The race
An all-round course this year, including cobblestones, a team time trial, with a mixture of flat, hilly and mountainous stages. Added to this, the first nine stages have an intermediate time bonus and there is an all-action short mountain stage with a twist.
We start on Saturday 7 July in the Vendée but they won't go over the Passage du Gois causeway this time. Not after this happened 19 years ago. Coastal stages are flat and often windy, but if the teams remain strong (as you'd expect on the first day) we should see one of the leading sprinters in the yellow jersey. Day 2 is more of the same.
Stage 3, the Monday, is the team time trial, which is 35.5km long and has a short climb on it. The Dauphiné included one as a dress rehearsal earlier this month, which Sky won. Damage was a fairly limited 0:38 to BMC but Bahrain-Merida's riders lost 2:05.
Stages 4, 5 and 6 are a bit hillier, more in the style of a Classic, with 6 containing the sort of steep, sharp climb to suit someone like Alaphilippe or Valverde, while stage 7 on the Friday is back to pancakes.
On the second weekend, we have an undulating stage on Bastille day, and perhaps the French riders might be able to get a break to stick. There could be caution in the pack on the Saturday because stage 9 on the Sunday is COBBLED. That's 15 secteurs pavés. There were cobbles in the last World Cup year, and Nibali rode them like a beast, while Froome ended up in a mess.
And relax, the second Monday is a rest day.
But now look where we are on the Tuesday: only the friggin' ALPS! Some real midweek treats here, especially stage 11, which is shorter but packed with climbs. Its finish atop La Rosière might favour Dumoulin's style. And Thursday sees the return of Alpe D'Huez and a possible polka dot ding-dong. On that Friday, back to some respite and a reward to the sprint teams for getting their big guy over the big lumps.
What about weekend number 3? Well, do you remember that hilly stage when the French riders who had escaped were caught and beaten by Steve Cummings on Côte de la Croix Neuve? Well, that again, basically. And Sunday's stage 15 is another long, hilly stage that could suit a strong break rider - a De Gendt or a Calmejane, for example.
We get the Monday (23rd) off again, then into the final furlongs. And it's time for the Pyrenees. Tuesday's looks good and stage 17, the Wednesday, is the funny one. It's only 65km long, and the riders will start in waves. The first 20 on GC go off first, then then next, and so on. It's going to be very interesting to see - but one wonders if there'll be at least 3 Sky riders in that top 20...? Transition stage 18 on the Thursday, finishing in Pau with a likely gallop. Then the Friday stage is huge and contains a load of big mountains. It may not be all that GC-relevant, especially with a long descent to the finish (but you never know). However it will surely be decisive in the polka dot battle.
Then we find our winner on the Saturday with a 31km ITT. It's a technical one, but then so was the World Championship. You'd expect Dumoulin, Froome and Porte to be able to put a good 1:30 into some of the less ITT-savvy contenders here.
Sunday 29 July, of course, is Paris.
An all-round course this year, including cobblestones, a team time trial, with a mixture of flat, hilly and mountainous stages. Added to this, the first nine stages have an intermediate time bonus and there is an all-action short mountain stage with a twist.
We start on Saturday 7 July in the Vendée but they won't go over the Passage du Gois causeway this time. Not after this happened 19 years ago. Coastal stages are flat and often windy, but if the teams remain strong (as you'd expect on the first day) we should see one of the leading sprinters in the yellow jersey. Day 2 is more of the same.
Stage 3, the Monday, is the team time trial, which is 35.5km long and has a short climb on it. The Dauphiné included one as a dress rehearsal earlier this month, which Sky won. Damage was a fairly limited 0:38 to BMC but Bahrain-Merida's riders lost 2:05.
Stages 4, 5 and 6 are a bit hillier, more in the style of a Classic, with 6 containing the sort of steep, sharp climb to suit someone like Alaphilippe or Valverde, while stage 7 on the Friday is back to pancakes.
On the second weekend, we have an undulating stage on Bastille day, and perhaps the French riders might be able to get a break to stick. There could be caution in the pack on the Saturday because stage 9 on the Sunday is COBBLED. That's 15 secteurs pavés. There were cobbles in the last World Cup year, and Nibali rode them like a beast, while Froome ended up in a mess.
And relax, the second Monday is a rest day.
But now look where we are on the Tuesday: only the friggin' ALPS! Some real midweek treats here, especially stage 11, which is shorter but packed with climbs. Its finish atop La Rosière might favour Dumoulin's style. And Thursday sees the return of Alpe D'Huez and a possible polka dot ding-dong. On that Friday, back to some respite and a reward to the sprint teams for getting their big guy over the big lumps.
What about weekend number 3? Well, do you remember that hilly stage when the French riders who had escaped were caught and beaten by Steve Cummings on Côte de la Croix Neuve? Well, that again, basically. And Sunday's stage 15 is another long, hilly stage that could suit a strong break rider - a De Gendt or a Calmejane, for example.
We get the Monday (23rd) off again, then into the final furlongs. And it's time for the Pyrenees. Tuesday's looks good and stage 17, the Wednesday, is the funny one. It's only 65km long, and the riders will start in waves. The first 20 on GC go off first, then then next, and so on. It's going to be very interesting to see - but one wonders if there'll be at least 3 Sky riders in that top 20...? Transition stage 18 on the Thursday, finishing in Pau with a likely gallop. Then the Friday stage is huge and contains a load of big mountains. It may not be all that GC-relevant, especially with a long descent to the finish (but you never know). However it will surely be decisive in the polka dot battle.
Then we find our winner on the Saturday with a 31km ITT. It's a technical one, but then so was the World Championship. You'd expect Dumoulin, Froome and Porte to be able to put a good 1:30 into some of the less ITT-savvy contenders here.
Sunday 29 July, of course, is Paris.
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