The route of the 2018 Tour de France has been announced today in Paris with race director Christian Prudhomme promising an open and exciting race but also emphasising the safety of riders.
Highlights will include some tough stages during the opening week, a visit to the cobbles on the way to Roubaix, an ascent of the Alpe d’Huez, and what should be a thrilling short stage in the Pyrenees, where there will also be an unprecedented summit finish on the Col du Portet.
The race will get underway on Saturday 7 July in the Vendée region, with more than half of the 189km opening stage from Noirmoutier-en-l’Île to Fontenay-le-Comte raced along the coast, exposing the peloton to the threat of crosswinds. Stage 3 meanwhile features a 35-kilometre team time trial starting and finishing in Cholet.
On the 40th anniversary of the first of Bernard Hinault’s five Tour de France victories, the race heads into his native Britanny after four days in the Vendée.
Stage 5 from L’Orient to Quimper is billed as providing a taste of an Ardennes Classic, while the following day’s Stage 6 includes a double ascent of the Mur-de-Bretagne, which hosts what previous editions suggest should be an exciting summit finish.
One of the most eagerly anticipated stages will be the ninth one from Arras to Roubaix, which will include 15 cobbled sections covering 21.9 kilometres in all.
A first rest day in Annecy will be followed by Stage 10 to Le Grand Bornand, including a 2 kilometre stretch on gravel roads. That stage will also provide the parcours for next year’s Etape du Tour.
The race remains in the Alps for the following two days, with summit finishes at La Rosiere and Alpe d’Huez.
A second rest day in Carcassonne is followed by the race heading into the Pyrenees, including an unusually short 65-kilometre stage finishing on the Col d’Aspet which will see attacks from the start.
The only individual time trial of the race takes place in the Basque Country on the penultimate day and with a 900 metre climb at an average gradient of 10.2 per cent ahead of a descent to the finish in Espellette that could prove influential for the overall title.
The race will finish in Paris on 29 July.
Here’s a look back at this year’s race.
9 thoughts on “Route of 2018 Tour de France unveiled in Paris (+ video)”
Is it just me or does this
Is it just me or does this feel like a proper tour route?
Flat first week, mountains, break away days, mountains then Paris.
Luvly!
Liam Cahill wrote:
I love that you think those two Breton stages I mentioneed are “flat” 😉
ps – As in, you may consider them that way, my legs certainly wouldn’t.
Really looking forward to
Really looking forward to stage 17, at 65km of almost all climbing and decending it could be pretty unpredictible.
Probably not quite the route Tom Dumoulin was hoping for, I think this favours Froome a little more (as well as several others) not that I think that would necessarily stop him.
The inclusion of gravel could
The inclusion of gravel could be interesting. We’ve been told by the cycling companies that dedicated gravel bikes are seemingly required for gravel and specific tyres are also needed. So, are we going to see all the peloton switch bikes to support their sponsors? Or are we going to see that all this gravel bike hype is nonsense as the peloton continues on their road bikes unaffected?
You don’t already have your
You don’t already have your answer from Strade Bianche? Or Paris-Roubaix, or Flanders?
You do have a point though about the separate model category
Grahamd wrote:
Hmm. Being a super fit pro with a support car, half a dozen spare bikes on hand and your bike only having to survive 200k before seeing a mechanic isn’t the same scenario as someone doing the Dirty Reiver or an off-road coast to coast ride.
It’s only 2km of gravel. No
It’s only 2km of gravel. No-one ever said you would need a dedicated bike for 2km of relatively polite unsurfaced track.
If you want to venture off tarmac in a more committed way then a gravel bike isn’t hype.
Many, many years ago I cycled
Many, many years ago I cycled up to the Plateau des Glieres and found the memorial to the resistance and also the road continuing as unsurfaced. This was long before GPS computers and I would have had 23mm or even 21mm tyres. I remember wanting to continue but I didn’t know how long the gravel section was and I did not have confidence that my tyres would survive so I turned back. I’d love to have a go on a current bike. The Etapers should enjoy this section, those who aren’t stopped at the side swapping out an inner tube (a common sight in gravel events).
Bugger all climbing, as usual
Bugger all climbing, as usual. For that reason I’m, yet again, forced not to bother, and just sit at home on my fat arse watching it on T.V. trying not to let my beer froth get in the way. When WILL they learn?