Stage 18: Moûtiers to Bourg-En-Bresse – 186 km
Date: July 20, 2023
Stage type: Flat
What to watch for: This is one of the last opportunities for the pure bunch sprinters over the more versatile fast men.
Stage summary: The Tour has turned toward Paris. Stage 18 is a long ride out of the Alps, finishing with what should be a bunch kick in Bourg-en-Bresse.
There is a small climb, about 3 km long, 15 km from the finish. But that shouldn’t bother the sprint teams too much.
The final 5 km of the stage run slightly downhill until the flamme rouge at 1 km to go. From there to the finish the road rises slightly.
Dane Cash’s picks: As the dominant sprinter in this year’s race, Jasper Philipsen is the obvious favorite on stage 18. Mads Pedersen and Biniam Girmay will be among the outside contenders here, probably hoping to have come out of the mountains feeling fresher, and Dylan Groenewegen is another rider to watch.
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