Stage 1

Bilbao > Bilbao

The Basque Country doesn’t lack options when it comes to offering opportunities to the puncheurs. With 3,300 metres of vertical gain and a double springboard where gaps can be created in the final 30 kilometres in the shape of the Vivero and Pike climbs, discussion about the identity of the first Yellow Jersey holder will focus on attackers with real pedigree, those capable of taking allying their instinct to their power.

Stage 2

Vitoria-Gasteiz to San Sebastián

Those familiar with the San Sebastián Classic will find themselves in familiar territory, especially when it comes to the eight-kilometre ascent of the Jaizkibel, which always plays a decisive role in the selection during that race. Beyond the summit, there’s a 20-odd kilometre drop into Saint-Sébastien.

Stage 3

Amorebieta-Etxano > Bayonne

Another phase begins as the race reaches French soil in the department of Pyrenees-Atlantiques, where the sprinters will for once be to the fore. The profile of the closing kilometres for what is the Tour’s reunion with Bayonne will give the sprinters’ teams the chance to manoeuvre their lead-out trains into position. The winner of the first sprint always gets a big lift from their success.

Stage 4

Dax > Nogaro

The stage is set for a rematch between the sprinters, but the hilly terrain of the Gers could also suit a small breakaway group. Their cooperation would have to be total to hold off the peloton, while the finish on the Nogaro motor-racing circuit will provide the stage winner with a success with a rare flavour. The peloton’s speedsters will certainly want to go head to head on the final 800-metre straight.

Stage 5

Pau > Laruns

There’s still time for questions going into the first rendezvous in the mountains. The climbs of the Col de Soudet and Col de Marie Blanque will provide some answers about the form of the contenders for the title, but the terrain isn’t really suitable for big attacks. That said...

Stage 6

Tarbes > Cauterets

The Pyrenean challenge continues on a route where those with ambitions of overall success will have to deal with the Aspin and Tourmalet passes. However, the course through the mountains will also pique the interest of other riders. Those puncheurs who are in good form could still take aim at the Yellow Jersey, as the climb to the Plateau du Cambasque isn’t an insurmountable obstacle, its gradient averaging 5.4% over 16km.

Stage 7

Mont-de-Marsan > Bordeaux

The visit to the department of Landes doesn’t provide much hope for breakaways, as the profile invites the sprinters’ teams to control the race. The two-kilometre finishing straight along the quayside will allow them to stake their claim for victory in the high-speed dash to the finish line near the Place des Quinconces, hailed by the people of Bordeaux as the biggest in France.

Stage 8

Libourne > Limoges

One sprint may follow another, but they’re not necessarily the same. Limoges could produce some surprises as the day’s finish will certainly suit the most explosive sprinters, those capable of powering up a short but difficult climb to claim victory.

Stage 9

St-Leonard > Puy de Dôme

There’s no doubt that the emotion of the return to the Puy de Dôme 35 years on from the last visit will stimulate the appetite of the most aggressive climbers. The rugged Auvergne terrain will have sapped the juice from the legs of the contenders long before they tackle this formidable and majestic summit. Over the final four kilometres, at the end of a day with 3,600 metres of vertical gain, the average gradient is close to 12%.

Stage 10

Vulcania > Issoire

After a well-deserved first day of rest in Clermont-Ferrand, the Massif Central will be on the programme again. It will be a hard task to get into the breakaway today. What’s more, the route’s passage through the Chaîne des Puys will leave the strongest riders at the front before going to Issoire.

Stage 11

Clermont-Ferrand > Moulins

This will be an historic day because, as a result of the finish being in Moulins, the Tour will have visited all of the prefectures in mainland France. Although the roads of the Allier ensure there will be a steady and quite deceptive draw on riders’ reserves thanks to recurrent “leg-breaking” climbs, the 1,300-metre straight in the heart of Moulins should be ideal for the sprinters

Stage 12

Roanne > Belleville-en-Beaujolais

The formation of the breakaway will be one of the critical moments on this hilly stage. As the race passes through the vineyards that produce the Beaujolais vintages, there could well be a lot of action before the climbs of the Croix Montmain and Croix Rosier. The uphill finale may well produce an excellent sprint contest between a small group of riders.

Stage 13

Châtillon > Grand Colombier

The dynamic format of this stage, which takes place entirely in the Ain, will leave little room for doubt. The riders’ legs will certainly have to be sharpened on the climb to the Hauteville-Lompnes plateau, because a major challenge awaits the Tour’s favourites leaving Culoz: they’ll have to put all of their cards on the table for the ascent of the “Bugey pyramid”, which extends for 17.4km at an average gradient of 7.1%.

Stage 14

Annemasse > Morzine

It’s unlikely that the riders will enjoy the view of Lake Geneva at the start of the stage, as the 4,200 metres of climbing will be on everyone’s mind, and especially the climbs of the Ramaz and Joux Plane passes. Everyone will also be aware that they’ll need to show some real skill on the descent into Morzine in order to claim victory.

Stage 15

Les Gets > St Gervais

At the end of a demanding weekend, the stage is set for a crucial battle between the contenders. This particularly undulating route through Haute-Savoie will take the riders over the Col de la Forclaz de Montmin, then to the Croix Fry and the Aravis passes. The most impactful blows will probably be delivered on the final climb to Le Bettex in the Amerands climb, where some sections touch 17% gradient.

Stage 16

Passy > Combloux (TT)

The only time trial of the 2023 race is characterized by its short distance and a profile that will suit those climbers who feel comfortable in this solo discipline. The famous Domancy climb is on the programme. At the same time, it provides an opportunity for the rider who’s in yellow to assert his superiority or for his rivals to begin a fightback that could last a whole week.

Stage 17

St Gervais > Courchevel

The stage will be a great challenge, with more than 5,000 metres of vertical gain to deal with or exploit across the day. The finale will feature the Tour’s second visit to the impressive Col de la Loze, then plunge into Courchevel, where the final battle will take place on the altiport’s 18% runway.

Stage 18

Moûtiers > Bourg-en-Bresse

The sprinters will have needed to show real determination to get through the shock of the Tour’s stint in the Alps. They’ll be rewarded with a stage where the route avoids the hills and should facilitate their return front and centre. On the straight final kilometre, they’ll be able to get right up to maximum speed again.

Stage 19

Moirans-en-Montagne > Poligny

The stage meanders between the numerous lakes of the Jura, but avoids climbing to the department’s summits. The Côte d’Ivory, located around 30 kilometres from the finish line, won’t prevent the sprinters from taking advantage of a gigantic launch-pad: the final straight is a touch more than eight kilometres long.

Stage 20

Belfort > Le Markstein

The penultimate stage features an Alsatian menu that is likely to cause indigestion, even over a distance this short, as the riders face a cumulative total of 3,600 metres of climbing. If the contest for the Yellow Jersey is still alive, anything is possible: after the Ballon d’Alsace, there will be an opportunity to launch attacks on the Col de la Croix des Moinats, then a little bit further on when climbing the Col de Grosse Pierre, then on the Schlucht, before then tackling the Petit Ballon and the Platzerwasel... It’s a minefield!

Stage 21

St Quentin en Yvelines > Paris

The contenders for the race’s last bouquet will have to be in Olympic form on a course that’s been designed in a nod to the 2024 Paris Games, during which the events for all cycling disciplines will be held mostly in the Yvelines. The sprinters will be looking to test themselves in the vertiginous arena that is the Champs-Élysées.