Tour de France 2023 - Stage 2: Vitoria-Gasteiz - San Sebastian | 208.9 kilometres
Day two is a copy of day one, although the hills are less sharp but higher. The Jaizkibel, known from the Clasica San Sebastian, is the last obstacle on the way to the finish. From the summit of the Jaizkibel, the route drops 16.5 kilometres to the finish.
As the Jaizkibel remains just under eight per cent at the top and is longer than the hills the day before, it is unlikely that a puncheur will be able to break away. Even breakaways will probably be in a bad position.
This could lead to a sprint of the thinned-out field of favourites at the finish in San Sebastian - where yellow could be defended. However, it is also conceivable that a puncheur will break away from the thinned-out front. We simulate an attack 2000 metres before the finish to see to what extent technique could tip the scales today in the battle for the stage win and the yellow jersey.
Number of the day: 4.1 seconds
The mathematical advantage of the fastest bike in the peloton in the attack is over 2000 metres. As on the previous day, aerodynamics were once again the key factor. Canyon Aeroad and Cervelo S5 lead the field of aero bikes, but the time gaps to the pursuers are extremely narrow. Small weight differences are meaningless in this final.
The (almost) entire field at a glance
*) The calculations are based on the bikes tested by TOUR in the laboratory and wind tunnel. The bikes at the Tour de France may differ in some details. Of course, we have also not yet been able to analyse last-minute prototypes. Background to the simulation.
Our expert
Robert Kühnen studied mechanical engineering, writes about technical and training topics for TOUR and develops test methods. Robert has been refining the simulation calculations for years and they are also used by professional teams.
