Tour de France 2026: stage 18 heads for summit finish at Orcières-Merlette – live

Stage leaves from Voiron at 12.35pm CEST/1.35pm BST Anti-doping chiefs reject Seixas favouritism | Mail TomWith the real quiz of Alpe d’Huez to come on Friday there will be a number of riders not named Tadej Pogacar who will fancy taking a prized stage win at Orcières today. Five climbs, but none in the hors category, means that this 185km stage will be brutal, but not quite as masochistic as others in the road book.With the uphill road starting after just 20km, we will see splits early and opportunities for climbers such as Richard Carapaz and Valentin Paret-Peintre to get away. There are a maximum of 29 polkadot points on offer today, which could see those aforementioned riders move within range of Pogacar in the mountains classification standings should either secure a full house. Food for thought, at least until the race leader inevitably sets off for a solo victory up Alpe d’Huez tomorrow. Continue reading...