It’s not controversial to say that the climbs are what make the Tour de France. You probably wouldn’t tune in for 21 consecutive sprint stages after all, and this year’s Tour is packed full of some of France’s hardest and most iconic mountain climbs, be they côtes, cols or even puys (see also puig and poggio for cycling-related translation suggestions).
Not all climbs are made equally, though, and not all are placed equally in the route – even the hardest and most famous climb sometimes doesn’t make a tangible impact on the race. This year that honour falls to the Col du Tourmalet, which will certainly be hard and will certainly play some kind of role, yet it’s what follows that will likely play host to the drama on that particular day.
To tickle the tastebuds, we’ve analysed all the climbs that should play a part in the race for the yellow jersey in the 2023 Tour de France.
Côte de Pike, Stage 1 finale
- Length: 2km
- Average gradient: 10%
- Maximum gradient: 17.3%
- Elevation gain: 199m
- Current KOM: Sean Bennett (ex-pro), 5:25
The opening stage is headlined by the Côte de Pike, normally called Pike Bidea, a steep 2km climb that finishes with 9.6km left to go in the stage. Although the actual final run-in is itself an approx 1.2km unclassified climb with a 5.7% average, it’s this precursor that will decimate the field and where any general classification gaps will be created.
Yes it’s only Stage 1 but that means anyone can win yellow, and it’s likely whoever takes it here will want to keep it for a while. Plus the Côte de Pike is the fifth classified climb of the day and is really not dissimilar statistically to the Mur de Huy (1.4km, 9.7% average, 16.4% max), which is the utterly savage climax to La Flèche Wallonne (won this year by Tadej Pogačar) and always creates gaps. A lead of a few seconds over the top could well be held to the finish given that the descent on the other side takes riders straight to the foot of the final climb.
Cautarets-Cambasque, Stage 6 summit finish
- Length: 16km
- Average gradient: 5.3%
- Maximum gradient: 12%
- Elevation gain: 863m
- Current KOM: Vincent Cainjo, 52:59
The first of four summit finishes comes on Stage 6 after an absolute monster of a day. A gentle Category 3 climb will get the legs warmed up before going back-to-back-to-back on the Col d’Aspin, Col du Tourmalet and then this. Often called Crêtes du Lys, it’s a 16km climb that isn’t the hardest but it’s pretty long and has its nastiest section near the top, and with jelly legs by this point in the day real gaps may form.
There probably won’t be any attacks from the GC group on the Aspin or Tourmalet unless UAE Team Emirates’ Pogačar and Adam Yates decide to do a Jumbo-Visma to Jumbo-Visma’s Jonas Vingegaard, so it will most likely all come down to attacks on this final ascent. With bonus seconds to be had on the line, they’ll be fighting for every inch.
Puy de Dôme, Stage 9 summit finish
- Length: 13.3km
- Average gradient: 7.7%
- Maximum gradient: 13.6%
- Elevation gain: 1,025m
- Current KOM: Florian Nurit, 53:55 (12.6km version)
Headlining the first week is the return of the Puy de Dôme, a volcano in the Massif Central range of France. Last featured fully in 1988, the climb was once host to one of cycling’s great showdowns between Jacques Anquetil and Raymond Poulidor in 1964 and also saw Eddy Merckx get punched by a spectator in 1975. Hopefully a new chapter will be written in the annals from 2023.
Legs should still be relatively fresh for Stage 9 of a tough start to the Tour de France and with a rest day to follow you’d expect an eruption of attacks from GC contenders looking to either claw back time or push on. It may also be a dormant damp squib, but let’s not jinx it.
Grand Colombier, Stage 13 summit finish
- Length: 17.4km
- Average gradient: 7.1%
- Maximum gradient: 12%
- Elevation gain: 1,245m
- Current KOM: Tadej Pogačar, 45:37 (Stage 15 of the 2020 Tour)
The third summit finish comes on Bastille Day on Stage 13. It’s the first of three of the Tour’s hardest stages in a row, so it’s likely the GC favourites will roll up this one and let the breakaway (probably Thibaut Pinot) have it. Don’t rule anything out though – if the race is tight then the ferocity of the Grand Colombier climb is an opportunity for gaps. At 17.1km, with sections up to 12%, it isn’t the longest or the steepest climb, but it is long and steep and the average gradient is brought down by a couple of flattish kilometres. And just look at who has the Strava KOM…
Col de Joux Plane, Stage 14 finale
- Length: 11.6km
- Average gradient: 8.5%
- Maximum gradient: 12.8%
- Elevation gain: 987m
- Current KOM: Jack Haig, 34:58 (Dauphiné 2021)
Stage 14 is the route for this year’s Étape du Tour and finishes with an ascent of the epic Col de Joux Plane before a descent to Morzine. As suggested by its selection for the Étape, this stage is a beast, with five categorised climbs, three of which are Category 1 and one – this one – HC. Anyone with juice left in their legs will surely aim to find a gap over the summit that they can carry to the finish. The GC favourites will likely be behind the stage winner, with the climbers who have strong descending, eg, Tom Pidcock, surely sniffing an opportunity here. Plus there’s still another hard day to follow.
Saint-Gervais Mont Blanc, Stage 15 summit finish
- Length: 7km
- Average gradient: 7.7%
- Maximum gradient: 10.2%
- Elevation gain: 551m
- Current KOM: Emanuel Buchmann, 19:02 (Stage 7 of the 2018 Dauphiné)
Closing out week two is another five categorised climbs finishing in Le Bettex on Mont Blanc. As you can see from the above profile it’s paired with the short but steep Côte des Amerands to make it essentially a 13km climb with sections rising to a whopping 17%, officially though that final climb is 7km with a max gradient of 10.2%.
Being the last of three monster days in the saddle and with a rest day to come, it would be a surprise if there were no attacks here to punish riders who spent too much energy on Stages 13 and 14.
Col de la Loze, Stage 17 finale
- Length: 28.1km
- Average gradient: 6%
- Maximum gradient: 24%
- Elevation gain: 1,704m
- Current KOM: Tadej Pogačar, 1:04:10 (Stage 17 of the 2020 Tour de France)
Following a rest day and a 22.4km time-trial comes yet another brute of a day on Stage 17 with four categorised climbs including the Cormet de Roselend and the highest point of this year’s race the Col de la Loze, which leads riders into a short descent to the finish line. Last (and first) featured in the 2020 Tour de France with Miguel Angel López winning at the top, the Col de la Loze has it all: length, gradient, altitude. There will be gaps here, there’s no two ways about it. It suits Jonas Vingegaard over Tadej Pogačar, but the KOM doesn’t lie.
Col du Platzerwasel, Stage 20 finale
- Length: 7.1km
- Average gradient: 8.4%
- Maximum gradient: 10.3%
- Elevation gain: 601m
- Current KOM: Julien Antomarchi, 21:51 (Tour d’Alsace 2015)
The final climb (ignoring the silly one on the final stage) of the 2023 Tour de France is the Col du Platzerwasel as the race takes the riders out of its traditional two mountain ranges to replicate last year’s Tour de France Femmes and finish in the Vosges. Six whole categorised climbs are scattered over the course of 133.5km with the final pairing of the Petit Ballon and Col de Platzerwasel the last opportunities for any general classification action.
It’s not the hardest climb in the race but as the finale legs will be soft to say the least and if there are close enough time gaps overall then it has to come down to this. A slight plateau over the top doesn’t take anything away from it all being on the climb, unless it’s close enough that it all comes down to bonus seconds.