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2018 Tour de France route unveiled

Cobbles, Alpe d'Huez and a 65-km high-mountain stage feature in the 105th edition

ASO revealed the route of the 2018 Tour de France at the Palais de Congrès convention centre in Paris on Tuesday, unveiling a course that has plenty of climbing in the latter half including a haul to Alpe d’Huez, along with two time trials, cobbles and dirt roads. The 105th edition has a slightly later start than usual to accommodate the World Cup in Russia, the race running from July 7 to July 29.

For all of its climbing, the race is actually short on summit finishes, with only three: La Rosière (Stage 11), Alpe d’Huez (Stage 12), and the Col de Portet (Stage 17). In total there are eight flat stages, five hilly stages, six mountain stages, one team time trial and one individual time trial.

Week 1: TTT and cobbles A few months ago it was revealed that the Grand Depart would be from Noirmoutier-en-l’Île in the Vendee area. After a couple of sprint stages, the riders face the 35-km team time trial in Cholet where wind could play havoc with the eight-man formations.

Moving Northwest, a Classics day awaits in Brittany on Stage 5: 200-km from Lorient to Quimper with 10 hills to climb. The next day the field will tackle the Mûr de Bretagne twice.

Heading east, the race takes on the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix including the brutal Mons en Pevele section. In all there will 15 cobbled sectors for 21.7-km on Stage 9 before the first rest day.

Week 2: The Alps A transfer south to the Alps ushers in the first big mountains. The La Rosière and L’Alpe d’Huez summit finishes will provide the second week’s thrills.

First comes Stage 10’s taste of the mountains and some hairy dirt roads. The dirt comes on the Plateau des Glières after a hard climb that is also partially unpaved. Before the finish in Le Grand-Bornand the riders will climb the Col de Colombiere.


Stage 11 is short at 108-km but has four climbs including the first summit finish on La Rosière. Alpe d’Huez comes at the conclusion of 175-km Stage 12 with the Col de la Croix de Fer just past the mid-way point.

Westward from the Alps brings the race to Mende for an uphill finish on Stage 14. Stage 15 ends in Carcassonne where the second rest day is set.

Week 3: The Pyrenees and the chrono The first day of the last week throws three mountains into the latter half of a 218-km stage, but the next day will be intense, with three climbs, 38-km worth of ascending, in a 65-km route that ends on the 16-km, 8.7% Col de Portet. It is the final summit finish.


The last mountain stage contains four big climbs, including the Aspin, the Tourmalet and finally the Aubisque peaking 20-km from the line in Laruns.

The final test of the GC men will come on the hilly 31-km individual time trial in the Basque Country.

A procession into Paris for the sprint on the Champs Elysees in July 29.

2018 Tour de France
Stage 1, July 7: Noirmoutier-en-l’Ile–Fontenay-le-Comte, 189km
Stage 2, July 8: Mouilleron-Saint-Germain–La Roche-sur-Yon, 183km
Stage 3, July 9: Cholet–Cholet (TTT), 35km
Stage 4, July 10: La Baule – Sarzeau, 192km
Stage 5, July 11: Lorient–Quimper, 203km
Stage 6, July 12: Brest–Mûr de Bretagne Guerlédan, 181km
Stage 7, July 13: Fougères–Chartres, 231km
Stage 8, July 14: Dreux–Amiens Métropole, 181km
Stage 9, July 15: Arras Citadelle–Roubaix, 154km
Rest day, July 16: Annecy
Stage 10, July 17: Annecy–Le Grand Bornand, 159km
Stage 11, July 18: Albertville–La Rosière, 108km
Stage 12, July 19: Bourg-Saint-Maurice Les Arcs–Alpe d’Huez, 175km
Stage 13, July 20: Bourg d’Oisans–Valence, 169km
Stage 14, July 21: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux–Mende, 187km
Stage 15, July 22: Millau–Carcassonne, 181km
Rest day, July 23: Carcassonne
Stage 16, July 24: Carcassonne–Bagnères-de-Luchon, 218km
Stage 17, July 25: Bagnères-de-Luchon–Saint-Lary-Soulan (Col de Portet), 65km
Stage 18, July 26: Trie-sur-Baïse–Pau, 172km
Stage 19, July 27: Lourdes–Laruns, 200km
Stage 20, July 28: Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle–Espelette (ITT), 31km
Stage 21, July 29: Houilles–Paris Champs Elysées, 115km