Tour de France 2012: Stage 13 Preview

Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux – Le Cap d’Agde

Distance: 217km
Highest point: 238m
Category: Flat

Flat but not straightforward

Prudhomme and his team have not offered the sprinters too many certainties on this year’s route. A quick glance suggests this stage is one but it’s not quite as simple as that. The stage runs close to the Mediterranean and it’s not far from one of France’s prime windsurfing locations. It often blows in hard off the sea and if it’s gusting today, the riders will be heading into it. That could result in the peloton splitting. The climb of Mont-Saint-Clair is almost certain to cause splits. It looms up above the Med and offers a prime launch pad for a late escape. The sprint teams may get it back but don’t count on it.

André Greipel: "Who knows what could happen on a stage like this? We’ll want a small, unthreatening break to go early and then slowly reel them in. But it could go the other way and if it’s hot and windy like it often is down here, it could be a horrible day."

Maps and profiles courtesy of ASO