The Tour de France 2023, whose route was unveiled on Thursday October 27, will start from Bilbao in the Basque country. On July 14, the runners will climb the terrible slopes of the Grand Colombier in the Ain, which is emerging as one of the toughest on the route, even if the return of the Puy de Dôme overshadows it.
The Tour de France 2023, whose route was officially unveiled on Thursday October 27, has as a major attraction the return of the Puy de Dôme to the route. A first since 1988. The climb of the Massif Central, which is remembered for the legendary elbow-to-elbow between Raymond Poulidor and Jacques Anquetil during the 1964 edition, is a difficult obstacle on the road to Paris with its 13km at 7.7% average slope. But not as much as the Grand Colombier in Ain, which will be the longest altitude finish this year (17.4 km at 7.1%), when the very dreaded stage of the Col de la Loze in the Alps will end by a descent.
Contrary to what was done in 2020, with a double climb of the Grand Colombier, the runners will this time climb directly to the summit from Culoz, the most classic and grandiose route with a series of switchbacks dug into the limestone of this summit of the Jura.
So what can Tour de France fans expect for this stage through Bugey with an altitude finish at over 1,500 meters? “It’s a mountain which was discovered quite recently by the Tour de France and which caused significant gaps, because it goes up for a long time. It’s a place less known than others, but which can act as a justice of the peace”explains Bernard Thévenet, double winner of the Tour (in 1975 and 1977) and in charge of public relations for ASO, the organizing company of the event.
“The dynamic format of this stage entirely traced in the Ain leaves little room for doubt. It will certainly be necessary to sharpen your legs in the climb to the plateau of Hauteville-Lompnes, but a major deadline awaits the favorites of the Tour after having visited Culoz : we will necessarily play cards on the table in the ascent of the “Bugey pyramid”, with 17.4 km at an average slope of 7.1%”, commented the director of the Tour, Christian Prudhomme during the presentation of the route.
In video, the route of the Tour de France 2023
The route of the Tour de France 2023.
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©ASO
During the 15th stage of the Tour 2020, the arrival at the Grand Colombier led to an explanation between the very best. Tadej Pogacar, who had finally won the Tour, was not yet wearing the yellow jersey at this time of the event. He had managed to take four seconds from Primoz Roglic, then leader, and started to nibble his disbursement on his rival.
Above all, the Colombian Egan Bernal, winner of the 2019 edition, had exploded in the final ascent dropping more than seven minutes on the finish line. A failure that had put an end to his dreams of keeping his crown. IDuring the presentation of this stage, Christian Prudhomme also had a thought for Egan Bernal, whom he hopes to find on the roads of the Tour next July after his very serious accident during training in Colombia on January 24, 2022 The South American climber has spent his year tending to his many broken bones.
At the end of the presentation of the route this Thursday, a Frenchman showed his appetite for this finish at the top of the Grand Colombier. This is David Gaudu, the Groupama-FDJ climber who finished 4th in the general classification of the Tour de France 2022. “The arrival at the top of the Grand Colombier on July 14, on a steep climb like that, I would like to win”, did he declare. French supporters are waiting for that.
