Tour de France 2023 Tour de France, Stage 1: Bilbao - Bilbao, 182 km (Spain, Saturday, July 1)

[Amazinmets87]

Any profile of final KMs? Are they completely flat?

 

[Red Rick]

Any profile of final KMs? Are they completely flat?

Final km is a 1km 5.5% uphill

 

[Scarponi]

It seems worrying given that the entire sport basically takes place in a few cycling crazed countries that are slowly becoming irrelevant in the sport. But who knows maybe that means nothing.

Hasn’t worried tennis where no one wins their home slams lol

 

[Poursuivant]

It will depend on the final 10km after the line. If Vingo and Pog are ahead after the climb, would Vingo want to work knowing he will likely give bonus seconds away, and WVA is not that far behind? I an see a regrouping with a small bunch sprint.

 

[Lexman]

Jumbo might try test Pogi but will not go full ahead if Pogi hangs on...

 

[tobydawq]

It will depend on the final 10km after the line.

I should think the kms after the line are quite irrelevant.

 

[Lequack]

Why do you folks think Egan Bernal can't win it?

 

[Rob5091]

Why do you folks think Egan Bernal can't win it?

Have you seen him in the recent races?

 

[Berniece]

Jumbo might try test Pogi but will not go full ahead if Pogi hangs on...

I think Pogacar might be the one to break others than the other way around. Definitely on a course like this.

 

[RedheadDane]

I should think the kms after the line are quite irrelevant.

The KMs after the line is getting to the hotel to start recovery. Very important.

 

[Anderis]

Surely Pello Bilbao has to win this stage?

 

[rallybanana]

I should think the kms after the line are quite irrelevant.

I should think it wasn't irrelevant to this guy's marriage

Rider crashes into wife after winning Vuelta a Colombia stage – Video

Luis Carlos Chía says brakes were 'blocked' amid torrential rain

www.cyclingnews.com

 

[Mayomaniac]

Surely Pello Bilbao has to win this stage?

Bilbao will win in Bilbao, it is known!

 

[Anderis]

Bilbao will win in Bilbao, it is known!

Considering the fact that the stage starts in Bilbao as well, it should be a solo effort from km 1.

 

[Cookster15]

Last climb tends to be a mini-version of Côte de la Croix-Neuve/Montée Laurent Jalabert, Mende, followed by forgiving (by Basque standards) downhill to finish.
Mende: 3.3k @ 9.5% avg
Côte de Pike: 2.0 @ 9.4% avg but last 1k @ +13% avg will take its toll, so to me comparable with Mende.
GC riders going full pull (Pogi will) and MvDP is surely dropped.

Only read to page 2 to see the opinions. I tend to agree with this. Mende usually sees GC contenders drop the puncheurs like MvDP.

I tend to agree with the opinions that Pogi and Vingegaard will gap the rest over Pike then we see who can chase them down in the run to the finish. The other GC riders don't seem explosive enough to hang with Pog/Vingo on that climb.

Doubts over the state of Pogi's wrist means he may be conservative in any attacks or sprint giving Vingegaard the edge. But I suspect a regrouping with a small bunch sprint.

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Considering the fact that the stage starts in Bilbao as well, it should be a solo effort from km 1.

He's allowed to wait until they ride through his hometown of Gernika for the last time.

 

[Tim Cahill]

Check out this writeup of the 1906 Tour, this Pottier guy sounds like a real character, putting 48 minutes into everyone in one stage with one of his classic attacks.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1672629662458040321

 

[Boehmand]

I may be completely wrong, but I think riders like MvdP, WvA, Pedersen, Laporte, Trentin, etc., might start the Tour slower than we think, because they are all eyeing Worlds.

They all know that if they are in top shape day 1 of the Tour, and race it hard, they will be past their peak and too fatigued, to be serious contenders for the world title.

Thus I would venture a guess that the riders that have Worlds as a top priority, may start the Tour a little off their top shape, in order to hit their peak the last 8-10 days of the Tour, and be able to carry the shape into Worlds.

 

[Gratemans]

It seems worrying given that the entire sport basically takes place in a few cycling crazed countries that are slowly becoming irrelevant in the sport. But who knows maybe that means nothing.

It doesn't.
France, Italy and Spain still have beautiful and varied landscapes with generally favourable weather conditions: ideal circumstances for GT's.
Add to that that cyclingfans are conservative and big on tradition and I guarantee you that even if there's exactly 0 Italians starting in the Giro for example, there would still be loads of fans alongside the course.

 

[Reynard]

I think it's clear that the GC guys can drop everyone and win the stage. Pike is just that hard. But who is going to pull if there are only the heads of stage + maybe one small climbing domestique pullin 80% after coming back from being dropped. I think it's really likely that Vingegaard and Pogi are together over the top and then there is no cooperation which brings back guy after guy. There could be then a window of opportunity for a Yates, a Bilbao, a Madouas, a alaphilippe (in shape) to go before Kelderman and van Aert trickle back and control the situation for Jumbo.

It's quite a good stage design because there are so many options. It's also still the first stage of the tour, so it could be a complete crash festival that decimates the favourite field from day 1 or it's a relative nothingburger with no one of the big guy wanting to go all in and we see van Aert sprint against Alaphilipe and MvdP. Im honestly shocked that matthews isn't hear with that start in the basque mountains. He won in Mende, was second in the 2021 Bretagne start and delivered in the last GTs. For me a big mistake that they didn't plan to bring him to that. Would have brought him instead of Juul-Jensen who is in my eyes a bit overrated as a GT team mate.

 

[SHAD0W93]

What are the chances for wind along the coast?

 

[Andre]

Easy victory for Wout in first stage.

 

[Andre]

AG2R has a pretty strong team

 

[Andy schleck]

I think it's clear that the GC guys can drop everyone and win the stage. Pike is just that hard. But who is going to pull if there are only the heads of stage + maybe one small climbing domestique pullin 80% after coming back from being dropped. I think it's really likely that Vingegaard and Pogi are together over the top and then there is no cooperation which brings back guy after guy. There could be then a window of opportunity for a Yates, a Bilbao, a Madouas, a alaphilippe (in shape) to go before Kelderman and van Aert trickle back and control the situation for Jumbo.

It's quite a good stage design because there are so many options. It's also still the first stage of the tour, so it could be a complete crash festival that decimates the favourite field from day 1 or it's a relative nothingburger with no one of the big guy wanting to go all in and we see van Aert sprint against Alaphilipe and MvdP. Im honestly shocked that matthews isn't hear with that start in the basque mountains. He won in Mende, was second in the 2021 Bretagne start and delivered in the last GTs. For me a big mistake that they didn't plan to bring him to that. Would have brought him instead of Juul-Jensen who is in my eyes a bit overrated as a GT team mate.

Col de vivero it will be important to know who will be in the front, in the end of cote de pike. If col de vivero is going to be ride in hard tempo just like cote de pike, Vingegaard and pogacar will be together in the front. If just cote de pike will be ride in hard tempo, Vingegaard and pogacar will have some company.

 

[Andre]

Maybe remco is not going to the Tour because he is afraid of ag2r team.

that comment belongs on the Remco thread