2018 Tour de France Rumours and L'Alpe d'Huez

The official announcement takes place on Tuesday 17 October in the Palais des Congrès in Paris. The 2018 Tour de France will take place from Saturday 7 July till Sunday 29 July 2018. Could the Etape du Tour visit the legendary climb of L'Alpe d'Huez?

The 105th edition is likely to start on Noirmoutier island, just off the coast of the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France. 

The race could proceed north to Brittany, where it will use some of the dirt roads featured in Tro-Bro Léon. There could also be an uphill finish on Mûr-de-Bretagne. It will probably cross France towards Roubaix where some cobbles (aka pave) will be encountered.

Week two should see a transfer to the Alps and the Pyrenées in the last week before finishing in Paris on Sunday 29th July 2018.

Possible opening stages of the 2018 Tour de France

Saturday 7 July 2018 : 1st stage - Noirmoutier-en-l'Île > Fontenay-le-Comte - 195 km

While this first stage should have started on the Passage du Gois, like in 2011, this touristical visit of the submersible road will finally not be possible! Indeed, starting the race one week later will have the high tide make it impossible for the race to take this route (the low tide will be at 5.57AM and at 6.36PM that day).

Currently A.S.O. is studying alternative ways to organise the official start of the race, for example via Fromentine after a start on the island of Noirmoutier.

Sunday 8 July 2018 : 2nd stage - Mouilleron-Saint Germain > La Roche-sur-Yon - 185 km

For this stage, Yves Auvinet, president of the conseil départemental of the Vendée, precised in Ouest France that the finish of this stage will take place on the boulevard Eylau in La Roche-sur-Yon.

Monday 9 July 2018 : 3rd stage - Cholet > Cholet - team time trial - 35 km

Cholet has already started showing advertisements in the streets announcing the venue of the Tour !

2018 Etape du Tour in the French Alps and it could be L'Alpe d'Huez!

L’Etape du Tour is one of the world's biggest sportives, riders get to ride a full stage of the Tour de France nine days before the professional peloton.

Whilst the route of the 2018 Tour de France is kept a closely guarded secret until the main Tour de France announcement, we can confirm that the 2018 sportive will take place in the French Alps.

Every year around 15,000 cyclists from all over the world, line up to take on the challenge of a full mountain stage of the Tour de France.

The Dauphiné Libéré reveals that another alpine stage starts from Bourg-Saint-Maurice towards Alpe d'Huez, possibly over the Col de la Madelaine and the Col du Glandon.

The stage should take place on the 18th or 19th July, so it would be the 11th or 12th stage. 

Watch the 2018 Tour de France Presentation LIVE

The 2018 Tour de France route is being announced live on Tuesday 17th October in the Palais des Congrès, Paris.

Watch the announcement of the parcours live here from 11:30 CET, 10:30 GMT, 05:30 EST, 22:30 AWST, 18:30 AWST, 21:30 AEST (summertime)

The 105th edition of the Tour de France is set to take place from 7th to 29th July 2018 with a Grand Depart in the Vendée and the Pays de Loire region.

Expected to attend the presentation are defending champion Chris Froome, the race's best ever sprinter Mark Cavendish and the home nation's best chance of a win in recent years Romain Bardet.

2018 Etape du Tour in the French Alps and it could L'alpe du Huez!

Possible 2018 Tour de France Route

Stage

 Date

 Start

 Finish

 Stage

 1

 Saturday 7th July 2018 Noirmoutier Fontenay le comte  

 2

Sunday 8th July 2018 Mouillerons La Roche sur Yon  

 3

 Monday 9th July 2018 Cholet Cholet  TTT 35 km

 4

 Tuesday 10th July 2018 La Baule Sarzeau  

 5

 Wednesday 11th July 2018  Lorient  La Pointe du Raz  

 6

 Thursday 12th July 2018  Brest  Mûr-de-Bretagne  

 7

 Friday 13th July 2018  Fougères Alençon  

 8

 Saturday 14th July 2018  Dreux Amiens  

 9

 Sunday 15th July 2018 Rethondes – Wagon de l’Armistice Roubaix  

 Rest-Day

 Monday 16th July 2018  Aix-les-Bains  Aix-les-Bains  

 10

Tuesday 17th July 2018  Aix-les-Bains    

 11

 Wednesday 18th July 2018    L’alpe d’Huez  

 12

 Thursday 19th July 2018    Valence  

 13

 Friday 20th July 2018  Valence    

 14

 Saturday 21st July 2018    Mende  

 15

 Sunday 22nd July 2018  Millau  Carcassonne  

 Rest-Day

 Monday 23rd July 2018  Carcassonne  Carcassonne  

 16

  Tuesday 24th July 2018 Carcassonne  Luchon  

 17

 Wednesday 25th July 2018  Pyrénées  Pyrénées  

 18

 Thursday 26th July 2018  Pyrénées  Pyrénées  

 19

 Friday 27th July 2018  Pau    

 20

 Saturday 28th July 2018 Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle Espelette  ITT

 21

 Sunday 29th July 2018   Paris
 

 

 
Tag: tourdefrance
 
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