The elevation gain is spread over three massive climbs of 21.7, 19.2 and 26.4 kilometres respectively. Add in a few uncategorised ramps, and it means the riders will be climbing for almost half the stage.
The Col du Glandon is the first obstacle – 21.7 kilometres long with an average gradient of 5.1%. But the real challenge lies in its irregularity. There are no 5 kilometres where the gradient ramps up to around 10%. Not exactly the kind of climb where you can settle into a rhythm this early in the day.
That rhythm may come later, as the second climb, the Col de la Madeleine, is a model of consistency: 19.2 kilometres at 7.9%. Ideal terrain to continue the damage already dealt on the Glandon. Ride it hard, keep the pressure on, and slowly roast your rivals.
Attacking on the Madeleine, though, may not be the wisest move. There are still 66.9 kilometres remaining at the summit, including a valley section before the final climb, so it would be hard to make it all the way to the line successfully.
No, the real action is likely to happen on the Col de la Loze. Kilometre 12 kicks up at 9.1%, and depending on how much time you want to gain, this could be the place to go. But tactically, it may be wiser to wait for the final 5 kilometres. That section opens with 1 kilometre averaging 11%. If you’ve still got good legs there, this is the moment to make it count. And with 2.2 kilometres to go, there’s another punishing kilometre at 9.6%.
All in all, the Col de la Loze climbs for 26.4 kilometres at an average of 6.5%.
To stick with the demolition metaphor: that’s exactly how Jonas Vingegaard claimed his Tour de France titles: slowly roasting Pogacar day by day before striking on the toughest terrain. There’s every chance he’ll try the same approach again. Whether it works depends on many factors — not least how strong Pogacar is this year.
Whether the big GC names will fight for the stage win is never a given, but fingers crossed. A route like this demands a clash of the titans. Then again, a battle between the best climbers from the breakaway followed by decisive skirmishes among the GC men would be quite a treat too.
How the race unfolds will depend on the standings, so we’ll update this preview as the Tour progresses.
Favourites 18th stage 2025 Tour de France
*** Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogacar
** Felix Gall, Thymen Arensman, Mattias Skjelmose, Lenny Martinez
* Enric Mas, Adam Yates, Simon Yates, Aleksandr Vlasov, Ben O’Connor
Another interesting read: route 18th stage 2025 Tour de France.
Tour de France 2025, stage 18: routes & profiles
Click on the images to zoom
