Tejay Van Garderen overpriced for a Pyrenees surprise

Stage 16
ITV4/Eurosport 1, 10.40am Tuesday

Having a rider lead the Tour de France after the second rest day is nothing new for Team Sky. What isn't familiar, however, is that that rider is not Chris Froome.

Outwardly, at least, Sky have maintained that Froome is still the man they are riding for even though Geraint Thomas has opened up a 1min 39secs lead over his teammate in the general classification with two impressive wins in the Alps last week.

But Froome's comments in a team press conference on Monday suggest that may not be the case now with six stages remaining. He told reporters: "As long as there is a Team Sky rider on the top step of the podium in Paris, I'm happy."

As for identifying where he may make up time on Thomas over the final six stages, Froome said: "We're in an amazing position, we're first and second on the classification, it's not up to us to be attacking."

Bookmakers reacted by making race leader Thomas odds-on to win the Tour, while Froome has been pushed out to 13-8 to win a fifth yellow jersey.

The fly in Sky's ointment is 2017 Giro winner Tom Dumoulin who is 1:50 behind Thomas but has the safety net of a time trial on stage 20 to eat into any deficit. As the reigning world time-trial champion, he will be confident of taking time back from the Sky pair if he can stay within striking distance. He is a 13-2 chance to win the Tour.

The final week begins with a punishing 218km route from the medieval city of Carcassonne to Bagneres-de-Luchon, the scene of Froome's daredevil descent to victory in 2016.

Tuesday's stage may once again be decided on the 10km descent of the Col du Portillon into the finishing town but there is plenty of climbing to do before then with five climbs, of which the final two are classified as first-category ascents.

As was the case in 2016, expect the GC battle to ignite on the final mountain, whether that be on the way up it or down it. But whether the stage win is also in play for the main contenders is the pertinent question for punters.

If, as was the case last weekend, a breakaway is allowed to stay away then there could be worse 150-1 shots than Tejay van Garderen.

His BMC team are without a leader after Richie Porte's abandonment and the American finds himself nearly an hour down on general classification.

Van Garderen has never fulfilled the potential he displayed when finishing fifth in the Tour as a 24-year-old but claimed a stage at the 2017 Giro when out of overall contention. A stage win would go some way to help salvaging his three weeks in France.

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T van Garderen
0.5pt each-way 150-1 bet365, BoyleSports

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