The routes of the 2023 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes were released on Thursday in Paris’s Palais des Congrès. The men’s course is one for the climbers, with Puy de Dôme and Grand Colombier the most notable summit finishes, but there are plenty of mountains, some on short stages. The northern half of the country is almost completely bypassed. The women’s race highlights are a summit finish on the Tourmalet and a time trial finish in Pau.
The 108th Tour de France kicks off in Bilbao, Spain on Canada Day with a spiky profile of 3300 climbing metres, followed up the next day with more ascending. There are sprint opportunites as the race heads into France. One might think that Week 1‘s highlight is Stage 6 with Pyrenean climbs like the Col d’Aspin, mighty Tourmalet and the summit finish on Cauterets Cambasque, but Stage 9 gives July 6 a run for its money with a Puy de Dôme summit finish. Puy de Dôme is 13.3 km of 7.7 percent but the final four km are above 11 percent.
🔎 Etape 9 / Stage 9 #TDF2023
⛰ Puy de Dôme
📈 13,3 km, 7,7%💪 After 35 years, the Puy de Dôme is back!
💪 35 ans après la dernière arrivée, le Tour de France revient au Puy de Dôme ! pic.twitter.com/ihtwaeZLCe
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) October 27, 2022
Sprinters will get their chance at the start of Week 2, but Stage 13 brings back the mountains and finishes on Grand Colombier at the end of 138 km in the Jura Mountains. The next day the riders face the Col de la Ramaz and Col de Joux Plane before descending into Morzine. The week ends with a two step climb: 11 percent Côte des Amerands and then a 7.7-km haul up to St-Gervais Mont-Blanc.
Etape 15 / Stage 15
🚩 @lesgetsnews – @Saint_Gervais 🏁 180 km⛰ 4.300 metres of climbing in @Dep_74 before rest day 2!
⛰ Encore 4.300 mètres de D+ en @Dep_74 avant la 2ème journée de repos !
#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/3UQYu81Gxt
— Tour de France™ (@LeTour) October 27, 2022
Week 3 kicks off with the sole time trial of the race. It’s 22 km long and ends on the 2.5 km, 9.4 percent Côte de Domancy ascent to Combloux. Stage 17 the next day some consider to be the race’s queen stage, although it doesn’t end on the top of an Alpine climb but with a 6 km descent to Courchevel. However, four climb are packed into 166 km: Col de la Saisies, Cormet de Roselend, Cote de Longefoy and Col de la Loze. After two days more suited to the…
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