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Stage 18 of the 2014 Tour de France sees the peloton facing two hors categorie climbs on the final day in the Pyrenees. Join us on The Roar from 10pm AEST for all the action.
Vincenzo Nibali is set now to be riding into Paris in the Maillot Jaune, the first Italian since Marco Pantani in 1998 to do so.
Stage 18 is one of the last chances for his rivals to try and put time into the Shark, but it is more likely that Nibali will extend his lead and make the ride around Paris on Sunday a procession.
Today’s stage is a 145.5 kilometre ride from Pau to the renowned climb of Hautacam. There are three more climbs on the route today, two category threes, and the small challenge of the hors categorie Col du Tourmalet.
Hautacam has been the finish of a Tour de France stage on just one other occasion, in 2008. On that occasion, it was Spaniard Juan Jose Cobo who won the day.
As long as Nibali gets over the Col du Tourmalet in the first group, it is more than likely he will ride to Paris as only the sixth man to have won all three Grand Tours.
As for the stage win, this Tour is riddled with accomplished climbers who could take the win. Alejandro Valverde and his Movistar team will no doubt be on the attack, trying to close the gap to Nibali before Stage 20’s final time trial.
The men with designs on winning the Tour de France this year will need to take lots of time out of Nibali, which will hopefully prompt a day of attacking racing.
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