Cycling in Yorkshire
Cycling in Yorkshire
Stage 7 of the Tour de France 2023 is a 169.9km flat stage from Mont-de-Marsan to Bordeaux.
Christian Prudhomme expects the sprinters' teams to control the race. The culmination of the stage is a 2km straight by the quayside in Bordeaux, with the finish line on the Quai Louis XVIII near the place des Quinconces.
These are video highlights of Stage 7 Tour de France 2023.
This is the Stage 7 TDF 2023 Blog.
Race Details | Poll | Map & Profile | Timings | Videos | Food & Drink | Route Notes | Favourites
| Date | Friday 7th July 2023 |
|---|---|
| Stage classification | Flat |
| Distance | 169.9km |
| Intermediate sprint | Grignols |
| Climbs | Côte de Béguey Cat. 4) |
This is a map of the route of Stage 7, Tour de France 2023.
This is a zoom-able map of Stage 7 of the 2023 Tour de France.
This is the profile of Stage 7 Tour de France 2023.
| Caravan | Fast Schedule | Slow Schedule | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start Time (départ fictif) | 1115 |
1315 |
1315 |
| Start Time (départ réel) | 1130 |
1330 |
1330 |
| Intermediate Sprint Grignols | 1333 |
1522 |
1533 |
| Climb Béguey | 1433 |
1617 |
1633 |
| Finish Line (169.9km) | 1527 |
1707 |
1727 |
This is a video overview of Stage 7 Tour de France 2023.
The last time there was a stage finish in Bordeaux was on Stage 18 of the 2010 Tour de France. Mark Cavendish won that day.
Stage 7 ends in Bordeaux, arguably the most famous wine region in France. Bordeaux reds are medium- to full-bodied, with aromas of blackcurrant, plum, and earthy notes of wet gravel or pencil lead.
Laithwaites offers a case of 6 Bordeaux reds.
One Bordeaux food speciality is asparagus from Blayais. Another is oysters from the Bassin d'Arcachon.
Sel de Château is coarse salt soaked in red wine. It stems from an accident when salt transported by boat was soaked in red wine because strong waves caused the wine to spill.
The ruined salt was given away, but people found it tasty and it was subsequently made on purpose and sold as a condiment.
The Bordeaux canelé is a small pastry cake flavoured with vanilla and rum, and baked in a copper mould.
Stage 7 starts in Mont-de-Marsan (départ fictif).
Mont-de-Marsan is the capital of the Landes département, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region of France. The Forêt des Landes is the largest forest in western Europe.
One of several possible explanations of the town's name is that the Romans built a temple dedicated to the god Mars on a hill, and called the place Mons Martiani.
Two rivers meet at Mont-de-Marsan, the Midou and the Douze. Their flow united, they form a third river called the Midouze.
Mont-de-Marsan was probably a river port during the Roman period.
The Medieval town was founded in 1133 by Pierre de Lobanner, Viscount of Marsan. It was on the pilgrimmage route to Santiago de Compostela.
From 1154 to 1441, Mont-de-Marsan belonged to England as part of Aquitaine.
One of the most imposing buildings in the town is the Donjon Lacataye. It is really two houses joined together, not a castle keep.
The local economy is based on agriculture, wood and wood products, as well as the local military bases. The Mont-de-Marsan air base is about 2km north of the town.
A punk festival was held in 1976, and again in 1977 when The Clash were among the acts.
Famous people from Mont-de-Marsan include football goalie Joël Bats and rugby player Thomas Castaignède.
The neutralised section sets off from Place Joseph Pancaut and crosses the river Midouze to Boulevard Ferdinand de Candau. It continues on Boulevard d'Haussez to Place Francis Planté before crossing back over the river.
Next the peloton is on Rue Victor Hugo, then Avenue du Maréchal Foch. (It must be the law that every French town has to have an Avenue du Maréchal Foch).
Stage 7 leaves town on Avenue Canenx, and the départ réel is by Mont-de-Marsan air base.
When the racing begins the riders head north east to Roquefort (not the one famous for its cheese).
Roquefort is at the confluence of the Douze and the Estampon. The Viscount of Marsan built a fortress here in the 900s. In 1357 another Viscount of Marsan built a new town, or bastide. It catered to pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela.
From 1907 to 1934, Roquefort was the terminus of a forestry railway that originated in Lencouacq, presumably carrying logs from les Landes for processing or onward transport.
Next on the route are Saint-Gor, Vielle-Soubiran and Losse.
Then the N524, part of the Itinéraire à Grand Gabarit, leads to Maillas.
The Itinéraire a Grand Gabarit is a water and road route that has been created to allow oversize sections of the Airbus A380 to be transported from their various points of manufacture to Toulouse for final assembly.
The peloton continues NNE to Grignols, in the Gironde. The intermediate sprint is at Grignols.
Grignols castle was built in the 1400 and 1500s on the site of an older castle, and restored in the 1800s. It is now used as a venue for events.
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Then the route is NW to Langon.
Langon is on the river Garonne. The name Langon is a corruption of the Celtic name for this place, Alingo.
It is a key point on the Itinéraire à Grand Gabarit. Components are brought from the Atlantic coast by barge via the Gironde and the Garonne to a specially constructed dock at Langon, then transferred to very big lorries to proceed in convoy to Toulouse.
At Langon the race crosses to the right bank of the Garonne, and follows the river Garonne towards Bordeaux through Saint-Maixant and Sainte-Croix-du-Mont.
The peloton heads through Cadillac, which gives its name to a Côtes de Bordeaux wine region.
Cadillac is known for sweet wines steeped in character, thanks to an oceanic climate, lime-rich gravelly soils, and south-facing slopes. Misty mornings favour the development of Botrytis Cinerea, or noble rot, on the grapes.
Leaving the Garonne at Béguey, the riders head up to Cardan.
This is the only categorised climb on the stage, Category 4. It is 1.2km at 4.4%. The height at the top is 84m, after 131km raced.
They continue to Capian, then return to the river at Langoiran and stay near the Garonne all the way to Bordeaux.
In Bordeaux, the riders race along the Quai de la Souys, on the right bank of the Garonne. They cross the river on the Pont Saint-Jean.
Now Stage 7 is on the Quai Sainte-Croix past the Parc des Sport de Saint-Michel. It turns into Quai des Salinières then Quai Richelieu and Quai de la Douane past the place de la Bourse.
The finish line is on Quai Louis XVIII, at the east end of place des Quinconces and by the Parc Fleuri.
This video shows the route of the finale in Bordeaux.
Bordeaux is a port city on the river Garonne, in the Gironde département of France. The population is around 260,000.
It's known for wine, and hosts a top wine fair, Vinexpo. It is also a hub for aeronautics, including military planes and the space sector. Dassault is based in Bordeaux.
There are 130,000 in the wider Bordeaux Metropolis area.
The site was home to a Celtic people from around 300BC, who called it Burdigala.
The Romans ruled Bordeaux from around 60BC. They built an amphitheatre, and introduced vines to the area.
Barbarian invasions displaced the Romans in the 400s AD. Vikings raided in the mid-800s.
After Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry II of England, Bordeaux flourished due to a Single Market and Customs Union with England. Bordeaux became part of France in 1453.
In the 1700s, Bordeaux was a very busy port, trading in coffee, cocoa, sugar, cotton, indigo, but also slaves.
During World War II, Bordeaux was home to Italian submarines and German U-boats participating in the Battle of the Atlantic.
Bordeaux produces around 960 million bottles of wine per year.
Red wines are made from a blend of grapes, and called claret in English. Whites are made from Sauvignon blanc, Sémillon, and Muscadelle.
The Cité du Vin is a wine museum and exhibition centre.
Bordeaux has hosted the Tour de France on 81 occasions, which is second only to Paris.
Mark Cavendish was the last rider to win in Bordeaux, on Stage 18 of the 2010 Tour de France.
In 2023, there's to be a Fan Park at Place des Quinconces. They suggest people come by bike and they are offering a free secure bike park with capacity for 770 bikes.
Stage 7 of the Tour de France 2023 should be a straightforward bunch sprint.
Mark Cavendish signed for Astana, and won the final stage of the 2023 Giro d'Italia in Rome.
Perhaps today will be the day when he overtakes Eddy Merckx in total number of stage wins.
Otherwise likely candidates could include Jasper Philipsen, Dylan Groenewegen or Fabio Jakobsen.
Who do you think will win Stage 7?
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