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The route of Stage 3 of the Tour de France -

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Tour de France 2023 stage-by-stage guide: Route maps and profiles for all 21 days

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The 2023 Tour de France has all the ingredients of a classic: two leading protagonists ready to tear lumps out of each other in reigning champion Jonas Vingegaard and the deposed Tadej Pogacar; entertaining multi-talented stage hunters Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, Julian Alaphilippe and Tom Pidcock; the great Mark Cavendish chasing a historic 35th stage win; all facing a brutal route with 56,000m of climbing and four summit finish.

The Tour began in the Spanish Basque country on Saturday 1 July, where Adam Yates edged twin brother Simon to win the opening stage, and these hilly routes will throw open the yellow jersey to a wide range of contenders. The race crosses the French border for some flat stages and an early jaunt into the high Pyrenees, where the Col du Tourmalet awaits. The peloton takes on the Puy de Dome volcano on its journey across France towards the Jura Mountains and the Alps, and it is in the mountains that this Tour will ultimately be decided. It all ends on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Sunday 23 July.

Here is a stage-by-stage guide to how the race will unfold.

Stage 1: Bilbao to Bilbao, 182km

The 2023 Tour de France starts outside Bilbao’s iconic Guggenheim Museum, and winds north to the Bay of Biscay coastline before returning to the city where the stage winner will take the yellow jersey. This 182km opening stage is a hilly route with 3,000m of climbing featuring five categorised ascents, of which the final two are sharp and testing: they are tough enough to shake off the dedicated sprinters and open up early glory for the best puncheurs – those riders with the legs to get over short climbs and the power to surge away on the other side.

The profile of this stage is a great choice by organisers as it could suit just about anyone, from the speed of Wout van Aert to the climbing strength Tom Pidcock or Simon Yates – even two-time champion Tadej Pogacar.

• Jumbo’s Death Star and Pidcock’s dog: Inside the Tour de France’s Grand Depart

Stage 2: Vitoria Gastiez to Saint Sebastian, 209km

The peloton will head east from Bilbao, touching more picturesque Basque coastline before arriving at the finish in San Sebastian. At more than 200km this is the longest stage of the 2023 Tour and, with the sizeable Jaizkibel climb (8.1km, 5.3% average gradient) shortly before the finish, this is even more tough on the legs than the first day. Another puncheur with the climbing strength to get over the steeper hills can capitalise, like two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe.

• ‘ Coup du kilometre’: How to win a Tour de France stage hiding in plain sight

Stage 3: Amorebieta to Bayonne, 187km

Stage three starts in Spain and ends in France, and the finale in Bayonne is ripe for a bunch sprint. Mark Cavendish will get his first shot of this race at trying to win a historic 35th Tour de France stage, but he will be up against a stacked field including former QuickStep teammate Fabio Jakobsen and the awesome speed of Wout van Aert. It will be fascinating to get a first glimpse of how the power riders stack up.

• ‘Jasper the Disaster’ rebuts Netflix nickname with controversial win

Stage 4: Dax to Nogaro, 182km

Another flat day and an even faster finish in store on the Circuit Paul Armagnac, a race track in Nogaro. The 800m home straight will almost certainly tee up a showdown between the Tour’s serious fast men.

• Cavendish falls short as Philipsen wins crash-laden sprint

Stage 5: Pau to Laruns, 163km

The first major mountains of the Tour come a little earlier than usual, as the peloton heads up into the high Pyrenees on day five. The Col de Soudet (15km, 7.2%) is one of the toughest climbs of the race and rears up halfway through this 163km route from Pau to Laruns. The category one Col de Marie Blanque (7.7km, 8.6%) guards the finish 20km out, and holds bonus seconds for those first over the top to incentivise the major contenders to come to the fore and fight it out.

• Hindley grabs the yellow jersey as Vingegaard punishes Pogacar

Stage 6: Tarbes to Cauterets, 145km

This has the potential to be a thrilling day: the 145km route takes on the double trouble of the category one Col d’Aspin (12km, 6.5%) followed by the monstrous hors categorie Tourmalet (17.1km, 7.3%), before a fast ascent and a final climb to the summit finish at Cauterets (16km, 5.4%).

It is a day with several possible outcomes. The general classification contenders could fight it out in a showdown to the summit. Then again, a breakaway could be allowed to escape which would open up victory – and perhaps the yellow jersey – to an outsider. The last time the Tour finished in Cauterets in 2015, breakaway specialist Rafal Majka surged clear of his fellow escapers to win. Keep an eye on Ineos’s Tom Pidcock, who could use the long, fast descent from the Tourmalet summit to speed to the front, as he did before winning atop Alpe d’Huez last year.

• Pogacar responds to send message to Vingegaard

Stage 7: Mont de Marsan to Bordeaux, 170km

The first week of racing finishes in the Tour’s second most visited city, Bordeaux, and it’s a third flat day for the sprinters to contest. Much will depend on who has best preserved their legs through the high mountains when they come to this tight, technical finish on the banks of the Garonne river in the city centre.

• Philipsen pips Cavendish in thrilling finish to deny Brit all-time record

Stage 8: Libourne to Limoges, 201km

A long, hilly day will see the peloton head 201km east from Libourne outside Bordeaux to Limoges. The lumpy stage should suit a puncheur but it is not a particularly taxing set of climbs – only three are categorised and the toughest of those is just 2.8km at 5.2%. So could a determined team carry their sprinter to the finish and the stage win? Look out for Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel, superstars with the all-round talent to conquer the climbs and still finish fast.

• Cavendish crashes out to end Tour de France record hopes

Stage 9: Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat to Puy de Dome, 184km

The final stage before the relief of the first rest day is relatively flat and gentle – until a brutal finish atop the iconic Puy de Dome volcano, a 13.3km drag at a gruelling 7.7% average gradient that last appeared in the Tour in 1988. The summit finish will require a serious climber’s legs to clinch the stage win, and the general classification contenders may well let a breakaway get ahead and fight for that prize.

• Woods takes win as Pogacar hits back at Vingegaard

Rest day: Clermont-Ferrand, Monday 10 July.

Stage 10: Parc Vulcania to Issoire, 167km

The race resumes in the centre of France from Vulcania – a volcano-themed amusement park – where riders will embark on a hilly 167km route through the Volcans d’Auvergne regional park, finishing down in the small town of Issiore. With five categorised climbs, including the sizeable Col de Guery (7.8km at 5%) and the Croix Saint-Robert (6km at 6.3%), it will be a draining ride with virtually no sustained flat sections, and a long descent to the finish town. It looks like a good day to plot something in the breakaway, as the big GC contenders save their legs for bigger challenges to come.

• Bilbao dedicates emotional stage win to late Gino Mader

Stage 11: Clermont Ferrand to Moulins, 180km

The final flat stage before the hard Alpine climbs will present an opportunity for those fast men who managed to haul themselves through the Pyrenees to get here – although there is still some climbing to be done including three category-four leg-sappers along the 180km route. The day begins in the university city of Clermont-Ferrand before the riders wind north and then east to Moulins, a small town on the Allier river. Any breakaway is likely to be reeled by those teams with dedicated sprinters eyeing their only opportunity for a stage win between the two rest days.

• Philipsen continues flat-stage dominance even without van der Poel

Stage 12: Roanne to Belleville-en-Beaujolais, 169km

The race caravan will shift east to start stage 12 in Roanne in the Loire region, before taking a 169km route to Belleville, situated on the Saone river north of Lyon. This has been categorised as a hilly or medium mountain stage, but it might feel harder than that by the time the peloton reaches the foot of the fifth categorised climb of the day, the Col de la Croix Rosier (5.3km at 7.6%). That should be enough to put off the best puncheurs like Van der Poel and Van Aert, because the stage winner will need strong climbing legs. The GC riders will want to conserve energy, so expect a breakaway to stay clear and fight amongst themselves.

• Izagirre solos to victory

Stage 13: Chatillon-Sur-Chalaronne to Grand Colombier, 138km

The first of three brutal stages that could decide the destiny of this year’s yellow jersey is only relatively short – 138km – but will provide a stern enough test to reveal any weaknesses in the major contenders. The peloton will enjoy a relatively flat and gentle first 75km from Chatillon-sur-Chalaronne before entering the Jura Mountains. A short climb and fast descent precedes the big climax: all 17.4km (7.1%) of the Grand Colombier providing an epic summit finish. This could be another day for a breakaway away to get free, but the overall contenders like Pogacar and Vingegaard will also fancy stage glory and the chance to stamp their authority on the race.

• Kwiatkowski wins as Pogacar eats into Vingegaard’s lead

Stage 14: Annemasse to Morzine, 152km

Part two of this triple header of mountain stages sees the peloton ride into the Alps with a 152km route from Annemasse to Morzine ski resort. Three tough category one climbs line the road to the hors categorie Col de Joux Plane (11.6km at 8.5%), a brutally steep grind where bonuses await the first few over the top – and stage victory is the prize at the bottom. This is another potential spot for yellow jersey fireworks.

• Rodriguez wins first Tour stage as Pogacar thwarted by motorbike

Stage 15: Les Gets to Saint Gervais, 180km

The last ride before the final rest day will take the peloton further east into the Alps, towards the French border with Italy. The 179km route is almost constantly up and down, with a fast descent before the final two climbs, and the summit finish atop Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc will require strong climbing legs once more.

• Pogacar and Vingegaard in stalemate as Poels wins stage

Rest day: Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, Monday 17 July.

Stage 16: Individual time trial from Passy to Combloux, 22km

This year’s home stretch begins with the only time trial of the race: a short, relatively flat 22km from Passy to Combloux in the shadow of Mont Blanc. The route includes one categorised climb, the steep but short Cote de Domancy (2.5km at 9.4%). There is an opportunity here to make up crucial seconds for those that need them.

• Vingegaard takes control of yellow jersey

Stage 17: Saint Gervais to Courchevel, 166km

Put Wednesday 19 July in the diary: this will surely be the most brutal day of the entire Tour de France and it could be decisive. The 166km route features four big climbs, the last of which offers up this year’s Souvenir Henri Desgrange for the first rider over the highest point of the race. To get there the riders must endure a 28.1km slog averaging 6% gradient to the top of the Col de la Loze, towering in the clouds 2,304m above sea level. There are bonus seconds up here too, before a short descent down to the finish at Courchevel.

A breakaway will probably form, but can they last the distance? Whatever happens up the road, the fight for the yellow jersey will be fierce – only the strongest handful of riders will be able to stand the pace and this will likely be the day that the 2023 winner is effectively crowned.

• Vingegaard dominates to put seal on Tour de France

Stage 18: Moutiers to Bourg en Bresse, 186km

After a potentially explosive stage 17, stage 18 is classified as “hilly” but is really a relatively sedate 185km which the sprinters are likely to contest if their teams can haul in the inevitable breakaway. The big question is whether there will be many sprinters left in the peloton after such a demanding set of stages in the Alps. For those fast men still in the race, the descent into Bourg-en-Bresse precedes a technical finish, with roundabouts and a sharp corner before a swinging right-hand turn on to the home straight where the stage will be won and lost.

• Breakaway stays away as Asgreen takes win

Stage 19: Moirans-en-Montagne to Poligny, 173km

Another flat day gives a further opportunity for those sprinters left in the field, as the peloton travels 173km from Moirans, near Grenoble, north to Poligny. The general classification contenders will be happy to rest their legs before one final push to Paris.

• Matej Mohoric takes photo finish to win stage 19

Stage 20: Belfort to Le Markstein, 133km

The final competitive stage of the Tour is a 133km ride from Belfort to Le Markstein ski resort in the Vosges mountains, and it offers just enough for one final attack to steal the yellow jersey, should the overall win still be on the line. The last two climbs of the day are both steep category one ascents: first the Petit Ballon (9.3km, 8.1%) followed by the Col du Platzerwasel (7.1km at 8.4%). Whoever is wearing yellow just needs to hang on to the wheel of their fiercest rival here, and that should be enough to see them home.

• Chapeau, Thibaut Pinot

Stage 21: Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to Paris Champs-Elysees, 115km

As is tradition, the peloton will transfer to Paris and ride a truce to the Champs-Elysees. The stage will start at France’s national velodrome, home of cycling for the 2024 Paris Olympics. It will finish with one final sprint: Cavendish has won four times in Paris and it would be a fitting way to end the race that has defined his career if he were to repeat the feat one last time. And once the race is done, the winner of the 2023 Tour de France will be crowned.

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Tour de France 2023 route map: A guide to every stage of this year’s TdF and the race schedule in full

The 2023 tour de france starts in bilbao and finishes in paris, with eight mountain stages including a potentially decisive stage 17.

The 2023 Tour de France route features the welcome return of an iconic climb and a Queen Stage in the final week that is likely to determine the yellow jersey wearer come Paris.

In short, there will be eight flat, four hilly and eight mountain stages as well as one individual time trial when the Tour de France runs from 1-23 July.

The Grand Depart takes place in the Basque Country for the second time, with riders then swapping Spanish tarmac for French during the third stage.

From there, general classification contenders will be put to the test with two consecutive mountain stages in the Pyrenees before heading north.

Every medal Laura Kenny won in track cycling as Olympic legend retires

And for the first time since 1988, the race is heading for a summit finish up the Puy de Dome for Stage 9, the scene of an epic tussle between Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor in 1964, and more bizarrely where Eddy Merckx was punched in the kidney by a supporter disgruntled by his dominance 11 years later.

A rest day follows the Puy de Dome, and after three more mountain stages from 13-15 and another rest day, Stage 17 could prove decisive when riders tackle the “roof” of the Tour atop the Col de la Loze. The 28.1km “beyond categorisation” climb averages a six per cent gradient and is swiftly followed by a descent to the finish line at Courchevel.

Conquer that climb, conquer the Tour – the winner there could well be supping champagne in yellow when heading down Paris’ Champs-Elysees, as champions have done since 1975.

How to watch Tour de France 2023 in UK Dates:  1-23 July (rest days on 10 and 17 July) Start times:  Vary day by day, but typically between 11am and 1pm in the UK – the final Stage 21 starts at 3.30pm TV:  ITV4, Eurosport and Welsh-language channel S4C Live stream:   ITVX , Eurosport’s  website  and  discovery+ Highlights:  Daily highlight shows will be broadcast on ITV4 and Eurosport, with stage highlights, interviews and analysis on both  ITV.com  and  Eurosport.co.uk

Tour de France 2023 daily schedule

Stage 1: Sat 1 July, Bilbao – Bilbao, 182km (hills)

Stage 2: Sun 2 July, Vitoria-Gasteiz – San Sebastian, 209km (hills)

Stage 3: Mon 3 July, Amorebieta-Etxano – Bayonne, 185km (flat)

Stage 4: Tue 4 July, Dax – Nogaro Circuit, 182km (flat)

Stage 5: Wed 5 July, Pau – Laruns, 165km (mountains)

Stage 6: Thu 6 July, Tarbes – Cauterets, 145km (mountains)

Stage 7: Fri 7 July, Mont de Marsan – Bordeaux, 170km (flat)

Stage 8: Sat 8 July, Libourne – Limoges, 201km (hills)

Stage 9: Sun 9 July, Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat – Puy de Dome, 184km (mountains)

Rest day: Mon 10 July

Stage 10: Tue 11 July, Parc Vulcania – Issoire, 167km (hills)

Stage 11: Wed 12 July, Clermont Ferrand – Moulins, 180km (flat)

Stage 12: Thu 13 July, Roanne – Belleville-en-Beaujolais, 169km (hills)

Stage 13: Fri 14 July, Chatillon-Sur-Chalaronne – Grand Colombier, 138km (mountains)

Stage 14: Sat 15 July, Annemasse – Morzine, 152km (mountains)

Stage 15: Sun 16 July, Les Gets – Saint Gervais, 180km (mountains)

Rest day: Mon 17 July

Stage 16: Tue 18 July, Passy – Combloux, 22km (individual time trial)

Stage 17: Wed 19 July, Saint Gervais – Courchevel, 166km (mountains)

Stage 18: Thu 20 July, Moutiers – Bourg en Bresse, 186km (hills)

Stage 19: Fri 21 July, Moirans-en-Montagne – Poligny, 173km (flat)

Stage 20: Sat 22 July, Belfort – Le Markstein, 133km (mountains)

Stage 21: Sun 23 July, Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines – Paris Champs-Elysees, 115km (flat)

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Tour de France 2023 route: Every stage of the 110th edition in detail

This year's race has kicked off in Bilbao, in Spain's Basque Country. It looks like it'll be a Tour for the climbers, with the Puy de Dôme returning and 56,400 metres of climbing in all

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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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The Tour de France 2024

A tour like never before.

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The Tour de France 2024

Le Tour 2024 - A GUIDE TO THE ROUTE

Tour de France 2024 -stage details  

Tour de France 2023: Route and stages

Read about the entire route of the 2023 Tour de France.

Please click on the links in underneath scheme for in-depth information on the individual stages.

Tour de France 2023 stages

Tour de france 2023: route, profiles, more.

Click on the images to zoom

More about the Tour de France

Tour de france 2023: the route, tour de france 2023 route stage 1: bilbao - bilbao.

Tour de France 2023 Route stage 2: Vitoria-Gasteiz - San Sebastián

Tour de France 2023 Route stage 3: Amorebieta-Etxano - Bayonne

Tour de France 2023 Route stage 4: Dax - Nogaro

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Tour de France 2023 stage 3 preview: Route map and profile of 184km from Amorebieta to Bayonne

Mark Cavendish has found the 2023 Tour de France tough going so far, getting dropped by the peloton early in both of the opening hilly stages in the Basque Country. Now, though, the fast men may well get a shot at a bunch sprint as the road flattens somewhat en route from Amorebieta to Bayonne.

After two days in the north of Spain, the race will cross the border into France in the final 50km of this 184km journey along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean – pack-splitting crosswinds are unlikely on what is forecast to be a still day.

Cavendish is bidding to make history by winning a record 35th Tour de France stage, which would outstrip the record currently shared by the Manxman and the great Eddy Merckx.

There are three major obstacles for Cavendish to overcome. The first is the inevitable breakaway on a stage like this one, which will need to be reeled in before the finish to set up a bunch sprint where he can thrive. His Astana team can try and up the pace at the front of the peloton but they will need support from the other sprint teams, like Jasper Philipsen’s Alpecin–Deceuninck and Fabio Jakobsen’s QuickStep.

The second challenge is getting to the finish comfortably. Cavendish struggled on some category two and three climbs over the past two days and his team dutifully stayed back to help him to the finish. And while this day is certainly much flatter than the opening two, there is still the sizeable category three Cote d’Orioko Benta (4.6km at 6.3%) in the middle of the stage which Cavendish’s 38-year-old legs must scale in quick time to keep pace with the peloton or risk being left behind.

The third problem for Cavendish is the sheer quality of opposition here, not least in the shape of Wout van Aert, who was furious to miss out on the stage two victory by a mistake from his Jumbo-Visma team in reading the finale, as they allowed solo attacker Victor Lafay too big an advantage to overhaul . Van Aert will be desperate to make amends here, while Philipsen, Jakobsen, Dylan Groenewegen, Mads Pedersen and Caleb Ewan are all highly tuned sprinters who know how to win grand tour stages.

For reigning champion Jonas Vingegaard, his main rival Tadej Pogacar and the yellow jersey of Adam Yates, it is a day to stay clear of any trouble and get out of the sprinters’ way come the finish.

Stage 3 route map and profile

The stage is set to begin at around 12pm BST and is expected to finish at around 4.30pm BST.

The sprint teams will surely have too much desire to let a breakaway stay away here. It should all come down to a bunch sprint – I fancy Jasper Philipsen to pip Wout van Aert on the line.

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Tour de France

2024 tour de france route, dates, and details: packed with firsts and plot-twists, four summit finishes, two time trials, and 34km of gravel roads highlight a challenging and balanced route starting in italy and ending in nice..

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The Tour de France is eternal, but 2024 packs plenty of firsts and plot-twists to deliver what should be a thrilling edition.

Not only are big hitters such as Jonas Vingegaard , Tadej Pogačar , Primož Roglič , and Remco Evenepoel expected to clash in a generational battle, the 111th edition of the French grand tour will deliver an interesting backdrop.

Early details reveal a varied and interesting route:

• 3492km total
• June 29 to July 21
• Four territories (Italy, San Marino, France, Monte Carlo)
• 7 mountain stages
• 4 summit finishes
• 32km of gravel roads

With the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris dictating the calendar, the men’s Tour de France — which will runs from June 29 to July 21 — will not finish in Paris as the riders head for Nice for a final-day time trial.

“We were committed to avoid Paris because of the Olympics,” Tour director Christian Prudhomme told Reuters . “There are only 28,000 police forces available and we knew we could not get more.”

Since its inception in 1903, the men’s race has always finished in Paris or its surrounding suburbs, and it has concluded on the Champs Élysées since 1975.

Also in a first, the race will start in Italy with the three opening stages.

Here are the key points:

‘Big Start’ in Italy for historical first

After more than a century, the “big loop” will make its “Big Start” in Italy for the first time.

Stage 1 jumps right into it, with a road stage starting in Florence and ending in Rimini, with a detour through San Marino. The yellow jersey will be up for grabs, with sprinters like Mark Cavendish, Jasper Philipsen, and Wout van Aert will need to endure 3600m of climbing as the route climbs over the Apennines.

Stage 2 pays homage to Marco Pantani and runs from Cesenatico to Bologna will hit the famed San Luca climb in final hour of racing that could throw a spanner in the wheels of the sprinters.

Stage 3 runs across the flats from Piacenza to Torino in what is expected to be the first chance for the sprinters.

Week 1: Into France and up the Galibier

The race’s three-day sojourn ends with stage 4 from Pinerolo to Valloire grinds up and over the Alps, including an assault of the HC Col du Galibier (23km at 5.1%).

“The Tour has never been so high so soon,” said Tour director Christian Prudhomme.

Stages 5 and 6 will see the sprinters see more chances as the race leaves the Alps only to return in the final weekend.

Stage 7 delivers a 25km individual time trial across the vineyards of Burgundy. The rolling course isn’t too long, and the GC will remain knotted up for anyone who’s survived the brutal first week.

Stage 8 from Semur-en-Auxois to Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises sees a string of climbs early in the undulating stages to set up a breakaway. 

The opening week closes with a challenging stage featuring no less than 14 sectors of gravel on 34km of racing in a loop around Troyes.

Week 2: Pyrénées loom and a return of Plateau de Beille

Week 2 opens with a transition stage out of Orleans across the flats of central France and the Loire Valley that can be open to strong crosswinds.

Stage 11 dips into the Massif Central, with 4.350 of vertical gain, and the Néronne, the Puy Mary Pas de Peyrol, Pertus, and Font de Cère climbs stacked up late in the back half of the profile.

Stages 12 and 13 are, at least on paper, more chances for the sprinters, but midway into any Tour, breakaway chances increase by the kilometer.

The Tour’s first major mountaintop finale comes in stage 14 with Saint-Lary-Soulan deep in the Pyrénées, featuring the Col du Tourmalet midway through the stage.

Stage 15 sees a return to the Plateau de Beille (15.8km at 7.9%) in the Tour’s second-straight summit finale. Adding to the drama will be France’s Bastille Day, with six climbs and 4850m of vertical, fireworks are guaranteed.

Week 3: Alps and final-day TT decider

Despite a grueling opening two weeks, week three will crown the winner.

Stage 16 opens up the action in what’s likely another chance for the sprinters — who will see likely eight chances in this year’s edition — but the mistral heading into Nimes could prove tricky.

Stage 17 to Superdévoluy tiptoes into the Alps, and breakaway artists will have their chance to take centerstage with three moderate climbs stacked up in the final hour of racing. Another transition stage to Barcelonnette in stage 18 could deliver another breakaway.

Back-to-back summit finales high in the Alps will set up the decisive closing weekend anchored by the final-time trial in Nice, the first time the Tour’s ended in an individual time trial since 1989 when Greg LeMond overcame Laurent Fignon in his historic victory.

Altitude will be a key factor in both stages.

Stage 19 sees three summit higher than 2000m, and stage 20 tackles four climbs in a short, 133km circuit-burner ending atop Col de la Couillole. Vertical tops 7000m in two days of racing.

If the race remains undecided, the tension will be sky high in the “dernière bataille” in the 34km individual time trial up and over La Turbie and Col d’Eze climbs.

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Tour de France 2023 route: Stage-by-stage guide

The 2023 tour de france will take place july 1 to july 23. it will be the  110th edition of great race. the grand depart will take place in the basque country. .

• 2023 Tour de France Femmes routes
• Finding accommodation for the Tour de France
• Finding bike hire for the Tour de France
• Tour de France road closure information
• Advice for watching the TDF in person
• Advice for watching the TDF in Paris
• Beginner's guide to the Tour de France
• Riding Etape du Tour
• 2023 Tour de France program and race guide

The 2023 Tour de France Grand Depart  will be a big one as it takes place in cycling heartland, the Basque Country on the Spanish side of the border. This is an area with a rich cycling tradition and super passionate supporters. 

The race kicks off on July 1 and finishes on July 23. As is tradition, the Tour de France will  finish in Paris. 

Specific info on each stage and more detailed maps are also usually published online each May and in the official race program . We'll post links to it when it's released.

We have this page for Tour de France road closure information , which we also update as information comes to hand (usually not from around May onwards).

See here for accommodation near the route (it will be progressively updated throughout 2023).

Where to find more useful information: Official 2023 Tour de France Race Guide

2023 tour de france grand depart map.

Note that all maps and stage profiles are also available  from the official website . Stage timings are also provided there.

Stage 1: Saturday, July 1  – Bilbao to Bilbao, 182km 

For the first time in a few years, the Tour de France starts with a full stage, rather than a time trial – and it isn't an easy introduction to the Tour.

Bilbao is the host for this 185km loop ride that takes in a good 3300m of climbing. There are five  climbs with points up for grabs straight away in the polka dot contest. The climbs on the route are the  Côte de Pike – just 10km from the finish – plus the   Côte de Laukiz , the  Côte de San Juan de Gaztelugatxe , the  Côte de Morga  and the  Côte de Vivero .

Stage 2: Sunday, July 2 – Vitoria-Gasteiz to San Sebastian, 209km

The opening stages are a whistle-stop tour of the jewels of the Basque region. From Bilbao on day one we go to the popular seaside resort of San Sebastian.  The day may end on the coast but it's not a flat ride: there are  5 climbs on stage 2.

Stage 3: Monday, July 3 – Amorebieta-Etxano to Bayonne, 185km 

We know the stage starts in Amorebienta-Etxano and heads back across the border into France .   

Stage 4: Tuesday , July 4 -  Dax to Nogaro Circuit, 182km

Potentially another day for the sprinters as they go head-to-head on the Nogaro circuit.

Stage 5: Wednesday, July 5 - Pau to Laruns, 165km

It wouldn't be the Tour de France without Pau on the map – today is also the first mountain stage.

Stage 6: Thursday, July 6 - Tarbes to Cauterets, 145km

Say hello to the Aspin and Tourmalet, part of 3750 metres of climbing.

Stage 7: Friday, July 7 - Mont de Marsan to Bordeaux, 170km

The Tour visits Bordeaux for the 82nd time – until recent times, it was one of the regular Tour towns. This is the first visit in more than 10 years, though. It'll be a sprint finish along the riverfront, ending at  Place des Quinconces.

Stage 8: Saturday, July 8 - Libourne to Limoges, 201km

The sprinters capable of powering up a short but difficult climb could take the win.

Stage 9: Sunday, July 9 -  Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat to Puy de Dôme, 184km

An icon returns.

Rest day - Monday, July 10 - Clermont-Ferrand

The area around Clermont-Ferrand also features prominently in the Tour de France Femmes 2023 .

Stage 10: Tuesday, July 11 - Parc Vulcania to Issoire, 167km

One for the breakaway.

Stage 11: Wednesday, July 12 - Clermont Ferrand to Moulins, 180km

A day for the sprinters.  

Stage 12: Thursday, July 13 - Roanne to  Belleville-en-Beaujolais 169km

The formation of the breakaway will be one of the critical moments on this hilly stage.

Stage 13: Friday, July 14 - C hâtillon-Sur-Chalaronne to Grand Colombier,  138km

Stage 14: Saturday, July 15 -  Annemasse to Morzine, 152km

4200 metres of climbing, including the Col de la Ramaz and Joux Plane . This is also the 2023 L'Etape du Tour stage . That's on July 9.

Stage 15: Sunday, July 16 - Les Gets to Saint Gervais, 180km

More mountains!

Rest day: Monday, July 17 - Saint Gervais Mont Blanc

Stage 16: tuesday, july 18 - passy to combloux, 22km.

A quick little individual time trial.

Stage 17: Wednesday, July 19 - Saint Gervais to Courchevel, 166km

More than 5000 metres of vertical gain, the infamous Col de la Loze before reaching Courchevel's altiport.

Stage 18: Thursday, July 20 - Moutiers to Bourg en Bresse, 186km

After 5 very hard stages, the sprinters will find a route that should facilitate their return front and centre .

Stage 19: Friday, July 22 - M oirans-en-Montagne to Poligny, 173km

A 8km long final straight, the dream for the sprinters' teams .

Stage 20: Saturday, July 22 - Belfort to L e Markstein, 133km

A final chance in the mountains with a route for the leaders . This stage has the last 2 climbs in the Tour.

Stage 21: Sunday, July 23 - Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to Paris Champs-Elysées, 115km   

As is tradition, we finish on the  Champs-Elysées . 

Time bonuses and points

In 2023, time bonuses will be awarded at the finish of each stage – 10, 6 and 4 seconds for the first three riders across the line.

Bonus points will also be awarded on strategic mountain passes and summits. The first three riders across these will pick up bonuses of 8, 5 and 2 seconds. The mountain-top bonus points won't count towards the points classification.

Bike hire for watching the Tour de France

A reminder that if you need bike hire during the Tour de France you should book early. It ALWAYS sells out and it can be very hard to find quality carbon road bikes closer to the time.  More info here .

2023 Tour de France Race Guide

Get the official 2023 Tour de France Race Guide: This collates all stage maps and race times into one booklet.

See here for bike-friendly accommodation  

Related articles

• Tour de France 2022 route: Stage-by-stage guide
• Tour de France 2024 route: Stage-by-stage guide
• Tour de France 2021 route: Stage-by-stage guide

2024 Tour de France program and race guide

• Tour de France 2020 route: Stage-by-stage guide
• 2019 Tour de France Official Race Guide
• Tour de France Femmes 2023 Stage-by-stage guide

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AVAILABLE TO ORDER NOW! The official Tour de France 2024 race program and guide includes all the route maps for each stage, plus stage start and end times, and team and rider profiles.

Posted: 23 Apr 2024

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Tour de France Stage 3 Preview: The First Day for the Sprinters to Shine

After two brutal stages in the Basque mountains, all eyes will be on the sprinters during the first flat stage of this year's Tour.

Stage 3 - Amorebieta-Etxano to Bayonne (193.5km) - Monday, July 3

And it’s a worthwhile move, with seven points available on the four categorized climbs spread through the first half of the stage. The riders summit the final categorized climb, the Category 3 Côte d'Orioko Benta with about 90km left to race, which is why we expect this to be the first stage in this year’s Tour that ends in a field sprint. But it will be close: there’s an uncategorized “bump” about 20km from the finish line in Bayonne, the perfect point from which to launch an attack.

Teams wishing to eliminate the Tour’s pure field sprinters might try and do it here. The run-in to the finish in Bayonne will be tight, with a series of roundabouts from about 5km- to 2km-to-go. At 2km from the finish line, there’s a 180-degree right-hander as the riders loop under and then up onto the avenue that takes them to the finish line. The run-in will be fast: the road heads downhill toward the 1km to go banner before rising in the final 500m toward the line.

The weather should be perfect: mostly sunny with highs in the upper 70s, with a slight headwind helping the sprinters’ teams keep the race together in the final 20km.

Riders to watch

After two days of intense racing in which the Tour’s overall contenders needed to be at their best, the sprinters should be front and center at the end of Stage 3 in Bayonne.

Assuming no one gets dropped, it’s the first chance for Great Britain’s Mark Cavendish (Astana) to break the record for the most stage wins in Tour history, with the Netherland’s Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal-Quick Step) and Dylan Groenewegen (Team Jayco AlUla), Australia’s Caleb Ewan (Destny Lotto), and Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) looking to deny him a chance at history.

But if the finale proves hard for these riders, look for one of the Tour’s more versatile sprinters to win the stage with Belgium’s Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), Eritrea’s Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty), Denmark’s Mad Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), and Norway’s Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X) the top candidates to win in Bayonne.

When to Watch

You can tune-in a bit later for this one: the riders should hit that uncategorized “bump” at about 10:55 a.m. EDT with the final sprint taking place around 11:25 a.m. EDT. Don’t miss it, though: with only a handful of chances for Cav to make history, you’ll want to be sure you’re tuned in.

Since getting hooked on pro cycling while watching Lance Armstrong win the 1993 U.S. Pro Championship in Philadelphia, longtime Bicycling contributor Whit Yost has raced on Belgian cobbles, helped build a European pro team, and piloted that team from Malaysia to Mont Ventoux as an assistant director sportif. These days, he lives with his wife and son in Pennsylvania, spending his days serving as an assistant middle school principal and his nights playing Dungeons & Dragons.

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As it happened: Philipsen takes hotly contested sprint on Tour de France stage 3

193.5km from Amorebieta-Etxano to Bayonne

Tour de France - Everything you need to know Tour de France sprinters ready to take over after 'hardest start in 20 years' Tour de France favourites Tour de France teams guide

Bonjour and welcome to Cyclingnews live coverage of stage 3 of the 2023 Tour de France!

We've seen two brutal days of racing in the Spanish Basque Country with Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) and Victor Lafay (Cofidis) taking the wins. Today should be the first opportunity for the sprinters to stretch their legs in a bunch finish into Bayonne.

We've had a change of route due to safety concerns for today with the stage extended to 193.5km to avoid dangerous road furniture. Read about the full changes and why they've been made here.

The riders are gearing up for the start in Amorebieta-Etxano, a location which has hosted it’s own one-day uci race, the Klasika Primavera, since the 50s and has been won by the likes of Alejandro Valverde and Carlos Sastre.

There were no more abandonments after stage 2 thankfully, despite a scare for Lotto-Dstny lead-tour rider Jasper De Buyst. The Belgian team tweeted that he and young prospect Maxim Van Gils would start the stage today after they were cleared. They will be working in aid of Caleb Ewan today.

Update and it's good news 😉Following a test on the rollers this morning, @JasperDeBuyst will take the start in Amorebieta-Etxano for the #TDF2023 stage three. https://t.co/THSWb1EfPN July 3, 2023

The riders are underway from start line in Amorebieta-Etxano. We've of course, got our neutralised start as the riders pass more lines of Basque fans out in great support.

Here is another look at the profile for today's 193.5km stage before we get to kilometre 0. You can see the four categorised climbs coming in the first 100km of racing, so expect a fight for the break to fight it out for those king of the mountains points. Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) should certainly be trying to get in the break and he currently leads that KOM classification by four points ahead of Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates)

193.5KM TO GO

Here we go! Official start is taken and racing is fully underway. It's, as expected, Powless who immediately shoots off the front to ensure he is in the fight for king of the mountains points so he can defend his jersey. He is joined by Laurent Pichon (Arkéa-Samsic)

The gap to the duo out in front has already grown past 30 seconds as the peloton settles in to the start. It won't take long for us to get onto the first climb which comes in 6km at the Côte de Trabakua (4.1km at 5.4%). Powless has clearly prepped for the exact move he made as the flag was waved, as he is in his skin suit and ready for a day of chasing KOM points.

We're heading out of Durango at the moment where the fans have again come in masses to support the riders. Cycling is well known to be a religion in the Basque Country, but the crowds have been quite incredible throughout the Grand Depart. 

Here's a look at the four jersey wearers from today's start: Lafay in green after his incredible stage win yesterday, Yates in the maillot jaune after holding onto it on stage 2, Powless who is already in the break to try and gain more KOM points and Pogačar, who will be delighted with the start his UAE team have made to the 2023 Tour so far. 

Spirits are high at the front with Powless and Pichon sharing a laugh at the head of the race. No team in the peloton has got on the front to establish any sort of control as of yet, with the gap now approaching 2:00 as they ride the first climb of the day.

Tim 'El tractor' Declercq (Soudal-Quick Step) has taken up his position at the front of the peloton for the Belgian side that has on many occasions dominated the sprints. He and his teammates will be working in aid of Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal-Quick Step) who won the first stage at last year's Tour de France.

180KM TO GO

Powless takes the first full haul of two king of the mountains points over the first climb as he eased ahead of Pichon. The American even gave us a small bike lunge as he and Pichon continued their relaxed journey at the head of the race. 

Powless and Pichon are leading the descent towards the next town of Markina Xemein as the riders continue heading north back towards the coast. Once they reach Lekeitio, they will turn right and start heading up the Bay of Biscay coastline into France. 

While we have this more quiet period of racing, make sure you take a chance to read some of Cyclingnews being produced on the ground at the Tour de France. Tech Editor, Josh Croxton, has been keeping an eagle eye on the latest tech, newest bikes, and tricksiest hacks on show at the Grand Depart. Take a look at Josh's gallery of the best tech highlights including Caleb Ewan's prototype bike and Mark Cavendish's limited edition Willier below. Tour de France mega tech gallery: All the nerdy highlights from the Grand Depart

Adam Yates is back at the team car having his race radio adjusted in his yellow jersey.

165KM TO GO

Powless and Pichon's advantage out in front has gone out further to 2:44 with no urgency behind to start even thinking about reeling them in yet. Jakobsen, one of the favourites for the day has just had a bike change and is now riding to get back into the peloton. 

The two leaders have entered the second categorised climb of the day, the Côte de Milloi (2.3km at 4.5%). 

Powless has set off to gain the solitary KOM point atop this second climb of the day. He's eased over the line ahead of Pichon with his arms aloft and his thumbs up. He's certainly enjoying his day in red shorts and in the break. 

We've got some of the main teams with a sprint focus coming to the front of the peloton, albeit with one rider each for now. Soudal-Quick Step for Fabio Jakobsen, Alpecin-Deceuninck for Jasper Philipsen, Jayco AlUla for Dylan Groenewegen and Lidl-Trek for Mads Pedersen. The gap to the leader is now out to 3:30.

Take a look below at Neilson Powless having the time of his life in the polka-dot jersey for EF Education-EasyPost

👍 😁 👍🔴⚪️ @NPowless 🇺🇸#TDF2023 | @maillotapois pic.twitter.com/6kgtLzBm6a July 3, 2023

Ridiculous crowds in Lekeitio to cheer on our two leaders. Everyone is out on the roads cheering on our two leaders in the Basque sunshine. They are now making the turn back up the Bay of Biscay's coastline as they go towards the French border.

Mark Cavendish (Astana Qazaqstan) has had a puncture but is in no form of panic as the bunch is still incredibly calm. He's being aided back to the peloton by Alexey Lutsenko and Yevgeniy Federov. Today could be the first chance for the Manx Missile to try and get that record-breaking 35th Tour de France stage win, which would see him overtake Eddy Merckx at the top of the all-time Tour stage wins leaderboard. 

148KM TO GO

Tadej Pogačar has had a back wheel puncture which is now being changed back at the team car. He's, of course, not stressed with so long left in today's stage. 

Take a look below at the fantastic Basque fans in Lekeitio watching the peloton fly past them. The red, white and green of the Basque flags have been seen all over the roads across these opening three stages, showing just how important cycling is to this region. 

Here's Victor Lafay looking great in the green jersey, which he earned after his heroic victory on stage 2 yesterday. His attack under the flame rouge was too much for the rest of the reduced bunch at the head of the race and he powered away to take Cofidis' first win at the Tour de France since 2008. Check out Lafay in the green jersey below. 

La première étape du reste de sa carrière 🔥#TDF2023 🎥 @MathildeLAzou pic.twitter.com/kRufxPNCoE July 3, 2023

Lafay has just made his way off the front of the peloton in his new green jersey. He'll be looking for more points in the green classification at the intermediate sprint into Deba. He knows he probably won't feature in the bunch sprint today, so this is his best chance to mop up more points. 

130KM TO GO

Lafay is in time trial mode and is making short work of the leading duo's advantage. He's already gained a minute on them and is now 1:36 away from the breakaway. 

Pichon takes the intermediate sprint with Powless in second. They take 20 and 17 points respectively and Lafay is set to gain 15 more points for crossing the line into Deba in third. 

Lidl-Trek nail the lead-out for the intermediate sprint again with Mads Pedersen taking the remaining top prize of 13 points. Quinn Simmons, Jasper Stuyven and Alex Kirsch was the order and they look a well-oiled machine so far. We'll see how they go in the final bunch sprint later today, if there is one. Jordi Meeus (Bora-hansgrohe) crossed the line next after Pedersen with Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) the next best and taking the 10 points.

It's job done for Lafay who has extended his points total to 80. There are only three sprinters who could overtake or equal that total should they win today and take the full 50 point haul: Van Aert (36), Pedersen (31) and Philipsen (30).

120KM TO GO

Lafay has now been re-absorbed and the gap to the leading duo has been reduced to only 1:50 with Alpecin-Deceuninck and Jayco-AlUla sitting on the front. Powless has taken two more KOM Points atop the Col d’Itziar (5.1km at 4.6%) and he will only want to repeat that on the final categorised climb of the day, the Côte d’Orioko Benta (4.6km at 6.3%), before he knocks off his effort. 

We've got a status quo in the peloton again as the gap to the duo out in front has been allowed to go out to 2:33. We're still going up the Bay of Biscay coastline with our one categorised climb remaining before we pass back through San Sebastián and approach the French border.

Declercq is back on the front for Soudal-Quick Step and is likely settling in for a very long turn on the front. All the sprinters are sat very calmly in the bunch for now with no real urgency or pressure required for the current, calm race situation. 

Ben O'Connor is having chain issues off the back of the peloton and has had to change his bike twice. There's still nothing to worry about, but he'll hope for some better luck as the stage enters the final 100km of racing. Read Cyclingnews' recent news piece on the Australian that details how his ambitions are still high despite having a difficult opening two stages. Ben O’Connor - ‘The simple matter is I’m not good enough at the moment, weirdly’

100KM TO GO

We've gone at a relatively slow pace throughout the opening 93.5km, but we're now entering the final half of the race. There's a long way to go, but once the sprint teams get interested, the pace will accelerate very quickly. 

There's still great vibes in the front group as Powless and Pichon share another joke once they hit the bottom of the final categorised climb of the day, the Côte d’Orioko Benta (4.6km at 6.3%). The sprinters behind should be fine as the pace has been so low all day. Juan Pedro López is leading the peloton up the climb behind with 'El Tractor' Tim Declercq alongside him. Slightly contrasting frames on the two domestiques working for their respective sprinters today. 

Here's a beautiful view of the Atlantic coastline passed by the riders on today's stage.

Van Aert stopped as I was writing that for what appeared to be a re-lubing of the cleat on the bottom of his shoe. He'll chase back on easily as they complete the climb. 

Powless takes another KOM sprint and the final one of the day that completes his successful day of riding in the breakaway. Job done from the American who has clearly learned well from teammate Magnus Cort who entertained the crowds at each KOM sprint in Denmark last year. 

We've got a traffic jam at the bottom of the climb due to the narrowing of the road. It's helped Wout Van Aert easily make it back to the peloton. Riders were stood as the inclines were so steep and there simply wasn't enough room for all the riders to fit. 

The peloton have once again slowed massively at the back of the bunch, and we can see British national champion Fred Wright (Bahrain-Victorious) is bleeding from his left elbow and must've been down. He's chasing back onto the peloton now. 

We're getting a second look at San Sebastián during this Tour as the riders are about to pass through the beautiful coastal city. Powless and Pichon are still leading and are loving the huge crowds that line the entry to the city. They've shared a fist-bump at the front after a successful days riding. 

Powless has sat up after completing his KOM charge for the day and has allowed Pichon to go off on his lonesome up the road. He's taking his musette and getting some lunch into his system. Pichon has the crowds all to himself and he will be roared on for every single pedal stroke from now until he is caught by the peloton. 

Here's a look at our two escapees from the day on the final climb. 

Make sure to read Simone Giuliani's feature on one of the big contenders for the day, Sam Welsford (dsm-firmenich), who is on Tour de France debut. As I write this, he's actually stopped at the side of the road to get some adjustments made to his stem, but he should feature prominently in today's finish. Sam Welsford – Time cuts, debut goals and a Tour de France stage win dream

Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny) is the next to change his bike today and is now riding with Welsford and a teammate to make his way back to the bunch. Pascal Eenkhorn has dropped back to bring the Australian back to the peloton. Neilson Powless has returned to the peloton and is guaranteed to wear the polka-dot jersey again tomorrow's stage. 

It's puncture-city out here with Alexey Lutsenko (Asian Qazaqstan) and Rui Costa (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) the next to require a back-wheel change. Lutsenko was pointing at his back wheel to some fans on the side of the road, suggesting we may have more tacks being, very sadly, thrown onto the course. Read the full Cyclingnews piece which shows some of the tacks in rider's wheels after the stage 2 finish yesterday below. Tacks in the road spark mass punctures in finale of Tour de France stage 2

We're just about the head into France across the border in Irun with Simmons riding on the front in his American national champion's jersey for Lidl-Trek. 

I appear to have cursed Sam Welsford by talking about him, as he's been forced to change another wheel on his bike. Hopefully his last issue of the day. 

Declercq is back on the front in full tractor mode. 

The Spanish Basque Country is saying goodbye as Laurent Pichon is about to say bonjour and cross back into France, the motherland. The peloton will cross the river Bidasoa as they enter the French Basque Country and continue their journey towards Bayonne. 

Pichon is still pushing on, but is showing just how tight some of the corners are in these first few kilometres of French roads. Hopefully everyone stays safe. Barring some incredible injustice, the Frenchman should surely have secured today's combatively prize. 

Pichon's advantage at the head of the race is melting away as the peloton starts to wind it up behind. His gap is now 1:10.

Simmons has been doing his fair share of work in aid of the sprinters today, alongside Declercq who you can see in the background of the image. Stars and Stripes in full flight for Lidl-Trek. 

Felix Großschartner (UAE Team Emirates) is the next to suffer a puncture at the back of the bunch.

Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) are both making their way back into the bunch. 

There's now only 39 seconds separating our lone leader, Pichon, and the peloton. He'll be reeled in quickly, but who will take up the mantle of leading the peloton once he is back in the bunch? 

While you still have a chance, make sure to read Cyclingnews' article with insight from lead-out experts Michael Mørkøv (Soudal-Quick Step) and Mark Renshaw. Renshaw long acted as Cavendish's last lea-out rider and was hired as a sprint advisor for Astana Qazaqstan before the Tour. Tour de France sprinters ready to take over after 'hardest start in 20 years'

Pichon's adventure out in the day's break is over and full focus will now turn to the sprint lead-outs.

The tension has built with a change in wind direction and it's very difficult to move up any positions in the bunch. 

Today's finish location, Bayonne, is at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers and is the capital of the French Basque country. It may seem a relatively simple finish on paper with a bunch sprint on the cards, but the riders have got a very tricky finish on their hands. There are four roundabouts between 5km to 3km to go which will be furiously fought for by the GC teams and the sprint lead-outs. Following this, at 2km to go, there is a u-turn to tackle which could cause riders to lose their trains or fall back multiple positions which could put them out of the sprint. The first bunch sprint of the Tour de France is always hectic, but today's could be absolute chaos. 

The nerves are high in the bunch as the washing-machine effect is happening in full force. It's so difficult to stay up towards the front of the peloton, and all the teams are working so hard to keep their sprinters and leaders safe from any danger. 

The teams all know exactly what they are getting into today, a hectic finale where luck will be very important. They'll all be hoping to stay out of trouble and launch their sprinters at the line. Lotto will also have a less than 100% Jasper De Buyst who crashed yesterday and had some serious issues with tendons in his wrist. He thankfully, took the start today, but may not be able to help Ewan in pursuit of his sixth Tour de France stage win. 

🇫🇷 #TDF2023The guys are keeping @CalebEwan safe in what will be a hectic final for sure 😱 pic.twitter.com/e1bkWb5uSF July 3, 2023

Uno-X are showing themselves nicely on the right-hand side of the road. This is their debut Tour de France and they have the experienced Alexander Kristoff to work for on today's finish. He'll be led out by Classics specialist, Rasmus Tiller and U23 time trial World Champion, Søren Wærenskjold. 

Can Mark Cavendish take the record for stage wins at the Tour de France? He put on a heroic performance, with the help of some old friends, to win the final stage of the Giro d'Italia. He's made enough history in his illustrious career, but could make more today with another victory.

The Manx Missile will be hoping to either work in tandem with Cees Bol, but could also latch onto one of his rivals' wheels and try to launch out of their slipstream. 

Soudal-Quick Step are showing all their experience and dominating the left side of the road. They'll want to keep Jakobsen safe with Mørkøv, which should allow the duo to get to work in the final kilometre. 

Current line-up at the head of the race from left to right is: Soudal-Quick Step, Groupama-FDJ, Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, Bahrain Victorious, Bora-hansgrohe, Alpecin Deceuninck and Jumbo-Visma.

De Buyst has understandably dropped off the back of the peloton so won't play any part in helping Ewan. Florian Vermeersch and Victor Campenaerts will likely slot into that last-man role. 

Jumbo-Visma have split into two clusters of riders in the peloton. One side has Dylan van Baarle looking after Jonas Vingegaard and the other has Christophe Laporte and Wout Van Aert together. As I type, they've all joined together now, but Vingegaard's safety appears to be their no.1 priority. 

We're getting our first taste of roundabouts that characterise today's finish and we can already see the affect it can have on stringing out the bunch and pushing riders out of position. 

Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-AlUla) is sitting comfortably in the middle of the bunch for now and his team are only now just moving up to the front. He's one of the out and out fastest riders if given a shot at the line, so expect him to be right amongst the action. 

Philipsen and his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammates are sat directly behind the Jumbo-Visma train for the moment, but will want to move up as soon as possible before we enter the multiple roundabouts. 

Remi Cavagna (Soudal-Quick Step) is lighting things up on the front for Jakobsen and they Lotto Destiny are the only team able to match the Frenchman for now. We're seeing more and more roundabouts squeezing the bunch down from six trains wide to just two. Nervous times. 

Mark Cavendish has two teammates with him for now and they've manoeuvred well to hit the front on the left side of the road as we look at it. 

Jumbo-Visma are keeping Vingegaard safe and Van Aert in good position. Will the Belgian superstar go for the bunch sprint? It wouldn't be a surprise after his rage-filled disappointment from yesterday. 

We're on one of the rises now as the road isn't just pan flat all the way. We're into the roundabouts. Who will survive the twists and turns in the road best?

INEOS have taken up position on the front alongside QuickStep and we will now have the huge charge to make it to the 3km safe zone for the GC riders. Uno-X are making another charge in their red and yellow jerseys and they are set up perfectly for now. 

Some of the big favourites' teams are absent from the front of the peloton and have huge amounts of work to do. Uno-X, Arkéa-Samsic and Soudal-Quick Step are the most prominent at the front for now. 

Bahrain Victorious are working well for Phil Bauhaus in his first Tour de France. He's been successful in chaotic sprints in the past, so will fancy today's technical run in. 

Jakobsen is in prime position for now! There are shoulders being thrown throughout the front of the bunch as the battle for position heats up even more. 

hairpin taken with Quick Step still dominating the front- they've played it perfectly so far. Can they finish the job?

Girmay in great position! Cavendish, Ewan, Sagan, Philipsen, they are all here to fight for this first bunch sprint. 

Alpecin suddenly hit the front with three riders! Philipsen looks fantastic, but will he time it right?

Van Aert is sat in third wheel!

STAGE FINISH

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) wins stage 3 of the Tour de France! Jasper 'Disaster' is far from it, with a fine charge at the line to take the first bunch sprint of the 2023 Tour de France. What a sprint, what a lead-out. 

Van der Poel did a tremendous job to launch Philipsen ahead of Van Aert. He closed to the barriers and put in another dig as Bauhaus and Ewan kicked out of the slipstream. The Belgian was able to hang on as he sprinted all the way to the line where he raised his arms aloft. 

Here is today's stage winner, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) celebrating his win in Bayonne on stage 3 of the Tour de France. His Alpecin-Deceuninck teammates came to the front under the flame rouge, where they launched their lead-out. Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) did the final turn before Philipsen launched to the barriers and out-kicked Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain-Victorious) and Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny) to take his third Tour de France stage victory. 

The jury are reviewing the sprint for now, as Philipsen could be relegated for a deviation in his sprint line. For now, here's what runner-up on the road, Bauhaus had to say after the finish. "It's something special, we are here for GC but all those guys, they did their best. They did amazing. Matej [Mohorič], Fred [Wright], Nikias [Arndt], Pello [Bilbao], they are all amazing bike riders so it's really a pleasure for me in my first Tour that they help me in the sprint." "I was confident, I felt really good and I knew I had to be more towards the front. It's a really close battle and fortunately today ended up good for me. I believed for a few seconds that I could win, but Philipsen kept the speed, he was the strongest." "It's a great result, I say in the future that I' proud of that day, but to be honest as a sprinter you need to win. It's my dream to win one stage."

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) has been confirmed as the winner of stage 3 of the Tour de France! It was a painful wait, but here's what he had to say after the stage. "It was a bit in doubt, but it did make it really exciting in the end," Philipsen said about his arduous wait for the jury to make their decision. "It was tense, but it's the Tour de France and there are no presents to nobody, so I think everybody goes all in and I think I can be really happy with our team performance today." "We had a great lead-out with Jonas [Rickaert], who took the first part and then Mathieu [Van der Poel] did a fantastic job, I'm really happy to keep it to the finish line." Philipsen got an incredible final turn from Van der Poel, here's what to had to say on his superstar teammate's performance: "If he can have the space to go then for sure he has the speed and you know that no other lead out will pass it." "It was a tricky final with an s-bend in the end, so I tried to take the shortest road to the finish and I'm really happy to get first over the line." "I think we try to aim for another stage win after, but I'm just already super happy that we can take the first sprint."

Take a look below at Pogačar watching closely with his good friend and former teammate Philipsen as the Belgian sprinter waited for the jury to decide on the stage win.

Caption this ✍🏻 pic.twitter.com/EFaq7LZnYh July 3, 2023

There we no changes to our jersey wearers after the first bunch sprint of the 2023 Tour de France. Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) remains in the yellow jersey, Victor Lafay (Cofidis) holds on to his green jersey thanks to the 15 points he gained at the intermediate sprint, Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) went into the break to solidify his lead in the polka-dot jersey and Tadej Pogačar, of course, is still in the white jersey. 

Make sure to read Alasdair Fotheringham's full stage report from today and check out our growing image gallery of the action. Tour de France: Jasper Philipsen wins stage 3 after impressive lead-out from Mathieu van der Poel

Take a look also at the full results from today's sprint stage thanks to FirstCycling.

Van der Poel played no part in the opening two stages, despite being touted as one of the favourites for the Basque Country opener, but had said his legs were fine and he that he was saving them to help Philipsen. Here's what he had to say after Alpecin-Deceuninck's first win of the Tour. "Yesterday, I just tried to save as much energy as possible because I knew it would be really hard today, the first sprint stage. Everybody still has the legs so it's difficult to make a difference. In the end I think we did a perfect lead-out today." "My goal is to go for a stage win. Coming in here, I knew the shape was good, but the  last two days I was not riding with the legs I had before the Tour, but I mean it's three weeks and there are still a lot of chances to come and I'm really happy we already have this one with the team and now we try to go for a second one." "Tomorrow is another sprint opportunity, but it's going to be difficult to deliver him [Philipsen] like this every-time, but we will try."

That's a wonderful Grand Depart in the Basque Country done and dusted. We've had three hectic days of racing and it's only going to get better as we head further into France and into the Pyrenees. Tomorrow's stage is another sprint opportunity from Dax to Nogaro and should be another tension-filled day that finishes in a big bunch charge to the line. Can Philipsen double-up on stage wins? Or will Mark Cavendish break Eddy Merckx's Tour de France stage win record? Check back tomorrow with Cyclingnews and find out. 

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