Tour de France 2018 Stage Preview and Favourites
The 105th edition of cycling’s most iconic race the Tour de France, begins on Saturday with Chris Froome gunning for a fourth consecutive win and fifth in all. The 3,329 km race departs from Noirmoutier-en-l’Île, in the Vendée department, on 7 July and will finish with the Champs-Élysées stage in Paris, on 29 July. The race will see 176 riders from 22 teams battling it out for glory over 21 grueling stages in what is one of the most mentally and physically challenging sporting events on the planet.
Tour de France 2018 Stage Preview
This year’s course is expected to be one of the most demanding in recent years with the organizers looking to challenge all the teams and riders. Let’s take a look at what lies ahead.
Stage 1 – Saturday, July 7
Noirmoutier-en-l’Île – Fontenay-le-Comte, 201 km
The opening stage is one for the sprinters, although the 135km costal course will test the field with plenty of wind expected along the way.
Stage 2 – Sunday, July 8
Mouilleron-Saint-Germain – La Roche-sur-Yon, 182.5 km
A bunch finish is expected here but with the final kilometer at a 3%-4% gradient, power is expected to overcome the sprinting speed.
Stage 3 – Monday, July 9
Cholet – Cholet, 35.5 km (TTT)
After two sprint stages it is time for the likes of Team Sky, BMC Racing and Quick-Step to battle it out in the 35km team time trial. A route that features rolling terrain with time gaps that could be seconds or minutes. This could have a significant early effect on the General Classification.
Stage 4 – Tuesday, July 10
La Baule – Sarzeau, 195 km
Brittany plays host to stage 4, which again will offer opportunities for those in the hunt for the green jersey. Like the first two stages this will be one for the sprinters.
Stage 5 – Wednesday, July 11
Lorient – Quimper, 204.5 km
Stage 5 is the first test for the climbers, with no less than five of them to negotiate. This will be an intense day of racing with only a small group expected to battle it out for the stage win.
Stage 6 – Thursday, July 12
Brest – Mûr de Bretagne, 181 km
The summit finish of Mur de Bretagne will prove a severe test. In fact, this year they will pass through the summit on two occasions, first around 16km before the end of the stage, then again at the finish. The 4km climb will unquestionably bring out the team strategy of protecting their leading riders from any break away and threat from the General Classification contenders.
Stage 7 – Friday, July 13
Fougères – Chartres, 231 km
Flatter terrain will be on the agenda here and you can bet that mental and physical fatigue will be creeping in at this stage. This is an opportune stage for the sprinters, although only if they have the legs as the Tour finishes its first week.
Stage 8 – Saturday, July 14
Dreux – Amiens, 181 km
Much like stage 7 the terrain remains relatively flat and with an exceptionally difficult stage 9 the next day, this could be a day that many hold back. It is however Bastille Day, so expect a French rider to take center stage.
Stage 9 – Sunday, July 15
Arras – Roubaix, 156.4 km
There are 15 sectors of cobbles spanning around 22km. This will seriously test the resolve of the entire field and as seen in the past, could end some of the contender’s podium ambitions.
Rest Day – Monday, July 16 – Annecy
Stage 10 – Tuesday, July 17
Annecy – Le Grand-Bornand, 158.5 km
A 10.5-kilometre descent from the Col de la Colombière is how this stage will finish, although prior to that, three big climbs need to be overcome, the Category 1 Col de la Croix Fry and Col de Romme sandwiching the Hors-Categorie Montée du Plateau des Glières.
Stage 11 – Wednesday, July 18
Albertville – La Rosière, 108.5 km
Another summit finish with two Hors-Categorie ascents. The first climb, the Montée de Bisame, is about 12.7km with a gradient of 8.2%, while the second, he Col du Pré, is around the same distance but 7.8%. Then for good measure the finish at La Rosière has an average gradient of 5.8% over its 17.6 km. With another tough climbing stage, the next day it will be interesting to see how the teams approach this one.
Stage 12 – Thursday, July 19
Bourg-Saint-Maurice – Alpe d’Huez, 175.5 km
A finish on the Alpe d’Huez which includes 21 hairpins is one of the most celebrated on the Tour. With Col de la Madeleine and Col de la Croix de Fer to contend with, this stage will give a good indication on who might very well be the winner of the yellow jersey.
Stage 13 – Friday, July 20
Bourg d’Oisans – Valence, 169.5 km
This is the penultimate sprint stage of the Tour and could be decisive in the outcome of the green jersey.
Stage 14 – Saturday, July 21
Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteuax – Mende, 188 km
Côte de la Croix Neuve is the final climb and averages around 18% in gradient. Expect a small group to break away here in search of the stage win.
Stage 15 – Sunday, July 22
Millau – Carcassonne, 181.5 km
With a much needed rest day following this stage, this could be an intense one with breaks potentially happening early on. The Category 1 Pic de Noire 41km from the finish could decide the outcome here.
Rest Day – Monday, July 23 – Carcassonne
Stage 16 – Tuesday, July 24
Carcassonne – Bagnères-de-Luchon, 218 km
The first of three mountain stages in four days will almost certainly shape the General Classification. The stage has three big climbs in the final third of the stage, firstly Col de Portet d’Aspet 62km out, then Col de Menté and finally Col du Portillon.
Stage 17 – Wednesday, July 25
Bagnères-de-Luchon – Saint-Lary-Soulan/Col-du-Portet, 65 km
A short 65km mountain stage is one of the most anticipated in this year’s race. It will also feature for the first time a Formula One grid start for the top 20 riders. Interesting to see how this concept works out.
Stage 18 – Thursday, July 26
Trie-sur-Baïse – Pau, 171 km
After two days in the mountains this stage could see an early break away and a bunch sprint finish. Much will depend on what is left in the tank after almost three weeks of racing.
Stage 19 – Friday, July 27
Lourdes – Laruns, 200.5 km
With the finishing line in sight the riders have a pretty tough one to deal with here. With 4800 meters of climbing there are six categorised ascents, Col d’Aspin and Col du Tourmalet coming halfway through the stage. This one is not for the faint hearted.
Stage 20 – Saturday, July 28
Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle – Espelette, 31 km (ITT)
Like last year the penultimate stage is an individual time trial. Some significant changes on the overall standings could come into play here.
Stage 21 – Sunday, July 29
Houilles – Paris, 116 km
The final stage is all about the jersey winners and the traditional sprint finish down the Champs-Elysées. The question is who will be the holder of the coveted yellow?
Tour de France 2018 General Classification Favourites
Chris Froome – Team Sky – 7/4
Froome’s salbutamol case must have been a distraction for the four-time Tour de France winner despite eventually being cleared to participate in the race. Froome is an outstanding all-rounder and justifies his favourite status. If the Team Sky leader can do the business again it will give him a record-equaling five Tour wins, putting him alongside Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx, Jacques Anquetil and Miguel Indurain. It will also mean he would have won the last four Grand Tours and make him the first man since Marco Pantani in 1998 to win the Giro and Tour in the same year.
Also in the favour of the Brit is the team around him at Sky, Egan Bernal and Wout Poels will be of great support in the mountains.
The question is if he has recovered from the Giro? I suppose we will find out soon enough.
Richie Porte – BMC – 5/1
Richie Porte is a former teammate of Froome’s at Sky and will most likely emerge as his biggest threat. The Australian arrives off the back of wins at the Tour de Suisse was also third at the Tour de Romandie.
Porte is also supported by a strong team Damiano Caruso (11th last year) and Tejay Van Garderen, both strong in the mountains.
He was well placed last year to make a run at Froome before crashing out.
Nairo Quintana – Movistar – 7/1
Quintana hasn’t been at his best over the last two years in the Tour de France, although there have been signs this season that he could be timing his form very well. Quintana has podiumed in three of the four stage races he’s done so far this year suggesting he will be threat.
The Colombian is exceptional in the mountains, then so are teammates Alejandro Valverde and Mikel Landa, who both start the race on equal status, a bold strategy from the team. This could work out to be a masterstroke or apply more pressure on them individually.
Vincenzo Nibali – Bahrain-Merida – 9/1
Nibali is a former winner of the Tour de France back in 2014 and also a winner of four Grand Tours. He hasn’t had the best of seasons, although victory at the Milan-San Remo in March showed he is not far off. The cobbles early in the Tour is one stage that you may see him target the GC contenders on.
Tom Dumoulin – Sunweb – 12/1
Dumoulin is a very strong time trialist and an excellent climber. His second place finish to Froome in the Giro suggests that he could be right up there over the next three weeks.
Adam Yates – Mitchelton-Scott – 16/1
Yates has a highest finish in the Tour of fourth suggesting a podium is not out of the question. It is tough to see him overcoming the likes of Froome and Porte, however you just never know what can happen over 21 stages.
Romain Bardet – Ag2r La Mondiale – 16/1
Bardet has a great record in the Tour over the last four years finishing sixth, ninth, second and third. The Frenchman will need to challenge in the mountains as his weakness is very much in the time trials.
Top GC Riders to watch
Tour de France 2018 Points Classification Favourites
Marcel Kittel – Katusha-Alpecin – 11/1
Kittel was outstanding last year with 5 stage wins and with 14 stage wins to his name you can bet the German will not go home empty handed.
Fernando Gaviria – QuickStep Floors – 7/2
Gaviria is one for the future, although this could be an opportunity to capitalize on his good form. He finished second on three occasions at the recent Tour de Suisse and won four stages in the Giro last year. Expect him to compete in his Tour debut.
Mark Cavendish – Dimension Data – 19/1
Cavendish has unfinished business after crashing out last year and suffering the same fate on a few occasions this season. This is a guy that has 30 Tour stage wins, just 4 off the record held by Eddy Merckx. You can never write him off.
Andre Greipel – Lotto Soudal – 34/1
Griepel never managed a stage win last year which is unusual for a rider of his quality. His form has been pretty good this season with six wins. Expect him to win at least a few this time out.
Peter Sagan – Bora-Hansgrohe – 4/9
Sagan is firm favourite and chasing a record equaling sixth green jersey. Last year he was disqualified from the Tour on stage 4 after a crash with Mark Cavendish something he will want to lay to rest this year with another powerful performance. Few would argue that the Slovakian is one of the most versatile riders in the world.
Top Sprinters to watch
