Cycling: 2018 Tour de France route revealed

The 2018 Tour de France will be the 105th edition of the biggest race in the world of cycling and the route will be quite a tough one. The event will kick off on July 7 and will end on July 29 and the route covers just 3,329 kilometers, which makes it the shortest Tour de France route in the 21st century. However, the shorter distance does not make the race easier. For instance, one of the stages will include no less than 21.7km of cobbled road, a tricky section for any of the riders and one that could take some of the favourites out of contention. The route will also feature a team time trial on stage three and the penultimate stage might decide the overall winner as it is a hilly individual time trial. Stage 12 will feature a legendary climb as it ends on Alpe d'Huez. "I wouldn't expect anything different from the organisers," four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome said. "It is a massive challenge for next year and a Tour de France that tests every aspect of cycling." The Briton has won the 2017 edition of the race and has four overall victories in the past five years. Unlike other editions, the 2018 route goes mainly through France, with a small 15km detour into Spain on stage 16. "We especially wanted to emphasise stage variety and the routes that may prove decisive, whilst combining legendary climbs with brand-new ascensions or ultra-dynamic formats, to provide a vision of modern and inspired cycling," said Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme. This season Chris Froome has become the third man in history to win both the Tour de France and the Vuelta a Espana in the same calendar year and the 32-year-old is still capable of dominating the big stage races next year. Chris Froome is 1/1 at Bet365 to win the Tour de France in 2018, while this year's Giro d'Italia winner Tom Dumoulin is 11/4 to claim overall victory in France.