The Tour de France 2023 starts with a bangand it is that doing it from the Basque Country the terrain invites it. It will be 182 kilometers starting and ending in the heart of Bilbao. In between, five ascents around the Botxo, including San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, Vivero… and one that stands out above the rest for its toughness and its location on the course: Pike. It is an explosive climb of two kilometers, with an average of 10% unevenness and with sections that exceed 15%. The favorites will do it in less than six minutes. In the presentation it was one of the special levels classified as B, which distributed 8, 5 and 2 seconds for the first three, and the Tour recently eliminated it. The reason? Ensure that the winner in Bilbao is the first leader.
The great candidates for victory came to recognize him, the last ones yesterday, like a Jonas Vingegaard which he did on Friday morning, when there were already fans taking positions. There was still one day ahead! The roads, full of graffiti, with abundant presence of the names of the seven Basque riders present in the Tour, will be crowded. Especially striking will be the curve to the left in which the maximum slope is reached, a section in which it will hardly be possible to open differences, much less attack. Just resist rhythm. This level was part of the Getxo Circuit last year, and the winner is not present on this Tour although he will be part of it for many years: Juan Ayuso.
For the one from Jávea it was his first victory as a professional. In this inaugural stage of the Tour, Pike is crowned with 10 km to go. Afterwards, he descends to Bilbao. If someone reaches the top alone, it seems difficult to reduce the difference in the descent, but not impossible, since the road is wide and cyclable, as Pello Bilbao, a great connoisseur, pointed out. Favorites? There are practically all the possible ones, starting with the great candidates for the general: Vingegaard and Pogacar. Other very explosive runners like Van Aert and Van der Poel, great specialists, they have many focuses on them. The latter is the favorite for Tadej himself: “The route suits him perfectly”, said the Slovenian. Alaphilippe, who is getting closer to his best level, is also in opposition. And in a Spanish key, Pello Bilbao and Omar Fraile They are the ones with the most ballots to shine. At stake is being the first yellow jersey of the Tour de France. Almost nothing.