Chris Froome's salbutamol case has dominated the countdown to the Grand Départ of the Tour de France, but on Saturday the racing will finally get underway, with the sprinters set to power their way to centre stage in the expected mass sprint in Fontaney-le-Comte after a 210km road stage along the stunning Vendée coastline.
The 2017 Tour de France started with a rain-soaked time trial in Düsseldorf, with Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) taking the first yellow jersey. Mark Cavendish was the last sprinter to land the prestigious double on the opening day when he won in Saint-Marie-du-Mont, overlooking Utah Beach, in 2016. The Manxman had won 27 stages in the decade before he lined up for the start that year, but he had never worn the yellow jersey. He understandably kissed the yellow jersey with emotion on the podium.
Cavendish beat Marcel Kittel, Peter Sagan and André Greipel that day two yeas ago. He will no doubt bang shoulders and sprint against them again in Fontenay-le-Comte, but a new generation of sprinters is also fighting for space, with 23-year-old Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors), and 25-year-old Dylan Groenewegen (LottoNL-Jumbo) leading the way.
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Also expected to be up front in the high-speed finish are Arnaud Démare (Groupama-FDJ), Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb), Alexander Kristoff (UAE Team Emirates), Magnus Cort Nielsen (Astana), John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo), Christophe Laporte (Cofidis) and Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain-Merida).
This year's Tour de France has attracted the crème de la crème of the sprinters, with only Elia Viviani (Quick-Step floors), Nacer Bouhanni (Cofidis), Caleb Ewan (Mitchelton-Scott) and Sacha Modolo (EF Education Frist-Drapac) absent.
A first day in the Vendée for the sprinters
Stage 1 seems to have been made to measure for the sprinters. The start in Noirmoutier-en-l'Ile will be stunning before the tension rises as the road starts to twist and turn along the Vendée coastline. The only categorised climb – at La Tranche-sur-Mer, comes after 173 kilometres of the 201km stage. It rises to just 30 metres above sea level and is just 700 metres long. It has been included to award the polka-dot jersey of the climber's competition.
Cavendish, Kittel, Sagan and Gaviria fancy their chances
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/sprinters-ready-to-fight-for-first-yellow-of-the-tour-de-france-stage-1-preview
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