Tour de France 2023: How to watch, storylines, teams, and results

The 2023 Tour de France has reached its final week.

But with two pivotal mountain stages remaining, as well as the only time trial stage of the 2023 Tour de France, everything is on the line as the riders prepare for the final week.

Following the last rest day of the 2023 Tour on Monday, riders will take on the 2023 Tour’s sole time trial on Tuesday. Then on Wednesday the peloton will take on the second-to-last mountain stage of this year’s Tour, which features the final uncategorized mountain climb of the 2023 Tour de France: Col de la Loze. This climb covers 28.4 kilometers and riders will gain over 1,800 meters of elevation, at a gradient of 6%.

Currently, defending champion Jonas Vingegaard has a ten-second lead over Tadej Pogacar, the winner in both 2020 and 2021. But with a difficult week in front of the peloton, everything is on the line.

Read on for more on this year’s Tour de France, including broadcast information, stage information, a summary of each stage to date, and more.

Previous updates: Cycling’s most prestigious event is about to get underway.

Starting on Sunday, nearly 200 riders from 22 teams will embark on a 2,115-mile journey from Bilbao, Spain into the heart of Paris. Riders will endure 21 stages over 23 days — meaning just two rest days — as they tackle France’s five biggest mountain ranges.

This year’s event has no shortage of storylines, starting with the battle between Dane Jonas Vingegaard, riding for UCI WorldTeam Jumbo–Visma, and Slovenian Tadej Pogačar of UAE Team Emirates.

Vingegaard is the reigning Tour de France champion, winning the 2022 version ahead of his rival Pogačar. The two previous years, the Slovenian was the one to earn the prestigious yellow jersey, the maillot jaune; his victory in 2020 at the age of 21 made him the second-youngest winner in race history. The two are the odds-on favorites to compete for the top spot on the podium again in 2023.

Vingegaard is arguably the best pure climber in the world and he impressed during the lead-up races to the Tour de France. Pogačar, meanwhile, has been ranked the No. 1 rider in the world for a record 92 straight weeks but had only two race days since late April, when he suffered a broken wrist in a crash. Despite their difference in preparation, their expected three-week fight for the victory projects to be an entertaining one — if Pogačar is on form.

The 2023 Tour de France will also have the last three champions in the field for the first time since 2009. That includes Vingegaard and Pogačar, as well as Colombia’s Egan Bernal of Ineos Grenadiers. The winner of the 2019 edition, Bernal became the first South American to finish the race in first place.

There are also some tweaks to the race itself. The opening stage, which is usually either a time trial or flat stage, is on hilly terrain this time around and will likely be a chance for general classification riders to get an early jump on their opponents. In addition, the penultimate 20th stage will not be a time trial this year. Instead, it is now a mountain stage, taking riders from Belfort to Le Markstein, covering 82.9 miles with almost 12,000 feet of climbing.

Another major storyline to watch? British cyclist Mark Cavendish. Cavendish is tied with Belgian legend Eddy Merckx for 34 Tour stage wins, the current record.

Cavendish stated back in May during the Giro d’Italia that he was retiring at the end of this year. A year ago Cavendish was a Tour de France reserve for his previous team, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl. Cavendish was announced as a team member by his current team, Astana Qazaqstan.

There are two teams from the United States in the field: EF Education-Easypost and Lidl-Trek. While none of the individual American riders are considered among the favorites for general classification, you could see a United States cyclist secure a stage win or two. Neilson Powless, riding for EF Education-Easypost, finished 13th overall in last year’s Tour de France, has two wins and three top-tens this year, and could secure a stage victory early.

Matteo Jorgenson, who rides for Movistar Team, nearly won Stage 16 last year in his Tour de France debut. He could push for a stage win this year. Another American, Sepp Kuss with Jumbo–Visma, is always strong in the mountains. While his main role with the team is to aid Vingegaard, he has won a Tour stage before.

For more on the Tour de France in general, we would strongly recommend this piece looking at the new Netflix docuseries “Unchained,” which looks at the 2022 Tour de France.

Here is how to watch, a look at each stage, and more.

NBC Sports is your home for every stage of the 110th Tour de France, with the bulk of the coverage airing live each day on Peacock. NBC and USA Network will also air live coverage during the first week of the 2023 Tour de France, along with encores of each stage on USA at 2 a.m. ET most days.

All NBC and USA Network coverage also streams on NBCSports.com/live, as well as the NBC Sports app.

Here is the full broadcast schedule:

22 teams are competing in the 2023 Tour de France: That includes all 18 UCI WorldTeams, and 4 UCI ProTeams.

18 UCI WorldTeams

AG2R Citroën Team
Alpecin-Deceuninck
Arkéa-Samsic
Astana Qazaqstan Team
Bora-Hansgrohe
Cofidis
EF Education-EasyPost
Groupama-FDJ
Ineos Grenadiers
Intermarché-Circus-Wanty
Lidl-Trek
Movistar Team
Soudal—Quick-Step
Team Bahrain Victorious
Team dsm-firmenich
Team Jayco-AlUla
Team Jumbo-Visma
UAE Team Emirates

UCI ProTeams

Israel—Premier Tech
Lotto—Dstny
Team TotalEnergies
Uno-X Pro Cycling Team

Here is the official map of the 2023 Tour de France:

You can also view the map on the official Tour de France website.

Here are the stages for the 2023 Tour de France. There are eight stages considered “flat,” four hill stages, eight mountain stages, and one time trial stage this year.

The toughest stretch of the 2023 Tour de France looks to be Stages 13 through 16. Over three straight days riders will be tested by the French Alps, with a summit finish on both Stage 13 and Stage 15.

Stage 17, another mountain stage, might be the toughest individual test of the 2023 Tour de France. Riders will tackle a 103.1 mile stage with over 16,000 feet of elevation climb. Stage 17 also features a climb to the top of the 7,559-feet Col de la Loze, the highest point in this year’s Tour and one of the summits considered “beyond category.”

If Stage 17 is not the toughest stage, Stage 6 might be. Another mountain stage, this includes the 6,939-foot Col du Tourmalet in the Pyrenees, and features the first of the summit finishes in the 2023 Tour de France.

Stage 1: Bilabo to Bilabo

Stage Winner: Adam Yates, UAE Team Emirates
Overall Leader: Adam Yates, UAE Team Emirates
Yates holds off his twin brother Simon Yates to win Stage 1 of the 2023 Tour de France. It is Yates’ first ever stage win at the Tour de France. Tadej Pogacar comes across the line third, giving UAE a first-third start to the 2023 TDF.

Stage 2: Vitoria-Gasteiz to Saint-Sébastien

Stage Winner: Victor Lafay, Cofidis
Overall Leader: Adam Yates, UAE Team Emirates.
Lafay notched the first stage win for Cofidis in 15 years with an impressive showing, breaking clear of the pack in the closing kilometer for his first stage victory. Lafay now sits fourth in the general classification. Adam Yates retained the yellow jersey, with his twin brother Simon six seconds behind him, tied with Pogacar for second in the general classification.

Stage 3: Amorebieta-Etxano to Bayonne

Stage Winner: Jasper Philipsen, Alpecin-Deceuninck
Overall Leader: Adam Yates, UAE Team Emirates
The first flat stage of the Tour de France offered the first chance for a true sprint finish. Laurent Pichon of Arkéa–Samsic broke away from the peloton early, but the pack slowly reeled him in ahead of the finish. With five kilometers to go, Team Jumbo-Visma made their way to the front, with Vingegaard and Wout van Aert — who was reportedly frustrated after how Stage 2 ended — among those pushing hard. It all set the stage for a high-speed finish that saw Jasper Philipsen of Alpecin-Deceuninck secure his first stage win of the 2023 Tour de France. Philipsen won two stages a year ago. Phil Bauhaus, Caleb Ewan, Fabio Jakobsen, and Van Aert round out the top five of the stage. Adam Yates retains the yellow jersey as the overall leader.

Stage 4: Dax to Nogaro

Stage Winner: Jasper Philipsen, Alpecin-Deceuninck
Overall Leader: Adam Yates, UAE Team Emirates
The fourth day of the Tour de France featured a second-straight flat stage, culminating in a wide-open finish at the Paul-Armagnac auto racing track in Nogaro with a 700-meter straight. With just under five miles remaining, the peloton cranked up the pace, pushing upwards of 37 mph as the pack closed in on Paul-Armagnac. When the peloton arrived at the race track, the finish was marred by three different crashes before coming down to a photo-finish between Philipsen and Caleb Ewan of ProTeam Lotto–Dstny. In the end it was Philipsen by half a wheel over Ewan for his second-straight stage victory. Cavendish, seeking his record 35th-stage win, finished fifth. Adam Yates holds onto the yellow jersey as the overall leader.

Stage 5: Pau to Laruns

Stage Winner: Jai Hindley, Bora-Hansgrohe
Overall Leader: Jai Hindley, Bora-Hansgrohe
We have a new leader at the Tour de France.
After two-straight flat stages, the peloton returned to the mountains, winding from Pau to Laruns. The stage included some difficult climbs, including Col de Soudet, Col d’Ichère, and Col de Marie-Blanque. It was Hindley who ultimately broke away, securing his first-ever Tour de France stage victory. His strong ride also saw him take over as the overall leader in the general classification. Jonas Vingegaard pushed hard in the end, and now sits fifth in the general classification. Pogacar, however, struggled on Wednesday and now sits eighth in the general classification, more than 90 seconds behind Hindley.

Stage 6: Tarbes to Cauterets-Cambasque

Stage Winner: Tadej Pogacar, UAE Team Emirates
Overall Leader: Jonas Vingegaard, Team Jumbo-Visma
Thursday delivered the first true duel between the heavyweights, Pogacar and Vingegaard. For the second day in a row the riders tackled a mountain stage, complete with a climb up Col du Tourmalet, a 6,939-foot climb in the Pyrenees. A group of about 20 riders broke away early, but in the closing kilometers it was down to Pogacar, Vingegaard, and Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers). Kwiatkowski eventually sat up before the finish, leaving just Pogacar and Vingegaard to battle it out over the final three kilometers. Pogacar attacked with 2.7 kilometers to go, and eventually came across with his first stage win of the 2023 Tour. However, it was Vingegaard who took over as the leader for the general classification, with Pogacar just 25 seconds behind.

Stage 7: Mont-de-Marsan to Bordeaux

Stage Winner: Jasper Philipsen, Alpecin-Deceuninck
Overall Leader: Jonas Vingegaard, Team Jumbo-Visma
After two mountain stages, the 2023 Tour de France returned to more flat terrain, offering up another potential sprint. That opened the door for Mark Cavendish to set the all-time mark for stage wins, and the Astana rider made a push in the closing kilometers. But he was not alone, and at the end Jasper Philipsen nipped him for his third stage win of the 2023 Tour, denying Cavendish his record.
Vingegaard finished 22nd, but retained the yellow jersey.

Stage 8: Libourne to Limoges

Stage Winner: Mads Pedersen, Lidl-Trek
Overall Leader: Jonas Vingegaard, Team Jumbo-Visma
Mads Pedersen won his second-career stage at the Tour de France, and Vingegaard retained the yellow jersey. But the big story from Stage 8 is the bitter end of the 2023 Tour de France — and likely career — for Mark Cavendish. Cavendish entered the 2023 TDF hoping to set the career mark with his 35th stage victory, and Stage 8 offered another chance for him after being nipped at the line on Friday. But an early crash in the middle of the peloton saw Cavendish land hard, and retire to the medical tent. A broken collarbone has ended his 2023 Tour de France, and likely his career, as he was set to retire at the end of the year.

Stage 9: Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat to Puy de Dôme

Stage Winner: Michael Woods, Israel Premier-Tech
Overall Leader: Jonas Vingegaard, Team Jumbo-Visma
Stage 9, ending at the iconic Puy de Dôme, was conquered by Michael Woods of Israel Premier-Tech. Woods was part of an initial group of 14 riders that broke away from the peloton, and while various riders made their attacks, it was Matteo Jorgensen from Movistar whose attack with 50 kilometers remaining posed the biggest threat. But Woods was able to chase him down in the final 500 meters of the summit finish to claim the stage.
Behind them a battle between Vingegaard and Pogacar for the yellow jersey was heating up. Pogacar went on the offensive with over a kilometer remaining, and while Vingegaard fought back, Pogacar shaved eight seconds off Vingegaard’s lead.
Up next? A day of rest for the riders before Stage 10.

Stage 10: Vulcania to Issoire

Stage Winner: Pello Bilbao, Team Bahrain Victorious
Overall Leader: Jonas Vingegaard, Team Jumbo-Visma
For the first time since 2018, a Spanish rider has won a stage at the Tour de France. Pello Bilbao secured his first-ever stage victory, first reeling in Krists Neilands who had broken away from the field, and then topping Georg Zimmermann from Intermarché–Circus–Wanty over the final two kilometers to secure the win. Following his victory, Bilbao dedicated his stage win to former teammate Gino Mäder, who tragically passed away at the Tour de Suisse last month.
As for the general classification, Vingegaard and Pogacar were part of an initial breakaway at the start of the stage, but they settled in and finished three minutes behind Bilbao. Vingegaard retained the yellow jersey, with Pogacar now 17 seconds behind his rival.

Stage 11: Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins

Stage Winner: Jasper Philipsen, Alpecin-Deceuninck
Overall Leader: Jonas Vingegaard, Team Jumbo-Visma
History was made at the Tour de France on Wednesday. Philipsen secured his fourth stage of the 2023 Tour, edging past Dylan Groenewegen and Phil Bauhaus in the Tour’s final flat stage until Stage 19. That makes Philipsen just one of two active riders with four stage wins in a single Tour de France, joining Mark Cavendish.
Regarding the general classification, Vingegaard maintained his yellow jersey, thanks to a strong effort from his Jumbo-Visma teammates to protect him until the final few kilometers. That opened the door for a charge from Wout Van Aert, but the Jumbo-Visma rider could not catch Philipsen.

Stage 12: Roanne to Belleville-en-Beaujolais

Stage Winner: Ion Izagirre, Cofidis
Overall Leader: Jonas Vingegaard, Team Jumbo-Visma
Seven years after his first-ever Tour de France stage win, Ion Izagirre from Cofidis claimed his second. It was also the second stage victory in as many days for a Spanish rider. After an early breakaway from Mads Pedersen, a group reeled him in at the front which included Izagirre. Izagirre then broke away from the pack with around 30 kilometers to go, and held on for the win. Vingegaard maintained the yellow jersey, with Pogacar still 17 seconds behind him.

Stage 13: Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne to Grand Colombier

Stage Winner: Michal Kwiatkowski, Ineos Grenadiers
Overall Leader: Jonas Vingegaard, Team Jumbo-Visma
The peloton returned to the mountains for Stage 13, concluding with a summit finish at the above categorization Grand Colombier. When all was said and done, Michal Kwiatkowski from Ineos Grenadiers who carried the day. He took the lead with over ten kilometers remaining, and fought off attacks from Adam Yates and Maxim Van Gils, securing the second Tour de France stage victory of his career.
In terms of the general classification, Pogacar made a charge of his own over the final 400 meters of the summit finish to finish third in the stage. The four seconds of bonus time he picked up for that third-place finish, plus the four seconds he gained on Vingegaard, now see him trailing by just nine seconds.

Stage 14: Annemasse to Morzine Les Portes du Soleil

Stage Winner: Carlos Rodriguez, Ineos Grenadiers
Overall Leader: Jonas Vingegaard, Team Jumbo-Visma
Stage 14 saw a milestone in the history of the Tour de France: The 250th uncategorized mountain climb since the classification system was unveiled in 1979. This stage saw a breakaway group of 16 riders at the front with 30 kilometers to go, with Vingegaard and Pogacar among them. While those two were battling, it was Carlos Rodriguez from Ineos Grenadiers who took advantage, sprinting away with under ten kilometers to go for his first stage victory. His effort moved him to third in the general classification, behind only Pogecar and Vingegaard, who retained the yellow jersey.

Stage 15: Les Gets - Les Portes du Soleil to Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc

Stage Winner: Wout Poels, Bahrain Victorious
Overall Leader: Jonas Vingegaard, Team Jumbo-Visma
Veteran rider Wout Poels claimed his first-ever Tour de France stage win, surviving the third mountain stage in as many days. Poels broke away from the pack with just over ten kilometers remaining, as the riders climbed Côte des Amerands. Pogacar attacked with under a kilometer to go, but Vingegaard stuck to his wheel and would not let his rival break away, retaining the yellow jersey.

Stage 16: Passy to Combloux

Stage Winner: Jonas Vingegaard, Team Jumbo-Visma
Overall Leader: Jonas Vingegaard, Team Jumbo-Visma
If Vingegaard goes on to win his second-straight Tour de France, he and the rest of the cycling world will look back at Stage 16 as the day he took control. In the only individual time trial of the 2023 Tour de France, Pogacar began the day just ten seconds behind Vingegaard with a fantastic chance to whittle away at that lead. But in what was described on the coverage as a “time trial of destruction,” Vingegaard not only won the stage, but won it by 1’38” over his rival, giving himself a 1’48” advantage as the Tour begins its final week.