Stage 18 of the 2008 Tour de France is on Thursday
With only four more stages remaining, including this one, cyclists going for this year’s title should go all out.
And it shouldn’t matter too if the 2008 Tour de France has been plagued by steroids scandals, like the last few years. It’s a foot-race for the title people and the Bourg d’Oisans - Saint-Etienne 197 km climb should be exciting to say the least.
Stage 18 of the 2008 Tour de France could be the best possible day for breakaway riders. However, this will totally depend on the competition for the green jersey, and if sprinters will save the best for the Paris finale.
Interestingly, the last time the 
green jersey was a close contest like it is now was back in 2003, when eventual winner Baden Cooke and Robbie McEwen engaged in battle while their respective teams allowed breakaway groups to win the stage, leading their men home for the few remaining points on offer. It was on the equivalent stage of that year when McEwen took over the jersey, only for Cooke to regain it on the Champs-Elysees.
The second category climb of the Croix de Montvieux, which comes with 33 km left to go, is not only the last significant climb of this year’s Tour, but could very well provide the location for a decisive move.
Stage 18 is perfect for a large group to gain minutes on the pack with nothing much else to expect.
Bourg-d’Oisans lies nestled in a picturesque landscape on a plain at the heart of the Oisans region, a peaceful haven surrounded by majestic peaks. Located next to Ecrins national Park, the largest and highest of the seven French national parks, Bourg-d’Oisans is a winter ski resort and a summer vacation spot, a window on alpine culture and its vast natural heritage.
The Saint-Etienne lies in a privileged natural setting which includes the Pilat regional park, the Forez Mountains and the Loire river gorges. With 43 towns and nearly 400,000 inhabitants, it is the sixth largest urban district in France.
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