While you were watching football TDF nayo ilianza, leo ni stage 5, milima na mabonde ilioje
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With five categorized climbs including three Category 3 ascents, Stage 5 is toughest of the Tour de France so far. The course profile resembles a hilly Ardennes classic, and the final half of the 204.5K stage will keep the riders either climbing or descending Brittany’s twisting, narrow roads.
The stage begins in L’Orient and heads north along the coast before moving inland toward the Intermediate Sprint in Roudouallec. Things start to get interesting with two quick Category 4 climbs that should set up the second half of the race—perhaps by launching a new breakaway up the road. A trio of Category 3 climbs follows, highlighted by the 3K Côte de Menez Quelerc’h, which pushes 11 percent near its summit. The day’s final categorized climb comes 23.5K from the finish, but several other uncategorized hills, including a Bonus Sprint atop the Côte de la Chapelle Notre Dame de Lorette, will keep the racing intense.
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That Bonus Sprint might play a big role. Philippe Gilbert enters the day in fourth place overall, only 5 seconds behind Tour leader Greg Van Avermaet of Team BMC. Stage 5’s profile is perfect for a rider like Gilbert, who has won every Ardennes Classic at least once in his career. Should he win the 3-second Bonus Sprint and then earn 10, 6, or 4 seconds with a top-three finish, he could take the yellow jersey. His Quick-Step teammate, Julian Alaphilippe, sits only 7 seconds behind Van Avermaet, making them a pair that could be tough to overcome—especially since BMC has a GC contender to protect in Richie Porte.
But Van Avermaet is no slouch. He can certainly handle himself on Wednesday’s difficult profile, and with an uphill sprint awaiting riders at the finish in Quimper, he could defend and even extend his lead with a top-three finish.
[SIZE=5]Riders to Watch[/SIZE]
It’s a great day for a breakaway to go the distance, with a rider like Thomas De Gendt possibly going off the front to scoop up points for the polka dot jersey. But if the pack proves less willing to let riders stay away, expect a select group of GC contenders and Classics riders to fight for the win. Van Avermaet, Gilbert, and Alaphilippe are certainly stage favorites, along with Peter Sagan (who could extend his lead in the Tour’s green jersey competition). And keep an eye on Alejandro Valverde, who has dominated the Ardennes Classics for a decade.
jana mambo ilikua hivi
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Boy wetu Froome, the defending champ bado yuko despite a heavy crash on stage one.