Stage 7 of the 2013 Tour de France is much bumpier than the pancake-flat ride that riders just completed along the Mediterranean coast. From Montpellier, riders will encounter a category 4, two category 3’s and a category 2 climb before finishing 205.5 kilometers later in Albi. Though you wouldn’t want to call it a “mountain” stage, the ride certainly hints at where the Tour is headed.
Tour de France 2013, Stage 7: Route, TV schedule and more
Stage 7 of the 2013 Tour de France will transition riders from flat coastal roads to the first few bumps of the event’s treacherous mountain stages. Daryl Impey will look to defend the yellow jersey after taking it on Stage 6.
Doug Pensinger
There will be fewer opportunities for sprinters to shine, unlike Thursday. The SB Nation blog Podium Cafe believes that Friday may see the Tour’s first successful breakaway.
Most likely we’ll see some teams without the big sprint or GC hopes trying to make it their day with a breakaway win. There are a few ones looking for sponsors who will throw everything but the kitchen sink at it to get into the early breakaway, most notably Vacansoleil and Europcar. Plus the token dozen of random frenchmen and the entire Sojasun team of course.
All of the major jerseys are liable to change backs (though Peter Sagan’s green jersey as the overall points leader is relatively safe). Daryl Impey of Orica Greenedge will ride in yellow as the leader atop the general classification, but the likes of Edvald Boasson Hagen, Sylvain Chavanel and Tour favorite Christopher Froome are all within eight seconds after six stages.
NBC Sports Network will once again host live coverage, beginning at 8 a.m. ET. Those who would like to watch online may have to shell out a few dollars to use NBCSN’s live streaming service.
Stage Map and profile:
Courtesy of the official site of the 2013 Tour de France.
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