Tour de France Tour de France 2023, stage 7: Mont-de-Marsan - Bordeaux, 169.9k

Sep 20, 2017
12,411
23,466
28,180
After back-to-back epics, a day off for everyone.

Profile
29ed9


Map

a633b


The route
The stage starts from Mont-de-Marsan, right in between Tuesday's stage towns. The route consists of two halves: the first through the Landes, the largest man-made forest in western Europe, the second down the Garonne valley, dominated by wineries. At the point where one gives way to the other, in Grignols, there is the intermediate sprint.
02TWqT5.png


The second half of the route also contains the day's token KOM, Côte de Béguey.
tour-de-france-2023-stage-7-climb-c6b35b6e63.png


Final kilometres
uS0YTvF.png


pndBMyC.png


The most inaccurate map I've ever seen from ASO. Firstly, there's a roundabout just before 5k to go where the text says they pass on the left, but the map shows the opposite. The former should be correct.
6JBXdKZ.png


Then, to turn onto the Pont-Saint-Jean, the final kilometres map shows one thing, and the finish map shows something else. Here's the kicker: both are incorrect, because the highway exit ramps they show the race taking have been demolished. Hence the crude edit to the map above. It's just three 90-degree turns in short succession. The map warns for a tight turn at the first of these, but it really isn't that bad as far as I can tell from Streetview (the only recent images, from this spring, had roadworks going on...)
vY4ygkL.png


To get off the bridge, there's a bit of a complicated gyratory system to go through. No sharp turns, but a lot of changes of direction immediately after one another, with probably a narrowing at the end of the first of the turns.
pptld4O.png


From there, the final 1.9 kilometres are almost as straightforward as can be.
 
Oct 21, 2012
3,857
3,212
19,180
An uncomplicated final 2K might nullify the MVDP leadout actor a little?

Have been impressed with Ewan's revival. Hasn't looked up for contesting WT bunch sprints for a while, but seems to have found some motivation and is getting closer, without any real support.
 

Scarponi

BANNED
Apr 21, 2015
5,135
2,789
23,180
With how cycling usually goes this is probably where one of Vingegaard and Pogacar crash out.
Hindleys attack two stages ago would allow
Me to accept his win in a round about way if this were to happen.
 
Mar 5, 2023
3,028
4,242
12,180
Snoozefest until the last 40 K, where some sprinter teams will ramp it up, to try and use the climb to get rid of competitors.

- unless we get massive crosswinds of course.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Feb 18, 2015
13,820
9,810
28,180
They'll have a light but not super light tailwind all day. Nothing that guarantees chaos but if they are on a particularly exposed road the gc contenders will have to stay alert.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sandisfan
Oct 21, 2012
3,857
3,212
19,180
What a potential disaster those last kms - hope everyone gets home in one piece.
Every GT sprint stage is a potential disaster in some people's minds. Not really much the organisers can do to avoid that given Europe's infrastructure.
 
Aug 3, 2015
22,743
10,688
28,180
Stages like this are completely useless in the first week of the Tour, but I guess they are a somewhat necessary evil. I think ASO last year did a stunning job of limiting these kind of pseudo rest days, but there are 2-3 of those too much this year unfortunately. There's no suspense or reason to actually watch the 'race' before 10-20 km from the line.

I really cannot be that bothered with a stage like this honestly.