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The first uphill finish of the Tour de France should see the Ardennes classic specialists come out to play. What seems guaranteed is that by the end of the stage a new leader of the Tour will be adorned in yellow. Who will it be? Join The Roar to find out with live coverage of Stage 2 from 10pm (AEST).
Mark Cavendish’s first yellow jersey of his career will not be on his shoulders for long. In contrast to yesterday’s bunch sprint finish, today’s stage profile lends itself to the men that shine in the Ardennes classics as a short sharp climb at the finish will be a bridge too far for the big men who dominate the flat lands.
In contrast to Stage 1’s pancake flat profile Stage 2 encompasses four categorised climbs along its 182km route culminating in the ascent to the finish line atop the category 3 Côte de la Glacerie.
The finishing climb is 1.9km with an average gradient of 6.5 per cent maxing out at a very steep 14 per cent. There is a slight respite with a small descent coming approximately 700m from the summit before the final uphill drag to the finish.
Before thinking of the finish riders must negotiate three category 4 climbs within the first 52km of racing. After departing Saint-Lô the riders will ascend the Côte de Torigny-les-Villescategory after 10km, the Côte de Montabot after 23km and the Côte de Montpinchon after 52km.
Look for a breakaway to form on the early climbs but be given a very short leash with so many teams harbouring stage-winning ambitions today. After the early climbing the road flattens out with the days intermediate sprint coming at 107.5km, before the lumpy approach to the Côte de la Glacerie commences at kilometre 132.
Although there are no categorised climbs from this point until the final climb the road alternates between uphill and downhill with very minimal flat sections. The approach to the final climb will be extremely fast with multiple teams fighting to position their riders at the front of the peloton.
So many teams and riders will fancy their chances of taking the stage win atop the Côte de la Glacerie.
Ettix-Quickstep will be at the forefront of the peloton today with their two pronged attack of Irishman Dan Martin and the electric Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe. They are both in form after posting top ten finishes at the Dauphine and are built for short sharp uphill finishes with Martin a previous winner of Liege-Bastogne-Liege and Alaphilippe a multiple podium finisher in the Ardennes classics.
Another team the contains two bonafide classic specialists is Orica-BikeExchange with Australian’s Simon Gerrans and Michael Matthews. Will we see a repeat of the non-harmonious 2015 world championships, or can they work together to deliver a victory for the Aussie team?
Depending on how fast the final climb is ridden the steepness may prove too much for Matthews, Gerrans, and world champion Peter Sagan. However if a larger group makes it to the summit a heads up sprint between Sagan and Matthews could ensue.
The Spanish duo of Alejandro Valverde and Joaquin Rodriguez salivate over finishes like this and will be right among it. If Valverde is given free rein on this stage by Movistar and released from his supporting role of Nairo Quintana he will be the man to beat as he rarely loses uphill sprints.
The general classification riders will most likely keep their powder dry and look to not lose time, however the French pair of Thibaut Pinot and Romain Bardet may poke their head out of the pack to give the home fans something to cheer about.
Interest will surround Alberto Contador and how he recovers from yesterday’s crash as the final climb will be a stern examination of his legs and shoulder.
Prediction
Overall this finish is tailor made for Alejandro Valverde and should see him take the stage win and the yellow jersey in a dogged fight with Dan Martin. However if the climb proves easier than it appears on paper, Matthews could deliver yellow to Orica-BikeExchange.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of Stage 2 of the Tour de France from 10pm (AEST) and don’t forget to add your own comments in the section below.
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