Tour de France Femmes to start in Massif Central in 2023 as Annemiek Van Vleuten set to defend crown

Updated 05/10/2022 at 19:24 GMT

The Tour de France Femmes will begin in the Massif Central region on Saturday 23 July next year, as organisers prepare to build on the momentum of the 2022 edition. Annemiek Van Vleuten took the yellow jersey as the event relaunched earlier this year, and she will likely be eyeing back-to-back wins in the prestigious race. The full route is set to be announced on October 27 in Paris.

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The Tour de France Femmes will get underway in the Massif Central region in 2023.

The 2022 edition - deemed a great success as it returned after a 32-year absence - saw the riders set off from Paris, but this time the start line will be in Clermont Ferrand.

While in the region, there may even be a hike up the iconic Puy De Dome - a dormant volcano - which is rumoured to be featuring on the men's route for 2023 too.

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Annemiek van Vleuten took the yellow jersey in the 2022 edition of the women's race, and she will likely be keen to make it back-to-back titles next July.

The race is once again expected to comprise eight stages, and will once again start on the final day of the men's race, which is expected to culminate as usual on the Champs Elysees.

The full race route - for both races - will be announced on October 27 in Paris, with much anticipation around where the women's race will finish.

The 2022 edition ended atop the Super Planche des Belles Filles, with Movistar's van Vleuten winning that stage to secure her overall victory.

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Men's tour organiser Christian Prudhomme visited the Puy de Dome in June and said the "dream was getting bigger" of including it on the Tour.

Despite access issues, he said the planing for a potential stage in the area "corresponds to our desire to give the mountains back to the champions, as we have shown in recent years by going to classified sites or sites that are difficult to access."