Stage 11: Clermont-Ferrand to Moulins – 180 km
Date: July 12, 2023
Stage type: Flat
What to watch for: A mis-timed chase
Stage summary: Clermont-Ferrand is the home of Michelin tires and that is by far the most interesting thing about this stage.
Unless! Perhaps the peloton mistimes its chase on the undulating, semi-complicated run-in to Moulins. Breakaways have been surviving with increasing frequency in the last few seasons and this is the sort of stage where some strong rouleurs may try to pull off a coup.
But, let’s be honest, it’ll probably be a sprint.
Dane Cash’s picks: This will probably be the last sprint stage for a while, and it’s hard to see anyone but Jasper Philipsen as the top contender. He’s been the best sprinter so far in the race. Really the only question mark at this point is whether he can make it to the line without any relegation-worthy activity in the closing kilometers. In any case, he’s the clear favorite. Other potential winners include the usual names for a sprint: Phil Bauhaus, Mads Pedersen, Wout van Aert, Dylan Groenewegen, Caleb Ewan, Biniam Girmay, and Fabio Jakobsen, who would probably be a stronger favorite if he didn’t seem to be struggling to recover from crashing a few days ago.
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