Biking’s most prestigious occasion is about to get underway.

Beginning on Sunday, almost 200 riders from 22 groups will embark on a 2,115-mile journey from Bilbao, Spain into the guts of Paris. Riders will endure 21 levels over 23 days — which means simply two relaxation days — as they deal with France’s 5 greatest mountain ranges.

This 12 months’s occasion has no scarcity of storylines, beginning with the battle between Dane Jonas Vingegaard, driving for UCI WorldTeam Jumbo–Visma, and Slovenian Tadej Pogačar of UAE Staff Emirates.

Vingegaard is the reigning Tour de France champion, profitable the 2022 model forward of his rival Pogačar. The 2 earlier years, the Slovenian was the one to earn the distinguished yellow jersey, the maillot jaune; his victory in 2020 on the age of 21 made him the second-youngest winner in race historical past. The 2 are the odds-on favorites to compete for the highest spot on the rostrum once more in 2023.

Vingegaard is arguably the very best pure climber on the earth and he impressed throughout the lead-up races to the Tour de France. Pogačar, in the meantime, has been ranked the No. 1 rider on the earth for a document 92 straight weeks however had solely two race days since late April, when he suffered a damaged wrist in a crash. Regardless of their distinction in preparation, their anticipated three-week battle for the victory tasks to be an entertaining one — if Pogačar is on type.

The 2023 Tour de France can even have the final three champions within the subject for the primary time since 2009. That features Vingegaard and Pogačar, in addition to Colombia’s Egan Bernal of Ineos Grenadiers. The winner of the 2019 version, Bernal turned the primary South American to complete the race in first place.

There are additionally some tweaks to the race itself. The opening stage, which is often both a time trial or flat stage, is on hilly terrain this time round and can seemingly be an opportunity for basic classification riders to get an early soar on their opponents. As well as, the penultimate twentieth stage won’t be a time trial this 12 months. As a substitute, it’s now a mountain stage, taking riders from Belfort to Le Markstein, masking 82.9 miles with nearly 12,000 ft of climbing.

One other main storyline to observe? British bicycle owner Mark Cavendish. Cavendish is tied with Belgian legend Eddy Merckx for 34 Tour stage wins, the present document.

Cavendish acknowledged again in Could throughout the Giro d’Italia that he was retiring on the finish of this 12 months. A 12 months in the past Cavendish was a Tour de France reserve for his earlier workforce, Fast-Step Alpha Vinyl. Cavendish was introduced as a workforce member by his present workforce, Astana Qazaqstan.

There are two groups from america within the subject: EF Training-Easypost and Lidl-Trek. Whereas not one of the particular person American riders are thought-about among the many favorites for basic classification, you possibly can see a United States bicycle owner safe a stage win or two. Neilson Powless, driving for EF Training-Easypost, completed thirteenth general in final 12 months’s Tour de France, has two wins and three top-tens this 12 months, and will safe a stage victory early.

Matteo Jorgenson, who rides for Movistar Staff, almost gained Stage 16 final 12 months in his Tour de France debut. He might push for a stage win this 12 months. One other American, Sepp Kuss with Jumbo–Visma, is all the time robust within the mountains. Whereas his fundamental function with the workforce is to assist Vingegaard, he has gained a Tour stage earlier than.

For extra on the Tour de France usually, we’d strongly suggest this piece trying on the new Netflix docuseries “Unchained,” which seems to be on the 2022 Tour de France.

Right here is learn how to watch, a have a look at every stage, and extra.

Tips on how to watch the 2023 Tour de France

NBC Sports activities is your house for each stage of the one hundred and tenth Tour de France, with the majority of the protection airing stay every day on Peacock. NBC and USA Community can even air stay protection throughout the first week of the 2023 Tour de France, together with encores of every stage on USA at 2 a.m. ET most days.

All NBC and USA Community protection additionally streams on NBCSports.com/stay, in addition to the NBC Sports activities app.

Right here is the total broadcast schedule:

What groups are competing within the 2023 Tour de France

22 groups are competing within the 2023 Tour de France: That features all 18 UCI WorldTeams, and 4 UCI ProTeams.

18 UCI WorldTeams

AG2R Citroën Staff
Alpecin-Deceuninck
Arkéa-Samsic
Astana Qazaqstan Staff
Bora-Hansgrohe
Cofidis
EF Training-EasyPost
Groupama-FDJ
Ineos Grenadiers
Intermarché-Circus-Wanty
Lidl-Trek
Movistar Staff
Soudal—Fast-Step
Staff Bahrain Victorious
Staff dsm-firmenich
Staff Jayco-AlUla
Staff Jumbo-Visma
UAE Staff Emirates

UCI ProTeams

Israel—Premier Tech
Lotto—Dstny
Staff TotalEnergies
Uno-X Professional Biking Staff

The 2023 Tour de France map

Right here is the official map of the 2023 Tour de France:

You can even view the map on the official Tour de France web site.

Phases, dates, and distances for the 2023 Tour de France

Listed here are the levels for the 2023 Tour de France. There are eight levels thought-about “flat,” 4 hill levels, eight mountain levels, and one time trial stage this 12 months.

The hardest stretch of the 2023 Tour de France seems to be to be Phases 13 by 16. Over three straight days riders can be examined by the French Alps, with a summit end on each Stage 13 and Stage 15.

Stage 17, one other mountain stage, may be the hardest particular person take a look at of the 2023 Tour de France. Riders will deal with a 103.1 mile stage with over 16,000 ft of elevation climb. Stage 17 additionally encompasses a climb to the highest of the 7,559-feet Col de la Loze, the very best level on this 12 months’s Tour and one of many summits thought-about “past class.”

If Stage 17 just isn’t the hardest stage, Stage 6 may be. One other mountain stage, this contains the 6,939-foot Col du Tourmalet within the Pyrenees, and options the primary of the summit finishes within the 2023 Tour de France.

2023 Tour de France outcomes

Stage 1: Bilabo to Bilabo

Stage Winner: Adam Yates, UAE Staff Emirates
General Chief: Adam Yates, UAE Staff Emirates
Yates holds off his twin brother Simon Yates to win Stage 1 of the 2023 Tour de France. It’s Yates’ first ever stage win on the Tour de France. Tadej Pogacar comes throughout the road third, giving UAE a first-third begin to the 2023 TDF.

Stage 2: Vitoria-Gasteiz to Saint-Sébastien

Stage Winner: Victor Lafay, Cofidis
General Chief: Adam Yates, UAE Staff Emirates.
Lafay notched the primary stage win for Cofidis in 15 years with a formidable exhibiting, breaking away from the pack within the closing kilometer for his first stage victory. Lafay now sits fourth within the basic classification. Adam Yates retained the yellow jersey, along with his twin brother Simon six seconds behind him, tied with Pogacar for second within the basic classification.

Stage 3: Amorebieta-Etxano to Bayonne

Stage Winner: Jasper Philipsen, Alpecin-Deceuninck
General Chief: Adam Yates, UAE Staff Emirates
The primary flat stage of the Tour de France supplied the primary likelihood for a real dash end. Laurent Pichon of Arkéa–Samsic broke away from the peloton early, however the pack slowly reeled him in forward of the end. With 5 kilometers to go, Staff Jumbo-Visma made their method to the entrance, with Vingegaard and Wout van Aert — who was reportedly annoyed after how Stage 2 ended — amongst these pushing laborious. All of it set the stage for a high-speed end that noticed Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck safe his first stage win of the 2023 Tour de France. Philipsen gained two levels a 12 months in the past. Phil Bauhaus, Caleb Ewan, Fabio Jakobsen, and Van Aert spherical out the highest 5 of the stage. Adam Yates retains the yellow jersey as the general chief.

Stage 4: Dax to Nogaro

Stage Winner: Jasper Philipsen, Alpecin-Deceuninck
General Chief: Adam Yates, UAE Staff Emirates
The fourth day of the Tour de France featured a second-straight flat stage, culminating in a wide-open end on the Paul-Armagnac auto racing monitor in Nogaro with a 700-meter straight. With just below 5 miles remaining, the peloton cranked up the tempo, pushing upwards of 37 mph because the pack closed in on Paul-Armagnac. When the peloton arrived on the race monitor, the end was marred by three completely different crashes earlier than coming all the way down to a photo-finish between Philipsen and Caleb Ewan of ProTeam Lotto–Dstny. Ultimately it was Philipsen by half a wheel over Ewan for his second-straight stage victory. Cavendish, searching for his document Thirty fifth-stage win, completed fifth. Adam Yates holds onto the yellow jersey as the general chief.

Stage 5: Pau to Laruns

Stage Winner: Jai Hindley, Bora-Hansgrohe
General Chief: Jai Hindley, Bora-Hansgrohe
Now we have a brand new chief on the Tour de France.
After two-straight flat levels, the peloton returned to the mountains, winding from Pau to Laruns. The stage included some tough climbs, together with Col de Soudet, Col d’Ichère, and Col de Marie-Blanque. It was Hindley who in the end broke away, securing his first-ever Tour de France stage victory. His robust trip additionally noticed him take over as the general chief within the basic classification. Jonas Vingegaard pushed laborious in the long run, and now sits fifth within the basic classification. Pogacar, nevertheless, struggled on Wednesday and now sits eighth within the basic classification, greater than 90 seconds behind Hindley.

Stage 6: Tarbes to Cauterets-Cambasque

Stage Winner: Tadej Pogacar, UAE Staff Emirates
General Chief: Jonas Vingegaard, Staff Jumbo-Visma
Thursday delivered the primary true duel between the heavyweights, Pogacar and Vingegaard. For the second day in a row the riders tackled a mountain stage, full with a climb up Col du Tourmalet, a 6,939-foot climb within the Pyrenees. A bunch of about 20 riders broke away early, however within the closing kilometers it was all the way down to Pogacar, Vingegaard, and Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers). Kwiatkowski ultimately sat up earlier than the end, leaving simply Pogacar and Vingegaard to battle it out over the ultimate three kilometers. Pogacar attacked with 2.7 kilometers to go, and ultimately got here throughout along with his first stage win of the 2023 Tour. Nevertheless, it was Vingegaard who took over because the chief for the overall classification, with Pogacar simply 25 seconds behind.

Stage 7: Mont-de-Marsan to Bordeaux

Stage Winner: Jasper Philipsen, Alpecin-Deceuninck
General Chief: Jonas Vingegaard, Staff Jumbo-Visma
After two mountain levels, the 2023 Tour de France returned to extra flat terrain, providing up one other potential dash. That opened the door for Mark Cavendish to set the all-time mark for stage wins, and the Astana rider made a push within the closing kilometers. However he was not alone, and on the finish Jasper Philipsen nipped him for his third stage win of the 2023 Tour, denying Cavendish his document.
Vingegaard completed twenty second, however retained the yellow jersey.