The first uphill road stage finish of the race should provide another shake up in the overall standings with a third category climb up to Chalmazel-Jeansagnière. The preceding 155km are rolling throughout with the Col de Durbize coming inside the opening 15km, and the Col de la Croix Nicelle after 52km. However, it's the final slog to up Chalmazel-Jeansagnière and the all-important Côte de Saint-Georges-en-Couzan that comes just before that should set the race alight. Teams such as Sky and Tinkoff will have to measure their approaches in order to control the field but with so many fresh legs, the attacks will be constant. If this stage came later in the race it would be ideal for a break but with the race so tightly contested, there's little chance in the peloton being so relaxed.
Cyclingnews' top tip: Simon Gerrans (Orica-GreenEdge): A breakaway could be a threat but if not – or if in there – the Australian has the characteristics to be aggressive on the long, gentle ascent to the line, along with the requisite punch to finish it off.
-
A Cervélo S5 and a toy donkey - Matthew Brennan's Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne winning bike
Brennan sprinted to victory at Kuurne on a very aggressive looking Cervélo S5 -
Wout van Aert confirmed for season debut on cobbles of Samyn Classic after missing Opening Weekend due to illness
Belgian star will make his 2026 season debut on the cobbles on Tuesday -
Five things we learned amid the chaos of Opening Weekend 2026 – From Van der Poel and Vollering's excellence, to Visma's bounceback and the major role of crashes
Key takeaways as the Classics get underway with a bang at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne -
'I had no idea what I was in for' – Tracey Gaudry looks back on a crucial moment in Melbourne to Warrnambool history in this 'Wheel Life 3' book extract
Inside that 1994 edition when Gaudry added her name to the, at the time very short, Melbourne to Warrnambool women's finishers list
