5 most anticipated stages of the 2018 Tour de France

3. Annecy to Le Grand-Bornand (Stage 10, 98.6 mi/159 km)

The first day in the Alps offers a stunning test. Riders should be fresh after a rest day in Annecy. That is where Stage 10 begins its wind up into the mountains on a ride that features five categorized climbs over less than 100 miles of racing. Will the race blow up immediately, or will the general classification contenders play their cards close to the vest on the first Alpine stage in the high mountains?

The first climb is relatively mild, just under a mile up the fourth-category Col de Bluffy. Right after the intermediate sprint in Thones, the road really begins to ramp up for the first time. Riders start a 7.1-mile slog up the Col de la Croix Fry. The climb features pitches as high as 9.3 percent, with an average of seven percent gradient.

After a descent from the summit of the Col de la Croix Fry, the peloton faces an even tougher challenge. The Montée du Plateau des Glières ranks beyond category, as it features an average 11.2 percent gradient and unpaved stretches at the top after reaching the summit of the climb. The next quarter of the route is spent mostly descending down to Bonneville and through Cluses before the last two first-category climbs of the day.

The Col de Romme and Col de la Colombière offer average pitches over eight percent, giving riders steep tests across 10 of the last 24 miles of the race. A descent into Le Grand-Bornand completes the test, as the cyclists endure one final descent on the day’s route.