2023 Tour de France route rumors

[Max Rockatansky]

Iraty / Parquetout - steep climbs both ~ 6-7km with plenty over 10-12%, iraty is compatible as a stage finish although I'm not sure if they can do it logistically while Parquetout could easily be introduced before a finish in La Mure.

Few days ago there was an interview with Thierry Gouvenou in a french newspaper about Iraty and other basque climbs.

"Iraty, it is far from everything. Globally, this zone of the Basque Country is far from the sites of arrival that we found for the moment. You have to be able to access the hotels. If we have to take a two-hour or two-and-a-half hour bus ride, it's not possible." "We'll get there one day, but it'll be much easier if it's just a pass" "There are often great climbs in the area, but also extremely fast and narrow, hyperdangerous descents."

Better start building hotels nearby.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Few days ago there was an interview with Thierry Gouvenou in a french newspaper about Iraty and other basque climbs.

"Iraty, it is far from everything. Globally, this zone of the Basque Country is far from the sites of arrival that we found for the moment. You have to be able to access the hotels. If we have to take a two-hour or two-and-a-half hour bus ride, it's not possible." "We'll get there one day, but it'll be much easier if it's just a pass" "There are often great climbs in the area, but also extremely fast and narrow, hyperdangerous descents."

Better start building hotels nearby.

Or you could just reduce the distance of the transfers between stages, if the next stage starts where those hotels are (or really nearby) then it's not a problem.

But trying to get the French to be a bit more flexible and to make compromises is usually almost impossible. If you try to do buisness with a French company it's usually "my way or the highway", just look at them pulling out from the Eurofighter project. If everything isn't done how they want and products from fellow French companies are used they pick up their ball and go home. A friend of mine who is a project manager at a company that supplies component for cars (now a lot for electric ones) always goes on a rant when it comes to having to work with them...