Stefan Tabeling, Tom Bachmann and Felix Schröder, dpa
Jonas Vingegaard vs. Tadej Pogacar: When the 110th Tour de France starts in the Basque Country on Saturday, it's all down to another duel between the two cycling stars. The race will cover 3399.5 kilometres from Bilbao in Spain to Paris. With eight mountain stages and only one time trial, the Tour will be decided in the high mountains. For the small German contingent of just seven riders, it will probably only be a matter of respectable success.
Where does the Tour de France start?
The Grand Départ takes place in Bilbao, Spain. This will be the 25th time that the Tour has started abroad; the world's biggest cycling race only started in Copenhagen last year. There is traditionally a great deal of cycling euphoria in the Basque Country. The first Tour start on Spanish soil was also held there: in 1992 in San Sebastián.
Who are the favourites?
As in the past two years, it all comes down to a duel between the Danish defending champion Jonas Vingegaard and the two-time champion Tadej Pogacar from Slovenia. Vingegaard has been in impressive form recently. Pogacar had recently bounced back with two victories at the Slovenian championships following a scaphoid fracture in the Liège-Bastogne-Liège classic in April. World champion Remco Evenepoel (Belgium), Olympic champion Primoz Roglic (Slovenia) and former Tour champion Geraint Thomas (Great Britain) will all be absent after bringing forward the Giro d'Italia.
What can the German drivers do?
At most, a stage win might be possible. In any case, there are only seven German professional cyclists at the start, the last time there were so few was 24 years ago. Emanuel Buchmann was fourth overall in 2019, but is no longer in the form he was then. Veteran Simon Geschke was in the mountain jersey for nine days last year, but the 37-year-old has been sluggish since suffering from coronavirus in the spring. Former Tour stage winners John Degenkolb and Nils Politt are planned as helpers. Georg Zimmermann could perhaps try his luck in a breakaway group. Phil Bauhaus would be a candidate for the sprints, also with the support of his Bahrain team-mate Nikias Arndt.
Why is Lennard Kämna not there?
The German hopeful concentrated on the overall classification at the Giro for the first time this year and finished ninth. A double start like in 2022 was not planned this time. The German Bora-hansgrohe team is relying on Australian Jai Hindley, who won the Giro in 2022 after all.
Are there likely to be serious crashes again this year?
Yes, the first week is traditionally very hectic. And as there is no time trial at the start, many riders can hope to win the yellow jersey. The riders also take more and more risks on the descents - after all, nobody wants to lose the Tour downhill. It was only in the middle of the month that Swiss rider Gino Mäder crashed on a speedy descent at the Tour de Suisse and later died in hospital.
Does corona still play a role?
After some riders had to withdraw from the Giro d'Italia due to a coronavirus infection, the measures were tightened up again. Masks are once again compulsory around the riders, but there are no longer mandatory corona tests as in previous years.
What are the highlights of the tour?
The Tour will definitely be decided in the mountains in 2023. Eight stages through the high mountains, including four mountain finishes, await the riders. The first mountain finish is scheduled for day six in Cauterets-Cambasque, where record winner Miguel Indurain took his first Tour stage win in 1989. After that, there will be finishes at altitude on the Puy-de-Dome, the Grand Colombier and in Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc. The decision should be made on the penultimate day on the difficult stage to Le Markstein Fellering with five climbs. In contrast, there is only one time trial on the 16th stage over 22.4 kilometres, with the finale traditionally taking place on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
Where is the Tour de France broadcast on TV?
ARD will be broadcasting live every day, usually from 2.10 pm. The race is also shown live on the internet at "sportschau.de". There, the coverage sometimes starts a little earlier. As usual, Eurosport will also broadcast the Tour stages extensively in its live programme and via internet stream.
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