Stage 18, a thrilling journey from Gap to Barcelonnette, has kept cycling enthusiasts on the edge of their seats as we enter the final days of the 2024 Tour de France. It’s was a stage that brought out the competitive spirit in every cyclist and is a favorite for breakaway artists, which made it a stage where anything can happen.
As we entered Stage 18, Tadej Pogacar held a commanding lead of 3 minutes and 11 seconds over the two-time defending Tour de France champion, Jonas Vingegaard. Remco Evenepoel was in second place, with a 5-minute and 9-second lead over third place, making it a tight race for the podium positions.
During stage 18, a lot of drama kept everyone engaged. Oscar Onley from the DSM-Firmenich-PostNL team experienced two mechanical issues that affected his performance. Meanwhile, Biniam Girmay from UCI WorldTeam Intermarché–Wanty required medical assistance and seemed to be in pain from his crash in stage 16, resulting in stitches to his right elbow and significant swelling in his right knee. Toward the end of the race, Tobias Johnannessen, unfortunately, crashed on the descent, causing him to lose contact with the breakaway group, but he quickly got back on his bike.
Ultimately, Victor Campenaerts from Lotto-dstny, the most aggressive rider of the stage, shocked the field and took Stage 18 and was in tears from joy.
With only two mountain stages and one time trial left in this year’s tour, the unpredictability of the competition is palpable, adding to the excitement.
Tour de France Stage 18 results
| Position | Rider | Time | Gap |
| Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) | 05:13:35 | – | |
| 1 | Victor Campenaerts (Lotto Dstny) | 4:10:20 | – |
| 2 | Matteo Vercher (Totalenergies) | 4:10:20 | – |
| 3 | Michal Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) | 4:10:20 | – |
| 4 | Toms Skujins (Lidl-Trek) | 4:10:42 | 00:22 |
| 5 | Oier Lazkano (Movistar Team) | 4:10:42 | 00:22 |
| 6 | Bart Lemmen (Visma Team) | 4:10:42 | 00:22 |
| 7 | Krists Neilands (Israel–Premier Tech) | 4:10:42 | 00:22 |
| 8 | Jai Hindley (Red Bull–Bora–Hansgrohe) | 4:10:42 | 00:22 |
| 9 | Wout van Aer (Visma Team) | 4:10:57 | 00:37 |
| 10 | Michael Matthews (Team Jayco–AlUla) | 4:10:57 | 00:37 |
Tour de France standings
| Position | Rider | Time | Gap |
| 1 | Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) | 74:45:27 | – |
| 2 | Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) | 74:48:38 | 0:03:11 |
| 3 | Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quick-Step) | 74:50:36 | 0:05:09 |
| 4 | Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) | 74:58:24 | 0:12:57 |
| 5 | Mikel Landa (Soudal Quick-Step) | 74:58:51 | 0:13:24 |
| 6 | Carlos Rodriguez (Ineos Grenadiers) | 74:58:57 | 0:13:30 |
| 7 | Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) | 75:01:08 | 0:15:41 |
| 8 | Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) | 75:03:18 | 0:17:51 |
| 9 | Derek Gee (Israel – Premier Tech) | 75:03:42 | 0:18:15 |
| 10 | Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain Victorious) | 75:04:02 | 0:18:35 |
Tour de France jersey standings
- Yellow (general classification): Tadej Pogačar
- Green (points classification): Biniam Girmay
- Polka dot (mountains classification): Tadej Pogačar
- White (young rider classification): Remco Evenepoel
- Yellow numbers (teams classification): UAE Team Emirates
- Golden numbers (combativity award): Richard Carapaz
Tour de France Stage 19: How to watch, schedule, and distance
- Date: July 19, 2024
- Location: Embrun to Isola 2000
- Distance: 88.6 miles (144.6 kilometers)
- Type: Mountain
- TV: N/A
- Streaming: Peacock, Fubo (free trial)
HOW TO WATCH: Catch the 2024 Tour de France FREE on Fubo
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