2023 Tour de France Race Preview
The details of this year's 2023 Tour de France are falling into place. Find the latest route profiles and maps below, followed by our strategic preview of the race.
The 2023 Tour de France promises to be one of the most compelling editions of cycling's greatest race in recent memory, with a route that will test the world's best riders across some of the most demanding terrain the Alps and Pyrenees have to offer. Starting in Bilbao in the Basque Country on July 1st, the race will cover over 3,400 kilometers before concluding on the Champs-Élysées in Paris on July 23rd.
Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard arrives as the clear favorite after his dominant victory over Tadej Pogačar in 2022. The Dane from Team Jumbo-Visma was imperious in the mountains last year, cracking Pogačar on the fearsome Hautacam climb and riding away from the field on multiple occasions. His team is arguably the strongest in the peloton, and their collective strength could prove decisive once again on the brutal high-altitude finishes that pepper this year's route.
Pogačar, however, will not be content to simply accept the role of runner-up. The two-time Tour champion has shown remarkable form throughout the 2023 season and will arrive at the start in Bilbao hungry for revenge. The Slovenian is arguably the most naturally gifted rider in the world, capable of winning on any terrain, and his UAE Team Emirates squad will be eager to help him reclaim the yellow jersey he wore so convincingly in 2019 and 2020.
Beyond this headline rivalry, the race also features several other contenders capable of challenging for the overall title. Carlos Rodríguez has emerged as one of the most promising young stage racers in the world, and the Spaniard will draw enormous support from the home crowd during the opening Basque Country stages. Primož Roglič, another Jumbo-Visma leader, adds further firepower to what is already the dominant team in the race, though questions remain about whether he can recapture his best form after a difficult run of results. Adam Yates and Jai Hindley will also be hoping to break into the top echelon of the general classification battle.
The route itself is particularly demanding and features very little flat terrain before the race reaches Paris. An early summit finish will set the tone immediately, and the Pyrenean stages in the opening week threaten to shake up the general classification before the race has even found its rhythm. The Alps in the final week contain some of the most legendary climbs in professional cycling, including the Col de la Loze and the Puy de Dôme, a classic summit that returns to the Tour route for the first time in decades.
Sprinters will have their opportunities in the opening days and on select flat stages throughout the race, with Jasper Philipsen, Wout van Aert and Caleb Ewan among those hoping to contest the bunch finishes. However, the overall shape of this Tour strongly favors the climbers, and the riders who can survive the relentless mountain stages will ultimately determine the outcome of the race.
With the two most dominant stage racers of their generation set for another direct confrontation, and a route designed to produce drama at every turn, the 2023 Tour de France has the potential to deliver some of the most memorable racing the sport has seen in years.
Get our full coverage of the Tour de France and every race we cover with our mobile app! The apps have over 100 additional exclusive features, including our award-winning Time Machine feature that lets you pause/rewind/replay the entire app to sync with delayed race video, integrated Fantasy Cycling, push notifications, an integrated news feed, live GPS tracking, world-class commentary, and our animated interactive maps and profiles.
