First test of first successful break?

June 3 ^rd 2024 - 05:31

Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek)  is a sprinter who can climb but he made it clear that, in spite of the respect he has for the Yellow Jersey, he would not be able to defend it in today’s second stage to the Col de la Loge. “It’s too hard,” he claimed, summing the overall opinion on this short 142-km ride with four tricky climbs and an uphill finish.

The main question mark hanging at the start from Gannat is whether the main GC contenders will launch hostilities just yet or save strength and energy for the final weekend, opening the door for a breakaway to go all the way.  

If that was the case, it is difficult to single out riders who might be interested to try their luck as there are so many, but polka-dot jersey holder Mark Donovan (Q36.5) would probably try to defend his KOM lead, along with France’s Mathis Le Berre (Arkea-B&B Hotels).

By contrast, in case the main bunch came together at the bottom of the final climb, its profile looks ideal for a rider like Primoz Roglic (Bora-Hansgrohe), who could be tempted to assert his strength early on in the race. With so many leading contenders unsure of their form after coming back from injury, the Col de la Loge might be a first interesting test, though not a decisive one.