2023 Tour de France route
From the Basque Country to Paris and all the stages in between
The 2023 Tour de France got underway on July 1st in Bilbao, Spain with another demanding route that includes only a single 22km hilly time trial in the Alps and mountain stages in all five of France’s mountain ranges. From the Grand Départ in the Basque Country to the finish in Paris, Cyclingnews has all the route details.
The very limited amount of time trialling and preponderance of mountains no doubt suits French riders Thibaut Pinot, David Gaudu and Romain Bardet. As a result, Remco Evenepoel, Primoz Roglič and Geraint Thomas targeted the Giro d’Italia, which had three times the amount of time trialling and fewer mountains.
Official information from race organiser ASO claimed the 3,404km route includes eight flat stages for the sprinters, four hilly stages suited to breakaways and eight mountain stages. Four of these include summit finishes: in the Pyrenees at Cauterets-Cambasque, on the legendary Puy de Dôme volcano in the Massif Central, on the Grand Colombier in the Jura and at Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc in the Alps.
The other mountain stages are also extremely difficult, even if some are short and extra intense.
Stage 14 to Morzine includes 4,200m of climbing, alongside the mighty Col de Joux Plane and its testing descent to the finish. Stage 15 ends with the 11% ‘wall’ of Côte des Amerands and then the 7km 7.7% climb up to Saint-Gervais in view of Mont-Blanc.
Stage 17 to Courchevel is arguably the queen stage, climbing the 2,304m-high Col de la Loze and then descends to finish on the altiport runway. Stage 20 is a final brutal multi-mountain stage in the Vosges between Belfort and Le Markstein ski resort.
The only time trial is on stage 16 in the Arve Valley near Sallanches after the second rest day, but the 22km route between Passy and Combloux will test riders' bike handling skills and climbing as much as their time trialling. The stage includes the Côte de Domancy, where Bernard Hinault forged his 1980 Worlds victory, and which also featured as part of the final week time trial in the 2016 Tour.
2022 Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard was arguably the best climber of the last two editions of the Tour and he appears to have plenty of opportunities to go on the attack on the steep ascents in 2023.
Two-time winner Tadej Pogačar will no doubt relish the route on offer for next July’s challenge against Vingegaard, Jumbo-Visma, Ineos Grenadiers and anyone else.
For an in-depth analysis of this year's major contenders, check our regularly updated guide to the favourites of the 2023 Tour de France.
For a detailed description of each stage, click on the link in the table below.
Stage preview | Date | Start | Finish | Distance | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Stage 1 | Jul 1, 2023 | Bilbao | Bilbao | 182 km | Hilly |
Stage 2 | Jul 2, 2023 | Vitoria-Gasteiz | Saint-Sébastien | 208.9 km | Hilly |
Stage 3 | Jul 3, 2023 | Amorebieta-Etxano | Bayonne | 193.5 km | Flat |
Stage 4 | Jul 4, 2023 | Dax | Nogaro | 181.8 km | Flat |
Stage 5 | Jul 5, 2023 | Pau | Laruns | 162.7 km | Mountain |
Stage 6 | Jul 6, 2023 | Tarbes | Cauterets-Cambasque | 144.9 km | Mountain |
Stage 7 | Jul 7, 2023 | Mont-de-Marsan | Bordeaux | 169.9 km | Flat |
Stage 8 | Jul 8, 2023 | Libourne | Limoges | 200.7 km | Hilly |
Stage 9 | Jul 9, 2023 | Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat | Puy de Dôme | 182.4 km | Mountain |
Rest Day 1 | Jul 10, 2023 | Clermont-Ferrand | Row 9 - Cell 3 | Row 9 - Cell 4 | Rest Day |
Stage 10 | Jul 11, 2023 | Vulcania | Issoire | 167.2 km | Hilly |
Stage 11 | Jul 12, 2023 | Clermont-Ferrand | Moulins | 179.8 km | Flat |
Stage 12 | Jul 13, 2023 | Roanne | Belleville-en-Beaujolais | 168.8 km | Hilly |
Stage 13 | Jul 14, 2023 | Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne | Grand Colombier | 137.8 km | Mountain |
Stage 14 | Jul 15, 2023 | Annemasse | Morzine Les Portes du Soleil | 151.8 km | Mountain |
Stage 15 | Jul 16, 2023 | Les Gets les portes du soleil | Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc | 179 km | Mountain |
Rest Day 2 | Jul 17, 2023 | Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc | Row 16 - Cell 3 | Row 16 - Cell 4 | Rest Day |
Stage 16 | Jul 18, 2023 | Passy | Combloux | 22.4 km | Individual time-trial |
Stage 17 | Jul 19, 2023 | Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc | Courchevel | 165.7 km | Mountain |
Stage 18 | Jul 20, 2023 | Moûtiers | Bourg-en-Bresse | 184.9 km | Hilly |
Stage 19 | Jul 21, 2023 | Moirans-en-Montagne | Poligny | 172.8 km | Flat |
Stage 20 | Jul 22, 2023 | Belfort | Le Markstein Fellering | 133.5 km | Mountain |
Stage 21 | Jul 23, 2023 | Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines | Paris Champs-Élysées | 115.1 km | Flat |
Stage 1: Bilbao-Bilbao, 182 km - Hilly
Stage 2: Vitoria-Gasteiz to San Sebastián, 208.9km - Hilly
Stage 3: Amorebieta-Etxano to Bayonne, 193.5km - Flat
Stage 4: Dax to Nogaro, 181.8km - Flat
Stage 5: Pau to Laruns, 162.7km - Mountain
Stage 6: Tarbes to Cauterets-Cambasque, 144.9km - Mountain
Stage 7: Mont-de-Marsan to Bordeaux, 169.9km - Flat
Stage 8: Libourne to Limoges, 200.7km - Hilly
Stage 9: Saint-Léonard- de-Noblat to Puy de Dôme, 182.4km - Mountain
Stage 10: Vulcania to Issoire, 167.2km - Hilly
Stage 11: Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins, 179.8km - Flat
Stage 12: Roanne to Belleville-en-Beaujolais, 168.8km - Hilly
Stage 13: Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne to Grand Colombier, 137.8km - Mountain
Stage 14: Annemasse to Morzine Les Portes du Soleil, 151.8km - Mountain
Stage 15: Les Gets Les Portes du Soleil to Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc, 179km - Mountain
Stage 16: Passy to Combloux, 22.4km - ITT
Stage 17: Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc à Courchevel, 184.9km - Mountain
Stage 18: Moûtiers to Bourg-en-Bresse, 184.9km - Hilly
Stage 19: Moirans-en-Montagne to Poligny, 172.8km - Flat
Stage 20: Belfort to Le Markstein Fellering, 133.5km - Mountain
Stage 21: Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to Paris Champs-Élysées, 115.1km - Flat
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Laura Weislo has been with Cyclingnews since 2006 after making a switch from a career in science. As Managing Editor, she coordinates coverage for North American events and global news. As former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track, Laura has a passion for all three disciplines. When not working she likes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads, paths and gravel tracks. Laura specialises in covering doping, anti-doping, UCI governance and performing data analysis.
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