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2022 tour de france route: stage profiles, previews, start, finish times.

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A stage-by-stage look at the 2022 Tour de France route with profiles, previews and estimated start and finish times (all times Eastern) ...

Stage 1/July 1: Copenhagen-Copenhagen (8.2 miles) Individual Time Trial Start: 10 a.m. Estimated Finish: 1:10 p.m. Quick Preview: The Grant Départ is held in Denmark for the first time with the first three stages being held there. Watch out for Italian Filippo Ganna , who won the last two world titles in the time trial.

Stage 2/July 2: Roskilde-Nyborg (125 miles) Flat Start: 6:15 a.m. Estimated Finish: 10:59 a.m. Quick Preview: The first sprinters’ stage. With Mark Cavendish not selected for the Tour, look for Peter Sagan to began his bid for a record-extending eighth green jersey title.

Stage 3/July 3: Vejle-Sonderborg (113 miles) Flat Start: 7:05 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:12 a.m. Quick Preview: The last “flat” category stage until stage 13 and the last stage in Denmark before the rest day and a move to France.

TOUR DE FRANCE: TV Schedule

Stage 4/July 5: Dunkirk-Calais (106 miles) Hilly Start: 7:15 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:14 a.m. Quick Preview: The Tour visits Dunkirk, site of the largest evacuation in military history during World War II, for the first time in 15 years.

Stage 5/July 6: Lille Metropole-Arenberg Porte Du Hainaut (95 miles) Hilly Start: 7:35 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:20 a.m. Quick Preview: The Tour returns to the famed cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix for the first time in four years. There are 11 sections totaling about 12 miles. As the saying goes, you can’t win the Tour on the cobblestones, but you can lose it.

Stage 6/July 7: Binche-Longwy (136 miles) Hilly Start: 6:05 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:15 a.m. Quick Preview: The first uphill finish of the Tour on a stage that includes Belgium and France.

Stage 7/July 8: Tomblaine-La Super Planche des Belles Filles (109 miles) Mountain Start: 7:05 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:17 a.m. Quick Preview: A day for the general classification contenders, including Tadej Pogacar . The finishing climb, which translates to “The Plank of Beautiful Girls,” has become a Tour staple.

Stage 8/July 9: Dole-Lausanne (115 miles) Hilly Start: 7:05 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:28 a.m. Quick Preview: The peloton crosses into a fourth country, Switzerland, finishing at the home city of the International Olympic Committee.

Stage 9/July 10: Aigle-Chatel Les Portes Du Soleil (119 miles) Mountain Start: 6:30 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:28 a.m. Quick Preview: The lone mountain stage of the six total at this year’s Tour without a summit finish.

Stage 10/July 12: Morzine Les Portes Du Soleil-Megeve (92 miles) Hilly Start: 7:30 a.m. Estimated Finish: 10:57 a.m. Quick Preview: After a rest day, this Tour’s first taste of the Alps. At the 2020 Criterium du Dauphine, American Sepp Kuss won the last stage that started and finished in Megeve.

Stage 11/July 13: Albertville-Col Du Granon Serre Chevalier (94 miles) Mountain Start: 6:15 a.m. Estimated Finish: 10:40 a.m. Quick Preview: Starts in the 1992 Winter Olympic host village and finishes with the first two beyond category climbs of this Tour.

Stage 12/July 14: Briancon-Alpe d’Huez (102 miles) Mountain Start: 7:05 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:55 a.m. Quick Preview: On Bastille Day, the stage finishes with arguably the Tour’s most famous climb -- the 21 switchbacks of Alpe d’Huez.

Stage 13/July 15: Le Bourg D’Oisans-Saint-Etienne Flat Start: 7:05 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:26 a.m. Quick Preview: After nine hilly or mountain stages, the sprinters get a flat stage for the first time in 12 days.

Stage 14/July 16: Saint-Etienne-Mende (119 miles) Hilly Start: 6:15 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:05 a.m. Quick Preview: Five categorized climbs, but none of the highest varieties. Could be a day for a breakaway.

Stage 15/July 17: Rodez-Carcassonne (125 miles) Flat Start: 7:05 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:39 a.m. Quick Preview: Last year, Cavendish tied Eddy Merckx ‘s record 34 Tour stage wins in Carcassone.

Stage 16/July 19: Carcassonne-Foix (110 miles) Hilly Start: 6:30 a.m. Estimated Finish: 10:58 a.m. Quick Preview: A transition stage after the last rest day takes the peloton to the foot of the Pyrenees.

Stage 17/July 20: Saint Gaudens-Peyragudes (80 miles) Mountain Start: 7:15 a.m. Estimated Finish: 10:50 a.m. Quick Preview: The first of last two mountain stages (back-to-back summit finishes) that could decide the Tour. Finishes at an airport featured in the James Bond movie, “Tomorrow Never Dies.”

Stage 18/July 21: Lourdes-Hautacam (89 miles) Mountain Start: 7:30 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:25 a.m. Quick Preview: Finishes with a one-way climb to a ski resort with a mountain luge that was included in the race route in 2014.

Stage 19/July 22: Castelnau-Magnoac-Cahors (117 miles) Flat Start: 7:05 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:16 a.m. Quick Preview: A day for the sprinters who made it through the Alps and Pyrenees.

Stage 20/July 23: La Capelle-Marival-Rocamadour (25 miles) Individual Time Trial Start: 7:05 a.m. Estimated Finish: 11:49 a.m. Quick Preview: The last competitive day of the Tour. The “Race of Truth” will determine the final podium positions with two short climbs near the end potentially being decisive.

Stage 21/Sept. 20: Paris La Defense Arena-Paris Champs-Elysees (71 miles) Flat Start: 10:30 a.m. Estimated Finish: 1:26 p.m. Quick Preview: The ceremonial ride into Paris, almost always a day for the sprinters.

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Tour de France 2022: Route and stages

Read about the entire route of the Tour de France.

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Tour de France 2022 stages

Tour de france 2022: route, profiles, more.

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More about the Tour de France

Tour de france 2022: the route, tour de france 2022 route stage 1: copenhagen - copenhagen.

Tour de France 2022 Route stage 2: Roskilde - Nyborg

Tour de France 2022 Route stage 3: Vejle - Sønderborg

Tour de France 2022 Route stage 4: Dunkirk - Calais

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Tour de France 2023 stage-by-stage guide: Route maps and profiles for all 21 days

A closer look at every day of the race from bilbao to paris, article bookmarked.

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The 2023 Tour de France has all the ingredients of a classic: two leading protagonists ready to tear lumps out of each other in reigning champion Jonas Vingegaard and the deposed Tadej Pogacar; entertaining multi-talented stage hunters Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, Julian Alaphilippe and Tom Pidcock; the great Mark Cavendish chasing a historic 35th stage win; all facing a brutal route with 56,000m of climbing and four summit finish.

The Tour began in the Spanish Basque country on Saturday 1 July, where Adam Yates edged twin brother Simon to win the opening stage, and these hilly routes will throw open the yellow jersey to a wide range of contenders. The race crosses the French border for some flat stages and an early jaunt into the high Pyrenees, where the Col du Tourmalet awaits. The peloton takes on the Puy de Dome volcano on its journey across France towards the Jura Mountains and the Alps, and it is in the mountains that this Tour will ultimately be decided. It all ends on the Champs-Elysees in Paris on Sunday 23 July.

Here is a stage-by-stage guide to how the race will unfold.

Stage 1: Bilbao to Bilbao, 182km

The 2023 Tour de France starts outside Bilbao’s iconic Guggenheim Museum, and winds north to the Bay of Biscay coastline before returning to the city where the stage winner will take the yellow jersey. This 182km opening stage is a hilly route with 3,000m of climbing featuring five categorised ascents, of which the final two are sharp and testing: they are tough enough to shake off the dedicated sprinters and open up early glory for the best puncheurs – those riders with the legs to get over short climbs and the power to surge away on the other side.

The profile of this stage is a great choice by organisers as it could suit just about anyone, from the speed of Wout van Aert to the climbing strength Tom Pidcock or Simon Yates – even two-time champion Tadej Pogacar.

• Jumbo’s Death Star and Pidcock’s dog: Inside the Tour de France’s Grand Depart

Stage 2: Vitoria Gastiez to Saint Sebastian, 209km

The peloton will head east from Bilbao, touching more picturesque Basque coastline before arriving at the finish in San Sebastian. At more than 200km this is the longest stage of the 2023 Tour and, with the sizeable Jaizkibel climb (8.1km, 5.3% average gradient) shortly before the finish, this is even more tough on the legs than the first day. Another puncheur with the climbing strength to get over the steeper hills can capitalise, like two-time world champion Julian Alaphilippe.

• ‘ Coup du kilometre’: How to win a Tour de France stage hiding in plain sight

Stage 3: Amorebieta to Bayonne, 187km

Stage three starts in Spain and ends in France, and the finale in Bayonne is ripe for a bunch sprint. Mark Cavendish will get his first shot of this race at trying to win a historic 35th Tour de France stage, but he will be up against a stacked field including former QuickStep teammate Fabio Jakobsen and the awesome speed of Wout van Aert. It will be fascinating to get a first glimpse of how the power riders stack up.

• ‘Jasper the Disaster’ rebuts Netflix nickname with controversial win

Stage 4: Dax to Nogaro, 182km

Another flat day and an even faster finish in store on the Circuit Paul Armagnac, a race track in Nogaro. The 800m home straight will almost certainly tee up a showdown between the Tour’s serious fast men.

• Cavendish falls short as Philipsen wins crash-laden sprint

Stage 5: Pau to Laruns, 163km

The first major mountains of the Tour come a little earlier than usual, as the peloton heads up into the high Pyrenees on day five. The Col de Soudet (15km, 7.2%) is one of the toughest climbs of the race and rears up halfway through this 163km route from Pau to Laruns. The category one Col de Marie Blanque (7.7km, 8.6%) guards the finish 20km out, and holds bonus seconds for those first over the top to incentivise the major contenders to come to the fore and fight it out.

• Hindley grabs the yellow jersey as Vingegaard punishes Pogacar

Stage 6: Tarbes to Cauterets, 145km

This has the potential to be a thrilling day: the 145km route takes on the double trouble of the category one Col d’Aspin (12km, 6.5%) followed by the monstrous hors categorie Tourmalet (17.1km, 7.3%), before a fast ascent and a final climb to the summit finish at Cauterets (16km, 5.4%).

It is a day with several possible outcomes. The general classification contenders could fight it out in a showdown to the summit. Then again, a breakaway could be allowed to escape which would open up victory – and perhaps the yellow jersey – to an outsider. The last time the Tour finished in Cauterets in 2015, breakaway specialist Rafal Majka surged clear of his fellow escapers to win. Keep an eye on Ineos’s Tom Pidcock, who could use the long, fast descent from the Tourmalet summit to speed to the front, as he did before winning atop Alpe d’Huez last year.

• Pogacar responds to send message to Vingegaard

Stage 7: Mont de Marsan to Bordeaux, 170km

The first week of racing finishes in the Tour’s second most visited city, Bordeaux, and it’s a third flat day for the sprinters to contest. Much will depend on who has best preserved their legs through the high mountains when they come to this tight, technical finish on the banks of the Garonne river in the city centre.

• Philipsen pips Cavendish in thrilling finish to deny Brit all-time record

Stage 8: Libourne to Limoges, 201km

A long, hilly day will see the peloton head 201km east from Libourne outside Bordeaux to Limoges. The lumpy stage should suit a puncheur but it is not a particularly taxing set of climbs – only three are categorised and the toughest of those is just 2.8km at 5.2%. So could a determined team carry their sprinter to the finish and the stage win? Look out for Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel, superstars with the all-round talent to conquer the climbs and still finish fast.

• Cavendish crashes out to end Tour de France record hopes

Stage 9: Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat to Puy de Dome, 184km

The final stage before the relief of the first rest day is relatively flat and gentle – until a brutal finish atop the iconic Puy de Dome volcano, a 13.3km drag at a gruelling 7.7% average gradient that last appeared in the Tour in 1988. The summit finish will require a serious climber’s legs to clinch the stage win, and the general classification contenders may well let a breakaway get ahead and fight for that prize.

• Woods takes win as Pogacar hits back at Vingegaard

Rest day: Clermont-Ferrand, Monday 10 July.

Stage 10: Parc Vulcania to Issoire, 167km

The race resumes in the centre of France from Vulcania – a volcano-themed amusement park – where riders will embark on a hilly 167km route through the Volcans d’Auvergne regional park, finishing down in the small town of Issiore. With five categorised climbs, including the sizeable Col de Guery (7.8km at 5%) and the Croix Saint-Robert (6km at 6.3%), it will be a draining ride with virtually no sustained flat sections, and a long descent to the finish town. It looks like a good day to plot something in the breakaway, as the big GC contenders save their legs for bigger challenges to come.

• Bilbao dedicates emotional stage win to late Gino Mader

Stage 11: Clermont Ferrand to Moulins, 180km

The final flat stage before the hard Alpine climbs will present an opportunity for those fast men who managed to haul themselves through the Pyrenees to get here – although there is still some climbing to be done including three category-four leg-sappers along the 180km route. The day begins in the university city of Clermont-Ferrand before the riders wind north and then east to Moulins, a small town on the Allier river. Any breakaway is likely to be reeled by those teams with dedicated sprinters eyeing their only opportunity for a stage win between the two rest days.

• Philipsen continues flat-stage dominance even without van der Poel

Stage 12: Roanne to Belleville-en-Beaujolais, 169km

The race caravan will shift east to start stage 12 in Roanne in the Loire region, before taking a 169km route to Belleville, situated on the Saone river north of Lyon. This has been categorised as a hilly or medium mountain stage, but it might feel harder than that by the time the peloton reaches the foot of the fifth categorised climb of the day, the Col de la Croix Rosier (5.3km at 7.6%). That should be enough to put off the best puncheurs like Van der Poel and Van Aert, because the stage winner will need strong climbing legs. The GC riders will want to conserve energy, so expect a breakaway to stay clear and fight amongst themselves.

• Izagirre solos to victory

Stage 13: Chatillon-Sur-Chalaronne to Grand Colombier, 138km

The first of three brutal stages that could decide the destiny of this year’s yellow jersey is only relatively short – 138km – but will provide a stern enough test to reveal any weaknesses in the major contenders. The peloton will enjoy a relatively flat and gentle first 75km from Chatillon-sur-Chalaronne before entering the Jura Mountains. A short climb and fast descent precedes the big climax: all 17.4km (7.1%) of the Grand Colombier providing an epic summit finish. This could be another day for a breakaway away to get free, but the overall contenders like Pogacar and Vingegaard will also fancy stage glory and the chance to stamp their authority on the race.

• Kwiatkowski wins as Pogacar eats into Vingegaard’s lead

Stage 14: Annemasse to Morzine, 152km

Part two of this triple header of mountain stages sees the peloton ride into the Alps with a 152km route from Annemasse to Morzine ski resort. Three tough category one climbs line the road to the hors categorie Col de Joux Plane (11.6km at 8.5%), a brutally steep grind where bonuses await the first few over the top – and stage victory is the prize at the bottom. This is another potential spot for yellow jersey fireworks.

• Rodriguez wins first Tour stage as Pogacar thwarted by motorbike

Stage 15: Les Gets to Saint Gervais, 180km

The last ride before the final rest day will take the peloton further east into the Alps, towards the French border with Italy. The 179km route is almost constantly up and down, with a fast descent before the final two climbs, and the summit finish atop Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc will require strong climbing legs once more.

• Pogacar and Vingegaard in stalemate as Poels wins stage

Rest day: Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, Monday 17 July.

Stage 16: Individual time trial from Passy to Combloux, 22km

This year’s home stretch begins with the only time trial of the race: a short, relatively flat 22km from Passy to Combloux in the shadow of Mont Blanc. The route includes one categorised climb, the steep but short Cote de Domancy (2.5km at 9.4%). There is an opportunity here to make up crucial seconds for those that need them.

• Vingegaard takes control of yellow jersey

Stage 17: Saint Gervais to Courchevel, 166km

Put Wednesday 19 July in the diary: this will surely be the most brutal day of the entire Tour de France and it could be decisive. The 166km route features four big climbs, the last of which offers up this year’s Souvenir Henri Desgrange for the first rider over the highest point of the race. To get there the riders must endure a 28.1km slog averaging 6% gradient to the top of the Col de la Loze, towering in the clouds 2,304m above sea level. There are bonus seconds up here too, before a short descent down to the finish at Courchevel.

A breakaway will probably form, but can they last the distance? Whatever happens up the road, the fight for the yellow jersey will be fierce – only the strongest handful of riders will be able to stand the pace and this will likely be the day that the 2023 winner is effectively crowned.

• Vingegaard dominates to put seal on Tour de France

Stage 18: Moutiers to Bourg en Bresse, 186km

After a potentially explosive stage 17, stage 18 is classified as “hilly” but is really a relatively sedate 185km which the sprinters are likely to contest if their teams can haul in the inevitable breakaway. The big question is whether there will be many sprinters left in the peloton after such a demanding set of stages in the Alps. For those fast men still in the race, the descent into Bourg-en-Bresse precedes a technical finish, with roundabouts and a sharp corner before a swinging right-hand turn on to the home straight where the stage will be won and lost.

• Breakaway stays away as Asgreen takes win

Stage 19: Moirans-en-Montagne to Poligny, 173km

Another flat day gives a further opportunity for those sprinters left in the field, as the peloton travels 173km from Moirans, near Grenoble, north to Poligny. The general classification contenders will be happy to rest their legs before one final push to Paris.

• Matej Mohoric takes photo finish to win stage 19

Stage 20: Belfort to Le Markstein, 133km

The final competitive stage of the Tour is a 133km ride from Belfort to Le Markstein ski resort in the Vosges mountains, and it offers just enough for one final attack to steal the yellow jersey, should the overall win still be on the line. The last two climbs of the day are both steep category one ascents: first the Petit Ballon (9.3km, 8.1%) followed by the Col du Platzerwasel (7.1km at 8.4%). Whoever is wearing yellow just needs to hang on to the wheel of their fiercest rival here, and that should be enough to see them home.

• Chapeau, Thibaut Pinot

Stage 21: Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to Paris Champs-Elysees, 115km

As is tradition, the peloton will transfer to Paris and ride a truce to the Champs-Elysees. The stage will start at France’s national velodrome, home of cycling for the 2024 Paris Olympics. It will finish with one final sprint: Cavendish has won four times in Paris and it would be a fitting way to end the race that has defined his career if he were to repeat the feat one last time. And once the race is done, the winner of the 2023 Tour de France will be crowned.

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Tour de France 2023 route: Every stage of the 110th edition in detail

This year's race has kicked off in Bilbao, in Spain's Basque Country. It looks like it'll be a Tour for the climbers, with the Puy de Dôme returning and 56,400 metres of climbing in all

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• Stage summary
• The stages in-depth

The 2023 men's Tour de France began in Bilbao, Spain on Saturday, July 1, with a route that looks set to be one for the climbers. It features four summit finishes, including a return for the iconic Puy de Dôme climb for the first time since 1988.

There is just one time trial across the three-week event, a short uphill race against the clock from Passy to Combloux over 22km. There are also returns for other epic climbs like the Col de la Loze and the Grand Colombier, with 56,400 metres of climbing on the Tour de France 2023 route.

The race started on foreign soil for the second year in a row, with a Grand Départ in the Spanish Basque Country , the setting for the race's 120th anniversary. There were two hilly stages in Spain, before the peloton crossed the border into France for a stage finish in Bayonne on day three. 

After visiting Pau for the 74th time on stage five, the race's first real mountain test came on stage six, leaving Tarbes and cresting the Col d’Aspin and Col du Tourmalet before a summit finish in Cauterets. 

On stage seven, the Tour’s second most visited city, Bordeaux, will welcome its first stage finish since 2010, when Mark Cavendish claimed his 14th of a record 34 stage wins. Leaving nearby Libourne the next day, stage eight will head east on a 201km slog to Limoges. 

Before the first rest day, the riders will wind up to the summit of the Puy de Dôme, a dormant lava dome which hasn’t featured in the Tour for 35 years. They’ll then enjoy a well-earned day off in Clermont-Ferrand before continuing their passage through the Massif Central. 

France’s national holiday, 14 July, will be celebrated next year with a summit finish on the Grand Colombier, the site of Tadej Pogačar ’s second stage win back in 2020. From there, the mountains keep coming. The riders will climb over the Col de Joux Plaine to Morzine on stage 14, before another mountaintop test in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc the next day. 

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The sole individual time trial of the Tour de Franc route comes on stage 16, when a hilly 22km dash from Passy to Combloux will give the GC contenders a chance to force time gaps. The following day will bring the stage with the highest elevation gain, counting 5000m of climbing en route to the Courchevel altiport, via the Cormet de Roselend and the monstrous Col de la Loze. 

On stages 18 and 19, the sprinters are expected to come to the fore, with flat finishes in Bourg-en-Bresse and Poligny. 

The penultimate stage will play out in the country’s most easterly region, ascending the Petit Ballon, Col du Platzerwasel and finishing in Le Markstein, as the Tour de France Femmes did last year. 

The riders will then undertake a 500km transfer to the outskirts of Paris for the curtain-closing stage. The final day will start at France’s national velodrome in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, the track cycling venue for the 2024 Olympics, and will conclude with the customary laps of the capital’s Champs-Elysées. 

The 2023 Tour de France will begin on 1 July, with the winner crowned in Paris on 23 July. 

2023 Tour de France stage table

Jonas Vingegaard raced in the Basque Country this year

Tour de France route week summary

Tour de france week one.

The race began in Bilbao, starting in the Basque Country for the first time since 1992, when the Tour started in San Sebastian. The first two stages are packed full of climbs, with ten classified hills in over the opening couple of days, meaning there will be a fierce battle for the polka-dot jersey. Watch out for Basque fans going crazy on the roadside.

Stage three saw the race cross into France, which it will not leave for the rest of the 18 days. As expected we saw a sprint finish in Bayonne, even after four categorised climbs en-route. Nothing is easy this year.

The fourth day was another sprint, on a motor racing circuit in Nogaro, as the race moved, ominously, towards the Pyrenees. The Hors Categorie Col de Soudet on stage five was the first proper mountain of the race, and was followed by the Col de Marie Blanque, which has tough gradients. A GC day early on, although they are all GC days, really.

Stage five was a mountain top finish in Cauterets-Cambasque, but its gradients didn't catch too many out; it is the Col d'Aspin and Col du Tourmalet that will put people through it.

The seventh day of the race was a chance for the riders to relax their legs as the race headed northwest to an almost nailed-on sprint finish, before another opportunity for the the remaining fast men presented itself on stage eight - after two category four climbs towards the end, and an uphill finish.

The long first week of the race - which will have felt longer because last year had a bonus rest day - ended with the mythical Puy de Dôme.

Tour de France week two

Magnus Cort in the breakaway on stage 10 of the Tour de France 2022

The second week begins with a lumpy road stage around Clermont-Ferrand, starting from a volcano-themed theme park. This will surely be a day for the break. The next day could also be one if the sprint teams fail to get their act together, with two early categorised climbs potential ambush points.

Back into the medium mountains on stage 12, with a finish in the wine making heartland of the Beaujolais, Belleville. Another day for the break, probably, but none of the five categorised climbs are easy.

The following day, stage 13, is France's national holiday, 14 Juillet. The Grand Colombier at the end of the day is the big attraction, with its slopes expected to cause shifts on the GC. Stage 14 is yet another mountain stage as the Tour really gets serious, with the Col de la Ramaz followed by the Col de Joux Plane. The latter, 11.6km at 8.5%, will be a real test for a reduced peloton, before a downhill finish into Morzine.

The final day of week two, stage 15, is yet another day in the Alps before a rest day in Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc. There is nothing as fearsome as the previous days, but 4527m of climbing should still be feared.

Tour de France week three

Tadej Pogačar in the final time trial at the 2022 Tour de France

The third and final week begins with the race's only time trial, 22km long and with a lot of uphill. It is not a mountain event, but it is certainly not one for the pure rouleurs .

Stage 17 looks like the race's Queen Stage, with the final climb up to the Col de la Loze looking incredibly tough on paper, and in real life. That follows the Col de Saisies, the Cormet de Roselend and the Côte de Longefoy, adding up to 5,100m of climbing. The race might be decided on this day.

After that, there is a nice day for the sprinters on stage 18, with a flat finish in Bourg-en-Bresse surely one for the fast men. The next day, stage 19 could be a breakaway day or a sprint finish, depending on how desperate teams are feeling, or how powerful the remaining leadout trains are.

The final mountainous day comes on the penultimate stage, with the men following the Femmes lead and finishing in Le Markstein. However, there's no Grand Ballon, just the Petit Ballon, and so unless something chaotic happens, there should not be great time switches on this stage.

Then, at last, there is the usual finish on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, after the race heads out of Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, which has a long-term deal to host the start of Paris-Nice too. ASO country.

Remember, this will be the last time Paris hosts the Tour de France until 2025. So, be prepared.

Tour de France 2023: The stages

Stage one: Bilbao to Bilbao (182km)

The opening stage is very lumpy

There was no easing into the Tour de France for the peloton this year, with a tough, punchy day in the Basque Country. Adam Yates took the first yellow jersey of the 2023 Tour de France after a scintillating stage in the Basque Country that saw the overall battle for the Tour take shape at the earliest opportunity.

The Briton emerged clear over the top of the final climb of the stage, the short and steep Côte de Pike, with his twin brother Simon a few seconds behind him. The pair worked well together to stay clear of the chasing bunch of GC contenders before Adam rode his brother off his wheel inside the final few hundred metres to claim victory.

Stage two: Vitoria-Gasteiz to Saint Sebastian (208.9km)

Still in the Basque Country, there is a Klasikoa theme to stage two

This was the longest stage of the Tour, surprisingly.  Five more categorised climbs meant  it was unlikely to be a sprint stage, including the Jaizkibel, famous from the Clasica San Sebastian, tackled on its eastern side 20km from the finish. This second stage from Vitoria Gasteiz to San Sebastian on the Basque coast followed many of the roads of the San Sebastian Classic, held here every summer.

An early break was soon established in the first 50km and established a three-minute advantage. However, the break was reeled in and a group, including the yellow jersey Adam Yates, pressed towards the finish with Wout Van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) clearly hoping it would finish in a sprint. 

Victor Lafay (Cofidis) had other ideas however, and with all and sundry already having attacked Van Aert, Lafay finally made it stick with a kilometre to go, holding off the reduced bunch all the way to the line.

Stage three: Amorebiata-Etxano to Bayonne (187.4km)

Still some hills, but this should be a sprint stage

The third stage took the riders from Amorebieta-Etxano in the Basque Country and back into France, finishing at Bayonne in what was always tipped to be a bunch sprint.  Ultimately, despite a very strong showing in the leadout by Fabio Jakobsen's Soudal-Quick Step team, it was Jasper Philipsen who triumphed , having benefited from a deluxe leadout by team-mate Mathieu Van Der Poel.

Mark Cavendish, who is hunting for a record 35th stage win in what will be his final Tour de France, was sixth.

Stage four: Dax to Nogaro (181.8km)

A nailed on bunch sprint, surely. Surely!

Now this one was always going to be a sprint finish, right? It finished on a motor racing circuit in Nogaro, meaning teams have a long old time to sort their leadout trains.  After a sleepy day out all hell broke lose on the finishing circuit with a series of high speed crashes. Jasper Philipsen was one of the few sprinters to still have a lead-out man at his disposal and when that lead-out man is of the quality of Mathieu van der Poel he was always going to be very difficult to beat. So it proved with Australian Caleb Ewan chasing him down hard but unable to come around him.  Philipsen's win handed him the green jersey too .

Stage five: Pau to Laruns (162.7km)

The first proper mountain, and the first sorting out, as early as stage five

The first Hors Categorie climb of the race came on stage five, the Col de Soudet, which is 15.2km at 7.2%, before the Col de Marie-Blanque and its steep gradients. It certainly ignited the GC battle!  

A break that at one point contained 37 riders was never allowed more than a few minutes, but that proved unwise for Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar behind. Ultimately, with the break already splintering on the final big climb – the Col de Marie-Blanque – Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), riding his first Tour de France, attacked. 

With Hindley time trialling the largely downhill 18km to the finish, Vingegaard attempted to chase him down – and put time into Pogačar as he did so.

Picking up strays from the early break on the way, Vingegaard got to within 34 seconds of Hindley, but it wasn't enough to stop the Australian from taking the stage win, and the yellow jersey .

Stage six: Tarbes to Cauterets-Cambasque (144.9km)

While in the Pyrenees, why not tackle a few more mountains?

A day of aggressive racing in the Pyrenees towards the first summit finish saw Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) take the yellow jersey but Tadej Pogačar (UAE Emirates) win the stage .

Having had his team set a blistering pace on the Col du Tourmalet, Vingegaard attacked with 4km until the summit. Only Pogačar could follow him as yellow jersey holder Jai Hindley dropped back to the peloton

Having joined up with super domestique Wout van Aert over the top, the group of favourites were towed up the first half of the final climb before Vingegaard attacked. Once again Pogačar followed and with two kilometers to go the Slovenian counter-attacked.

He clawed back nearly half a minute by the line, making the race for yellow a three horse race between those two and Hindley in the process. 

Stage seven: Mont-de-Marsan to Bordeaux (169.9km)

Bordeaux is always a sprint finish

Renowned as a sprint finish town, Bordeaux didn't disappoint the hopeful fastmen –except perhaps for Mark Cavendish, who had to concede victory to hat-trick man Jasper Philipsen, despite a very strong charge for the line from the Manxman .

With Cavendish hunting that elusive 35th record stage win, and having won here last time the Tour came visiting in 2010, many eyes were on the Astana Qazaqstan rider, with on-form Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) who has won twice already, starting as favourite.

The day began with Arkéa-Samsic's Simon Gugliemi forging what turned out to be a solo break that lasted 130 kilometres. He was joined by Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies) and Nans Peters (Ag2r-Citroën) halfway through the stage, the trio forming a purposeful triumvirate of home riders.

However, with the sprinters and their teams on the hunt and few places to hide on what was a hot day crammed with long, straight roads, the break served only as a placeholder for the day's main action in Bordeaux.

A technical finish with roundabouts aplenty, first Jumbo-Visma (in the service of GC leader Jonas Vingegaard) and then Alpecin-Deceuninck took the race by the scruff of the neck in the final. Philipsen enjoyed a marquee leadout from team-mate Mathieu Van Der Poel, but when Cavendish turned on the afterburners at around 150m and leapt forward, the whole cycling world held its breath.

That 35th stage win had to wait for another day though, with Philipsen sweeping past in what was yet another command performance from the Belgian.

Stage eight: Libourne to Limoges (200.7km)

Three categorised climbs in the final 70km could catch people out

Mads Pedersen powered to victory up a punchy finish on stage eight of the  Tour de France , managing to hold off green jersey  Jasper Philipsen  in the process.

Pedersen, the Lidl-Trek rider, now has two Tour stage wins to his name, in a finish which mixed pure sprinters and punchier riders. Alpecin-Deceuninck's Philipsen was third, with Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) in third. To prove how mixed the top ten was, however, Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) finished behind the likes of Corbin Strong (Israel-Premier Tech) and Bryan Coquard (Cofidis).

On a day which could have been one for the breakaway, the race was controlled expertly by Jumbo, Trek and Alpecin for their options, and so the escapees were never allowed much time. Sadly, stage eight turned out to Mark Cavendish's last - the Astana-Qazaqstan rider crashed heavily and was forced to abandon .

Stage nine: Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat to Puy de Dôme (184km)

The Puy de Dôme is back, and is vicious

In a north American showdown it was Canada that came out on top as  Michael Woods  beat American rival  Matteo Jorgenson  to the win atop the legendary Puy de Dôme.

Jorgenson had gone solo form a breakaway with 40km left to race. However, on the slopes of the Puy de Dôme where the gradient remains over 105 for more than four kilometres, Woods closed the gap and came around Jorgenson with just 600m left to go.

In the final kilometre, of what had been a blisteringly hot day with temperatures north of 30 degree Celsius, Tadej Pogačar managed to drop Jonas Vingegaard but the Jumbo-Visma captain dug deep to minimise his losses and came across the line eight seconds down.

Stage 10: Vulcania to Issoire (162.7km)

Five categorised climbs over this Volcanic stage

The breakaway had its day in Issoire, as Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious) won beneath the scorching sun in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. 

After a frantic start, the mood finally settled and a 14-rider move went clear. Krists Neilands (Israel Premier Tech) launched a solo bid with around 30km remaining, but was caught in the closing moments by a chasing group led by Bilbao. The Spaniard then policed attacks in the finale, before sprinting to his team's first victory at this year's race. 

"For Gino," Bilbao said afterwards, dedicating his win to his late teammate, Gino Mäder .  

Stage 11: Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins (179.8km)

The flat finalé hints at a sprint, but it could be a break day

After a difficult previous day that was hot and hilly, the bunch allowed the break to go very quickly, with Andrey Amador, Matis Louvel and Daniel Oss quickly gaining three minutes. They were kept on a tight leash though, with the sprinters' teams eyeing a bunch finish. And this they delivered, with Jasper Philipsen winning a fourth stage after a tricky finale.

Stage 12: Roanne to Belleville-en-Beaujolais (168.8km)

Hills return, with some steep, punchy ones towards the end

Just like stage ten, Thursday's stage 12 was a fast and frenetic affair on the road to Belleville-en-Beaujolais. A strong group of puncheur type riders eventually got up the road after the breakaway took more than 80 kilometres to form. Ion Izagirre (Cofidis) came out on top at the finish, soloing to the line after a big attack on the final climb of the day. 

Stage 13: Châtillon-Sur-Chalaronne to Grand Colombier (138km)

Welcome to the Alps, here's an hors categorie climb

Michał Kwiatkowski took an impressive solo victory on the summit finish of the Grand Colombier. The Polish rider caught and passed the remnants of the day's breakaway which included Great Britain's James Shaw to grab his second-ever Tour stage win. Behind the Ineos rider, Tadej Pogačar attacked and took eight seconds back on Jonas Vingegaard in the fight for the yellow jersey. 

Stage 14: Annemasse to Morzine Les Portes du Soleil (151.8km)

Five categorised climbs, four of which are one and above. Ouch.

Carlos Rodríguez announced himself on his Tour de France debut on stage 14 with a career-defining victory in Morzine. While all eyes were on Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogačar, the Spaniard broke free on the descent of the Col de Joux Plane and descended as if on rails to the finish. 

Stage 15: Les Gets Les Portes du Soleil to Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc (179km)

Back to a summit finish, there is no escape at this Tour

The breakaway had its day at the summit of Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc. After dedicating his career to domestique duties, the victory went to Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious), who launched a late attack on the steepest slopes and held off Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) to the line.

Stage 16: Passy to Combloux ITT (22.4km)

A time trial! But not a flat one

Stage 16 brought the fewest time trial kilometres at the Tour de France in 90 years. On the uphill test to Combloux, Jonas Vingegaard proved the strongest , and by quite a way, too. The Dane's winning margin of 1-38 over Tadej Pogačar left him in the driving seat to taking his second Tour title.

Stage 17: Saint-Gervais-Mont-Blanc to Courchevel (165.7km)

Back to  the proper mountains, and there will be no let up on the final Wednesday

The Queen stage brought a career-defining victory for Austrian Felix Gall (AG2R Citroën), but all eyes were on the GC battle, and the demise of Tadej Pogačar. The UAE Team Emirates rider cracked on the slopes of the Col de la Loze, losing almost six minutes to Jonas Vingegaard, and slipping to 7-35 in the overall standings.

Stage 18: Moûtiers to Bourg-en-Bresse (184.9km)

Two category four climbs on the road to a chicken-themed sprint

Denmark's Kasper Asgreen put in one of the best performances of the race to grab his first-ever Tour victory . The Soudal Quick-Step rider was part of a four man breakaway that managed to hold on all the way to the line by just a handful of seconds ahead of the peloton.

Stage 19: Moirans-en-Montagne to Poligny (172.8km)

Another sprint, maybe, or a heartbreaking chase which fails to bring the breakaway back

Matej Mohorič of Bahrain Victorious took an emotional victory in Poligny after a chaotic day of racing. The Slovenian rider launched an attack with Kasper Asgreen and Ben O'Connor on the final climb of the hilly stage before beating his breakaway compatriots in a three-up sprint for the line. It was Mohorič's third-ever Tour victory.

Stage 20: Belfort to Le Markstein Fellering (133.5km)

One last chance. Six categorised climbs, will it shake up the GC?

The race might be very near Germany at this point, but Belfort remained French after the Franco-Prussian War, unlike the territory the penultimate stage travels into. 

This is the last chance saloon for all teams and riders who aren’t sprinters, especially those with GC ambitions. However, it is not quite the task of the previous Alpine days, with the six categorised climbs not the most testing. Still, there will be a lot of people trying to make things happen.

Stage 21: Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines to Paris (115.1km)

The classic Parisian sprint. Lovely.

This will be the last time the Tour heads to Paris until at least 2025, so make the most of those shots of the Arc de Triomphe and the Champs-Élysées. The classic procession will happen for the first 55km until the race hits the Champs for the first time 60km in. From that point on, anything goes, although that anything will probably be a bunch sprint.

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Adam is Cycling Weekly ’s news editor – his greatest love is road racing but as long as he is cycling on tarmac, he's happy. Before joining Cycling Weekly he spent two years writing for Procycling, where he interviewed riders and wrote about racing. He's usually out and about on the roads of Bristol and its surrounds. Before cycling took over his professional life, he covered ecclesiastical matters at the world’s largest Anglican newspaper and politics at Business Insider. Don't ask how that is related to cycling.

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Tour de france stage 2: a day for the puncheurs, echoes of the ardennes classics will please the climbers..

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Stage 2 — Sunday, June 30 Cesenatico to Bologna Distance: 200.8 km (125 miles) Profile: Undulating stage

Stage 2: Echoes of the Ardennes classics will please the climbers

The Tour’s salute to 1998 winner Marco Pantani continues on stage 2 with a stage start in his hometown of Cesenatico. It covers 200.8km to Bologne and, like stage 1, has a number of uphills which should shake things up. All are short and steep, however, making it a different day in the saddle than 24 hours earlier.

Reminiscent of the Ardennes classics, albeit with fewer climbs, the stage is flat for the first 74km. The tone then shifts on the first of the day’s six climbs, the Côte de Monticino (2km at 7.5 percent). From there the riders descend for 10km before taking on the steepest and shortest ascent of the day, the Côte de Gallisterna.

While it is just 1.2km in length, it averages 12.8 percent and will favor explosive riders.

After descending into Imola a 42km interlude follows before the next two climbs, the Côte de Botteghino di Zocca and the Côte de Montecalvo. The second of these is both longer and steeper, with 2.7km at 7.7 percent proving a real platform for those who are either chasing yellow or a stage win.

From there 48km remains, with two laps of the finishing circuit subjecting the riders to the plus-10 percent slopes of the Côte de San Luca. The finish line isn’t far from there, making for a dramatic end to the stage and, very possibly, a new race leader.

The view of Tour de France race director Christian Prudhomme: “The passage across the Emilia-Romagna region is straightforward enough to begin with as it takes the peloton to Imola and its famous motor racing circuit. The final part of the stage, featuring the climb to the Sanctuary of San Luca (1.9km at 10.6 percent), the traditional finale of the Giro dell’Emilia, which will be tackled twice in the final 40km, offers fertile terrain for the peloton’s puncheurs.”

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As it happened: Michael Woods takes Tour de France stage 9 as Pogačar distances Vingegaard

182km culminating in the savage 13km summit finish of Puy de Dôme will determine the new general classification

Tour de France - Everything you need to know Tour de France route Tour de France favourites Moment of truth – The Puy de Dôme and the Tour de France’s greatest duel

Good morning and welcome to Cyclingnews' live coverage of stage 9 of the 2023 Tour de France! 

Today's 182.4km stage from Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat to the Puy de Dôme is one of the most anticipated stages in recent memory, with the fabled mountain top finish returning to Tour de France for the first time since 1988. We're set for a huge GC battle between the last two winners of the Tour, Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), who are only separated by 25 seconds at the top of the overall standings. 

The start location for stage 9 in Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat is highly associated with cycling legend Raymond Poulidor as it was where he resided. Pou Pou was one of the stars of the 60s and 70s that battled with both Jacques Anquetil and Eddy Merckx on many occasion, earning him the nickname of 'The Eternal Second' having never won the Tour, but was a true fan-favourite. Today's full stage design is almost an homage to the great French rider with the Puy de Dôme also playing a part in his history. His legacy in the sport now lives on through his megastar grandson, Mathieu Van der Poel (Alpecin-Decuninck), and you may remember his full Alpecin team donning special kits on the opening stage of 2021 Tour de France to honour Poulidor. Here's a look at the special bike Van der Poel will ride today to remember his grandfather. 

#MerciPoupou 💜💛As stage 9 is starting in Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat, residence of French cycling legend #RaymondPoulidor, we will pay a tribute again to the grandfather of @mathieuvdpoel and #DVDP! 😍 First up: this amazing @canyon_bikes which #MVDP will be riding today! pic.twitter.com/ZUQvf6L1dg July 9, 2023

If you want to read more on the history of Poulidor's association with the Puy de Dôme, check out Barry Ryan's great feature on how he battled Anquetil on the slopes of the volcano in 1964, which led to one of cycling's most famous photographs. Moment of truth – The Puy de Dôme and the Tour de France’s greatest duel

Yesterday's dramatic stage was won by Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) in a hilly run to the line in Limoges, but the headline of the day was undoubtedly the end of Mark Cavendish's (Astana Qazaqstan) 2023 Tour de France due to a crash in which he broke his collarbone. The Brit is now on his way back home to recover. 

We're now under half an hour away from the neutralised start in Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat on a day which should see the general classification race blown to pieces on the punishing inclines of the Puy de Dôme.

Aside from Cavendish, we saw another DNF yesterday in Steff Cras (TotalEnergies) who said he was knocked off his bike by a spectator in the approach to Limoges. We've had another DNS this morning, leaving our starting bunch at 169 riders as Quinn Simmons (Lidl-Trek) has been forced to leave the race after suffering from his injuries sustained in a heavy crash on stage 5. 

Unfortunately, we have to report that @QuinnSimmons9 will not start @LeTour today. Since his heavy crash on Stage 5, Quinn’s condition has not improved as we had hoped. He still feels stiffness and fatigue so we have decided to stop him to focus on his recovery. pic.twitter.com/GdvE1hExn5 July 9, 2023

We've seen historic winners atop the Puy de Dôme in the past through legends such as Fausto Coppi, Federico Bahamontes, Felice Gimondi, Luis Ocaña, Lucien Van Impe and Joop Zoetemelk. Who will include themselves in this illustrious list of some of cycling's heroes that have won here? 

Van der Poel was understandably full of emotions at the sign on and team presentation, even reduced to tears on stage in a place so important to his late grandfather and family. His team have Mercier coloured stripes on their shorts today as part of one of their homages to Pou Pou. 

#MerciPoupou 💜💛In honor of #RaymondPoulidor, our riders will be wearing a dedicated version of the #AlpecinDeceuninck’s team kit today, with a specific reference to this stage and the iconic Mercier/#MerciPoupou colours! #AlpecinDeceuninck #TDF2023 #MVDP 📷 @facepeeters pic.twitter.com/JHvFa4bFF6 July 9, 2023

Stage 9 of the Tour de France of underway from the neutralised start! We'll have just over 4km of riding in the départ fictif before the flag is waved and racing gets started. 

Here's Van der Poel being presented a bike of his grandfathers on stage during an emotional morning for him in his grandfather's former home town. There's been some lovely nods to the great rider this morning and today will mean a lot for Van der Poel. 

The sun is shining, it's baking hot and we're heading east towards the Massif Central. We've got a big day in store with the GC battle set to explode into life on the Puy de Dôme at the stage's finale. 

182.4KM TO GO

The flag has been waved out of the lead car by Christian Prudhomme and racing is underway on stage 9 of the Tour de France! Today is the almighty conclusion to one of the best first weeks in the history of this great race. Strap yourselves in and get ready for action. 

Straight from the gun we've got attacks flying. Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Dstny) is the first to go, followed by a whole host of other breakaway hopefuls. 

We've got a split of around 10 riders forming with a bit of a blockage forming in the peloton. Is this the break of the day gone already?

Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech) has made this move and alongside Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) could be a real threat for the victory if the break are given a big advantage. This leading group have 30 seconds already and seem to be the move of the day with three further stragglers trying to bridge the gap. 

Here's the composition of the group leading for now: - Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) - Matej Mohorič (Bahrain Victorious) - Clément Berthet (AG2R-Citroën) - Gorka Izaguirre (Movistar) - Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) - Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech) - Guillame Boivan (Israel-Premier Tech) - David de a Cruz (Astana Qazaqstan) - Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan) - Jonas Abrhamsen (Uno-X) - Jonas Gregaard (Uno-X) - Mathieu Burgaudeau (TotalEnergies) - Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies)

175KM TO GO

The peloton still isn't happy with certain teams missing out. Soudal-Quick Step launched a late move to try and make it, but the break are working well for now. 

The gap is out at 1:00 and it will be very hard for any rider to bridge this gap. Trek and QuickStep are riding on the front behind and must be unhappy that they have missed it. Certainly not a calm start to the stage. Van Aert is interested at the front with Pedersen and Asgreen riding for now. 

Speeds are up at 70km/h in this rapid start to stage 9. Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) has had a mechanical at the back of the bunch and is riding back into the peloton now. 

Our 14 riders at the head of the race are working nicely together and are trying to build their 53 second advantage. The fight for the break isn't over yet though. 

Dries Devenyns (Soudal-Quick Step) is shredding it on the front for his team and the gap is beginning to come to 45 seconds. Can they close this gap?

Ineos Grenadiers are the next to try and close this gap with Fred Wright (Bahrain Victorious) also trying to bridge to the leaders. Van der Poel and Skjelmose are also right up they're in this fight. 

Alaphilippe hits the accelerator and tries his luck to bridge this move. He's got a few companions with him and will want them all to cooperate to try and close this gap. He's got Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) and Rui Costa (Intermarché-Circus-Wanty) for help, but no consistent move is sticking. 

We've lost some sprinters out the back over one of the uncategorised climbs that characterise this region of France, Jordi Meeus (Bora-hansgrohe), Pedersen, Stuyven and Sam Welsford (dsm-firmenich). 

The last moves just petered out and the gap is back out to 1:00. We're still not completely settled, however. 

Skjelmose and Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost) have gone of the front as a duo. This shouldn't work, however, as closing a 1:06 gap on your own is quite the task and Bettiol is not coming through to pull off the Dane's wheel with Powless already in the break for American squad. 

160KM TO GO

Alaphilippe has gone for it once again. Teams are getting desperate as they seem to believe they've missed the big moment. 14 strong riders and a group working well means they could be in with a chance of victory. 

EF are doing a nice job of stifling moves by sitting onto any pursuer that wants to try and bridge the gap to the leading group containing polka-dot jersey wearer, Powless. 

Jorgenson leads the break in what was a very quick formation as our group of 14 got away from the peloton as soon as the flag was dropped. 

They've sat up behind and finally the attacks have stopped. It will be intriguing to see how much of an advantage they are given with both Jumbo-Visma and UAE Team Emirates probably assuming their leader could take today's stage and the bonus seconds that would come with it. 

The break are about to mop up all the big points from an insignificant intermediate sprint alongside the Lac de Vassivière. Uno-X have shot off the front to take the points and the cash prize through Abrahamsen with Gregaard in second. 

Lilian Calmejane has just been taken down a fans decorative pole holding jerseys. An incredibly stupid crash being caused by a spectator. After what happened to Cras yesterday, it's not what you want to see. 

Israel-Premier Tech have done a tremendous job to get their top climber, Michael 'Rusty' Woods, in the break alongside Boivin. If you feel like you can remember Woods' Canadian compatriot, but can't place him, he was one of the riders that performed brilliantly in the wet edition of Paris-Roubaix in 2021. A great rider to have alongside Woods to pull him along on the flatter portions before the break reach the Puy de Dôme. 

🏁 150 km to goThe boys knew they needed to be in the break and Boivin and Woods were quick to join the right move.The group with G and Mike already has 4:30 minutes on the peloton. C’mon guys!___🇫🇷 #TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/QMo7w1kfC5 July 9, 2023

140KM TO GO

The break has an advantage of 8:33 for now. Sepp Kuss (Jumbo-Visma) has had a mechanical issue at the back of the bunch and is getting back in. 

Christophe Laporte (Jumbo-Visma) is giving himself a shower at the front of the peloton as he gets into his work. They won't ride too hard for now, but on a sweltering hot day, he'll need a few more of those before we reach the mountain top finish. 

Lidl-Trek will be gutted they've missed this move with either Ciccone or Skjelmose after seeing them be allowed an advantage of 9:18. Here's the moment Bettiol had to apologise to the Dane for not being allowed to offer him up a turn to try and bridge the gap with Powless already in their for EF and the American squad happy with the break's composition. 

TODAY'S TOUR DE FRANCE MENU

Here's what the riders have left to tackle before out explosive final climb: 107.6km to go: Climb - Côte de Felletin (2.1km at 5.2%) 96.7km to go: Climb - Côte de Pontcharraud (1.8km at 4.6%) 56.2km to go: Climb - Côte de Pontaumur (3.3km at 5.3%) Finish: Climb - Puy de Dôme (13.3km at 7.7%)

On such a hot day in the saddle, it will be incredibly important for all the riders to get their nutrition correct. There will be a lot of feeding and re-fueling before the end of the day. The Puy de Dôme will be tackled on a winding road that curls on the side of the volcano and the riders will be exposed to the sun and heat in central France. 

Everyone in the break is continuing to swap turns nicely as their advantage surpasses 10 minutes for the first time. 

We're approaching our first KOM point of the day at the Côte de Felletin (2.1km at 5.2%). There's only one point on offer and Powless will take it without challenge.

Powless now has 37 points in the polka-dot jersey competition and sits nine ahead of Felix Gall (AG2R-Citroën) in second. There are three more points available before the final climb to the Puy de Dôme. If he gets all of them, that would put him on 40 points, 21 ahead of Pogačar and 22 in front of Vingegaard, almost guaranteeing him another more days in the jersey with only 20 available over the top of the final ascent. 

100KM TO GO

Jumbo-Visma have, of course, taken up the mantle of controlling with the yellow jersey in their possession for now. They haven't made any impact on the break's 10:43 advantage yet, however. 

Powless is off again to go and get his second KOM point of the day at the top of the Côte de Pontcharraud (1.8km at 4.6%). 

All the sports directors are hot on their riders to ensure hydration and fuelling is maintained. If anyone gets it wrong and forgets to replenish their stores, they could be massively exposed on the Puy de Dôme. 

Here's Neilson Powless, our current polka-dot jersey wearer, on a day which has been very successful so far. He's increased his lead in the mountains classification, albeit by two points, and is one of the favourites to take victory from the break with a 10-minute advantage over the peloton with 87km left to ride. 

Woods is the big favourite in the GC group, with the most climbing pedigree, especially over the steepest inclines. The Canadian has won Grand Tour stages in his career, but only ever at La Vuelta a España. He'll desperately want to take victory on the Puy de Dôme today. 

Also keep an eye on Berthet in this leading group. He worked tirelessly for Gall on the climbs on stage 5 where the Austrian finished third behind Hindley and Ciccone. He's a very talented rider. 

Mechanical for Gregaard in the break. He's having a wheel change and will be happy the gap is over 10 minutes. They've gone for the slow back wheel switch instead of the spare bike oddly. He should be fine getting back on though, but every bit of energy wasted counts. 

An insect appears to have flown into the gap of Jorgenson's helmet and sunglasses and stung him on the head. He's back at the doctors motorbike and hopefully he'll be okay. 

Jumbo-Visma have been happy to give the break a huge advantage and the probable stage win. They clearly decided there was no chance they would pace for Pogačar to get bonus seconds in a final 'sprint' against Vingegaard and the stage win atop the Puy de Dôme as the Slovenian is the punchier of the two. 

🇫🇷 #TDF2023Our yellow jersey wearer is still getting better day by day.Jonas is looking forward to Puy de Dôme, and so are we. 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Q6mLV7KNcI July 9, 2023

All the teams are now taking musettes and bidons on what is an incredibly important day to get your fuelling correct with the heat and the difficulty of the final climb. 

Boivin has shot off the front in the break. Is he giving Woods something to bridge to over the next category 3 climb. 

Here's a look at the profile of our final climb. This shows how the 7.7% average gradient doesn't paint the full picture, as the middle kilometres skew this stat. The final 4.5km average over 11% gradient each and will be tackled on an incredibly narrow road without fans. The images of the riders doing battle should be incredible on the exposed mountainside road. 

Lutsenko is setting a hard tempo in the break to try and reduce its size form 14 to something more manageable. Boivin has been brought back in now. 

Campenaerts and Mohorič have accelerated in the break as they approach the top of the Côte de Pontaumur (3.3km at 5.3%). They will want to build an advantage over the top before the final climb if they can create separation. 

Powless responds and takes the two KOM points to add to his total which is now 40. 

It's important to note as we close in on our finale, that Jorgenson has the current Strava KOM over the Puy de Dôme which he completed in a recon ride from Clermont-Ferrand a few days before the Critérium du Dauphiné.

More attacks are flying out of the lead group as they continue to play games. Jorgenson, Woods, Lutsenko, Burgaudeau and Gregaard have separated away with Berthet chasing them down. 

Jorgensen is now all alone at the head of the race. The 24-year-old American has 12 seconds over the chasers for now as Boivin begins to drop off the back of the peloton. 

We're seeing some images of 400m from the finish line where rubber mats are having to be applied over a portion of road where the riders will have to cross over the rail tracks that lead up to the summit of the Puy de Dôme. Finishing touches are being applied before we see a Tour de France peloton race up the fabled climb for the first time in 35 years. 

It's nearly Puy de Dôme time. We're just under 27km away from the foot of our final climb, a mythical ascent with a long history in the Tour de France. We thought we might never race up here again, but organisers have found a way to return this nostalgic climb to the greatest bike race, albeit 35 years after it was last seen. 

Mohorič is trying to bridge the 30 second gap to Jorgenson at the head to the race. All sorts of games are going on in this leading group. 

Here's a look at our lone leader, Jorgenson. The young American has had his career best season with a win at the Tour of Oman, a great Classics season and an impressive second place at the Tour de Romandie behind Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates). 

Those who are started to run out of energy are beginning to be left behind as the break is becoming more selective by the kilometre. Jorgenson's advantage is being cut down by a quartet including Mohorič, Powless, De la Cruz and Burgaudeau. 

It's reportedly 34 degrees at the bottom of the Puy de Dôme. It's a good thing there's a rest day tomorrow as the riders are going to be exhausted after today's efforts in the sweltering heat. 

Mohorič is clearly having a great day on the bike and is utilising all of his descending skills and aerodynamic positioning to maximise his power. He keeps hitting the other three chasers and is trying to bridge the 15 seconds over to Jorgenson. 

Jorgenson finished in the top 5 of three Tour de France stages in 2022 and came so close to that maiden victory. He'll be desperate to continue on with his solo move out in front and grind away at his competitors on the final climb to stand atop a podium at La Grand Boucle. 

The gap to Jorgenson has gone out to 30 seconds again as the chasing quartet aren't making a concerted effort to chase him, but are instead taking turns to attack. The stop-start nature of their chase is hurting their chances. 

De la Cruz has dropped his chain at the worst moment on the downhill. He's been forced to stop and it will be so difficult to see him make it back into the chasing quartet. 

Jorgensen is using 100% of the road in this small descending portion to try and maximise his speed and use less of the power he will want to save for the final climb. 

We've had an innocuous crash back in the peloton for Lars van den Berg (Groupama-FDJ) at the handover point of a musette. 

Jorgenson is doing a tremendous job of holding off the chasers for now with the gap stabilised at 37 seconds. He's been so good throughout 2023, but if he could pull of the win today that would be on a completely different level of incredible. 

Here we go, 35 years untouched by the Tour de France peloton and the Puy de Dôme is here. 13.3km at 7.7% average gradient. Can Jorgenson hold on? Or will someone from the chasing group come across and past him on the harshest gradient?

CURRENT SITUATION

At the foot of the climb, here's the current positions on the road: Head of the race - Jorgenson Chasing group with Mohorič, Powless and Burgaudeau - 1:01 Second chase group with Woods and Lutsenko etc. - 1:45 Peloton - 16:06

The American out in front is trying to regulate his temperature with constant watering from his bidon. He's got 12km of all out climbing ahead of him and won't want to overheat.

The GC teams are going to have their own race around 10 minutes after the breakaway finishes, and they are beginning to position themselves as they complete the run into the base of the Puy de Dôme. 

There are reports of a motorbike crashing in front of the peloton at such high speeds in the group behind. The drama is non-stop today. 

Powless gets out of the saddle momentarily on some of the final roads that will be lined by fans today. As said already, the road that curls around the final climb is so narrow so fans haven't been allowed onto it. The riders will only have the sound of their own thoughts and that of the few vehicles that ascend with them as they complete this hellish climb. 

The crowds are incredible on the lower slopes of the Puy de Dôme. It's no surprise to see such excitement with this legendary climb returning to its former glory again at the Tour de France. 

Powless is dancing on the pedals, but making no dent into his compatriot's advantage which still sits at 54 seconds. The third group on the road is a further minute behind them. 

Dsm-firmenich are setting it up in the GC group for their leader, Romain Bardet. He's from this area and will want to play a big role on home roads. 

Dylan van Baarle (Jumbo-Visma) has assumed his position back on the front of the peloton as one of the incredibly valuable and versatile riders that make up Jonas Vingegaard's mountain train. 

Jorgenson is closing in on the hardest section, the final 4.5km. Each of those kilometres average over 12% gradient as they snake around the outside of the dormant volcano in the Massif Central. 

Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) is one of the first climbers to drop out of the peloton with the stage win no longer on offer. 

Here's what Jorgenson has left to content with. He's got a 1:12 advantage and is on the verge of joining the likes of Coppi, Bahamontes, Van Impe, Gimondi, Ocaña and Zoetemelk as riders that have won a Tour de France stage atop the Puy de Dôme. 

🤩 Here we are: le Puy de Dôme ladies and gentleman!🤩 Nous y voilà: le Puy de Dôme mesdames et messieurs !#TDF2023 pic.twitter.com/akI09v4S2l July 9, 2023

Jorgensons' got his final greeting from the magnificent crowds we see at the Tour each year as he heads onto the restricted section and begins his fight with the steepest sections to hold off the chasers and take victory. 

Van Aert is now leading the peloton with Kelderman in his wheel and Vingegaard sat further back to avoid eating any of the headwind that pushes into the peloton. Pogačar isn't far behind. 

Kuss is making his way back up the peloton as the hardest section approaches. He'd been out of position previously, but was moving very easily towards the business end of things. 

Jonny Weltz was the last winner up here in 1988 and it's looking like Matteo Jorgenson is going to going him on that illustrious list of winners as his advantage keeps increasing to now 1:23. 

Ben O'Connor (AG2R-Citroën) has been dropped form the peloton. Mohorič has decided to leave his two companions in the chasing group and has set off in pursuit of Jorgenson on his own. Woods can be seen in the background coming across very quickly. 

2.5KM TO GO

Woods has passed Powless and Burgaudeau and he's got 2.6km to get across to Mohorič and then Jorgenson. 

Woods is absolutely flying up the Puy de Dôme for now as Mohorič's deficit to Jorgenson is falling to now 48 seconds. Van Aert's turn on the front is done and UAE Team Emirates have now come to the front of the peloton.

Jumbo-Visma have retaken control with Kelderman and Kuss the only remaining domestiques for Vingegaard. They are driving it on now in a small peloton with only the strongest GC riders left. 

Jorgenson's gap is rapidly falling, It's going to be touch and go on the line if he Woods and Mohorič can continue to eat into his advantage. Can the young American hold on?

Its completely split in the peloton with Kuss hitting the front and pulling away only the strongest climbers in Vingegaard, Pogačar and Simon Yates. 

1.2KM TO GO

Woods has flown by Mohorič and is pushing on out of the saddle. He could break Jorgenson's heart in the final kilometre. 

Jorgenson only has 20 seconds and Woods is closing in. The Canadian is absolutely destroying these steeper slopes and Woods is the strongest. He's got him in his sights. 

Its blown to pieces in the GC group with Bardet and Hindley both dropped. 

Woods is so close to Jorgenson. He's going to get him, but does the American have anything left to give in response. He's going to fly by him surely. 

Woods gets out of the saddle and kicks out of Jorgenson's wheel in the final 400m. Heartbreak for the American with so little left to ride on this legendary climb. Woods is going to write his name eternally into Tour de France history. What a climbing performance. 

STAGE FINISH

Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech) wins stage 9 of the 2023 Tour de France. Its the biggest win of the Canadian's career and an incredible moment for Canada at the Tour. What a climb, what a ride. Jorgenson was passed in the final 200m by both Latour and Mohorič in what was a heartbreaking end to the final climb. Chapeau young man. 

We've seen both the beautiful joy and painful brutality this sport so often provides for both Woods and Jorgenson respectively. A great day for North American cycling nonetheless. 

We've got a leading group of five in the GC group with Vingegaard, Pogačar, Yates, Rodríguez and Simon Yates. Yates picks it up on the front for a moment with Hindley dropped. 

Hindley is coming back which is forcing Yates into action especially after he lost time yesterday due to a late crash. Pogačar goes!

Here it is, the battle between our two main favourites and a gap is appearing in-between Vingegaard and Pogačar. Can the Dane hold on? He's looking behind him and beginning to drop. 

Vingegaard is by no means cracking, but he's not onto the wheel yet. It's our two protagonists battling it out on the Puy de Dôme, it's what we wanted, every second is going to count. 

The Slovenian kicks again with 500m to go on the steepest gradients. Vingegaard is measuring his effort well, but is going to lose time on stage 9. Can Vingegaard respond?

Here's a look at our stage winner, Woods on his career best victory. 

Pogačar enters the sunshine in the final few hundred and is sprinting on the final ramp to the line. he's emptying the tank over the line and he crosses the line with a big statement made. Vingegaard recovered well for a loss of around 8 seconds. 

Yates ands Pidcock have left Rodríguez and are the next best out of the GC group. Great performance by the young Brit and his experienced compatriot. 

Gaudu crosses the line with damage done to his time on GC. The rest of the GC group are coming over in dribs and drabs. 

Here's what a despondent Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) had to say after having his heart broken by Michael Woods and finishing fourth on a stage he led for so long: "Yeah, I had to play my hand a little bit early, I knew if I went in that group I wouldn't be able to match Mike Woods and Neilson [Powless] I thought. So I knew that I had to either get in a small group or solo and ended up getting solo. From there I went all in and in the end, you just have to hope that behind they blow up or whatever cos a minute from the bottom of that climb wasn't enough, but I did what I could." "To be honest, the radio didn't work the whole of the climb. As soon as we started around the corner, the cars were at the bottom and I didn't have any radio, so the only time gap I had was the Moto and yeah he was telling me a minute, then 40 seconds, then 35, and 35 was the last one I got with I don't know, 1k to go and I just started to feel empty with 1k to go and then before I knew it Mike was there and passing me and it was a surprise but there was absolutely nothing I could do,"

Here's how Michael Woods reacted to achieving his career win and writing his name into eternal cycling history by winning on the Puy de Dôme: "I'm still having a pinch myself moment. Really proud of myself, really proud of my team yeah, this is special." "It was deafening until I got to about 4k to go, I couldn't hear anything and then all of a sudden silence. My ears were still ringing and I had a lot of time to think, a lot of time to suffer and just looking up the road trying to make as much time up on Jorgenson." "Yeah for sure, I'm 36 years old, turning 37 this year and not getting any younger. I've always talked about winning a stage at the Tour de France and I've finally achieved it. I just feel so fortunate to have so many great people behind me, my family, my team, Sylvain Adams and also my parents, my wife my kids. They've all supported me. I've had some tough times over the last year, but I'm back on top and really proud." "I wish I could say it was all planned. I wanted to be with Jorgenson in front, but it was just the way the cards played. It was really challenging when I knew I was probably the most marked man in that group and I ended up not playing my cards super right, but just had to be patient." "Then when I got to 4k to go I didn't really even think about going for the win, I just thought about doing a time trial to the top and then however hard I went, didn't matter the result, I'd just be proud of myself and my hardest was able to bring back Jorgenson so it was nice."

We had some movements on the GC today with Vingegaard losing 8 seconds to Pogačar. His lead in yellow is now only 17 seconds and is poised for an incredible battle in the second and third weeks of the 2023 Tour de France. Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) also made a significant move from ninth to seventh overall by hanging onto the best climbers and Gaudu and Bardet fell to eighth and tenth overall respectively. 

After a first week like no other I've ever seen, the 110th Tour de France is poised perfectly as we head into the first rest day. The teams and riders will be recovering after a brutal opening nine stages and getting ready for more as we start to head towards the Alps. Clermond-Ferrand will play host to our 169 remaining riders and all the other staff involved tomorrow in central France with 12 stages left to complete. What other stories and drama will the second and third week hold? Make sure to check back to Cyclingnews' website as more content is produced from the team on the ground at the race over the next week and beyond. After the rest day, we'll return to racing on stage 10 with a hilly 167.2km stage from Vulcania to Issoire. 

That wraps things up for Cyclingnews' coverage of stage 9 of the 2023 Tour de France. What a stage it was and what a battle we witnessed on the Puy de Dôme's first return to the Tour since 1988. Michael Woods wrote his name into history and Tadej Pogačar made another small dent into Jonas Vingegaard's lead at the head of the race. Read Peter Stuart's full report below for an excellent summary of the day's action and make sure to check back tomorrow for all the news coming out on the rest day. Tour de France: Michael Woods triumphs with stage 9 victory atop Puy de Dôme

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