Stage 3: Amorebieta-Etxano to Bayonne
Date: July 3, 2023
Distance: 193.5km
Stage type: Flat
The sprinters finally getting a chance of victory on stage 3 as the Tour de France leaves the Basque Country and enters France.
Stage 3 start in Amorebieta-Etxano and heads along the Basque Country coastline before reaching the French border and continuing north to Bayonne.
The 193.5km stage - extended by 6.1km to detour around road furniture - features four climbs before it leaves Spain – the ascents of Trabakua, Milloi, Itziar and Orioko Benta – but none of them are classified above of category 3 and the fast men should not lose contact with the peloton.
That terrain will encourage early attackers, of course, and Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) will be watchful in defence of his polka dot jersey, but the flat run-in to Bayonne lends itself clearly to a bunch sprint.
Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates), so aggressive in the opening two days, seems unlikely to search for opportunities on Monday, where vigilance will be the order of the day for yellow jersey Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) and the rest of the overall contenders.
After placing second in San Sebastian on Sunday, Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) will be eager to strike back here, but the Belgian will face stiff competition from the pure sprinters, including Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal-QuickStep), Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny), Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-Alula) and, of course, Mark Cavendish (Astana-Qazaqstan), seeking that elusive 35th Tour stage win.
Jasper Philipsen, meanwhile, will be able to rely on the deluxe lead-out services of his Alpecin-Deceuninck teammate Mathieu van der Poel. A sprint royale is in prospect.
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