Cycling: The cat is out of the bag – the ASO presented the route of the 2018 Tour de France today. The end result is short, varied and quite bold. The extremely short and difficult stage in the second week and the crisp total length of 3.329 km are particularly remarkable.
Tour de France 2018: Striving for a change
When designing the course of the 2018 Tour de France, the ASO clearly tried to add variety and a breath of fresh air. You can undoubtedly feel the breath of the other two Grand Tours, the Giro and the Vuelta, on the back of your neck, which, with courageous innovations and fresh ideas, have offered excitement, variety and amusement in recent years, which the Tour de France often could not quite keep up with.
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Cycling: a bang during the World Cup. The UCI has decided to reduce the number of riders per team at all UCI international races. At the Tour de France we will only see eight instead of nine riders in each team from 2018. This could result in serious changes. 7 drivers instead of 8 and […]
Already known was the reduction of the teams to eight riders, reducing the peloton to 176 riders. This reduces the danger for the participating athletes and, in addition, a single team can no longer appear quite as dominant as in previous years. Also noteworthy: At 3.329km, the 2018 Tour de France is one of the shortest in recent decades and the 17th stage is 65km, the shortest since the end of the half-stages. However, this is definitely in line with the trend, which in recent years has been towards ever shorter stages.
25 classified mountains await in 2018, two more than in the previous year. Eleven of them will be in the Alps, ten in the Pyrenees and four in the French Massif Central. Nine stage locations are also celebrating their tour premieres this year.
Tour de France 2018: The route at a glance
Date | stage # | Place | Length | Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
07.07.2018 | 1. | Noirmoutier-en-l'Ile - Fontenay-le-Comte | 189km | flat stage |
08.07.2018 | 2. | Mouilleron-Saint-Germain-La Roche-sur-Yon | 183km | flat stage |
09.07.2018 | 3. | Cholet - Cholet | 35km | team time trial |
10.07.2018 | 4. | La Baule-Sarzeau | 192km | flat stage |
11.07.2018 | 5. | Lorient-Quimper | 203km | Wavy |
12.07.2018 | 6. | Brest-Mur de Bretagne | 181km | Wavy |
13.07.2018 | 7. | Fougeres-Chartres | 231km | flat stage |
14.07.2018 | 8. | Dreux - Amiens metropolis | 181km | flat stage |
15.07.2018 | 9. | Arras Citadel-Roubaix | 154km | Wavy |
16.07.2018 | - | Day off #1 | - | - |
17.07.2018 | 10. | Annecy - Le Grand Bornand | 159km | Mountain Stage |
18.07.2018 | 11. | Albertville - La Rosière Espace san Bernardo | 108km | Mountain Stage |
19.07.2018 | 12. | Bourd-Saint-Maurice Les Arcs - Alpe d'Huez | 175km | Mountain Stage |
20.07.2018 | 13. | Bourd d'Oisans-Valence | 169km | flat stage |
21.07.2018 | 14. | Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteux-Mende | 187km | Wavy |
22.07.2018 | 15. | Millau-Carcassonne | 181km | Wavy |
23.07.2018 | - | Day off #2 | - | - |
24.07.2018 | 16. | Carcassonne - Bagnères de Luchon | 218km | Wavy |
25.07.2018 | 17. | Bagneres-de-Luchon – Saint-Lary-Soulan | 65km | Mountain Stage |
26.07.2018 | 18. | Trie Sur Baise – Pau | 172km | flat stage |
27.07.2018 | 19. | Lourdes-Laruns | 200km | Mountain Stage |
28.07.2018 | 20. | Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle-Espelette | 31km | individual time trial |
29.07.2018 | 21. | Houilles-Paris | 115 | flat stage |
Tour de France 2018: stage by stage
Stage #1: Noirmoutier-en-l'Île - Fontenay-le-Comte
Date: Saturday, 7. July 2018
Length: 189km
Type: flat stage
It starts in the Vendée department with a typical flat stage, which will most likely end in a mass sprint. A spectacle will be the Passage du Gois, a street that is only passable during low tide. The last time the tour was here was in 2011.
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Stage #2: Mouilleron-Saint Germain - La Roche-sur-Yon
Date: Sunday 8 July 2018
Length: 183km
Type: flat stage
The character of the second stage is similar to the start: The route runs mostly flat through western France and here, too, a sprinter will probably raise his winner's fists in the sky at the end of the day.
Stage #3: Cholet - Cholet
Date: Monday 9 July 2018
Length: 35km
Type: Team Time Trial
After a year without a team time trial in 2017, it will be that time again in the first few days of 2018. The course is flat and rather short at 35 km - so there will hardly be any big time gaps, but the Tour de France 2018 gives a certain spice early on.
Stage #4: La Baule – Sarzeau
Date: Tuesday 10 July 2018
Length: 192km
Type: flat stage
The next flat stage follows immediately with a final that is perfect for pure sprinters like Marcel Kittel. A four-kilometer straight leads to the destination here, the wide road offers all freedom.
Stage #5: Lorient – Quimper
Date: Wednesday 11 July 2018
Length: 203km
Type: Wavy
In the middle of the first week, the course now becomes more demanding. The more than 200 km long fifth stage to Quimper offers a constant up and down with numerous curves. Perfect for punchers, breakaways and maybe the odd second tier team.
Stage #6: Brest - Mûr de Bretagne
Date: Thursday 12 July 2018
Length: 181km
Type: Wavy / BA
First endurance test of the Tour de France 2018. After a wavy preliminary skirmish, the notorious Mûr de Bretagne has to be mastered twice in the final. A novelty: there will be time bonuses the first time you climb it. So we can look forward to 1 1/2 target arrivals.
Stage #7: Fougères – Chartres
Date: Friday 13 July 2018
Length: 231km
Type: flat stage
The longest stage of the 2018 Tour de France follows. During the 231 mostly flat kilometers to Chartres, the wind will probably be the biggest challenge for the riders. The finale is again a trap for the fast men in the peloton.
Stage #8: Dreux – Amiens Métropole
Date: Saturday, 14. July 2018
Length: 181km
Type: flat stage
On the French National Day we go to Amiens Métropole. Another flat, wavy stage, the terrain of which offers a lot of surface area for the wind to attack and could pose great difficulties for the riders, depending on the weather conditions.
Stage #9: Arras Citadelle – Roubaix
Date: Sunday 15 July 2018
Length: 154km
Type: Wavy
On Sunday, July 15th, not only will the final of the World Cup take place in Russia, but also one of the probably most spectacular stages of the tour in recent years. It goes to Roubaix and in the 'Hell of the North' there will be 15 cobblestone segments over a length of 22km. There hasn't been a stage like this on the Tour for a long time.
Stage #10: Annecy – Le Grand Bornand
Date: Tuesday 17 July 2018
Length: 159km
Type: mountain stage
It continues spectacularly - the French Alps are waiting. After the Col de la Croix Fry (11km / 7%), the path leads to the Montée du Plateau de Glieres (6km / 7%). The roads here are partially unpaved - adding spice and difficulty to the riders. Then it goes on to the Col de Romme (8km / 9%) and then up to the Colombière. After a difficult descent, the destination awaits.
Stage #11: Albertville - La Rosière Espace san Bernardo
Date: Wednesday 18 July 2018
Length: 108km
Type: mountain stage
Not quite as difficult as the day before, but still no time to catch your breath. Among other things, the Cormet de Roseland (12km / 8%) wants to be conquered. Here it is important to use your strength sparingly without losing time, because the big hammer is waiting for you the next day.
Stage #12: Bourd-Saint-Maurice Les Arcs - Alpe d'Huez
Date: Thursday 19 July 2018
Length: 175km
Type: mountain stage
Halfway through the tour, a very important indicator awaits the class riders. The route of the 12th stage covers more than 5.000 meters in altitude, including the Madeleine, the Croix de Fer and finally up to the finish in Alpe d'Huez. No one who wants to have a say in the battle for the Maillot Jaune should allow themselves a weakness here.
Stage #13: Bourd d'Oisans - Valence
Date: Friday 20 July 2018
Length: 169km
Type: flat stage
After the exertions of the last few days, the climbers, the class riders and their helpers can rest their legs on the flat stage to Valence. It's getting serious for the sprinters who have survived the hardships up to this point. In Valence, they have a great chance of winning the day.
Stage #14: Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteux - Mende
Date: Saturday, 21. July 2018
Length: 187km
Type: Wavy
We now head over undulating terrain to Mende in southern France, not far from the Pyrenees. A day for the punchers, the breakaways and the classic specialists.
Stage #15: Millau – Carcassonne
Date: Sunday 22 July 2018
Length: 181km
Type: Wavy
Anyone who went empty-handed the day before can possibly score points on a very similar stage today. The crossing of the world-famous Millau viaduct, which is the first in the history of the Tour to start with a stage, is undoubtedly worth seeing.
Stage #16: Carcassonne - Bagnères-de-Luchon
Date: Tuesday 24 July 2018
Length: 218km
Type: Wavy / Mountainous
The Pyrenees are waiting. After the start from Carcassonne, it is still rather cautious and without too much difficulty to the finish. The concentration is partly probably already the next day.
Stage #17: Bagnères-de-Luchon - Saint-Lary-Soulan
Date: Wednesday 25 July 2018
Length: 65km
Type: mountain stage
It's quite a small revolution in the history of the Tour de France. The 65th stage of the 17 Tour is only 2018 km long. 38 km of it lead uphill, the riders accumulate a total of 2.215 vertical meters over the short distance. It's all up and down here, there is hardly any room for tactics. An absolute must for every cycling fan!
Stage #18: Trie-sur-Baise - Pau
Date: Thursday 26 July 2018
Length: 172km
Type: flat stage
The sprinters and their teams have another chance before the grand finale in the Pyrenees. Whether Marcel Kittel is still there and can repeat his Pau victory from 2017?
Stage #19: Lourdes – Laruns
Date: Friday 27 July 2018
Length: 200km
Type: mountain stage
The last big exchange of blows for the strong climbers. It goes over the Col d'Aspin, the Tourmalet, the Col de Borderes and the L'Aubisque. Again almost 5.000hm. An undoubtedly brutal day for every driver in the field.
Stage #20: Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle - Espelette
Date: Saturday, 28. July 2018
Length: 31km
Type: Individual Time Trial
Nothing is decided yet, because on the penultimate day there is still a 31km long individual time trial on a difficult, bumpy track with some steep ramps (up to 22%). On the day before the final in Paris, the overall standings could get mixed up again.
Stage #21: Houilles – Paris
Date: Sunday 29 July 2018
Length: 115km
Type: flat stage
The die is cast! The overall standings are decided, the only thing left to do today is the prestigious victory in Paris.
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Siegfried Striese says
All well and good - an overview, but where can I find out the exact route so that I can plan my visit and stay along the route???
Thanks in advance for your trouble
Greetings S. Striese
Michael Faiss says
The exact course of the route is not yet known and will probably only be published in the coming weeks. If we get more information about this, we will update the article.