Finishing in the town of Tours, home to the finish of the late-season Paris-Tours race, stage 3 is another stage tailor-made for the sprinters. Another chance for McEwen et al to show they can make light work of three approximately 1km, Cat 4 climbs and three intermediate sprints to take the stage victory. The two later climbs, at 161.5km and 179.5km should make the selection for those contesting the sprint come 5 o'clock. The last time Tours hosted a stage was in 2000, and it welcomes the Tour back with a probable exciting sprint finish. This is a stage very well suited to a sprinter such as Fassa's Alessandro Petacchi; but without the presence of Ale Jet at this year's Tour, and a number of sprinters on song, look to riders such as Baden Cooke to stamp their authority on the early stages after a mostly forgettable couple of seasons since winning the green jersey in 2003.
-
Best road handlebars: How to pick the right option for your needs
With so many options available, how do you choose the best road bike handlebars? -
Soudal-QuickStep gather for Spanish training camp as Remco Evenepoel begins long crash injury rehab
'There is a good chance that we will have to skip a month and a half and postpone his season start accordingly' DS says of Belgian star -
Wahoo vs Garmin: Which cycling computer is best?
Explaining the difference between Wahoo and Garmin cycling computers, and how to choose the best one for your needs -
Tadej Pogačar to target 2025 Tour de France but not Paris-Roubaix, still undecided between Giro or Vuelta
UAE Tour, Strade Bianche, Milan-San Remo, Tour of Flanders and World Championships all major goals for 2025
