Stage 3 of the Tour de France finishes atop the famous Mur De Huy, in what will be the first real test for the overall contenders’ climbing ability.
On the race’s official website, race director Christian Prudhomme mentions the importance of this stage as a guide for the high mountains to come:
“In the same way that Nibali’s performance in Sheffield announced the stunning master-piece of the Italian on the 2014 Tour, the man who will tame the Mur should be one of the main actors.”
Following the time trial on Stage 1 and crosswinds of Stage 2, this first week is already shaping up to be extremely nervy for the riders.
Even though the Mur is only a short climb, it is brutal. At an average gradient of over 9 per cent for 1.3km, the climb starts off fairly steadily but then ramps up to 19 per cent at its steepest.
Used as part of the Fleche Wallonne classic every April, the climb has the potential to cause time gaps for the overall contenders.
However the Mur is not the only climb on the peloton’s plate, with three category 4 climbs, including the Cote de Cherave which tops out with five kilometres to go. The Cote de Cherave is a very similar climb to the Mur De Huy, but has a consistent gradient throughout.
In this year’s edition of Fleche Wallonne, the Cote de Cherave was introduced for the first time, and offered a springboard for riders to break away before the final time up the Mur, making the race far more tactical and unpredictable.
Despite its obvious similarities to Fleche Wallonne, this stage will more than likely play out somewhat differently to Fleche, being only 159 kilometres in length – nearly 50 kilometres shorter than the classic – and is far less hilly.
The last 20 kilometres of the stage should be far more chaotic than what occurs in Fleche – more riders in contention on narrow roads means a nervous bunch.
The favourites
The last two editions of Fleche Wallonne have been won by Alejandro Valverde, who has seen success up the Mur De Huy due to his positioning and patience.
In this year’s Fleche Wallonne, Valverde was perfectly positioned into the climb, right at the front, and set tempo all the way to the final sprint with 200 metres to go. This allows him to ride his own pace up the climb, and not get blocked by his competitors in the final. He is also able to react to any attacks.
It will take something special to beat the Spanish champion, who has been extremely consistent with his results this season.
Joaquim Rodríguez is the only other rider to have won up the Mur De Huy, having done so at Fleche Wallonne in 2012.
Rodriguez prospers on these steep uphill finishes, and will be possibly the only rider who can contend with Valverde’s final attack. He was third behind Valverde in this year’s Fleche, but was in the right position to pounce. With an easier profile on the cards, he may be better rested for the final ascent.
With a top 10 place at the Criterium du Dauphine in the lead-up, Rodriguez will be looking for a strong race in potentially his last ever Tour de France.
Dan Martin has had a fairly underwhelming season to date, failing to finish any of the Ardennes classics, and finishing 20th at the Criterium du Dauphine.
Having said this, if Martin can repeat his performance from 2014 Fleche Wallonne (second place) it wouldn’t be a surprise. Having won Liege-Bastogne-Liege in 2013, and Lombardia in 2014, Martin has the pedigree to win on this type of course. He will want a big result after a disappointing year thus far, and the Tour de France is the place to do it.
In terms of the general classification riders, there should be no real time gaps in the stage. It will be paramount that they are positioned well into the second-last climb to make sure they are in the perfect starting spot for the Mur.
Other riders who could feature in the finale include Michael Albasini (podium at Fleche Wallone in 2015 and 2012), Simon Gerrans, Romain Bardet, Michal Kwiatkowski, Julian Arredondo and Rui Costa.
An attack over the climb leading into the Mur could cause problems. Don’t be surprised to see a rider like Tim Wellens, Adam Hansen, Nathan Haas or Sylvain Chavanel trying their luck at getting a gap to hold off the peloton up the final climb.
Is there anyone else that could contend for this stage? Discuss in the comments below.
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