Tour de France Stage 7 promises to be a confirmation of what we witnessed on the previous day: a Tadej Pogacar show. While some could not understand Jumbo-Visma and Wout Van Aert’s end-product of giving away the yellow jersey, the results of this display might pay off later as Team UAE Emirates was put to work earlier than they would want to and cracks, if ever present, will appear soon. You can rewatch the full stage 6 HERE.
Stage 7 preview
A fast and furious start is again expected but the breakaway will be hoping to have created a decent cushion by the 100km mark. This is where the race kicks off again with the intermediate sprint followed quickly by a 3rd category climb.
But things are not meant to be that simple. As witnessed in stage 6, the start was scene of utter craziness, undergone at an insane pace with riders trying to get into the breakaway. We could have a repeat of that on stage 7. The effect of which will be felt in the more difficult finish at La Super Planche des Belles Filles. The latter is not of big mountain finish but its 7km with its regular gradient being above 10% should be ascended at a super high pace.
As a relatively good group of riders is expected to form the breakaway, the responsibility of control could be solely that of UAE Team Emirates They could however be getting a hand from Bora-hansgrohe and even Jumbo-Visma. The final climb will see the best of the best prevails but do not expect big time gaps. The last time the Tour de France visited the ski station, was in the final time trial of the 2020 edition when Tadej Pogacar caused one of the biggest upset in modern cycling. Two years ago, Pogacar confirmed himself as a cycling great, but a stage victory is not going to be that straight forward.
Stage 7 Predictions
★★★★★ Thibaut Pinot
If there is a stage that the Frenchman would have highlighted in this reborn defining season of his career, this would be it. The FDJ rider grew up a few kilometres and would know every inch of the climb. The only question mark would be whether he strikes from the breakaway or within the big boy’s group.
★★★★☆ Tadej Pogacar is the huge favorite for this stage in his latest Maillot Jaune. But it remains to be seen as to whether Team UAE Emirates will be given a hand to control the breakaway. Indeed, why would Jumbo-Visma bring Pogacar to another stage win?
★★★★☆ Primoz Roglic
As witnessed by him throwing the first punch at the finish the day before, he is stronger than we think. He has just been unlucky and the climb at the Super Planche des Belles Filles could see him try something from a bit earlier to try to grab some time back.
★★★☆☆ Aleksandr Vlasov
He possesses one of those sprint that if it comes down to an unlikely finish he will dominate.
★★★☆☆ Jonas Vingegaard
He is the most threatening rider from Jumbo-Visma. Pogacar is aware of that will keep a closer watch on him rather than Roglic.
★★☆☆☆ Dylan Teuns
He won the last regular stage finish here in 2019 from a breakaway.
★☆☆☆☆ Guilio Ciccone
Just like the above mentioned, he has good memories here when he earned his first ever Yellow Jersey here in 2019 after being dropped by Teuns in the last 100m
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