PREVIEW | Tour de France 2023 stage 11 - After brutal day, sprinters find last opportunity before reaching Alps
Cycling
Preview. Stage 11 is the final sprint stage of the Tour de France for a while before the riders reach the hilly and mountainous terrain. Into Moulins the riders will find a relatively hilly day, however it should be possible to control the race.
Stage 11 of the Tour de France will see a little bit of that rolling climb trend, but the start is flat, and the route into Moulins shouldn't be hard enough to prevent a bunch sprint from taking place. The stage will have two climbs early on which will make it a tad more difficult than the average day on the bike, one of the climbs being a 13.1-kilometer long climb at almost 4% average gradient.
Estimated start and finish times for Tour de France stage 11: 13:05-17:20CET
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Stage 11: Clermont-Ferrand - Moulins, 179.8 kilometers
Not one where the pace should be very high however, unless the breakaway is still being created. If so then there could be a strong group going up the road, the roads that follow won't ever be pan-flat, it's a rolling day in the Massif Central. There is a 1.7-kilometer hilltop at 5.1% which then summits with 61 kilometers to go.
The last 25 kilometers will be easier, with a bit of descending, it will be a fast run-up into town. The finale won't be too technical too, there isn't any corner where the riders will really have to break, there's a bridge crossing with 2 kilometers to go and then the finishing straight is 1.1 kilometers long.
Stage 11 Finale
The Weather
Map Tour de France 2023 stage 11
Some western wind, moderately felt, it will be mostly a cross-headwind throughout the first part of the day, however the final 65 kilometers will see a slight tailwind, this will ultimately favour a breakaway but sprinter teams will know they must keep the gap small throughout the day. The finishing straight will have some crosswind.
The Favourites
Jasper Philipsen - The question lies on him. Alpecin remains strong and confident, despite having a good chance Mathieu van der Poel sacrificed himself in Limoges for Philipsen, and today he hit the front again to pace. The team is all in for the Belgian, he will be the man to beat because his positioning and leadout are brilliant and in the sprint itself he carries incredible speed.
The amount of climbing in the day could see a few riders struggle, at least lose some legs before the finale. Fabio Jakobsen and Caleb Ewan have lost 34 minutes today after losing contact with the peloton right from the start. These are not good signs and specially with a few hilltops tomorrow they may struggle, before reaching a big block of mountain days. Phil Bauhaus for example should also wish for a conservative ride over the climbs, but will be a safer option.
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On the opposite side you have Dylan Groenewegen, who was a very good surprise in Limoges. If he climbed well there then these hilltops will do nothing to him, the high-speed finale is good for him and with a few sprinters gone, Jayco AlUla could do well here. We have Mads Pedersen also motivated after a big win, Biniam Girmay who will have his say if he nails his positioning, and of course the question on whether Jumbo-Visma will sprint or not, Wout van Aert and Christophe Laporte would both be outsiders here.
BORA - hasngrohe may opt with both Danny van Poppel and Jordi Meeus, certainly the latter will be the option since van Poppel's leadout skills could provide the team with a better chance of succeeding. We have Bryan Coquard who still sits second in the points classification, and fast sprinters such as Sam Welsford and Alexander Kristoff who could on their best day fight for the win too. Luca Mozzato, Peter Sagan and Corbin Strong will be further outsiders.
Prediction Tour de France 2023 stage 11:
*** Jasper Philipsen
** Dylan Groenewegen, Mads Pedersen, Caleb Ewan
* Phil Bauhaus, Wout van Aert, Biniam Girmay, Fabio Jakobsen, Jordi Meeus, Bryan Coquard, Alexander Kristoff, Sam Welsford
** Dylan Groenewegen, Mads Pedersen, Caleb Ewan
* Phil Bauhaus, Wout van Aert, Biniam Girmay, Fabio Jakobsen, Jordi Meeus, Bryan Coquard, Alexander Kristoff, Sam Welsford
Pick: Jasper Philipsen
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.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
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)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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