toughest stage of tour de france 2023

Stage 5 looks perfect for a breakaway, and Stage 6 brings the riders over the Col dAspin and the Col du Tourmalet before a summit finish on the Cambasque plateau above Cauterets. (Groupama-FDJ) is determined to secure a stage win and expressed confidence in his chances on this stage after taking a slightly easier day on the Grand Colombier. The Col de la Loze is the highest point of the race at 2304m while other nearby mountain passes mean the riders have over 5000m of elevation to endure. The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox! Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*, Enjoy your first month for just 1 / $1 / 1, *Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets, After your trial you will be billed 4.99 $7.99 5.99 per month, cancel anytime. The Puy de Dme is rated as an hors categorie ("beyond category") climb, a distinction reserved for only the Tour's toughest ascents. Reaching the summit, the riders will, for the first time since 1994, continue down the rapid descent into Malaucne once again to finish. (Israel-Premier Tech) is another candidatewho can climb well out of the breakaway, but his teammate. Tadej Pogaars teammate Rafal Majka won the last time the race visited Cauterets in 2015. The Col de Joux Plane is certainly the most difficult of all the mountains on the menu, but the other three are all very challenging in their own right, and therefore sure to have an impact. Tour de France 2021: The Essential Race Guide Omar Fraile or Dani MartnezofIneos Grenadiers will suit the demanding terrain characterised by its challenging climbs. From Saint-Gervais to Courchevel, they have to tackle 166 km with no less than 5,000 metres of vertical . Quick Preview: Five more climbs with the toughest coming near the end of the longest stage of the Tour. Here, the rider who crosses the summit first will be awarded the Souvenir Henri Desgrange, a prize given to the rider who crosses the highest point in the race first, named in honour of the Tour de Frances first race organiser. Alberto Contador: Blowing the Tour de France apart. Visit our corporate site. At Espiaube, rather than kicking left to that ski resort, the riders will veer right towards the Portet, reaching its opening pitches very soon after. With a huge lead built up over main rival Tadej Pogaar, the 2020 and 2021 winner, Vingegaard knew the victory was effectively his again before the largely ceremonial stage at the end of the 110th edition of the Tour. After years of trying, the Tours organizers have convinced local officials to let the race return, which means 35 years after its last appearance, the riders will tackle the 13.3km ascent at the end of Stage 9. The highest. Vingegaard poised for Tour title as Pogacar wins stage amid Pinot-mania With an hors catgorie and four other categorised climbs on this stage, there is a chance for a significant change in the KoM standings. Stage six sees the mighty Col du Tourmalet return to the Tour with the prize of the Souvenir Jacques Goddet, awarded to the first rider to cross the top of the Tourmalet, at the summit. BA1 1UA. Men's Route Analysis - 2023 Tour de France - Bicycling Finish: approximately 5:05 p.m. Bath Six stages where drama in the fight for the yellow jersey could unfold in the 110th edition of the Tour de France. But when we get to the heart of the matter on the one major climb of the day just outside the city of Clermont-Ferrand, itd be reasonable to imagine a scenario in which the Cte de Baraque will see a major shredding of the peloton. (Movistar) redeemed himself on stage 12 following abitter disappointment on stage nine, but has still not yet been able to crack a stage win. The first of them ascends to Espiaube, the gradient averaging more than 9 per cent and significantly above that on the long, straight rise from the valley floor to the first hairpin, where a plaque marks the point where Raymond Poulidor attacked and dropped Eddy Merckx on his way to victory at Pla dAdet in the 1974 Tour. June 16, 2022 The hardest climbs of the Tour de France 2022 The decisive mountains that could decide who takes home the yellow jersey in the biggest stage race of the year Words: Rachel Jary This year, the Tour de France route isn't particularly weighted in favour of a specific type of general classification rider. - A day at the Tour de France with Jonas Vingegaard's parents, Wout van Aert leaves Tour de France, with wife Sarah due to give birth 'imminently', Tommy Voeckler fined after motorbike causes Jonas Vingegaard to stop at Tour de France, 'Without bad luck, we will win the Tour de France': Jonas Vingegaard and Jumbo-Visma prepare for victory. Tom is a News and Features Writer at Cycling Weekly, and previously worked in communications at Oxford Brookes University. In total there are four summit finishes to contend with including a return to the iconic Puy de Dme climb, and just one 22 kilometre individual time trial. Running from July 1 through July 23 and covering 3,404km, next years Tour should produce a race that favors the worlds most aggressive and opportunistic climberswhich means its perfect for Denmarks Jonas Vingegaard (the defending champ), Slovenias Tadej Pogaar (the winner in 2020 and 2021), andif he races itBelgiums Remco Evenepoel (who won the 2022 Tour of Spain). 17. This year's edition will feature 154 riders representing 22 different teams as they pedal their way along 956 kilometres of road over . The 24-year-old Slovenian rider has won the best young rider classification every year since 2020. Ive enjoyed every day. Tour de France 2023: British rider Simon Yates (Team Jayco AlUla) rode in the breakaway on stage 17 and finished . 2023 Tour de France route: stage profiles, previews, start, finish However, the climb remains important in the Tours history due to the events that unfolded that day: it was where Bernard Hinault wore the yellow jersey for the last time before handing it over to Greg LeMond. All rights reserved. It was a super nice experience already so far, and to take the win today is an indescribable feeling, said Meeus, who clocked a top speed of 68.8 kph (42.8 mph) on the last kilometer. In a similar way to Alpe dHuez, these are very flat on the apex of the corners and the ramps between them are steep, which can break the rhythm of grimpeurs-rouleurs such as Geraint Thomas and Tom Dumoulin and, as a result, give the pure climbers a useful edge. It will be interesting to see how teams with GC contenders approach these two days: will they go on the attack in an effort to gain an early advantage on their rivals, or will they ride defensively, saving themselves for the harder stages still to come? Like in stage 11, stage 12 will be a true test of climbing talent and endurance. With its inconsistent gradients and sections touching 20%, the 2,304 metre Col de la Loze is a beyond fearsome climb which is enough to strike fear into even the most talented of climbers. So if this GC battle were a court case taking each rider on their merits, right now you could say both the prosecution and the defence have good arguments in favour and against. The recreation of that day begins with the ascent of the Col de Peyresourde, where Tadej Pogaar recouped some of the ground that he had lost to his GC rivals in the cross-winds the day before in this years race. As the riders crest the Amerands the road goes sharply upwards with sections touching 17% according to the organisers. Pro Championship in Philadelphia, longtime Bicycling contributor Whit Yost has raced on Belgian cobbles, helped build a European pro team, and piloted that team from Malaysia to Mont Ventoux as an assistant director sportif. Reaching the top of the dam, the road rises much more steadily for another 7km to the line, but altitude could tug at the resources of some of the GC contenders, the finish standing at 2,113 metres. This will be the 13th time the Tour has climbed the Joux Plane since debuting in 1978, and pure climbers have always enjoyed it, with Richard Virenque and Marco Pantani among those to have been first to its summit. Either way, its one for the pure climbers once again and will inevitably provide a GC showdown. Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard wins the Tour de France again - Los In 2022, both these climbs are going to make stage 11 one of the most important climbing days of the race. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. But as fascinating as its past may be, the Puy de Dme also marks another big, bang-up-to-date chapter in the ongoing Pogaar-Vingegaard duel for overall Tour supremacy as well. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole), Tour de France winner Denmarks Jonas Vingegaard, wearing the overall leaders yellow jersey, celebrates after the twenty-first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 115 kilometers (71.5 miles) with start in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and finish on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France, Sunday, July 23, 2023. Stage 14 brings four categorized ascents before a tricky downhill ride to the finish in Morzine. The critical section of this long ascent arrives at the village of Les Brevires, where the road rears up steeply to climb the rockface next to the Chevril dam for two kilometres. Due to migration of our website to a new platform, your password has been reset. Alpe dHuez is a figurehead in Tour de France history, home to some of the most iconic battles for the yellow jersey in history. Third and fourth on one of the toughest races is worth more coverage. Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc - Courchevel, 133.5km Jonas Vingegaard became the winner of the 109th Tour de France in 2022, beating defending champion Tadej Pogacar to become the first Danish winner of the event since Bjarne Riis in 1996.. Tour de France: A look at the main stages of the 2023 route - MSN Jonas Vingegaard defends title in 'amazing' Tour de France (Pascal Rossignol/Pool Photo via AP), Denmarks Jonas Vingegaard, wearing the overall leaders yellow jersey, rides in the pack during the twenty-first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 115 kilometers (71.5 miles) with start in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and finish on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France, Sunday, July 23, 2023. We will see the peloton take on two hors categorie climbs back-to-back on stage 11, starting with the historic Col du Galibier. You will receive a verification email shortly. It's a psychologically challenging climb, too, progressed via wide bends rather than hairpins that makes the climb appear less hard than it really is, and with few panoramic views for the riders to appreciate how far theyve climbed. The climb up to the finish is 16 kilometres in length with an average gradient of just 5.4%. Andthis much we know at least: on one of the Tours most emblematic summits and with one of the most prestigious stage wins of this years race at stake, neither Vingegaard nor Pogaar, the two top favourites, are likely to be holding back. Tour de France GC battle hots up with return of Puy de Dme - Stage 9 Bastille Day brings the return of the Col du Portet, first tackled in 2018 at the end of a 65km stage that began with the riders on an F1-style grid, Nairo Quintana the eventual victor as Geraint Thomas tightened his grip on the yellow jersey. Suddenly the Puy de Domes reputation as a leg-breaker gains more than a few percentage points. The next is the Col des Saisies, which is followed by a long drop to Beaufort, and consecutive ascents, first to the Col du Pr and, soon after, to the beautiful Cormet de Roselend. Weaving frenetically, the gradient changes constantly, sometimes dropping briefly to 5 per cent, the slope then jagging up to three times that figure the next moment. It only takes a glance back at the Tour de Frances recent history to see this: Chris Froome won his first Tour stage here back in 2012 and it was on theasphaltsections of this climb that Tadej Pogaar turned the tables on Primo Rogli in that dramatic penultimate stage time trial in 2020. Stage 20 report: Tadej Pogacar won the final mountain stage of the 2023 Tour de France to Le Markstein, as Jonas Vingegaard sealed back-to-back wins in the French race, barring accident or illness . Frenchman Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ) is determined to secure a stage win and expressed confidence in his chances on this stage after taking a slightly easier day on the Grand Colombier. The first three-quarters of the stage takes place in Pyrnes-Orientales, initially bumping through oak-clad hills from the Tech valley to the Tt and then climbing steadily through the Catalan Pyrenees Regional Park to the Monte de Mont-Louis, beyond which the road continues to rise to Font-Romeu, the site of Frances elite high-altitude training centre. The day gets under way in Muret, just to the south of Toulouse, the riders staying in the valleys for more than 100km until Bagnres-de-Luchon, the start town for that short 2018 stage. All rights reserved. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole, Pool), Denmarks Jonas Vingegaard, wearing the overall leaders yellow jersey, toasts champagne with teammates during the twenty-first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 115 kilometers (71.5 miles) with start in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and finish on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, France, Sunday, July 23, 2023. It will also be the last chance for the pure climbers to put in as much time as possible to the GC contenders who are more suited to time trials as the race finishes with a flat 40km race against the clock. From Fausto Coppis solo win in 1952, to Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMonds truce on the climb in 1986 when they crossed the line arm in arm, to Geraint Thomass emphatic win in 2018 when he became the first Welshman to win Le Tour, the climb is rich with stories. The queen stage of the Tour de France 2023 is Stage 17. Belgian cyclist Jordi Meeus prevailed in a photo finish between four riders on the line, just ahead of Jasper Philipsen, Dylan Groenewegen and Mads Pedersen. There are valuable points at stake to bolster his lead in the king of the mountains classification and prevent anyone taking thejersey from him. If the GC positions in the race havent already been decided by this point, the Hautacam could set the stage for an enthralling final mountain battle among the yellow jersey contenders. The 13.3km climb begins steadily, with an average. Previewing Stage 3: 2023 Tour de France Femmes, What Riders Eat for the Tour de France Femmes, Previewing Stage 2: 2023 Tour de France Femmes. As always, the organisers have thrown in some iconic climbs with stunning views and eye watering inclines, displaying some of the finest that France has to offer in terms of mountain passes. And then? Stage 1: Bilbao to Bilbao, 182km The 2023 Tour de France starts outside Bilbao's iconic Guggenheim Museum, and winds north to the Bay of Biscay coastline before returning to the city. Emerging above the tree line, the huge banks between the switchbacks make for a spectacular natural arena, with fans able to see a considerable distance down the climb, which tops out next to the ski station at 1,720m. Jonas Vingegaard climbed into a rock-solid lead in the Tour de France on Wednesday as his main rival Tadej Pogacar lost almost six minutes on the toughest climb on the 21 stages. Grand Colombier - Stage 13 Stage 13 heads into the Jurathe third of the five mountain ranges visited by the 2023 Tour de Francewith a summit finish on top of the hors catgorie Grand. There are valuable points at stake to bolster his lead in the king of the mountains classification and prevent anyone taking thejersey from him. The Tours final week opens with the races only individual time trial on a short (22km), hilly course from Passy to Combloux that looks designed for Vingegaard, Pogaar, and Evenepoel. Gall wins Tour de France 'Queen' stage in Alps; Vingegaard crushes We have to be careful not to do anything stupid, Vingegaard warned Saturday, but yeah, its amazing to take my second victory in the Tour de France.. This pass is the stepping stone to the 'roof' of the Tour, the riders dropping briefly away from it and then climbing again into Andorra and up to the Port dEnvalira, which tops out at 2,408m. Day after day, it was a super hard race with a super nice fight between me and Tadej. Can We Survive The Toughest Grand Tour Stage? - YouTube Finely poised for two-and-a-half weeks, this year's Tour de France was decided on two difficult days in the Alps - on Stage 16's time trial when Tadej Pogaar lost 1:38 minutes to . After 35 years off the grid, its safe to say the much-anticipated return of the Puy de Dme to the Tour de France this Sunday could hardly have come at a better time for the race. Denmarks Jonas Vingegaard, wearing the overall leaders yellow jersey, waits for the start of the twenty-first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 115 kilometers (71.5 miles) with start in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and finish on the Champs Elysees in Paris, France, Sunday, July 23, 2023. Vingegaard kept that lead and was able to celebrate early Sunday as organizers decided to take the times one lap before the finish when it started raining on the cobblestones of the Champs-lyses. Its the first real test of the race for the GC contenders and, while the race likely wont be won here, it could definitely be lost if a rider gunning for the overall has a bad day. Kevin Vermaerke. Tadej Pogacar: A life-changing moment captured in a photograph The final serious stage of the 2023 Tour de France before Sunday's procession to Paris is today's 133km ride from Belfort to Le Markstein ski . (AP Photo/Thibault Camus), Tour de France winner Denmarks Jonas Vingegaard, wearing the overall leaders yellow jersey, lifts his bicycle after the twenty-first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 115 kilometers (71.5 miles) with start in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and finish on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France, Sunday, July 23, 2023. Felix Gall claimed a dramatic queen stage of the Tour de France 2023, where Jonas Vingegaard cracked Tadej Pogacar to gain more than five and a half minutes on the Slovenian. Stage two is undoubtedly one for the puncheurs featuring many of the climbs associated with the Clasica San Sebastian. The 26-year-old Vingegaard drank champagne with his Jumbo-Visma teammates as they lined up together and posed for photos on the way to Paris. However, above Artigues, with 10km remaining to the top, the climb bares its teeth, the road steepening on the approach to La Mongie, then even more as it clambers through the ski resort to reach the final few kilometres up to the famous summit. The Granon averages a demanding 9.2% over 11.3km and has only been passed once by the Tour de France before in 1986. After another long descent, to Bourg-Saint-Maurice, the riders will start the 21-kilometre ascent to Tignes, which missed out on its stage finish in 2019 due to landslides during a violent mountain storm. Jumbo-Visma CEO Richard Plugge confirms Jonas Vingegaard's start at La Vuelta: "Normally he goes to Spain, with Primoz Roglic", Jose de Cauwer believes Pogacar & Vingegaard's yearly Tour de France battle may soon have a third wheel: "You have to add Evenepoel to that", "Jumbo-Visma is going with a mastodon of a team" - Patrick Lefevere reacts to Jonas Vingegaard's Vuelta a Espana announcement, The riders who scored the most Prize Money at the 2023 Tour de France - Jonas Vingegaard tops standings with 551.970, "If Primoz Roglic still wants a chance to win the Tour, he has to leave Jumbo-Visma" says Chris Horner, Eva van Agt conscious but taken to hospital after terrifying crash on slippery Tour de France Femmes descent, Tour de France Prize Money Team Distribution - Jumbo-Visma take biggest slice of the cake following Jonas Vingegaard victory, Sep Vanmarcke thinks Tadej Pogacar should focus on Tour de France: "Winning Ronde three more times will contribute less to his palmares than the Tour one more time", "You've got a little way to go before you start comparing him to the likes of Eddy Merckx" - Robbie McEwen cools talk of Vingegaard being of the all-time greats, Mikel Landa reacts to disappointing Tour de France: "I arrived with that fear and for many reasons it didn't go well", Jonas Vingegaard pays visit to Wout van Aert following Tour de France triumph, "Im sorry to have scared everyone" - Eva van Agt talks scary Tour de France Femmes crash, suffers concussion and some stitches, VIDEO: Matej Mohoric's emotional speech at Champs-Elyses, Preliminary startlist Vuelta a Castilla y Leon with Ayuso, Matthews, Fuglsang, Molano and Pozzovivo, Preliminary startlist Clasica San Sebastian 2023 with Evenepoel, Ayuso, Alaphilippe, Rodrguez, Ciccone, Landa and Simon Yates. With five categorized climbs jammed into just 133km, the racing will be intenseespecially if the time gaps between the riders atop the Tours GC are small. But just in case we dont, Stage 20 will settle things once and for all. Jonas Vingegaard to win Tour de France again as Pogacar takes stage 20. This is the first time the Hautacam has been included in the race since 2014 when Vincenzo Nibali took victory alone, over one minute ahead of home favourite Thibaut Pinot in second place. The descent is technical initially as the road zigzags down to Anys, then straighter and very fast on the final drop into the finish in the countrys capital, Andorra la Vella, where the group of GC favourites is likely to have been slimmed down to include just those with a realistic chance of victory in Paris. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus), Tour de France winner Denmarks Jonas Vingegaard, wearing the overall leaders yellow jersey, and his teammates cross the finish line of the twenty-first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 115 kilometers (71.5 miles) with start in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and finish on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France, Sunday, July 23, 2023. 1966 Tour winner Lucien Aimar has said the police motorbike following him down this road in the 1967 clocked 140km/h on one section. This year, the Tour de France route isnt particularly weighted in favour of a specific type of general classification rider. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus), The pack speeds down Champs-Elysees avenue as the Arc de Triomphe is seen in the background during the twenty-first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 115 kilometers (71.5 miles) with start in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and finish on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France, Sunday, July 23, 2023. Subscribe to receive a weekly compliment of quality writing and photography, the Desire Edit, full to the brim with the cool products of the moment and the latest promotions from our store. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus), Tour de France winner Denmarks Jonas Vingegaard, wearing the overall leaders yellow jersey, second placed Slovenias Tadej Pogacar, left, and third placed Britains Adam Yates, right, celebrate on the podium after the last stage in Paris, France, Sunday, July 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole), Teammates congratulate Tour de France winner Denmarks Jonas Vingegaard, wearing the overall leaders yellow jersey, after the twenty-first stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 115 kilometers (71.5 miles) with start in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines and finish on the Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, France, Sunday, July 23, 2023. The descent is fast on a well-surfaced and, for the most part, wide road that will send the riders hurtling down through Barges to Luz-Saint-Sauveur in the valley bottom. In stark contrast to yesterdays visit to the Jura Mountains, which featured just the one climb, this stage in the Chablais region of the Alps has a total of four mountains ranked either hors or one category, more than any other stage in the Tour. Its worth remembering that while the Puys official average gradient of 7.8% doesnt sound too bad, thats because, in one Hors Categorie-classified climb,the organisers have actually included two ascents and a short, easier 3.6-kilometre section between the two. The 110th edition of the Tour de France will get underway in Bilbao in 2023 before wrapping up three weeks later in Paris. The decision invited the sprinters to fight for the stage victory the only remaining uncertainty. The gradient is much more severe over the final 6km to the summit, from which the riders will drop down the western flank of the mountain. Cyclingnews is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Victory was the Dutch team's 49th of 2023 . Vitoria-Gasteiz - San Sebastian, 182.4km With a Cycling Weekly subscription you can improve your performance with our expert practical, nutritional and training tips, Every week get exclusive interviews, fitness tips and product reviews. As he is no longer in contention for the GC battle, the team will likely shift their tactics towards pursuing stage wins, and OConnor has the potential to leave his mark on the race by securing another stage win in the Alps, having done so in 2021. He has the climbing abilities, he just needs to remain composed and take a level-headed approach to succeed something that hasn't been his forte. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole). Stage 3/July 3: Amorebieta-Etxano-Bayonne (120 miles) Flat Neutralized Start: 7 a.m. It vows to stay in Florida, Exclusive: Kroger and Albertsons CEOs give details on controversial $25 billion merger, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Garmin Edge 1040 Solar vs Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar - can a smartwatch trump a bike computer for cyclists? Week one: From the Basque Country to the Puy du Dome (Image credit: ASO) The 2023 Tour begins in the Basque Country, 31 years on from the 1992 Grand Dpart in San Sebastian, when Miguel. Another rider who will be keen to get in the break will be, (Lidl-Trek) if he has recovered from his crash on Thursday. Many of the riders in the bunch will know this climb well from training rides around their homes in Andorra, and many others will have tackled it in the Vuelta a Espaa, most recently in 2018, when it featured twice on the penultimate stage, when Simon Yates sealed overall victory. Tour de France 2023 stages: How far riders cycle, longest stage It will be important that riders time their efforts correctly, as they could pay the price for early attacks later on in the stage.