Etoile de Bessèges reveals Mont Bouquet and Alès time-trial combination to headline 2023 route

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.