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We start on a peninsula and finish on another peninsula in stage apparently inspired by the tv show Fort Boyard? Wind is going to be the watch word of the day; if there's even a moderate wind expect the peleton to break into multiple echelons and some favorites to lose minutes and sing the blues. Roglič will need to make sure he won't get caught out like in the Vuelta.
Winner: Sam Bennett
Fort Boyard
Though a fort on Boyard bank was suggested as early as the 17th century, it was not until the 1800s under Napoleon Bonaparte that work began. The fortifications were completed in 1857, with sufficient room for a garrison of 250 men; however, by this time the range of cannons had significantly increased, covering the hitherto unprotected gap and making the fort unnecessary.
Rochefort-Martrou Transporter Bridge
A transporter bridge (a movable bridge that carries a segment of roadway across a river) built between 1898 and 1900 crossing the Charente River, it has a maximum height of 66.5 metres (218 ft) and a total length of 175.5 metres (576 ft). It is a technical invention accomplished by a French engineer: Ferdinand Arnodin. It was abandoned in 1967 in favour of a vertical lift bridge, which was in turn demolished in 1991 a few months after the opening of a new dual-carriageway road bridge, the Martrou viaduct. However, the transporter bridge was refurbished by 1994 and is now a historical monument.
Caleb Ewan
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Ah yes, Fort Boyard, I remember the TV show, the French spin on Takeshi's Castle...ish...
I'll say...Kristoff.
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Yeah, this stage really looks perfect for wind echelon mayhem. So I call another Wout van Aert win...
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My prediction: Cees Bol is a Dutch rider riding for a Dutch led team; he should be able to easily survive any wind.
(Wout van Aert seems a good prediction as well but I've already predicted him.)
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