Photo by STEPHANE MANTEY/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
Cycling’s landmark event is about to get underway.
Cycling’s most prestigious event is about to get underway.
Starting on Sunday, nearly 200 riders from 22 teams will embark on a 2,115-mile journey from Bilbao, Spain into the heart of Paris. Riders will endure 21 stages over 23 days — meaning just two rest days — as they tackle France’s five biggest mountain ranges.
This year’s event has no shortage of storylines, starting with the battle between Dane Jonas Vingegaard, riding for UCI WorldTeam Jumbo–Visma, and Slovenian Tadej Pogačar of UAE Team Emirates.
Vingegaard is the reigning Tour de France champion, winning the 2022 version ahead of his rival Pogačar. The two previous years, the Slovenian was the one to earn the prestigious yellow jersey, the maillot jaune; his victory in 2020 at the age of 21 made him the second-youngest winner in race history. The two are the odds-on favorites to compete for the top spot on the podium again in 2023.
Vingegaard is arguably the best pure climber in the world and he impressed during the lead-up races to the Tour de France. Pogačar, meanwhile, has been ranked the No. 1 rider in the world for a record 92 straight weeks but had only two race days since late April, when he suffered a broken wrist in a crash. Despite their difference in preparation, their expected three-week fight for the victory projects to be an entertaining one — if Pogačar is on form.
The 2023 Tour de France will also have the last three champions in the field for the first time since 2009. That includes Vingegaard and Pogačar, as well as Colombia’s Egan Bernal of Ineos Grenadiers. The winner of the 2019 edition, Bernal became the first South American to finish the race in first place.
There are also some tweaks to the race itself. The opening stage, which is usually either a time trial or flat stage, is on hilly terrain this time around and will likely be a chance for general classification riders to get an early jump on their opponents. In addition, the penultimate 20th stage will not be a time trial this year. Instead, it is now a mountain stage, taking riders from Belfort to Le Markstein, covering 82.9 miles with almost 12,000 feet of climbing.
Another major storyline to watch? British cyclist Mark Cavendish. Cavendish is tied with Belgian legend Eddy Merckx for 34 Tour stage wins, the current record.
Cavendish stated back in May during the Giro d’Italia that he was retiring at the end of this year. A year ago Cavendish was a Tour de France reserve for his previous team, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl. Cavendish was announced as a team member by his current team, Astana Qazaqstan.
There are two teams from the United States in the field: EF Education-Easypost and Lidl-Trek. While none of the individual American riders are considered among the favorites for general classification, you could see a United States cyclist secure a stage win or two. Neilson Powless, riding for EF Education-Easypost, finished 13th overall in last year’s Tour de France, has two wins and three top-tens this year, and could secure a stage victory early.
Matteo Jorgenson, who rides for Movistar Team, nearly won Stage 16 last year in his Tour de France debut. He could push for a stage win this year. Another American, Sepp Kuss with Jumbo–Visma, is always strong in the mountains. While his main role with the team is to aid Vingegaard, he has won a Tour stage before.
For more on the Tour de France in general, we would strongly recommend this piece looking at the new Netflix docuseries “Unchained,” which looks at the 2022 Tour de France.
Here is how to watch, a look at each stage, and more.
How to watch the 2023 Tour de France
NBC Sports is your home for every stage of the 110th Tour de France, with the bulk of the coverage airing live each day on Peacock. NBC and USA Network will also air live coverage during the first week of the 2023 Tour de France, along with encores of each stage on USA at 2 a.m. ET most days.
All NBC and USA Network coverage also streams on NBCSports.com/live, as well as the NBC Sports app.
Here is the full broadcast schedule:
What teams are competing in the 2023 Tour de France
22 teams are competing in the 2023 Tour de France: That includes all 18 UCI WorldTeams, and 4 UCI ProTeams.
18 UCI WorldTeams
AG2R Citroën Team
Alpecin-Deceuninck
Arkéa-Samsic
Astana Qazaqstan Team
Bora-Hansgrohe
Cofidis
EF Education-EasyPost
Groupama-FDJ
Ineos Grenadiers
Intermarché-Circus-Wanty
Lidl-Trek
Movistar Team
Soudal—Quick-Step
Team Bahrain Victorious
Team dsm-firmenich
Team Jayco-AlUla
Team Jumbo-Visma
UAE Team Emirates
UCI ProTeams
Israel—Premier Tech
Lotto—Dstny
Team TotalEnergies
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
The 2023 Tour de France map
Here is the official map of the 2023 Tour de France:
You can also view the map on the official Tour de France website.
Stages, dates, and distances for the 2023 Tour de France
Here are the stages for the 2023 Tour de France. There are eight stages considered “flat,” four hill stages, eight mountain stages, and one time trial stage this year.
The toughest stretch of the 2023 Tour de France looks to be Stages 13 through 16. Over three straight days riders will be tested by the French Alps, with a summit finish on both Stage 13 and Stage 15.
Stage 17, another mountain stage, might be the toughest individual test of the 2023 Tour de France. Riders will tackle a 103.1 mile stage with over 16,000 feet of elevation climb. Stage 17 also features a climb to the top of the 7,559-feet Col de la Loze, the highest point in this year’s Tour and one of the summits considered “beyond category.”
If Stage 17 is not the toughest stage, Stage 6 might be. Another mountain stage, this includes the 6,939-foot Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees, and features the first of the summit finishes in the 2023 Tour de France.
2023 Tour de France results
Check back throughout the 2023 Tour de France for results.
