Although a I tend to like more and more the “transitional years” (cca.(2017-2019). before the Ne Golden Generation of road cycling arrived, also I appreciate every innovation on a certain level, there is one moment in the most recent Tour de France history, I just can’t get over its oddity.
Yes. that’s right, in a sport steeped in tradition, innovation is always a risky proposition. But in 2018, Tour de France organizers decided to try something radically different. In Stage 17, which finished atop the high-altitude Col du Portet, they introduced a Formula One-style “grid start” — a bold experiment that ultimately left fans and riders asking the same question:
What were they thinking?
F1 meets the peloton
The idea was simple — and slightly theatrical. Instead of the usual rolling neutral start, the top 20 riders in the general classification were positioned in rows based on their GC standing, as if they were cars on a racing circuit. Geraint Thomas, in yellow, was front and center. Next to him: Tom Dumoulin and Chris Froome. The rest of the peloton was divided into waves that would be released seconds later.
The goal? To create early gaps, provoke aggressive racing from the very first kilometer, and force GC contenders to battle in isolation, without team support.
In theory, it had the potential for chaos. In practice… not so much.
The execution: a Fizzle, not a bang
The moment the stage began, something anticlimactic happened: nothing. The riders rolled off the line, looked around, and calmly waited for their teammates to catch up. Within minutes, the “grid” had dissolved into a standard peloton formation. The tactical revolution the organizers had imagined never materialized.
It didn’t help that the stage was only 65 kilometers long, one of the shortest in modern Tour history. The combination of a high-mountain profile and compressed distance did make for an intense day, but that had nothing to do with the gimmicky start.
Even the commentators couldn’t hide their disappointment. The grid start may have looked dramatic on paper and in promotional photos, but in reality, it was a complete non-event.
Riders’ reactions: polite shrugs and eye orlls
Most riders were diplomatic but clearly unimpressed.
Chris Froome remarked after the stage:
“I don’t think it changed much. As soon as we were underway, everything settled into place pretty quickly.”
Tom Dumoulin was more candid:
“It’s just for the show. It didn’t make a difference. I think it was more confusing than exciting.”
And Geraint Thomas, who retained yellow and eventually won the Tour, called it “a bit of fun,” but clearly wasn’t taking it too seriously.
The real star: Col du Portet
Thankfully, the stage wasn’t a total flop — because the final climb to Col du Portet delivered drama worthy of the Tour’s finest mountain days. Nairo Quintana attacked solo and took a hard-earned win, while Froome faltered, and Geraint Thomas cemented his control of the race.
It was the first time the Tour had finished on this remote Pyrenean summit, and its steep, narrow, gravel-laced slopes made a far stronger impression than the gimmicky start line ever could
A one-and-done oddity
The grid start has never been repeated — and likely never will be. It stands as a classic example of a race organizer’s over-engineered solution to a problem that didn’t exist.
The Tour doesn’t need artificial fireworks. When the mountains are hard, the racing gets real. No need for grids, lasers, or trap doors. Just let the road do the talking.
What they were thinking
So, what were they thinking? Probably something like this:
“Let’s create a viral, made-for-TV start that forces riders out of their comfort zones.”
But the truth is, the Tour de France isn’t a video game. It’s a war of attrition, not a sprint off a starting line. And no matter how they try to shake up tradition, the road — especially one as epic as the Col du Portet — always has the final say.