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Registration for Etape du Tour 2018 opens next MondayEtape du Tour 2018.PNG

Registration for Etape du Tour 2018 opens next Monday

15,000 riders to tackle 4,000 metres of climbing from Annecy to Le Grand-Bornand
by Simon_MacMichael
Tue, Oct 17, 2017 15:54
6

Registration for next year’s Etape du Tour will open next Monday, with 15,000 places available to ride the route of Stage 10 of the 2018 Tour de France, the route of which was announced in Paris this morning.

Taking place in France’s Haute-Savoie department, the 169-kilometre closed-road cyclosportive will take place on Sunday 8 July, the day after the Tour de France itself starts in the Vendeé, and is the 28th edition of the event.

It will include 4,000 metres of climbing, with four tough ascents to be tackled, including an ascent to the Plateau des Glières plateau, never included on the route of the Tour de France before and where 2 kilometres of gravel roads await the riders.

The first climb of the day will be the Col de la Croix-Fry, followed by the one to the Plateau des Glières – 6 kilometres at an average gradient of 11.2 per cent. Here is the profile, plus video of part that gravel section that comes after the summit.

Plateau des Glieres profile.jpg

Next comes the ascent of the Col de Romme, followed by the Col de la Colombière then the descent to the finish at Le Grand Bornard.

Entry will cost €109 up to and including 17 December and €139 thereafter, depending on availability.

Geneva International Airport is 45 kilometres from Annecy, with British Airways and Swiss providing flights from a number of UK cities, while Lyon, with flights from carriers including British Airways and Air France, is only slightly further away.

You can find full details regarding registration here.

Etape Du Tour
Etape du Tour 2018
Tour de France 2018
Simon MacMichael

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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6 comments

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gaetanstaples | 7 years ago
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Looks like this has now sold out. Anyone know if they release a 2nd batch of entries or of another way to get a place other than through a charity or tour operator? Got travel and accommodation, just need entry.

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SellMatt | 7 years ago
1 like

Annecy and Le Grand Bornand are accessible so logistics shoud be better. + 1 for Croix Fry from Thones. Spent many summer holidays in Le Grand Bornand cycling the Cols but not in one go. Its a great part of the Alps and worth the effort. I reckon it always looks worse on paper so i shall be signing up and then be farting sparkles on the Colombiere

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Fluffed | 7 years ago
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That Plateau des Glières looks evil even without the gravel, and 1000s of riders crammed in. I want to do the Etape one day, but I shall pass on this route.

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Alessandro replied to Fluffed | 7 years ago
1 like
fluffed wrote:

That Plateau des Glières looks evil even without the gravel, and 1000s of riders crammed in. I want to do the Etape one day, but I shall pass on this route.

I rode the Etape in 2016 but wasn't able this year and was looking forward to doing it again next year. However, like you, this route doesn't really do it for me so I think that I may just organise a cycling holiday in the Alps and avoid 1000s of people on gravel. 

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Timsen | 7 years ago
1 like

Perhaps not suitable for another Tour de Celebrity then ? ...... Louie Spence etc are probabaly busy then anyway.

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Vili Er | 7 years ago
2 likes

This is going to be carnage! The Croix Fry is not an easy first climb, especially the second part after Manigod. Forget the novelty gravel section, trying to get 15,000 riders up the narrow part of the Glieres (and at 11%) will have bottle necks and feet down for sure - then you have two brutal climbs to cap it off. The broom wagon will have a field day...

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