Tour of France - 110th Tour de France: Everything you need to know about the start

Jonas Vingegaard vs. Tadej Pogacar: When the 110th Tour de France starts today in the Basque Country, it's all down to another duel between the two cycling stars.

The race covers 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.

What is the route of the 1st stage?

The favourites around last year's winner Vingegaard are challenged right at the start. The first 182-kilometre stage with start and finish in Bilbao is not a relaxed roll-in. A hilly course with tough climbs awaits the riders. In particular, the Cote de Pike just before the finish with an average gradient of ten per cent over a distance of two kilometres is a real challenge and is somewhat reminiscent of the Huy Wall at the Flèche Wallonne. This is where the sprinters are likely to be left behind ten kilometres before the finish. Classics specialists such as former world champion Julian Alaphilippe or Mathieu van der Poel could reach for the first yellow jersey.

>> All stages at a glance

Who are the favourites?

As in the past two years, it all comes down to a duel between the Danish defending champion Vingegaard and the two-time champion 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 best, 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 very slow following a coronavirus illness 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.

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?

Cycling fans will once again be able to watch every stage of the Tour de France live and free of charge on television this year. The free TV channels ARD and Eurosport are planning an extensive programme. ARD has once again extended its live coverage on the first channel. During the week, the programme will generally be broadcast from 2.10 p.m. to 5.30 p.m., with alternating start times at the weekend. The starting times are usually the same in the livestream and in the ARD Mediathek. Exceptions are the 2nd, 6th, 7th, 8th and 15th stages. On these days, the livestream starts earlier.

Eurosport will once again be fully involved in the 110th edition of the world's most important cycling tour, covering all 3400 kilometres. A total of 120 live broadcast hours are planned for the 21 stages. The paid streaming service DAZN will show the complete Eurosport stream.

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