Saint-Amand-Montrond is notorious for its echelon marked finales. It’s in the open plains of central France, so if the wind picks up, echelons are almost guaranteed. Just like in 2013. The whole peloton was blown to bits and several GC contenders lost time. But in the end, it was a sprinter who won: Cavendish.
The final part of the current route overlaps with the one back then, so it could very well happen again…
On the other hand, quiet days are not unusual in in Saint-Amand-Montrond either. Two years after that infamous stage, Paris-Nice arrived there after a windless ride. The fast men set up for a regular bunch sprint. André Greipel won that, ahead of Arnaud Démare and John Degenkolb. This time, Greipel definitely won’t win (he’s retired), and it’s doubtful for the other two as well.
Three stages of this edition came down to pure sprints. Biniam Girmay, Mark Cavendish, and Dylan Groenewegen each took one win.
Favourites 10th stage 2024 Tour de France
*** Jasper Philipsen, Mark Cavendish, Dylan Groenewegen
** Arnaud De Lie, Sam Bennett, Alexander Kristoff, Pascal Ackermann
* Biniam Girmay, Arnaud Démare, Cees Bol, Phil Bauhaus, Bryan Coquard
Another interesting read: route 10th stage 2024 Tour de France.
Tour de France 2024 stage 10: route, profile, video
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