A split start for the women from the men's finish, a return to climbs decades after their last use, and an unusual route across France highlighted the dual announcements for the Tour de France.
The 2023 Tour de France will hold its Grand Départ in the Basque Country, with the first stage in Bilbao on July 1, and will finish in Paris on July 23, on completion of a 3,404-km route that will tackle the difficult slopes of the country’s five mountain ranges.
The eight-stage Tour de France Femmes will be run from July 23 to 30. This time, the riders will meet in Clermont-Ferrand to start the exploration of the Massif Central range.
At the end of the week, the Pyrenees will begin the weeding out process among the best climbers: the finish line of the col du Tourmalet will be the goal of all the contenders for the yellow jersey. They will have to defend their ambitions again the following day in the final time trial in Pau.
The battle for the men’s yellow jersey will witness a decisive and emotional episode on the Puy de Dôme, where a stage finish will be held for the first time in 35 years. The return to this legendary climb will be accompanied by the rise in importance of sites that will mark the Tours of the future, including the Grand Colombier or the Col de la Loze, which both formed part of the 2020 Tour de France.
It’s not a route for the time trial specialists, with just one test against the clock over 22 kilometres of tough and technical riding between Passy and the Combloux ski resort in Haute-Savoie.
The sprinters will also have the opportunity to express themselves on finishes in Bordeaux, Limoges, Moulins, with up to eight potential stages for mass bunch finishes before the grand finale on the Champs-Elysées.
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