The city of Bilbao will be the beginning and the end of the first stage of the gala round, which in this edition is presumed to be exciting
The peloton will have to overcome the scoring levels of Laukiz, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, Morga, Vivero and Pike Bidea
The first pedal strokes of the 110th edition of the Tour de France have Bilbao as the start and finish. A circular and winding itinerary of 182 kilometers through the territory of Bizkaia. If to the nerves, enthusiasm and strength of the premiere we add the 3,300 meters of accumulated unevenness, the first day will offer us a vibrant spectacle.
In a route that links the Cantabrian coast and the Urdaibai biosphere and crosses emblematic places Like Gernika-Lumo, the peloton will have to overcome the scoring heights of Laukiz, San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, Morga, Vivero and Pike Bidea, the latter a 2-kilometre ‘wall’ at an average 9% with sections of 15% gradient, about 10 kilometers from the finish line. Who will wear the first yellow jersey of the 2023 Tour?
Start and finish line, Bilbao decided one day to reinvent itself and rise from its ashes, and it was transformed into a modern, cultured and stimulating city that competes with the great European capitals in everything that is proposed. Bilbao is more than the Guggenheim Museum, an icon that it does not renounce and that placed it on the tourist map worldwide. It is quality of life and culture, gastronomy and art, international quality shopping and accommodation, business and meetings. It is the international gateway to northern Spain, with the main international airport and cruise port.
About 55 kilometers of the route will go through Urdaibai, a Biosphere Reserve, nestled in a backwater of the Bay of Biscay, in the Busturialdea region, in Biscay. From the cliffs and beaches to the forests and inland rivers, passing through the marshes and river meadows, Urdaibai probably has the greatest landscape and ecological diversity in the Basque Country. Among its jewels are Gernika-Lumo, immortalized by Picasso and San Juan de Gaztelugatxe, famous islet and scene of “Game of Thrones& rdquor;.