The Grand Depart sets off on July 1 for Stage 1 of the 2023 Tour de France. Cyclists will face a 113-mile (182km) hilly route to pass through the Cote de Laukiz and giving the tour it's first King of the Mountains. 

The Tour de France will host its 110th annual race this year starting in Bilbao, Spain. It's not a surprise that this is considered the most prestigious race in cycling - this year's route reaches a total of 2116.14 miles and a brave 176 cyclists will embark on the 21-stage journey today. 

Jonas Vingegaard defied the odds and won the Tour de France 2022. Tadej Pogačar's was originally expected to place first following his 2-year winning streak. Both will be cycling in this year's race.Here is everything you need to know for stage 1 of the Tour de France.

Tour de France Stage 1 Route

This year's route begins in Basque Country in Bilbao, Spain. This is the second time the Tour has ever started here since 1992. The opening route includes five total climbs ranging from categories 3-4. 

The first summit, Cote de Laukiz, appears 2.2 km into the race. It’s a category three summit with a 6.5% incline. 

The biggest summit of the stage is Cote de Pike a category 3 climb but a daunting 9.2% incline. Pike appears 174.4km into the route and the riders will have to push with everything they’ve got to get to the finish line. 

What Are The Climb Classifications For The Tour de France?

Every stage of the Tour de France route includes some kind of summit. A “climb” refers to any segment of the route that is in an incline. Depending on the length and percentage include in the climb, it is classified differently. 

The easiest classification starts at Category 4 and then progresses to “Hors Category” (HC). This term means that the climb is above the classification. 

Here are all the Summits included in Stage 1 of the Tour de France:

Tour de France Stage 1 Climbs 

In order of Appearance on Route

• Cote de Laukiz
  • Category 3, 1.43 miles at 6.5% 
• Cote San Juan de Gaztelugaxte
  • Category 3, 2.24 miles at 7.7%
• Cote de Morga 
  • Category 4, 2.5 miles at 4.7%
• Cote de Vivero 
  • Category 2, 2.7 miles at 7.1% 
• Cote d Pike 
  • Category 3, 1.37 miles at 9.2%

Cote De Laukiz Reigns The First King Of The Mountain Tour de France

The Cote de Laukiz is the first summit of the entire 2023 Tour de France route. Points are awarded to the first 15 riders to reach the summit, the first of which will be awarded the title of King of the Mountain. 

The Tour de France has a long-standing tradition of awarding jerseys to specific riders to identify classification leaders. It’s a great way to honor the immense skills all of cyclists have while keeping track of the standings. 

If you see a rider with a white and red polka dot jersey, you know he is the reigning King of the Mountain. 

What Does The Tour de France Green Jersey Mean? Here's A Jersey Guide

How To Watch Tour de France USA

A live broadcast will be available on NBC and Peacock. FloBikes will provide updates, highlights, and behind-the-scenes coverage throughout the entire event.

How To Watch Tour de France Canada 

FloBikes will provide a live broadcast for Canadian audiences.

Tour de France 2023 Schedule

The Tour de France is a 21-day event starting on July 1 through July 23. Every day the cyclists start together to complete the stage of a race. Every stage varies in distance and physical demand. 

Here is the complete schedule for the Tour de France 2023

Tour de France Winners

Here are the Tour de France winners of the past five years

Year | Tour # - Winner | Country - Team

• 2022 | 109 - Jonas Vingegaard | Denmark | Team Jumbo–Visma
• 2021 | 108 - Tadej Pogačar | Slovenia | UAE Team Emirates
• 2020 | 107 - Tadej Pogačar | Slovenia | UAE Team Emirates
• 2019 | 106 - Egan Bernal | Colombia | Team Ineos (previously known as Sky)
• 2018 | 105 - Geraint Thomas | Great Britain | Team Sky

Here is a full list of the history of every Tour de France winner

Tour de France Teams 

There are 22 teams and a total of 176 competitors in this year’s Tour de France:

UCI WorldTeams

• AG2R Citroën Team | Fra
• Alpecin Deceuninck | Bel
• Astana Qazaqstan Team | Kaz
• Bora-Hansgrohe | Ger
• EF Education-Easypost | Usa
• Groupama-FDJ | Fra
• Ineos Grenadiers | Gbr
• Intermarché-Circus-Wanty | Bel
• Jumbo-Visma | Ned
• Movistar Team | Esp
• Soudal Quick-Step | Bel
• Team Arkea-Samsic | Fra
• Team Bahrain Victorious | Brn
• Team Cofidis | Fra
• Team DSM | Ned
• Team Jayco AlUla | Aus
• Trek-Segafredo | Usa
• UAE Team Emirates | Uae

UCI ProTeams

• Lotto Dstny | Bel
• TotalEnergies | Fra
• Israel-Premier Tech | Isr
• Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | Nor