Almost a rest day, this stage was promised for the sprinters and supposed to offer a predictable scenario. Only strong winds are forecast and we could have an afternoon of crosswind action.
Tour de France
Tour Stage 4 Review
The stage and the yellow jersey for Tony Martin. Since Stage 1 he’s been second on GC and it was becoming a comedy skit where he stands in line in the queue for the yellow jersey and only for someone to jump in front each time its his turn. On the Mur de Huy Chris Froome was timed as 0.94 seconds behind Joaquim Rodriguez and since it wasn’t a clear full second it left Martin was second on GC and out of yellow for just 0.06 seconds. This time even a puncture and riding on a team mates bike didn’t stop him.
Routes, Racing and Ratings
Want to draw your own route for the Tour de France? You could start with a map and a pen but what you really need is a TV remote control, if not in your hand then in your mind. More than ever the Tour de France route is being designed for television viewers, to make racing rhyme with ratings and ensuring that the opening week is as worth watching as the mountain stages. Today’s feared cobbled stage is just one example.
Tour de France Stage 4 Preview
Crosswinds, the Ardennes and now it’s time for some cobbles in the North of France. The Tour de France continues its tour of the spring classics.
Fabian Cancellara is out with a broken back, others left the race too and all before today’s stage, the most feared of them all.
Tour Stage 3 Preview
The first hills of the Tour de France with the infamous Mur de Huy and its 20% slopes as the finish. Unlike the spring classic this is climbed only once so there are subtle differences between today’s stage and April’s Flèche Wallonne race.
Tour Stage 2 Preview
A flat run across before the finish on the coastal defences that stop the Netherlands from being submerged by the North Sea. The clue is in the oxymoronic name: Zeeland, sea land.
Tour Stage 1 Preview
The rubber hits the road as the 102nd Tour de France opens with a 14km time trial around Utrecht.
Is this going to be fairy tale Tour? A win for Tom Dumoulin in front of a home crowd is the perfect start however this looks like a predictable win for Tony Martin.
Who Will Win the Tour de France?
Do you really want to know who’s going to win? Hopefully we’ll be kept waiting until the final mountain stage and the climb to Alpe d’Huez.
This year’s race is open with four names at the top of the bill and there’s a supporting cast to bring surprises. Here’s the preview of the main names hoping to win the yellow jersey.
Who Will Win The Mountains Jersey?
It’s the 40th anniversary of the polka dot jersey so expect a greater focus on this jersey. It’s an unsettled competition, the green jersey points competition has been tweaked to reward the fastest sprinter but the polka dot mountains jersey still doesn’t go to the best climber.
Who Will Win The Green Jersey?
They’ve changed the rules but can they change the ruler? Peter Sagan won the points competition by such a large margin last year that he’s an obvious pick to win again.
Here’s a look at the contenders and pretenders for the points competition and a wider look at the sprinters and their teams too.