Tour de France Femmes 2023 route reaches new heights with Tourmalet and time trial
The HC climb headlines the route, with an individual time trial introduced for the first time

The Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift will step up another level in 2023, with a summit finish on the Col du Tourmalet and a final day individual time trial.
Announced at a presentation inside Paris's Palais des Congrès on Thursday, the official route for the race’s second edition will be concentrated in the south and southwest of France, starting in Clermont-Ferrand before heading down into the Pyrenees, ending in Pau.
The race will start with a punchy lap of the Gothic city, where the first yellow jersey will be awarded. Clermont-Ferrand will then host the départ on stage two, when the riders will take on a rolling course en route to Mauriac with over 2,500m of climbing.
Day three will see the peloton ride through the Dordogne, before a 177km stage - the longest in women’s WorldTour history - will take place between Cahors and Rodez. The riders will face some challenging climbs on stage four, with a sequence of tough côtes to tackle in the finale.
On stage five, the sprinters will have their day in Albi. A lumpy stage into Blagnac will follow, before the race shifts closer to the Spanish border and into the Pyrenees.
The only summit finish comes on stage seven, the penultimate day, when the iconic Col du Tourmalet will become the first hors catégorie climb ever scaled in the Tour de France Femmes. The peloton will climb the Col d’Aspin first, before taking on the eastern ascent of the 17km-long Pyrenean giant from Sainte-Marie-de-Campan.
Standing at 2,115m altitude, the Tourmalet will mark the race’s highest ascent to date, trumping last year’s 1,193m Col du Platzerwasel by almost 1,000m.
Tour de France organisers have long had an affinity with the the Tourmalet, which was first introduced into the men’s race in 1910, and has featured a total of 87 times, more than any other mountain pass. The climb also starred in the 2000 edition of the Grande Boucle Féminine Internationale, a historic women’s Tour de France equivalent.
The 2023 Tour de France Femmes will conclude with its first individual time trial, a 22km lap of Pau. Dutchwoman Marianne Vos came out on top last time the women’s peloton visited the city, claiming her second victory in La Course in 2019.
The eight-stage race will run from 23 July to 30 July 2023.
Stage one, 23 July 2023 | Clermont-Ferrand to Clermont Ferrand | 124km |
Stage two, 24 July 2023 | Clermont-Ferrand to Mauriac | 148km |
Stage three, 25 July 2023 | Collonges-La-Rouge to Montignac-Lascaux | 147km |
Stage four, 26 July 2023 | Cahors to Rodez | 177km |
Stage five, 27 July 2023 | Onet-Le-Château to Albi | 126km |
Stage six, 28 July 2023 | Albi to Blagnac | 122km |
Stage seven, 29 July 2023 | Lannemezan to Tourmalet Bagnères-De-Bigorre | 90km |
Stage eight, 30 July 2023 | Pau to Pau | 22km (ITT) |
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Tom joined Cycling Weekly as a news and features writer in the summer of 2022, having previously contributed as a freelancer. He is the host of The TT Podcast, which covers both the men's and women's pelotons and has featured a number of prominent British riders.
An enthusiastic cyclist himself, Tom likes it most when the road goes uphill and actively seeks out double-figure gradients on his rides.
He's also fluent in French and Spanish and holds a master's degree in International Journalism.
-
-
Legal challenge launched against UK government after active travel cuts
Campaign group claims cuts go against 'legally binding' net zero pledges
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
British bike company Planet X appears set to appoint administrators
The South Yorkshire-based firm has been building bikes for over 30 years
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift 2023: Everything you need to know
Information about the route, start list and how to watch the women's Tour de France
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
97 days until the Tour de France Femmes: How do the main contenders stack up?
Will Annemiek van Vleuten win once again or can her challengers pull on the yellow jersey for the first time
By Adam Becket • Published
-
'How much time do you have?': The untold story of the Tour de France Femmes
With 100 days to go until this year's edition, Cycling Weekly uncovers a decade-long battle for a women's Tour de France
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
Women’s WorldTour calendar 'a mess' and 'a nonsense' says Movistar boss
The UCI must invest in the bottom of the pyramid to ensure the sport’s future says Sebastián Unzué
By Owen Rogers • Published
-
No win for Jonas Vingegaard? Cycling Weekly's bold predictions for the 2023 season
With under a fortnight until the WorldTour kicks off this year, it is time to take a look into our crystal ball
By Adam Becket • Published
-
From the World Championships to Paris-Roubaix: Cycling Weekly's wins of 2022
It is hard to look past Annemiek van Vleuten, but we tried, so here is the best win of the year, plus nine more
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Annemiek van Vleuten to target Vuelta-Tour-Giro treble again next season
The Dutchwoman plans to retire at the end of 2023
By Tom Davidson • Published
-
13 years, 956km and 59 minutes: The Tour de France 2023 routes in numbers
The facts and the figures behind the men's and women's races next summer
By Adam Becket • Published