The Complete Guide To All Stages In The 2018 Tour de France

From innovative starts to typically gruelling climbs, the 105th Tour might be the most exciting in recent memory.


Whit Yost |

The 105th edition of the Tour de France offers something for everyone: flat stages for the sprinters, short uphill finishes for the puncheurs, cobblestones for stars of the Spring Classics, and many of the most famous Alpine and Pyrenean climbs in Tour history. But the 2018 course is also one of innovation, with a new late-stage intermediate time bonus for the first three riders to reach a predetermined point near the end of Stages 1 through 9, and a 65K mountain stage that will see the riders start in staggered waves according to their places on the Tour’s General Classification.

With no shortage of storylines – including Chris Froome’s bid to win his fifth Tour, Mark Cavendish’s quest to break the record for the most stage wins in Tour history, and Peter Sagan’s predictable unpredictability – the 2018 race has everything it needs to be one of the most exciting in recent memory.

For now, though, here’s a look at each stage.

1. Saturday, July 7 – Noirmoutier-en-l’Île to Fontenay-le-Comte, 201K

Tour de france 2018
Getty ImagesJOEL SAGET

The 2018 Tour starts in the Vendée, near the Passage du Gois, a tidal causeway that spends much of the day underwater. (Its slippery asphalt caused a crash that ruined the chances of many pre-race favorites early in the 1999 Tour). To prevent a similar occurrence, this year’s peloton will pass by, not over, the causeway.

Overall, the riders face 201K of coastal (and perhaps windy) roads, with a late Category 4 climb that will determine the first rider to wear the polka dot jersey as the leader of the Tour’s King of Mountains competition. Expect the sprinters’ teams to bring the race back together before the finish in Fontenay-le-Comte, with riders like Katusha-Alpecin’s Marcel Kittel, Lotto-Soudal’s Andre Greipel, and Dimension Data’s Mark Cavendish looking to win the stage and the first yellow jersey of the race.

2. Sunday, July 8 – Mouilleron-Saint-Germain to La Roche-sur-Yon, 182.5K

tour de france 2018
Getty ImagesLaurent Lairys

Stage 2 covers 182.5K from Mouilleron-Saint-Germain, which hosts the Tour for the first time, to La Roche-sur-Yon, which hasn’t hosted a stage finish since 1938. An early Category 4 climb means the battle to make the day’s long breakaway will be fierce, but this is another day for the sprinters. And with time bonuses of 10, four, and two seconds on offer at the end of each road stage, the yellow jersey could change hands.

3. Monday, July 9 – Cholet to Cholet, 35.5K (TTT)

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Getty Images Tim de Waele

The first General Classification showdown will likely take place during Stage 3, when a team time trial returns for the first time since 2015. Taking place in and around the town of Cholet, it will be a true test of each team’s strength, stamina, and patience, as the terrain shifts constantly throughout the 35.5K effort. A climb to the finish could undo teams that don’t pace themselves. Look for Team Sky and BMC to dominate the day.

4. Tuesday, July 10 – La Baule to Sarzeau, 195K

tour de france 2018
Getty Images Bryn Lennon

On paper, Stage 4 is yet another day for the sprinters, but with an undulating profile filled with short, punchy uncategorised climbs, a breakaway could go the distance. If not, expect the uphill finish in Sarzeau to favour Bora-hansgrohe’s Peter Sagan, Sunweb’s Michael Matthews, and BMC’s Greg Van Avermaet.

5. Wednesday, July 11 – Lorient to Quimper, 204.5K

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Getty Images Tim de Waele

With five categorised climbs including three Category 3 ascents, Stage 5 is the toughest so far. The course profile resembles a hilly Ardennes classic, and the final half will have riders either climbing or descending with not a flat road in sight. It’s a great day for the breakaway to go the distance, and a rider like Lotto-Soudal’s Thomas De Gendt could head off the front to scoop up points for the polka dot jersey. If the gap back to the peloton is large enough, we could see a change in the yellow jersey as well.

6. Thursday, July 12 – Brest to Mûr de Bretagne Guerlédan, 181K

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Getty Images Tim de Waele

Stage 6 is a rolling stage with a finishing circuit that will force the riders to climb the short, steep Mûr de Bretagne (or “Wall of Brittany”) twice. It’s a perfect finish for Quick-Step’s Julian Alaphilippe, riding in only his second Tour de France. The punchy Frenchman won Flèche-Wallonne, a race that finishes atop a similar climb, in April. Movistar’s Alejandro Valverde, a five-time winner of the Belgian classic, will certainly have this stage bookmarked as well. Behind them, the GC contenders will need to be at their best, as the Mur always produces time gaps.

7. Friday, July 13 – Fougères to Chartres, 231K

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Getty Images Chris Graythen

Stage 7 is the longest of the Tour and, given its relatively flat profile, should end in a field sprint. Wind could play a role in the final 40K, but with a long downhill to the finish in Chartres, even that’s a long shot. Enjoy the day, sprinters, because the mountains are coming.

8. Saturday, July 14 – Dreux to Amiens Métropole, 181K

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Getty Images LIONEL BONAVENTURE

Stage 8 could go one of two ways. The sprinters’ teams, aware that they’re running out of opportunities, could control the race and chase down any remaining escapees before the finish in Amiens. On the other hand, if teams are looking ahead to Sunday’s cobbled showdown, maybe the breakaway takes advantage of the undulating course and goes all the way. Wind direction could play a role, with head or crosswinds making it harder for opportunists to survive. It’s also Bastille Day, which means the French will be trés motivated to win this stage.

9. Sunday, July 15 – Arras Citadelle to Roubaix, 156.5K

tour de france 2018
Getty Images Simon Gill

In the weeks leading up to the announcement of this year’s Tour route, it was rumored that at least one stage would feature several sectors of cobblestones, or pavé. Well, the rumors were true: Stage 9 includes 15 pavé sectors, including some of the longest and hardest the region has to offer. While riders like Sagan and Van Avermaet (the last two winners of Paris-Roubaix) battle for the stage victory, the GC contenders will do their best to avoid crashes, mechanicals, and lost time. Rain could wreak havoc on the peloton, whereas dry roads will help riders stay together, with smaller time gaps among groups at the finish.

10. Tuesday, July 17 – Annecy to Le Grand-Bornand, 158.5K

tour de france 2018
Getty Images Tim de Waele

After a long transfer and the Tour’s first rest day, the race enters the Alps with three stages that should begin sorting out the overall contenders with a real shot at winning. Stage 10 covers four categorized climbs, including the first Hors Categorie (“Beyond Category”). It’s called the Montée du Plateau de Glières, and it’s short but very steep, with an average grade of almost 12 percent.

At the top, riders will cover 2K of gravel roads before descending back into the valley. But it’s the day’s final two Category 1 climbs – the Col de Romme and the Col de la Colombière – where we could see teams like Movistar send riders off the front to see if any GC contenders haven’t readjusted after the rest day. With a long descent from the summit of the Colombière to the finish line in Le Grand-Bornand, don’t be surprised if a breakaway from earlier in the day survives.

11. Wednesday, July 18 – Albertville to La Rosière Espace San Bernardo, 108.5K

tour de france 2018
Getty Images Chris Graythen

Stage 11 continues a recent Tour trend: short stages packed with multiple big climbs. Expect the stage to start fast, with riders likely warming up on trainers beforehand. The day’s Intermediate Sprint comes early, so we could see riders like Sagan and Matthews in the day’s first breakaway trying to grab green jersey points before the climbing begins. The stage covers four climbs in less than 112 kilometres. Two Hors Categorie ascents begin the day, followed a Category 2 climb that’s essentially an extension of the one before it. The stage ends with a summit finish in La Rosière, a long, steady climb that suits a rider with a powerful, seated climbing style – someone like Sunweb’s Tom Dumoulin.

12. Thursday, July 19 – Bourg-Saint-Maurice Les Arcs to Alpe d’Huez, 175.5K

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Getty Images Chris Graythen

The longest and hardest of this year’s three Alpine stages is a bit more “old school,” with three legendary Hors Categorie passes and a summit finish atop Alpe d’Huez, which was last featured in 2015. After two tough days, this could be the time for another long-distance breakaway, one filled with riders looking to make serious bids to win the polka dot jersey. For riders hoping to win the Tour, this is the day to put their cards on the table, with a GC showdown on the Alpe’s 13 hairpins almost inevitable. France’s Warren Barguil is someone to watch. If last year’s King of the Mountains is out of GC contention, he may target this prestigious mountain victory.

13. Friday, July 20 – Bourg d’Oisans to Valence, 169.5K

tour de france 2018
Getty Images Chris Graythen

After three hard days in the Alps, Stage 13 offers some welcome respite to teams with GC contenders. But for sprinters’ teams, it’s the only chance to win a stage during the Tour’s second week. Of course, nothing is easy at this point in the race, and some uncategorised climbs about 50K from the finish line in Valence might mean a more select peloton sprints for the win. If that’s the case, it’s a good day for sprinters who can handle a bit of climbing, like Sagan, Matthews, and Van Avermaet.

14. Saturday, July 21 – Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux to Mende, 188K

tour de france 2018
Getty Images Tim de Waele

Heading through the foothills of the Massif Central, Stage 14 should make for an exciting end to the Tour’s second week. The first half is flat to rolling, but midway through the road starts steadily ascending, with a series of categorized and uncategorised climbs that will definitely force a selection.

The stage ends with the Côte de la Croix Neuve, a climb famous for producing exciting finishes. The last time it was featured, Frenchmen Romain Bardet and Thibaut Pinot broke away and seemed destined to fight for the stage victory – until they were overtaken by Britain’s Steve Cummings on the short downhill to the finish line. With tricky roads and hot weather likely, this could be a stressful day for GC contenders.

15. Sunday, July 22 – Millau to Carcassonne, 181.5K

tour de france 2018
Getty Images Chris Graythen

Another tough day in which hot weather should be a factor, Stage 15 takes the riders across southern France to the foothills of the Pyrenees, with a new climb, the Category 1 Pic de Nore, serving as the focal point. While the summit comes too far from the finish line in Carcassonne to make the ascent a GC battleground, it’s the perfect chance for a breakaway to fight for the day’s honors. France’s Lilian Calmejane comes from the area and is just the type of rider for a stage like this.

16. Tuesday, July 24 – Carcassonne to Bagnères-de-Luchon, 218K

tour de france 2018
Getty Images JOEL SAGET

For the second time this year, the riders come out of a rest day to face a long stage in the mountains. The first of three days in the Pyrenees, Stage 16 starts gradually with two Category 4 climbs. But after the day’s Intermediate Sprint in Saint Girons, things get much more difficult, with the Col de Portet d’Aspet, Col de Menté, and Col de Portillon all jammed into the final third of the stage. While a breakaway will likely stay away long enough to fight for the stage victory, don’t be surprised if a few GC contenders struggle after resting and lose a bit of time.

17. Wednesday, July 25 – Bagnères-de-Luchon to Saint-Lary-Soulan, 65K

tour de france 2018
Getty Images Agence Zoom

Stage 17 proves the Tour’s willingness to innovate. First of all, it’s only 65K and covers three major summits, including the highest and steepest mountain in this year’s race. And instead of starting the stage in one giant group, riders will set off in waves according to a starting grid determined by the General Classification. So if Froome is wearing the yellow jersey, he and the other 19 riders in the top-20 overall will get a head start. This format will certainly make for interesting tactics and, if the Tour gets its wish, excitement from start to finish.

18. Thursday, July 26 – Trie-sur-Baïse to Pau, 171K

tour de france 2018
Getty Images Bryn Lennon

Stage 18 offers a break from the high mountains, with a rolling profile that could give the sprinters one last chance to win a stage before Sunday’s final sprint showdown on the Champs-Élysées. Then again, everyone is exhausted this late in the race, and with eight riders apiece this year, teams might not have enough troops to pull off a breakaway. The finish is in Pau, which hosts the Tour for the 70th time, putting it behind only Paris and Bordeaux for the most visits in Tour history.

19. Friday, July 27 – Lourdes to Laruns, 200.5K

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Getty Images Chris Graythen

Stage 19 takes the riders back into the high Pyrenees for a long stage featuring three of four summits that comprise the infamous “Circle of Death”: the Col d’Aspin, Col du Tourmalet, and Col d’Aubisque. But while it’s tempting to think of this stage as having the potential to shake up the General Classification, it’s much more likely that a breakaway filled with polka dot jersey contenders and out-of-contention GC riders escapes early, gets a big lead, and holds on all the way to the finish. The long descent from the top of the Aubisque to the finish in Laruns should negate any late bids to threaten whichever rider wears yellow.

20. Saturday, July 28 – Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle / Espelette, 31K (ITT)

tour de france 2018
Getty Images Chris Graythen

This year’s only individual time trial takes place on the Tour’s penultimate day, and it’s a tough one. Taking place in the French Basque Country, a mountainous region known for its short, steep climbs, the 31K ITT will challenge traditional time trialists with punchy climbs and tight roads.

But while climbers shouldn’t expect to lose as much time as they might on a flatter course, Stage 20 is still tailor made for the likes of Froome, Dumoulin, and BMC’s Richie Porte. Expect these three to battle for the day’s honors in what could still be a tight race. Any climbers hoping to win the Tour will probably need a two-minute advantage coming out of the Pyrenees if they want to hold off the trio.

21. Sunday, July 29 – Houilles – Paris Champs-Élysées, 116K

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Getty Images Chris Graythen

The final stage of the Tour starts as a parade, with champagne toasts and photo opportunities for riders in the race’s four leaders’ jerseys. But once the race hits the Champs-Élysées for eight finishing circuits around the Arc de Triomphe and Place de la Concorde, the racing begins in earnest as the sprinters’ teams begin setting up their fast men for the most prestigious field sprint in the world. And while riders like Cavendish, Kittel, and Greipel may try to add another win on the Champs to their resumes, the Tour’s final stage often introduces a new sprint star, such as last year’s winner, Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen. The day ends with the Tour’s final podium ceremony, and a night of post-Tour parties.

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