© Unplash/Howard B.
This Saturday is the day: the start of the 2023 Tour de France in Bilbao, Spain. If you want to take the cycling festival up close, you’ll find all of the options below.
Traditionally, the French bicycle race begins on July 1. Also according to tradition, the race starts in a European city: this time the start and finish of the first stage is planned for Bilbao. The final stage is scheduled for July 23, with a traditional finish on the Champs-Élysées. Before that last race, of course there are still three more weeks of racing fun waiting for you.
According to the tour organizer, the full match of 3405.6 kilometers, including a 22.4 kilometer time trial (stage 16, between Passy and Combloux). Riders have to overcome a lot of altimeters during the tour – the 17th stage alone includes more than 5,000 altimeters. The highlight of the 2023 Tour de France will be reached on the same stage, at 2,304 meters on the Col de la Loze.
Which Belgian racers are participating?
Now that the Tour is approaching, the entire race file is also known. From the Belgian side, the following cyclists will start on July 1:
| Participant | Team |
|---|---|
| Wout van Aert | Jumbo Visma Team |
| Nathan Van Hooydonck | Jumbo Visma Team |
| Tiesj Benoot | Jumbo Visma Team |
| Jasper Phillips | Alpecin-Deceuninck |
| Quentin Hermans | Alpecin-Deceuninck |
| Jonas Rickert | Alpecin-Deceuninck |
| Yves Lampart | Soudal’s Quick Steps |
| Mauri Vansevenant | Soudal’s Quick Steps |
| Oliver Naesen | AG2R |
| Greg VanAvermaet | AG2R |
| Jasper Steven | Trek-Segafredo |
| Peter Allegaert | Cofidis |
| Jordan Meeus | Bora Hansgrohe |
| Maxim Van Gils | Lotto-Dstny |
| Frederick Frisson | Lotto-Dstny |
| Florian Vermeersch | Lotto-Dstny |
| Victor Campenaerts | Lotto-Dstny |
| Jasper De Buyst | Lotto-Dstny |
| Dylan Teuns | Israel-Premier Tech |
Connoisseurs are looking forward to the performances of Van Aert, Philipsen and Benoot. Tour de France race management named Van Aert as the most aggressive rider last year. The Belgian won three stages. Philipsen also managed to surprise with two race wins last year. Has Van Aert been aggressive enough this year to win some stages (or even races)? Time will bring it to us.
Take part in the 2023 Tour de France
Of course, the Tour de France can be watched again on television from July 1 to July 23. On July 7 and 17 only, no stages are planned: riders always have a rest day.
Where can I watch the Tour de France on TV?
Sporza broadcasts the stages of the Tour de France on television every day. This broadcast is accessible to everyone. Remember, this only applies to Belgian territory. If you go on vacation in July, you won’t be able to follow the pictures and live comments. You can bypass this via a VPN if necessary. Then set your country to Belgium and stream as usual.
You can also go to local television channels abroad. Below we have listed the channels in the most popular holiday countries. With the channel you can always follow the Tour de France for free.
- German: ARD
- France: FranceTV
- Italy: RAI
- belgium: VRT 1 or Canvas (Sporza)
- Dutch: NOS (NPO 1)
- Spanish: RTVE
- Great Britain: ITV
Take a Tour on your smartphone
The Sporza app for Android and iOS is completely dedicated to cycling between July 1 and 23. You will always find the latest results and follow the standings in real time. Ideal if you don’t have time to race during work, but still want to get through stages quickly.
Through the Sporza app, you can also follow live pictures of the course. Just like on TV, pictures are only available in Belgium. Vacationing abroad, you should therefore consult a VPN again to take the Tour de France live.
Below we list some other apps that you shouldn’t miss during the Tour. This app is always free to use.
1. The Official Application of the Tour de France
Don’t have a VPN or would you rather not use a VPN for Tour live streaming? You can still access live streams of tour stages via the official Tour de France app. You’ll also find stage highlights as separate videos on the app, if you haven’t followed the ride live. Also, the app comes with (live) ratings.
2. Big Tour Tour Tracker
Don’t need live pictures, but prefer extensive Tour stats? You’ll find it on Grand Tours’ Tour Tracker. In the app you will always find news about previous stages, live rankings, participating riders and you can always predict the course of a stage. The better you know how to predict courses, the higher you will be in the Fantasy ranking.
3. Cyclingoo
As an app, Cyclingoo is not exclusive to the Tour de France, and is also used for other races. However, the applications for Android and iOS are quite complete with complete information about teams and drivers, classifications and always a stage profile. You can also read from here how many mountain or sprint points a rider can earn.
Follow the Tour de France through podcasts
Would you rather listen to stories about bicycle racing? This is also possible via Sporza, among others. Every day you’ll find a new stage of Sporza Koers podcasts via Spotify, among others. Through the podcast you stay informed about the highlights in the course. In addition, you are immediately informed about the results achieved by Belgian riders. Unlike the live streams of the tour, these podcasts are available worldwide.
- Would you like to cycle alone more often? Then be sure to read up on exactly how bike rations for commuting work.
The annual Tour Podcast ‘De Kopgroep’ also returns to the Netherlands to keep you informed of all the developments every day. We can’t wait: let the cycling festival begin, with the Tour de France Femmes and the Spanish Vuelta right after the Tour de France.
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