2025 Tour de France Stage 18 Live Coverage
Welcome to our live coverage of Stage 18 of the 2025 Tour de France! Our live profile and commentary are below, followed by a preview of the technical aspects of the route.
Course Preview
The riders face over 5,500 meters of elevation gain in the 18th stage of the Tour. They tackle the Col du Glandon and the Col de la Madeleine before reaching the Col de la Loze. Next is another 26.2 kilometers of climbing to the finish. The race spans 171 kilometers.
Crossing three challenging climbs, this might be the toughest task of the entire Tour. The route ascends at gentle gradients from the start in Vif, and just before passing through Allemont—about 30 kilometers in—a flat section precedes the beginning of a climbing bonanza that will last until the end.
First up is the Col du Glandon, a 21.7-kilometer climb with an average gradient of 5.1%, but featuring numerous sections at double digits.
The route reaches its halfway point back in the valley. But there’s no time to waste; it goes straight back up again. This time, the riders confront the Col de la Madeleine, which is slightly shorter but overall significantly steeper—19.2 kilometers long, averaging 7.9%.
After a rapid descent of about 30 kilometers, the route levels out for roughly 15 kilometers. However, as the riders pass through Brides-les-Bains, the gradient rises again. The Col de la Loze is a daunting climb, stretching 26.2 kilometers with an average gradient of 6.5%. But that’s not what makes the ascent so challenging; the Loze features some extremely steep sections. The fifth kilometer before the summit climbs at 11%, and with just over 2 kilometers to go, the gradient hovers around 10%.
The Col de la Loze made its Tour debut in 2020, when Miguel Ángel López won after a thrilling finale, finishing 15 seconds ahead of Primoz Roglic, with Tadej Pogacar another 15 seconds further behind. The climb returned two years ago, and Felix Gall took the win from the break that day, while Jonas Vingegaard secured the overall victory.
In both 2020 and 2023, the riders faced the Loze from a different side. This time, it appears a little less brutal—on paper.
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