The fastmen get a shot Wednesday at the Tour de France, and they should enjoy it\u2026as soon they will be riding in the gruppetto again\u2013the hills are comin\u2019!<\/p>\n
The sprinters should get a shot as Stage 11 takes the peloton 161.3 kilometres from Vichy to Nevers, where another bunch finish appears to be on the menu for the boys doing their little ride around France<\/p>\n
Stage 11 of the Tour de France<\/p>\n
After a sort of tough opening half of the race, the route offers little to encourage anyone going for a break. That doesn\u2019t mean the usual suspects won\u2019t try, but most likely the sprinters\u2019 teams will make sure it all comes together<\/p>\n
Aside from an intermediate sprint after just under 30 km and two short Category 4 climbs, the profile is almost entirely cr\u00eape-flat.<\/p>\n
Unless crosswinds or crashes disrupt the race, the sprint teams should have little trouble bringing everything back together before the finish. (Again, you never really know these days in pro cycling\u2026but on paper, it should be a big ole gallop to the line.)<\/p>\n
Merlier or Kooij?<\/p>\n
That puts the spotlight firmly on Tim Merlier. The Soudal Quick-Step rider (sidenote, did you read about the new name of the Belgian squad in 2027<\/a>?) has been the guy to beat in the Tour\u2019s sprint finishes. The other sprinters<\/p>\n Jasper Philipsen cannot be overlooked either. The Alpecin\u2013Deceuninck rider has had the speed but has struggled with timing in recent sprints, often launching too late to challenge for victory. With Mathieu van der Poel guiding him into position, however, he remains a serious contender if he gets his jump right. He has been frustrated so far this Tour, it would be nice to see him win today.<\/p>\n Green jersey holder Mads Pedersen is expected to target valuable points at the intermediate sprint before trying to finish near the front in Nevers. He\u2019s not a true bunch sprinter like the others, but he\u2019s riding smart to get in breaks and snag some points, then do his best to mix it up at the end. It\u2019s going to be another scorcher in France too, but at least they won\u2019t have any climbs on Wednesday.<\/p>\n Stage 10 recap<\/p>\n
Decathlon CMA CGM\u2019s Olav Kooij remains one of the biggest threats. The Dutch sprinter already has a stage win in this year\u2019s race and has shown he can match Merlier when everything comes together. Although he lacks a traditional sprint train, Kooij has repeatedly demonstrated he can navigate chaotic finales on his own. His team is more geared toward teenage phenom Paul Seixas and his bid for the GC in his first Grand Tour.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s also guys like Biniam Girmay, Max Kanter, and S\u00f8ren W\u00e6renskjold who will be there.<\/p>\n