A hilly sprinters’ stage awaits the riders on Stage 5 of the 2015 Tour de France as the route travels 189.5kms from Arras Communaute Urbaine to Amiens Metropole.
This is a more “traditional” stage of the Tour following the foray into the classics the past few days. No categorized climbs are on deck, and the intermediate sprint occurs at 89.5kms in Rancourt.
My guess is a break of 4-5 riders, mostly French, perhaps Barta or Quemeneur, will get away early, push a lead of around 5-6 minutes, and stay away most of the day until cat and mouse and the inevitable ramping of sprint team trains destroys their hopes of a stage win, giving victory to Sagan, Greipel, Degenkolb, or Cavendish. Martin should be able to maintain his overall lead.
That seems rather specific, however. This is sadly one of those stages where a rider could lose his attention, cause a touch of wheels, and change the entire outcome in the blink of an eye. But let’s hope that doesn’t happen!!
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