First mountain stage of the TDF 2023!
With the Pau to Laruns stage, the mountains are calling for the first time in this year’s Tour de France 2023! Which 5th stage tip does the betting database have ready? So far, the Tour of France has been flat to hilly, but now the peleton is reaching the Pyrenees.
The mountain range between France and Spain is part of the inventory of the “Grand Boucle” and will again offer exciting daily sections in 2023. On the first mountain stage between Pau and Laruns over just under 163 kilometres, the favourites to win the overall classification will of course also present themselves in a prominent manner.
After all, the 5th stage of the Tour de France represents a first litmus test on the form of the favourites. In addition, attacks from pedallers who are mainly focused on winning the mountain classification are to be expected. For this reason, riders such as last year’s third in the rankings Giulio Ciccone from Italy are equally likely to take front positions in the 5th stage of the Tour de France odds.
The course of stage 5 at the 2023 Tour de France
The start of the 5th stage of the TDF 2023 will take place in Pau. The city is one of the most traditional stage locations of the Tour of France.
It has already been part of the competition programme more than 70 times! The route planners are taking things slowly at first in the fifth stage of the day. They even included a sprint classification in the first section of the stage.
“Hors Categorie” is coming up
Things get serious from the middle of stage 5 to Laruns. Then a mountain of the highest category awaits the riders with the Col de Soudet! The climb lasts over 15 kilometres with an average gradient of 7.2 percent.
This will show which 5th stage of the TDF favourites will do justice to their role. Afterwards, two more mountain classifications follow until the finish with the Col d’Ichere and Col de Marie Blanque.
However, only the last-mentioned climb is a real test as a first category mountain.
5th stage Tour de France tip
In the past years, the overall winner usually also secured the mountain classification. For this reason, the two top contenders for the “Maillot Jaune” Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard are among the 5th stage Tour de France favourites.
However, they are unlikely to show their cards completely on the first mountain stage. For this reason, Pogacar and Vingegaard are expected to be at the front of the classification, but not necessarily on the podium.
Instead, the 5th stage of the Tour de France tip aims at a top-3 finish for Neilson Powless. The US-American looks back on a successful season. The 26-year-old finished in single figures in two of the spring classics and his form continues unabated.
It’s easy to see that Powless leads the mountain classification, having already finished a respectable eighth in this ranking last year. Of course, he wants to defend the “polka-dot jersey”, which is why the Californian pro from EF Education-EasyPost will be highly motivated in the cranks.
There are indications that Powless will be part of a possible breakaway group after the three climbs. In this group he can score points with his sprinting skills. He already showed this strength on the opening stage to Bilbao, for example, in the duel with Georg Zimmermann when he won the mountain classification.
