After a grueling Stage 17, in which the peloton summited the famous Col du Galibier at an altitude of 2,642 meters above sea level, Stage 18 will once again take the field through the French Alps, as riders will reach the finish line on the 2,360 meter summit of the Col d'Izoard.
Rider will depart from the town of Briancon, at 1,170 meters, and will cover a relatively tame first 50 kilometers, with only minor climbs and descents along the way.
56 kilometers into the stage, riders will reach the base of their first climb of the day. The ascent to the summit of the Cote des Demoiselles Coiffees will cover 3.9 kilometers at a 5.2% average gradient.
After a quick descent from the Cote des Demoiselles Coiffees, the field will make a gradual ascent until reaching the day's intermediate sprint in Les Thuiles at the 91 kilometer mark.
Riders will continue their gradual ascent after the intermediate sprint in Les Thuile, and will reach the stage's second categorized climb 69 kilometers from the finish at the foot of the category 1 Col de Vars.
The ascent to the top of the Col de Vars will take the riders above 2,000 meters in altitude for the first time on Stage 18, topping out at 2,109 meters, as the peloton will climb an average incline of 7.5% for 9.3 kilometers before reaching the summit.
From the summit of the Col de Vars, riders will descend 1,000 meters in altitude over 18 kilometers, before reaching the mountain village of Guillestre.
With 30 kilometers remaining to the finish in Izoard once the field reaches Guillestre, they will gradually ascend to the foot of their final climb of the day on the intimidating Col d'Izoard.
The stage's final climb will require an arduous ascent to the summit of the Col d'Izoard, which will require riders to cover 14.1 kilometers at an average incline of 7.3%, reaching an altitude of 2,360 meters above sea level.
The finish line is located near the summit, and will require the winner to have the legs left in the final kilometer to make the final push across the line.
Stage 18 will be the last true mountain stage at which the top four general classification riders will be able to add major time gaps on one another. Chris Froome (Team Sky) currently holds the yellow jersey with a 27'' advantage over both Rigoberto Uran (Cannondale-Drapac) and Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale), as well as a 53'' margin over fourth place Fabio Aru (Astana). Aru did not look as spry on Stage 17, losing 35'' to the top Froome, Uran, and Bardet. Stage 18 will be a pivotal stage for Aru, as losing any more time to the top three riders in the mountains could very well doom his chances of the yellow jersey, and even a podium spot. Uran narrowly beat out Froome and Bardet in a final sprint for second place on Stage 18, however all three riders looked strong and comfortable throughout the stage, putting in various attacks that were repeatedly met by the others. Stage 18 will be important to watch, as all four of the top riders have their final shot at making a major move in the general classification on the unforgiving ascents in the French Alps.
Another duel to watch for on Stage 18 will be between two riders fighting for the best young rider title. Simon Yates (Orica-Scott) has had a stranglehold on the white jersey throughout this year's Tour de France, but has been closely followed by UAE Team Emirates rider Louis Meintjes at each stage. Meintjes made up ground on Yates on Stage 17, closing the time gap down to 2'28'' between the two. Meintjes looked to be the stronger rider on the final climb of Stage 17, but Yates still appears to have something left in the tank. Stage 18 will be another crucial stage in the battle for the white jersey as best young rider, as Simon Yates will be looking to build his lead, while Louis Meintjes will be looking to close the gap and overtake Yates by the time the riders reach Paris.
The best young rider classification is not the only interesting dual at this year's Tour de France, as current polka dot jersey holder Warren Barguil (Team Sunweb) is looking to hold off Stage 17 winner Primoz Roglic (Lotto NL-Jumbo) and retain his lead in the King of the Mountains competition. Roglic closed Barguil's lead to 49 points after taking charge on the final climb of Stage 17, but with only 58 points left up for grabs in the mountains, Roglic will need to put in another gutsy performance on Stage 18 if he hope to take the polka dot jersey from Barguil. Barguil continued to push the climbs on Stage 17, while finishing 5th on the stage, and appears to still have strong legs going into the final stage in the mountains at this year's Tour. While Barguil still has the best chance of retaining the polka dot jersey as King of the Mountains, it is not too late to count out Primoz Roglic after his impressive showing in the French Alps on Stage 17.
Other riders to keep an eye on during Stage 18 include Dan Martin (Quick-Step Floors), Alberto Contador (Trek-Segafredo), Thomas de Gendt (Lotto Soudal), Serge Pauwels (Dimension Data), and Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo).
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