Tour de France 2023: Yellow jersey guide and ratings – Can anyone topple Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar?

The long wait is over; the riders are gathering in Bilbao and the 110th edition of the Tour de France is almost upon us. Two stages in the Basque Country are followed by an undulating coastal schlep over the French border to Bayonne for the first of what could be eight frantic sprint finishes.

But it will not be long before the focus shifts towards the battle for yellow with the first GC showdown coming in Stage 6 in the Pyrenees with a mountaintop finish at Cauterets after an ascent of the legendary Col du Tourmalet. Additional uphill finales come on the iconic Puy de Dome in the Massif Central, the brutal Grand Colombier in the Jura, and at Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc in the Alps.

Ad A hilly 22.4km race against the clock in Stage 16 should provide another focal point in the quest for the maillot jaune, as will a “queen stage” to Courchevel that features 5,000m of climbing and a technical descent following the highest point of the race – the Col de la Loze – as well as a penultimate day that packs six pointy climbs in the Vosges in just 133km. Tour de France'I want to try and achieve both' — Pidcock targets Tour de France stage and GC success3 HOURS AGO Who does the route suit best and who can be a surprise package in this year’s eagerly anticipated Tour? Let’s now take a closer look.

Tour de France stage guide as Pogacar and Vingegaard chase yellow Tour de France 2023 team guide: Start list, star riders for all 22 teams The favourites: Vingegaard and Pogacar Is this cycling’s equivalent of the Federer-Nadal rivalry in tennis from a decade ago? It’s hard seeing anyone else getting a look in when there are two riders who stand head, shoulders and a busby above the rest of the peloton. Back in the spring – when Tadej Pogacar