The Complete Guide to All Stages in the 2018 Tour de France
The 105th edition of the world largest sporting event starts on July 7 for 21 stages across France's legendary and iconic cycling landscape
The 105th edition of Tour De France will have a peloton of 176 riders from 22 teams competing in the 21-stage race covering 3,351 kms, before finally arriving in Paris. The three-week long, intense 21 stage race kickstarts July 7 from Noirmoutier-en-l'Île, a small island off the Atlantic west coast of France.
Let’s not forget that there will only be 8 riders per team, so the domestique's will have a harder job to protect their leaders.
The First Week towards Roubaix
Some say the first week of the Tour is not as action packed and that the race doesn't really start until the second or third week when the peloton hits the mountains. The race winds clockwise this year, from the Atlantic coast north towards Roubaix and then straight into Alps near Annecy.
The first week is packed with difficult stages and some key moments in the general classification's Yellow Jersey and the sprinters Green Jersey.
Stage 1 - July 7 - Noirmoutier-en-l’île to Fontenay-le-Comte, 189km, Flat
The Grand Depart is on the tidal island of Noirmoutier and head towards Fontenay-le-Comte on a flatish stage of 189 kms, running along the Vendée coast. A lot of the GC teams domestiques will do the grunt of the work, looking after their leaders and keeping an eye on their rivals. These opening stages are of a huge importance to the sprinters.
The winds off the Atlantic sea could play a huge part as could the rain. With these conditions, these stages can turn into a nervous frenzy of action, as the domestiques protect their GC contenders and pull for the sprinters too. For the GC riders, it's heads down and follow wheels, but for the Sprinters it's time to start taking points in the intermediate sprints and stage bonuses.
Expect lots of attacks from the gun and some furious action, until the peloton is happy with any breakaway. Stage 1 has an intermediate sprint after 119 kms and then a short sharp climb with just 30 kms to go. The stage could see a breakaway go full gas to stay away or the sprinters team chase it down, with attacks with 30 kms to go, on the Cote de Vix, a prime place for a Rouler like Peter Sagan to go on the attack. Remember the stage winner also takes the Yellow jersey too!
The beauty of the start on the tidal roadway on the island of Noirmoutier is not to be missed.
Stage 2 - July 8 - Mouilleron-Saint-Germain to La Roche-sur-Yon, 183 km, Flat
Another flat stage suited to a breakaway and the sprinters, these are much smaller French roads used in races like the Tour de Vendée and Chrono des Herbiers. The small twisting roads combined with wind and rain could make this stage a nervous and frought one.
There's usually some high speeds crashes in the opening week, mainly due to the nervousness in the bunch, add in rain and things could get animated in the peloton. The Yellow jersey's team will also have a lot of work to do at the front of the race too.
Stage 3 - July 9 - Cholet to Cholet, Team Time Trial 35 km
This is the first big test for the GC contender's and their domestiques in the team time trial. The team time trial is about precision, team work, total and absolute sacrafice to deliver themselves and their GC leaders to the line.
The course is on rolling roads that will suit the most powerful teams. The is the first key test and opportunity for the GC contenders to take time and the Yellow jersey.
Stage 4 - July 10 - La Baule to Sareau, 192 km, Flat
Another flat stage suited to a breakaway and the sprinters, this stage is heading up the Atlantic coast in the Brittany region and could have strong headwinds or side winds. The Yellow jersey's team may decide to defend and no doubt the the Green Jersey's team will want to control the stage. Cycling in Brittany is hugely popular and it's also a big holiday destination too, so expect big crowds and some crazy fans along the roadside!
Keep an eye on these opening stages, if there's any opportunity for stronger teams to split up the peloton in high winds and/or rain and create time gaps, this opening stage, could end up animating the race when you least expect it!
Stage 5 - July 11 - Lorient to Quimper, 203 km, Flat
This is a long stage heading north along the Atlantic coast and could be a dramatic day on narrow roads with a sucession of harder, short, sharp climbs, one after another.
For the pure sprinters and their teams, this could be a really hard stage, ideally suited to a Rouler's who can climb awell as sprint, like Peter Sagan, who will need to be a the very front of the race with 30 kms to go, to take the stage win.
A breakaway will definately want go get away early on this stage, domestique's will have to work hard for their GC contenders. Throw in strong headwinds and rain and this will be a day the Sprinters and their teams won't enjoy.
Definately a stage that could throw up some interesting and animated racing.
Stage 6 - July 12 - Brest to Mur-de-Bretagne, 181 km, Flat
The Mur-de-Bretagne will surely animate the finale of the stage with it's uphill finish into the town. The peloton will have to climb the Mur-de-Bretagne twice! At 2 kms with an average of nearly 7% after 100 miles, this is going to see attacks from Roleurs and possibly GC contenders too.
There an opportunity to take the stage win and time from rivals, so will no doubt provide some very animated racing and could see time gaps opening up on the GC.
Domestique's will have a long hard day delivering there GC contenders to the base of the Mur-de-Bretagne for the final battle.
Expect huge crowds along the road side!
Stage 7 - July 13 - Fougeres to Chartres, 231km Flat
Some say Friday 13th is unlucky, but in France this isn't necessarily the case, however this is the longest stage which heads inland away from the Atlantic coast towards the outskirts of Paris before heading north towards Belgium.
This stage is ideally suited to the sprinters and the Green jersey and sprinters teams will no doubt be at the front controlling the race. A breakaway will be lucky to survive all the way to the line on this stage.
The GC contenders show have an easier day today, following wheels and staying out of trouble.
Stage 8 - July 14 - Dreux to Amiens, 181 km, Flat
July 14th is a French national holiday, Bastille day, so expect huge crowds as the peloton heads north towards the battlefields of the Somme. With only a few small lumps and an intermediate sprint, it's an ideal stage for a sprint finish.
The GC contenders should have any easier day and the Green jersey and sprinters team will want to control the race, and any breakaway.
Stage 9 - July 15 - Arras to Roubaix, 154 kms, Cobbles!
Probably the most widely publiscised stage of this year's race, it takes on the cobbles of the famouse one day race of Paris-Roubaix and will be spectacular. For the GC contenders this will be a very key stage.
It could also prove to be one the most animated stages of this year's race. Not all the GC contenders are going to like the cobbles, whereas the Roulers like Peter Sagan will want to win this stage.
>>> 2019 Tour de France to pay homage to Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx <<<
Everyone and his dog will want to be at the front of the race, it will be full gas from the gun and the likelyhood of crashes, punctures, time gaps wll be inevitable. The last 100 kms will be hectic
All this comes as the peloton heads straight into the alps the day after the first rest day!
Don't miss this stage!
The Second Week - Into the High Alps
The first week of the Alps will have provided some amazing racing, the Yellow jersey possibly changing hands serveral times, and the Green jersey now firmly on the back of the best sprinter and their team in the first week.
This second week is where the Yellow jersey should start to remain on the best contender's back and so too for the climbers Polka Dot jersey.
Into the Haute Alps, littered with Haute Category, beyond category climbs, the battle for the Yellow Jersey really starts to heat up.
Stage 10 - July 17- Annecy to Le Grand Bornand, 159 km, Mountain Stage
Stage 10 is a key stage and also the stage of the Etape du Tour, where 15,000 amateur cyclists will ride the day before on the rest day. The Etape du Tour sold out within a few days and attracts cyclists from all over the world and is one a the top Bucket list rides allowing amatuers to ride and experience a full mountain stage of the Tour de France.
>>> VIDEO: Discover The 2018 Etape du Tour <<<
A brutal day in the saddle for the pro peloton, especially after the cobbles of Roubaix and a rest day, the change in rhythm could crack even the best of riders. The stage features the Plateau de Glières with its gravel section, brutally hard due to the climb to get there, up the hot, steep, exposed and leg sapping Col de la Croix Fry.
The very tough and successive climbs of the Col de Romme and the Col de la Colombière will mash the legs of the peloton, if it's hot this stage could see the first casualties in terms of time gaps opening up on the general classification.
From the top of Col de la Colombière, it's a very fast technical descent down to the finish in Le Grand-Bornand.
Let's hope it's not too hot! Don't miss this stage it will surely start to provide the first signs of who is in the running for the Yellow Jersey and Polka Dot jersey too!
Stage 11 - July 18 - Albertville to La Rosiere, 180 km, Mountain Finish
The first mountain finish, it's predicted that this short, sharp, brutal stage will be an attack festival from start to finish and only the strongest will contend the finale up to La Rosiere.
Two HC's climbs of the Montee de Bisanne and the Col du Pre kickoff the sufferfest as the climbing specialists launch long range attacks.
The domestique's of the strongest GC teams will have a difficult task of controlling the race and some GC contenders could find themselves all alone early on in this brutal stage.
The beautiful secnery and views from the Cormet de Roseland will be a blur fror the GC contenders and they hit the technical descent trying to cram in as much food and water as possible before they reach the finale up La Rosiere.
Don't miss this stage, whomever wins this stage could pull on the Yellow Jersey too.
Stage 12 - July 19 - Bourg-Saint-Mourice to L'Alpe d'Huez, 175 km, Mountain Finish
Another brutal mountain top finish on one of the most legandary and iconic climbs in the Tour de France.
Every climber worth his salt in the Pro Peloton will want to win this momentous stage!
The Queen stage, it features over 5,000 metres of climbing and heads over the some of the hardest climbs in professional cycling including the long arduous climbs of the Madeleine, the Croix De Fer before a treacherous descent to Allemont.
Alpe d'Huez has been the backdrop of some of the biggest battles in Pro cycling, from Marco Pantani to Lance Armstrong, whomever wins the stage will go down in history and thier plaque will forever hang on one of the many 21 hairpin bends that make up the brutally steep climb up to the ski village of Huez, perched 1,850 metres above the valley floor below.
This stage will be epic, no doubt and the stage will see several hundred thousand cycling fans from around the world on the slopes of one of France's most beloved climbs.
Don't miss this stage!
Will the winner be the Yellow jersey of the Polka Dot jersey wearer?
Stage 13 - July 20 - Le Bourg-d'Osians to Valence, 169 km, Flat
After the incredible highs and lows of the Alpine stages, the peloton turns back to terra-firma for a flat stage. Rolling out of the iconic town of Bourg d'Osians at the base of Alpe d'Huez the stage heads south west to Valence on the way to the final onslaught in the Pyrenees.
Another opportunity for the sprinters, the Yellow Jersey and Polka Dot jersey should get a respite.
If the sun comes out a very hot, energy sapping day that may well get faster for the final sprint finish and rolling hills into Valence, with only the strongest sprinters with the freshest legs will feature on the finish line.
By now fatigue will be setting in and dyd by day recovery be incredibly important for the peloton.
Stage 14 - July 21 - Saint-Paul-Trois-Chateaux to Mende, 187 km, Flat
The peloton will be wishing this was another flat interim stage before the Pyrenees, but the stage gets harder in te last 60 kms with a sucession of rolling short, steep climbs before the final climb of the cote de la Croix Neuve and short run into Mende.
It will surely be a day for a breakaway as the GC and sprinters teams won't want to waste too much energy early on and the Yellow jersey's team will save their legs for the finale.
If it's hot and less windy, today will be a brutal stage with those with heavy legs coming out of the Alps.
Stage 15 - July 22 - Millau to Carassonne, 181 km
No let up for the peloton on the way to the Pyrenees, this stage will suit a breakaway and features the difficult climb of the Pic de Nore before the run into the medieval town of Carcassonne.
Again the heat could make for another energy sapping day for the peloton.
The Third Week into the Pyrenees and to the Champs-Elysees
After a well earned rest day the battle for the Yellow jersey, if not already decided, will take a very serious turn with three significant mountain stages where the race can be won - or lost.
Stage 16 - July 24 - Carassonne to Bagneres-de-Luchon, 218 km, Mountain
The stage takes a brief detour into Spain before the final climb of the Col du Portillon. This opening pyrenean stage includes the infamous climbs of the Col de Portet-d'Aspet and the even more infamous Col de Mente before reaching the Col du Portillon. From the top of the Col du Portillon, it's a fast technical descent to the finish line in Bagnere-de-Luchon.
An important stage for the Yellow and Polka Dot jersey wearers.
Stage 17 - July 25 - Bagneres-du-Luchon to Saint-Larry, 65 km, Mountain Finish
Stage 17 is the smallest stage at only 65 kilometers. The peloton will climb the Peyragudes, the Col de Val Louron-Azet, and the new final climb of the Col de Portet at 2,215 metres.
A stage that will give the Yellow Jersey wearer multiple headaches as this stage will see full on flat out racing from the gun and multiple attacks as GC rivals line up to have a go the Yellow jersey and each other. Throw in the Polka Dot jersey contenders and this stage could be the icing on the cake of animated racing.
The sprinters will just want to survive and the GC's domestique's will have an almost impossible task of pulling for their contenders.
Stage 18 - July 26 - Trie-Sur-Baise to Pau, 172km Flat
Stage 18 will be a well received respite from the previous two stages. A day for the sprinters that could see a breakaway attempt go the full distance. Stage 18 offers a rest for the legs of the peloton with a undulating stage. The stage leaves Trie-sur-Baïse, in the Hautes-Pyrénées, to arrive at the Queen City of the Tour de France, Pau, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, for the 50th time.
Stage 19 - July 27 - Lourdes to Laruns, 200km, Mountains
Back into the mountains for Stage 19 which has a triple of mythical passes; the Col d'Aspin, the Tourmalet and the Col d'Aubisque aswell as the Col des Bordières and Col du Soulor along the way.
The final uphill chance for the contenders to take the Yellow or Polka jersey in the mountains, in a very brutal stage.
>>> VIDEO: The final 3 climbs of Stage 19 of the Tour de France <<<
Stage 20 - July 28 - Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle to Espelette, Individual Time Trial, 31 km
The decisive final time trial on Stage 20 will be played out in the Basque Country and will leave Lake St-Pée-sur-Nivelle to finish in Espelette. This timed stage will not offer any large climbs, but is rugged, linking short climbs, with some steep gradients.
This is final chance for the GC contenders to make up time on their rivals.
If there's any doubt then this stage will confirm the overall winner of the 2018 Tour de France.
Stage 21 - July 29 - Houilles to Paris Champs-Elysees, 115 km, Flat
Largely a precision and celebration of the winners, the racing doesn't get going until they reach the tunnels in Paris for five laps of the Champs-Elyees cobblestones below the iconic Effiel Tower and around the Arc de Triomphe.
Just finishing the Tour de France is a badge of honor that only a handful of the world's best riders can tell the tale to their friends and family forever more.
Gran Fondo Guide will be providing live updates, stage summary reports, results and video highlights for each stage.
