The longest stage of the race and a probable sprint finish.<\/p>\n
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The Loges des Gardes unlodges Vingegaard<\/strong>: the day\u2019s breakaway was reeled in by the UAE team but still allowed Jonas Gregaard to extend his lead in the mountains competition, he won\u2019t keep it until Nice but his team is deserving its invitation.<\/p>\n The Loge des Gardes climb is a new climb but has few secrets, the 8% slope at the start thinned out the field and saw many dropped. Cl\u00e9ment Champoussin supplied the first attack but it was a boomerang move, he flew out of the group, he flew back soon after. Jonas Vingegaard was the next to attack, perhaps thinking attack was the best form of defence because he was out of team mates. Only Tadej Poga\u010dar could follow as the two quickly opened up a gap. Poga\u010dar sat on the Dane\u2019s wheel, at one point smiling to the camera. The pair cancelled each other out and were reeled in. David Gaudu attacked and got a decent gap. Then Poga\u010dar went after the Frenchman and Vingegaard tried to respond but couldn\u2019t get across. He began to flounder, his head shaking in the agony and this tell signalled trouble and one-by-one riders came past him. While Poga\u010dar was celebrating the stage win ahead of Gaudu, Vingegaard was on his way to sixth place, 43 seconds down on the stage.<\/p>\n Poga\u010dar\u2019s in yellow and good luck to anyone trying to take the jersey off him. Vingegaard can try but surely won\u2019t want to try anything spectacular for fear of it rebounding, better to recover and then try something more cautious. Gaudu would sign this morning for second place in Nice. Simon Yates might bide his time, he almost won the race on the last stage, we\u2019ll see. The much promised duel isn\u2019t over but we\u2019ve got a good idea who is the stronger right now.<\/p>\n The Route<\/strong>: the start in St. Symphorien means crossing the Monts du Lyonnais. It\u2019s over the hills to help a breakaway form with some hard terrain from the start. There are 13 points for the taking if a rider can clear the three climbs first but Uno-X\u2019s Jonas Gregaard leads the competition with 14 points so any move going clear is after the stage win.<\/p>\n Then comes a dash down the Rhone valley. There are two late climbs, the first isn\u2019t hard but it is exposed to the wind but it doesn\u2019t look like the wind will be too strong. The second of which to Aleyrac was a 2nd category climb when tackled in 2015 on a day when a few heavyset sprinters were dropped. It should be a sprint finish in St.Paul.<\/p>\n The Finish<\/strong>: flat run to the finish with some street furniture in the final 5km, some central dividers and then a roundabout just after the flamme rouge<\/em> which can be taken on both sides but the right looks faster, just.\u00a0 With 300m to go another roundabout but this time it\u2019s closed off, passage to the right only, but it makes for a crucial chicane.<\/p>\n The Contenders<\/strong>: a likely sprint finish as if a break goes early there\u2019s plenty of time to get the measure of them and bring them back later on. It\u2019s down to the breakaway being loaded with rouleurs<\/em> to make this hard but several teams will be playing their sprint cards today and so willing to chase as once today\u2019s done, that\u2019s it for the flat stages.<\/p>\n Tim Merlier<\/strong> (Soudal-Quickstep) was the pick for Fontainebleau only to get stuck by the wild finish and lack of lead-out trains but he\u2019s still an obvious pick. Jumbo-Visma have the team to work all day for Olav Kooij<\/strong> and get a second stage win so far this week. As said in the preview for the opening stage there are many good sprinters here but not the bankers who win again and again. Sam Bennett<\/strong> (Bora-hansgrohe), Arnaud D\u00e9mare<\/strong> (Groupama-FDJ) and Alexander Kristoff<\/strong> (Uno-X) could be in the mix. Mads Pedersen<\/strong> (Trek-Segafredo) has a stage win already and doesn\u2019t win sprint after sprint but looks in excellent form.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/64.media.tumblr.com\/2a9e50fa8ca229f0229ad790ff8e2f9d\/070173bd3980f42d-2d\/s1280x1920\/6c7187ba5c45380ef60bb58af199d0effaa906db.jpg\")
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