Favorites stage 5 Tour de France 2024

After the first truly tough mountain stage on Tuesday and a challenging opening weekend to the Tour de France, the riders now face a few – at least on paper – slightly calmer days. On Wednesday, the peloton traverses the valleys of the Alps, likely aiming for a second chance at a sprint finish. IDLProCycling.com tells you what you can expect!

Course stage 5 Tour de France 2024

Favorites stage 5 Tour de France 2024 | Turbo legs get another chance to shine

The ASO has deliberately chosen to give sprinters a chance in this stage, as a slight deviation from the course they decided on could easily lead back into the mountains. "Via Chambéry, we opt to temporarily leave the Alps. The final 34 kilometers are on wide roads, ideal for reining in breakaways. It would be surprising if a sprinter doesn't target victory in this stage," said director Christian Prudhomme.

The stage starts in Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, where Romain Bardet claimed a Tour de France stage win in 2015. The first fifty kilometers descend gently to Montmélian, offering riders a chance to recuperate after Tuesday's tough Alpine stage over the Galibier.

Passing through Chambéry, home of Decathlon AG2R, and via Saint-Thibaud-de-Couz and the Cheval Blanc (1.5 kilometers at 4.3%), there are some modest climbs included in the course. However, attention will turn to the intermediate sprint in Aoste, located 123 kilometers into the stage, roughly fifty kilometers from the finish. Will the sprinters go all out here?

Next up is the Cote de Lhuis, three kilometers at 4.8%, followed by 34 kilometers on completely flat roads to the finish in Saint-Vulbas. The final three kilometers are approached at high speed, with a critical point in the last two short consecutive bends. The last two and a half kilometers are flat, but the road gently bends right in the final four hundred meters. Holding the inside line could prove decisive here.

Climbs
104.6 km: CÔTE DU CHEVAL BLANC (1.5 km at 4.3%)
142.8 km: CÔTE DE LHUIS (3.0 km at 4.8%)

Times
Start: 1:30 PM
Finish: around 5:26 PM

Weather stage 5 Tour de France 2024

The wind will be against the riders all day between Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne and Saint-Vulbas, with temperatures hovering around 20 degrees Celsius. There's a slight chance of rain, but that's expected to diminish throughout the day.

The first real sprinters' opportunity on Monday played right into the hands of Biniam Girmay, which was quite a surprising result. The African rider of Intermarché-Wanty got to do his thing in the slipstream of designated sprinter Gerben Thijssen, making maximum use of it after a chaotic finale.

Dubbing him a top favorite now might be an exaggeration, as there were plenty of other developments. Dylan Groenewegen finished fifth representing Jayco AlUla, confidently stating afterwards that he felt he was the fastest. If the Dutch champion can execute his own sprint, he's the man to beat in Saint-Vulbas.

Meanwhile, Jasper Philipsen hit the ground during sprint preparations in his Alpecin-Deceuninck kit, after lead-out Mathieu van der Poel suffered not one but two punctured tires in the closing stages. It was an unlucky day for the Belgian team, who were seen beforehand as the team to beat in sprints. It's up to them to prove it on Wednesday (and the other days).

Traditionally, the Tour de France features many sprinters, and this season is no different. Riders like Sam Bennett (Decathlon AG2R), Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious), Pascal Ackermann (Israel-Premier Tech), Alexander Kristoff (Uno-X) and Fernando Gaviria (Movistar) will have drawn hope from Girmay's victory: it is possible, if everything falls into place.

Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek), Marijn van den Berg (EF-Education EasyPost), Arnaud De Lie (Lotto-Dstny) and Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike) know this all too well, although they generally thrive more after a tougher stage. But that's the advantage of being a strong sprinter: you can contend even in a stage like Wednesday's.

For the podium places, French riders such as Bryan Coquard (Cofidis), Arnaud Démare (Arkéa - B&B Hotels) and Sandy Dujardin (TotalEnergies) should also be capable of collecting points for their teams. And what about Mark Cavendish, who is vying for victory number 35 with Astana Qazaqstan Team? This could be the day...