Cycling: In the opening time trial of the 2017 Tour de France, victory and the yellow jersey were not enough for Tony Martin (Katusha-Alpecin). Instead, Geraint Thomas (Sky) secured himself on the 1st stage in Dusseldorf the Maillot Jaune. For the Germans it should work with a win today. The chances are not bad at all.
First climb 6,5 kilometers after the start
When cycling fans hear Liège, they immediately think of the one-day classic Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Today, however, the Tour de France will visit the Walloon region of Belgium. First, however, the drivers have to cover a distance of 203,5 kilometers. The starting point is the Tonhallenufer. The official start is on Fischerstrasse. The peloton will then initially head west before returning to Düsseldorf through Mettmann and Ratingen. After Mönchengladbach and Aachen have also been headed for, the last 51 kilometers of the section on Belgian soil lead to Liège. Spicy: Already after 6,5 kilometers you have to cross the first mountain classification. At the Grafenberg Forest, points are being fought for the first time. It can therefore be assumed that the escape group of the day will only form afterwards.
Mass Sprint in Liège
After the first climb and the fight for the right breakaway group, a typical flat stage of the Tour de France should follow. Team Sky will initially be at the front of the field, but will be replaced relatively early on by the sprinter teams. These include, above all, Quick-Step Floors for Marcel Kittel, Lotto Soudal for André Greipel, Katusha-Alpecin for Alexander Kristoff, Dimension Data for Mark Cavendish, FDJ for Arnau Démare and Cofidis for Nacer Bouhanni. Since all the candidates for victory in a mass sprint have not even been listed with these illustrious names, it can be assumed that the escapees have little chance of making it through today. A mass sprint in Liège seems almost inevitable.
Is there a duel between Marcel Kittel and André Greipel?
In a mass sprint there will probably not be a change of overall leader today. As the best sprinter, Marcel Kittel was able to secure ninth place yesterday, 16 seconds behind. The German has undoubtedly proven his good form. Since Marcel Kittel is still considered to be the fastest sprinter in the peloton, he must still be considered the top favorite today. At least one compatriot can be identified among his biggest competitors: André Greipel probably has the strongest team at his side for a mass finish.
Andre Greipel: “I drove the route twice. I know what to expect."
How strong is the Mark Cavendish of 2017?
Unfortunately, the Belgians don't have a promising candidate for a bunch sprint. A home win will probably not work today either. The French would like to celebrate their first victory on the second stage. With Arnaud Démare and Nacer Bouhanni they also have at least two hot irons in the fire. Peter Sagan and Mark Cavendish should never be underestimated, even if the world champion Sagan does not particularly like a completely flat sprint and Cavendish has to get back on his feet after his illness. The names Alexander Kristoff and Dylan Groenewegen are also frequently mentioned. Sonny Colbrelli, John Degenkolb and Michael Matthews round out the field of favourites. All in all, we come to the following pyramid of favourites:
*** Marcel Kittel
** André Greipel, Arnaud Demare
* Peter Sagan, Mark Cavendish, Alexander Kristoff
2017 Tour de France standings after Stage #1
| PLATZ | Driver | Country | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geraint Thomas | GBR | TeamSky | 00:16:04 |
| 2 | Stefan Kung | SUI | BMC Racing Team | 00:00:05 |
| 3 | Vasil Kiryienka | BLR | TeamSky | 00:00:07 |
| 4 | Tony Martin | GER | Katusha Alpecin | 00:00:08 |
| 5 | Matteo Trentin | ITA | Quick Step Floors | 00:00:10 |
| 6 | Christopher Froome | GBR | TeamSky | 00:00:13 |
| 7 | Michal Kwiatkowski | POL | TeamSky | 00:00:15 |
| 8 | Jos van Emden | NED | Team LottoNL Jumbo | 00:00:16 |
| 9 | Marcel Kittel | GER | Quick Step Floors | 00:00:16 |
| 10 | Edvald Boasson Hagen | NOR | Dimension Data | 00:00:16 |