How does one top yesterday’s stage? I don’t think you can.
Today we expect a GC truce after the immense battle we saw play out on La Super Planche Des Belles Filles yesterday. If this is the case we will see another frenetic start to the race with all teams hoping for that elusive stage win pushing hard to snap the elastic back to the peloton.
The stage is classified as hilly with two Cat 4 and two Cat 3 climbs coming mainly in the second half of the race. The stage finishes on a Cat 3 climb with the penultimate kilometre pitching grades of up to 12%. The profile will deter your bigger riders but we will see the roleurs come out to play.
We have seen very little from Lotto Sudal and we expect this to be a stage for them to target. Tim Wellens is the most obvious choice for them but we may see some of the lead out train for Caleb Ewan helping establish the break in the same manner Mads Pedersen did for a disappointing Julio Ciccone yesterday.
It will be a surprise if this stage isn’t taken by the breakaway but stranger things have happened in this Tour already.
Our Top Picks:
Tim Wellens
Matej Mahoric
Michael Storer
Outside Picks:
Oliver Naesen
Connor Swift
Mikkel Honore
Our Winner:
Tim Wellens
