In between
two sprint stages this should be a stage for a breakaway to make it. There is a
hard category2 climb, Col du Portel (5,3 km - 6,3%), starting after 22 km and
we should see a break taking its final shape here. From the top there is 85 km “flat”
until the real final begins with two category1 climbs right after each other.
First up is
Port de Lers (11,4 km - 7%) and right after the descent it’s time for a the
feared Tour debutant Mur de Péguère (9,3 km - 7,9%). The last 3,3 km of Mur de
Péguère have an average percentage of over 12% with parts up to 18%! There is
still about 40 km to go from the top of Mur de Péguère, so it might be a good
idea not to go solo too early with 20 km flat towards the finishing line.
Favorite:
As I said I
think this will be a day a breakaway will make it all the way to the line.
There are 20 KOM points for the polka dot jersey on the last two climbs and I
know Chris Anker Sørensen is very eager to get out there and see if he can get
the jersey of the shoulders of his Scandinavian rival Fredrik Kessiakoff. Also
Thomas Voeckler will be interested in getting in the break and see if he can
get back in the fight for the jersey plus taking another stage win. Voeckler is
excellent on the descents and show good condition on the uphill sections too,
so he is definitely one of the main guys to look out for.
Mur de Péguère - 9,3 km - 7,9% Click for larger view! |
Among the
GC contenders it’s no secret that this is a stage where Vincenzo Nibali and
Cadel Evans need to attack. Both Nibali and Evans have shown they are not
afraid of attacking on the descents and if they can manage to isolate Wiggins
just a little bit before that - maybe on the last steep part of Mur de Péguère -
we should be in for another dramatic finish!
Winner
pick: Luisle Sanchez
Joker:
Vincenzo Nibali
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