Rouleur predicts... Tour de France stage 16
2-minute read
Our Ben got a score on the board for stage 15, correctly picking Tadej Pogacar to win on Grand Colombier.
That's nine out of 15 winners predicted by either Cycling Mole or our team, a fine haul.
Stage 16 takes us into the stunningly dramatic valleys and low mountains of the Vercors region. Who'd do you fancy for it?
La Tour-du-Pins - Villard du Lans (164km)
Andy McGrath
Marc Soler (Movistar) He's a wild card and has looked strong on the attack if a bit wasteful with his energy during the last week. Of course, it all depends whether Movistar will let him escape or make him sit tight and nurse Enric Mas to a Zubeldia-esque eighth place finish on GC. Don't do it guys – surely a stage win is better?
Miles Baker-Clarke
Ian Cleverly
Neilson Powless (EF Pro Cycling) I’m tempted by Benoit Cosnefroy. This is exactly the kind of bumpy stage Richard Virenque would target in his drug-addled bad old days to secure the polka dot jersey. If Cosnefroy is seriously trying to be king of the mountains, he’ll need to amass some points here or lose out to Pogacar or Roglic. But can he go all the way? Probably not, so I’ll take a punt on Powless getting the nod from EF for an all-out attack.
Nick Christian
Pavel Sivakov (Ineos Grenadiers) The Cycling Mole couldn't have been more right with his take on my prediction [Egan Bernal] for Sunday, could he? The first of three big mountain days in a row is the one I'm picking for the breakaway and the first time for Ineos's riders to be let off the leash. Could be any one of three but I'm hoping the French-Italian-Russian rider has been able to recover from his difficult first few weeks.
Ben Ward
Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) Jeez I have been hopeless this Tour. I promised myself I would stop saying that the break was nailed on. But surely today, surely. Hopefully one of those fun ones where a number of big names and super-domestiques who our of GC relevance go for it. Carapaz has not found this race anywhere near as effortless as that magical Giro, but there's something about this profile that makes me think he's got a chance today.
Cycling Mole says...
The final week kicks off with a stage that is 99 per cent sure to end in a breakaway win, it’s just not hard enough for the GC riders. I was expecting to sit down and see that the panel had selected Alaphilippe, Hirschi, Martinez and co, but they’ve gone a little left field, which I like.
Miles is so far left field, I think he’s left an important part of his brain somewhere in a field in Hampshire! Does he think it’s going to be a GC day? Does he think Martin will be allowed freedom to join the break when sitting 11th on GC? Yet again, Miles has outdone himself. Andy’s going with Soler, which is a good pick considering he seems to be picking up a head of steam. Ian’s on Powless, which is an okay sort of pick, but will the young man be tired at this point?
Nick’s selection of Sivakov is a good one. Remember, he was flying coming into the race, but crashed hard in the opening stage. Now that he’s had time to recover, and Bernal is no longer a GC threat, he’ll be raring to go and give Ineos something to shout about.
And me? It’s got to be a day for the break, and I love the look of Team Sunweb. With all eyes on Hirschi, it’ll allow my mate (and my mum’s favourite cyclist),Tiesj Benoot, to solo away and take a huge win.
