Etoile de Bessèges reveals Mont Bouquet and Alès time-trial combination to headline 2023 route
Cycling
The Etoile de Bessèges is going to be one of the first stage-races of the season and a big race for the European calendar where many teams make their debut in stage-racing. It's five-day route is regularly attractive to many, and race organizers revealed the course for 2023.
Keeping it's traditional format of five days the race will have it's main features back. The hilltop finish at Bellegarde on the opening day will see an explosive finale where the sprinters and puncheurs will fight for the first leader's jersey.
Expected sprint finales will take place in Aubais and Bessèges, where breakaways can occasionally succeed aswell. The queen stage will be the fourth day from Saint Christol Lez Ales to Le Mont Bouquet where the main differences were made this year where Tobias Johannessen took the win, the ascent is 4.6 kilometers long at 9.1%.
In 2022 the race was won by Benjamin Thomas who took advantage of the hilly terrain to gain time in the opening days and then kept the lead in the final time-trial with the summit finish in Alès, which was conquered by Filippo Ganna.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- the 6th TDF is a more record breaking opportunity than a 2nd Giro. Jonas can double up. For Remco its TDF. For Sexias it will be a good opportunity but as usual TDF will be his main goal For del Toro, yes good opportunityabstractengineer04-11-2026
- Well, this is something which isn't all that common
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - He lives in MonacoRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- It's also highly significant for Lorenzo Finn as he won there last year. Also Mateo Ramírez and Henrique Bravo if they goRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- This is a phenomenal course design. I do wish that they'd stretch these tours for the women to at least 2 weeks.RidesHills03-11-2026
- This is an amazing route, honestly. Let's hope that it attracts riders to make it a compelling and competitive race. Side bar amusement: going to Slovenia and passing pretty close to Pogačar's house. I wonder if they were tempting him to get all 3 jerseys at once after winning the Tour and Vuelta. After all, only a very few have ever had all three at the same time (Froome being the last).RidesHills03-11-2026
- He was a child two years agoRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- A great route aswell. Col d'Arpy is a toughieRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- Let Torito have a shot at itRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- A great route, much more exciting than the Tour de France. Monte Livata is an interesting one, because they experimented with it at the 2026 Baby Giro, and it was fantastic. 4 km at 10%, then 10 km at 6.5% made for a great spectacle. The stage 16 is horrible. Montaner is also used in the U23s, in Giro del BelvedereRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
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🇫🇷 ETOILE DE BESSEGES (2.1), 1/2 - 5/2/2023 | #EDB2023 1/2 | #1 | Bellegarde — Bellegarde 2/2 | #2 | Bagard — Aubais 3/2 | #3 | Besseges — Besseges 4/2 | #4 | Saint Christol Lez Ales — Le Mont Bouquet 5/2 | #5 | Ales — Ales (ITT)
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