Custom, New & Secret Bikes At The Tour De France 2016
What to ExpectStage 1 was not an easy start to the Tour as technical roads, wind, and crashes like Alberto Contador"s left many riders feeling as if they"d finished their firstweek of the Tournot the first day. With another technical parcours, more wind, and several uncategorized climbs, Stage 2 offers no respite.
Several jerseys could change hands tomorrow. Bora-Argons Paul Voss will need to go on the attack again if he wants to protect his lead in the Tours King of the Mountains competition. Each of the three Category 4 climbs at the beginning of the stage offers one point each; if Voss wins one of these, h**l wear the polka-dot jersey for another day no matter who wins the two points available atop the Category 3 Cte de la Glacerie. But rest assured, there will be riders hoping to take the jersey from his shoulders, so Voss and his team will need to cover the early breakaway to defend it.
Tinkoffs Peter Sagan is the top favorite for Stage 2. The climb to the finish is too hard for sprinters like Stage 1-winner Mark Cavendish, Marcel Kittel, and Andre Greipel. But Sagan, third on Stage 1, should be fine. Even if he doesnt win the stage, look for Sagan to finish (at worst) inside the top-5, which could be enoughdepending on any time gapsto give Sagan both the yellow and green jerseys.
Last but certainly not least, Stage 2 matters a lot for Tinkoffs Alberto Contador. Contador managed to stick with the peloton despite his crash but adrenaline is a powerful thing; once it wears off, the pain really sets in. Reports say he suffered only bumps and scrapes, but Contador will struggle to get a good nights sleep, and h**l start Stage 2 feeling stiff and sore. His bodys ability to handle another tough day in the saddle will tell us a lot about the Spaniards ability to remain a GC contender over the coming weeks.
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When to Tune InThe first 80 to 90 minutes of racing should once again be aggressive as those three Category 4 climbs will encourage attacks from riders hoping to take the polka-dot jersey from Voss. The days intermediate sprint should also be heavily contested as men like Kittel, Greipel, and Cavendish have little reason to save themselves for the finish and will do their best to take maximum points in Portbail. That said, the days real excitement will come at the end of the stage. Its expected to end at about 11:22 a.m. EST, so feel free to go for a ridejust make sure youre back in time for the final 20 minutes of the stage.
Root for This Guy
EtixxQuick-Step just missed the win on Stage 1, but Frances Julian Alaphilippe is just the rider to get the team on the podiums top step after Stage 2. His name should sound familiar: He won Mays Tour of California and finished second last year. An explosive rider who does well in races finishing with short, steep climbs, this Tour rookie deserves your support during Stage 2.
Source: http://www.bicycling.com/racing/tour-de-france/tour-de-france-2016-stage-2-preview
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