This Thursday, July 21, 2022, the riders of the Tour de France will leave Lourdes to arrive 143 km later, in Hautacam, still in the Hautes-Pyrénées. An 18th step “thought on a dynamic format which is also that of all possibilities” according to Christian Prudhomme, the boss of the Grande Boucle. Three majestic climbs on the program: the Aubisque passes, by spandels and the rise of Hautacam. Here are the details.
The detailed route of the 18th stage
An unprecedented passage via the Col de Spandelles
“The Col de Spandelles is the only pass that had never been climbed by the Tour de France” specifies Thierry Gouvenou, the technical director of the Tour. Although tarmacked for a long time, the pass was impassable until a few years ago in downhill racing, but the Hautes-Pyrénées department has done some development work.
“It’s ideal, we’re going to chain Aubisque, Spandelles which is still very hard, which is 10 km at more than 8%. We will go down to Argeles-Gazost, a slight 2 km valley, and we will attack Hautacam immediately” analyzes Thierry Gouvenou. Spandelles pass “is very well placed for this sequence”, he specifies. The day before, the riders will have gone from St-Gaudens to Peyragudes via the Cols d’Aspin and the Hourquette d’Ancizan, or even the Col d’Azet. The next day, direction Gers, Tarn-et-Garonne and Lot, with a stage cut out for sprinters between Castelnau-Magnoac and Cahors.
This is the sixth time that Lourdes and Hautacam have been stopover towns. Lourdes has sporadically welcomed the Tour peloton since 1948. This first finish line saw the victory of Gino “Le Pieux” Bartali. In 2011, Thor Hushovd, reigning world champion, threw his arms up there. The last start from the Catholic pilgrimage town was given in 2018. A few hours later, the Slovenian Primoz Roglic won the stage in Laruns.
The resort of Hautacam, which dominates Lourdes, has seen five stage victories. The first was signed by Luc Leblanc in 1994. In 2008, Cadel Evans took the overall lead there for the first time, marking a turning point in his career. In 2014, Nibali won his fourth stage victory, three days before his coronation in Paris.
The profile of the 18th stage
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Details of planned climbs
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The detailed timetables for the passage of the runners and the caravan
The general map of the Tour de France 2022
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