- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Another crucial day for the contenders of the general classification awaits as the riders will tackle a challenging team time trial course.
The day before the first rest day of the tour will see the riders hit with an extremely hilly 28 kilometres of time trialling from Vannes to Plumelec.
The last day in Brittany therefore will be crucial for the general classification riders confidence going into the first rest day of the tour.
A key point that needs to be made is the fact that this team time trial is unusually late in the tour, we may see some surprises in the results today.
The route, at 28 kilometres, is not too peculiar, although it’s still the longest since 2009, but the usual flat course has been littered with rolling roads, with two long drags, and the final climb up the Cote de Cadoual.
On today’s course, race director Christian Prudhomme told the races official website that, “This test of strength and moment of truth will be awaited with anxiety by the main actors of the GC, especially because the final uphill part could influence on the choice of strategy.”
The final climb of the Cote de Cadoual starts at 1.7 kilometres to go and averages out at 6.2 %. This will be a brutal end to what will be a pivotal stage of this year’s tour.
It will be important for teams to pace themselves accordingly over the first part of the course, due to the difficult nature of the final climb.
As we saw in a hilly team time trial at the Tour of Romandie, if you go into the red over the tougher climbs, your team is likely to split apart, causing massive time losses.
Favourites
BMC have form this season in the team time trial, after winning the difficult opening stage of the Tour of Romandie. Though, there team is slightly weaker from that squad in terms of time trialling ability, they always pull out fantastic rides at the tour in this discipline.
When BMC have a general classification rider, and need to pull out a cracking team time trial, they often do so. Remember 2011, where they upstaged some of the bigger teams in the discipline to finish only a couple of seconds over a supremely good Garmin outfit.
With that in mind, TJ Van Gardaren will be the man they ride for today, and they have strong men to contribute to a successful performance today.
With opening time trial winner Rohan Dennis, climbers Sammy Sanchez and Damiano Caruso, and classics specialists Daniel Oss, Greg Van Avermaet and Manuel Quinizato in the line-up, expect at least a top 3 ride from BMC over the hilly parcour.
Sky have had a fabulous first week. They made the split on stage 2, supported Froome well over the cobbles of stage 4, and positioned themselves well on the sprint stages.
Today though will be the first time we will get to see the outright horsepower in this squad, and boy they are gifted in that area. With strongmen Ian Stannard and Luke Rowe, plus strong time trialists in Geriant Thomas, Richie Porte and Peter Kennagh, today could be another time we see Froome take big time on some of his opponents.
Sky have the best all-round squad, which also includes climbers Nicholas Roche, Leopold Konig and Wout Poels, so the team is well balanced for all parts of today’s stage. Expect Sky to be extremely together up the final climb.
They will be one of only a few teams who’ll feel will not be struggling today.
Movistar are the team who’ll think can rival Sky today. They, like Sky are a perfect match with strong flat land riders, time trialists and climbers.
The team includes three current national champions in the line-up, with Jonathon Castroviejo from Spain, Alex Dowsett of England, and Adriano Malori of Italy. I expect them to be a close second on today’s stage.
This stage is of upmost importance to Quintana. He cannot afford to lose much more time to Froome, as he may then be only fighting for second, and not the top step of the podium.
Other teams that should not be discounted include Tinkoff Saxo, Etixx Quickstep and Astana.
Fancy a wager on your favourite sport? Head on over to PlayUp for great odds and friendly customer service and pick a winner. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.