Riders in the Tour peloton lined up in Gap for the start of stage 18 of Tour de France 2024. Race organizer A.S.O. had designed a hilly route for today’s stage, as the 179.5-kilometer stretch to Barcelonnette featured five Category Three climbs, albeit the mountain sections were not sufficiently hard to discourage breakaway riders from trying their luck and create a formidable show for spectators along the roads and at home in front of their television sets.

Only four stages remained in this year’s Tour and with general classification favorites Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep), and Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma – Lease a Bike) expected to battle-it-out in Friday’s and Saturday’s grand mountain stages and Sunday’s final individual time trial from Monaco to Nice, today’s stage would likely offer the final opportunity for breakaway optimists to shine on the roads of southern France.

Several teams were still in dire straits as they had not yet secured a stage victory in this year’s Tour de France. Movistar, Groupama-FDJ, Ineos-Grenadiers, Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, and Uno-X Mobility were among the teams expected to seek revenge in the French mountain terrain.

Quite fittingly, attacks were launched from the front of the peloton as soon as the riders had left the town of Gap. Indeed, gaps were what the riders were hoping to create.

While many short-lived breakaways were established in the first kilometers, Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek) managed to fight his way to a somewhat viable breakaway in solo fashion. He was, however, caught by the peloton with approximately 160 kilometers remaining. The many continuous attacks from the front led to very high race speeds.

A breakaway group was formed when the riders tested their legs on the first categorized climb of the day – the Col du Festre. The front group featured approximately thirty-five riders and had fought its way to a lead of 32 seconds when the top of the climb was reached. However, attempts were still being made to bridge the gap from the main peloton to the men in front.

Meanwhile, heavy riders, including Mark Cavendish (Astana Team) and Arnaud Demare (Arkea B & B Hotels), had being dropped from the back of the main peloton.

Valentin Madouas (Groupama-FDJ) and Dorian Godon (AG2R Mondiale) made the leap to the large front group on the descent from Col du Festre. The group now featured thirty-six riders.

The thirty-six-rider breakaway group approached the Cote de Corps with a time advantage of three minutes over the main peloton. The group increased its lead to almost four minutes on the climb and continued their quest towards the next climb of the day, the Col de Manse (Category Three).

The advantage of the breakaway group continued to increase as the riders in the main peloton were having an easy day in the saddle, hoping to recover as optimally as possible before Friday’s and Saturday’s decisive mountain stages and the individual time trial from Monaco to Nice on Sunday. Because of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Tour de France will not conclude in Paris this year. 

Michael Matthews (Jayco-Alula) won the intermediate sprint from the front group ahead of Toms Skujins (Lidl-Trek) and Georg Zimmermann (Intermarche-Wanty) and secured points for the points competition, although the classification had likely already been won by Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty) barring any illness or accidents in the remaining stages of the Tour.

The front group continued to expand its lead on the Col de Manse. Oier Lazkano (Movistar) was first across the top ahead of yesterday’s stage winner and Olympic Champion Richard Carapaz (Team EF Education – EasyPost). At this point in the stage the breakaway optimists had increased their advantage over the main peloton to more than six minutes. The prospects of taking a stage victory from the breakaway were looking promising.

Ben Healy attacked from the front group as the riders reached the Cote de Saint-Apollinaire with 65 kilometers remaining. He joined forces with Krists Neilands (Team PremierTech), Matteo Sobrero (Red Bull – Bora – Hansgrohe), Geraint Thomas (Ineos-Grenadiers), and Frank van den Broek (Team DSM-Firmenich-PostNL). But the riders were caused by the remains of the breakaway group shortly thereafter.

With the main peloton now more than eight minutes behind the front riders, the level of motivation to launch attacks from the front group was high. Several attempts were made on the Cote de Saint-Apollinaire. Tobias Johannessen was first across the top of the climb, followed by Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos-Grenadiers). No viable split in the front group had occurred at this point. Only the final of the five categorized climbs of the day now remained.

Former professional cyclist and Tour de France stage winner Philippe Gilbert was spotted with his children at the roadside cheering on the riders in this year’s professional peloton. Hopefully Gilbert and family would get the chance to relax and cool off in one of the cool mountain lakes that were spread across the area.

Geraint Thomas (Ineos-Grenadiers) and Alex Aranburu (Movistar) attacked from the front. Forty-five kilometers remained. They were joined by Bart Lemmen (Team Visma – Lease a Bike), Sean Quinn (EF Education – EasyPost), Krists Neilands (Team PremierTech), Georg Zimmermann (Intermarche-Wanty), and Tobias Johannessen (Uno-X Mobility). The riders in the breakaway later remerged their efforts.

The riders were now climbing the Cote de Demoiselles Coiffees – the final categorized climb of the day, though additional climbing sections were definitely present on the route to the finish line in Barcelonnette. 

Kwiatkowski attacked as the riders approached the top of the climb. He was first across the top, but other riders were chasing hard.

Kwiatkowski was still solo in front with 36 kilometers remaining. He was, however, caught shortly thereafter by Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Dstny) and Matteo Vercher (TotalEnergies). Uno-X Mobility’s Tobias Johannessen crashed on the descent. 

Kwiatkowski joined forces with Campenaerts and Vercher and the trio pressed on to keep the chasers at bay. They had a fifteen second lead over the first chasers with 25 kilometers left. The first chase group featured Lemmen, Skujins, Hindley, Neilands, and Lazkano.

The front trio had increased its lead to forty-five seconds with just fifteen kilometers remaining. Would Lotto-Dstny, Ineos-Grenadiers, or Team TotalEnergies get their stage victory today or would the chasing riders catch up?

Kwiatkowski, Campenaerts and Vercher were still in front with seven kilometers remaining. It appeared the stage winner would be found amongst these three riders. Their advantage was forty-three seconds.

The trio was still together at the one-kilometer mark. They were cooperating well. They needed to keep the speed high to avoid getting caught by chase group one. 

Vercher opened his sprint. Kwiatkowski countered. The attack was annulled. 

Two hundred meters remained. Victor Campenaerts accelerated and won the stage for Lotto-Dstny ahead of Vercher and Kwiatkowski.

Today’s stage 18 did not cause any significant changes in the general classification. Tadej Pogacar remains Tour de France race leader for UAE Team Emirates ahead of Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma – Lease a Bike) and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) before the Tour reaches its climax in the following three stages of this year’s edition of the legendary Grand Tour.

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for additional coverage from Tour de France 2024.

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