The Tour de France 2024, Stage 18 continues with a 179.5 kilometre hilly stage with moderate climbs on Thursday starting in Gap and finishing in Barcelonnette.
Stage 17 Wrap
The break won the stage as predicted, but I could never have predicted the length of time it would take the break to form. The race was on almost from the gun and every rider in that peloton must have been exhausted when the stage finally ended. EF Education were clearly hunting the stage win and worked hard to bring the initial break back before Carapaz attacked on the penultimate climb catching Simon Yates and riding away to an emphatic victory. Yates held on for 2nd with Enric Mas finishing third.
We were treated to a General Classification battle as well as Pogacar attacked on the penultimate climb only to be caught by Vingegaard and Evenepoel on the descent. Evenepoel then attacked on the run into the finish and Pogacar sat on Vingegaard’s wheel before attacking late on to pick up a couple more seconds on his rival.
Jersey Update
Evenepoel picked up a few seconds on Vingegaard who is still comfortably in second place and Pogacar extended his lead slightly and remains the firm favourite at 1/12 to win the race.
Carapaz was the big move in the King of the Mountains race and now sits on 34 points, but still 43 points behind Pogacar who is 19 points ahead of Vingegaard. Pogacar is still the firm favourite at 5/10 and you can get 3/1 about Carapaz.
There were concerns over night as to whether Biniam Girmay would recover from his crash, but he rode well all day and pipped Philipsen for minor points in the intermediate sprint, extending his lead to 33 points which should be enough to see him take Green.
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STAGE 18 ROUTE
We should be in for another exciting stage on Thursday when the riders tackle the 179.5 kilometre route from Gap to Barcelonnette. It is a lumpy route and there are 5 classified climbs, all of them Cat 3’s with the last one kicking out with 36 kilometres to go. The last 25 or so kilometres are not classified as climbs, but certainly head uphill and this should be a strong man’s race.
STAGE 18 TACTICS
Unlike Stage 17 there is an early climb and that should mean the break forms quicker and with some strong classics riders and climbers. I think teams UAE and Visma Lease will have an eye on the big mountain stages on Friday and Saturday and that the break will fight out the win.
STAGE 18 BETTING – click here to bet
Wout Van Aert – 5/1
Mathieu Van Der Poel – 6/1
Magnus Cort Nielsen – 11/1
Ben Healy – 12/1
Michael Matthews – 22/1
Jasper Stuyven – 22/1
Oier Lazkano – 22/1
Matej Mohoric – 22/1
Tobias Halland Johannessen – 25/1
Alex Aranburu – 28/1
Odds subject to change
PREDICTION
Mohoric has had a quiet tour but he caught the eye today and can deliver a much needed stage win for his team.
BET: Mohoric win at 22/1
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