Stage three: Cholet – team time trial, 35km

While the first week will, as ever, provide plenty of opportunities for the sprinters and rouleurs, the GC men will also need to be on it from the flag – and their team-mates likewise, given the stage three team time trial in Cholet.

Chris Froome’s Team Sky finished third in the discipline at the worlds in September, over 42.5km, while Tom Dumoulin’s Team Sunweb are the new world champions, and both teams will hope to gain time for their GC leaders in Cholet.

Team time trials at Grand Tours are nothing new, but the Tour has continued its tradition of including them later in the race (though not quite as late as 2015’s stage nine test), meaning some teams may already be down on numbers.

At 35km, it is a relatively long effort too with a few five per cent climbs to test the legs for good measure. It is not a day where the Tour will be won, but some big names could lose time if they (and their team-mates) are not careful.

Stage nine: Arras – Roubaix, 154km

Cobbles are back on the menu for the 2018 Tour de France, and not just any pavé but THE pavé – by which we mean the very same cobblestones as used at Paris-Roubaix.

Of the 15 secteurs included in this year’s race, the 1.4km stretch at Orchies, the 900m Mons-en-Pevele and 1.8km Camphin-en-Pevele will be among those familiar to fans of the Spring Classics.

The final secteur deviates from the Paris-Roubaix course, meaning no Carrefour de l’Arbre, but the Willems a Hem sector (1.4km) is just eight kilometres from the finish line.

The longest stretch of pavé is 2.7km, at Auchy a Bersee, while between the 80km mark and 135km mark, ten of the 15 secteurs have been packed in. There are nearly 25km of cobbles in all – more than ever before at the Tour.

Tony Martin won the last time the cobbles featured at the Tour, while Vincenzo Nibali’s performance over the pavé in 2014 set up his overall victory – there could be some big gaps overall come the first rest day.

Stage ten: Annecy – Le Grand Bornand, 159km

The first rest day arrives the day after the Roubaix cobbles have been tackled, and the peloton will need it because from there it’s straight into the mountains.

The Alps are up first, with four climbs packed into the 159km stage ten – including a new mountain for the Tour peloton, the Montee du plateau de Glieres. At six kilometres in length, the average gradient is 11.2km.

Alongside that eye-watering gradient, there’s also a rough dirt road to negotiate at the top – though more than half of the stage still remains at that point.

After a brief respite, it’s then up the Col de Romme and finally the Col de la Colombiere before a long descent to Le Grand Bornand. Tasty.

Before the arrival at Alpe d’Huez, the peloton will already have tackled the Col de la Madeleine (25km at 6.3 per cent, peaking at 2,000m) and the Col de la Croix de Fer (29km at 5.2 per cent, reaching a height of 2,067m).

Expect plenty of action, plenty of noise and a wall of colour as the riders then head to the famous hairpins of Alpe d’Huez where this year’s stint in the Alps comes to a spectacular conclusion.

Stage 17: Bagneres-de-Luchon – Col de Portet, 65km

Onto the Pyrenees and, after an introduction to the regions iconic heights on stage 16, comes what could be one of the most intriguing stages of this year’s Tour de France.

Stage 17, from Bagneres-de-Luchon to the Col de Portet is just 65km long, with three climbs packed into that.

The peloton first heads up the Peyresourde – complete with the annex of the Montee de Peyragudes, which caught Chris Froome out as a summit finish in the 2017 race – before the Col de Val Louraon-Azet and then the Col de Portet.

The final climb is 16km long, with an 8.7 per cent average gradient and sections into the double figures at both the start and finish of the ascent.

Any rider caught dallying at the start will pay the price – this will be raced hard and fast and, despite its short length, will be one well worth watching.

Stage 20: Saint-Pee-sur-Nivelle – Espelette (ITT), 31km

With the mountains done and dusted, all that remains before the traditional Paris finale is the stage 20 time trial – though the GC men can not afford to leave their climbing legs in the high mountains.

The 31km test against the clock is a punchy one, with a lumpy route punctuated by the Cote de Pinodieta at 28km and a small rise to the finish line too.

If Tom Dumoulin and Chris Froome, 2017’s two Grand Tour winners, are to be the leading contenders for the 2018 Tour de France, this will be an intriguing test of both men’s ability on a course perfectly suited to each of them.