The route for the 105th edition of the Tour de France was announced at the Palais de Congrès convention centre in Paris today. The race which will be held from 7-29 July is barely more than 3,300 kilometres long, which makes it the shortest in recent years.
Among the highlights and new additions to the 2018 route, the pack will tackle the cobbles of Roubaix over a distance of 21.7km, climb up to the Plateau des Glières on the Grand-Bornand stage which the riders will reach after a steep climb and two kilometres on a non-tarmacked track.
The race also makes a return to Alpe d’Huez and in the Pyrenees, the riders will face a very short but tough 65 km mountain stage. The final face-off among the favourites will take place during the time trial, on the particularly steep roads of the Basque Country.
“We especially wanted to emphasize stage variety and the routes that may prove decisive, whilst combining legendary climbs with brand new ascensions or ultra-dynamic formats, to provide a vision of modern and inspired cycling,” explained Christian Prudhomme.
2018 Tour de France Route
Stage 1 189 km Noirmoutier-en-l’ile / Fontenay-le-Comte
Stage 2 183 km Mouilleron-Saint-Germain / La Roche-sur-Yon
Stage 3 35 km Cholet / Cholet
Stage 4 192 km La Baule / Sarzeau
Stage 5 203 km Lorient / Quimper
Stage 6 181 km Brest / Mûr de Bretagne Guerlédan
Stage 7 231 km Fougères / Chartres
Stage 8 181 km Dreux / Amiens Métropole
Stage 9 154 km Arras / Roubaix
Rest 1 Annecy / Annecy
Stage 10 159 km Annecy / Le Grand-Bornand
Stage 11 108 km Albertville / La Rosière Espace San Bernardo
Stage 12 175 km Bourg-Saint-Maurice Les Arcs / Alpe d’Huez
Stage 13 169 km Bourg d’Oisans / Valence
Stage 14 187 km Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux / Mende
Stage 15 181 km Millau / Carcassonne
Rest 2 Carcassonne / Carcassonne
Stage 16 218 km Carcassonne / Bagnères-de-Luchon
Stage 17 65 km Bagnères-de-Luchon / Saint-Lary-Soulan
Stage 18 172 km Trie-sur-Baïse / Pau
Stage 19 200 km Lourdes / Laruns
Stage 20 31 km Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle / Espelette
Stage 21 115 km Houilles / Paris Champs-Élysées
Kevin Corner