discover the route of the 7th stage

With no less than 231 kilometers, the seventh stage of the Tour de France, Friday between Fougères and Chartres, is the longest of this 2018 edition. Two scenarios are emerging: a long escape by the peloton, and a mbadive sprint, or a long breakaway that manages to go to the end. This is not impossible, because the runners will probably be tired after a week of racing and the arrival the day before at the summit of Mûr-de-Bretagne.

From Fougères to Chartres, from the gates of Brittany to the Plaine de la Beauce, the route of the 7th stage of the Tour de France stretches for 231 kilometers. If they want to fight for victory in the prefecture of Eure-et-Loir, the sprinters will probably have to agree to muzzle the fighters, advantaged by the length of the stage but handicapped by its rectilinear profile. "There is no guarantee that this stage will end in the sprint," said race director Thierry Gouvenou, warning that, depending on the weather, the wind could favor the borders in the last 50 kilometers.

After a pbadage off the coast famous cathedral, jewel of the city inscribed on the UNESCO world heritage, the arrival is judged at the end of a straight line of 600 meters near the racecourse, at the entrance of town.

Chartres (42.000 inhabitants) , city-stage for the third time, hosts the Tour fourteen years after the success of the Australian Stuart O'Grady. That year, the breakaway finished 12 minutes ahead of the pack, and the yellow jersey was worn by Thomas Voeckler. The young French runner was to become the darling of the public by keeping the precious for ten days, especially by resisting Lance Armstrong in the Pyrenees

1. Greg Van Avermaet (BEL / BMC) 22h35'46 ''
2. Geraint Thomas (GBR / SKY) at 3 ''
3. Tejay Van Garderen (USA / BMC) at 5 ''
4. Julian Alaphilippus (FRA / QST) at 6 ''
5. Philippe Gilbert (BEL / QST) at 12 ''
…
14. Christopher Froome (GBR / SKY) at 1'02 ''
…
23. Romain Bardet (FRA / AGR) at 1'45 ''

Green jersey: Peter Sagan (SVK / BOR) 199 pts
Polka dot jersey: Toms Skujins (LAT / TRE) 6 pts
Youth (General): Soren Kragh Andersen (DAN / SUN)