How long is the longest stage of the Tour de France 2018?

At the 2018 Tour de France, four stages take riders across more than 200 kilometers of territory. Which of those stages are the longest in this year’s race?

Each year, the introduction of the Tour de France race route offers a chance to check out which stage offers the longest test of the year. In the 2018 Tour de France, that honor falls to Stage 7 between Fougères and Chartres. That route out of the Breton countryside and further inland through northern France takes riders along just over 143 miles (231 kilometers) of racing.

The route, running from west to east, features one short categorized climb along the way. The fourth-category Côte du Buisson de Perseigne appears in the Tour de France for the first time in race history at the 75th mile. The Côte du Buisson de Perseigne offers around a mile of climbing at an average 3.5 percent and will likely have little long-term impact on the final result.

This flat stage is all about sprinting

Because the route is so flat, a breakaway will likely go off the front early into the race. The peloton, led by the teams featuring top sprinters, will allow that group to string ahead as many as 10 minutes. But by 104 miles into the race, the sprinters might get a chance to warm up their legs with an intermediate sprint at Berd’huis.

If a breakaway is still be away at this point, though, the landmark will serve as a wake-up call for the sprinters to begin reeling in the break to set up a bunch sprint.

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One final bonus point is positioned in Nonvilliers-Grandhoux, 124 miles into the stage and 19 miles from the finish. From that spot on the day’s route, the road slopes gently downward into Chartres. The ancient cathedral city last hosted a finish in 2012. That year, Bradley Wiggins won a time trial into the city to retain his yellow jersey on the penultimate stage of the race.

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