The riders clip into their pedals near the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes and leave the pilgrimage site behind to enter the Pyrenees. On virtually flat roads the route travels to Laruns and after 60 kilometres in the saddle the climbing begins.
The Col d’Aubisque is a climb of 16.4 kilometres at 7.1% before the riders descend via the Col du Soulor to Ferrières. That’s the base of the Col de Spandelles, which is a 10.3 kilometres climb at 8.3%.
A long descent leads to Argelès-Gazost, and that’s the base of the finish climb.
The ascent to ski resort Hautacam is a scenic one-way climb. The length is 13.6 kilometres and the average gradient sits at 7.8%. The second half is the hardest part with kilometres 8, 9 and 11 standing out – respectively with gradients at 10.3%, 11.3%, and 10.4%.
It’s the sixth time the Hautacam ascent is included in the Tour de France. Luc Leblanc won in 1994, Bjarne Riis in 1996 , Javier Otxoa in 2000, Juan José Cobo in 2008, and in 2014 Vincenzo Nibali took the win. With the exception of Otxoa and Nibali all these riders were affiliated with doping at some point in their career.
The first three riders on the line gain time bonuses of 10, 6 and 4 seconds.
Ride the route yourself? Download GPX stage 18 Tour de France.
Another interesting read: results 18th stage 2022 Tour de France.
Tour de France 2022 stage 18: routes, profiles, more
Click on the images to zoom
Related articles Favourites stage 18: Last chance for climbers - Tour de France 20 The Route - Tour de France 20 Riders - Tour de France 20 Withdrawals - Tour de France 20 Route and stages - Tour de France 20 GC Favourites - Tour de France 20 More articles Giro 2025: The Route Rumours
Giro 2025: Riders
Giro d'Italia: Winners and records
Vuelta 2025: The Route
Vuelta 2025: Riders
Vuelta 2025 Route stage 1: Turin – Novara
Vuelta 2025 Route stage 2: Alba - Limone Piemonte
Vuelta 2025 Route stage 3: San Maurizio Canavese - Ceres
Vuelta a España: Winners and records
Tour de France 2025: The Route
Tour de France 2025: Riders
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 1: Lille - Lille
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 2: Lauwin-Planque - Boulogne-sur-Mer
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 3: Valenciennes - Dunkirk
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 5: Caen - Caen
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 7: Saint-Malo - Mûr-de-Bretagne
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 8: Saint-Méen-le-Grand - Laval
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 10: Ennezat - Le Mont-Dore
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 11: Toulouse - Toulouse
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 12: Auch - Hautacam
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 13: Loudenvielle - Peyragudes
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 15: Muret - Carcassonne
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 16: Montpellier - Mont Ventoux
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 18: Vif - Col de la Loze
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 19: Albertville - La Plagne
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 20: Nantua - Pontarlier
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 21: Mantes-la-Ville - Paris
Cycling Calendar 2025
Tour de France 2025 Route stage 14: Pau - Superbagnères
Tour de France Femmes 2025: The Route
Tour de France Femmes 2025 Route stage 1: Vannes - Plumelec
Tour Down Under 2025: The Route