cycling: Tour de France Stage #6 Prediction: Who will win the mass sprint at Troyes?

Cycling: After Fabio Aru's victory on the fifth stage the third sprint stage of the Tour de France and at 216 kilometers the second longest section of the tour is on the program tomorrow. The potential contenders in a bunch sprint are well known. But do the escapees even have a chance? And which sprinter is most likely to arrive in Troyes?

Anyone want to run away? anyone? No?

The fourth stage of the 2017 Tour de France, spectators were treated to a rare spectacle. With Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) only one professional wanted to escape. After taking off, the Belgian looked around several times, hoping someone would join him. But he waited in vain. After a solo of almost 200 kilometers he was asked and passed as expected. Something similar could happen again tomorrow on the way to Troyes. The chances of a successful breakaway aren't exactly good. Although two mountain classifications of the fourth category have to be completed, they will not have any influence on the outcome of the stage. However, the teams Wanty-Groupe Gobert, Direct Energie and Fortuneo-Oscaro are always up for an escape. After all, they can only achieve their successes by attempting to break away.

The tracking work will mainly be carried out by three teams

After Injury to Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data) and the Expulsion of Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe) one could argue that there are now two fewer teams involved in the tracking work. At the same time, however, the fact must also be taken into account that the absence of these two top sprinters means that other people are now also sensing their chances. After Team Sky took control of the peloton, teams like Quick-Step Floors, Lotto Soudal and FDJ will be chasing the breakaways. At Bora-hansgrohe, the sports directors are now probably relying on Rüdiger Selig, at Dimension Data they could drive for Edvald Boasson Hagen or Mark Renshaw. However, these two teams no longer have realistic chances of winning in a mass sprint.

Our tip: Marcel Kittel secures the second stage victory

Currently there seem to be three top sprinters. Above all, Arnaud Démare, the winner of the fourth stage and the current Green Jersey wearer. The Frenchman is in outstanding form and wants to take the green jersey all the way to Paris. The other mass sprint of this year's Tour de France was decided by Marcel Kittel on the second stage for themselves. For André Greipel (Lotto Soudal) it has not yet been enough to win. In a classic flat mass sprint, however, we also have to take the German into account. But we see the best chances for Marcel Kittel. The finish line at Troyes is almost a kilometer long. No curves and no hills stand in the way. Such conditions suit Kittel and his sprint train. If Kittel wins, he will draw level with Erik Zabel with his twelfth victory in a Tour de France. Greipel would do the same.

Some outsiders behind the top three sprinters

Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo) and Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis) could be good for a surprise. Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) also seems to be getting better and better at rolling. Michael Matthews (Sunweb) and Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida) would prefer a slightly heavier finish. Ultimately, our assessments result in the following pyramid of favorites:

*** Marcel Kittel
** Arnaud Démare, André Greipel
* Nacer Bouhanni, Dylan Groenewegen, Alexaner Kristoff

Tour de France preview: These were the previous Velomotion forecasts

The current overall ranking of the 2017 Tour de France after 5 of 21 stages