The Tour de France  - 2018

 France's greatest sporting event 

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The 2018 Tour de France stage by stage

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A GUIDE TO THE ROUTE


The 2018 Tour de France breaks with the tradition of recent years, in that with the exception of a short non-stop excursion into Spain near the end of Stage 16, the whole race takes place in France.
   The 2018 edition divides neatly into three distinct geographic sections.

   The first long week, from 7th to 15th July, all takes place in the northern half of France. Starting on the island of Noirmoutier, south of the Loire estuary, the Tour begins with three days in the Pays de la Loire region, before moving north for  three days in Brittany. The next three days see
 riders moving northeast, via the great cathedral cities of Chartres and Amiens, followed by a day - Sunday July 15th - including over 20 km on sections on the notorious historic cobbled highways of French Flanders.

The cobbled highways were a feature of very early Tours de France, and a number of stretches of old cobbled road have been preserved for the benefit of cycle racing.

 Fifteen sections of cobbles feature in the second part of stage 9 (Arras to Roubaix), between Somain and the finish. Among the longer stretches are Warlaing to Brillon (blue marker on the map), Tilloy to Sars et Rosières (red marker), and between Auchy lez Orchies and Bersée (beige marker on the map). Zoom in on the map for full detail.

  The second week of the Tour, from 17th to 22nd July, takes place in the Alps, the Cévennes, and the south of the Massif Central, taking riders from Annecy, via an impressive number of Alpine passes and then down to the Rhone valley. From the small town of Saint Paul Trois Chateaux (which only has one castle) riders then cycle west across the Rhone and the Cévennes to Mende, then from Millau through the surprisingly isolated hill country of the southern Aveyron and Tarn departments,  across the Montagne Noire to the historic walled city of Carcassonne, where they enjoy a second rest day.

  The final week of the Tour is essentially a Pyrenean week. The peaks of the Pyrenees can be seen from Carcassonne on a clear day, and the 16th stage takes riders from Carcassonne, across the hills of the Aude and the Ariège, and up to the High Pyrenean resort of Bagnères de Luchon. The next four days are spent in the Pyrenees, taking in a number of classic Pyrenean passes, including the Col de Portet and the Col du Tourmalet. Then, after time trials in the Basque country on 28th July, riders fly up to Paris for the short final leg and the traditional sprint to the finish on the Champs Elysées.





Visit the Official site of the tour de France


 A brief introduction to the regions of France

Chartres, at the end of Stage 7  (13th July)


Carcassonne - from 22nd to 24th July

Text and all photos copyright About-France.com except historic photo of racing on cobblestones which is aCreative Commons licenced photo py Felouch Kotek (source Wikimedia).