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Tour de France 2023 stage 7 LIVE: Result and winner as Jasper Philipsen pips Mark Cavendish in Bordeaux

The astana rider will be among the contenders as the peloton heads for bordeaux, article bookmarked.

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Jasper Philipsen won a dramatic sprint in the final metres of stage 7 of the Tour de France as he edged past Mark Cavendish in Bordeaux to stop the Brit earning a record breaking 35th stage win on Tour.

A long, flat stage left many riders in contention as Simon Guglielmi headed off on his own in a breakaway and never looked comfortable in that role.

For most of the day the general classification teams, including Jonas Vingegaard’s Jumbo Visma, took the time to rest up after a brutal few days in the mountains.

When the peloton finally hit Bordeaux the sprinters burst into action with Philipsen taking on an early attack 800 metres from the line. He left Caleb Ewan behind only for Cavendish to make a move on the outside and get the lead with 100m to go. Philipsen, however, was too savvy. He dropped onto Cavendish’s wheel and swept past the 38-year-old in the final few metres to win the stage and leave the Brit slumped over the handlebars is heartbreak.

Relive all the action from stage seven below:

• Tour de France 2023 stage-by-stage guide: Route maps and profiles for all 21 days
• Tadej Pogacar makes Tour de France statement with stage six win
• Tour de France 2023 stage 7 preview: Route map and profile of 145km from Mont de Marsan to Bordeaux

Jasper Philipsen pips Mark Cavendish to claim third stage win of Tour de France

Jasper Philipsen denied Mark Cavendish a record-breaking Tour de France victory on the line as the Belgian won stage seven on the line in Bordeaux .

Philipsen made it three wins from three sprint stages in a row in this Tour as he came around Cavendish in the final few metres, leaving the Manxman to curse as he rolled in second, still tied with Eddy Merckx on 34 career Tour wins.

The 38-year-old had come from well down in the pack to power his way down the right hand side and up to the front of the race, but Philipsen got onto his wheel and powered by, with Biniam Girmay in third.

Philipsen made it three wins from three sprint stages in a row.

Jasper Philipsen wins stage 7!

Post race reaction from the stage winner:

General classification leaderboard after stage 7:

1. Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) - 29hr 57min 12sec

2. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates) +25sec

3. Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) +1min 34sec

4. Simon Yates (Jayco-Alula) +3min 14sec

5. Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers) +3min 30sec

6. Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) +3min 40sec

7. David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ) +4min 3sec

8. Romain Bardet (DSM-Firmenich) +4min 43sec

9. Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) +4min 43sec

10. Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) +5min 28sec

Here are the top five results from the Stage 7 finale. It was almost there for Mark Cavendish but he had to settle for second place.

1. Jasper Philipsen

2. Mark Cavendish

3. Biniam Girmay

4. Luca Mozzato

5. Dylan Groenewegen

Elsewhere, Jonas Vingegaard retains the yellow jersey.

The stage winner spoke after his victory and there’s no surprise that he was quite complimentary about Mark Cavendish.

“I’m super happy and proud, I was always in a good wheel, I never had to do a big effort before I launched my sprint, I can’t believe it,” he said,

“If you’d told me this one week ago [he’d win three stages] I’d have said you’re crazy. So far, it’s a dream tour … from now on, I am looking to Paris also.

“He [Cavendish] was really strong, I would also have loved to see him win … I think everybody … but for sure he will keep on trying, he’s up there, he’s in good condition.”

What a result for Jasper Philipsen, what a finish, what a race.

Tour de France stage 7

Mark Cavendish is pipped right on the line. It’s heartbreaking for the Brit who finishes in second place. He was beaten in the final 10 metres or so.

Philipsen timed his second attack perfectly and had enough in the legs to get past.

800m to go: Inside the final kilometre and the sprinters go for it. Japser Philipsen starts to accelerate but Mark Cavendish makes a run on the outside....

2km to go: When will they decide to go? The sprinters are all close to the front as the peloton heads over the river and moves through a chicane.

Caleb Ewan and Jasper Philipsen seem to be the front men.

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Philipsen secures hat trick of Tour de France stage wins, Vingegaard stays in yellow

Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the seventh stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 170 kilometers (105.5 miles) with start in Mont-de-Marsan and finish in Bordeaux, France, Friday, July 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Thibault Camus)

France’s Christophe Laporte puts ice in his jersey during the seventh stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 170 kilometers (105.5 miles) with start in Mont-de-Marsan and finish in Bordeaux, France, Friday, July 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

France’s Nans Peters, right, and France’s Pierre Latour ride in a breakaway during the seventh stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 170 kilometers (105.5 miles) with start in Mont-de-Marsan and finish in Bordeaux, France, Friday, July 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

The pack rides during the seventh stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 170 kilometers (105.5 miles) with start in Mont-de-Marsan and finish in Bordeaux, France, Friday, July 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Supporters of Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar wait for the riders during the seventh stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 170 kilometers (105.5 miles) with start in Mont-de-Marsan and finish in Bordeaux, France, Friday, July 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Netherlands’ Elmar Reinders takes water during the seventh stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 170 kilometers (105.5 miles) with start in Mont-de-Marsan and finish in Bordeaux, France, Friday, July 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Fighter jets flight before the seventh stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 170 kilometers (105.5 miles) with start in Mont-de-Marsan and finish in Bordeaux, France, Friday, July 7, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

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BORDEAUX, France (AP) — It was not so long ago that Jasper Philipsen was nicknamed “Jasper Disaster.”

In the space of a week at the Tour de France, he has morphed into “Jasper The Master,” dominating the sprints with ease.

The Belgian rider secured a hat trick of stages on Friday by claiming yet another mass sprint in Bordeaux. Philipsen was expertly led to the front by his Alpecin–Deceuninck teammate Mathieu van der Poel then comfortably countered a move by veteran sprinter Mark Cavendish.

Biniam Girmay completed the stage podium, and defending champion Jonas Vingegaard kept the yellow jersey.

Philipsen has won five mass sprints in a row on the Tour after claiming two stage wins last year.

“If you told me this one week ago I would think you’re crazy, but so far it’s a dream for us, a dream Tour and we just continue and hopefully we can add another one,” Philipsen said. “I think from now I’m looking to Paris also.”

Philipsen was given the nickname by Alexander Kristoff when they raced together because he caused a lot of crashes.

“Then he was a little clumsy. And he also forgot a lot of things,” Kristoff told Het Laatste Nieuws. “Then he lost his sunglasses, or couldn’t find his toiletry bag, or forgot his shoes. He was often a disaster, a disaster. The nickname was meant as a joke, not an insult.”

Philipsen made no such mistake when Cavendish hit the front in the finale. He calmly returned onto his wheel and overtook Cavendish to deny the rider known as the “Manx Missile” a record 35th Tour stage win.

Cavendish equaled Merckx’s record of 34 wins on the 2021 Tour, 13 years after his first success. Cavendish, who has never won the Tour, unlike five-time champion Merckx, will retire at the end of the season.

“He (Cavendish) was really strong and I would have also loved to have seen him win, and I think everybody,” Philipsen said. “He’s up there, in good condition.”

After two grueling days of brutal climbing across the Pyrenees, the super flat 170-kilometer (105-mile) Stage 7 looked like the perfect occasion for the main contenders to enjoy a day off inside the peloton.

And they made the most of it to relax.

Vingegaard waved to TV cameras and blew kisses to fans, while second-placed Tadej Pogacar chatted with Van der Poel on the long sections across the Landes forest. On a very hot day in southwestern France, Van der Poel and Philipsen put ice cubes in their jerseys.

After their epic duel over the past couple of days in the Pyrenees, Vingegaard and Pogacar were happy to rest their legs but remain vigilant in the last 30 kilometers when the race animated ahead of the final sprint.

There was no major changes in the general classification: Vingegaard kept his 25-second lead over the two-time champion. Jai Hindley remained in third place, 1 minute, 34 seconds off the pace.

It was a bit unclear at the start of the stage whether the breakaway ignited by the quartet of Simon Guglielmi, Nelson Oliveira, Mathieu Burgeaudeau and Jonas Abrahamsen would grow bigger, but no other rider looked interested in joining their collective effort.

One by one, following their team’s instructions via radio connected to their earpieces, the fugitives sat on, leaving Guglielmi alone at the front.

Given the profile of the stage, Guglielmi’s breakaway was born dead since it looked certain from the start that he would be caught once the sprinters’ teams launched the chase. But it put the French rider in the spotlight, with the bunch riding at a casual pace until the intermediate sprint, with 82 kilometers left.

Guglielmi was caught further down the road after Pierre Latour and Nans Peters escaped from the bunch in the chase. After Guglielmi got dropped, the pair prolonged their effort for a while but were ultimately swallowed.

Saturday’s hilly Stage 8 from Libourne to Limoges in central France could favor a breakaway before the fight resumes between Pogacar and Vingegaard during Sunday’s ascent of the Puy de Dome.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Tour de France 2023 Route stage 7: Mont-de-Marsan - Bordeaux

It’s the 57th time since 1947 that the biggest cycling contest in the world finishes in Bordeaux. But, remarkably, the last finish dates back to 2010. So that’s 13 editions without a Bordeaux finish on Le Tour. The stage winner succeeds Mark Cavendish, who outgunned Jean Dean and Alessandro Petacchi in 2010.

Eddy Merckx is the rider with the most Tour de France stage wins in Bordeaux, namely four in the years 1970-1974.

The route of the 7th stage is a sprinter’s dream. The only hurdle is the Côte de Béguey – 1.2 kilometres at 4.4% – with its summit almost 50 kilometres before the finish.

The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds.

Ride the route yourself? Download GPX stage 7 2023 Tour de France.

Another interesting read: results 7th stage 2023 Tour de France.

Tour de France 2023 stage 7: routes, profiles

Click on the images to zoom

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A Fast & Ferocious Finish Into Bordeaux | Tour De France 2023 Highlights - Stage 7

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Highlights from stage 7 of the Tour de France 2023. Only Paris has hosted more stages than Bordeaux, but the city has not been visited by the race since 2010. This year, it welcomes a flat 169.9km stage from Mont-de-Marsan, and should be another day for the sprinters to do battle.

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Tour de France 2023 Stage 7 recap: Jasper Philipsen denies Mark Cavendish with third win

• Overall standings

Updated 07/07/2023 at 16:19 GMT

• - LAST ESCAPEE SWEPT UP INSIDE THE FINAL 5KM AHEAD OF SPRINT FINISH
• - GUGLIELMI CAUGHT, LATOUR AND PETERS STILL CLEAR WITH 35KM TO GO
• - FRENCH DUO PETERS AND LATOUR ATTACK IN CROSSWINDS
• - GIRMAY BEATS PHILIPSEN IN INTERMEDIATE SPRINT, BREAK LEAD SLASHED

Cavendish foiled in bid for history as Philipsen claims victory in Bordeaux sprint

07/07/2023 at 16:44

‘Heartbreak on the line’ - Philipsen storms home to deny Cavendish in Stage 7 of 2023 Tour de France

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• Australia edition
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Tour de France 2023: Philipsen denies Cavendish record on stage seven – as it happened

History-chasing Mark Cavendish hit the front on the final straight but was pipped by Jasper Philipsen, who won his third stage

• 7 Jul 2023 Stage seven result
• 7 Jul 2023 Jasper Philipsen wins stage seven! Agony for Cavendish!
• 7 Jul 2023 Girmay wins sprint for second place at the intermediate
• 7 Jul 2023 The flag drops!
• 7 Jul 2023 Preamble

Here’s Jeremy Whittle’s stage report :

Ultimately a very exciting finish … but also very disappointing for anyone hoping that Mark Cavendish would make history today with his 35th Tour de France stage win. He came very, very close but an issue with his gears meant he lost crucial speed when he was at the front, and closing in a repeat of his Bordeaux victory in 2010. Thanks for reading, emailing, tweeting etc. … and see you soon for more.

Mark Cavendish speaks to Matt Stephens on Eurosport about the final sprint: “I was in quite a good position. It looked like I was far back, but I was OK, in where I wanted to be. It’s a long, straight finish. [Teammate] Cees [Bol] had moved me up with good speed into the last kilometre. I was on the right wheels.

“I kicked a little earlier than I’d like, but actually, still about the same time as I did in 2010. … Once I kicked, I started, the gears jumped from the 11 to the 12, I had to sit down. Cadence just whacks up. Then it goes back to the 11th, I tried to stand up. I needed to sit down. There was nothing you could do except, like, kind of hope.

“I’m bitterly disappointed there. Really majorly disappointed. But we keep on trying … we can be positive.”

What’s the difference between racing now and in 2008? “Most of the people racing then are maybe granddads now [Laughs] … What can I do? I’m sorry I can’t be a bit more positive about it. I’m bitterly disappointed.”

Mads Pedersen (Trek–Segafredo) speaks to Eurosport: “We did a decent job. But I chose the wrong side to pass Mathieu [on the finish straight]. I had to stop, and go again, and lost all momentum. It was a stupid mistake. Another chance tomorrow … the Tour’s not over.”

Pogacar speaks to ITV: “Another day ticked off … we were flying in the last 30, 40km.”

He is then asked if being second in GC is better than first, at this early stage of the race.

“I think yes.”

In the end , with the one-man break becoming a three-man break, it was an exciting end to the stage that had begun so quietly. Peters and Latour put up a great fight when they escape group was down to two.

On ITV , Marcel Kittel is on pundit duty with Peter Kennaugh. No one on their panel seems to be suggesting any mechanical or other issue for Cavendish, they think he just knew he was beaten by the faster man, and that was why he appeared to admit defeat before they got to the finish line.

We’ll have Jeremy Whittle’s stage report coming up shortly. And I’ll bring you as much reaction as possible.

Michael Morkov , lead-out man for Soudal–Quick-Step, speaks: “It was a big mess. It was difficult to keep Fabio [Jaksoben] with me … I didn’t see the sprint, myself … Fabio looked really good today and we had confidence in him.”

Jakobsen was 15th.

Waiting/hoping to hear from Cavendish …

🇫🇷 RESULT: @LeTour It was close this time… second place 🥈 for @markcavendish #TDF2023 #AstanaQazaqstanTeam — Astana Qazaqstan Team (@AstanaQazTeam) July 7, 2023

Looking at the overhead video again , it definitely appears that Cavendish had some kind of mechanical issue when he was in front. He seemed to sit down from a full-one sprint and lose speed once he went past Philipsen et al and appeared to have the finish line at his mercy.

Meanwhile, here’s a video from the finish straight:

🏆🇧🇪 Jasp3r Philips3n wins in @Bordeaux ! 🏆🇧🇪 Le triplé pour @JasperPhilipsen à @Bordeaux ! #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/GfDCDKn4EW — Tour de France™ (@LeTour) July 7, 2023

Philipsen speaks , wearing the green jersey. “I’m super happy and proud … I was always in a good wheel … I never had to do a big effort before I launched my sprint … I can’t believe it. If you’d told me this one week ago [three stages] I’d have said you’re crazy. So far, it’s a dream tour … from now on, I am looking to Paris also.”

On Cavendish: “He was really strong, I would also have loved to see him win … I think everybody … but for sure he will keep on trying, he’s up there, he’s in good condition.”

Did Cavendish have a problem with his gears?

Looked like Cav had a problem with his gears or something, he seemed to kick/jump with about 200m to go and then seemed to be spinning in too small a gear at the finish — Ian (@cyclingbetting) July 7, 2023

When Cavendish emerged , seemingly from nowhere, to hit the front, my eyes popped out of my head. It was there for him. Adam Blythe, a Eurosport pundit, thinks he may have had a mechanical. It did seem like Cavendish admitted defeat early. But perhaps that was simply that he knew Philipsen had superior pace. Hopefully we’ll hear from him soon …

Stage seven result

1. Jasper Philipsen 2. Mark Cavendish 3. Biniam Girmay 4. Luca Mozzato 5. Dylan Groenewegen

Jonas Vingegaard keeps the yellow jersey.

On Eurosport commentary, Sean Kelly says Cavendish did everything right, but Philipsen was just too strong. And that is right. It was such a brilliant sprint by Cavendish. Perhaps he may feel that he could have jumped a bit later, and not given Philipsen enough road to recover. But that is all too easy to say from here. He saw his chance and went for it. And he nearly, so nearly became the leading stage winner in Tour de France history …

That was insane. But ultimately so disappointing for Cavendish … he appeared to be totally out of position with about 800m to go. But the Manxman emerged on the right-hand side of the road, and surged into the lead with perhaps 100m remaining … it looked like Cavendish was going to clinch it, but Philipsen then got in his slipstream, and accelerated past him for his third win of the race. Heartbreak for Cavendish, and for any of us who were hoping he’d make history today.

Jasper Philipsen wins stage seven! Agony for Cavendish!

Oh my. Cavendish so nearly had it …

1.5km to go: Not sure where Cavendish is but he does not appear to be prominent. I think he’s about 20th wheel.

2km to go: A long, sweeping right-hander. Thankfully the bunch got through that technical section with no mishaps.

3.5km to go: Latour is caught. Jumbo-Visma are up front. Vingegaard is second wheel. Which is surprising, a bit, if the “3km” rule was at 3.6km. They are well inside that now.

4km to go: Aaaaaand it’s 4sec for Latour. It’s about to be back together.

6km to go: Van Aert has been dropped by the bunch. At the front, Latour drops Peters and strikes out alone, on what looks to be a doomed attempt to stay away. Peters in fact gives him a little pat on the back as he heads off alone. I am not sure if Peters had a mechanical there. Anyway, Latour is giving it everything, smashing his feet on the pedals.

7km to go: Who will be popping the champagne at dinner tonight? Nerves are doubtless rising among the Cavendish fans everywhere …

8km to go: The peloton negotiates a roundabout, culminating in a left-hand turn on the road to Bordeaux, just 10sec for the break now.

9km to go: Now 17sec for the bunch. We’ll be all back together in a little while … The TV helicopter overs over the Garonne.

This is the 81st time that the Tour de France has visited Bordeaux, second only to Paris.

10km to go: Ramon Sinkeldam puts in a monster turn at the front of the bunch for Alpecin–Deceuninck. He flicks his right elbow and asks someone else to come through. The gap is still falling, but not all that fast. It’s 27sec now. Chapeau to the duo up front, but they are going to get reeled in.

13km to go: It looks pan flat on the stage profile but Carlton Kirby reliably informs us on Eurosport that this stretch of the route is not, in fact, pan flat. You can see indeed that the road is going up and down a touch.

Anyway, one of the Eurosport reporters who is by the finish says there are some cobbles, and a speed bump to deal with, and that it’s “like an oven” in Bordeaux.

The gap is 33sec. The days for this break are numbered.

16km to go: Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies) does a big turn in front of his fellow breakaway rider, Nans Peters (AG2R Citroën).

18km to go: The gap is down to 40”. Lotto Dstny riders are now more visible at the front of the bunch, working for Caleb Ewan.

21km to go: The camera focuses on the two-man break, Peters and Latour, giving it everything to try and stay away. There are two sharp right-hand turns coming up with about 3km to go: the route runs alongside the Garonne river in Bordeaux, sharp right, sharp right again, over the bridge and along the opposite side …

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• Stage summary
• The stages in-depth

The 2023 men's Tour de France began in Bilbao, Spain on Saturday, July 1, with a route that looks set to be one for the climbers. It features four summit finishes, including a return for the iconic Puy de Dôme climb for the first time since 1988.

There is just one time trial across the three-week event, a short uphill race against the clock from Passy to Combloux over 22km. There are also returns for other epic climbs like the Col de la Loze and the Grand Colombier, with 56,400 metres of climbing on the Tour de France 2023 route.

The race started on foreign soil for the second year in a row, with a Grand Départ in the Spanish Basque Country , the setting for the race's 120th anniversary. There were two hilly stages in Spain, before the peloton crossed the border into France for a stage finish in Bayonne on day three. 

After visiting Pau for the 74th time on stage five, the race's first real mountain test came on stage six, leaving Tarbes and cresting the Col d’Aspin and Col du Tourmalet before a summit finish in Cauterets. 

On stage seven, the Tour’s second most visited city, Bordeaux, will welcome its first stage finish since 2010, when Mark Cavendish claimed his 14th of a record 34 stage wins. Leaving nearby Libourne the next day, stage eight will head east on a 201km slog to Limoges. 

Before the first rest day, the riders will wind up to the summit of the Puy de Dôme, a dormant lava dome which hasn’t featured in the Tour for 35 years. They’ll then enjoy a well-earned day off in Clermont-Ferrand before continuing their passage through the Massif Central. 

France’s national holiday, 14 July, will be celebrated next year with a summit finish on the Grand Colombier, the site of Tadej Pogačar ’s second stage win back in 2020. From there, the mountains keep coming. The riders will climb over the Col de Joux Plaine to Morzine on stage 14, before another mountaintop test in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc the next day. 

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The sole individual time trial of the Tour de Franc route comes on stage 16, when a hilly 22km dash from Passy to Combloux will give the GC contenders a chance to force time gaps. The following day will bring the stage with the highest elevation gain, counting 5000m of climbing en route to the Courchevel altiport, via the Cormet de Roselend and the monstrous Col de la Loze. 

On stages 18 and 19, the sprinters are expected to come to the fore, with flat finishes in Bourg-en-Bresse and Poligny. 

The penultimate stage will play out in the country’s most easterly region, ascending the Petit Ballon, Col du Platzerwasel and finishing in Le Markstein, as the Tour de France Femmes did last year. 

The riders will then undertake a 500km transfer to the outskirts of Paris for the curtain-closing stage. The final day will start at France’s national velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, the track cycling venue for the 2024 Olympics, and will conclude with the customary laps of the capital’s Champs-Elysées. 

The 2023 Tour de France will begin on 1 July, with the winner crowned in Paris on 23 July. 

2023 Tour de France stage table

Jonas Vingegaard raced in the Basque Country this year

Tour de France route week summary

Tour de france week one.

The race began in Bilbao, starting in the Basque Country for the first time since 1992, when the Tour started in San Sebastian. The first two stages are packed full of climbs, with ten classified hills in over the opening couple of days, meaning there will be a fierce battle for the polka-dot jersey. Watch out for Basque fans going crazy on the roadside.

Stage three saw the race cross into France, which it will not leave for the rest of the 18 days. As expected we saw a sprint finish in Bayonne, even after four categorised climbs en-route. Nothing is easy this year.

The fourth day was another sprint, on a motor racing circuit in Nogaro, as the race moved, ominously, towards the Pyrenees. The Hors Categorie Col de Soudet on stage five was the first proper mountain of the race, and was followed by the Col de Marie Blanque, which has tough gradients. A GC day early on, although they are all GC days, really.

Stage five was a mountain top finish in Cauterets-Cambasque, but its gradients didn't catch too many out; it is the Col d'Aspin and Col du Tourmalet that will put people through it.

The seventh day of the race was a chance for the riders to relax their legs as the race headed northwest to an almost nailed-on sprint finish, before another opportunity for the the remaining fast men presented itself on stage eight - after two category four climbs towards the end, and an uphill finish.

The long first week of the race - which will have felt longer because last year had a bonus rest day - ended with the mythical Puy de Dôme.

Tour de France week two

Magnus Cort in the breakaway on stage 10 of the Tour de France 2022

The second week begins with a lumpy road stage around Clermont-Ferrand, starting from a volcano-themed theme park. This will surely be a day for the break. The next day could also be one if the sprint teams fail to get their act together, with two early categorised climbs potential ambush points.

Back into the medium mountains on stage 12, with a finish in the wine making heartland of the Beaujolais, Belleville. Another day for the break, probably, but none of the five categorised climbs are easy.

The following day, stage 13, is France's national holiday, 14 Juillet. The Grand Colombier at the end of the day is the big attraction, with its slopes expected to cause shifts on the GC. Stage 14 is yet another mountain stage as the Tour really gets serious, with the Col de la Ramaz followed by the Col de Joux Plane. The latter, 11.6km at 8.5%, will be a real test for a reduced peloton, before a downhill finish into Morzine.

The final day of week two, stage 15, is yet another day in the Alps before a rest day in Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc. There is nothing as fearsome as the previous days, but 4527m of climbing should still be feared.

Tour de France week three

Tadej Pogačar in the final time trial at the 2022 Tour de France

The third and final week begins with the race's only time trial, 22km long and with a lot of uphill. It is not a mountain event, but it is certainly not one for the pure rouleurs .

Stage 17 looks like the race's Queen Stage, with the final climb up to the Col de la Loze looking incredibly tough on paper, and in real life. That follows the Col de Saisies, the Cormet de Roselend and the Côte de Longefoy, adding up to 5,100m of climbing. The race might be decided on this day.

After that, there is a nice day for the sprinters on stage 18, with a flat finish in Bourg-en-Bresse surely one for the fast men. The next day, stage 19 could be a breakaway day or a sprint finish, depending on how desperate teams are feeling, or how powerful the remaining leadout trains are.

The final mountainous day comes on the penultimate stage, with the men following the Femmes lead and finishing in Le Markstein. However, there's no Grand Ballon, just the Petit Ballon, and so unless something chaotic happens, there should not be great time switches on this stage.

Then, at last, there is the usual finish on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, after the race heads out of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, which has a long-term deal to host the start of Paris-Nice too. ASO country.

Remember, this will be the last time Paris hosts the Tour de France until 2025. So, be prepared.

Tour de France 2023: The stages

Stage one: Bilbao to Bilbao (182km)

The opening stage is very lumpy

There was no easing into the Tour de France for the peloton this year, with a tough, punchy day in the Basque Country. Adam Yates took the first yellow jersey of the 2023 Tour de France after a scintillating stage in the Basque Country that saw the overall battle for the Tour take shape at the earliest opportunity.

The Briton emerged clear over the top of the final climb of the stage, the short and steep Côte de Pike, with his twin brother Simon a few seconds behind him. The pair worked well together to stay clear of the chasing bunch of GC contenders before Adam rode his brother off his wheel inside the final few hundred metres to claim victory.

Stage two: Vitoria-Gasteiz to Saint Sebastian (208.9km)

Still in the Basque Country, there is a Klasikoa theme to stage two

This was the longest stage of the Tour, surprisingly.  Five more categorised climbs meant  it was unlikely to be a sprint stage, including the Jaizkibel, famous from the Clasica San Sebastian, tackled on its eastern side 20km from the finish. This second stage from Vitoria Gasteiz to San Sebastian on the Basque coast followed many of the roads of the San Sebastian Classic, held here every summer.

An early break was soon established in the first 50km and established a three-minute advantage. However, the break was reeled in and a group, including the yellow jersey Adam Yates, pressed towards the finish with Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) clearly hoping it would finish in a sprint. 

Victor Lafay (Cofidis) had other ideas however, and with all and sundry already having attacked Van Aert, Lafay finally made it stick with a kilometre to go, holding off the reduced bunch all the way to the line.

Stage three: Amorebiata-Etxano to Bayonne (187.4km)

Still some hills, but this should be a sprint stage

The third stage took the riders from Amorebieta-Etxano in the Basque Country and back into France, finishing at Bayonne in what was always tipped to be a bunch sprint.  Ultimately, despite a very strong showing in the leadout by Fabio Jakobsen's Soudal-Quick Step team, it was Jasper Philipsen who triumphed , having benefited from a deluxe leadout by team-mate Mathieu Van Der Poel.

Mark Cavendish, who is hunting for a record 35th stage win in what will be his final Tour de France, was sixth.

Stage four: Dax to Nogaro (181.8km)

A nailed on bunch sprint, surely. Surely!

Now this one was always going to be a sprint finish, right? It finished on a motor racing circuit in Nogaro, meaning teams have a long old time to sort their leadout trains.  After a sleepy day out all hell broke lose on the finishing circuit with a series of high speed crashes. Jasper Philipsen was one of the few sprinters to still have a lead-out man at his disposal and when that lead-out man is of the quality of Mathieu van der Poel he was always going to be very difficult to beat. So it proved with Australian Caleb Ewan chasing him down hard but unable to come around him.  Philipsen's win handed him the green jersey too .

Stage five: Pau to Laruns (162.7km)

The first proper mountain, and the first sorting out, as early as stage five

The first Hors Categorie climb of the race came on stage five, the Col de Soudet, which is 15.2km at 7.2%, before the Col de Marie-Blanque and its steep gradients. It certainly ignited the GC battle!  

A break that at one point contained 37 riders was never allowed more than a few minutes, but that proved unwise for Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar behind. Ultimately, with the break already splintering on the final big climb – the Col de Marie-Blanque – Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), riding his first Tour de France, attacked. 

With Hindley time trialling the largely downhill 18km to the finish, Vingegaard attempted to chase him down – and put time into Pogačar as he did so.

Picking up strays from the early break on the way, Vingegaard got to within 34 seconds of Hindley, but it wasn't enough to stop the Australian from taking the stage win, and the yellow jersey .

Stage six: Tarbes to Cauterets-Cambasque (144.9km)

While in the Pyrenees, why not tackle a few more mountains?

A day of aggressive racing in the Pyrenees towards the first summit finish saw Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) take the yellow jersey but Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates) win the stage .

Having had his team set a blistering pace on the Col du Tourmalet, Vingegaard attacked with 4km until the summit. Only Pogačar could follow him as yellow jersey holder Jai Hindley dropped back to the peloton

Having joined up with super domestique Wout van Aert over the top, the group of favourites were towed up the first half of the final climb before Vingegaard attacked. Once again Pogačar followed and with two kilometers to go the Slovenian counter-attacked.

He clawed back nearly half a minute by the line, making the race for yellow a three horse race between those two and Hindley in the process. 

Stage seven: Mont-de-Marsan to Bordeaux (169.9km)

Bordeaux is always a sprint finish

Renowned as a sprint finish town, Bordeaux didn't disappoint the hopeful fastmen –except perhaps for Mark Cavendish, who had to concede victory to hat-trick man Jasper Philipsen, despite a very strong charge for the line from the Manxman .

With Cavendish hunting that elusive 35th record stage win, and having won here last time the Tour came visiting in 2010, many eyes were on the Astana Qazaqstan rider, with on-form Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) who has won twice already, starting as favourite.

The day began with Arkéa-Samsic's Simon Gugliemi forging what turned out to be a solo break that lasted 130 kilometres. He was joined by Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies) and Nans Peters (Ag2r-Citroën) halfway through the stage, the trio forming a purposeful triumvirate of home riders.

However, with the sprinters and their teams on the hunt and few places to hide on what was a hot day crammed with long, straight roads, the break served only as a placeholder for the day's main action in Bordeaux.

A technical finish with roundabouts aplenty, first Jumbo-Visma (in the service of GC leader Jonas Vingegaard) and then Alpecin-Deceuninck took the race by the scruff of the neck in the final. Philipsen enjoyed a marquee leadout from team-mate Mathieu Van Der Poel, but when Cavendish turned on the afterburners at around 150m and leapt forward, the whole cycling world held its breath.

That 35th stage win had to wait for another day though, with Philipsen sweeping past in what was yet another command performance from the Belgian.

Stage eight: Libourne to Limoges (200.7km)

Three categorised climbs in the final 70km could catch people out

Mads Pedersen powered to victory up a punchy finish on stage eight of the  Tour de France , managing to hold off green jersey  Jasper Philipsen  in the process.

Pedersen, the Lidl-Trek rider, now has two Tour stage wins to his name, in a finish which mixed pure sprinters and punchier riders. Alpecin-Deceuninck's Philipsen was third, with Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) in third. To prove how mixed the top ten was, however, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) finished behind the likes of Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech) and Bryan Coquard (Cofidis).

On a day which could have been one for the breakaway, the race was controlled expertly by Jumbo, Trek and Alpecin for their options, and so the escapees were never allowed much time. Sadly, stage eight turned out to Mark Cavendish's last - the Astana-Qazaqstan rider crashed heavily and was forced to abandon .

Stage nine: Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat to Puy de Dôme (184km)

The Puy de Dôme is back, and is vicious

In a north American showdown it was Canada that came out on top as  Michael Woods  beat American rival  Matteo Jorgenson  to the win atop the legendary Puy de Dôme.

Jorgenson had gone solo form a breakaway with 40km left to race. However, on the slopes of the Puy de Dôme where the gradient remains over 105 for more than four kilometres, Woods closed the gap and came around Jorgenson with just 600m left to go.

In the final kilometre, of what had been a blisteringly hot day with temperatures north of 30 degree Celsius, Tadej Pogačar managed to drop Jonas Vingegaard but the Jumbo-Visma captain dug deep to minimise his losses and came across the line eight seconds down.

Stage 10: Vulcania to Issoire (162.7km)

Five categorised climbs over this Volcanic stage

The breakaway had its day in Issoire, as Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) won beneath the scorching sun in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. 

After a frantic start, the mood finally settled and a 14-rider move went clear. Krists Neilands (Israel Premier Tech) launched a solo bid with around 30km remaining, but was caught in the closing moments by a chasing group led by Bilbao. The Spaniard then policed attacks in the finale, before sprinting to his team's first victory at this year's race. 

"For Gino," Bilbao said afterwards, dedicating his win to his late teammate, Gino Mäder .  

Stage 11: Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins (179.8km)

The flat finalé hints at a sprint, but it could be a break day

After a difficult previous day that was hot and hilly, the bunch allowed the break to go very quickly, with Andrey Amador, Matis Louvel and Daniel Oss quickly gaining three minutes. They were kept on a tight leash though, with the sprinters' teams eyeing a bunch finish. And this they delivered, with Jasper Philipsen winning a fourth stage after a tricky finale.

Stage 12: Roanne to Belleville-en-Beaujolais (168.8km)

Hills return, with some steep, punchy ones towards the end

Just like stage ten, Thursday's stage 12 was a fast and frenetic affair on the road to Belleville-en-Beaujolais. A strong group of puncheur type riders eventually got up the road after the breakaway took more than 80 kilometres to form. Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) came out on top at the finish, soloing to the line after a big attack on the final climb of the day. 

Stage 13: Châtillon-Sur-Chalaronne to Grand Colombier (138km)

Welcome to the Alps, here's an hors categorie climb

Michał Kwiatkowski took an impressive solo victory on the summit finish of the Grand Colombier. The Polish rider caught and passed the remnants of the day's breakaway which included Great Britain's James Shaw to grab his second-ever Tour stage win. Behind the Ineos rider, Tadej Pogačar attacked and took eight seconds back on Jonas Vingegaard in the fight for the yellow jersey. 

Stage 14: Annemasse to Morzine Les Portes du Soleil (151.8km)

Five categorised climbs, four of which are one and above. Ouch.

Carlos Rodríguez announced himself on his Tour de France debut on stage 14 with a career-defining victory in Morzine. While all eyes were on Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar, the Spaniard broke free on the descent of the Col de Joux Plane and descended as if on rails to the finish. 

Stage 15: Les Gets Les Portes du Soleil to Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc (179km)

Back to a summit finish, there is no escape at this Tour

The breakaway had its day at the summit of Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc. After dedicating his career to domestique duties, the victory went to Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious), who launched a late attack on the steepest slopes and held off Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) to the line.

Stage 16: Passy to Combloux ITT (22.4km)

A time trial! But not a flat one

Stage 16 brought the fewest time trial kilometres at the Tour de France in 90 years. On the uphill test to Combloux, Jonas Vingegaard proved the strongest , and by quite a way, too. The Dane's winning margin of 1-38 over Tadej Pogačar left him in the driving seat to taking his second Tour title.

Stage 17: Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc to Courchevel (165.7km)

Back to  the proper mountains, and there will be no let up on the final Wednesday

The Queen stage brought a career-defining victory for Austrian Felix Gall (AG2R Citroën), but all eyes were on the GC battle, and the demise of Tadej Pogačar. The UAE Team Emirates rider cracked on the slopes of the Col de la Loze, losing almost six minutes to Jonas Vingegaard, and slipping to 7-35 in the overall standings.

Stage 18: Moûtiers to Bourg-en-Bresse (184.9km)

Two category four climbs on the road to a chicken-themed sprint

Denmark's Kasper Asgreen put in one of the best performances of the race to grab his first-ever Tour victory . The Soudal Quick-Step rider was part of a four man breakaway that managed to hold on all the way to the line by just a handful of seconds ahead of the peloton.

Stage 19: Moirans-en-Montagne to Poligny (172.8km)

Another sprint, maybe, or a heartbreaking chase which fails to bring the breakaway back

Matej Mohorič of Bahrain Victorious took an emotional victory in Poligny after a chaotic day of racing. The Slovenian rider launched an attack with Kasper Asgreen and Ben O'Connor on the final climb of the hilly stage before beating his breakaway compatriots in a three-up sprint for the line. It was Mohorič's third-ever Tour victory.

Stage 20: Belfort to Le Markstein Fellering (133.5km)

One last chance. Six categorised climbs, will it shake up the GC?

The race might be very near Germany at this point, but Belfort remained French after the Franco-Prussian War, unlike the territory the penultimate stage travels into. 

This is the last chance saloon for all teams and riders who aren’t sprinters, especially those with GC ambitions. However, it is not quite the task of the previous Alpine days, with the six categorised climbs not the most testing. Still, there will be a lot of people trying to make things happen.

Stage 21: Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to Paris (115.1km)

The classic Parisian sprint. Lovely.

This will be the last time the Tour heads to Paris until at least 2025, so make the most of those shots of the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées. The classic procession will happen for the first 55km until the race hits the Champs for the first time 60km in. From that point on, anything goes, although that anything will probably be a bunch sprint.

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Adam is Cycling Weekly ’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling on tarmac, he's happy. Before joining Cycling Weekly he spent two years writing for Procycling, where he interviewed riders and wrote about racing. He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds. Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to cycling.

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Le Tour de France in Bordeaux

Discover the tour and where to see it in Bordeaux

Le Tour de France is the most fervently supported and highly anticipated sporting event in France. Even those who don’t know their bicycle clips from their hand pumps recognise the yellow jersey of the Tour de France stage leader; but few would imagine that Le Tour was created because of the trial and conviction of French soldier Alfred Dreyfus.

The Tour de France takes place in the first three weeks of July with a mixture of flat stages, cobble stones, dramatic sprints and some of the biggest mountain stages that the Tour will ever see, ensures that the battle will continue right until the end.

See the full program of the Tour de France .

Where and when

Anyone making the pilgrimage to see Le Tour in action will enjoy the atmosphere as much as the race itself. It takes place each year across France during the first three weeks in July.

Crowds of people line the streets hours (sometimes even days!) in advance; tents, picnics and BBQs turn the wait for the cyclists into an impromptu street party and the arrival of the publicity caravan heralds the start of the festivities. The caravan is a 20km long procession of 200 decorated sponsored vehicles that precedes the race. Added as a regular feature of the race in 1930 the caravan makes its way through the towns and villages that make up the race route, whipping up a carnival atmosphere and throwing free gifts to the cheering crowds along the way! Each vehicle tries to outdo the others to advertise their own brand, so the event is quite a spectacle.

The origins of the race date back to the early 1900s and two rival sports newspapers. The 'Dreyfus Affair' divided opinion in France at the end of the 19th century when French soldier, Albert Dreyfus, was found guilty of selling secrets to the Germans and was sentenced to life imprisonment. The outcome of the trial appeared to be heavily influenced by the fact that Dreyfus was Jewish, and many people, including the editor of Le Vélo, believed him to have been innocent. Le Vélo was France’s most dominant sporting newspaper of the time, but unfortunately the editor’s view was not shared by all. Dion Car Works, Le Vélo’s biggest advertiser, disagreed strongly with the newspaper and as a result withdrew their advertising and started their own publication, L’Auto. The idea of publicising this new venture with a cycle race was to be in direct competition with the Paris-Brest race organised by Le Vélo; the Paris-Brest race continues to this day and is still popular, but does not hold the iconic status of Le Tour de France.

Le Tour de France is not just a race, it is a celebration of all things French; the rural villages, the stunning scenery, the cheering crowds, the sportsmanship and, finally, the grande finale in Paris.

The first Tour du France was in 1903 , 60 people participated but only 21 completed the race. The winner was Maurice Garin who won 6,075 francs in prize money and averaged 25km/hr. He beat the second place winner, Lucien Pothier, by 2 hours 49 minutes, which is still the record for the greatest margin.

The mountain stages of Le Tour de France were introduced to the itinerary in 1910 when the Pyrenees were added to the route and are amongst the most challenging stages of the race. This upset many regular competitors because all of a sudden the ‘power cyclists’ found themselves at a disadvantage on the steep ascents. However, this gave ‘climbing cyclists’ more of a fighting chance than they had before and, if anything, made the race more exciting by opening up the playing field to a wider range of contenders. The first mountain stage went from Luchon to Bayonne; other climbs of the Pyrenees were Peyresourde, Aspin, Tourmalet and Aubisque. The same year, not coincidentally, saw the introduction of the broom wagon; a vehicle that follows the race ‘sweeping’ up riders who can’t continue! The mountain stages are amongst the most exciting of the race as the riders need not just speed but strength, endurance and thighs of steel! The 21 bends of Alpe d’Huez are amongst the most legendary of the mountain stages, anyone who has ever tried to complete them in their own time will know just what an incredible feat it is to whizz up them the way these guys do!

The race of 1919 was the first one after the First World War and the toll that the battlefields had taken on Europe’s male population was evident in the noticeable decrease in the number of competitors. It was also the slowest race since 1906, due to bombed out roads and the loss of many of the great pre-war cycling champions. It was in 1919 that the Yellow Jersey was introduced to highlight the overall race leader.

1952 was the year that Le Tour went global. The race was filmed for television for the first time, opening up its popularity to a much wider fan base. It was also the first year that the legendary heights of Alpe d’Huez were climbed with a mountain top finish in Sestrières and on the Puy de Dôme.

Only in France! 1964 saw possibly the most gastronomically influenced battle for the Yellow Jersey ever. Multiple Tour winner and favourite contender Jacques Anquetil nearly blew his chances by over indulging at a BBQ on a rest day during the Pyrenees stages. The following day a terrible bout of indigestion took its toll while he was speeding along the Envalira Pass. His coach saved the day by passing him a bottle of champagne, which he guzzled whilst still on his bike, apparently curing his indigestion and allowing him to make up the lost time, overtake his nearest competitor and regain the Yellow Jersey!

The 61st Tour de France visited England for the first time in 1974 . The riders passed through ten towns and completed a circuit stage in Plymouth. Alas the trophy was not won by a Brit this year but by a Dutchman, Henk Poppe.

1975 was a year of firsts for the race: the first polka-dot jersey awarded to the best climber; first white jersey awarded to best young rider; first Tour finish on the Champs-Elysées. The final stage is the most high-profile as the stage starts with a champagne toast and the winners are cheered over the finishing line by huge crowds, flashing cameras and jostling media. The race had finished at the Champs-Elysées every year since 1975 and the spectacle of the competitors speeding past landmarks such as the Louvre and the Arc de Triomphe make for a great atmosphere. The winner has normally already been decided on points by this stage, so the great dash for the finish is mostly just for the glory and prestige of being first over the historic line. Unfortunately 1975 did not bring a first for Belgian cyclist Eddie Merckx, who was intending to make this his sixth win; a enraged spectator leapt from the crowd and punched Merckx in the kidney, causing him to lose time and finish in second place.

An American cyclist, Greg LeMond, became the first to get a stage win in 1985 at the Lac de Vassivière. He unfortunately got shot during the winter though in a hunting accident and could not defend his title the following year. He made a strong return in 1989 and won first place.

1989 was also the year that Le Tour celebrated the French revolution’s bi-centenary by awarding a 17,890 francs bonus at kilometre 1789, in Martres-Tolosane (Luchon - Blagnac stage), where the Women’s Tour started.

British cyclists historically hadn't made much of an impact on Le Tour de France, but in 1998 Britain's Chris Boardman won his third Prologue and captured the yellow jersey. This year was also tarnished by scandal when, before the Tour had even started, a Festina team car was found to be loaded with performance enhancing drugs on the French/Belgian border. In the ensuing investigation team director Bruno Roussel confessed to systematic doping of the riders; the entire team was then expelled from the race. The incident kicked up a furor when the race organisers insisted on conducting further drug inquiries, prompting two sit-down strikes by the Tour riders and marring the 1998 race. The discovery of the drugs and Roussel's admission lead to an enquiry which saw police searches, arrests, court cases and a huge amount of negative publicity that has made doping a controversial part of Le Tour de France ever since.

1999 was the first year that Lance Armstrong won first place, signalling the start of his domination of the race for the next seven years. Claiming the winner’s podium an incredible seven consecutive times, Armstrong became a hero to race fans when it was revealed that prior to his first victory he had beaten a severe form of testicular cancer that had spread to his brain and lungs. He had undergone brain and testicular surgery as well as extensive chemotherapy as part of his recovery process. Interestingly, a 2006 report by CS Atwood claims that Armstrong’s medical treatment may actually have contributed to his athletic ability by altering his hormonal system and his body’s production of testosterone in a way that would allegedly enhance his endurance performance. Armstrong’s physical attributes have been the subject of much discussion amongst sports journalists over the years. Apparently one of his distinguishing features is a heart that is 30% larger than average, which beats at 32-34 bpm at rest and can reach up to 201 bpm when strenuously exercising. He also has extremely low lactate levels, meaning that he is less prone to a build up of lactic acid (the stuff that makes your muscles burn and stiffen up when you exercise) in his legs. His domination of the sport and astonishing performances year after year left him open to accusations of drug taking and Armstrong has described himself as ‘the most tested athlete in the world.’ In 2012 , the US Anti-Doping Agency released a report on doping by the US Postal Service cycling team, implicating, amongst others, Armstrong, and describing a widespread use of drugs and several banned practices taking place over several Tours. Following this report Armstrong was stripped of all titles since 1 August 1998, including all seven Tour victories, and no winner was declared in his stead.

The race of 1999 was one of thrills and spills for Italian cyclist Guiseppe Guerini when during the arduous climb up Avoriaz he came face to face with one of his fans - quite literally. A young German photographer, known as Erik, was so keen to snap a good photo that he got a little too close to the action and collided head on with Guerini, knocking him off his bike! Guerini scrambled back into the saddle and made up his lost time to win the stage. Erik was said to be so mortified by causing the accident that he refused to sell the photo, despite being offered large sums for it. Instead he visited Guerini in his hotel room that night, apologised profusely and gave him the roll of film to do with as he wished. Guerini was apparently very gracious and bore the young German no hard feelings.

Doping scandals continued to overshadow the race, and the 93rd Le Tour of 2006 was dominated by accusations of drug taking; American cyclist Floyd Landis brought disgrace to the Yellow Jersey when he was found guilty of drug use four days after being declared the winner. This year’s race had already got off to an unsteady start when on the eve of the first stage 13 riders were banned from competing due to suspicion of doping. With some of the race favourites out of the picture, the field was now wide open for a lesser known contender to make his name. In the closest finish in the race’s history Floyd Landis, already a leading favourite, took first place. It was his unexpectedly good 17th stage in Morzine that aroused suspicion (especially after his inauspicious 16th stage). A urine sample was taken, which twice showed positive for a banned synthetic testosterone substance. Landis vehemently denied the charges and appealed against the test results; however, the accusation was upheld and in 2007 Landis was stripped of his title. After a 14 month legal battle second place finisher Oscar Pereiro was announced the true winner.

With drugs testing now being a focal point of the race organisation, 2007 inevitably threw up more scandal and controversy when a number of cyclists tested positive for banned substances, causing the T-Mobile, Astana and Cofidis teams to be withdrawn from the race. The T-Mobile ban led to German TV broadcasters ZDF and ARD withdrawing their coverage of the race. More bizarrely the 2007 Tour de France was also disrupted by a pair of kamikaze dogs… A wandering Labrador Retriever was struck by a rider in the 9th stage, throwing the rider over the handlebars and buckling his front wheel. Fortunately the dog was unhurt and was quickly scooped out of the way by a spectator. Another overexcited hound threw a spanner in the works by dashing out in front of the pack during the 18th stage, causing a collision between two riders. There have been no allegations that the dogs were on drugs, but you never know...

The generation of riders from the mid-2010s and beyond seem to be competing on a level playing field without doping being used to realise their dreams. Team Sky would dominate the peloton for years in this era. The 2012 Tour was won by the first British rider ever, Bradley Wiggins, while finishing just behind him was Chris Froome, who along with Alberto Contador, became one of cycling's next big stars. Froome would win four Tours in total, three in a row - 2013, 2015 , 2016 , and 2017 , followed by Geraint Thomas in 2018 . This winning streak was eventually broken by the UAE Team Emirates in 2020 with Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar taking the prize, repeating this victory in 2021 making him the youngest rider to achieve two Tour victories, aged only 22. In 2022 Denmark's 25 year old Jonas Vingegaard gained the yellow jersey as the overall winner. This was his first win, the 2020 and 2021 winner Tadej Pogacar came second and Great Britain's Geraint Thomas came in third place.

Facts & figures

• Over 500 towns and villages have hosted Le Tour de France
• More than 10,000 cyclists have entered the race
• Over 6,000 cyclists have completed the race
• 250 different cyclists have worn the Yellow Jersey
• Raymond Poulidor has claimed the podium more times than anyone else (finishing eight times in the top three), despite never having worn the Yellow Jersey
• Four riders have won five times: the French Jacques Anquetil (1957 and 1961-1964) and Bernard Hinault (1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985), the Belgian Eddy Merckx (1969-1972 and 1984), and the Spanish Miguel Indurain (1991-1995)
• Lance Armstrong has won Le Tour de France more times than any other cyclist, claiming first place every year from 1999 to 2005. In 2012 he was stripped of all his achievements since 1998, including his seven Tour de France titles

Spotting the winners

The famous Yellow Jersey (Maillot Jaune) has become symbolic of Le Tour de France and marks out the overall winner of the previous day’s stage. There are three coloured jerseys, each signifying the category that the wearer has won. Yellow is the overall winner, green is the sprint winner and the white jersey with red polka dots goes to the ‘King of the Mountains’ uphill winner. There are also three lesser classifications: the white jersey for the best placed rider under the age of 25, the red jersey for the most competitive/aggressive rider (the ‘prix de combativité’), and the black on yellow jersey for the best team. The Yellow Jersey was first officially introduced in 1919, to make the lead competitor stand out and give the other racers a clearly visible target to beat. The colour yellow was chosen partly for its high visibility and partly because it was the colour of the pages of Le Auto, the cycling journal that organised the race. There are records of the lead rider wearing a yellow jersey before this but it was not an official part of the race, to the extent that when Phillippe Thys lead the race in 1913 he had to pop into a shop 'en route' to buy his own jersey and then cut a bigger hole in the neck to get it over his head!

Apart from the 'Maillot Jaune' there are other winners and jerseys awarded throughout the race. The day, or stage, winner will be awarded a prize and at the end of the three weeks there will also be a presentation for the overall winning team. The yellow jersey is sponsored by LCL.

Green jersey The green jersey was created in 1953 for the 50th anniversary of the race. It brought a new interest to the race, the yellow jersey not being the only jersey at stake any longer. The first green jersey in history was held by Swiss Fritz Schaer. It is worn by the leader of the points classification. Points are awarded in the intermediate sprints and the stage finishes.

It was sponsored by PMU from 1992 until 2014, when Czech car manufacturer Skoda was revealed as the new sponsor.

Polka-dot jersey The King of the Mountains classification was created in 1933 for the best climbers (first winner: Spain’s Vicente Trueba). But the polka-dot jersey only appeared in 1975. France’s Richard Virenque holds the record of most KOM jerseys: he won it seven times between 1994 and 2004.

The polka-dot jersey is sponsored by E. LeClerc.

White jersey First appearing in 1968, it wasn't until 1975 it began to symbolise the future and youth of the peloton. The wearer is the best placed in the overall standings who is under the age of 26, first worn by the Italian Francesco Moser. The jersey has revealed some of the best talents in the sport – Denis Menchov in 2003, Alberto Contador in 2007, Andy Schleck from 2008 and 2010, Pierre Rolland in 2012, Egan Bernal in 2019 and Tadej Pogacar in 2020 - the latter two combining the yellow and white jerseys at the final.

It is currently sponsored by Krys.

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The Tour de France in Bordeaux

Cycling fans, make a note of July 7 in your diaries, the day when the Tour de France peloton crosses the finish line at Place des Quinconces. Would you like to come and cheer on your favourite champions on the home straight of this 7th stage? There'll be plenty of entertainment at the Fanpark, in Place des Quinconces. We'll tell you all about it!

Tour de France finish line and publicity caravan

Bordeaux will be hosting the finish of the 7th stage of the Tour de France (here's the map), which departs from Mont-de Marsan and arrives at the Place des Quinconces, where the finish line has been in place (on the Quai Louis-XVIII) since March. The people of Bordeaux are looking forward to welcoming the Grande Boucle, which last passed through here in 2010.

The riders are due to arrive at the Quinconces on 7 July at around 5.20pm. The publicity caravan, an essential part of the Tour de France spectacle, will arrive earlier, at around 3.30pm. During this festive opening parade, the Tour's partners will be putting on a show, handing out a host of promotional gifts (with an emphasis on the usefulness of the objects and the use of recycled and/or recyclable materials) to surprise the hundreds of fans waiting for the riders to pass by!

Credit Marlène Roumegoux

Where does stage 7 - Mont-de-Marsan - Bordeaux go?

On the Gironde section of this 170km stage, the Tour will cross the Sud-Gironde, the Entre-deux-Mers, and enter the city after passing through Camblanes-et-Meynac and Latresne. The peloton will then reach Bouliac from the D113, where it will head for the Quai de la Souys to follow the quays of Floirac. The riders continue along the right bank of the Garonne before crossing the Pont Saint-Jean to reach the left bank. Here, they will tackle a fine 2km straight for a final sprint along the quays to the finish line at the Quinconces. The following day, the peloton will set off from Libourne.  

The Fanpark at the Quinconces

From Thursday 6 July, the Place des Quinconces will be hosting a village of free events put on by the Tour de France and its partners, as well as a host of local players.

It will be open on Thursday 6 July from 2pm to 9pm and on 7 July from 10am to 7pm.

To follow the stage in real time on a giant screen, go to the quayside, near the Miroir d'Eau.

How do I get to the Fanpark?

The easiest way is by bike! A free secure bike park with a capacity of 770 bikes will be available at the Quinconces. It will be accessible by reservation and managed by AG2R, partner of the Tour de France, at the same times as the Fan Park. If you are planning to come by car, please note that the finish area and the route will be inaccessible to vehicles from 12.30pm on 7 July. A mobility, diversion and public transport plan is currently being drawn up to provide visitors and residents with the best possible information and guidance.

Information for public transport

Metropolitan France will be rolling out a specific plan for public transport. The challenge is twofold. The large number of Tour de France spectators need to be transported to the site, while at the same time guaranteeing continuity of public transport services for everyday users on the first day of the school holidays.

Line B of the tramway will have to be interrupted between Quinconces and Claveau stations from 10pm on Thursday 6 July until 11pm on Friday 7 July. This stop will allow the arrival village to be set up at Quinconces. A replacement bus service will be provided to make up for this interruption.

For site development and safety purposes, the Pont Saint-Jean will also be closed to traffic from 10pm on Thursday 6 July until 9pm on Friday 7 July.

Lines C and D should be interrupted on the platforms from 2pm on Friday 7 July depending on the number of spectators on site. The aim is to keep them running as long as possible to serve Gare St Jean. Lines C and D will resume service at 7pm on Friday 7 July.

On several roads in the Metropolitan area along the route of the race (Floirac, Quais de la Souys, Pont Saint-Jean), bus routes will have to be diverted on the afternoon of Friday 7 July between around 12 noon and 6.30pm for the passage of the runners.

Bordeaux awarded "Ville à Vélo du Tour de France" label

This year, Bordeaux has been awarded 4 bicycles for the Tour de France 2023 "Ville à Vélo" label, the highest possible score! Of the 32 cities that applied for this 2023 promotion, only two other cities were awarded 4 bicycles (Paris and Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain). The award recognises an "exemplary cycling promotion policy", an investment in cycling that began more than 20 years ago and is now bearing fruit, with cycling on the increase.

Practical info

Accommodation

The eco-traveller's guide

The Bordeaux tourist office welcomes you

Official games

2023 Edition

• Stage winners
• All the videos

Tour Culture

• Commitments
• key figures
• Sporting Stakes
• "Maillot Jaune" Collection
• The jerseys

TOTAL: 3492 km

This will be the first Grand Départ in Italy and the 26th that’s taken place abroad  First finale in Nice. Due to the Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place in Paris, the race will not finish in the French capital for the first time.

Two time trials. 25 + 34 = 59km in total, the second of them taking place on the final Monaco>Nice stage. This will be the first time the race has seen a finale of this type for 35 years, the last occasion being the famous Fignon - LeMond duel in 1989.

Apennines (Italy), the Italian and French Alps, Massif Central and Pyrenees will be the mountain ranges on the 2024 Tour route.

The number of countries visited in 2024: Italy, San Marino, Monaco and France. Within France, the race will pass through 7 Regions and 30 departments.

The number of bonus points 8, 5 and 2 bonus seconds go to the first three classified riders, featuring at strategic points along the route (subject to approval by the International Cycling Union)these will have no effect on the points classification. Bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds will be awarded to the first three classified riders at road stage finishes.

Out of a total of 39, the locations or stage towns that are appearing on the Tour map for the first time . In order of appearance: Florence, Rimini, Cesenatico, Bologna, Piacenza, Saint-Vulbas, Gevrey-Chambertin, Colombey-les-Deux-Églises, Évaux-les-Bains, Gruissan, Superdévoluy, Col de la Couillole.

The number of sectors on white roads during stage nine, amounting to 32km in total .

The number of stages: 8 flat, 4 hilly, 7 mountain (with 4 summit finishes at Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet, Plateau de Beille, Isola 2000, Col de la Couillole), 2 time trials and 2 rest days.

The number of riders who will line up at the start of the Tour, divided into 22 teams of 8 riders each.

The height of the summit of the Bonette pass in the Alps, the highest tarmac road in France, which will be the “roof” of the 2024 Tour.

The total vertical gain during the 2024 Tour de France.

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A total of 2,3 million euros will be awarded to the teams and riders including € 500,000 to the final winner of the overall individual classification .

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Mark Cavendish grabs second win of the year at Tour of Hungary

Mark Cavendish took the second victory of his final season on the road on Thursday afternoon at the Tour of Hungary.  

The Astana Qazaqstan rider beat Dylan Groenewegen to the line to win stage two in Kazincbarcika. Cavendish was able to rely on a perfect lead out from his teammates and launched his sprint in the final 200 metres to snatch the win ahead of Jayco-AIUla’s Groenewegen and Jon Aberasturi of Euskaltel-Euskadi. 

After missing out on the opening day to Bora-Hansgrohe’s Sam Welsford, Cavendish said his teammates had timed their lead out train to perfection. 

"I'm really happy with it," Cavendish said following the stage finish. "Yesterday, we didn't quite hit the lead-out properly. It was super good, and everyone committed 100% yesterday, but we were just a bit eager and a bit too soon. 

"We talked and talked about that to rectify it today. It was a completely different finish today, no big boulevard or corners to make it technical, and we executed it exactly how we wanted it. I'm so happy."

It was the second win of Cavendish’s season after he won a stage earlier this year at Tour Colombia . He now sits five seconds off the overall race lead in Hungary. 

The Manxman is expected to retire at the end of the current campaign after one last attempt at breaking the record for the most stage wins at the Tour de France . Cavendish is currently tied on 34 wins with Belgian cycling legend Eddy Merckx. 

Cavendish was just metres away from taking the record breaking win in Bordeaux last year but was just edged out by eventual green jersey winner Jasper Philipsen . 

After taking victory in Colombia earlier this year, Cavendish’s schedule was impacted by a period of sickness which led to him missing Scheldeprijs in early April. 

Cavendish pulled out of the UAE Tour in February before going on to ride Tirreno-Adriatico in Italy. 

The Manxman missed the time cut on stage five so was forced to quit the Italian stage race. Cavendish then rode Milano-Torino but also abandoned the race after suffering with cold-like symptoms. 

The 38-year-old then took part in an amateur race on the Isle of Man as he built back some form. A competitor in the Nick Corkill Memorial Race told Cycling Weekly that Cavendish’s presence was surreal. 

More From Forbes

Vintage 2023: nature delivered what consumers desired.

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This is a general overview of Bordeaux vintage 2023. Specific wine tasting notes for some 200 wines are in separate articles for the Bordeaux Left Bank , Bordeaux Right Bank and Entre-Deux-Mers region, as well as for white/rosé wines .

Additional tasting notes are provided at the VinoVoices website .

Didier Gil (right)-Haut-Peyrat; Jean Claude Aubert-La Couspade

Each year new trends arrive in the international wine world. Consider those of the past decade: aging wines in clay amphorae, planting more indigenous grapes and expanding agroforestry. This year’s trend in much of France appears to be using larger oak barrels—400 or 500 liters or even more sizable wooden ‘foudre’—as well as lower alcohol (even zero alcohol) combined with increased acidity. This low alcohol/high acidity combination (which can be manipulated through, say, maceration) results in two buzzwords now promulgated by wine producers for vintage 2023: ‘freshness’ and ‘drinkability.’

Such trends often appear unexpectedly, then mysteriously turn ubiquitous. While traveling in different wine regions of France during past weeks—Rhone Valley, Languedoc, Bordeaux—as well as in Italy, I’ve spoke with dozens of winemakers and sipped hundreds of wines. This includes ample amounts from the left and right banks of Bordeaux, as well as Bordeaux Entre-Deux-Mers.

Château Le Virou barrel room, Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux

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Thoughts on Bordeaux Vintage 2023

Striking acidity within much of Bordeaux vintage 2023 is more pronounced and better integrated with fruit than that of vintage 2021, as well as more homogenous across the region in comparison. That’s a personal opinion. Does it match the data? According to Colin Hay of The Drinks Business , the Merlot total acidity (in grams/liter) was matched only by 2021 in the past five years, while the acidity of Cabernet Sauvignon is higher than that of the previous two vintages (at various test vineyards in Bordeaux; hence not necessarily a generalization valid for the entire region).

Such pronounced acidity can dovetail with current customer desires—lively wines that are ready to drink now and that highlight fresh fruit—meaning another glass please.

Some Pessac-Leognan whites from 2023 are magnificent with crackling acidity and superb balance. As heartily as I previously recommended 2021 red Burgundy (high quality and scarcity) and many of the better Bordeaux whites in from vintage 2017, I now recommend Pessac Leognan 2023 whites. Sizzling, lively, crisp tightrope acidity balanced with fruit and consistent excellent quality—more so than for Graves in general.

Tannins for 2023 red wines often appear unusually creamy , which—combined with perky acidity—may give this vintage an edgy flavor profile and aging ability to be raved over and sought twenty years down the road (and, yes, also after five, ten and thirty years), with those who drink it likely calling it fresh and even velvety. And yet there were also tannins that appear to have been disjointed from a harmonious acidity/fruit integration.

I may have been oblivious during past En Primeurs, but are more producers now serving reds slightly chilled to accentuate precise tannins and clean acidity? Regardless—applause for that action.

Prince Robert of Luxembourg of Cht. La Mission Haut-Brion

Saint-Émilion includes distinct and voluptuous stunning reds blessed with tannic/acidic harmony and compact deep dense black fruit reminiscent of vintage 2018, but some with those lava fluid tannins enveloped within.

For red wines, 2023 Bordeaux shares much of the buoyant fruit and open energy of vintage 2019, the coy tannic confidence of 2020 and the pronounced acidity of 2021—although rounder, more focused, refined and supremely successful at enveloping components of fruit, alcohol and tannins. The vintage also includes a sliver of 2015 bright sunshine brilliance. And what about those occasional 2023 creamy tannins that are almost erotic so that you consider it risqué even mentioning them? As though from another planet—and fully welcome. In some candlelit cellar with a group of select friends in the year 2050—drinking vintage 2023 may be associated with and remembered by such fluidly melting tannins and brazen oval acidity.

Louisa Nguyen of Château Chantegrive, Graves, Bordeaux

Having been in the southern hemisphere last year, I am still unfamiliar with the reputed great vintage of ‘22, but have otherwise been tasting Bordeaux since 2015.

The above includes only personal opinion. Below are other insights shared by seasoned professionals regarding Bordeaux vintage 2023.

Vintage 2023—Winemakers And Producers Speak

Hubert du Boüard of Château Angelus in Saint-Émilion spoke about 2023 vintage conditions:

“2023 was more sunny than hot, and ripeness comes with sunshine more than with heat. Spring was difficult with rain. But the berries were healthy—fresh and with violets on the nose. Vibrancy when I tasted the grapes. Very juicy. It is not a classic vintage, because you have tension and freshness, but classic does not have this creaminess.”

Pierre Courdurié (R) and Jean-Charles Joris, Saint-Émilion

Pierre Courdurié from Croix de Labrie in Saint-Émilion summarized the vintage so:

“A vintage for winemakers and terroir. Indian summer gave excellent conditions for Merlot and Cabernets. 2023 is bright, aromatic, fresh, powerful, balanced, complex, elegant multi-layers with aromas of both black fruit and blueberries. Long persistence on the finish.

“Very, very brilliant vintage. Like 2022 in terms of structure and tannins. Like 2019 and 2016 for freshness. Flowering perfectly homogeneous. Winter was mild and dry. Summer hot but not excessively. A lot of storms and the need to be vigilant for mildew. More Cabernet Sauvignon than Cabernet Franc this year. Rounded, polished but direct. Strong attack and great length.”

Colin Hay of The Drinks Business wrote:

“The best wines – and, notably, the wines around which en primeur campaign are built and focused – are, with few exceptions, fabulously bright, crystalline, fresh and pure, but with significant aging potential too.”

Pierre Jean Larraque , owner of six Bordeaux vineyards and with a portfolio of wines from 57 Bordeaux appellations, wrote me after we met and sampled some of his wines from the 2023 vintage.

“The 2023 vintage was characterized by a warm and humid spring favorable to the development of mildew, the fight was intense and relentless. Flowering and veraison [onset of ripening; changing grape color] were rapid, suggesting a good homogeneity of the future harvest. The drier summer conditions combined with high temperatures triggered the Sauvignon Blanc harvest at the end of August, ending at the end of the first week of September with the Sémillon before the rains arrived. The latter were beneficial for the maturation of the reds, offering a perfect balance. The harvest began on September 18 with the Merlots and ended on October 6 with the Cabernet Sauvignons.”

Château owner and producer Pierre Jean Larraque in Blaye

Caroline Frey of Château La Lagune in the Haut-Médoc appellation spoke of too much mildew at the beginning of the season, but eventually wines that turned out to be “very pure, with good concentration.” Éric Perrin , co-owner of Château Carbonnieux in Pessac-Léognan, told of how harvest now begins a month earlier than it did 35 years ago, and how they realize “it is best for wines to give us pleasure in five years, as well as in twenty.”

Winemaker Gonzague de Lambert of Château de Ferrand in Saint-Émilion revealed that for vintage 2023 it was “very challenging because of the mildew and rain,” and added that: “It will be a great wine of Bordeaux—well integrated, balanced with lingering vibrancy.”

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Giro d'Italia stage 8 Live - A summit battle for the maglia rosa

2023 tour de france route.

From the Basque Country to Paris and all the stages in between

The 2023 Tour de France got underway on July 1st in Bilbao, Spain with another demanding route that includes only a single 22km hilly time trial in the Alps and mountain stages in all five of France’s mountain ranges. From the Grand Départ in the Basque Country to the finish in Paris, Cyclingnews has all the route details.

The very limited amount of time trialling and preponderance of mountains no doubt suits French riders  Thibaut Pinot , David Gaudu and Romain Bardet. As a result, Remco Evenepoel, Primoz Roglič and Geraint Thomas targeted the Giro d’Italia, which had three times the amount of time trialling and fewer mountains.

Official information from race organiser ASO claimed the 3,404km route includes eight flat stages for the sprinters, four hilly stages suited to breakaways and eight mountain stages. Four of these include summit finishes: in the Pyrenees at Cauterets-Cambasque, on the legendary Puy de Dôme volcano in the Massif Central, on the Grand Colombier in the Jura and at Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc in the Alps.

Tour de France 2023 route revealed Tour de France stage-by-stage previews 2023 Tour de France to start in the Basque Country 2023 Tour de France set to return to Puy de Dome mountain finish

The other mountain stages are also extremely difficult, even if some are short and extra intense.

Stage 14 to Morzine includes 4,200m of climbing, alongside the mighty Col de Joux Plane and its testing descent to the finish. Stage 15 ends with the 11% ‘wall’ of Côte des Amerands and then the 7km 7.7% climb up to Saint-Gervais in view of Mont-Blanc.       

Stage 17 to Courchevel is arguably the queen stage, climbing the 2,304m-high Col de la Loze and then descends to finish on the altiport runway. Stage 20 is a final brutal multi-mountain stage in the Vosges between Belfort and Le Markstein ski resort.

The only time trial is on stage 16 in the Arve Valley near Sallanches after the second rest day, but the 22km route between Passy and Combloux will test riders' bike handling skills and climbing as much as their time trialling. The stage includes the Côte de Domancy, where Bernard Hinault forged his 1980 Worlds victory, and which also featured as part of the final week time trial in the 2016 Tour.

2022 Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard was arguably the best climber of the last two editions of the Tour and he appears to have plenty of opportunities to go on the attack on the steep ascents in 2023.

Two-time winner  Tadej Pogačar  will no doubt relish the route on offer for next July’s challenge against Vingegaard, Jumbo-Visma, Ineos Grenadiers and anyone else.

For an in-depth analysis of this year's major contenders, check our regularly updated guide to the favourites of the 2023 Tour de France .

For a detailed description of each stage, click on the link in the table below.

Stage 1: Bilbao-Bilbao, 182 km - Hilly

Stage 2: vitoria-gasteiz to san sebastián, 208.9km - hilly, stage 3: amorebieta-etxano to bayonne, 193.5km - flat, stage 4: dax to nogaro, 181.8km - flat, stage 5: pau to laruns, 162.7km - mountain, stage 6: tarbes to cauterets-cambasque, 144.9km - mountain, stage 7: mont-de-marsan to bordeaux, 169.9km - flat, stage 8: libourne to limoges, 200.7km - hilly, stage 9: saint-léonard- de-noblat to puy de dôme, 182.4km - mountain, stage 10: vulcania to issoire, 167.2km - hilly, stage 11: clermont-ferrand to moulins, 179.8km - flat, stage 12: roanne to belleville-en-beaujolais, 168.8km - hilly, stage 13: châtillon-sur-chalaronne to grand colombier, 137.8km - mountain, stage 14: annemasse to morzine les portes du soleil, 151.8km - mountain, stage 15: les gets les portes du soleil to saint-gervais mont blanc, 179km - mountain, stage 16: passy to combloux, 22.4km - itt, stage 17: saint-gervais mont blanc à courchevel, 184.9km - mountain, stage 18: moûtiers to bourg-en-bresse, 184.9km - hilly, stage 19: moirans-en-montagne to poligny, 172.8km - flat, stage 20: belfort to le markstein fellering, 133.5km - mountain, stage 21: saint-quentin-en-yvelines to paris champs-élysées, 115.1km - flat.

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Laura Weislo has been with Cyclingnews since 2006 after making a switch from a career in science. As Managing Editor, she coordinates coverage for North American events and global news. As former elite-level road racer who dabbled in cyclo-cross and track, Laura has a passion for all three disciplines. When not working she likes to go camping and explore lesser traveled roads, paths and gravel tracks. Laura specialises in covering doping, anti-doping, UCI governance and performing data analysis.

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NBA: OKC égalise au finish contre Dallas, Boston prend le large

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Le Thunder égalise contre Dallas(2-2). Les Celtics prennent le large contre Cleveland... les résultats de la nuit de NBA.

Le Thunder d'Oklahoma City a égalisé à 2-2 en s'imposant sur le parquet des Dallas Mavericks 100-96, dans la nuit de lundi à mardi lors du deuxième tour des play-offs de NBA, durant une soirée qui a aussi vu les Boston Celtics prendre le large (3-1) face aux Cleveland Cavaliers.

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En inscrivant 60 points à eux deux, Jayson Tatum (33 pts, 11 rebonds) et Jaylen Brown (27 pts) ont largement contribué au succès des C's 109 à 102 face à des Cavaliers privés de leur pivot Jarrett Allen mais aussi de leur meneur vedette Donovan Mitchell, touché à un mollet.

Sous les yeux de leur ancienne star LeBron James, avec qui ils ont remporté leur seul titre NBA en 2016, les Cavaliers y ont cru jusqu'au troisième quart-temps, au début duquel ils ont brièvement pris l'avantage, portés par Darius Garland (30 pts au total).

Mais les Celtics ont passé la vitesse supérieure et les efforts de Garland dans le dernier quart-temps n'ont pas permis aux Cavs de combler le fossé, Brown, servi par Tatum, scellant le succès de Boston d'un tir à trois points à une minute du buzzer. «C'est un match qui s'est joué sur des runs» , a commenté Jayson Tatum, admettant que tout n'avait pas été parfait.

Le coach de Cleveland J.B. Bickerstaff a lui affiché son amertume envers les arbitres, tout comme Darius Garland, qui a qualifié de «grotesque» l'écart de lancer-francs accordés aux deux équipes (24 pour Boston, 7 pour Cleveland).

Les Cavaliers sont désormais condamnés à l'exploit face au leader incontesté de la saison régulière, en commençant par le match 5 à Boston, lors duquel les C's pourront valider leur qualification en finale de conférence.

OKC a eu chaud

Le suspense est en revanche entier entre le Thunder et les Mavericks après la victoire à l'arraché d'OKC sur le parquet de Dallas, au terme d'un quatrième quart-temps disputé le couteau entre les dents par Shai Gilgeous-Alexander et ses équipiers.

Alors que le Thunder a été mené une bonne partie du match, le Canadien a permis à son équipe d'égaliser à 86 partout d'un fadeaway à quatre minutes du terme. Le rookie Chet Holmgren (18 pts) a alors pris le relais en inscrivant un panier à trois points mettant OKC sur la voie du succès.

«On n’a rien lâché» , s'est félicité «SGA» , qui a inscrit 22 de ses 34 points en deuxième période. «On a pris les possessions les unes après les autres et au final le match a tourné à notre avantage» . Côté texan, les 21 points de P.J. Washington tout comme le triple-double de Luka Doncic (18 pts, 12 rbds, 10 passes) n'ont pas suffi.

Trop d'erreurs, ont cinglé le Slovène, jugeant «inacceptable» leur faible réussite aux lancer-francs (12 sur 23). Les Mavs ont aussi perdu 14 ballons, offrant 19 points au Thunder, qui peut désormais espérer prendre l'avantage mercredi dans l'Oklahoma.

NBA: Rudy Gobert récidive et s’en prend à nouveau à l’arbitre lors du match 4 contre Denver

«bravo à lui» : le basketteur wembanyama félicité par le cea pour sa définition de la matière noire.

• NBA: les Nuggets et les Pacers reviennent face aux Timberwolves et aux Knicks

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Énervé par une décision du corps arbitrale lors de la défaite des Wolves contre Denver (115-107) dans la nuit de dimanche à lundi. Le français Rudy Gobert a récidivé en effectuant un geste insinuant la corruption de l’arbitre, deux mois prés avoir été sanctionné pour un geste similaire.

LE SCAN SPORT - Le basketteur français Victor Wembanyama a donné une définition juste de ce qu’est la matière noire. Au point qu’un directeur de recherche du CEA l’en félicite.

NBA : des gémissements embarrassants d’une femme en pleine conférence de presse de Luka Doncic

LE SCAN SPORT - Des bruits d’ébats amoureux ont été entendus lors de la conférence de presse de la star des Dallas Mavericks, entraînant un moment de gêne.

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Le commerce des boissons

Bordeaux blanc sec & vin de france 2023: tasting notes.

db’s Bordeaux correspondent found much to be excited about in the white wines – after July’s overcast weather and impressive day-to-night temperature ranges during the harvest locked in freshness. The results, overall, are also rather more homogeneous than the reds and it was often both exciting and refreshing to taste them.

Note sur les notations

I have again decided to provide an indicative rating for each wine alongside the published comment. All such comments and ratings are necessarily subjective (they cannot be anything else when one thinks about it). I would urge you to look at the two together and, if anything, to privilege the comment over the rating. My aim is more to describe the wine in the context of the vintage, the appellation and recent vintages of the same and similar wines, rather than to judge the wine per se.

The ratings, of course, reflect my subjective evaluations and relative preferences between wines. Your palate is likely differ from mine. I hope that my comments give you at least enough information to be able to recalibrate my ratings and, in so doing, to align them more closely to your own palate. To give an example: if the idea of the ‘new classicism’ leaves you cold, you may well wish to discount the (typically high) ratings I have given to wines described in such terms.

2023, like both of its predecessors is, of course, a far from homogeneous vintage – and, consequently, my ratings span a considerable range (from the very top of the scale downwards). I see little interest, either for the consumer or the producer, in publishing very low scores. Consequently, I have decided not to publish scores for classed growths (or equivalent wines) that I have rated below 90 (here the range 89-91) and for crus bourgeois (or equivalent wines) that I have rated below 89 (here the range 88-90). Where no rating is published, the wine would have scored below these thresholds. Where my written assessment of the wine might also have proved unflattering to the property, I have simply chosen to publish neither the commentary nor the rating.

Finally, élevage is likely to be very important in determining the quality in bottle of these wines. I am no soothsayer and cannot predict how that will turn out (another reason for the use of banded ratings). But all en primeur ratings should be treated with caution and taken with a certain pinch of salt.

Bordeaux blanc sec & Vin de France

Aile d’Argent (Bordeaux blanc; 50% Sauvignon Blanc; 44.5 Sémillon; 5% Sauvignon Gris; 0.5% Muscadelle; pH 3.2; 13.5% alcohol; no malolactic fermentation and Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle co-fermented; to be bottled in June; tasted at Clerc-Milon with Jean-Emmanuel Danjoy). Rich, almost a little fat, very floral with white almond and frangipane too. Linden, lime, jasmine. Incredibly ample. Apple flesh. Very zesty too with grapefruit above all. The Sémillon gives this the frame and the Sauvignon Blanc brings the citrus energy, but it needed as little taming (as Jean-Emmanuel explains). It could not be left full range. Tense and tender. Fine. Refined. Blood orange. Mandarin rind. 92-94+ .

Blanc d’Aiguilhe (Bordeaux blanc; 100% Sauvignon Blanc; a final yield of 28 hl/ha; 13% alcohol; tasted with Stephane and Ludovic von Neipperg at Canon La Gaffelière). Very crisp, bright and lifted. Gracious and delicate, despite that, but it perhaps lacks a bit of complexity. Fills out the cheeks very well. Full. Hyper fresh. Crunchy. Nettles. Grapefruit. Citrus in all its glory. A little white flower. Crushed stones. Very chiselled and redolent of its limestone terroir. 90-92 .

Blanc de Lynch Bages (Bordeaux blanc; 81% Sauvignon Blanc; 11% Sémillon; 8% Muscadelle; pH 3.12; 13.2% alcohol; 50% new oak; tasted at Lynch-Bages). Lime and lime zest, citron pressé, lemon juice, white grapefruit, mimosa, crushed rocks. I like this much more than I used to and above all in this vintage, with its energising acidity and structural freshness. Tense and sapid. A lovely patina. Refreshing. 92-94 .

Cuvée Céline de Chateau d’Arsac (100% Sauvignon Blanc; an impressive final yield of 65 hl/ha; from 4 hectares on a clay and gravel terroir; just 5000 bottles; pH 3.35; 13.35% alcohol). Already bottled. The first time I’ve tasted this. It’s another Eric Boissenot consulted wine, as is the excellent d’Arsac grand vin itself. This has a pleasingly glassy purity to it. Grapefruit zest, fleur d’oranger, mandarine and a little white nectarine. Juicy, intensely fresh and with lovely little rivulets of sapidity breaking up the mid-palate and refreshing the palate in so doing. I like very much these blancs secs from Margaux that have started to emerge in recent years. 88-90 .

Clos des Lunes Lune d’Argent (Bordeaux blanc; 70% Sémillon; 30% Sauvignon Blanc). Comprised of parcels from each of the five communes of Sauternes. Beautiful in the glass, with assorted golden and greener highlights on swirling in the spring sunshine of Bordeaux. Tight, tense and taut with a well-defined and quite tight cylindrical core that helps accentuate the sense of freshness here. Zesty. Crisp and bright, with lots of energy and forward momentum over the palate, this is very enjoyable and, as ever, will represent great value. It has a certain age-worthiness too. 89-89 .

Le Cygne de Chateau Fonréaud (Bordeaux blanc; 60% Sauvignon Blanc; 25% Sémillon; 15% Muscadelle). Really super in this vintage, though with just a the hint of a touch of residual sugar, almost making one think we’re tasting a blanc sec from Sauternes or Barsac. This is rich and full, but never fat because of the vibrant yet balanced and well-distributed freshness from the acidity. Confit lemon and lemon curd, lemon custard with a little vanilla and a slight hint of more exotic notes – mango perhaps. Frangipane and toasted almonds. 89-91 .

Doisy-Daëne Grand Vin Sec (Bordeaux blanc; 100% Sauvignon Blanc). Tense and hyper-charged with citrus. Intense and very vertical, with immense lift. An upward pointed fire hydrant of fresh sapid juiciness, almost too much in fact. There might be a trace of residual sugar here and if so that helps give this balance. A fabulous Barsac nose of confit melon and lemon, tarte au citron and lemon sorbet which makes the crispness and crunch of this in the mouth all the more shocking and exciting. Perhaps not for everyone, but I love it. 90-92+ .

Doisy-Daëne Sémillon 1948 (Bordeaux blanc; 100% old-vine Sémillon from a pure calcaire Barsac terroir, presumably planted in 1948). A fabulous contrast to the Suduiraut Sauternes equivalent. This is much more vertical and more tense too, with a boat load of tension (the Titanic from the helm once the iceberg comes into sight, perhaps). Bright, wild and exuberantly fresh. An iceberg of lime, linden and lemon sorbet (appropriately enough) cuts the natural richness of the Sémillon fruit like it might the Titanic’s hull below the water line. And the cool waters of the Atlantic gush in through the open wound. Refreshing in a way, almost painfully so (with due apologies for the metaphor). 92-94 .

Blanc de L’Etampe (Bordeaux blanc; 100% Sauvignon Blanc; a tiny part of the vineyard at Chateau L’Etampe of just 74 ares on sandy-siliceous alluvium from the Plio-Quaternary; pH 3.6; alcohol 13.5%; certified organic and practicing biodynamic viticulture). The consulting team are Jean-Claude and Jean-Francois Berrouet. A brilliant wine, with a lovely ‘50 (subtle) shades of citrus’ nose – lemon (quite simply), confit lemon (less simply), lemon meringue pie, tarte au citron and a little lime zest, above all on the palate. Flint too (that’s the siliceous alluvium from the Plio-Quaternary speaking!). Dense and compact, which accentuates the citrus zing. This is sparklingly fresh, incredibly dynamic, very pure and crystalline and, frankly, wonderfully refreshing and inherently quaffable – except that sounds rather vulgar and this is a wine of considerable class and elegance. Fabulous. 92-94 .

Les Champs Libres (Bordeaux blanc; 100% Sauvignon Blanc; tasted with Omri Ram at Lafleur). Crystalline. Much richer and fuller than Grand Village. Candlewax, beeswax, passionflower, mimosa, green tea, camomile, greengage, gooseberry, grapefruit, blood orange. Incredible texturally. So rich and concentrated. But so incredibly fresh and tense, the acidity so well integrated structurally. So saline on the finish and zesty too. Pixilated by acidity – as if citrus had tannin! Sapid. So clean on the finish. Lovely bold frame, a very structured and chiselled central spinal column and incredibly long. Great aging potential. 95-97 .

Confidence de Bastor-Lamontagne (Bordeaux blanc; 59% Sauvignon Gris; 34% Sauvignon Blanc; 7% Sémillon; in organic conversion). Fresh and lively, charged with citrus acidity and with a lot of the character of this fabulous Sauternes terroir. Many shades of citrus, orange and mandarin, mango, angelica, a little white pear and a twist of white pepper. Lots of energy and an interesting lift from the tiny amount of residual sugar that at least I think I detect here. 88-90 .

Cos d’Estournel blanc (Bordeaux blanc; 70% Sauvignon Blanc; 30 Sémillon; ). Richer still, very viscous and yet glacial. More tight from the structural role played by the acidity. Tense and dynamic. Saline. Like Goulée, very vertical and chiselled and also with that Northern Médocain iodine. Preserved lemon. Mandarin. Lemon thyme. A touch of cinnamon. Lithe and tense. A lovely calcaire structure and a chewiness that brings additional textural interest. 93-95 .

Fleur Cardinale Blanc (Bordeaux blanc; 57% Sauvignon Blanc; 43% Sauvignon Gris; Axel Marchal is the new consultant here for the whites). Much stronger. Crisp, bright, crunchy. Tense. Pink grapefruit. Passionflower. Green tea. Mirabelle. Much more complexity and the same tension, more concentration and depth. A little too much exotic fruit for me – though that brings a certain complexity and compensates for the vivid freshness. Chalky and mineral rich. Chiselled both by the limestone and the acidity. Almost a little strict on the finish but that’s the style. The start of something. Promising. 91-93 .

Fourças-Dupré (Bordeaux blanc; 75% Sauvignon Blanc; 25% Sémillon; tasted three times with similar notes). Really excellent, as it so often is. This is tight, taut, tense and racy, with lots of dynamism and an almost electric combination of minerality and acidity. Hyper-fresh and so refreshing and quaffable as a consequence. This is wine as if it were pure fruit juice! White pear flesh, with some of its texture too, white grapefruit and lovely jasmine and honeysuckle floral notes, a little mandarin and fleur d’oranger. One of the treats of the blanc sec tastings wherever it was presented. 91-93 .

Grace Dieu des Prieurs Chardonnay (Vin de France; 100% Chardonnay; from 0.9 hectares of sand on clay in the heart of St Emilion; a final yield of 38 hl/ha; alcohol 13.5% alcohol). Louis Mitjavile is the consultant here, the wine undergoing malolactic fermentation and subsequent aging in the family’s signature Radoux barriques developed specially for white wines. A unique wine with a quite singular and deeply engaging aromatic profile. This year it’s extremely exotic – with assorted sweet spices, vanilla pod, coconut oil, saffron, wild floral honey, dried petals, white nectarine, peach melba, Mirabelle and fleur d’oranger. On the palate, this is impressively rich and concentrated but with a wonderful zesty freshness that cuts the fat and lifts this towards a remarkably aerial finish for a wine with so much concentration. It needs plenty of time in the cave and one can understand why this used only to be offered in magnum. A deeply age-worthy wine that it will be fascinating to revisit along its long journey. 92-94+ .

Grand Village (Bordeaux blanc; 80% Sauvignon Blanc; 20% Sémillon; tasted with Omri Ram at Lafleur). Incredibly tense and fresh. Linear. Rich and broad with a boat of tension and minerality. Tilleul. Lime. Lime zest. Pink grapefruit. Incredibly tense. Vivid. Vibrant. Pulsating with freshness. Stoney. Sapid. Saline. 92-94 .

Lilium de Chateau Climens (Bordeaux blanc; 100% Sémillon; a final yield of 27 hl/ha; 4.2 g/l of residual sugar; 12.5% alcohol; no oak, just the precision of the wine globe; Sémillon on limestone). Lovely, bright, crisp, leafy fruited florality. So elegant and lifted. White currant leaf, passionflower, lily, mimosa, citron pressé and tarte au citron, linden and homemade lime cordial with a little zest. White grapefruit too. Gracious. The gentle touch of residual sugar lifts this and renders it Ygrec like. Wonderfully tense and zippy. Zesty and fresh. Lemon sorbet, lemon soufflé with that levity. Excitingly vibrant. So lithe and floaty, dynamic and energetic. A step up from the already excellent Asphodèle created by Berenice Lurton and very much in the same vein. Perhaps the most delicate and refined blanc sec of the vintage. So glassily textured yet with refreshing acidity from below welling up. So refreshing. A singularity. 93-95+ .

Lions de Suduiraut (Bordeaux blanc; 57% Sémillon; 30% Sauvignon Blanc; 13% Sauvignon Gris; pH 3.4; 13.5% alcohol; tasted with Christian Seely at Pichon Baron). This has a lovely cool, glacial purity to it and, as a wine, it remains highly competitive even in a market in which there are more and more competitors. Tense and racy. Bright, crisp and energetic. Lovely. Gracious. Tender and with loads of dynamism. That brilliant grapefruit zestiness. The best ‘S’ or Lions de Suduiraut for many vintages. 91-93 .

De Malleret (Bordeaux blanc; 100% Sauvignon Blanc; in organic conversion). This is the first time I’ve tasted this and it’s rather lovely. Tense, quite aerial, with decent complexity, a fair bit of mid-palate substance and lots of racy acidity giving this a very dynamic and hence engaging mouthfeel. Another very fine Médocain blanc sec in this vintage. I like the hint of fleur d’oranger, intermingling with pink grapefruit, on the clean and well-sustained finish. 88-90+ .

Le Merle Blanc de Château Clarke (Bordeaux blanc; largely Sauvignon Blanc, with a little Sémillon, Muscadelle and Sauvignon Gris; tasted in Paris from a sample sent from the property, not yet bottled; 13% alcohol). This is very fine and elegant with a very expressive and lifted aromatic profile – white pear, quince, lime, jasmine and green tea, perhaps a little Mirabelle and greengage. There’s a pleasing sense of intensity too on the palate, with the distinct chalky-stony minerality from this limestone-clay terroir contributing to hold the fruit close to a well-defined central spine. Highly recommended. 91-93 .

Pagodes de Cos Blanc (Bordeaux blanc; 80% Sauvignon Blanc; 20% Sémillon). Quite broad, ample and rich, with lovely notes of lime and linden and a delicate iodine minerality. Crushed rocks. A great mouthful. Sapid and juicy but lacking just a bit of the density, tension and length of the grand vin. 90-92 .

Pavillon Blanc de Chateau Margaux (Bordeaux blanc; 100% Sauvignon Blanc; a final yield of 37 hl/ha; a very early harvest and picked very early in the morning – all done, each day, by 10.30 AM; there was 45% of the grand vin and 50% of this, the second wine; pH 3.15; 13% alcohol; tasted at Château Margaux). Shimmering in its cool, almost glacial purity, a little cathedral candle wax. Blood orange. Citron pressé and white grapefruit, gooseberry, honeysuckle, jasmine, maybe a little lemongrass too. Crystalline, limpid, lithe and dynamic with a lovely welling up from below of fresh sapidity breaking up the crystal clear surface of the wine in the mouth. Again, like the red, a feat of textural perfection. Very intense and structured by the acidity. Fabulous. 95-97 .

Plain Point (Bordeaux blanc; a blend of Sauvignons, blanc and gris). Ultra-fresh, ultra-sapid and juicy and super-charged with tension, I can imagine this dividing the jury a little, but I love its sheer crispness, its crystallinity and its cool quaffability. The crushed stony minerality is lovely too. Salivating. 88-90 .

Rayne Vigneau Grand Vin Blanc Sec (Bordeaux blanc). An intriguing and enticing nose of sage, wild herbs, even a trace of lavender and a panoply of citrus elements – from mandarin and fleur d’oranger to lime cordial and pink grapefruit; there’s a little candlewax too and maybe some nettles. On the palate, this is quite rich and intense but invigorated by both the spice notes and those many shades of citrus-inflected acidity. Indeed, the latter really makes the wine dance over the mid-palate, but more in the image of a maypole dancer than a ballerina (with each wave of citrus freshness like a rhythmic leap). There’s a fascinating minerality to this too – crushed rock and whetstone doesn’t quite capture it, but it’s the best I can do (I’ll happily re-taste down the line to see if I can do better!). Very complex. Very lovely. You sense, I hope, my enthusiasm! 93-95 .

Reynon (Bordeaux blanc; 100% Sauvignon Blanc; from Jean Jacques Dubourdieu). Leafy, nettly and lovely. Tense and lithe with lovely lime, linden and passionflower notes. A little passionfruit and even a hint of guava. Tense and sapid, racy and charged with white florality and stony, almost limestone-y, minerality. So juicy. 88-90 +.

Saransot-Dupré (Bordeaux blanc; a blend of Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle). There’s a pleasing intensity to this, reinforced by the grapefruit zest and pith acidity. Nettles, too, elderberry and elderflower, white currant and lime. A wine that’s always difficult to pass over on a restaurant listing and certainly highly recommended in this vintage. 88-90 .

Grand Vin Blanc de Suduiraut Vieilles Vignes (Bordeaux blanc; 57% Sémillon; 43% Sauvignon Blanc; pH 3.4; 13.8% alcohol; tasted with Christian Seely at Pichon Baron). Incense, white flowers, nettles, gooseberry and gooseberry leaf, lime, almost a hint of the barrel room strangely (but not really a sensation of oak per se). Candlewax. There’s lots of lift. Actually, it’s richer and maybe less tense than you might imagine from the aromatics, but more serious for that. A nice tight frame that in itself frames, tames and concentrates the vivid energy. A wine of great finesse and class. 92-94 .

Suduiraut Pur Sémillon (Bordeaux blanc; 100% Sémillon; pH 3.4; 13.6% alcohol; just 2200 bottles produced). Wild strawberry. Lime. Lime zest. Pink grapefruit. A little candlewax. You expect this to be rich, and it is in a way, but that’s not the first impression. It’s so structured and chiselled (the signature of the calcaire terroir is so strong) that it descends like an unfolding staircase revealing layers of additional freshness as it does so. Brilliantly vivid. Wondrously engaging. Needs time, as this is a little bit more of a vin de garde. Buy both and drink (or start to drink) the Vieilles Vignes first, looking forward to the moment you taste them side by side. Tense and agile. 92-94+ .

Du Tertre (Bordeaux blanc; 32% Sauvignon Blanc; 23% Chardonnay; 23% Gros Manseng; 22% Viognier). The red of course, has a rather unusual composition at du Tertre, but it seems conventional when you look at what’s in this! A wine I rarely taste at this stage – and, boy, is it good in this vintage! Pure, precise, focussed yet intimate and subtle, with one of those slightly closed noses that offers just enough to entice and invite you in. Sage, wild Italian herbs, lime and lime zest, jasmine, saffron and mandarin. And then, on the palate, wow! This is rapier sharp in its intensity and precision and that comes as a shock after the calm, cool sense of intimate tranquillity from the aromatics. White grapefruit (juice, pith and zest), passionfruit and guava (but just a touch of each), beeswax and jasmine again. A great wine with some almost Sautern-esque fruit complexity but a searing acidity and a biting freshness that brings to this so much energy. 91-93 .

Tronquoy Blanc (Bordeaux blanc; 51% Sémillon; 49% Sauvignon Gris; from a tiny plot of just under 2 hectares planted by Jean-Marie Delmas on a limestone under soil; pH 3; 12.8% alcohol; tasted at Montrose with Charlotte Bouygues and Pierre Graffeuille). Lithe. Highly saline. Tense but with impressive density. Confit melon and grapefruit. Blood orange. A touch of white flowers, even white rose petals. A nice tight frame. Lots of energy and a lovely feeling of structure. Gracious yet sapid. Vibrant and pulsating on the finish. 91-93 .

See here for Colin’s full tasting notes for  Pessac-Léognan & Graves,   Bordeaux blanc sec & vins de France , and  Barsac & Sauternes 2023 , as well as his appellation analysis for  Margaux,  St Julien ,  Pauillac ,  St Estèphe,   Saint Émilion,   Pomerol  and  Pessac-Léognan   (rouge) and the white wines of Pessac-Léognan, Graves, Barsac and Sauternes.

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