Friday's next to last en-ligne stage of the Tour de France may offer another opportunity for attacking riders to take their leave, or perhaps the sprinters' teams may not be too tired to chase down any escapees. Stage 18 heads northwest towards Paris, from gastronomic capital Cahors in the Quercy region, across the Dordogne region to finish in the market town of Angoulême, capital of the Charente region. The first third of the stage has a few climbs, but the final 140 kilometres are flat and wide open to the finish.
Climbs:
Km 15: Côte de Salvezou: 1.3 km climb @ 6.5 % grade / 4th Cat.
Km 24: Côte de Lavercantière: 1.2 km climb @ 5.9 % grade / 4th Cat.
Km 39.5: Côte de Saint-Martial-de-Nabirat: 1.5 km climb @ 4.3 % grade / 4th Cat.
Km 70.5: Côte de Saint-Cyprien: 2.8 km climb @ 4.9 % grade / 4th Cat.
Sprints:
Km 66: Saint-Cyprien
Km 192: Dignac
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