The 2025 Tour de France continued Thursday with stage 18 – a 171.5-kilometer ride in very mountainous terrain on a route from Vif to Courchevel Col de La Loze. The stage route would feature no less than three Beyond Category climbs, including the legendary Col de la Madeleine with its beautiful name – and Col de La Loze, where Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard had crossed blades in a previous Tour.

The Queen Stage of this year’s Tour was expected to become a decisive battle between the GC favorites, though Vingegaard would likely find it difficult to gain more than four minutes on race leader Pogacar, with few opportunities left in this year’s Tour. While some teams would send their pure climbers into breakaways on a mission to secure a valuable stage win in the Queen Stage, the Visma-Lease a Bike team was expected to send its lieutenants into breakaways, so they could function as supportive outposts for Vingegaard late in the stage. Ineos-Grenadiers-TotalEnergies team captain Carlos Rodriguez had sadly been forced to abandon the Tour after he fractured his pelvis in a crash in yesterday’s stage finale.

The riders left the village of Vif under sunny skies and stage 20 got off to a fast, but surprisingly controlled start, as the complete Lidl-Trek team spearheaded the peloton on a mission to secure the maximum points for its sprinter Jonathan Milan in the intermediate sprint after approximately twenty kilometers. It appeared an unwritten agreement existed between all the teams in the Tour peloton. Many attacks were expected to follow the sprint.

The peloton approached the intermediate sprint, and Jonathan Milan secured the maximum points in his green bodysuit while extending his lead in the points classification. Biniam Girmay (Intermarche-Wanty) impressively finished second despite crashing in yesterday’s stage finale. Frenchman Anthony Turgis of Team TotalEnergies was the third rider to cross the intermediate sprint line.

With the intermediate sprint done and dusted, Wout van Aert immediately attacked for Team Visma-Lease a Bike and Tim Wellens countered for UAE Team Emirates. Other riders tried their luck and the high speed, and the many accelerations caused a split in the peloton. The situation was hectic. Wellens was still in front and was chased by two peloton groups.

The riders were now ten kilometers from Col du Glandon, which was the first of three Beyond Category climbs on the day’s racing menu. 

Van Aert joined forces with Wellens, Jonas Rutsch (Intermarche-Wanty), Kaden Groves (Alpecin-Deceuninck), and Alexey Lutsenko in a front group, which was fifteen seconds ahead of a chase group that featured Santiago Buitrago (Bahrain-Victorious), Thymen Arensman (Ineos-Grenadiers-TotalEnergies), Marius Mayrhofer (Tudor Pro Cycling), Ben O’Connor (Jayco-Alula), Ivan Romeo (Movistar Team), and Matteo Vercher (Team TotalEnergies). The larger peloton groups had merged, and the peloton was now thirty seconds behind. Col du Glandon was now being climbed.

Wellens, Lutsenko and van Aert left the other riders behind early on Col du Glandon and Van Aert got dropped shortly later. Only Wellens and Lutsenko were now ahead of the peloton.

Primoz Roglic courageously attacked solo for Team Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe and left the main peloton behind very early in the stage. Roglic was joined by Matteo Jorgenson (Visma-Lease a Bike), Lenny Martinez (Bahrain-Victorious), Raul Garcia Pierna, Will Barta, Gregor Muhlberger, Einer Rubio, Felix Gall, Bruno Armirail, Michael Woods, Alexey Lutsenko, and Andreas Leknessund. Martinez was on a mission to secure important points for the KOM classification.

Wellens and Lutsenko were caught by the Roglic group later on the climb and a fifteen-rider front group continued on the Col du Glandon – a climb that also included short downhill sections. Luke Plapp had formed a chase group with Cristian Rodriguez, Enric Mas, Pablo Castrillo, Jordan Jegat, Frank van den Broek, and Michael Woods forty seconds behind the frontmen. Alex Baudin, Louis Barre, and Clement Berthet were chasing 55 seconds behind the first group, while the main peloton was now 01:30 minutes back with 118 kilometers of stage 18 remaining. Riders from UAE Team Emirates were leading the main peloton in support of GC race leader Pogacar.

Martinez was the first rider to reach the summit of Col du Glandon and the French rider from Team Bahrain-Victorious earned valuable points for the KOM classification. The rider in the polka-dot skinsuit was followed by Arensman and Jorgenson. 

Thirteen riders remained in the front group at the summit and the riders entered the long descent as a joined group. Baudin and Van den Broek were chasing thirty seconds behind, while the Plapp group was 46 seconds back and the main peloton reached the summit two minutes later after a surprisingly powerful chase effort from German Nils Politt of UAE Team Emirates.

Jorgenson joined forces with Arensman on the descent, while the Roglic and Wellens-led chase group was thirty seconds behind the duo. Gregor Muhlberger crashed on the demanding descent, but it did not take him long to get back on his bike.

The riders were approaching Col de la Madeleine, which was the second Beyond Category climb of the day. The renowned climb was 19.3-kilometers long and had an average gradient of 7.8 percent.

Arensman and Jorgenson entered Col de la Madeleine with an advantage of forty seconds over the first chase group, which featured Roglic, Wellens, O’Connor, Gall, and five other riders.

Enric Mas was suffering and appeared ready to abandon the second Grand Tour of the 2025 season. Lenny Martinez got caught by the UAE-spearheaded main peloton.

The riders reached Col de la Madeleine. In the main peloton, Visma-Lease a Bike tried to move to the front of the peloton but was immediately replaced by UAE Team Emirates. The UAE team wanted to keep the initiative on own hands.

Jorgenson and Arensman joined forces with Baudin, Roglic, O’Connor, Rubio, Gall, and Armirail on Col de la Madeleine. The front group had an advantage of more than two minutes over the main peloton. Eighty kilometers remained and French favorite Kevin Vauquelin was finding it difficult to hang onto the GC favorites group.

Armirail had been dropped from the front group when 8.5-kilometers remained to the summit of Col de la Madeleine. Though it was a very strong front group that featured riders such as Roglic, Jorgenson, Arensman, Roglic, and O’Connor, the GC favorites peloton group was closing in on the breakaway optimists and their lead had been reduced to 01:30 minutes.

Victor Campenaerts delivered his final pull at the front of the GC favorites group in support of team captain Vingegaard, and the ten remaining riders in the group pressed on. The front group was now only one minute ahead of the GC favorites with six kilometers of Col de la Madeleine and 73 kilometers of the stage remaining.

American Sepp Kuss accelerated for Vingegaard in the GC favorites group and only Pogacar and Vingegaard were able to follow. Florian Lipowitz was playing catch-up. He looked strong but proved unable to follow.

Vingegaard launched his much-anticipated attack with little less than five kilometers of the legendary climb remaining. Pogacar immediately responded. It did not take long before the duo caught the front sextet.

Jorgenson led Vingegaard in the new front group, closely followed by Pogacar, Roglic, O’Connor, Rubio, and Gall. Arensman had been dropped from the group, while Lipowitz was 36 seconds back.

Jorgenson continued to lead the front group all the way to the summit of Col de la Madeleine, but team captain Vingegaard had decided he wanted the KOM classification points for himself, so he was the first rider to cross the summit line.

The riders entered the long, fast and challenging descent and the lack of decisive initiative from Vingegaard and his Visma-Lease a Bike team was increasing the chances of Pogacar virtually securing the Tour de Frace win in today’s stage as it now appeared very unlikely Vingegaard could gain more than four minutes on the Slovenian man in yellow.

The seven frontmen continued their descent and were approaching the valley stretch, which would transport the riders to Courchevel Col de la Loze, where the stage would be decided.

Jorgenson, O’Connor and Rubio left Pogacar, Vingegaard, Roglic, and Gall behind in the valley and Vingegaard’s lieutenant was once again intended a satellite role later in the stage, where he could support the Dane in his quest to bring down Pogacar in the GC. The front trio had fought its way to an advantage of fifty seconds with thirty-eight kilometers to the finish line.

The front trio continued to increase its advantage while no signs of stress were visible in the GC favorites chase group, which featured Pogacar, Vingegaard, Arensman, Roglic, Lipowitz, and Gall. It appeared Vingegaard and his gang were naively believing they could cause a time loss of more than four minutes for Pogacar on the final climb. Perhaps the final climb should be renamed Col de la Lose, because this is where Vingegaard’s lost Tour would be finally cemented?

Florian Lipowitz attacked solo from the GC favorites group, and it did not take long for the German rider to form a noteworthy lead, which also indicated a slow pace in the GC group, which was to Vingegaard’s disadvantage as the Dane was not causing Pogacar to spend excessive energy.

Vingegaard launched a brief attacking effort with 29 kilometers left, but much more would be needed to crush Tadej - The Cannibal – Pogacar. Especially after a relaxation-full valley stretch where the main challenger had sadly delivered a ridiculous performance or been ill-advised by his sports director.

Further up the road American Matteo Jorgenson was the first rider to enter the long and daunting Courchevel Col de la Loze climb together with O’Connor and Rubio. Meanwhile, the Pogacar-Vingegaard group had been riding so slowly they got caught by a large chase group.

O’Connor and Rubio left Jorgenson behind with 23.8-kilometers of the stage remaining. The American rider had possibly received instructions to wait for team captain Vingegaard on the climb. The GC favorites group meanwhile featured approximately fifteen riders.

Twenty kilometers remained and O’Connor and Rubio were in the front duo. Jorgenson and Lipowitz were chasing 01:22 minutes behind, while the GC favorites group was 03:12 minutes behind.

When sixteen kilometers remained to the finish line at the summit of Col de la Loze, O’Connor attacked and immediately left Rubio behind. Lipowitz was chasing solo 01:47 minutes behind, while Jorgenson was 02:31 minutes back. The GC favorites group, which featured Pogacar and Vingegaard, was 03:05 minutes behind the Australian frontman. The GC favorites group was led by Simon Yates in support of Vingegaard.

Jorgenson was caught by the Vingegaard group but had apparently spent all his energy to no avail.

Simon Yates got dropped from the GC favorites group and had used his energy to assist Vingegaard in his mission to dethrone Pogacar. Riders from UAE Team Emirates took control of the group. Ten kilometers remained.

Ben O’Connor pressed on in front with 9.5-kilometers remaining. Einer Rubio was 01:15 minutes behind, while Florian Lipowitz was three minutes back. The GC favorites group was 03:24 minutes back, while Kevin Vauquelin was 03:41 minutes behind.

It started raining somewhat, including hails, in the finish zone area further up the climb.

Adam Yates was leading the GC favorites group when 4.5 kilometers remained. Ben O’Connor was still leading the stage, and the Australian rider was two minutes ahead of Einer Rubio and three minutes ahead of the GC favorites, apart from Florian Lipowitz, who was chasing further behind.

A little more than one kilometer remained and Vingegaard and Pogacar had still not attacked from the GC favorites group on Col de la Loze. What a disrespectful manner to treat the Queen Stage of this year’s Tour and what a disappointment for the many spectators and viewers at home who had anticipated great fireworks in today’s stage.

Possibly because he had to do so, Vingegaard attacked with a little less than one kilometer remaining. Pogacar and Oscar Onley immediately responded, and the Dane did not open a gap.

Australian Ben O’Connor remained in front all the way to the stage finish and crossed the finish line of the Queen Stage as winner of stage 18 for Team Jayco-Alula.

Pogacar attacked five hundred meters from the finish line and dropped both Vingegaard and Onley. Of course Pogacar was also the strongest and fastest GC rider in today’s stage. The Slovenian rider was the second rider to cross the finish line and gained valuable bonus seconds as well as some additional seconds on main challenger Vingegaard, who crossed the finish line nine seconds later. Oscar Onley reached the finish line four seconds after Vingegaard. Einer Rubio finished fifth, Felix Gall sixth, Primoz Roglic seventh, and Adam Yates eighth. Florian Lipowitz was the eleventh rider to reach the finish line, but with a time loss of 03:37 minutes. French favorite Kevin Vauquelin finished twelfth.

“It was the perfect opportunity to attack in the valley, and it was pretty sweet for the team to succeed again today and this time with me. It’s a rough race and for sure the cruelest,” stage winner Ben O’Connor explained to Roadcycling.com shortly after the finish.

“I couldn’t be prouder of myself and I’m grateful for the aid from my teammates throughout the race and this win is important for Jayco-Alula. The final climb was like typical time trial stuff for me and I was just focusing on keeping my pace and avoid getting rolled by a yellow jersey group coming at me,” O’Connor continued.

“It looked like Pogacar and I were quite equal today and the Tour is not over yet,” Vingegaard explained after the finish.

Tadej Pogacar remains general classification leader following today’s stage. Jonas Vingegaard is 04:26 minutes behind in second place, while Florian Lipowitz is in third place, now 11:01 minutes behind the leader. Oscar Onley is fourth in the GC, Primoz Roglic is fifth, Felix Gall is sixth, while Kevin Vauquelin is seventh. Tobias Halland Johannessen is eighth, while Ben Healy remains ninth and Ben O’Connor is tenth in the GC.

The Tour de France will continue Friday with stage 19 - a 129.9-kilometer ride in challenging mountain terrain on a route from Albertville to La Plagne. It will be the final serous mountain challenge of this year’s Tour and the final opportunity for the GC favorites to secure noteworthy time gains.

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com for complete coverage from the 2025 Tour de France.