Tour de France: Stage five predictions and cycling betting tips

Free cycling tips and analysis for stage five of the 2022 Tour de France.

When to watch

Eurosport 1 & ITV4, 1pm Wednesday

Stage five preview

Wout Van Aert extended his lead in the yellow jersey with a stunning solo victory on stage four into Calais on Tuesday.

The Belgian broke away from the peloton with 10km to go to finish eight seconds clear of compatriot Jasper Philipsen, who raised his arms as he crossed the line thinking he had won the stage. Van Aert, who had finished second on each of the first three stages of this year’s Tour, leads Yves Lampaert by 25 seconds in the general classification.

Double Tour winner Tadej Pogacar is the best placed of the overall contenders in third, 32 seconds adrift of Van Aert.

Stage five is one of the most early anticipated of this year’s Tour and has the potential to reshape the GC picture.

After a flat prelude, the action should really begin to explode into life around 80km from the finish, when the riders tackle the first of 11 hellish sectors of cobblestones.

A dry forecast will be of some solace to the peloton – the last time a Tour stage finished in Arenberg, as Wednesday’s does, Lars Boom was a mud-splattered winner and Vincenzo Nibali took a huge step to overall victory.

And in all likelihood we may see two races in one on Wednesday – one for the stage victory and another between the general classification contenders.

One-day specialists are the undoubted favourites to take stage honours, and that man Van Aert will no doubt fancy his chances of further success as a multiple Classics winner and having finished second on some of these particular cobble sectors at the Paris-Roubaix in April.

Dylan van Baarle rode away to victory that day but the Ineos rider will probably be on domestique duty in stage five, although that may not apply to British sensation Tom Pidcock.

As the current cyclocross world champion, Pidcock is clearly a seriously talented bike handler but he has yet to ride Paris-Roubaix in his career.

And then there is Van Aert’s great rival Mathieu van der Poel, who has ridden in service of Philipsen in the last few days but should be his team’s number one option on Wednesday.