CYCLING: Saturday at 12:30 p.m., the fictitious start of the first stage of the Tour de France will start in the Basque Country (12:55 p.m. for the real start)
- 21 stages are planned during this edition of the Tour de France.
- The first of them starts in Bilbao and covers 182 kilometres.
- The route is rugged and includes 5 listed climbs.
The month of July starts and the Tour de France too. On Saturday, the first stage of the Tour de France will start from Bilbao, Spain, and will cover 182 kilometres.
During this uneven course, with 3221 meters of elevation gain and 5 classified ascents, the winning rider should already be a size in the peloton.
The race program
If the fictitious departure is scheduled for 12:30 p.m. on Saturday 1st July, it will be necessary to wait until 12:55 p.m. for the real departure. The finish should take place around 5:15 p.m. (taking into account an average speed of 42 km/h).
Considered the most prestigious race in the world, the Tour de France promises spectacle and superhuman effort from the peloton.
Beyond the Côte de Laukiz (2.2km at 6.9%), the Côte de San Juan, at kilometre 67.8 (3.5km at 7.6%) will set the tone for the race. These are two 3rd category climbs. It will be necessary to wait for the last ten kilometres of the race to find the last three passes to cross: the Col de Morga (3.9km at 4.1%), the Côte de Vivero (4.2km at 7.3%) and the Côte from Pike (2km at 10%). The arrival itself is also on a coast.
A first yellow jersey in play
Tadej Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel are obviously the favourites for the stage and the tour, but outsiders such as Wout van Aert, Jonas Vingegaard, Julian Alaphilippe or Mads Pedersen will have their shot at the start.
As for the green jersey, the intermediate sprint of the day will be at kilometre 88.2 in Gernika-Lumo. The first breakaways will certainly play for the points.
All the riders have high hopes in Bilbao. Despite the passes and the stress of the first day, the first yellow jersey of this 110th edition of the Tour de France will be awarded at the end of this stage.
On which channel and at what time to see the race
From 12 p.m. on France 2, the departure village hosts the television set. From 12:55 p.m., it will be necessary to switch to France 3, before returning to France 2 at 3 p.m.
The stage will also be broadcast on Eurosport 1, for subscribers, from 12:55 p.m.
