Tour de France: Stage One predictions and free tips

Best bets

Wout van Aert
1pt 10-1 Betfred

Thomas De Gendt
1pt 50-1 bet365

Preview

Saturday marks the opening day of the Tour de France and stage one could be a cracker. A couple of laps around Nice, including two climbs of the Category Three Cote de Rimez, are followed by a 38-kilometre run into the finish on the Promenade des Anglais.

A lack of racing could see the peloton stretched on the Rimez and sprinters who can also climb should be looked at.

Step forward Wout van Aert. The Jumbo-Visma man has excelled since cycling returned, winning both the Strade Bianche and Milan- San Remo.

His team's general classification ambitions mean he is unlikely to be given the freedom to challenge for the green jersey but the profile of this stage may persuade his bosses to give him the nod.

If there is a chance of a winner coming from a breakaway, Lotto-Soudal's Thomas De Gendt should be considered at sizeable odds. A two-time Tour stage winner, the 33-year-old is a throwback who has occasionally been the victim of his own success, with the peloton keen to keep him in sight.

De Gendt has admitted that the stage is "good for attackers" and with the opportunity to wear the yellow jersey, the 33-year-old looks almost certain to have a dig.

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