Another stage destined for a sprint finish, a lucky breakaway could benefit from General Category teams hoping to use this flat stage as a post-TTT recovery day. Without aid from the GC teams, it will be up to sprinters’ squads to haul the peloton 130 miles along the Mediterranean, chase down the breakaway on the coastal run toward the French-Spanish border, and lead out the sprint. The run-in to Perpignan is a virtual straightaway, but if coastal winds have fatigued the sprinters teams, this may be an opportune moment for a sprinter who didn’t come to the Tour with a full-on leadout train. Keep an eye on Rabobank’s Oscar Freire, but smart money is on a big man with a big finishing speed: Boonen (if he races) or perhaps his erstwhile lead-out man, Katusha’s Gert Steegmans.

Note: Stage route, exact start/finish, and sprints/climbs have been approximated from information provided by LeTour.com. Actual stage may vary slightly.

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