Key events
Another favourite for the day is the Paris 2024 winner.
Crash before the start line!
The teams are idling through the depart fictif, and 7km out, there’s been a crash. Nothing drastic, a few mechanicals, nobody hurt but a measure of the tensions out there. A pair of riders are being paced back to the peloton.
The favourite is last year’s winner, according to Jeremy Whittle’s preview.
Over eight stages, including a split stage of road race and time trial on Tuesday, the peloton will race south from the Low Countries to the Alps, via the Ardennes, Vosges and Jura. The highest point will be the 1,924-metre Col du Glandon, appearing on stage eight’s route to the Alpe, when the peloton will tackle just under 4,000 metres of climbing.
Preamble
This could be Rotterdam or anywhere, except this year’s opening stage actually does begin in the Dutch port city, before ending in the Hague. It’s a flat day but don’t expect anyone to be taking it easy – who does in modern-day cycling? A sprint finish is likely but so is a breakaway. The sun is hot in Rotterdam, where they are going through the prelims.
We go all the way down to Alpe D’Huez.