How Mark Cavendish would have relished a Tour de France day like this: a flat-ish 180km via central France with the potential for a bunch dash to the road.
Stage 11 of this Tour is the ultimate flat trip earlier than the exhausting Alpine ascents. The day begins within the college metropolis of Clermont-Ferrand earlier than the riders wind north after which east to Moulins, a small city on the Allier river. There continues to be some climbing to be carried out together with three category-four hills alongside the route, however any breakaway is more likely to be reeled by these groups with devoted sprinters eyeing their solely alternative for a stage win between the 2 relaxation days.
Cavendish, after all, won’t be competing for that historic thirty fifth stage win after crashing out of the race on Saturday. The man who beat him to the road the day earlier than, Jasper Philipsen, can be favorite right here once more having already collected all three victories on flat levels on this Tour.
Who can probably problem him? Among the pure sprinters, Caleb Ewan and Phil Bauhaus have each come near successful levels already this Tour and can attempt to get amongst it as soon as extra. Fabio Jakobsen continues to battle together with his accidents from a crash in Nogaro and it’s unclear whether or not he can compete for victory. Dylan Groenewegen has Tour stage wins on his palmarès however hasn’t all the time been in a position to place himself for the dash end on this Tour thus far.
And then there may be Wout van Aert. The Jumbo-Visma famous person has been making an attempt desperately to clinch a stage, and possibly ought to have gained stage two in San Sebastian when Victor Lafay was allowed to flee from the ultimate group and couldn’t be reeled in. Van Aert was controversially squeezed out of the race to the road on stage three in Bayonne, and was crushed within the stage-eight dash in Limoges by Mads Pedersen.
Van Aert is clearly hurting at what has been a fairly unlucky set of close to misses. He won’t wish to go away from this Tour empty handed, even when there may be the potential comfort of enjoying a key function in Jonas Vingegaard’s yellow jersey defence, and this might be a chance to lastly get on the board with what can be a tenth profession win on the Tour de France.
The Belgian was given a scare yesterday when he was instructed of rumours that he needed to go away the Tour for the delivery of his second youngster – his spouse is because of give delivery to a child boy shortly after the race. But he confirmed to the media that he’s not going anyplace but. “I just did a quick call to my wife to check if everything’s alright and luckily she’s doing fine. So I don’t know where it’s coming from but I’m in the Tour for hopefully as long as possible.”
For these on the prime of the overall classification combating for the potential podium positions, like Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar, it’s a day to remain out of bother and maintain contemporary for a lot larger challenges forward.
Stage 11 route map and profile
Start time
The stage is about to start at round 12.30pm BST and is predicted to complete at round 4.30pm BST.
Prediction
The breakaway ought to get reeled in right here and the apparent reply is Jasper Philipsen. But let’s be daring and predict somebody to beat him: Caleb Ewan seems threatening however this would possibly simply be the day Wout van Aert lastly will get throughout the road earlier than the remaining.