2023 Tour de France route rumors

[guncha]

There is not much to comment when you see 22km of ITT...
I don't like the design of mountain stages because final climbs are isolated almost all mountain stages (Marie Blanque, Cambasque, Puy de Dome, Grand Colombier, Joux-Plane, Le Bettex, Loze). The only proper combo is in Vosges (Stage 20). It is pity because in 2022 favorites liked to attack on penultimate climbs.
I'll rate it with 2 because of the return of Puy de Dome. Otherwise, it would have been 1.

 

[OlavEH]

Are the Grand Colombier a unipuerto stage? They also seem to be using the Culoz appoach, which is one of the easiest ways to climb GC.

They should at least have done the following with the route:

• Do Biche - Colombier instead of just Grand Colombier from Culoz.
• Add more length and climbs to both the Morzine and Le Markstein stages.

These two could do without changing any of the start and finish of the stages. And of course there should have been a longer medium mountain stage.

 

[Poursuivant]

Simon Yates win is obvious.

 

[sir fly]

Are the Grand Colombier a unipuerto stage? They also seem to be using the Culoz appoach, which is one of the easiest ways to climb GC.

They should at least have done the following with the route:

• Do Biche - Colombier instead of just Grand Colombier from Culoz.
• Add more length and climbs to both the Morzine and Le Markstein stages.

These two could do without changing any of the start and finish of the stages. And of course there should have been a longer medium mountain stage.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Not even a good comparison, the riders always make the race.

What a load of B.S. the riders can only ride the route they are presented.
So in the next olympics let`s make the marathon a 5km race. I mean it is the runners who make the race. So as long as they go all out for those 5km, it is all good and they are legitimate marathon winners.

 

[gavia88]

were did you find those mini-profiles?

Unfortunately missed the presentation, but are there any details about the hilly stages?

 

[OlavEH]

Ah. So I guess it's climb from Culoz only to Lacets de Grand Colombier, descend to Anglefort and then do the whole climb from Culoz?

 

[Jan the Man]

Except the ITT that is very short, i like the route. I don't understand the criticism. It's a better route than the giro. It will not be boring in the first 2 weeks like the giro. But it's always a habit critizice the route of the tour france.

Cannot agree that save for the TT it’s a better route than the Giro.
Giro has 3 tappone harder than anything in this Tour.

 

[YavorD]

Not even a good comparison, the riders always make the race.

That's only half true. The riders should still but given a good incentive to attack and make the stage interesting.

Why the Madonna di Campiglio (Giro 2020) wasn't memorable and why the Stelvio one was? Same riders..
Yeah, one could say pacing but these two stages would produce similar outcome/action in 7 or 8/10 times, regardless of the pacing.

 

[sir fly]

were did you find those mini-profiles?

Unfortunately missed the presentation, but are there any details about the hilly stages?

Were published at the official site simultaneously with the presentation.
Maybe through some other social platform.

Ah. So I guess it's climb from Culoz only to Lacets de Grand Colombier, descend to Anglefort and then do the whole climb from Culoz?

Check the map for confirmation.
I can't tell.

 

[QueenStagiaire]

What a load of B.S. the riders can only ride the route they are presented.
So in the next olympics let`s make the marathon a 5km race. I mean it is the runners who make the race. So as long as they go all out for those 5km, it is all good and they are legitimate marathon winners.

Phew… I was concerned for your well-being but it seems you‘ve survived this route.

 

[yaco]

Breakaway riders will like this route because most of the mountain/hilly stages have a climb within the first 30kms which should allow for break formation.

It's very much a climbers route so they'll be given every opportunity - ITT km's are irrelevant if we look at the gaps in the 2022 TDF - Gaps were made in the mountains.

 

[gavia88]

I had high hopes for some ambush stages to Issoire and the Beaujolais stages, but it seems more the typical transition stage then really something for any GC action. A bit disappointing.

 

[Will4563]

Ah. So I guess it's climb from Culoz only to Lacets de Grand Colombier, descend to Anglefort and then do the whole climb from Culoz?

No, I think it's the Col du Ballon from Tenay and then Grand Colombier from Culoz

 

[sir fly]

I had high hopes for some ambush stages to Issoire and the Beaujolais stages, but it seems more the typical transition stage then really something for any GC action. A bit disappointing.

Hard to expect the GC action on these lumps.
However, they can't relax.
Will be a mentally demanding race too.

 

[fbjim]

Unlike the Giro I think the backloading here might actually be a problem because of the lack of ITT. If Puy de Dome doesn't cause separation we might be in for another 2020 where we enter the final week with the top ten within like five minutes on GC which I never like.

 

[Andy schleck]

Cannot agree that save for the TT it’s a better route than the Giro.
Giro has 3 tappone harder than anything in this Tour.

The giro as too much TT.
I disagree. The giro doesn't have a difficult MTT like col de la loze. And the mountains stages are well filled between 3 weeks. It's not like the giro that will be boring until stage 13 crans montana. Lago laceno and campo imperatore are bad mountains stages. Nothing will happen there. Even marie blanque is better than that, like we saw on tour 2020.

 

[Big Doopie]

22 km of ITT…

ASO wanted to be sure that Hindley, Lopez, Carapaz, Carthy, Bardet, Gaudu, Yateses and all other largely one-dimensional riders believe they have a chance.

What a farce.

and stage length? Wtf!? Don’t they understand what a GT is supposed to be a test of?

 

[Gigs_98]

I think the route is alright. The one striking issue is obviously the ridiculous lack of (flat) TT kilometres. But to be honest, if that TT was significantly longer I would actually like the route and with the two likely main protagonists being fairly equally matched in TT's the length of that stage probably won't have that big of an impact on the remaining race anyway.

But aside from that, I like the early pyrenees mountain stages, which aren't brutal but hard enough for the middle of the first week. I really like the return of Puy de Dome, especially as stage 9 which is the perfect spot for that kind of mtf.

The triple of mountain stages to end week 2 is decent as well, although I don't really like stage 15. But as that stage doesn't look particularly hard it at least shouldn't hamper the two stages preceeding it. (Quick note, I'm fine with Colombiere as it is, but the fact that they still refuse to properly use its hard side is nontheless really infuriating)

Stage 17 is alright, much better than a Col de la Loze mtf, but I'm still sad the ASO is yet to use their new shiny toy a bit further out. I guess this is also the point where I should mention that I'm altogether disappointed by the complete lack of a proper queen stage. Finally stage 20 is really good and imo the best final mountain stage in a long time. Not insanely hard but because of that forcing riders to attack in the earlier stages while still giving a good opportunity to do an all or nothing attack.

Concerning too many flat stages, I somewhat agree, but at least many of the flat stages come later than in previous years. For example I don't think that stage 18 will be an uncontested sprint stage, coming after the hardest day of the race. For similar reasons I think the sprinter teams might have a harder time to control breaks in a few stages.

Altogether a decent route that could have been drastically improved by a long ITT and a proper queen stage.

 

[perico]

Should be tight, and with the TT in the alps and not pan flat, it should be an interesting GC race.

Obviously favors Pogacar and Jonas. If we see Lombardía form Mas he will be very good. Will also be a good test to see if Bernal can return to his previous level.

 

[gavia88]

do you have stage 14 till 21 as well?

 

[Big Doopie]

Lack of TT setting up their excuse for putting 200 kms in next year for Remco?

one can always delude oneself…

 

[KZD]

The giro as too much TT.
I disagree. The giro doesn't have a difficult MTT like col de la loze. And the mountains stages are well filled between 3 weeks. It's not like the giro that will be boring until stage 13 crans montana. Lago laceno and campo imperatore are bad mountains stages. Nothing will happen there. Even marie blanque is better than that, like we saw on tour 2020.

Tre Cime Laveredo or Monte Bondone aren't hard?
And why does it matter if the MTFs in the Tour are harder if unlike the Giro there are no stages with more than 5000 meters of vertical gain? This also explains the number of TT km's.

Anyway back to the Tour route,I think it suits Roglič really well and Pogačar too although to a lesser degree. I obviously hope that the pure climbers fail to win.

 

[Andy schleck]

Gouvenu would never go for a amount of 70/100 km of TT. Remco would gain 7/8 min on pogacar and vingegaard, and it would be a boring tour. We already know the winner of the tour.

 

[Andy schleck]

Tre Cime Laveredo or Monte Bondone aren't hard?
And why does it matter if the MTFs in the Tour are harder if unlike the Giro there are no stages with more than 5000 meters of vertical gain? This also explains the number of TT km's.

Anyway back to the Tour route,I think it suits Roglič really well and Pogačar too although to a lesser degree. I obviously hope that the pure climbers fail to win.

I think this tour suits more pogacar and vingegaard. In my opinion the giro suits better to roglic because of the TTs.