Stage 18 of the 2024 Tour de France will take place on Thursday, July 18, 2024, running from Gap to Barcelonnette over a distance of 179.5 km. This is the first time that the Barcelonnette will host a Tour de France stage. The stage is classified as hilly, with 3,100 meters of elevation gain.
It features several moderate climbs, including:
- Col du Festre (3.9 km at 6.3%, Category 3)
- Côte de Corps (2.1 km at 7.2%, Category 3)
- Col de Manse (5.1 km at 3.6%, Category 3)
- Côte de Saint-Apollinaire (7 km at 5.5%, Category 3)
- Côte des Demoiselles Coiffées (3.6 km at 5.4%, Category 3)
There is an intermediate sprint as well at kilometer 84.3 of the stage.
This stage is expected to favor breakaway attempts, as the up-and-down route offers a slight reprieve from the high mountains. Strong puncheurs may have opportunities to attack, especially on the Côte de Saint-Apollinaire, 58 km from finish, as well as the Côte des Demoiselles Coiffées at 40 km from finish.
Time bonuses of 10, 6, and 4 seconds will also be awarded to the first three riders across the finish line. This stage offers an interesting mix of terrain that could lead to exciting racing, potentially favoring aggressive riders looking to gain time or stage hunters aiming for a victory from the breakaway.
After a fast, combative day on Stage 17, Stage 18 could show similar dynamics and provide ground for Yellow Jersey holder Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) to increase his lead over Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) in second and Remce Evenepoel (Soudal-Quick-Step) in third. However, both Vingegaard and Evenepoel will be looking to catch Pogačar, as they are quickly running out of stages to keep contact with the leader, who has over 3 minutes on Vingegaard and 5 minutes on Evenepoel overall.
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