Stage 2 of the 2017 Tour de France begins once again in Dusseldorf, but this time, it will run a long 203.5kms to the Belgian city of Liege.
Along the route, there are two categorized climbs: At 6.5kms is the cat-4 Côte de Grafenberg and at 183kms is the cat-4 Côte d’Olne. A rider wanting to claim the KOM jersey would be wise to get into a very early break.
The intermediate sprint occurs in Monchengladbrach at 82.5kms.
Overall, this stage looks like a sprinter’s stage despite the rolling hills along the way. Since many of the roads used on this stage are the same used in the spring race Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the advantage could fall to the rider with the experience of that classic. With the final sprint occurring on the flat Boulevard de la Sauveniere, the advantage could also fall on the rider with the best lead out team. By the end of the day, we will have a good idea of the shape the sprinters have arrived to the Tour in.