Stage 18) Briançon-Izoard - THURSDAY 20 JULY / 179.5KM

Stage 18 - THURSDAY 20 JULY / 179.5KM

Briançon-Izoard

The final mountain stage of the race, with the hardest summit finish of the entire 2017 Tour

The 2017 Tour goes above 2,000m four times in the whole race, and it does it all in the space of two days. If yesterday was bad, then today could be worse as the finish line is right up in the dead air at 2,360m above sea level. The route describes the shape of a horseshoe and the first section should be of little consequence to the peloton, however weary it is at this stage, because it travels south with more down than up along the Durance valley road. The route makes an excursion along the eastern shore of the Lac de Serre-Ponçon and the cat-three Côte des Demoiselles Coiffées before picking up the River Urbaye and heading upstream. It’s a very gradual climb up the valley road through Barcelonette and Jausiers – the sort of terrain where big groups get away – before turning off left at Saint-Paul-sur-Urbaye for a rare return to the Col du Vars, last used in the Tour in 2000, but a regular feature of the mammoth north-south stages of the 1950s and 60s. The Vars is at its most testing during a long middle section that runs for 2km at about 10%. The descent isn’t particularly technical but it does bunch up towards Guillestre at the bottom. Finally, the race makes for the big event, not just of the stage but possibly the Tour: the 14km Col d’Izoard. Purists may baulk at finishing a stage on a col – what goes up should come down after all – but the toughness of the Izoard, with long sections upwards of 9% and a short section of 14% near the top, just after the other-worldly dolomite rocks of the Casse Déserte, will provide the penultimate stratification of the GC. 

The King of the Mountains jersey will also be decided here. It’s the only stage where there are double points for the winner.

MILLAR SAYS

Candidates to add their name to the list of riders who have reached the summit of L’Izoard first will not be many but they will be of quality. The mountain competition could well be done and dusted on this stage as there are double points on offer at the finish. Though the Col du Vars is hard enough on its own, it’s not as fearful as the final climb or as historic. There’s a real sense of occasion riding up through the Casse Déserte so if the yellow jersey wants to make a statement there won't be a better chance than this.

TOUR HISTORY

The Col d’Izoard is the latest of the Tour de France’s great mountain passes to be turned into a summit finish, following the Col du Tourmalet in 2010 and Col du Galibier in 2011. The stage winner on both Tourmalet and Galibier was Andy Schleck, en route to first and second place respectively on GC.

1 - Number of HC summit finishes in 2017, against three in 2016 and 2015

34 - Appearances by the Izoard in the Tour route since its debut in 1922

3 - Number of categorised climbs left in the race after Izoard: all third cats

0 km -- Briançon -- 12:55

60 km -- Côte des Demoiselles Coiffées -- 14:18

91.5 km -- Les Thuiles -- 15:02

129.5 km -- Col de Vars -- 16:07

179.5 km -- Izoard -- 17:34