Stage 6: Albi to Blagnac — 122.1 km
Date and time: Friday, July 28, 2023. Official stage start at 14:30, start of live coverage at 15:00 CEST. Predicted finish is around 17:29 CEST.
Stage type: Flat
What to watch for: Sprinters sprinting super speedily.
Stage summary: It’s the final chance for the sprinters to take a stage so their teams will be set on a bunch kick into Blagnac.
The four Category 4 climbs will be of little significance to the peloton, and even if a breakaway slips off the front early they will be kept close by the likes of DSM-Firmenich and other sprint teams.
There is not a single lump in the final 5 km, the perfect flat finish for DSM’s Charlotte Kool to try to get that first Tour stage win.
There is a chicane with a little under 2 km to go and a few speedbumps in the final 1 km but the last 500 meters is a clear straight run to the finish.
My pick: Well, based on my recent picks you shouldn’t listen to me, but … I am going with Charlotte Kool for stage 6. The Dutch rider is sans her main rival after Lorena Wiebes left the race ahead of stage 5 so the stage is hers for the taking, but she will need to best Marianne Vos, Chiara Consonni, and a few others.
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