2018 Tour de France Race Preview
The details of this year's 2018 Tour de France are falling into place. Find the latest route profiles and maps below, followed by our strategic preview of the race.
The 2018 Tour de France gets underway in the Vendée region of western France, with the Grand Départ taking place in the coastal town of Noirmoutier-en-l'Île before the race makes its way across some of the most challenging terrain in the sport over the course of three weeks and 21 stages.
Defending champion Chris Froome arrives at this year's race under extraordinary circumstances. The four-time Tour winner spent much of the preceding months dealing with the fallout from an adverse analytical finding related to salbutamol at the 2017 Vuelta a España, only for cycling's governing body to clear him of any wrongdoing just weeks before the race began. The Kenyan-born Briton has since added the Giro d'Italia to his palmares, becoming only the third rider in history to hold all three Grand Tour titles simultaneously, and arrives in France attempting to equal the all-time record of five Tour victories shared by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain. His Team Sky squad, led domestically by the likes of Geraint Thomas and Egan Bernal, represents arguably the most formidable unit in the peloton.
The competition is fierce, however. Tom Dumoulin of Team Sunweb pushed Froome to the limit at last year's Giro and brings genuine stage racing credentials to France this summer. The Dutchman is a powerful time trialist and has shown significant improvement in the mountains, making him a genuine overall contender. Nairo Quintana returns for Movistar alongside teammate Mikel Landa, though questions linger about whether the Colombian climber can finally deliver a maiden Tour title after twice finishing as runner-up. Romain Bardet will carry French hopes once again for AG2R La Mondiale, with the expectation of a passionate home crowd driving him on through the mountains.
Primož Roglič of LottoNL-Jumbo is among the most intriguing names on the start list. The former ski jumper turned professional cyclist has developed rapidly into one of the sport's most complete stage racers and will be eager to announce himself on cycling's biggest stage. Vincenzo Nibali, the 2014 Tour champion, also returns for Bahrain-Merida with revenge on his mind after injury curtailed his challenge in recent editions.
The route itself is demanding and varied. The race features two individual time trials, including a mountainous test on the final Saturday near Espelette that could prove decisive in the overall classification. The Pyrenees and Alps provide their usual brutal selection, with summit finishes at La Rosière, Alpe d'Huez and the Col du Portet among the key battlegrounds. The Alpe d'Huez stage is particularly unusual, featuring two ascents of the legendary climb in a single day, a format that has generated considerable excitement and debate in the lead-up to the race.
The sprinters will also have their opportunities across a handful of flat stages, with Marcel Kittel, Fernando Gaviria and Peter Sagan all capable of taking stage wins. Sagan, the reigning world champion, will be targeting his seventh green jersey, a record that continues to defy belief.
After months of controversy and anticipation, the 105th edition of the Tour de France promises an enthralling contest across some of the finest roads in France.
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