and the final kilometers of uphill climbs. Whoever emerges from the GPM with their legs crumpled risks paying a heavy price...
In fact, the super difficult stages end here. But this break with the past will keep tensions high until Paris, because there will be plenty of ground to attack. Ambushes, breaks, climbs: the Vosges and Ballon d'Alsace they are perfect. The twentieth stage with Arrival at Le Markstein is a hymn to uncertainty: 133 kilometers, still almost 4.000 meters of altitude difference: a Liège "at high altitude".
The finale is full of symbolism. And in this sense, the French are masters. The 21st stage will start from the velodrome where the 2024 Olympics will be held and end with the classic parade on the Champs-Élysées.
Voice to the pros'
At this point, what were the riders' reactions? Gaudu Congola and said he wants the podium. Alaphilippe he counted on the fingers of two and a half hands the fractions that can see him as the protagonist. Van Aert, if it is the one in 2022, he will not fight for victory just in Morzine and Saint Gervais.
Not only that, but this path, which more than someone in Paris defined the opposite of Tour of Italy, he even made it stretch out Simon yates via the French way. And we know how much the English love the Giro d'Italia.
Even the sprinters are satisfied. Thumbs up from Groenewegen a Cavendish, which with the unofficial transition to B&B Hotels will get back in the running.
While Lefevere tone it down Remco Evenepoel, who seems to have already chosen the Giro: «We will decide together which great Giro to do. The door to the Tour isn't closed, and the fact that there's only a 22-kilometer time trial doesn't mean anything. Remco wins everywhere. Rather, this route reminds me of the 2019 one, when Alaphilippe was in yellow for a long time. And if he were 100%…».
Jonas reflects
And then there are these two, this year's protagonists: jonas vingegaard e Tadej pogacar.
«With the team – Vingegaard (on holiday) commented to the international press – We haven't yet drawn up a definitive plan for 2023, but the idea is clearly to be at the Tour. I'd be surprised if it wasn't! I'm ready to take on this challenge. I know it will be harder to win next year, but that's part of the game."
Still in relation to Vingegaard, Merijn Zeeman, the team manager of the Jumbo Visma, added to VeloNews important words. "We haven't decided anything yet. The Giro d'Italia is an option if you want it, but if you're the outgoing yellow jersey you try to defend it. But Jonas has never raced the Giro and maybe he'll want to give it a try.
«Before any decision I would also like to know the opinion of RoglicWe'll clarify everything by December because it takes many months to prepare properly."
Tadej already excited
“I really like this course,” the Slovenian said smiling. “The first week is already difficult, and the third week is difficult and fun. It's good that the toughest stages come at the start of the Tour, this makes it more interesting.
«I'd like to keep racing like this, always attacking, but at the Tour I learned that sometimes you have to wait until the end.»
But perhaps the words that best sum up this challenge and the entire 2023 Tour are those of the team manager of the UAE Emirates, Mauro Gianetti. «The route of this Tour makes you want to attack. Maybe Tadej might decide to change and not attack with 50 kilometers to go... but we can't change him either. It's his nature."
