While the British are still celebrating their conquest of L’Alpe d’Huez on La Bastille day, the sprinters should be given a pat on the back for making it and continuing their Tour de France 2022 adventure.
You can rewatch the Tour de France 2022 stage 12 here.
Tour de France 2022 – stage 13 Preview
All the sprinters made it over the punishing Alps and as they will hope to have their say in the traditional transitional stage to Saint-Etienne.
The day starts at the foot of L’Alpe d’Huez where the baroudeurs will hope to attack to form a breakaway. Unfortunately for them the presence of headwind, will complicate things.
Simon Geschke will be following any moves to try to be in position to contest the first two KOM sprints to defend his jersey.
Guilio Ciccone who finally seems to have put his troubles of the Tour de France start behind him may or may not follow to try to snatch some more points.
Magnus Cort will continue his Tour de France 2022 show and try to integrate the breakaway.
As the day goes by, sprinters team namely Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, Lotto-Soudal, Alpecin-Deceuninck and BikeExchange will come to the fold to control the breakaway.
Neverthless, some sprinters might have their heart broken with the Côte de Saint-Romain-en-Gal. The 6.6 km categorised climb is situated at around 50km from the finish. It is the perfect set up for stronger sprinters like Mads Pedersen, Michael Matthews and even Peter Sagan to ask their team to take things in hand to try and get rid of the likes of Caleb Ewan and Fabio Jakobsen.
The struggle does not end here for the big guys. Two severe uncategorised climbs, the Côte de Saint Regis and most importantly a short 2 km climb at 10km might put the nail in the coffin on those on the limit. This is the point that Dylan Groenewegen who has been impressive in the Alps is expected to suffer.
Stage 13 finale
The final 5 km is rather flat with a final kick at 1% gradient that should profit the strongest sprinter.
Stage 13 contenders
Jumbo-Visma: They will not mind letting the breakaway have their ways but they will be more rejoicing by the fact that other teams will be hoping to make things hard and take both of Wout Van Aert and Christophe Laporte to the finish.
Ineos Grenadiers: Should they want to set up to the task, they might have a role to play in this stage. With the first half of the race exposed to the wind up to the final climb, they have the men to put the peloton and even some GC contenders in trouble.
Bora Hansgrohe: Danny Van Poppel has proven that he is the right man to have brought to the Tour de France 2022. He can handle the day and be part of the finale.
Quick Step-Alpha Vinyl: They will do their utmost best to bring Jakobsen to the final sprint. Should that not work out, they have other cards to play in Andrea Baglioli or Florian Sénéchal.
Alpecin-Deceuninck : With Van der Poel gone, it is now everything for Jasper Philipsen. The Belgian will suffer but has the ability to resist the hurdles of the day. It will then be about how much he has left to win the sprint.
DSM: Logically they will prefer to commit men in protecting Romain Bardet rather than playing it for Alberto Dainese.
Inter-Marché Wanty Goubert: The team with muiltiple card to play. Alexander Kristoff is the main man, and today’s obstacles are stuffs he can handle. Should he flatter with his age not favouring quick recovery from the Alps, Andrea Pasqualon will be there to take the mantle. Yet the Belgian team, could still rely on Taco Van der Hoorn to do his thing.
EF Education Easy Post: Alberto Bettiol loves this type of stages will have the freedom to propulse himself to a solo win. Magnus Cort does not seem to be trusting his sprint this much nowadays and as such his best chance will be from the breakaway. Again.
Arkéa-Samsic: They have several options with Warren Barguil and Connor Swift trying solo efforts and Amaury Capiot handling a reduced sprint. Even Hugo Hofstetter can resist the climbs and set himself for a sprint win.
Lotto Soudal: For a team with no proper sprint train, they have been showing some dedication to Caleb Ewan in the mountain. While his placing in the sprint final can be forgiven, his laborious performance on climbs will not do him any good. Team Lotto Soudal will need to be ruthless as they can also take a stage with a solo effort from Tim Wellens, Phillipe Gilbert, Vermeersch and Brent Van Moer. Andreas Kron will be present in the reduced peloton and can make it count.
Trek-Segafredo: They have 7 riders left in the race and 7 combinations to attempt 13 of a stage win in the Tour de France. Bauke Mollema can easily slip in the breakaway and attack again on the last categorised climb with a 50km solo effort. Quinn Simmons, Tony Gallopin and Jasper Stuyven can also try things on their own. The most likely strategy for Trek Segafredo will be to ride hard at the front to bring Mads Pedersen to a reduced sprint.
Total Energies: They have to wonderful card to play with Peter Sagan and Edvald Boassen Hagen. Both do not need much help. They can the wheel of the opponent and make it count.
Bike-Exchange: After a ridiculous performance on all the climbs of The Dauphiné, Dylan Groenewegen is unrecognisable at the Tour de France 2022. He has constantly been among the last sprinter to let off. He will try his best to show this form in today’s stage and bring himself to a sprint that he could dominate. If that does not work out, Michael Matthews is not a bad back up plan.
Stage 13 predictions
★☆☆☆☆ Fabio Jakobsen
In the unlikely scenario that his team manages to bring him to the finish, the best sprinter in the world cannot be beaten.
★☆☆☆☆ Jasper Stuyven
He gets over climb well. His chances of him taking it more the breakaway will be limited as his team will prefer to play it all for Mads.
★☆☆☆☆ Caleb Ewan
It all depends on how much he has recovered from his earlier crash and rediscovered his inner climbing abilities.
★★☆☆☆ Alexander Kristoff
Had he not been that hot, he would have been one of the serios favourite. His team will still try to set him up favourably
★★☆☆☆ Magnus Cort
Although Jonathan Vaughters will have sent his motivational sms to Alberto Bettiol this morning, the moustache from Denmark cannot be overlooked.
★★★☆☆ Mads Pedersen
He has been climbing among the best these days. His form is unquestionable. However in today’s stage he will be missing then convalescent Tom Skujins, but more importantly Alex Kirsch who has been monumental in all his wins this season.
★★★☆☆ Christophe Laporte
If they make it happen, Team Jumbo Visma will have sealed the most likeable team of the year award.
★★★☆☆ Michael Matthews
Always seem to be having a man stronger than him and things cannot be expected to change.
★★★☆☆ Danny Van Poppel
He can get over today’s climb very easily. He also seem to have regained some speed lately. A verious serious contender to a stage win that will please my Velogames team.
★★★★☆ Jasper Philipsen
The margin between dropping Philipsen and not dropping your own sprinter is very thin. Something that only Team Jumbo Visma can be sure of doing.
★★★★☆ Dylan Groenewegen
In the very unlikely situation that he gets dropped it will be towards the end of a climb. He will miss Luke Durbridge but has enough men at his sides to come back and win a sprint.
★★★★☆ Peter Sagan
Gerraint Thomas, Nairo Quintana, Chris Froome, Luis Léon Sanchez, Romain Bardet… The old guard of 2015 have suddenly refound themselves in 2022. Peter Sagan is a master at taking wheels and has been getting over the Alps climb so easily that he was pacing his own teammates into breakaways. The top speed might not be here but the form is.
★★★★★ Wout Van Aert
This could probably turn out to be his easiest win ever in the Tour de France. Other team will take care of bringing him to the finish. A short and clean lead out from Laporte for what could be his easiest win in the Tour de France ever.
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You can follow Ruby Roubaix on Instagram for pictures taken along the route of the Tour de France 2022
An exclusive post for Cycling today by A LeadOut
Excellent stuff Muf (and Ruby!)