Updated
I’m off now. Thanks for your emails and tweets. I’ll leave you with the results and overall classification, which stays the same – with Chris Froome in yellow – thanks to the lack of any drama. Kittel zooms into the green jersey, though.
Le top 10 de l'étape / Top 10 of the stage #TDF2017 pic.twitter.com/I9TWEhNSAv
— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 7, 2017
Toujours pas de changement au classement général / @chrisfroome still in yellow before the mountains #TDF2017 pic.twitter.com/7n7jtR4Wi7
— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 7, 2017
Updated
Well, that was as close a finish as you’ll see. Kittel, the stage favourite won it, but it was much tighter than I’d have anticipated and riders such as Greipel and Démare weren’t involved as we thought they might be. Boasson Hagen says he is happy with his performance but his face tells you that he’s crestfallen not to have won the stage. “I’m not a sprinter,” he says. He looked all right to me.
And here’s what Kittel had to say: “On the finish line I thought this is going to be close but at 150m I thought there were 200m to go and then I had to pray that the door goes open on the right hand side and it was just enough. I’m really, really proud … the team did a good leadout and it’s just crazy. I’m so happy.” He takes the green jersey too. He’ll likely stay in it.
Updated
“Should have been called a dead heat in my opinion. The Tour snaps at a decision again this year without proper investigation,” writes Neil Smith.
Marcel Kittel has equalled Eric Zabel’s record of the most Tour de France stage wins by a German rider. Well done. That’s some company to keep.
Updated
How the jury gave that so quickly I’ll never know. I’d have thought it deserved further poring over to be sure. Dimension Data gave Boasson Hagen – who wasn’t really spoken about as a contender for today’s stage – a brilliant leadout. Mark Cavendish would have loved tobe presented to the final dash with that precision. But Kittel showed his scorching pace again. He caught Boasson Hagen’s wheel and used it to searing effect.
Marcel Kittel wins stage seven of the Tour de France in photo-finish!
The jury have given it to Kittel. That’s his third stage win this Tour … his 12th in total. Look how close it was.
Photo finish, @marcelkittel gagne devant @EBhagen ! / Kittel takes the win! #TDF2017 pic.twitter.com/pe2YmHmoIg
— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 7, 2017
Updated
It looks like a dead heat. Even the photo doesn’t offer definitive proof.
Photo finish between Boasson Hagen and Kittel!
Kittel drops in behind Boasson Hagen and then it’s a bunch sprint finish and Kittel thunders towards the line late and it’s a … photo finish with Boasson Hagen!
Updated
1km to go and it looks good for Kittel as his Quick Step team form in front of him …
Updated
Matthews hits the front with just 2km to go. The pace is frightening and there may be a better train being formed for Kittel by his Quick Step team-mates than in previous finishes.
Updated
4km to go! The peloton is strung out massively as it bombs along a dual carriageway at almost 70kph. There is some physical contact between the riders at the front as Démare jostles for position. The central reservations are causing trouble and making riders uncomfortable.
The peloton come round a sharp right turn with 5km to go. The riders negotiate it safely and it is three Movistar riders who lead the way with Simon Yates’s Orica–Scott team in pursuit.
The quartet shake hands as they are absorbed back into anonymity. The Katusha are the first to pass them with Movistar off to the side keeping a watchful eye.
After 200km of searing heat and lung-busting leg work, the breakaway is about to wave goodbye to their lead with just 7km to go. Good effort. Now off to the back you go.
With 8km to go there are only 16 seconds left to the escapees. The sprint teams have used there muscle and are jostling for position right where they should be. Michael Matthews’ Sunweb team is up there at the front of the peloton now too.
Updated
Panic over! The sterling work of Gilbert and Martin has got the peloton moving and the gap down to 29 seconds. Team Lotto are assembling on the right of the peloton and Katusha on the right. Froome is comfy as you like nestled in behind the sprint teams. Movistar are making a dash to the front too.
Updated
Philippe Gilbert and Tony Martin or doing the donkey work at the front of the peloton for Quick Step and Katusha respectively. They’re big riders. That shows the level of concern about giving their sprinters a chance.
The peloton has let the breakaway riders get away again! They’re extended the gap to 53 seconds. There’s no real risk of them getting away but this isn’t good news for the sprinters, as the GC teams are dominating the front of the chasing pack and it will be difficult for the sprint teams to organise with only 13km remaining and many a twist and turn to negotiate.
The plucky quartet are digging in and trying to hold off the menacing amorphous mass that is the peloton behind them. They’re 26 seconds ahead but all four of their faces are a picture of pain. Not long lads. They’ll put you out of your misery soon enough.
Updated
Another cycling role for Richie Tenenbaum:
@GreggBakowski Re: Richie Tenenbaum - surely he would be the tortured cobbled classics rider. Tenebaum of Flanders, so to speak.
— Rhys Jelley (@TheJelley) July 7, 2017
Team Sky hit the front of the peloton at a speed of 56kmph as the gap dips to just 20 seconds with 20km to go. They’re taking no risks as the road winds left and then right past a little flock of giddy Tour fans.
Andrew Benton gets busy being random: “I see Rick Zabel listed in the sprint placings at 14.28 BST - is he related to the great Eric Zabel?” Yes, he’s his son. “I met a man who works for the Mars company two days ago. He goes round the world looking for perfect peanuts, for Snickers bars. Nice job.” Yes, not bad. Not bad at all.
Bouet, Mori, Gène and Van Baarle have had a go but their moment in the sunshine is almost up. They lead by just 30 seconds. It’s worth mentioning that there is the potential for a crash or two on the approach to the finish, which has a few hidden dangers. It’s a wide road with 5km to go but at the 3km point, when riders’ times are protected if there should be a crash, the road narrows and there are central reservations with riders on the left and right, meaning riders may get caught on the wrong side and take risks to get back in position. I’m not tempting fate, I want every home safely but the raised kerbs are a risk.
There are 30km to go and the peloton can see the escapees 500m down the road. The gap is down to 45 seconds. “Surely Gene Mori and Bouet Van Baarle are characters played by Michael Cena & Jason Schwartzmann in the next Wes Anderson film,” offers Brian Rose. Yes, I can see that. Surely Wes Anderson would make a fine cycling film wouldn’t he? Maybe Richie Tenenbaum could be reinvented as a GC rider.
Updated
All this talk of breakaways reminds me of the 1980s chocolate biscuit. Along with the United biscuit it was a staple treat of my childhood, far superior to the Penguin. Oh, and more Name That Breakaway business here: “I saw the ‘breakaways’ live in my local the other Thursday after the chook raffle. They’re a tribute act nowadays – Van Mori & Gene-David Bouet. Excellent stuff,” writes Andrew Hickey.
Talking tactics!
@GreggBakowski Heard a theory that the sprint teams are using all their men positioning 20-25k out from the sprint - hence no lead outs
— David Kernohan (@DavidKernohan) July 7, 2017
The move that the peloton is making to gobble up the breakaway group would suggest that this is indeed the case. There’s probably a good reason for this in that there are traffic islands and a narrowing road near the finish, which makes positioning troublesome.
The escapees are being chased down ruthlessly. Their lead has been cut down to 55 seconds with 35km to go. They’re leaving no room for error.
Updated
Those in the know say that the windy and exposed conditions in the leadup to the finish at Nuits-Saint-Georges means that teams may be split and riders may be left behind before the final 3km. So, it’s likely there’ll be no clockwork leadout then. This will suit Kittel and his rapid legs perfectly.
Updated
There are 44km to go and the peloton is collectively shifting through the gears. The gap to the escapees is down to 1min55sec. “I have definitely come across Messrs Bouet, Mori, Gène and Van Baarle before,” writes Chris Chrzanowski. “During the 1990s they fronted an exotic circus troupe that could be found in all of the top tourist jaunts throughout Europe. I believe their downfall came when a rather uncoordinated police officer known only as Roglic fitted up Van Baarle for the aforementioned string of high profile art thefts. Rumour has it Roglic was sacked from the troupe before they made their big break and had hell-bent on exacting revenge ever since.” O------K.
@GreggBakowski isn't Bouet, Mori, Gène, et Van Baarle the firm notable for insuring celebrity body parts? #namethatbreakaway
— Sam McBroski (@s_mcbroski) July 7, 2017
Updated
The Sunweb sprinter, Michael Matthews, was asked before the race if there was anything he could do to try to stop Kittel from winning today’s stage. “I could try to start my sprint early or try to get a hold on his wheel,” he sighed. Yup, he’s not really backing himself.
With 55km to go, Cofidis and Quick Step are controlling the front of the peloton. Kittel seemed a little miffed when he was asked before the race why his team was unable to give him a decent leadout. He said all the teams are neutralising each other and no one sprinter is benefitting from the perfect train. Perhaps today his team will make a huge effort to give him one. If that is the case, he’s nailed on.
Uh-oh. The entrants for Name That Breakaway are picking up pace, as is the breakaway, which is back up to 2min30sec in front.
Bouet, Mori, Gène and Van Baarle? A villainous gang, pinned down in the Rue de Remarques by Charley Farley and Piggy Malone @GreggBakowski
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) July 7, 2017
“Mori Bouet and Gene Van Baarle sound like a couple of Eurovision entrants in the 70s. Douze points all round.” offers Neil Smith.
“Bouet, Mori, Gène and Van Baarle – Le Canard Donald’s European nephews?” – Matthew Trim.
And what about this lovely tenuous link from Iain Yates: “I think it is perhaps important that you and the readers are informed that my lovely godmother, Val, is a stalwart member of the Braunton, Devon, twinning trip to Plouescat, Brittany. For a good number of years Val has stayed with the Aline, the grandmother of yesterday’s (and it seems annually frustrated) long distance breakaway artist, Perrig Quemeneur. Fascinating stuff.” Indeed.
Updated
There’s a climb of 2km, which would leave me needing oxygen if I tackled it but the four escapees absolutely belt up there. There’s a mountain point on offer and I think Bouet takes it. Yes, he just pips Mori on the line. The peloton rumble up looking like a gang of uber-serious US traffic cops.
There are 69.4km to go and our quartet continue to chug away out in front, although the wind has eaten into their lead. The peloton, which is snaking over a humped bridge in a picturesque little town (Baulm La Roche, I think), has closed the gap to 2min3sec. Lotto-Soudal are up near the front with Quick Step keeping a close eye on them.
Updated
Mike Summers-Smith invites us to name that breakaway. “A promising quartet, and no-one participating? Bouet Van Baarle, generally thought to have been the perpetrator of the Morigène moustache-wax adulteration scandal in Edwardian London.”
Bouet, Mori, Gène and Van Baarle. Musketeers number 4, 5, 6, and 7.@GreggBakowski #namethatbreakaway
— Luke Berry (@LUK3) July 7, 2017
They sound like an annoyingly intellectual gang of art thieves to me.
Poor Primoz Roglic! You’ll remember earlier that he ran into a discarded water bottle, which got caught up in his crankset and made him shudder to a halt and need a new bike. Well, on his way back to the peloton he has taken a tumble again. Hopefully, he’s OK but it’s not been a classic hour’s riding for the Slovenian who switched from ski jumping to cycling. He could be forgiven for wanting to switch careers again after today’s misfortune.
With 85km to go the peloton has closed the gap back up to 2min36sec. I’m guessing this is because the pack is able to bunch together and resist the strong wind in a way that the exposed four breakaway riders cannot. Anyway, here’s Adrian Bradshaw with some betting chat: “In answer to Matthew Trim, I have a couple of quid on Lillian Calmjane to finish in the top 10, at 50-1, which I am rather pleased with. Of course if he explodes on one climb on Saturday that’ll be it, but for the time being I am reasonably smug.”
There have been various clips of riders engaging in what I can only call ‘bike banter’ on this Tour, domestiques suddenly lunging at one another in mock aggressive-style before giggling like kids, others playing rock, paper, scissors and the like. Has anyone ever seen such an act lead to a full-on crash? It would be quite something, bantering a GC rider off their bike.
The four escapees, Bouet, Mori, Gène and Van Baarle have been hard at at it up at the front for over three hours now. They’re being cheered heartily as they come out of a small village and battle through the stiff wind buffeting them from the right. They’ve increased their lead from 1min 40sec just after the intermediate sprint, to 3min30sec again with 87km to go.
Here are full the results from the intermediate sprint at Chanceaux earlier.
1) Manuele Mori, 20 points
2) Maxime Bouet, 17
3) Yohann Gène, 15
4) Dylan Van Baarle, 13
5) Sonny Colbrelli, 11
6) Alexander Kristoff, 10
7) André Greipel, 9
8) Zdenek Stybar, 8
9) Michael Matthews, 7
10) Arnaud Démare, 6
11) Borut Bozit, 5
12) Rick Zabel, 4
13) Grega Bole, 3
14) Jack Bauer, 2
15) Andrei Grivko, 1
Primoz Roglic has run into a ditched water bottle and his chain has been knocked off and his crankset appears to be jiggered. He’s forlornly waiting for assistance. This is what happens if you leave litter kids! You give domestiques at the back of the peloton a physically gruelling schlep back to the pack.
Matthew Trim brings the optimism: “I like these stages, there is plenty going on, it’s just not a thrill a minute. With 21 days to race, the sprinters couldn’t do their thing every day, and the climbers couldn’t do theirs and the TTers theirs. The mind games, the bizarre team directions, the occasional breakaway that makes it, crashes, weather etc. I’m more bored watching the omnium in a velodrome, and that’s supposed to be much more exciting. Plus there is the problem that there is also the Test match and Wimbledon on, as well as trying to look like I’m working. As far as I’m concerned, I’m flat out. We could have a bet slip bragging game – who didn’t have Sagan for green jersey, and who did they pick instead, GC 1,2,3, anyone gone for a jersey accumulator and what odds have they got … ?”
Apropos of nothing, I watched episode eight of the new series of Twin Peaks last night. My brain will take quite some time to heal itself after that. It’s by far the most mind-bending and unfathomable hour of TV I have ever seen. “Gotta Light,” will stay with me for a long while.
The effort exerted in the intermediate sprint has taken the wind out of the breakaway group’s sails. The gap has been closed up to 1min40sec.
Manuele Mori and Maxime Bouet are the only two riders of the four escapees who bother to contest the sprint. Mori looks behind him and gets his legs whirring. He’s not going to be caught so he wins the 20 points on offer for UAE Team Emirates.
The intermediate sprint is on its way in 1km and the four escapees are absolutely flying now as they descend around a bend towards a little climb up up the pretty little town of Chanceaux. They’re 2min 32 sec ahead of the peloton, which is being chased by a bright green Citroen CV in a field at the side of the road. A very cheery bare-chested chap is waving a tricolor around manically and howling at the
moon
sun.
A heartening bit of news for the green jersey holder and home favourite Arnaud Démare: he reached the fastest speed in yesterday’s sprint finish. The problem is that he couldn’t sustain it and peaked before the line. Timing is everything. Meanwhile, here’s Alexander Kristoff, a contender to take today’s stage, talking about his sprint rivals. “For sure Kittel and Démare are not easy to beat at the moment. They’re in really good shape. For the moment on a stage like today with straight roads and a straight finish, Kittel is the fastest. We have to do something special to beat them or hope for them to make a mistake. Démare has also been good all week, and even all year. He’s made a big step this year and he’s there every day. I’ve had the experience of getting better in the third week. Usually, a harder race suits me. Crosswinds could make it hard today.”
“If it helps inject excitement into today’s stage, readers might like to know that Nuits-Saint-Georges is the twin town of Hitchin,” writes Justin Horton. I’ve actually been to Hitchin. The most exciting thing about it was that when there was a light drizzle the cobblestones on the market square became slippery and there was the mild threat that my desert boots might have given way and I could have ended up landing on my tail and looking foolish. With 114km to go there are a few undulating hills and barely a house or farm in sight. The gap is 2min44sec and the peloton is huddled together in no real hurry to increase the pace just yet.
Updated
David Alderton writes: “I suspect there are a few reasons why the opening stages of a Tour, when flat, will be slightly (considerably) less exciting than the others. It’d be a huge risk for a GC rider to go off and try to grab a decent time gap. The cost in energy and coordination, and recovery would be very large for comparatively little gain. The better use of their resources would be, I think, to go, as we’ve seen, when it is windy and make the selection into the front echelons, as then rivals have to catch up. Perhaps having a breakaway out in front acts as nice insurance for the GC riders and the sprinters: the latters’ teams can use the formers’ teams to share the effort out, catching the break as late as possible to save energy. Then the fast men have their race, and all pick up the same times. Sprinters are happy as they get a quiet ride to the finish before their race, GC riders happy as they get to the end in a decent time as efficiently as possible. All in all, it seems to be a very complicated process, so I’m pleased it is running through nice scenery, whilst someone gets ready to tell me how it all works.”
There is very little happening. Breakaway riders Bouet, Mori, Gène and Van Baarle are still chugging along in the heat. They’re 2min26sec ahead of the peloton, which will inevitably gobble up that gap and wave them a cheery goodbye on the approach to Nuits-Saint-Georges. In the meantime, Gary Naylor invites us to watch some retro loveliness.
This is fantastic viewing in the downtime of a stage like this https://t.co/4BqBgnLHTu …. Here's why https://t.co/I97R6M18RF @GreggBakowski
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) July 7, 2017
There was an interesting conversation on Eurosport’s commentary just then about the tactics at BMC and how it appears the numerous directeur sportifs there perhaps have different views on what tactics the riders should be using. It seems there was a difference of opinion after stage five, when BMC ride on the front for most of the race, to the physical detriment of their riders, who one by one peeled off towards the end of the race. Do you remember when sport was simple?
The leaders are 81km into the stage now and the gap is back down to 2min20sec. They’re on a very gradual ascent, which means the average speed has come down from 49kmph to 41kmph. They’ve just passed Le Château de Rocheprise. As châteaus go, it’s a lovely one. The kind of place where you could imagine a 900-year-old enchanted princess snoozing. Or something like that.
Updated
Here’s an interesting piece from Richard Williams on why Formula One officials could learn a thing or two from the brave and decisive action of the UCI’s disciplinary panel over the Sagan-Cavendish incident. It’s not often cycling is praised above other sports.
Nairo Quintana has just dropped back to his team car to pick up a banana. He shoves it in his back pocket for when he needs it later on. I’d quite like him to discard of the skin in Dick Dastardly fashion and send a few riders skidding about to add a bit of drama to today’s stage. It’s all very serene.
There are 141km to go. And here’s an email from Tom Atkins reminding me of my days spent watching Dylan Moran in this TV gem. “The whole charade of letting the breakaway go and not catching it too early for fear that someone’ll just attack again reminds me of Dylan Moran’s Black Books character: ‘I mean, you know, I have to price them, and then put them up on the shelves and store them and people will come in and ask about them and buy them and read them and come back and sell them, you know, and the whole hideous cycle will just go on and on and on and on, you know?’”
The breakaway group have increased their pace ever so slightly having seen their lead cut to round 2min. It’s now back up to 2min 42sec. Maxime Bouet, Manuele Mori, Yohann Gène and Dylan van Baarle are working together very nicely. There’s absolutely no drama here though. There’s not even much excitement at the roadside either because tractors can hardly crunch through the vineyards to bring us stunning displays such as this majestic effort, from 2011.
It’s question time! “Has any team worn yellow through the whole Tour, as Sky would do,” asks Paul Blacker. Yes, is the answer Paul. Eddy Merckx’s Faemino–Faema did it in 1970, and when Froome took the yellow jersey off Thomas this year, he said his aim was to keep tight hold until Paris and emulate that feat.
And here’s a tweet:
@GreggBakowski The early Tour exists to build anticipation of Pinot's launch into Thrilling Heroics on his way to Bastille Day victory!
— MaliciousA (@MaliciousA) July 7, 2017
I love the doomed Bastille Day attempts.
Updated
“I thought the dullness of the early stages is part of Le Tour’s charm?” writes Lyndsey Melling. “Hay bale bicycles, giant jerseys hung off bridges etc.” Yes, perhaps, although Froome’s admission that yesterday’s stage was among the easiest he has ever been part of suggests that the dullness factor was perhaps running a little too high. And in case you’re wondering, the gap is down to 2 min9sec.
Updated
There has been much discussion on this Tour about how teams have found it difficult to form trains coming into the sprint finishes, with leadout riders going too early and leaving the main sprinters with a long way to go to the line. Kittel says that teams have been working against each other and forming trains has been tough. “I think it will be similar to yesterday. I didn’t see a lot of teams getting organised on this Tour, we’re sprinting alone at the moment. A lot of teams have good trains now and they’re neutralising each other,” he said before the race. “It will be fast again. It will suit me. It is very difficult to work as a team in this Tour and all the teams are trying to improve their leadouts.” The lack of organisation suits Kittel as he’s the fastest sprinter on the Tour. Earlier, Greipel said his team needs to get him into the perfect position if he is to win today.
Updated
It’s not every day Chris Froome zooms past your living room.
The peloton is fair motoring along now. OK, not literally – that would be mechanical doping. The gap to the four riders in the breakaway, Maxime Bouet, Manuele Mori, Yohann Gène and Dylan van Baarle is down to 2min31sec, which will please the sprinters as they don’t want to put in too much leg-work before the finish in Nuits-Saint-Georges.
“Is it just me, or is this is a deeply dull Tour so far?” writes Paul Griffin. “Aside from the Battle of Sagan’s Elbow, its been unremarkable. Hopefully, it’s a slow burner, like a good box set, or indeed last month’s Giro D’Italia, but I think the unimaginative parcours makes that unlikely.” Ah come on Paul. Cheer up. It might get interesting on stage nine. There are only six hors-catégorie climbs on the whole Tour and three of them are on stage nine. And that stage finishes on the Mont du Chat too. That’s not happened since 1974. Or maybe I’m just easily pleased.
Our cycling correspondent, William Fotheringham, spoke to Philippa York. She used to be known as Robert Millar, the former cyclist who wrote our team guide this year. York speaks here about becoming the first high-profile cyclist to go public about making the step of gender transition. It’s a fascinating read in which she says she had to “put the Robert part of my life into one box and then live in another.”
Updated
With 176km to go the gap from the peloton to the breakaway is down to 3min 16sec. The main bunch is strung out in a lengthy line and rolling along wide tree-lined roads at a fair old pace. There are picturesque vineyards dotted all around this region of France. A lovely place for a bike ride.
It’s getting hotter out there. It’s crept up to the mid-30s. The domestiques are ferrying water bottles up and down the peloton like busy ants. One overworked rider has four in his back pocket and two stuffed down his top. Domestiques don’t have it easy. Here’s Bradley Wiggins writing about his life in that role back in 2004:
So every morning at the team meeting, the manager will explain who is doing what. Someone like me would be told to look after Hushovd, keep him in the front 20 until seven kilometres to go, then get him to the front with 700 metres to go. Four riders will look after Moreau, keep him in the first 30, stop if he gets a puncture, drop back to the team car and get him bottles of water if it is hot, or a cape if it rains. If he wants a leak on the bike because it is going too fast to stop, he will need a push as he does what has to be done. That sounds straightforward, but at the front of the bunch it is a constant battle; you see an arrowhead of riders, but in reality they are moving up and down all the time. It is not as if you move to tenth wheel and stay there; you have to fight to hold your place and fight to get it back.”
The peloton has matched the pace of the four escapees and is not letting them increase their lead any more then 3min45sec. Lars Bak of Lotto-Soudal is up at the front of the peloton. He had this to say before the race. Before the race he said it is not always a foregone conclusion that the breakaway riders will be reeled in. “It doesn’t always work,” he said. “Sometimes the escapees are tough and strong and they go all the way as we saw in the Dauphine.” It won’t happen Lars. Not today.
Today’s stage is expected to get very blowy with crosswinds buffeting the peloton as they traverse the vineyards of north-east France. The riders use tactics to protect their leading contenders from having to do too much donkey work in these conditions. There is a handy tactics guide here from back in 2014 to show you how. It’s fascinating stuff.
Updated
The riders are already around 14km into today’s stage. As is the norm, there has been an optimistic breakaway. There are four riders in the group: Maxime Bouet of Fortuneo–Oscaro, Manuele Mori of UAE Team Emirates, Yohann Gène of Direct Énergie and Dylan van Baarle of Cannondale–Drapac. They’ve opened up a gap of 3min45sec from the peloton. It’s 31c out there. Sizzling! Good luck lads.
Good morning. Today is an intermediate stage much like yesterday’s. There shouldn’t be too much movement among the GC contenders unless there’s a crash, a more menacing rogue parasol in the peloton or some other unfortunate occurrence. All this means it will be another day in which the sprinters will be licking their lips.
And here’s William Fotheringham’s view on the run into the vineyards in eastern France:
A wine buff’s paradise but if there is a breeze from the west it could turn nasty on the exposed roads through the vineyards, if echelons form as they did on the Montpellier stage last year. In that game, Marcel Kittel and the Quick-Step team are among the best but Peter Sagan is the master.
But Sagan’s not here anymore. So my money is on a leg race between Marcel Kittel and the Frenchman in the green jersey, Arnaud Démare.
General classification
Points
Updated