Tour de France 2022 - Stage 5 preview

Stage 5: Lille Métropole to Arenberg Porte du Hainaut

Date: July 6, 2022

Distance: 153.7km

Stage timing: 13:35 - 17:15 CEST

Stage type: Hilly

While the previous stage had just a small taste of spring classics, stage 5 fully embraces that atmosphere and brings the Paris-Roubaix cobblestones to the Tour de France. Riders will have to negotiate 17 kilometres of pave over 11 sectors, rated from two to four stars. Four of the last five sectors were part of Paris-Roubaix in April.

30.3km from the finish, the race reaches the 2,800-metre, four-star sector between Erre and Wandignies-Hamage, part of the longer Hornaing-to-Wandignies sector in the spring classic. This is closely followed by the sector from Warlaing to Brillon (2,400 metres, three stars) and another four-star sector, 2,400 metres between Tilloy-lez-Marchiennes and Sars-et-Rosières, that ends with 17.8km to go.

The penultimate sector between Bousignies and Millonfosse may not have been raced in Paris-Roubaix, but that doesn’t mean its 1,400 metres of three-star pave are easy. The final sector, 1,600-metre, three-star Hasnon to Wallers, is the Pont Gibus sector that follows the Trouée d’Arenberg in Paris-Roubaix, only raced in the opposite direction. From the end of the Pont Gibus sector, 5.1km remain to the finish next to the Arenberg mine with its famous pitheads, just before the entrance to the Trouée d’Arenberg.

The pavé means that the classics specialists will come out to play. When chasing the stage win (and possibly the yellow jersey), riders such as Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix), Alexander Kristoff (Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux), the Trek-Segafredo duo of Mads Pedersen and Jasper Stuyven, or Peter Sagan (TotalEnergies) may have an edge over the likes of Paris-Roubaix winner Dylan van Baarle (Ineos Grenadiers) and his teammate Tom Pidcock, Wout van Aert (Team Jumbo-Visma), Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ), or Nils Politt who may be called upon to pilot their teams’ GC leaders through the stage.