Cycling: The battle for the yellow jersey has been decided in favor of Tadej Pogacar. The green jersey also sits relatively safely on the shoulders of Jonathan Milan. However, the 20th stage of the Tour de France is a game for the breakaway riders. Who will prevail against his teammates in Pontarlier?
A stage for breakaway riders
The 20th stage of the Tour de France runs from Nantua to Pontarlier. The 184,2-kilometer course features four climbs. Nevertheless, the general classification riders are likely to stay out of the race. The stage, on the other hand, is too difficult for the sprinters. Therefore, breakaway groups have the best chance of winning the stage tomorrow. The Col de la Croix de la Serra will ensure, right from the start, that only strong riders will make it into the breakaway. The Côte de Valfin, the Côte de Thésy, and the Côte de Longeville will then gradually scatter the likely large group.
Velomotion prediction: Grégoire takes the win
To win a stage in the third week of the Tour de France, you have to be among the best riders in the world. Many will try to get into the breakaway tomorrow, but will likely fail due to a lack of energy. The climb right at the start will likely weed out the field early on. We believe in Bruno Armirail. The Frenchman showed a few days ago that he can now handle high mountain terrain. Until now, we knew him as a strong rider on undulating ground – tomorrow's stage combines both. Since he will be given the go-ahead by team captain Felix Gall, he could be in contention for the stage win tomorrow.
*** Bruno Armirail (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale)
** Jhonatan Narvaez (UAE – XRG), Wout van Aert (Visma – Lease a Bike)
* Ben Healy (EF Education – EasyPost), Thibau Nys (Lidl – Trek), Joseph Blackmore (Israel – Premier Tech)