youIncredibly, Telegraph Sport made it all the way to this point without rattling one of the biggest cliches of the Tour’s opening week, so let’s get that straight: Today’s race can’t be won, but it can be lost. While stage win will be at the forefront of most of our minds, how the general classification riders handle on the cobblestones will make for a fascinating subplot. To be fair to Pogacar and Roglic, both are good bike managers and have done well on the cobbles earlier in the season – the first finish fourth in the Tour of Flanderswhile the will of Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) does well in this kind of terrain. Positioning will be crucial this afternoon as they reach the first sector – Villers-au-Tertre à Fressain – around 2:40 pm.
And finally the weather. † †