Tour de France Femmes 2023 rider reactions to the route

Tour de France Femmes 2022 Route Map

The Tour de France Femmes 2023 route has been announced and plenty of riders were invited to the unveiling show in Paris. Many gave their reactions to the route, which seems to be universally popular. The inclusion of a major climb in the Col du Tourmalet and a time trial, which was missing from the first rebooted edition in 2022 has ticked many of the boxes. The first 6 stages look perfect for attacking racing, with a couple of stages looking nailed on for sprints and the others should reward attacking racing.

Tour de France Femmes 2023 route reactions

“I really like the first part of the race, with some great stages and after Le Tourmalet, I’m really looking forward to it! Last year is already forgotten, I want to come back.”

Marta Cavalli

“It’s going to be a very nice Tour de France. The arrival at the Col du Tourmalet will be legendary.”

Clara Copponi

It might have deserved two mountain stages. But it’s already very good. There will be enough to put on a good show. Really looking forward to being at the Tourmalet. The Tour de France Femmes 2023 promises great suspense with tricky stages and a time trial on the last day.”

Evita Muzic

Annemiek van Vleuten

“I think winning the first edition of the Tour de France this year was the most special thing that I have achieved in my career, especially because of the impact that it had. To win a stage race and to win the first Tour de France, I felt that cycling fans and also non-cycling fans would have watched it at home and so many spectators. I was not used to that and, when I went home, I was aware that some people that don’t like cycling were watching it and it made me super proud. It’s the biggest thing I achieved in my career.

For sure, there are opportunities with the uphill finish, but there are also some really tricky stages. I’m happy that there is no gravel. I think it’s a good balanced programme. For myself, the most important will be the uphill finish but it’s also really important in the six days before to have the focus. I am also happy with the difficulty of this Tour, because the easier stages are not short. We have great ingredients for a great battle.

Having such a famous climb as the Col du Tourmalet as the mountain finish of the Tour de France Femmes makes it so exciting. A time trial was not necessary for me, but the Tour does need it. It is also great for the time trialists. It is an improvement compared to this year.

Will this be my last Tour? Certainly. 2023 will be the best year to stop. I’m very eager and I’m still full of plans. But the details that I can improve on are drying up.”

Annemiek van Vleuten

“I think it is a challenging course and very exciting in the beginning. You need to be out of trouble already to survive for the one big mountain stage. There is only one big mountain stage, not like last year when we had two, but I think it will be very exciting still. We also have a time trial this year, a really nice thing to add.

So I think it will be interesting again, it will be of course hectical in the first stages, like we saw last year, you need to survive for the big day with the Tourmalet in it. I can’t wait to do the recons and see more of the course.”

Demi Vollering

“I think it’ll be a bit different to last year, now everybody knows what to expect. There will be a fight every day, it’s special to win the stage, it’s special to wear the jerseys. The first few stages look a bit more on the flat side but for sure I think the stage to the cathedral in Rodez will be a bit harder than it looks on paper.

When we hit the mountains in the Pyrenees, there’s no hiding. The Tourmalet is a big test for everybody and then the time trial in Pau, I was surprised by that, but I think it rounds out the parcours nicely. It will be fun, I think full on until the last day.”

Urska Zigart

“It makes you dream. A pass like that is legendary. Yes, I will continue to work to be stronger physically and reach this podium.”

Juliette Labous

“Interesting with a lot of different stages, a mountaintop finish and a TT at the end, that will stay open until the end for the yellow jersey. The stages are already quite hard and quite hilly, so I think it will be already open from the beginning of the Tour and that makes it super interesting I think from the beginning.

The Tourmalet is quite a famous mountain in France and I know it from different years in the men’s Tour de France. I rode it once but a long time ago, I remember it was hard.

I need to look more at the profiles but I think Stage 4 looks interesting, really long and hard at the end, it could be one of my favourites.

Elise Chabbey

“Getting to the start will be one of the goals of the year. I like the track a lot, with a time trial on the last day and a lot of other things that I like […] I would have liked see a few stages in Brittany, but it won’t take long, I’m sure. There will also be the Tourmalet, it will be the most difficult stage, with 2,500 meters of elevation in 90 kilometers. It’s frankly not a gift, I think I’ll take advantage of the climbs and above all I’ll try to get in on time.”

Audrey Cordon-Ragot