Stage 18
Bourg-en-Bresse
- Thursday 20 July 2023
- 185 km
- 1,216 m climbed
- Won by Kasper Asgreen
The road
At the start
Van Aert goes home, and a flat day
Wout van Aert does not start: his wife is close to giving birth and Jumbo-Visma announced this morning that he is on his way back to Belgium, leaving the Tour without a stage win for the first time. At the front it is settled — Jonas Vingegaard by 7:35 from Tadej Pogačar after the Loze. Today is 185 rolling kilometres from Moûtiers to Bourg-en-Bresse, and flat at the end.
How it was won
- 17 km to go
The last rise
The four-man break hits the final unclassified climb 17km out with 35 seconds, the sprinters' teams having left it dangerously late.
- 5 km to go
The chase stalls
Nils Politt drives the peloton with 5km to go but the break still clings to ten seconds, and the progression toward them stalls.
- At the line
Bourg-en-Bresse
The sprinters' collective calculation is off, and Kasper Asgreen holds on by metres over Eenkhoorn for a famous breakaway triumph.
The result
| Rank | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kasper Asgreen | Soudal Quick-Step | 4:06:48 |
| 2 | Pascal Eenkhoorn | Lotto Dstny | +0:00 |
| 3 | Jonas Abrahamsen | Uno-X Pro Cycling Team | +0:00 |
The route on real terrain, every moment pinned to the kilometre it happened on — and the GPX to ride it yourself.