Tour de France 2022 Favourites stage 5: Roubaix à La Grande Boucle

foto: Cor VosStage 5 at the Tour is as flat as an ice rink. Still, pure sprinters must not delude themselves. There are 11 cobbled sectors - adding up to almost 20 kilometres - complicating the race in the last 80 kilometres. (Slideshow route/profile)

So, that’s the Hell of the North at the Tour de France. Who navigates the gauntlet of cobbles best before the finish in Wallers Arenberg?

We are not talking GC riders here. Probably, they will fight a separate battle in the background, while the specialists are going all out at the front of the race. The likes of Tom Pidcock, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout Van Aert must rubbing their hands with glee in advance, hoping for the worst weather possible.

After all, the weather is likely to be crucial, with torrential rains and strong winds favouring pure specialists. Yet, no matter the conditions, the mentioned trio will want to create a scenario that will suit their cyclo-cross skillset anyway – after all, that’s the kind of riders that they are. So let’s rub our hands in glee also!

Favourites 5th stage 2022 Tour de France

*** Wout van Aert, Mathieu van der Poel, Tom Pidcock
** Dylan van Baarle, Peter Sagan, Mads Pedersen, Yves Lampaert
* John Degenkolb, Jasper Stuyven, Alexander Kristoff, Matej Mohoric

Another interesting read: route 5th stage 2022 Tour de France.