Profile, timetables, Tour roof for the queen stage … The 18th stage between Vif and Courchevel-Col de la Loze in questions

After Mont Ventoux and a transitional stage, the Tour begins its last difficulties with two stages in the Alps, whose arrival at the terrible Col de la Loze on Thursday.

After Mont Ventoux on Tuesday and a transitional stage on Wednesday, the Tour de France tackles its final sprint, Thursday July 24, during the 18th stage. The peloton will spend two days in the Alps, for two arrivals at the top at the Col de la Loze on Thursday, and at La Plagne on Friday. A huge menu to make the latest differences in the general classification, with to start, the queen stage of this 112nd edition, between Vif and Courchevel-Col de la Loze.

What profile?

“The most demanding stage of Tour 2025 “. This is how Christian Prudhomme, director of the Tour de France, sums up this stage. With 5,500 meters of elevation gain, the largest total of this edition, the stage has something to shudder. Two of the first three off-category of the day, the Glandon pass (HC, 21.7 km at 5.1%) and that of the Madeleine (HC, 19.2 km at 7.9%) are well known to runners but still represent more than 40 kilometers of ascension.

They will then start the final song, the Col de la Loze (HC, 26.4 km at 6.5%), the Tour roof at 2,304 m above sea level, the only edition pass where the points for the mountain ranking will be doubled (40 instead of 20). The heights of Courchevel will be visited for the first time to climb the Col de la Loze, which had been reached by the West and Méribel in 2020 and 2023. “After crossing the Altiport, there will remain four kilometers of an equally irregular and almost as biting cycle path for the calves as on the slope borrowed in 2020 and 2023”specifies the director of the Tour.

What favorites?

New Terror of the Tour, the Col de la Loze will be borrowed for the 3rd time, after the first in 2020 and the victory of Miguel Angel Lopez, then that of 2023 with the victory of Felix Gall and the terrible failure of Tadej Pogacar who had sealed the victory of Jonas Vingegaard. Will the scenario be reversed this year? Slovenian is always very revengeful, and after Hautacam, he will no doubt want to sweep the bad memory by winning with the way.

But the Danish is far from being relegated to the rank of a bowl, and he is still looking for a first victory over this edition. Apart from the two favorites, Felix Gall, Santiago Buitrago, Thymen Arensman, Sepp Kuss, Ben O'Connor or even Lenny Martinez will be candidates for victory if Uae Emirates-Xrg and Visma-Lease A Bike leave a group to compete.

What are the hours?

Start of the retransmission (on France 2 and france.tv(New window)): 12 hours

Fictive departure: 12:10 p.m.

Real departure: 12:20 p.m.

Provisional arrival: 5:10 p.m.