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166km to go: Lidl-Trek continue to boss it for their sprinter, Jonathan Milan, the whole team massed at the front and driving the pace. The telly helicopter shows the peloton snaking through a valley with the mountains in the middle distance.<\/p>\n
On the team radio, Lidl-Trek sports director Steven de Jongh indulges in a bit of banter, saying that there are a lot of teams who would rather see the green jersey go to a sprinter, that is their man Milan.<\/p>\n
He doesn\u2019t mention Pogacar by name but we all know what he\u2019s talking about.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.29 EDT<\/p>\n 167km to go: Cyril Barthe (Groupama-FDJ) has also abandoned today, along with Rodriguez of Ineos Grenadiers. An early Barthe.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.25 EDT<\/p>\n 169km to go: Lidl-Trek are massed at the front of the fast-moving peloton, seeking to control affairs until the intermediate sprint at Rioup\u00e9roux, that comes after just 23.7km.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is going to be a real day,\u201d says Sean Kelly on commentary. It\u2019s hard to argue with that.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the GC contenders it\u2019s a real, real test.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.24 EDT<\/p>\n Stage 18 begins<\/p>\n The flag is waved and just like that, the race has begun.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.24 EDT<\/p>\n \u201cHi Luke,\u201d writes Alex on email. Hello Alex.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve joined the sad crew of people having to work in an office today so am unable to secretly have TNT or ITV on in the background. I\u2019ll be following your updates avidly on this day of days that will, hopefully, go down in tour history.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter Tuesday, I can see it going both ways. Has Tadej been bluffing strength and is he struggling in week three? If so he will be found out today in potentially extraordinary fashion. But equally, has he been focusing on building some allies in the peloton and let down by a relatively weak team incapable of chasing down breakaways, if so then he will surely want revenge on the Col De La Loze.<\/p>\n \u201cOr maybe, they\u2019ll just mark each other out \u2013 boring! Either way pleased to be with you and the Guardian family of cycling-obsessed procrastinators.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Courchevel, as any fule kno, is a ski resort. It doesn\u2019t take a genius to work out that some steep climbs will be involved given the riders will finish there. As just mentioned by Luke Rowe and Orla Chennaoui, too, all those steep climbs mean some technical descents. Fierce concentration, along with an ability to handle the burning pain in the legs and body, will be key for every rider in the bunch.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The neutralised rollout has begun. There will be some tired, tired bodies in that bunch as they make their way slowly to the official start.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cToday is another chance,\u201d Jonas Vingegaard tells Matt Stephens. \u201cWe will fight until the end. Today is going to be a proper hard stage, and we\u2019ll do everything we can.<\/p>\n \u201cThe last, what is it? Five, 6km or so, is super-steep [on the final climb]. Before that, there is a flatter section. In general it\u2019s a very hard climb, a very long climb.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just have to keep trying. I am not really looking at that [Pogacar\u2019s form and condition], I am just trying to do something.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.09 EDT<\/p>\n Luke Rowe, on pundit duty for TNT Sports, spoke to Geraint Thomas about Rodriguez\u2019s crash yesterday. \u201cHe actually crashed twice yesterday. He got tangled up with Alaphilippe and a few others \u2026 he was all right \u2026<\/p>\n \u201cBehind the big crash (1km out), people were reacting. We didn\u2019t see it on the TV but 50metres behind that Carlos crashed.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Carlos Rodriguez abandons<\/p>\n Contrary to what I wrote earlier, there has been a significant withdrawal this morning. Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers) is out, having broken his pelvis in a crash yesterday. He was 10th in GC.<\/p>\n That means Jordan Jegat (Total Energies) moves into 10th in GC, +23min 10sec down on the race leader.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.05 EDT<\/p>\n What are your expectations for today and for the rest of the Tour? Email<\/a> me.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n It is worth mentioning that the weather is expected to be highly unpredictable for the next couple of days. Riders and teams are going to have to deal with big fluctuations between hot weather lower down and cold conditions up in the mountains.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n I fancy that a young man named Primoz Roglic will be a rider to keep an eye on today. Earlier in the race, Roglic said he was pleased to see his teammate Florian Lipowitz riding so strongly.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m happy. I\u2019m really happy,\u201d he said of Lipowitz after stage 12 on the Hautacam<\/a>, when the German rider sailed away on that final climb to finish third. \u201cI hope he keeps the level to the finish.\u201d<\/p>\n It would be fascinating to know what is being said in the Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe team briefing this morning. Presumably Roglic, while being willing to help Lipowitz, also believes he could still finish on the podium himself?<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n There are only two riders within 10 minutes of Pogacar in the GC, which is astonishing. Here is the top 10 after stage 17:<\/p>\n 1) Tadej Pogacar 61hr 50min 16sec Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a006.05 EDT<\/p>\n The heavy crash leading into yesterday\u2019s sprint finish appears not to have claimed any victims yet. The official abandonments page<\/a> is blank for today so far.<\/p>\n Happy to say that Biniam Girmay (Intermarch\u00e9\u2013Wanty), who looked quite badly hurt, has signed on and is ready to go.<\/p>\n (Given the difficult of today\u2019s stage, mind you, anyone carrying an injury may yet be forced to pack it in later.)<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Speaking of subplots \u2013 perhaps even full plots \u2013 there are some negative vibes around the race, after Pogacar and his team were accused of arrogance by rivals.<\/p>\n Jean\u2011Ren\u00e9 Bernaudeau, the Total Energies team manager, said: \u201cThey\u2019re \u00adarrogant towards those who just want to live simply alongside them. I expect their team manager to make that point to them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cArrogance is something, trying to win the Tour de France<\/a> is another thing,\u201d Pogacar said in response. \u201cI think a lot riders would see us as arrogant because we want to control every \u00adsingle kilometre of this race. We don\u2019t try to be arrogant, we just try to make our race as easy as possible. I think \u2013 this will sound super-arrogant \u2013 but some guys can stay quiet.\u201d<\/p>\n For the full story, read Jeremy Whittle\u2019s stage 17 report:<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n Today\u2019s stage doesn\u2019t ask the riders for much, unless you count 5,450m of climbing across three hors cat\u00e9gorie mountains on the 171km route. Perhaps the more significant figure is 14,000: the sum total in metres of vertical ascent in four stages remaining (4,550m tomorrow, 2,990m on Saturday and 1,100m on Sunday, added to 5,450m today).<\/p>\n It will be gruelling, brutal, epic, punishing, attritional \u2013 take your pick. It might even be dramatic if Jonas Vingegaard and Visma-Lease A Bike can isolate the race leader, Tadej Pogacar, and take a chunk or two out of his commanding 4min 15sec lead in the general classification. The Col du Glandon, Col de la Madeleine and Col de la Loze must all be tackled by the peloton today: the sheer length and difficulty of the stage promises another rich self-contained narrative within the context of one of the toughest Tours in history. No doubt, Vingegaard\u2019s team have created a plan for how they might launch attacks on Pogacar and UAE Team Emirates most effectively.<\/p>\n A successful Visma counterattack is not beyond the bounds of possibility but given Pogacar\u2019s flying form, it feels more likely the reigning champion will roll with the punches, yet again, and take another significant step towards glory in Paris.<\/p>\n This being the Tour de France there will be subplots aplenty. The battle to form the breakaway will be fierce, with the 15 teams that remain empty-handed particularly motivated, while the race for the podium and top 10 in GC is very much on. Jonathan Milan of Lidl-Trek, who won yesterday<\/a> to forge a 72-point lead over Pogacar in the green jersey standings, will merely be aiming to make the time cut, hoping a stage win for the Slovenian doesn\u2019t reignite the points classification race.<\/p>\n It\u2019s going to be emotional. Are you ready? Allez!<\/p>\n Stage start: 11.20 UK time \/ 12.20 local time<\/p>\n
2) Jonas Vingegaard +4min 15sec
3) Florian Lipowitz +9min 03sec
4) Oscar Onley +11min 04sec
5) Primoz Roglic +11min 42sec
6) Kevin Vauquelin +13min 20sec
7) Felix Gall +14min 50sec
8) Tobias Johannessen +17min 01sec
9) Ben Healy +17min 52sec
10) Jordan Jegat (Total Energies) +23min 10sec<\/p>\n