On Tuesday 17 October afternoon the Tour de France 2018 race route was officially presented at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, in front of numerous high profile cyclists from France and abroad and after having awarded the "Vélo d'Or 2017" to Chris Froome (Team Sky)!
A race route without any surprises in terms of start and finish cities for those of you who have followed the rumours about the Tour 2018 race route here, but it does contain numerous new things wrapped up in a historical packaging. This spring we'll thus most probably see several famous riders do some recognition rides at the new locations in order to prepare their participation in the 105th edition of the Grande Boucle!
The numbers of the Tour de France 2018
As usual, let's first have a look at the statistics of the Tour de France 2018 which will take place from 7 till 29 July 2018:- it will be the 105th edition of the Grande Boucle, after the very first start in Montgeron in 1903
- almost 100% of the Tour de France 2018 will take place in France: all start and finish locations are in France and there will only be a very short sidestep on the Spanish territory during the 16th stage between Carcassonne and Bagnères-de-Luchon, over about 15 kilometers. Except if one considers the Bask Country as being abroad ... ;-) (just kidding of course, but the fact is that A.S.O. mentions its comeback for the first time since 2006 in the same block as the mention of the 100% French race route talking about the foreign visit of the Tour)
- 15 for no less than 15 cobble stones sections which will be in the stage between Arras and Roubaix (of 500 to 2,700 meters), for a total length of 21,7, which definitely makes this stage some sort of mini Paris-Roubaix!
- 21 stages: 8 flat stages, 5 hilly stages, 6 mountain stages including 3 mountain top finishes (La Rosière, Alpe d'Huez and Saint-Lary-Soulan col de Portet), 1 team time trial stage (35 kilometers) and 1 individual time trial stage (31 kilometers), with a total of an estimated 3,329 km, before officialisation, which makes it one of the shortest Tour de France race routes of the 21st century
- 9 never before visited stage cities and locations: Fontenay-le-Compte (finish 1st stage), Mouilleron-Saint-Germain (start 2nd stage), Sarzeau (finish 4th stage), Dreux (start 8th stage), La Rosière (finish 11th stage), Trie-sur-Baïse (start 18th stage), Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle (start 20th stage), Espelette (finish 20th stage) and Houilles (start 21st stage)
- 36 departments visited
- 176 riders at the start in Vendée; indeed, this Tour de France will be the first in which the reduction of the number of riders per team to 8 will be applied (as Christian Prudhomme reminded this is on one hand for security reasons and on the other hand because he hopes to have a more open race thanks to this)! Still with 22 riders at the start, this would thus give a total of 176 riders.
A new bonus system
In addition to the usual 10, 6 and 4 bonus seconds awarded to the 3 first finishing riders in the stages in line (which for a while disappeared but have come back since), there will be respectively 3, 2 and 1 additional bonus seconds which will be awarded to the 3 first riders at a specific point somewhere in the stage, chosen by the organisor of the Tour de France in the final part of each stage. As explained by Christian Prudhomme, director of cycling at Amaury Sport Organisation, the idea behind these new bonus seconds is to encourage the audacious riders. In the Mûr-de-Bretagne stage for example, these bonus seconds will be awarded on the track of the final circuit after the first crossing of the finish line in order to push the riders to give it a chance or to continue their efforts.The programme of the Grand départ in Vendée / Pays de la Loire
As you know, the Tour de France 2018 will start in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire area, for the 10th time in the history of the Tour.There are no less than 4 which together form the Grand départ in the area, of which one is a team trial and one only the start of the 4th stage which allows the race to leave the area.
The programme of the Grand départ of the Tour de France 2018 is a classical programme, except for the fact that it's a bit longer than usual, with:
- Wednesday 4 July 2018 : opening of the "Permanence" and the press room in the Vendéspace in Mouilleron-le-Captif (85)
- Thursday 5 July 2018 : team presentation of the Tour de France 2018 in La Roche-sur-Yon
- Saturday 7 July 2018 : first stage - Noirmoutier-en-l'Île > Fontenay-le-Comte - 189 km
- Sunday 8 July 2018 : second stage - Mouilleron-Saint-Germain > La Roche-sur-Yon - 183 km
- Monday 9 July 2018 : third stage as a team time trial around Cholet - 35 km
- Tuesday 10 July 2018 : start from La Baule, towards Sarzeau - 192 km - the start of this stage ends off this Grand Départ leaving the region for Brittany
The stages of the Tour de France 2018, the race route in detail
You'll find below the list of the 21 stages of the Tour de France 2018 and for each of them the distance:# | date | start | finish | km |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sa. 7 July 2018 | Noirmoutier-en-l'Île | Fontenay-le-Comte | 189 km |
2 | Su. 8 July 2018 | Mouilleron-Saint-Germain | La Roche-sur-Yon | 183 km |
3 | Mo. 9 July 2018 | Cholet | Cholet | CLM par équipe - 35 km |
4 | Tu. 10 July 2018 | La Baule | Sarzeau | 192 km |
5 | We. 11 July 2018 | Lorient | Quimper | 203 km |
6 | Th. 12 July 2018 | Brest | Mûr-de-Bretagne (Guerlédan) | 181 km |
7 | Fr. 13 July 2018 | Fougères | Chartres | 231 km |
8 | Sa. 14 July 2018 | Dreux | Amiens Métropole | 181 km |
9 | Su. 15 July 2018 | Arras Citadelle | Roubaix | 154 km |
R1 | Mo. 16 July 2018 | repos à Annecy | ||
10 | Tu. 17 July 2018 | Annecy | Le Grand-Bornand | 159 km |
11 | We. 18 July 2018 | Albertville | La Rosière Espace San Bernardo | 108 km |
12 | Th. 19 July 2018 | Bourg-Saint-Maurice | Alpe d'Huez | 175 km |
13 | Fr. 20 July 2018 | Bourg d'Oisans | Valence | 169 km |
14 | Sa. 21 July 2018 | Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux | Mende | 187 km |
15 | Su. 22 July 2018 | Millau | Carcassonne | 181 km |
R2 | Mo. 23 July 2018 | repos à Carcassonne | ||
16 | Tu. 24 July 2018 | Carcassonne | Bagnères-de-Luchon | 218 km |
17 | We. 25 July 2018 | Bagnères-de-Luchon | Saint-Lary-Soulan (Col de Portet) | 65 km |
18 | Th. 26 July 2018 | Trie-sur-Baïse | Pau | 172 km |
19 | Fr. 27 July 2018 | Lourdes | Laruns | 200 km |
20 | Sa. 28 July 2018 | Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle | Espelette | CLM 31 km |
21 | Su. 29 July 2018 | Houilles | Paris Champs-Elysées | 115 km |
Let's now have a look more in detail to the Tour de France 2018 race route, visiting the 21 stages one by one:
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1/ Saturday 7 July 2018 - Noirmoutier-en-l'Île > Fontenay-le-Comte - 189 km
Starting at the island of Noirmoutier, the riders will get on the continent via the bridge because the "passage du Gois" will be under water at the time of the start. This stage should be one for sprinters, but in case of wind they should pay much attention to it especially while crossing Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, Sables-d'Olonne or while entering the "Marais poitevin". Indeed, no less than 110 kilometers of this stage will take place along the coast line, thus exposing the riders to the wind if there is any!If all goes according to plan, the finish in Fontenay-le-Comte, a very first for this finish location, will however be a bunch sprint and the rider who's fastest in this one will be the first to wear the Yellow Jersey of this Tour de France 2018.
2/ Sunday 8 July 2018 - Mouilleron-Saint-Germain > La Roche-sur-Yon - 183 km
Between the start in Mouilleron-Saint-Germain, which receives the Tour for the first time, and the city of La Roche-sur-Yon, which receives the Tour de France for the 6th time, we'll most probably see a breakaway being set up but it's most probable that there again the finish will be a bunch sprint, in which case the Jellow Jersey could change shoulders and get on those of the winner of the day.3/ Monday 9 July 2018 - Cholet > Cholet - team time trial - 35 km
In Cholet, which saw the Tour de France for the last time in 2008 for an individual time trial (the occasion for me to honour Arnaud Coyot who left us too early, in the photo next to this text) and for a stage start, the riders will this time have an appointment for a team time trial with start and finish in this city.This shared and timed effort which makes its comeback since 2015 (when, by derogation of the UCI rules, it was the 9th stage between Vannes and Plumelec) will probably be the first occasion where the candidates for the general classification will make sure to be among the best because the time gaps might start to show up after this stage.
4/ Tuesday 10 July 2018 - La Baule > Sarzeau - 192 km
From the Vendée to Brittany. What better liaison could exist to connect those two cycling territories than the one between the last start city of the Grand Départ, La Baule, which received the very first "Village du Tour" in 1990, and Sarzeau of which the mayor is no one else than David Lappartient, the freshly elected new President of the International Cycling Union (UCI)?And in Sarzeau it's again the sprinters which should be honored because towards the finish they'll find the longuest straight line of this Tour de France 2018, of no less than 4 kilometers!
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5/ Wednesday 11 July 2018 - Lorient > Quimper - 203 km
A 100% Brittany stage awaits the riders on this Wednesday 11 July 2018, starting in Lorient and partly following the coast line and crossing Concarneau for the first time since 1982 when the Tour had a stage finish and start there.Christian Prudhomme mentioned for the final part of this stage a "race similar to the Flèche Wallonne", with multiple direction changes, (...), large routes followed by smaller ones, climbs and descents followed by a finish which is identical to the Tour du Finistère's one in Quimper where the Tour will come back after 14 years of absence (stage finish in 2004).
Hereunder you'll find the profiles of this stage:
6/ Thursday 12 July 2018 - Brest > Mûr-de-Bretagne (Guerlédan) - 181 km
Brest though will see the Tour de France come back after the Grand départ which took place there in 2008. This time this will be for a stage which could be for a breakaway rider because not only the finish will be on top of the climb in Mûr-de-Bretagne, but this climb will for the first time be climbed twice in the Tour de France. Indeed, a local circuit of 16 kilometers around this finish location will allow to get twice to the top at 293 meters altitude, the second time being to battle for stage victory!Hereunder you'll find the profiles of this stage:
7/ Friday 13 July 2018 - Fougères > Chartres - 231 km
For the superstitious riders, the stage which leaves Brittany from Fougères might reserve some bad surprises because it will take place on Friday 13th!In the shadows of the biggest medieval fortress in Europe which is the castle of Fougères, the riders will start off for the longest stage of the Tour de France 2018 with its 231 kilometers.
Even though the organisor of the Tour mentions the risk of exposure to wind in the last 40 kilometers of the stage, this stage will most probably finish in a bunch sprint in Chartres which receives the Tour for the 3rd time.
8/ Saturday 14 July 2018 - Dreux > Amiens Métropole - 181 km
Between Dreux and Amiens, Christian Prudhomme mentions dominating wind which is perfectly oriented to play an essential role in the last 20 kilometers but there again, a bunch sprint finish is expected.CONTINUE READING AFTER THIS ADVERTISEMENT
9/ Sunday 15 July 2018 - Arras Citadelle > Roubaix - 154 km
Starting in the citadel of Arras a relatively short stage awaits the riders, of only 154 kilometers - because of the final match of the World Football Cup taking place in Russia - but in this stage the riders will find no less than 15 cobble stones sections with a total distance of 21.7 kilometers; a record in the recent history of the Tour!The sections in question will be:
- from Escaudoeuvres to Thun (1600 m) after 47 kilometers in the race
- from Eswars to Paillencourt (1600 m)
- from Auberchicourt to Ecaillon (900 m)
- from Warlaing to Brillon (2000 m)
- from Tilloy to Sars-et-Rosières (2400 m)
- from Beuvry to Orchies (1400 m)
- from Auchy to Bersée (2700 m)
- Mons-en-Pévèle (900 m)
- Mérignies to Avelin (700 m)
- Pont-Thubault to Ennevelin (1400 m)
- Templeuve (Moulin de Vertain) (500 m)
- Cysoing to Bourghelles (1300 m)
- Bourghelles to Wannehain (1100 m)
- Camphin-en-Pévèle (1800 m)
- Willems to Hem (1400 m)
Hereunder you'll find the profiles of this stage:
R1/ Monday 16 July 2018 - rest day in Annecy
After a long transfer, by plane for the riders, towards Annecy, all the riders and followers of the Tour can get a bit of rest during the first rest day.10/ Tuesday 17 July 2018 - Annecy > Le Grand-Bornand - 159 km
After the rest day, the 10th stage will start easily and in a wonderful decor along the lake of Annecy before the riders get on the first mountain climb of this Tour, the 11.3 kilometers long climb at 7% of the Col de la Croix Fry (1st category, 1477 meters altitude). After the descent of this climb which has been climbed several times already by the Tour (of which the last one was in 2013 between Bourg d'Oisans and Le Grand-Bornand), a first ever climb will be on the programme of this stage, the Plateau des Glières. That's however not necessarily the most important thing of this climb, but moreover the fact that - once they arrive on top - the riders will have to follow for about 2 km an accessible road ... but with no asphalt. It'll be a difficult climb of 6 kilometers at 11.2%, part of which will be in the woods, but what will most probably force many riders to go discover this location this spring in order not to be surprised during this stage of the Tour, which will also be the "Etape du Tour" for amateur riders, is the gravel road!After about fifteen kilometers in the valley, the riders will get back on new difficulties in this stage because they'll follow up the Col de Romme (8.8 km at 8.9%) and Col de la Colombière (7.5 km at 8.5%), a series which has only once been in the Tour de France race route before, in 2009.
Hereunder you'll find the profiles of this stage:
11/ Wednesday 18 July 2018 - Albertville > La Rosière (Espace San Bernardo) - 108 km
This second mountain stage, starting in Albertville, will follow a short format, with its 108 kilometers, but does contain a series of 3 difficulties before the final climb towards the station of La Rosière.Indeed, rapidly after the start the riders will get on the Montée de Bisanne (12.4 km at 8.2%) and descend towards Beaufort before they immediately go on with the first ever climb of the Col du Pré (12.6 km at 7.7%) in the Tour de France, which brings them towards the climb of the magnificent Cormet de Roselend (5.7 km at 6.5%; see photo).
The descent towards Bourg-Saint-Maurice will bring them to the foot of the final climb, which could have brought them all the way up to the Col du Petit Saint-Bernard, but they'll stop a bit earlier, in the mountain station which has never before seen a finish of the Tour de France, La Rosière (17.6 km at 5.8%).
Hereunder you'll find the profiles of this stage:
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12/ Thursday 19 July 2018 - Bourg-Saint-Maurice > Alpe d'Huez - 175 km
While they'll have already visited it the day before, the 12th stage will see the riders start in Bourg-Saint-Maurice, for another mountain stage, in a more classical format of 175 kilometers.This will be the last Alps stage of the Tour de France 2018 and they'll end it off with the classical climb of the 21 numbered hairpins of the Alpe d'Huez (HC, 13.8 km at 8.1%). Before they get at the foot of this climb, they will however have two other classical mountains to climb: the Col de la Madeleine (HC, 25.3 km at 6.2%) and the Col de la Croix de Fer (HC, 29 km at 5.2%). Between these two they'll find the Lacets de Montvernier (3.4 km at 8.2%).
Hereunder you'll find the profiles of this stage:
13/ Friday 20 July 2018 - Bourg d'Oisans > Valence - 169 km
The next day, it'll be from the foot of the Alpe d'Huez, in Bourg d'Oisans, that the riders will start the stage which will allow them to definitely leave the Alps, towards Valence where most logically one of the sprinters will again seize occasion to take a stage victory!14/ Saturday 21 July 2018 - Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux > Mende - 187 km
A bit further south, the start will be in Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux for a stage for strong breakaway riders which will contain the climb of the Col de la Croix de Berthel (1088 m) which has never before been on the route of the Tour de France and which will finish on top of the Côte de la Croix Neuve (3 km at 10.1%) above Mende.Hereunder you'll find the profile of this stage:
15/ Sunday 22 July 2018 - Millau > Carcassonne - 181 km
For the first time since 1990 (when the city had a stage finish and start), Millau will receive the start of this 15th stage. The riders will pass under the famous "Viaduc de Millau" and will not start on it as was announced among the rumours about this stage. Another breakaway rider stage, with the Pic de Nore (12.3 km at 6.3%) as its main difficultie, also a new climb in the Tour, up to the finish in Carcassonne.Hereunder you'll find the profile of this stage:
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R2/ Monday 23 July 2018 - rest day in Carcassonne
And it'll also be in Carcassonne that everyone present in the Tour de France 2018, and most importantly the riders, can take some rest during this second rest day!16/ Tuesday 24 July 2018 - Carcassonne > Bagnères-de-Luchon - 218 km
The stage on Tuesday 24 July will start in Carcassonne and will be long with no less than 218 kilometers, of which about one hundred will be in the department of the Ariège, towards the Pyrenees.While the first half of this stage is relatively flat, the second part will get more difficult, after Saint-Girons, starting with the climb of the Col de Portet d'Aspet (5.4 km at 6.9%), rapidly followed by the Col de Menté (6.9 km at 8.1%) and finally, after a short visit of Spain, the last climb, the Col du Portillon (8.3 km at 7.1%). We might see some attacks in the descent of the last mentioned climb, before the finish in Bagnères-de-Luchon.
Hereunder you'll find the profiles of this stage:
17/ Wednesday 25 July 2018 - Bagnères-de-Luchon > Saint-Lary-Soulan (Col de Portet) - 65 km
The next day the start will also take place in Bagnères-de-Luchon and that'll be the start of an extremely short stage. Indeed, it'll be only 65 kilometers long while this is a high mountain stage, which immediately starts with the climb of the Col de Peyresourde on which they'll go on all the way up to the Montée de Peyragudes (14.9 km at 6.7%), followed after Loudenvielle by the climb of the Col de Val Louron-Azet (7.4 km at 8.3%). After the descent towards Saint-Lary-Soulan they'll start the final climb towards Pla d'Adet but get off towards the never before climbed Col de Portet (2,215 m / 16 km at 8.7%).Hereunder you'll find the profiles of this stage:
18/ Thursday 26 July 2018 - Trie-sur-Baïse > Pau - 172 km
A short flat intermediate stage will be on the programme on Thursday 26 July as the 17th stage, starting in Trie-sur-Baïse which wanted to have the Tour de France after having received the Route du Sud. FOr the sprinters who have survived the race so far, the stage victory will most probably be decided in a bunch sprint in Pau, which will receive the race for the 70th time!CONTINUE READING AFTER THIS ADVERTISEMENT
19/ Friday 27 July 2018 - Lourdes > Laruns - 200 km
On Friday 27 July there will be a stage of about 200 kilometers on the programme starting in Lourdes and it'll be a stage which can still change the general classification. Indeed, after about sixty kilometers relatively flat, the riders will find on their route the first difficulty of the day, the Col d'Aspin (12 km at 6.5%), before they get on the Col du Tourmalet (17.1 km at 7.3%) a bit later.After a descent down to Luz-Saint-Sauveur and a visit of Argelès-Gazost, they'll get on an irregular climb which makes its comeback on the race route of the Tour after only two climbs at the end of the 80s, the Col des Bordères (8.6 km at 5.8%), immediately followed by the descent of the Col du Soulor and the Col d'Aubisque (16.6 km at 4.9%). It'll be the last difficulty of the day because it'll be followed by a descent towards the finish city, Laruns, where the finish will be judged in the valley ... after a stage presenting no less than 4,500 meters of positive altitude difference, which apparently didn't please Romain Bardet who showed a face of horror!
Hereunder you'll find the profiles of this stage:
20/ Saturday 28 July 2018 - Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle > Espelette - individual time trial - 31 km
The day before the finish in Paris the dificulties continue with an individual time trial in the Bask country, traced for strong riders with 4 climbs including the Côte de Pinodieta which is very steep (900 m at 10.2%) with the steepness going up to a maximum of 21% and with a finish in Espelette, the capital of chilli pepper.Hereunder you'll find the profiles of this stage:
21/ Sunday 29 July 2018 - Houilles > Paris Champs-Elysées - 115 km
After a long, very long, transfer for the followers of the Tour towards Paris, it'll be in Houilles, west of Paris, that this last stage will start, there where Damien Gaudin won the prologue of Paris-Nice in 2013.It'll be a stage of 115 kilometers which will first get away from the French capital city, via Maisons-Laffitte and Saint-Germain-en-Laye, before it goes back and enters Paris via the Bois de Boulogne, not far from the new head office of A.S.O. in Boulogne-Billancourt, to get on the usual circuit in Paris which ends on the Champs-Elysées.
The map of the Tour de France 2018 race route
Hereunder you'll find the official map of the Tour de France 2018:The video of the Tour de France 2018 race route
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