The Stage - A crucial time trial that will shake up the overall standings significantly. There’s all to play for.
The Route - Simple but brutal, certainly more difficult than the profile would suggest. It can be split into two parts, as almost from the start line in La Fouillouse. There is not much by the way of flat roads at all before the first half of the stage begins in earnest, a 7km climb that averages 3.7% but does go steeper. Then at the halfway point the test becomes different.
The halfway point and the first check is at Saint-Henaud and then the riders go downhill at roughly the same average gradient before the second halfway check at La-Tour-En-Jarez, where there’s another climb – 1km at 6% - and then a pretty flat and fast run to the line.
The Winner - Will be adept at handling; Conditions look set to be quite poor and potentially windy. Also, there is something in the course for the climbers too early, so those good at going uphill have an advantage.
The Contenders - Team Sky’s David de La Cruz took the closing time trial at the Ruta del Sol with Marc Soler (Movistar) in fifth and Wout Poels in seventh. All three are contenders once again and poor conditions might help Poels get closer to this teammate. Julian Alaphilippe took the time trial last year and might not have been suited by the pan flat course in Abu Dhabi given that last year’s course was perhaps more testing. He’ll look to stake a big claim today ahead of the weekend’s racing.
Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step) has plenty of time trial pedigree, having finished 13th in the second trial of the Tour last year; Tony Gallopin (AG2R) was third in the time trial last year and brothers Gorka and Ion Izaguirre (Bahrain-Merida) were fourth and ninth and all can go well again.
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