tour de france rest days

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TOTAL: 3492 km

This will be the first Grand Départ in Italy and the 26th that’s taken place abroad  First finale in Nice. Due to the Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place in Paris, the race will not finish in the French capital for the first time.

Two time trials. 25 + 34 = 59km in total, the second of them taking place on the final Monaco>Nice stage. This will be the first time the race has seen a finale of this type for 35 years, the last occasion being the famous Fignon - LeMond duel in 1989.

Apennines (Italy), the Italian and French Alps, Massif Central and Pyrenees will be the mountain ranges on the 2024 Tour route.

The number of countries visited in 2024: Italy, San Marino, Monaco and France. Within France, the race will pass through 7 Regions and 30 departments.

The number of bonus points 8, 5 and 2 bonus seconds go to the first three classified riders, featuring at strategic points along the route (subject to approval by the International Cycling Union)these will have no effect on the points classification. Bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds will be awarded to the first three classified riders at road stage finishes.

Out of a total of 39, the locations or stage towns that are appearing on the Tour map for the first time . In order of appearance: Florence, Rimini, Cesenatico, Bologna, Piacenza, Saint-Vulbas, Gevrey-Chambertin, Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, Évaux-les-Bains, Gruissan, Superdévoluy, Col de la Couillole.

The number of sectors on white roads during stage nine, amounting to 32km in total .

The number of stages: 8 flat, 4 hilly, 7 mountain (with 4 summit finishes at Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet, Plateau de Beille, Isola 2000, Col de la Couillole), 2 time trials and 2 rest days.

The number of riders who will line up at the start of the Tour, divided into 22 teams of 8 riders each.

The height of the summit of the Bonette pass in the Alps, the highest tarmac road in France, which will be the “roof” of the 2024 Tour.

The total vertical gain during the 2024 Tour de France.

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Tour de france 2022 schedule: start time, stages, length, dates, how to watch live stream, route, tv coverage, highlights.

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The 2022 Tour de France begins on Friday, July 1 through Sunday, July 24 across the networks of NBC, USA Network, and Peacock. This year’s cycling event features nine new sites and stages indicated with an asterisk in the schedule below.

RELATED: 2022 Tour de France TV, live stream schedule

Additionally, there will be two individual time trials in this year’s Tour marking the first time since 2017 that the event begins with an individual time trial and the third straight year with one on the penultimate Tour stage. See below to find out more information including how to watch, stages, the complete schedule, and more.

RELATED: 2022 Tour de France standings

2022 Tour de France Key Information

When is the 2022 tour de france what time does coverage start.

The 2022 Tour de France will take place from July 1-July 24. Coverage of stage 1 begins at 9:30 a.m. ET on Peacock and USA Network.

How can I watch the 2022 Tour de France?

Stream all 21 stages of the 2022 Tour de France from start to finish, or watch on-demand on NBC, USA, and Peacock . All NBC and USA coverage also streams on NBCSports.com/live and the NBC Sports app. Click here for the full broadcast schedule .

RELATED: Tour de France Stage 12 yellow jersey ceremony

How long is the Tour de France 2022?

The 2022 Tour de France is 24 days long. There will be one stage contested per day and three rest days. The first rest day is on July 4 (between stages 3 & 4), the second will be on July 11 (between stages 9 & 10), and the final rest day will be on July 18 (between stages 15 & 16).

How many riders are in the Tour?

There will be a total of 176 riders. There will be 22 teams with 8 riders per team.

RELATED: 2022 Tour de France: Cyclists to watch

How many stages is the Tour de France?

There are 21 stages: 6 flat, 7 hilly, 6 mountain stages, and 2 individual time trials.

What is the 2022 Tour de France schedule and route?

Click here to see the full map.

RELATED: 2022 Tour de France route - stage profiles, previews, start, finish times

How many miles is the 2022 Tour de France?

A total of 3,346.5 km (approximately 2,079.4 miles) is the distance expected to be covered in this year’s Tour.

Previous Tour de France Winners

2021 - Tadej Pogacar

2020 - Tadej Pogacar

2019 - Egan Bernal

2018 - Geraint Thomas

2017 - Chris Froome

2016 - Chris Froome

2015 - Chris Froome

2014 - Vincenzo Nibali

2013 - Chris Froome

2012 - Bradley Wiggins

2011 - Cadel Evans

2010 - Andy Schleck

WATCH: All episodes of ‘In the Saddle’

Be sure to follow OlympicTalk for the latest news, storylines, and updates on the 2022 Tour de France!

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What do pro riders do on Tour de France rest days?

First Published Jul 10, 2023

“No such thing as a rest day,” Team Qhubeka NextHash tweeted during a recent Tour de France. That’s right, after suffering over several back-to-back stages the riders might get a well-deserved day off from the racing itself, but you can’t get the pro riders off their bikes.

🇨🇵 #TdF2021 No such thing as a rest day! #BicyclesChangeLives 🖐️ pic.twitter.com/tWFOVcobFa — Team Qhubeka NextHash (@QhubekaAssos) July 5, 2021

There are usually two rest days in a three-week Grand Tour – although last year's Tour de France was a little different because the organisers chucked in an extra one to allow for travel back from the Grand Depart in Denmark. The 2023 Tour de France has rest days today and next Monday (17th July)

Pro riders are packing in active recovery rides to stretch out their legs, but it’s not just that on the rest day to-do list. Refuelling, scouting out the next stage, dealing with journalists, sponsor duties, a lot is going on. Okay, there are lie-ins and massages to enjoy too, but a rest day isn't just a full day of relaxing and lazing about.

That said, there is still a significant reduction in the intensity and the volume of exercise on rest days... because all the other days are even crazier!

Let’s have a look at how much easier the pro riders took on a rest day a couple of years ago, and how much recovery they needed.

The EF Education Nippo team – now EF Education-EasyPost – partnered with Whoop for insights into personalised biometrics including heart rate variability, resting heart rate, respiratory rate and sleep performance, to optimise recovery for each rider in the team.

“We’ve been able to measure training load for years now, but that is only four to five hours of the day. Whoop gives us insight into the other 20 hours of the day. Individually, riders have been able to make changes to their routines and prioritise recovery in a data-driven, actionable manner,” said Kevin Sprouse, the head of medicine at EF Education Nippo.

The graph above shows the data Whoop collection for the EF Education team across the first nine stages of the 2021 Tour and into day 10, the rest day.

Looking at the blue top line first, the day strain was really high – day strain is on a scale from zero to 21, and it measures the total cardiovascular load experienced across the day – hitting over 20 for six of the stages, all of which had over 1,600 metres of climbing, whereas on the recovery day this dropped down significantly to 13.2.

Now taking a look at the recovery percentage, after accumulating 546km with 10,969 metres of climbing in the legs across the three days before the rest day, that red 28% on the day off racing says it all—that recovery day was definitely needed.

To dip to that lower day strain doesn't mean not riding at all though. To spin out the legs, the Jumbo-Visma lads for example headed out for a two-hour ride in Tignes on the first rest day of 2021’s Tour. Wout van Aert clocked an average speed of 33.5km/h (20.8mph) for a 42km (26 mile) spin with 474m of climbing.

Teammate Mike Teunissen uploaded his ride to Strava too but in his case complete with heart rate data and power readings. Across the ride, he had an average heart rate of 82bpm and a max of 118bpm. He averaged 130 watts, with one 20-minute block sitting around the 235-watt mark.

> 8 things you didn’t know about Strava — advanced features for exploring and performance analysis

“What’s the furthest you’ve ridden on a ‘Rest Day’?,” Ineos Grenadiers tweeted, along with pictures of the team heading out for their ride.

What's the furthest you've ridden on a 'Rest Day'? A ride out for the guys this morning in Tignes. Keeping those legs turning #TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/iuUiXxsVwo — INEOS Grenadiers (@INEOSGrenadiers) July 5, 2021

A better question might have been, “what’s the most climbing you’ve packed into on a rest day ride” though, as Dylan van Baarle squeezed around 600 metres into his 24km (15 miles).

At least Geraint Thomas – who isn't racing the Tour in 2023, of course – managed a lie-in first.

Standard #TDF2021 rest day: Lie in 😴 Spin with the boys 😎 Record Watts Occurring with Luke 🎙 Snooze 💤 Dinner 🍚 Bed 🛌 Back at it tomorrow 💪 pic.twitter.com/BWngqeJxaS — Geraint Thomas (@GeraintThomas86) July 5, 2021

And he had another snooze after recording his Watts Occurring podcast with teammate Luke Rowe.

The riders are also having fun testing unreleased shiny kit from their sponsors while stretching their legs on the bike.

Michael Woods of Israel Start-Up Nation – now called Israel – Premier Tech – was spotted riding a new solid five-spoke disc brake wheel with shallow rims from Factor Bike’s in-house brand Black Inc.

          View this post on Instagram                       A post shared by Rick Zabel (@rickzabel)

There’s no point trying to look out for these wheels in the Tour de France peloton though as UCI regulations do not permit their use in group competition.

Physical as well as mental recovery is needed though, and food can play a role in both of these areas.

The day before the rest day, the Trek-Segafredo team – now called Lidl-Trek – were treated to burgers and chips, “Tour style, of course” as a rest day tradition.

It’s a rest day tradition: 🍔and🍟Tour style, of course. #TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/TY6Rc4Qh9K — Trek-Segafredo (@TrekSegafredo) July 4, 2021

They nommed a healthy version, consisting of fresh bread, meat with 5% fat, fresh tomatoes, avocado and low-fat cheese, with some salad and roast potato on the side.

Also notably, instead of mayo, ketchup or regular sauce, they had beetroot mousse as studies have shown that beetroot has the potential to reduce muscle pain and inflammation if eaten post-workout.

> How to maximise your recovery and build your fitness

“It’s feeding their body after a hard day and also giving them something for the mind is quite important,” the team’s chef shared in a video on Twitter.

Then there are sponsor shout-out duties to fulfil too, showing you’re putting released sponsored products to good use.

This time Israel Start-Up Nation’s Michael Woods was filmed having SpiderTech's kinesiology tape applied to his legs for aiding recovery.

"To have @SpiderTech as a sponsor is such an advantage for us!" Find out how @rusty_woods is recovering from the last two hard days in the mountains on the first rest day of #TDF2021 pic.twitter.com/3saWW11CEt — Israel Start-Up Nation / Israel Cycling Academy (@TeamIsraelSUN) July 5, 2021

In the video posted on Twitter, Wood says: “I wear it quite often, particularly because I have knee issues.

“I call it my five-hour ache; after about five hours of riding I often get a bit of pain in the patellar tendon particularly and so I really find the Spider Tech knee tape really helps for that.

“We’re doing both legs today because it’s a recovery day and I really shocked the system the last two days in the mountains.

“It was really challenging hard racing and it was also challenging conditions with the rain, and I find that this lymphatic stuff really helps with reducing inflammation—it just gets you feeling a bit better.”

As well as stretching the legs on the bike, there are some serious tools for helping out the muscles.

Dorian Godon of AG2R Citroen was having a “little bit of rest”, while the team's physiotherapists worked some magic with EME’s Polyter Evo.

🇫🇷 @LeTour Un peu de repos bien mérité. A little bit of rest. #AG2RCITROËNTEAM #RoulonsAutrement #RideDifferently - © Vincent Curutchet pic.twitter.com/5Bn7OhYsiX — AG2R CITROËN TEAM (@AG2RCITROENTEAM) July 5, 2021

AG2R says the portable device is mainly used for recovery sessions.

Last but not least, there are journalists like us, ruining the relaxation by pestering the riders for answers to questions.

Enric Mas and Miguel Ángel López carried out this duty for Team Movistar in a live-streamed press conference as part of their rest day.

What are your plans for today’s “rest day” as you recover from watching the thrilling racing?

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10 comments.

The kinesiology tape is hilarious. There's no plausible physiological mechanism behind it, and - consistent with that - never any scientific result to show any difference to it (besides placebo effects).

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That's what I said to the physio when she taped me up and yet my pain was reduced in my trip home.

The placebo effect is quite real. Your head will perceive differences/benefits when it wants to, or expects it should.

This stuff is "placebo tape".

I don't understand your point. You seem to be disparaging the tape for being physiologically pointless. But if the placebo effect is quite real, then it is still beneficial, no? From a non-scientist.   

quiff wrote: I don't understand your point. You seem to be disparaging the tape for being physiologically pointless. But if the placebo effect is quite real, then it is still beneficial, no? From a non-scientist.   

Fair observation. Here's the problem:

1. There are cheaper placebos out there.

2. The riders and/or the team and/or the team "physiologist" may well be getting sponsored to have the rider out with these things visible on global television. So, it's not that they're getting a placebo benefit that bothers me, but that they may be getting a financial benefit out of helping to legitimise and sell rubbish to the public.

Fair enough. But if there's a benefit (even if only placebo), then they're not selling rubbish to the public.

My understanding is that the placebo effect is observable even when people know they've been given a placebo. Given that premise, I wonder if anyone has ever (successfully) transparently marketed a commercial product as placebo, e.g. " there is no evidence this tape produces physiological benefits, but 9/10 customers said it made them feel better "  

You can explain what went on then. My mindset was this was not going to do anything being a basic sceptic and expecting the worst, yet it had a positive outcome.

I think it also depends on the problem and the physio's knowledge and ability.

Hirsute wrote: You can explain what went on then. My mindset was this was not going to do anything being a basic sceptic and expecting the worst, yet it had a positive outcome. I think it also depends on the problem and the physio's knowledge and ability.

Yes. I have had injuries where I have had muscles or joints want to move in way they should not. Alongside physiotherapy, using kinesiology tape has help keep everything in place allowing freedom of movement where I otherwise could not rebuild strength. My wife also suffers from chronic illness which affects her musculoskeletal system leaving her very susceptible to repeated injury and joint weakness. She has used it many times and has given her the ability to just function and get through the day when otherwise she would be bedridden. 

I am also lucky to have a mother-in-law who has worked with (amongst others) GB Archery and Equestrian Teams (both human and equine patients) Including at the 2004 Athens Paralympics, and the Oxford Rowing Team. Her knowledge of biomechanics is absolutely mind blowing.

It's not a magic performance pill. It is there to prevent the worsening, and allowing the healing, of certain injuries whilst allowing you to remain active. 

Pogacar is wearing it on the wrist he broke, because if he didn't, he would be in one hall of a lot of pain where the pressure is applied to the healing fracture, and the surrounding muscles which may have weakened in that time.

It's witchcraft.  I know it's witchcraft.  I have shonky knees (two lots of cartillage removed from one, plus a fight with a car) and when it hurts  (it's always 'when' rather than 'if') I stick some tape on and forget about it - it stays on for about 5 days at a time - it stops hurting fairly quickly. 

I've done a lot of 'keep it until it gets better' and it doesn't.  I got to the point when I was sure I was going to have to go and see a man with a knife again, but thought I'd give it another go - that was about a year ago.  It's good and bad - when I have a relapse, I put some tape on for a couple of weeks and it sorts itself out.  The pain goes fairly quickly and it stabilises over those few weeks.

About 10 weeks without at the moment, but it's grumbling again....

I have no idea how or why it works, especially with a knee.  I don't even bother with the full KT tape knee construction any more - just a strip under my knee cap with a curl upwards on the inside...

> There's no plausible physiological mechanism behind it

sometimes it's "No plausible physiological mechanism found so far"

> besides placebo effects

and alone placebo effect is better than NO placebo effect because it's not a doping

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Tour de France won’t finish in Paris for first time in more than a century because of the Olympics

This photo provided by the Tour de France organizer ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation) shows the roadmap of the men’s 2024 Tour de France cycling race. The race will start in Florence, Italy, on June 29, 2024, to end in Nice, southern France on July 21, 2024. (ASO via AP)

This photo provided by the Tour de France organizer ASO (Amaury Sport Organisation) shows the roadmap of the women’s 2024 Tour de France cycling race. The race will start in Rotterdam, Netherlands, on Aug. 12 2024 to end in Alps d’Huez, French Alps, on Aug. 18, 2024. (ASO via AP)

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PARIS (AP) — The final stage of next year’s Tour de France will be held outside Paris for the first time since 1905 because of a clash with the Olympics, moving instead to the French Riviera.

Because of security and logistical reasons, the French capital won’t have its traditional Tour finish on the Champs-Elysees. The race will instead conclude in Nice on July 21. Just five days later, Paris will open the Olympics.

The race will start in Italy for the first time with a stage that includes more than 3,600 meters of climbing. High mountains will be on the 2024 schedule as soon as the fourth day in a race that features two individual time trials and four summit finishes.

There are a total of seven mountain stages on the program, across four mountain ranges, according to the route released Wednesday.

The race will kick off in the Italian city of Florence on June 29 and will take riders to Rimini through a series of hills and climbs in the regions of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna. That tricky start could set the scene for the first skirmishes between the main contenders.

Riders will first cross the Alps during Stage 4, when they will tackle the 2,642-meter Col du Galibier.

“The Tour peloton has never climbed so high, so early,” Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme said.

And it will just be just a taste of what’s to come since the total vertical gain of the 111th edition of the Tour reaches 52,230 meters.

The next big moment for two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard and his rivals will be Stage 7 for the first time trial in the Bourgogne vineyards. The first rest day will then come after a stage in Champagne presenting several sectors on white gravel roads for a total of 32 kilometers that usually provide for spectacular racing in the dust.

Tour riders will then head south to the Massif Central and the Pyrenees, then return to the Alps for a pair of massive stages with hilltop finishes, at the Isola 2000 ski resort then the Col de la Couillole, a 15.7-kilometer (9.7-mile) ascent at an average gradient of 7.1%.

There should be suspense right until the very end because the last stage, traditionally a victory parade in Paris for the race leader until the final sprint takes shape, will be a 34-kilometer (21.1-mile) time trial between Monaco and Nice.

“Everyone remembers the last occasion the Tour finished with a time trial, when Greg LeMond stripped the yellow jersey from the shoulders of Laurent Fignon on the Champs-Elysees in 1989, by just eight seconds,” Prudhommne said. “Thirty-five years later, we can but dream of a similar duel.”

There are eight flat stages for the sprinters, leaving plenty of opportunities for Mark Cavendish to try to become the outright record-holder for most career stage wins at the sport’s biggest race.

The route for the third edition of the women’s Tour will take the peloton from the Dutch city of Rotterdam, starting Aug. 12, to the Alpe d’Huez resort. The race will feature eight stages and a total of 946 kilometers.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/sports

Flying Pogacar takes fresh momentum into Tour de France rest day

Cycling - Tour de France - Stage 9 - Saint-Leonard-De-Noblat to Puy De Dome - France - July 9, 2023 UAE Team Emirates' Tadej Pogacar in action during stage 9 REUTERS/Benoit Tessier Acquire Licensing Rights

ORCINES, France, July 9 (Reuters) - Four days ago Tadej Pogacar looked glued to the road as defending great rival Jonas Vingegaard dropped him in the Pyrenees but it has been a completely different affair since as the Slovenian almost closed the gap with the Tour de France overall leader on Sunday.

The 24-year-old attacked on the steepest part of the 13.3km ascent to the Puy de Dome, a climb that contributed to the Tour's legend, and dropped the Danish rider to narrow Vingegaard's lead to 17 seconds on the eve of the first rest day.

It was the second time after his misfortune on the Col de Marie Blanque that Pogacar regained some ground, having already left Vingegaard behind in the ascent to Cauterets-Cambasque on Thursday.

"It's not a victory but a small victory," said Pogacar, who finished eight seconds ahead the Jumbo Visma team leader.

Michael Woods of Canada won the 182.5km ninth stage from the day's breakaway more than eight minutes ahead.

Although he has admitted fearing the heat, Pogacar looked almost effortless as temperatures reached 32 degrees Celsius on the slopes of the Puy de Dome.

"It was a relaxed day until the last climb. I could immediately feel that my legs were good but I kept it for the last 1.5km just in case," the UAE Emirates rider said.

TOWERING PEAK

It was with the towering peak in sight that Pogacar attacked from a small group of top guns and only Vingegaard could follow before losing his slipstream, crouched on his bike.

"When I attacked I could see his shadow and could see he was sprinting full gas so I pushed more and more until I dropped him and continued my effort until the finish line," said Pogacar.

The last four km were raced in near silence as fans and team cars were not allowed, which made for an eerie atmosphere, and Pogacar would have preferred being cheered up to the top.

"It would have been good to have spectators but it was still super, super nice," he said.

Pogacar had a brief moment of doubt but his body told me Sunday was his day.

"I was a bit scared because the guys (sports directors) were telling me it's so hard, it's so steep, but actually it did not seem too steep, we were flying uphill today," he said.

Monday is the first rest day of the Tour de France, in Clermont Ferrand.

Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Ken Ferris

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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How Many Rest Days in the 2023 Tour de France?

The Tour de France is a three-week long race comprising 21 stages with a total distance of around 3,500km (2,188 miles). Racing for three weeks takes a heavy toll on the body, even for professional cyclists.

Hence, the need for rest days. The rest day is the day where there is no racing at the Tour de France.

Rest days at the 2023 Tour de France

In 2023, there will be two rest days. The first rest day is after Stage 9 on 10 July , and the second is after Stage 15 on 17 July . Both rest days are on a Monday.

Since 1999, there have been two rest days on Mondays in week two and week three. The rest days are preceded by a hard mountain stage on the prior day (Sunday) to allow the riders to rest and recover. In 2022, there are two rest days and a transfer day for the teams to transfer between Sønderborg, Denmark, and Dunkirk, France.

The rest days of the Tour de France started in 1934 with three days. The most number of rest days is 6 in 1936, 1937 and 1938. The last time the Tour de France didn’t have a rest day was in 1970. Since 1970, there have been either one or two rest days.

Fun fact : All three Grand Tours in 2022 will have two rest days and a transfer day as the race starts from outside the home country.

What do the riders do on a rest day?

Although the is no racing, the riders still go out for an easy, recovery ride . After the ride, the riders will get their daily massage, refuel and relax for the rest of the day. For those nursing an injury, it’s also a time to recover and visit a doctor if needed.

Depending on their fatigue levels, the recovery ride can be anywhere between one to two hours long under very low intensity. One of the main reasons to do the ride is for recovery and to keep the body going.

In recent years, the stages following the rest days are usually ridden at a harder pace, and riders who haven’t ridden on the rest day would usually struggle to keep up.

Rest days at Tour de France, 1933 to present

Tour de france past winners.

Tour de France Climber’s Classification Winners, 1933-2022

Tour de France Team Classification Winners, 1930-2022

Tour de France Young Rider Classification Winners, 1975-2022

Who Has the Most Tour de France Stage Wins?

Who is the Tour de France Lanterne Rouge?

Who Won the Tour de France Green Jersey?

Who won the Tour de France Yellow Jersey?

Alex Lee is the founder and editor-at-large of Mr. Mamil. Coming from a professional engineering background, he breaks down technical cycling nuances into an easy-to-understand and digestible format here.

He has been riding road bikes actively for the past 12 years and started racing competitively in the senior category during the summer recently.

Mr. Mamil's content is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The content is not a substitute for official or professional advice. Please do your own due diligence.

Mr. Mamil participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. We also participate in various other affiliate programs, and at times we earn a commission through purchases made through links on this website.

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Tour de France

The riders of the tour de france arrived in brittany last night and today on their rest day they get to go for an easy ride and fill their days with press conferences. with little else going on today, here are some news shorts courtesy of afp: teams gather in….

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The riders of the Tour de France arrived in Brittany last night and today on their rest day they get to go for an easy ride and fill their days with press conferences. With little else going on today, here are some news shorts courtesy of AFP:

Teams gather in Brittany

Immediately after the finish of the ninth stage of this year’s Tour in the Pyrenees, the remaining members of the peloton headed straight for Tarbes airport to catch flights to Nantes and Saint-Nazaire. There they were due to spend the first rest day of this year’s race — a welcome one at that after a gruelling last nine days — before returning to the roads on Tuesday at Saint-Gildas-des-Bois. Meanwhile, other team officials and journalists had little choice but to travel the near 700 kilometres north by road.

Top of the class

France’s leading sports daily L’Equipe awarded the riders 20 out of 10 for their performance on what was described as a “crazy” stage nine on Sunday and for agreeing to donate all prize money earned on the day to the victims of the recent flooding in the nearby departments of Haute-Garonne and Hautes-Pyrenees. Each team also agreed to donate a shirt signed by all of their riders to be auctioned off in order to help the relief effort. That move brought praise from the French president Francois Hollande, who was in the Pyrenees to attend Sunday’s stage.

Absalon takes on Tour challenge

France’s two-time Olympic gold-medal winning mountain-biking star Julien Absalon came in second place on Sunday in the 21st edition of the Etape du Tour, an annual event which allows cycling lovers to challenge themselves along a stage of the Tour de France. In this case, 11,475 riders took on the 130 kilometres from Annecy to Annecy-Semnoz, which will welcome the 20th stage of the Tour itself. Absalon came home behind Nicolas Roux, who also won last year’s edition of the race, while other sporting celebrities such as former Formula One driver Alain Prost and Nordic Combined ski star Jason Lamy-Chappuis also took part.

Schleck linked to Astana move

Luxembourg’s Frank Schleck, the brother of former Tour winner Andy, has been linked with a move to Kazakh outfit Astana. The elder Schleck was dumped by his team RadioShack last week, just days before completing a suspension for using a banned diuretic, in a move that angered his brother. L’Equipe reported on Monday that Astana have offered Franck a deal for the remainder of this year with an option to team up with Andy in 2014. Astana have already lost three riders from this year’s Tour, with Janez Brajkovic, Fredrik Kessiakoff and Andrey Kashechkin all having pulled out.

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The Independent

Tour de France 2023 stage-by-stage guide: Route maps and profiles for all 21 days

Posted: July 4, 2023 | Last updated: October 22, 2023

The 2023 Tour de France has all the ingredients of a classic: two leading protagonists ready to tear lumps out of each other in reigning champion Jonas Vingegaard and the deposed Tadej Pogacar; entertaining multi-talented stage hunters Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, Julian Alaphilippe and Tom Pidcock; the great Mark Cavendish chasing a historic 35th stage win; all facing a brutal route with 56,000m of climbing and four summit finish.

The Tour began in the Spanish Basque country on Saturday 1 July, where Adam Yates edged twin brother Simon to win the opening stage, and these hilly routes will throw open the yellow jersey to a wide range of contenders. The race crosses the French border for some flat stages and an early jaunt into the high Pyrenees, where the Col du Tourmalet awaits. The peloton takes on the Puy de Dome volcano on its journey across France towards the Jura Mountains and the Alps, and it is in the mountains that this Tour will ultimately be decided. It all ends on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Sunday 23 July.

Here is a stage-by-stage guide to how the race will unfold.

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 where the stage winner will take the yellow jersey. This 182km opening stage is a hilly route with 3,000m of climbing featuring five categorised ascents, of which the final two are sharp and testing: they are tough enough to shake off the dedicated sprinters and open up early glory for the best puncheurs – those riders with the legs to get over short climbs and the power to surge away on the other side.

The profile of this stage is a great choice by organisers as it could suit just about anyone, from the speed of Wout van Aert to the climbing strength Tom Pidcock or Simon Yates – even two-time champion Tadej Pogacar.

• Jumbo’s Death Star and Pidcock’s dog: Inside the Tour de France’s Grand Depart

Stage 2: Vitoria Gastiez to Saint Sebastian, 209km

The peloton will head east from Bilbao, touching more picturesque Basque coastline before arriving at the finish in San Sebastian. At more than 200km this is the longest stage of the 2023 Tour and, with the sizeable Jaizkibel climb (8.1km, 5.3% average gradient) shortly before the finish, this is even more tough on the legs than the first day. Another puncheur with the climbing strength to get over the steeper hills can capitalise, like two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe.

• ‘ Coup du kilometre’: How to win a Tour de France stage hiding in plain sight

Stage 3: Amorebieta to Bayonne, 187km

Stage three starts in Spain and ends in France, and the finale in Bayonne is ripe for a bunch sprint. Mark Cavendish will get his first shot of this race at trying to win a historic 35th Tour de France stage, but he will be up against a stacked field including former QuickStep teammate Fabio Jakobsen and the awesome speed of Wout van Aert. It will be fascinating to get a first glimpse of how the power riders stack up.

• Jasper ‘disaster’ Philipsen rebuts Netflix nickname with controversial stage three win

Stage 4: Dax to Nogaro, 182km

Another flat day and an even faster finish in store on the Circuit Paul Armagnac, a race track in Nogaro. The 800m home straight will almost certainly tee up a showdown between the Tour’s serious fast men.

Stage 5: Pau to Laruns, 163km

The first major mountains of the Tour come a little earlier than usual, as the peloton heads up into the high Pyrenees on day five. The Col de Soudet (15km, 7.2%) is one of the toughest climbs of the race and rears up halfway through this 163km route from Pau to Laruns. The category one Col de Marie Blanque (7.7km, 8.6%) guards the finish 20km out, and holds bonus seconds for those first over the top to incentivise the major contenders to come to the fore and fight it out.

Stage 6: Tarbes to Cauterets, 145km

This has the potential to be a thrilling day: the 145km route takes on the double trouble of the category one Col d’Aspin (12km, 6.5%) followed by the monstrous hors categorie Tourmalet (17.1km, 7.3%), before a fast ascent and a final climb to the summit finish at Cauterets (16km, 5.4%).

It is a day with several possible outcomes. If the yellow jersey is on the shoulders of a fast puncheur at the start then it may well be transferred to one of the general classification contenders by the end, should they decide to fight for the stage win. Then again, a breakaway could be allowed to escape which would open up victory – and perhaps the yellow jersey – to an outsider. The last time the Tour finished in Cauterets in 2015, breakaway specialist Rafal Majka surged clear of his fellow escapers to win. Keep an eye on Ineos’s Tom Pidcock, who could use the long, fast descent from the Tourmalet summit to speed to the front, as he did before winning atop Alpe d’Huez last year.

Stage 7: Mont de Marsan to Bordeaux, 170km

The first week of racing finishes in the Tour’s second most visited city, Bordeaux, and it’s a third flat day for the sprinters to contest. Much will depend on who has best preserved their legs through the high mountains when they come to this tight, technical finish on the banks of the Garonne river in the city centre.

Stage 8: Libourne to Limoges, 201km

A long, hilly day will see the peloton head 201km east from Libourne outside Bordeaux to Limoges. The lumpy stage should suit a puncheur but it is not a particularly taxing set of climbs – only three are categorised and the toughest of those is just 2.8km at 5.2%. So could a determined team carry their sprinter to the finish and the stage win? Look out for Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel, superstars with the all-round talent to conquer the climbs and still finish fast.

Stage 9: Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat to Puy de Dome, 184km

The final stage before the relief of the first rest day is relatively flat and gentle – until a brutal finish atop the iconic Puy de Dome volcano, a 13.3km drag at a gruelling 7.7% average gradient that last appeared in the Tour in 1988. The summit finish will require a serious climber’s legs to clinch the stage win, and the general classification contenders may well let a breakaway get ahead and fight for that prize.

Rest day: Clermont-Ferrand, Monday 10 July.

Stage 10: Parc Vulcania to Issoire, 167km

The race resumes in the centre of France from Vulcania – a volcano-themed amusement park – where riders will embark on a hilly 167km route through the Volcans d’Auvergne regional park, finishing down in the small town of Issiore. With five categorised climbs, including the sizeable Col de Guery (7.8km at 5%) and the Croix Saint-Robert (6km at 6.3%), it will be a draining ride with virtually no sustained flat sections, and a long descent to the finish town. It looks like a good day to plot something in the breakaway, as the big GC contenders save their legs for bigger challenges to come.

Stage 11: Clermont Ferrand to Moulins, 180km

The final flat stage before the hard Alpine climbs will present an opportunity for those fast men who managed to haul themselves through the Pyrenees to get here – although there is still some climbing to be done including three category-four leg-sappers along the 180km route. The day begins in the university city of Clermont-Ferrand before the riders wind north and then east to Moulins, a small town on the Allier river. Any breakaway is likely to be reeled by those teams with dedicated sprinters eyeing their only opportunity for a stage win between the two rest days.

Stage 12: Roanne to Belleville-en-Beaujolais, 169km

The race caravan will shift east to start stage 12 in Roanne in the Loire region, before taking a 169km route to Belleville, situated on the Saone river north of Lyon. This has been categorised as a hilly or medium mountain stage, but it might feel harder than that by the time the peloton reaches the foot of the fifth categorised climb of the day, the Col de la Croix Rosier (5.3km at 7.6%). That should be enough to put off the best puncheurs like Van der Poel and Van Aert, because the stage winner will need strong climbing legs. The GC riders will want to conserve energy, so expect a breakaway to stay clear and fight amongst themselves.

Stage 13: Chatillon-Sur-Chalaronne to Grand Colombier, 138km

The first of three brutal stages that could decide the destiny of this year’s yellow jersey is only relatively short – 138km – but will provide a stern enough test to reveal any weaknesses in the major contenders. The peloton will enjoy a relatively flat and gentle first 75km from Chatillon-sur-Chalaronne before entering the Jura Mountains. A short climb and fast descent precedes the big climax: all 17.4km (7.1%) of the Grand Colombier providing an epic summit finish. This could be another day for a breakaway away to get free, but the overall contenders like Pogacar and Vingegaard will also fancy stage glory and the chance to stamp their authority on the race.

Stage 14: Annemasse to Morzine, 152km

Part two of this triple header of mountain stages sees the peloton ride into the Alps with a 152km route from Annemasse to Morzine ski resort. Three tough category one climbs line the road to the hors categorie Col de Joux Plane (11.6km at 8.5%), a brutally steep grind where bonus seconds await the first few over the top – and stage victory is the prize at the bottom. This is another potential spot for yellow jersey fireworks.

Stage 15: Les Gets to Saint Gervais, 180km

The last ride before the final rest day will take the peloton further east into the Alps, towards the French border with Italy. The 179km day is almost constantly up and down, with a fast descent before the final two climbs, and the summit finish atop Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc will require strong climbing legs once more.

Rest day: Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, Monday 17 July.

Stage 16: Individual time trial from Passy to Combloux, 22km

This year’s home stretch begins with the only time trial of the race: a short, relatively flat 22km from Passy to Combloux in the shadow of Mont Blanc. The route includes one categorised climb, the steep but short Cote de Domancy (2.5km at 9.4%). This stage is unlikely to decide the yellow jersey or podium spots, but there is an opportunity here to make up crucial seconds for those that need them.

Stage 17: Saint Gervais to Courchevel, 166km

Put Wednesday 19 July in the diary: this will surely be the most brutal day of the entire Tour de France and it could be decisive. The 166km route features four big climbs, the last of which offers up this year’s Souvenir Henri Desgrange for the first rider over the highest point of the race. To get there the riders must endure a 28.1km slog averaging 6% gradient to the top of the Col de la Loze, towering in the clouds 2,304m above sea level. There are bonus points seconds up here too, before a short descent down to the finish at Courchevel.

A breakaway will probably form, but can they last the distance? Whatever happens up the road, the fight for the yellow jersey will be fierce – only the strongest handful of riders will be able to stand the pace and this will likely be the day that the 2023 winner is effectively crowned.

Stage 18: Moutiers to Bourg en Bresse, 186km

After a potentially explosive stage 17, stage 18 is classified as “hilly” but is really a relatively sedate 185km which the sprinters are likely to contest if their teams can haul in the inevitable breakaway. The big question is whether there will be many sprinters left in the peloton after such a demanding set of stages in the Alps. For those fast men still in the race, the descent into Bourg-en-Bresse precedes a technical finish, with roundabouts and a sharp corner before a swinging right-hand turn on to the home straight where the stage will be won and lost.

Stage 19: Moirans-en-Montagne to Poligny, 173km

Another flat day gives a further opportunity for those sprinters left in the field, as the peloton travels 173km from Moirans, near Grenoble, north to Poligny. The general classification contenders will be happy to rest their legs before one final push to Paris.

Stage 20: Belfort to Le Markstein, 133km

The final competitive stage of the Tour is a 133km ride from Belfort to Le Markstein ski resort in the Vosges mountains, and it offers just enough for one final attack to steal the yellow jersey, should the overall win still be on the line. The last two climbs of the day are both steep category one ascents: first the Petit Ballon (9.3km, 8.1%) followed by the Col du Platzerwasel (7.1km at 8.4%). Whoever is wearing yellow just needs to hang on to the wheel of their fiercest rival here, and that should be enough to see them home.

Stage 21: Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to Paris Champs-Elysees, 115km

As is tradition, the peloton will transfer to Paris and ride a truce to the Champs-Elysees. The stage will start at France’s national velodrome, home of cycling for the 2024 Paris Olympics. It will finish with one final sprint: Cavendish has won four times in Paris and it would be a fitting way to end the race that has defined his career if he were to repeat the feat one last time. And once the race is done, the winner of the 2023 Tour de France will be crowned.

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Tour de France Stage 16 Preview: Bring On the Crucial Time Trial

A 22.4-kilometer time trial after a rest day could prove to be decisive in the epic GC battle.

Stage 16 - Passy to Combloux (22.4km Individual Time Trial) - Tuesday, July 18

After another rest day, the race resumes on Tuesday with the Tour’s only individual time trial, a 22.4km race against the clock from Passy to Combloux that–thanks to a Category 2 climb near the end of the course–should favor the Tour’s GC contenders over the Tour’s time trial specialists.

The stage begins in Passy, which isn’t far from the base of the climb to Saint-Gervais, which hosted the summit finish to Stage 15. From the start the riders will race north toward the day’s first obstacle: the uncategorized Côte de la Cascade de Cœur, which they’ll summit after just 4.1km.

Once over the summit they’ll race down toward the first time check, 7.1km into the stage, and then on to Sallanches. This is the fastest section of the course as the riders speed downhill from the top of the Côte de la Cascade de Cœur and toward the town that hosted the world road championships in 1964 and 1980, the latter of which was won by French legend Bernard Hinault.

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After looping through Sallanches, the riders head south toward Domancy on a long, straight false flat that ends with the day’s second time check, 16.1km into the stage. This is the power portion of the course, where riders will need to push a big gear at a high cadence, while still saving their legs for the sting in this course’s tail: the Category 2 Côte de Domancy (2.5km at 9.4%).

The road goes up immediately after the second time check and the riders will have to adjust from pushing a big gear on the road from Sallanches to spinning a lighter gear on the climb’s steep slopes. Managing that shift–and pacing their efforts so as to have something left for the climb itself–will determine which riders set the fastest times.

The riders “summit” the Côte de Domancy 3.5km from the finish line, but that’s a bit deceiving as the road–despite easing out for a kilometer after the KOM banner and the day’s final time check–continues to climb all the way to the finish line in Combloux.

Riders to watch

This stage should favor the Tour’s top-2 riders, Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), who also happen to be two of the race’s best time trialists. Both can push big gears on the stage’s flat and downhill sections and up their cadences–and their wattage outputs–on the final climb to the finish line. Vingegaard has a slight mental edge given the fact that–as the race leader–he’ll start after Pogačar and therefore have the benefit of knowing all of the Slovenian’s times as he passes through the course’s three checks. But at the end of the day, we won’t be surprised if the gaps between the two of them aren’t enormous.

If one of these two doesn’t win the stage, our money’s on Belgium’s Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma). Desperate for a stage victory, he came close to winning Stage 15 on Sunday and is one of the world’s best when it comes to racing against the clock. His team will let him go all-out–his splits will help them plan Vingegaard’s own effort–and he can probably hold his own on the final climb.

We’re also keeping an eye on Spain’s Carlos Rodríguez (INEOS-Grenadiers) who currently sits third overall. The 22-year-old’s not a bad time trialist, and a good ride Tuesday will go a long way toward giving him the gap he needs to hold-off Great Britain’s Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) and Australia’s Jai Hindley (BORA-hansgrohe) for the Tour’s final podium spot.

When to Watch

Beginning around 7:00 a.m. EDT, the riders will start the stage in reverse order of the Tour’s GC standings, with the majority of the racers hitting the course at 1-minute intervals. A second group will start at 90-second intervals, and the Tour’s best riders will start the stage at 2-minute intervals. The fastest riders should cover the course in about 32 minutes.

The list of starting times hadn’t been finalized by the time we went to press, but we’ll probably tune-in around 10:30 a.m. EDT to watch the final hour of the stage. We know that Rodríguez begins at 10:56 a.m. EDT, Pogačar begins at 10:58 a.m. EDT, and Vingegaard, the last rider to hit the course, rolls down the start ramp at 11:00 a.m. EDT.

Since getting hooked on pro cycling while watching Lance Armstrong win the 1993 U.S. 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. These days, he lives with his wife and son in Pennsylvania, spending his days serving as an assistant middle school principal and his nights playing Dungeons & Dragons.

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TOUR’23 Rest Day Wrap #2: Is The GC Stalemate Going to Break?

Tour takeaways.

Tour’23 Rest Day Round Up: Spencer Martin breaks down where the main contenders have taken/lost time so far and speculating if the GC stalemate could finally break in the third week.

– This article is an excerpt from the Beyond the Peloton newsletter. Sign up here for full access. –

With the second and final rest day of the 2023 Tour de France upon us, we have a shockingly similar GC picture between the top two riders to what we had on the first rest day; defending champion Jonas Vingegaard holds his race lead over two-time Tour winner Tadej Pogačar by a small margin, which has decreased from 17 to just 10-seconds over the last week of hard racing.

This lock-stepped fight for the overall win has us heading into the final week of racing with one of the tightest margins between two top contenders the Tour has seen in modern history. And, with no sign of one contender being able to crack the other, there is a good chance that this one goes down to the wire and produces an edition that can rival the 1989 Tour’s razor-thin 8-second margin between Greg Lemond and Laurent Fignon.

But, while the top two riders have been unable to shake one another, the rest of the GC contenders are falling away from Vingegaard’s lead at a rapid pace anytime the pace gets high and racing gets hot. However, while the gap between the podium contenders and the race lead continues to grow, it is tightening between one another, with the crash-battered Jai Hindley, surging Carlos Rodríguez, and impressively consistent Adam Yates, all within 1’17 of the final podium place.

Current GC Top Ten: 1) Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo) +0 2) Tadej Pogačar (UAE) +10 3) Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos) +5’21 4) Adam Yates (UAE) +5’40 5) Jai Hindley (Bora) +6’38 6) Sepp Kuss (Jumbo) +9’16 7) Pello Bilbao (Bahrain) +10’11 8) Simon Yates (Jayco) +10’48 9) David Gaudu (FDJ) +14’07 10) Guillaume Martin (Cofidis) +14’18

Time Changes Between Top Five Since First Rest Day Pogačar +7 Vingegaard +0 Rodríguez -59 A. Yates -1’01 Hindley -3’58

KOM (Polka Dot) Jersey Top Three 1) Giulio Ciccone – 58pts 2) Neilson Powless – 58pts 3) Jonas Vingegaard – 48pts

Points (Green) Jersey Top Three 1) Jasper Philipsen – 323pts 2) Mads Pedersen – 179pts 3) Bryan Coquard – 148pts

Where Time Has Been Won/Lost So Far

To discern how the GC race will play out in the coming weeks, let’s look at where each of the top four took or lost time so far. I’ve isolated every stage where the top two have won/lost time relative to each other so far and how much time they won(+) or lost(-).

Stage 1 Hilly Tadej Pogačar +0 Jonas Vingegaard -4

Stage 2 Hilly Tadej Pogačar +0 Jonas Vingegaard -7

Stage 5 Mountains Jonas Vingegaard +0 Tadej Pogačar -1’04

Stage 6 Summit Finish Tadej Pogačar +0 Jonas Vingegaard -28

Stage 9 Summit Finish Tadej Pogačar +0 Jonas Vingegaard -8

Stage 13 Summit Finish Tadej Pogačar +0 Jonas Vingegaard -8

Stage 14 Mountains Jonas Vingegaard +0 Tadej Pogačar -1

Course Type Where Time Was Won/Lost Relative to Vingegaard

When looking at the course types where Tadej Pogačar, the only other rider besides the current race leader with a realistic chance of winning the race, has won/lost time relative to Jonas Vingegaard, we can see that we are still in a situation where, outside of stage 5, where Vingegaard took over a minute on Pogačar, the margins between the two have been incredibly small.

Mountain Stages Pogačar -28 (lost)

Summit Finishes Pogačar +36 (gained)

Time Bonuses Pogačar +18 (gained)

Five Key Takeaways

1) Tadej Pogačar’s progress on uphill finishes has significantly stalled through the Tour’s second phase

Pogačar has still been leaning on time bonuses and uphill finishes to peg back the time he lost on stage 5.

But, while he took 32 seconds on Vingegaard in just 4km of uphill attacking over the first nine stages of racing (8 seconds per km), his progress has significantly stalled in the second week, with his bounty reduced to just 4-seconds while attacking Vingegaard over the final kilometer of three separate mountain stages (1.3 seconds per km).

This drastic reduction in the amount of time Pogačar has been able to take over the uphill finishes suggests that his progress on the road stages against his 10-second deficit has potentially stalled and that he will have to count on taking significant time on Vingegaard in tomorrow’s time trial.

2) With their form so evenly matched, there appear to be limited opportunities for Pogačar and Vingegaard to take time on one another

With such tight margins between the top two contenders, it isn’t clear where exactly either is going to be able to take time on the other to create a winning margin larger than a few seconds.

The obvious solution would normally be tomorrow’s time trial, but, with seemingly no significant space between the form of either rider, it isn’t clear to me that the climb-heavy TT will create large gaps.

This might sound absurd, but, we are just coming out of a Giro d’Italia where on the 35-kilometer stage 9 time trial, only four seconds separated the top four placings, with only two seconds separating three key GC contenders.

3) Vingegaard’s superpower is being able to absorb blows from Pogačar on almost every GC stage

So far at this Tour, Pogačar has beaten Vingegaard on 10 out of the 15 total stages completed (67%), and six out of the seven total GC stages where time was taken (86%). Just glancing at these stats, you might assume Pogačar is far ahead in the GC standings.

Instead, Vingegaard is leading by 10 seconds, despite being pummeled by Pogačar on almost every decisive stage.

This stems from the fact that his superpower seems to be able to take nearly endless body blows from Pogačar without ceding significant time, while also taking far larger chunks of time on Pogačar on the 10% of GC stages where he takes time.

4) Adam Yates is a revelation for UAE, but it isn’t clear how they can actually leverage his impressive form to their advantage

The emergence of Adam Yates as a viable GC contender has been a revelation for both Yates personally and UAE as a team.

His rise means that Pogačar is no longer isolated and outnumbered on every late-stage climb, and that he has someone to hand him a bottle if he misses a feed late in a race, as Yates did on stage 15.

This has significantly decreased the chances that Pogačar is caught up the road and isolated from his team without access to in-race food or water, as he was on multiple occasions in 2022.

However, I’m extremely skeptical if Yates’ GC position can actually be leveraged by UAE to pressure Jumbo in any meaningful way.

The fact that Yates is so far behind Vingegaard (5’40), yet so close to third (19 seconds) means that an attack on the final climb shouldn’t draw out a reaction from Vingegaard, while Yates will be unwilling to attack further out than the final climb since it would carry a high risk of failure, and cost him a shot at a podium placing (which would be a career-making result for Yates).

5) Yesterday’s crash leaving Jumbo-Visma banged up could cause problems for Vingegaard late in this Tour

Yesterday’s fan-caused mass crash, which brought down two key members of the Jumbo-Visma workforce (Sepp Kuss and Nathan Van Hooydonck), could weaken the teams just enough to cause them problems on stages 17 & 20.

Assuming they are still in the race lead on the brutal high-mountain stage 17, Kuss’ crash could mean that Vingegaard could find himself isolated late in the stage and forced to defend his lead against multiple UAE riders.

The brutality of the climb of the Col de la Loze will likely help Vingegaard to defend by attacking, but the real problems could come on the endlessly hilly, but less selective stage 20.

If Jumbo is leading, but depleted, at this point, it could give Pogačar an opportunity to get into the early breakaway and place Vingegaard under serious pressure.

Stage 16 Preview

Tomorrow’s short 22.4-kilometer-long individual time trial is one of the most important stages of this Tour de France.

While the raw distance is short, the significant elevation gain will extend the amount of time riders are actually on course, which will extend the effective length of the event.

The final climb, which is 6.3km-long at a 6.6% gradient, will be key to deciding the overall winner.

There is a very good chance that the winner of this stage will go on to win the overall Tour title.

Teams and riders have been quiet about if they plan to undergo bike changes or not, but the length and steepness of that final climb have me guessing that we will see nearly every favorite change from a time trial to a road bike for the final six kilometers.

With no designated bike-change area like we saw at the recent Giro d’Italia, riders will be able to wait until they are on the climb, and their speed lower, to change machines. This will allow them to change with a small time penalty since they don’t have to go from a high steady speed to a complete stop before getting back up to speed again.

Instead, they can stop from a much lower climbing speed, take a new bike, and get back up to speed via a push from their mechanic.

*** You can see the ‘PEZ 2023 Tour de France ROUTE Preview’ HERE and the ‘CONTENDERS Preview’ HERE . . ***

# Spencer Martin is the author of the cycling-analysis newsletter Beyond the Peloton that breaks down the nuances of each race and answers big picture questions surrounding team and rider performance. Sign up now to get full access to all the available content and race breakdowns. #

Spencer Martin authors the cycling-analysis newsletter Beyond the Peloton that breaks down the nuances of each race and attempts to bring a logic-based approach to cycling coverage. He is also a partner in cycling business publication The Outer Line, and in the past, has written for cycling outlets such as Velonews and CyclingTips. He has raced at a high-level in the past and still enjoys participating in a wide variety of races as well as riding in the mountains surrounding his residence in Boulder, Colorado. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @spencersoward.

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How to watch the 2024 Tour de France route presentation

Find out all the details of the route for the men's race and the Tour de France Femmes live on October 25

• USA & Canada

The 2023 WorldTour racing season may be over but we're already looking ahead to 2024 and the biggest races of the year, the 2024 Tour de France and 2024 Tour de France Femmes .

The route presentation for both races will be held in Paris on Wednesday, October 25 and we have all the information on how to watch, including for free and via VPN streaming options .

Cyclingnews will have all the news and reactions from the presentations as the major stars of the men's and women's pelotons find out what courses they'll be tackling next summer.

The men's race is set to start with a Grand Départ in Tuscany and conclude in Nice, with gravel roads and mountain trips to Plateau de Beille and Isola 2000 to feature along the way. The women will be tackling eight days of racing starting in Rotterdam and concluding atop the famous L'Alpe d'Huez. Read all the route rumours in our comprehensive guide.

Will the likes of Tadej Pogačar , Kasia Niewiadoma, Jonas Vingegaard, Demi Vollering , Remco Evenepoel, Lotte Kopecky and more be pleased with the route? Read on for all the information on how to watch the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes route presentation.

The route presentation is due to get underway at 10:25 am GMT (11:25 CEST, 05:2 5am EST).

How to watch the Tour de France route presentation in the USA & Canada

Follow Cyclingnews on Twitter , Facebook and Instagram for alerts and news on important stories and action during the route presentation.

FloBikes will air the route presentation in both the USA and Canada. A year-long subscription will set you back $150 in the USA and $209.99 in Canada, with monthly prices running at higher rates.

How to watch the Tour de France route presentation in the UK

The 2024 Tour de France route presentation will be broadcast in the United Kingdom and around Europe on Eurosport channels 1 and 2 (410, 411 on Sky) as well as streaming on Discovery+ , which carries Eurosport's live coverage. 

A subscription to Discovery+ costs £6.99/$9.15 per month, or £59.99/$78.51 for a 12-month pass.

Additionally, the route presentation will be aired in the United Kingdom, Europe, and in select other territories on  GCN+ , with a year’s subscription costing £39.99 and a monthly subscription costing £6.99.

How to watch the Tour de France route presentation around the world

Eurosport and GCN+ will serve numerous countries around Europe and the rest of the world. Consult GCN+'s live streaming schedule for information on your location.

In Australia, national broadcaster SBS will carry live coverage of the route presentation for free.

The Tour de France Twitter page will also stream the route presentation.

Best VPN for streaming the Tour de France route presentation

Geo-restrictions are the bane of cycling fans because they can prevent you from watching the Tour de France route presentation using your live streaming accounts if you are outside of your home country.

While you can always follow Cyclingnews for all the live coverage you can access your geo-blocked live streaming services by simulating being in your home country with a VPN - a 'virtual private network'.

Our experts have thoroughly tested VPNs for live streaming sports and recommend ExpressVPN . The service lets you to watch the race live on various devices – Smart TVs, Fire TV Stick, PC, Mac, iPhone, Android phone, iPads, tablets, etc.

Try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money back guarantee with its VPN service. You can use it to watch on your mobile, tablet, laptop, TV, games console and more. There's 24/7 customer support and three months free when you sign-up.

Try the 12-month plan for the best value price.

There are a couple other very good options that are safe, reliable and offer good bandwidth for streaming sports. Check out the best two options below - NordVPN and the best budget option, Surfshark .

NordVPN - get the world's favorite VPN We've put all the major VPNs through their paces and we rate NordVPN as the best for streaming Netflix as our top pick, thanks to its speed, ease of use and strong security features. It's also compatible with just about any streaming device out there, including Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox and PlayStation, as well as Android and Apple mobiles.

3. Surfshark: the best cheap VPN Currently topping our charts as the fastest VPN around, Surfshark keeps giving us reasons to recommend it. It's a high-value, low-cost option that's easy to use, full of features, and excellent at unblocking restricted content. 

With servers in over 100 countries, you can stream your favorite shows from almost anywhere. Best of all, Surfshark costs as little as $2.30 per month , and it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee to try it out.

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Daniel Ostanek is Senior News Writer at Cyclingnews, having joined in 2017 as a freelance contributor and later being hired full-time. Prior to joining the team, he had written for numerous major publications in the cycling world, including CyclingWeekly, Rouleur, and CyclingTips.

Daniel has reported from the world's top races, including the Tour de France and the spring Classics, and has interviewed many of the sport's biggest stars, including Wout van Aert, Remco Evenepoel, Demi Vollering, and Anna van der Breggen.

As well as original reporting, news and feature writing, and production work, Daniel also oversees The Leadout newsletter and How to Watch guides throughout the season. His favourite races are Strade Bianche and the Volta a Portugal.

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