Tour de France 2023 Overview

Pro cycling’s most significant event begins July 1 this year, in the unofficial “capital of Basque country” in Spain–Bilbao. The current lineup of racers is headlined by two major forces. Tadej Pogac̆ar, the exceptional mountain climber from UAE Emirates, and Jonas Vingegaard, the unstoppable force from Jumbo-Visma.

The 110th Tour de France features a climbing-heavy route, which is excellent news for the climbing specialists in the field. Vingegaard (pronounced “vin-guh-GO”) and Pogac̆ar (pronounced like “focaccia,” but with a “p” sound, instead of the “f”) are arguably the best climbers on the circuit.

The Tour de France begins in Spain this year

Bilbao hosts the Grand Départ for the first time this year. Also known for the iconic Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Museum, this will be Bilbao’s first time hosting the legendary 26-stage race. Bilbao, once an industrial hub, underwent a remarkable transformation into the Basque country’s cultural center. Devastating floods necessitated an ambitious and profitable redesign of the region. The first three stages are in Spain this year. The finish of the third stage is located across the border in Bayonne, France.

This year’s Tour promises to be more punishing than usual, with very few genuinely flat stages along the route and only one individual time trial stage. The course favors the climbers this year, and Vingegaard and Pogac̆ar are the circuit’s best this season, though anything can happen during le Tour. Jumbo-Visma has built a powerful support team around Vingegaard. Despite a fractured wrist and loss of training time since April, no one should rule out Pogac̆ar as a top contender for the yellow jersey.

Mark Cavendish could potentially overshadow the contest for this year’s green jersey. Since announcing his retirement from pro cycling, most hope to see Cav win one more stage of the Tour to break Eddie Merkcx’s record for most stage wins in the Tour de France. Because the route is mountain-heavy this year, competition for the green jersey is pretty wide open.

Tour de France Fantasy League

The 110th Tour de France promises to be one of the more challenging races in recent memory. We look forward to watching some epic racing, so much so that we at Bikes Palm Beach are cueing up our Fantasy Tour teams again this year. We’d love for y’all to join in the fun!

See if you have what it takes to go head-to-head with the staff at Bikes Palm Beach. Get started and create your own team with the information below.

League # 29023: Bikes Palm Beach TDF
Password: SKXEV

2023 Route

Inspired by the Tour? Browse Road Bikes in Stock!