TYour guide for the 2023 Tour de France
The 110th Tour de France will set off from Bilbao in the Basque country on Saturday, July 1, and reach Paris on Sunday, July 23, after 21 stages over three weeks, pitting the best riders in the professional peloton against each other. Get ready for the world's greatest race with Bicycles Quilicot's in-house guide to the event ;)
The big departure in the Basque Country, a land of cycling enthusiasts
The Tour de France is set to set the roads of the Basque Country ablaze at its grand start in Bilbao in 2023. The Basque Country, cradle of a deep-rooted cycling culture , has enthusiastically welcomed the Tour in the past (most recently in 2018, but the most memorable event remains the start from San Sebastian in 1992), leaving its mark on the minds of all enthusiasts. It was here, in this wonderful land of cycling, that the Euskaltel Euskadi team emerged and thrilled the public in the 2000s. With their famous orange jerseys, Euskaltel-Euskadi played a leading role in training and anchoring cycling in Basque culture, giving rise to iconic riders such as Iban Mayo and Haimar Zubeldia, who shone on the roads of the Tour and left an indelible mark on the region's sporting history.
A tour of the Basque roads shows why cycling is such an important part of the local sporting culture. The region's roads are a real delight for cyclists . Surrounded by picturesque landscapes, they offer impeccable quality (especially on the Spanish side) and are not very busy, allowing cycling enthusiasts to get away from it all. In the hinterland, cyclists can travel for miles without encountering a single car, letting themselves be carried away by the beauty of the surroundings and the serenity of these unspoilt paths. What also sets the Basque Country apart is the variety of cycling activities on offer . Road and gravel bike enthusiasts can set off on winding, exhilarating routes, passing through charming villages and exploring the rugged coastline of the Atlantic Ocean, while mountain bikers will find an exceptional playground here, with some of the most renowned cross-country, trail and downhill trails in Europe.
The 2023 route
With the Tour de France 2023 starting in the Basque Country, the riders will be offered hilly courses early on in the race . Some time ago, the tradition was to offer riders a first week of mainly flat stages, but in recent years the Tour's organization has tended to offer more "nervous" first weeks, with punchy routes and first climbs very early in the race. And we don't mind! These more dynamic stages promote spectacle , offer twists and turns very early on in the three-week race, and can even feature surprises that will keep the public on the edge of their seats right up to the end of the Tour. This was the case in 2019 with Julian Alaphilippe, who wore the yellow jersey until the very end of the Tour de France, carrying with him all the hopes of the French public, taking advantage of a similar first week to get ahead of the favorites before surprising everyone by hanging on magnificently during the high-mountain stages.
This year, the first two stages in the Basque country will feature medium-mountain routes, and the high mountains will make their arrival on stage 5 between Pau and Laruns in the Pyrenees. This 2023 edition will focus on the Alps , with a series of magnificent stages between the second and third weeks of the race, and finishes whose names are already the stuff of dreams for race fans: the summit of the Grand Colombier, Morzine, Saint-Gervais and Courchevel. Another small surprise on the route is the finish at the summit of Le Markstein in the Vosges mountains, the day before the finish in Paris , which could reshuffle the cards one last time for the final victory. It's worth noting the very low mileage of this year's time trials, with just one short 22km stage between Passy and Combloux in the middle of the Alpine crossing. This will be a real treat for riders who are not very comfortable in time trials, and who are not likely to be significantly behind the specialists at the end of this stage.
The main riders to follow this year
The battle for the yellow jersey (overall victory in the Tour de France) is already shaping up as a duel between Danish titleholder Jonas Vingegaard and Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, 2nd last year and winner of the 2020 and 2021 editions . Vingegaard impressed the world by winning with ease the Critérium du Dauphiné in early June, a week-long race in the French Alps that traditionally serves as a springboard for riders before the Tour de France. Pogacar was absent, busy nursing a fractured wrist sustained in a crash at the Liège-Bastogne-Liège classic in the spring, leaving some doubt as to whether he'll be fit for the start of the Tour. But Pogacar has an exceptional intrinsic level, as demonstrated by his sparkling start to the season, the symbol of which was a treble in the classics (Tour of Flanders, Amstel Gold Race and Flèche Wallonne). There's no doubt, then, that Pogacar could have what it takes to topple Vingegaard.
Other riders to watch for the general classification include Spaniards
Enric Mas and Mikel Landa
, Australian
Jai Hindley
, and Ecuadorian
Richard Carapaz
.
David Gaudu and Romain Bardet
will carry the hopes of the French public, while
Thibaut Pinot
(who has long been touted as a potential winner and will be taking part in his last Tour) has a role within his team that has yet to be defined: will he ride in support of his leader David Gaudu, or will he play his personal card for stage wins or even the polka-dot jersey?
Nor will we miss Wout Van Aert , who was fantastic last year, winning 3 stages. He shouldn't have any ambitions in the general classification, as he's a regular in Vingegaard's team, but he can win on any terrain, as he's shown in the past, and is the overwhelming favourite for the green jersey in the points classification. Mountains, time trials, sprints... He knows no limits! Mathieu Van der Poel and Julian Alaphilippe , who have roughly the same profile, are also to be followed in breakaways and on all terrains. As for the sprinters, we'll be watching the performances of Belgian Jasper Philipsen , Dutchmen Fabio Jakobsen and Dylan Groenewegen , and Dane Mads Pedersen . On the Canadian side, only Michael Woods (Israel Premier-Tech team) is confirmed to date. After Hugo Houle's fabulous victory last year, we hope that Canada will be in the spotlight again in 2023 ;)
The best moment of last year's edition now on Netflix
For all cycling enthusiasts and those curious to discover the fascinating world of the Tour de France, we have some excellent news. The new series "Tour de France: unchained" has just been released on Netflix , offering viewers an immersive dive into the best moments of the 2022 edition. This exciting series is a real treasure trove for those who want to immerse themselves in the atmosphere and experience the most thrilling moments of the race, but also for those who want to discover or rediscover the magic of the Tour de France. "Tour de France: unchained" takes you behind the scenes of the legendary race, allowing you to experience the intensity of the stages, the teams' strategies, the riders' exploits and the emotions that unfold at every moment. This series takes you right to the heart of the action, letting you feel all the adrenalin and passion that drive the peloton. And for those less familiar with the Tour de France, it's an excellent introduction to the world of professional cycling . You'll discover what's at stake in the race, the rivalries between and within teams, the tactics used by the riders, and the sacrifices they make to achieve their goals.
So get ready to immerse yourself in the world of the Tour de France with "Tour de France: unchained" on Netflix!
Equip yourself like the pro riders with Bicycles Quilicot
Are you dreaming of professional racers and their cutting-edge equipment? At Bicycles Quilicot, you can equip yourself like the pros you see on TV ! You'll find prestigious bike brands that you'll see on the Tour, such as BMC , which equips the AG2R-Citroën team, Specialized , associated with Bora-Hansgrohe, Total-Energie and Quick-Step Soudal, and Bianchi , partner of the Arkea-Samsic team. The peloton's star bike brand is often Pinarello , which equips the Ineos-Grenadiers team: the Italian manufacturer has won the Tour de France no fewer than 15 times, a record by far! And just as well, the most victorious bike brand in Tour history is available in our stores and online ;)
But we don't stop at bikes. We also offer you a wide range of equipment brands worn by professionals, such as Oakley eyewear, a favorite of many racers, offering style and protection during your outings, as well as helmet brands such as Kask and Poc , combining design and comfort on the roads, and shoes such as Sidi , Fizik or Shimano , for optimum performance with every pedal stroke. With these renowned brands, tried and tested by the world's best riders, you can not only equip yourself like they do, but also benefit from the quality and expertise that goes with them.
Can't wait to get started? Keep this guide at your fingertips and get ready to follow the riders' exploits!
And if you're dreaming of cycling equipment for the peloton, store now for road bikes and accessories in our online store ;)
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