The profile of the 18ᵉ stage of the Tour de France 2023. ASO
It had been a week since the sprinters took their troubles patiently and gritted their teeth to withstand a succession of mountainous days. They will be able to return to the front of the stage, Thursday July 20, on the occasion of the 18th stage of the Tour de France between Moûtiers (Savoie) and Bourg-en-Bresse, and its 185 kilometer long route.
“It took determination for the sprinters to withstand the shock of the Tour’s alpine stay. They will be rewarded with a stage where the route avoids the bumps and should facilitate their return to the fore”, confirms Christian Prudhomme, the director of the event. During the last arrival in the prefecture of Ain, in 2007, it was the Belgian Tom Boonen who had taken the best of the peloton in the final package.
Only two difficulties are listed on the route: the coast of Chambéry-le-Haut (1.6 km at 4.1%, 4th category) and the coast of Boissieu (2.4 km at 4.7%, 4th category), placed 80 kilometers from the finish. Teams wishing to play for the win will have a long straight line of almost two kilometers to negotiate before a right-angled turn which can prove dangerous. Finally, after the red flame of the last kilometer, a final curve on the left could decide the outcome of the sprint.
After the retirements of Mark Cavendish (Astana-Qazaqstan), Caleb Ewan (Lotto-Dstny), Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal-Quick-Step) or even Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain-Victorious), the quadruple stage winner on this edition, Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Deceuninck), will be the big favorite of the expected sprint.