The maillot jaune, the most coveted jersey in cycling, has reached its 100th birthday this year, and the momentous anniversary of its glorious inception coincides with the 50th year since Eddy Merckx’s maiden Tour de France victory, and a Grand Départ in his native Brussels. When the Tour goes big, it really goes big.
Furthermore, there’s always something appreciably more special about the first yellow jersey of each Tour. After 12 months of expectation and build-up, the most iconic garment a cyclist can ever covet is donned by a rider as he stands on the podium to receive the warm applause. It’s a moment when the Tour really feels like it has begun and, although the real winner of the race is crowned three weeks later, the maillot jaune at that moment never gleams so brightly.
The route for Saturday’s stage 1 will see the riders leave Brussels and head towards Ninove, where the Tour of Flanders has held a long association. The first ‘race’ comes with the inclusion of the Muur van Geraardsbergen and the Bosberg – two of Flanders’ most quintessential bergs. Although they come too soon into the race to determine a significant outcome, they do provide the landscape for the first jersey to be decided in this year’s race, with King of the Mountains points available. These climbs, especially when placed so early in the race profile, will ensure that the race to be in the break will be highly competitive.
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That said, the most likely outcome on Saturday afternoon is a mass bunch sprint, with the best sprinters in the world going head-to-head on the streets of Brussels to determine both the first stage winner of this year’s race but also the first yellow jersey of the 2019 Tour de France.
The final five kilometres are flat until a final gradual incline to the line in the last 1,000m, but there are four almost 90-degree turns in the finale that could prove problematic in terms of lead-out, positioning, and momentum.
Viviani, Groenewegen, Ewan
Best of rest: Sagan to Kristoff
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Interviews and Features http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tour-de-france-stage-1-preview-brussels-set-to-crown-first-yellow-jersey
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