Even in July, the bad weather which has blighted so much of
the European cycling season is still having an effect, with today’s summit
finish stage of the Tour De Susisse – the last World Tour event before the Tour
De France – having had to cancel the horse categorie Nufenenpass along with
taking the stage down to 117.2km from 160km earlier. This now means that in a
mirror of Stage 15’s high mountain finish at Mount Ventoux, we have a fast flat
stage before a brutal finish at Crans Monatana, a 16.3KM slope that averages
6.5% with the last two kilometres having parts of 7.2% and 8.5.
It’s perfect for high speed or high tempo racing, and with
much time to be gained here, the favourites for the overall action are expected
to come towards the fore. Rui Costa is a fair favourite at 6/1 with Betfair,
for all that he has only shown proper climbing form twice – firstly at the
Volta Algarve at the beginning of the season and then when fourth in the Dauphine’s
summit finish – and as the reigning champion, he’s sure to try and take a grip on the race or at least put
others in difficultly given the lumpy stages this coming week and he deserves a
lot of respect, for all that it’s two of the best young climbers around –
Thibaut Pinot and Tejay Van Garderen, our trip for the overall yellow jersey
this week.
Tejay showed excellent form in the summit finishes of the
Tour of California, coming second and third on Category 1 finishes in the
blistering heat when many others were cracking, and was, so should come into
his own when many others have cried enough – Movistar amongst others will
surely look to force a hard pace over such a long distance, while Pinot has
shown little this season but has the capabilities to go with and shake up the
best, and over what is a fairly gentle gradient for him, has prospects of a
maiden success for the season today.
Advice
1 pt each/way Tejay Van Garderen (11/1 Sportingbet)
1 pt each/way Thibaut Pinot (6/1 general)
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