Tour de France stage seven preview: Peloton braced for long slog

Free cycling analysis for the seventh stage of the 2021 Tour de France.

Where to watch

ITV4 & Eurosport, 9.55am Friday

Best bets

T de Gendt
0.5pt each-way 40-1 bet365

M Cort
0.5pt each-way 25-1bet365

Preview

After the opening three days of harrowing crashes, the Tour de France regained a sense of calm with two relatively uneventful sprint stages sandwiching the first time trial, but now the going gets tough again.

Today’s seventh stage is the longest the Tour organisers have concocted since 2000, a 249km easterly slog that gets increasingly undulating and precedes two days of serious combat in the Alps.

The sprinters disputed the honours yesterday with Mark Cavendish capturing his second heartwarming triumph in three days, but today every self-respecting breakaway artist will be fully focused on going for glory, and the hilly nature of the last 90km means the pure fast men are likely either to opt out of attempting to contest the victory or will find it too difficult even if they do.

These stages are always the hardest to predict, and crashes and the unusually early TT mean the field are well strung out so plenty of riders should be allowed the leeway to jump clear.

The ideal spectacle would be for those riders with one-day classic pedigree to get involved, in which case Julian Alaphilippe, Matieu van der Poel and Peter Sagan would enter the reckoning.

But two of those are still considered yellow-jersey threats so the chances are the group that is allowed to get away by the big guns will consist of some of the lesser lights in the peloton.

It is not a day for strong opinions but small each-way plays on Thomas De Gendt and Magnus Cort might just provide some excitement during the six-hour marathon.

Not got a bet365 account? Sign up today and get up to £100 in bet credits

Up to £100 in Bet Credits for new customers at bet365. Min deposit £5. Bet Credits available for use upon settlement of bets to value of qualifying deposit. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply.

CLAIM OFFER HERE

MORE FREE BETS

Today's top sports betting stories

Follow us on Twitter @racingpostsport