Tour de France 2023: The stage-by-stage story of the race
- Published
Jonas Vingegaard (middle) won the 2023 Tour de France from Tadej Pogacar (left) and Adam Yates (right)
Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard sealed his second successive Tour de France triumph after the 110th edition of the race ended in Paris on Sunday.
The 26-year-old Jumbo-Visma rider beat two-time winner Tadej Pogacar by seven minutes 29 seconds, as Britain's Adam Yates finished third overall.
Starting in Bilbao, the riders had to tackle eight mountain stages and an individual time trial on trips to the Pyrenees and Alps during the 3,404km (2,115-mile) race.
Here is the story of the 2023 race.
Saturday, 1 July - stage one: Bilbao - Bilbao, 182km
Adam Yates had never won a Tour de France stage before
Winner: Adam Yates
Report: Britain's Adam Yates beats identical twin Simon to win stage one
Britain's Adam Yates beat identical twin brother Simon to win stage one of the Tour de France in Bilbao, Spain and take the leader's yellow jersey. UAE Team Emirates' Adam, 30, pulled away from Jayco AlUla rider Simon in the final stages of the uphill finish to win his first Tour stage.
Sunday, 2 July - stage two: Vitoria-Gasteiz to San Sebastian, 208.9km
Lafay's win was his first at the Tour de France and the first by his team, Cofidis, since 2008
Winner: Victor Lafay
Report: Lafay wins stage two as Yates retains yellow jersey
Frenchman Victor Lafay produced a brilliantly timed attack to win the second stage of the Tour de France. Belgium's Wout van Aert had appeared perfectly placed to take the 208.9km stage, which ended in San Sebastian, but Lafay burst clear with 900m to go and Van Aert was left banging his handlebars in frustration after being unable to reel him in.
Monday, 3 July - stage three: Amorebieta-Etxano - Bayonne, 193.5km
Jasper Philipsen has now won three stages of the Tour de France in his career
Winner: Jasper Philipsen
Report: Philipsen sprints to victory on stage three
Belgium's Jasper Philipsen sprinted to victory on stage three of the Tour de France as Britain's Adam Yates retained the leader's yellow jersey. Philipsen, 25, edged out Germany's Phil Bauhaus with Australia's Caleb Ewan in third in the first bunch-sprint finish of this year's Tour.
Tuesday, 4 July - stage four: Dax - Nogaro, 181.8km
Jasper Philipsen (left) beat Caleb Ewan by half a wheel on the finish line
Winner: Jasper Philipsen
Report: Philipsen claims second straight stage win
Jasper Philipsen won for the second day in a row amid a chaotic finish to stage four of the Tour de France in Nogaro. The Belgian was again led out perfectly by his team-mate Mathieu van der Poel and edged out Australia's Caleb Ewan with Germany's Phil Bauhaus third. Britain's Mark Cavendish, chasing a record-breaking 35th stage win, was further back in fifth.
Wednesday, 5 July - stage five: Pau - Laruns, 162.7km
Jai Hindley is competing in the Tour for the first time after winning the Giro d'Italia in 2022
Winner: Jai Hindley
Report: Hindley wins stage five to take yellow jersey
Jai Hindley claimed stage five to take the yellow jersey as Jonas Vingegaard dented Tadej Pogacar's hopes of a third Tour triumph. Australia's Hindley was part of an early breakaway and soloed to victory after attacking with 20km left. Meanwhile, Denmark's defending champion Vingegaard rode clear of two-time winner Pogacar, pulling out more than a minute on the man regarded as his main rival in the general classification.
Thursday, 6 July - stage six: Tarbes - Cauterets, 144.9km
Tadej Pogacar has won 10 stages over his career at the Tour
Winner: Tadej Pogacar
Report:Pogacar beats Vingegaard in epic mountain battle
Tadej Pogacar delivered a stunning attack on the final climb to Cauterets-Cambasque as he soloed clear of defending champion Jonas Vingegaard to win stage six. The two-time winner moved second overall, 25 seconds behind Vingegaard, who took the leaders yellow jersey after Australia's Jai Hindley was dropped on the penultimate climb up the iconic Col du Tourmalet.
Friday, 7 July - stage seven: Mont-de-Marsan - Bordeaux, 169.9km
Jasper Philipsen has won the last five sprint stages across two editions of the Tour
Winner: Jasper Philipsen
Report: Cavendish denied new Tour wins record by Philipsen
Mark Cavendish suffered a gear issue as Jasper Philipsen pipped him to victory in a sprint finish of stage seven. Cavendish had looked to be closing in on a record-breaking 35th stage win at the Tour until the Belgian powered past him in sight of the line. Denmark's defending champion Jonas Vingegaard retained the overall leader's yellow jersey.
Saturday, 8 July - stage eight: Libourne - Limoges, 200.7km
Mark Cavendish has not reached Paris in seven of his 14 Tour de France appearances
Winner: Mads Pedersen
Report: Cavendish denied record as crash puts him out of final Tour
Mark Cavendish was denied the opportunity to set a new record for stage wins after crashing out on his final Tour de France, as Denmark's Mads Pedersen won an uphill sprint finish in Limoges.
Sunday, 9 July - stage nine: Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat - Puy de Dome, 182.4km
Michael Woods claimed his first Tour victory as the race returned to Puy de Dome for the first time in 35 years
Winner: Michael Woods
Report: Woods wins first Tour stage on Puy de Dome
Michael Woods claimed a breakaway victory on stage nine of the Tour de France as Tadej Pogacar took more time out of race leader Jonas Vingegaard. Canada's Woods made up about two minutes on American Matteo Jorgenson on the steep final section of the dormant volcano, the Puy de Dome. Pogacar's late attack saw him reduce Vingegaard's overall lead to 17 seconds.
Tuesday, 11 July - stage 10: Vulcania - Issoire, 162.7km
Bilbao celebrated his first win at the Tour de France, at the age of 33
Winner: Pello Bilbao
Report: Bilbao claims first Tour stage win
Spain's Pello Bilbao timed his sprint finish to perfection as he claimed his first stage victory in the Tour de France. Krists Neilands attacked his breakaway companions over the top of the final climb on stage 10 but was caught with 3km to go and Bilbao was fastest in the final 200m.
Wednesday, 12 July - stage 11: Clermont-Ferrand - Moulins, 179.8km
Jasper Philipsen extended his green jersey lead with his fourth stage win
Winner: Jasper Philipsen
Report: Philipsen sprints to fourth stage victory of Tour
Jasper Philipsen timed his sprint to perfection to claim a fourth stage win of this year's edition. The Belgian worked his way up through the bunch and then kicked off the wheel of Dylan Groenewegen, who came second in Moulins.
Thursday, 13 July - stage 12: Roanne - Belleville-en-Beaujolais, 168.8km
Ion Izagirre has won stages at all three of cycling's Grand Tours
Winner: Ion Izagirre
Report: Izagirre cruises to victory as Vingegaard retains overall lead
Ion Izagirre soloed to victory on stage 12 after launching a superb attack 31km from the finish in Belleville-en-Beaujolais. The Spanish rider was 58 seconds clear of Mathieu Burgaudeau and Matteo Jorgenson, who were second and third. Jonas Vingegaard retained the overall leader's yellow jersey.
Friday, 14 July - stage 13: Chatillon-Sur-Chalaronne - Grand Colombier, 137.8km
Michal Kwiatkowski's only previous stage victory at the Tour came in 2020 in Morzine
Winner: Michal Kwiatkowski
Report: Kwiatkowski wins stage 13 as Pogacar gains ground
Michal Kwiatkowski took a superb solo win on stage 13 as Tadej Pogacar gained more time on race leader Jonas Vingegaard. Poland's Kwiatkowski rode clear on the summit finish on Grand Colombier on the race's first day in the Alps. An explosive attack by two-time race winner Pogacar in the final 400 metres cut Vingegaard's overall lead to nine seconds.
Saturday, 15 July - stage 14: Annemasse - Morzine Les Portes du Soleil, 137.8km
This was Carlos Rodriguez's first Grand Tour stage win
Winner: Carlos Rodriguez
Report: Vingegaard keeps yellow as Rodriguez wins epic stage
Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard retained the leader's yellow jersey after an intense stage 14. Spain's Carlos Rodriguez, been dropped on the final climb, won the stage after he mugged Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar on the final descent.
Sunday, 16 July - stage 15: Les Gets les Portes du Soleil - Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, 179km
Wout Poels finished two minutes eight seconds clear of second-placed Wout van Aert
Winner: Wout Poels
Report: Poels wins as fan taking selfie causes huge crash
Dutchman Wout Poels won his first stage at a Grand Tour as Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar crossed the finish line together. Stage 15 saw an early crash involving about 20 riders caused by a spectator trying to take a selfie with their phone.
Tuesday, 18 July - stage 16: Passy - Combloux, 22.4km
Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard had started the day only 10 seconds ahead of his nearest rival Tadej Pogacar
Winner: Jonas Vingegaard
Report: Vingegaard closes in on title after time trial win
Jonas Vingegaard tightened his grip on the yellow jersey after he blew away Tadej Pogacar in the individual time trial on stage 16. The Dane won the 22.4km route from Passy to Combloux in 32 minutes 36 seconds on a decisive day of the Tour.
Wednesday, 19 July - stage 17: Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc - Courchevel,165.7km
Vingegaard kissed his hand in celebration as he crossed the finish line at Courchevel
Winner: Felix Gall
Report: Jonas Vingegaard on brink of retaining title after stretching lead
Jonas Vingegaard is on the brink of retaining his Tour de France title after opening up a lead of more than seven minutes on a gruelling stage 17. The Dane powered up the final climb of the queen stage of the Tour but saw his main rival, Tadej Pogacar, crumble.
Thursday, 20 July - stage 18: Moutiers - Bourg-en-Bresse,184.9km
Kasper Asgreen had the strongest legs among the breakaway group to take victory as the peloton closed in behind
Winner: Kasper Asgreen
Report: Kasper Asgreen holds on to win stage 18 from epic breakaway
Kasper Asgreen claimed his first Tour de France stage victory as he held on to win stage 18 from an epic four-man breakaway to deny the sprinters in the dramatic closing stages in Bourg-en-Bresse. Fellow Dane Jonas Vingegaard maintained his comfortable overall lead with just three stages left.
Friday, 21 July - stage 19: Moirans-en-Montagne - Poligny, 172.8km
Matej Mohoric (r) pipped Kasper Asgren (l) in a thrilling finale to claim the third Tour stage win of his career
Winner: Matej Mohoiric
Report: Mohoric wins stage 19 of Tour de France
Matej Mohoric won stage 19 in a thrilling photo finish ahead of Kasper Asgreen in Poligny. The pair sprinted for the line at the end of a frantic day of racing, with the Slovenian denying Asgreen back-to-back stage wins by the width of a rim.
Saturday, 22 July - stage 20: Belfort - Le Markstein Fellering 133.5km
Tadej Pogacar clawed back six bonus seconds on Jonas Vingegaard but the yellow jersey rider has a comfortable lead heading into Sunday's processional stage to Paris
Winner: Tadej Pogacar
Report: Tadej Pogacar salvages pride by winning stage 20
Tadej Pogacar salvaged some pride by taking stage 20 of this year's Tour de France as Jonas Vingegaard all but sealed the defence of his title. Pogacar has been unable to challenge Vinegaard's supremacy in the past week, but sprinted past the Dane to win on the final day of competitive racing.
Sunday, 23 July - stage 21: Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines - Paris Champs-Elysees, 115.1km
Meeus was riding in his first Tour de France
Winner: Jordi Meeus
Report: Jonas Vingegaard retains title as Jordi Meeus claims surprise win in Paris
Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard sealed his second successive Tour de France triumph as Jordi Meeus sprinted to a surprise win on the final stage. Meeus, 25, edged out Jasper Philipsen in a photo finish in Paris to deny his fellow Belgian a repeat of last year's win on the iconic Champs Elysees.