Tour de France 2023, Stage 7 (Mont-de-Marsan - Bordeaux), course, route, profile, animation

“Friday, 7 July On stage 7, the Tour finishes in Bordeaux for the first time since 2010. The city is known for often being the finish of a sprint stage. This time, too, the chance is great. The race is just under 170 kilometres long. Since 1947, the Tour has arrived in the city at the mouth of the Gironde no less than 56 times. All the more remarkable is the fact that the Tour de France has not finished in Bordeaux for thirteen editions now. Back then, Mark Cavendish beat the rather unknown Jean Dean and Alessandro Petacchi on the course. In the past, several Dutchmen crossed the finish line jubilant in the traditional sprint city in the west of France: Hans Dekkers (1952), Jan Nolten (1953), Henk Faanhof (1954), Wout Wagtmans (1955), Jo de Roo (1965), Gerben Karstens (1976), Cees Priem (1980), Bert Oosterbosch (1983), Jan Raas (1984), Rob Harmeling (1992), Jean-Paul van Poppel (1998) and Servais Knaven (2002). Knaven then replaced Tom Steels as the stage winner in Bordeaux. The Belgian was successful in the sprint in 1999; the Dutchman made it out of the leading group by attacking 18 kilometres before the finish and riding alone to victory. Speaking of Belgians. They have won a Tour stage in Bordeaux even more times. Fifteen times: Martin Van Geneugden (1960, 1961), Rik Van Looy (1963), Willy Planckaert (1966), Walter Godefroot (1986, 1972, 1973), Eddy Merckx (1970, 1971, 1972, 1974), Freddy Maertens (1978), Eric Vanderaerden (1985), Etienne De Wilde (1989) and Tom Steels (1999). And, oh yes, the course. There’s not much more to say about it than that it’s flat. Once there are mountain points to be earned. That is on the Côte de Béguey, a climb with a 4.4% gradient, the summit of which is almost 50 kilometres from the finish. “ ( & Routes ’n’ Maps ’n’ Flags) Creating cycling stage animations requires a lot of work and computing power. You are welcome to support me with a donation: