What can we expect from the second week of the Tour de France?

He Tour will face the first day of rest this Monday after a spirited start marked by the general classification race. Just over a minute apart Tadej Pogacarclassification head, Remco Evenepoel and of Jonas Vingegaard and throughout the first nine rounds they have all shown their cards. Pogacar and Evenepoel They run aggressively, attacking and seeking to gain as much time as possible from their rivals. He became more conservative Vingegaardwho survived the first week with flying colors, dispelling doubts that he arrived after his serious fall in Itzulia. It is expected that as the days go by his form will improve, although the performance of Pogacar last year. The UAE leader only arrived at the 2023 Tour as a result of a fall and ended up crashing in the majestic Col de la Loze.

The second week should clarify the question of whether the Dane will go more or less and also clarify the role they will play Primoz Roglic and Carlos Rodríguez. The leaders of Red Bull Bora and Ineos must take a step forward if they want to remain considered candidates for the yellow jersey. Roglic He was 1’36” from the lead and although he left more doubt in the mountains, he had the advantage in the final time trial. RodriguezFor its part, it is located 2’31” from Pogacar but there are many kilometers of mountains ahead.

Its design Tour de Francewhich is marked by Olympic Games, a very difficult final stage awaits us and a test of time as the final stage is expected to be decisive. For this reason, in the second week, the contenders for the final victory will not be able to burn all their ships. A week with three flat stages, and three mountain stages, with two high finishes.

The kilometers in the legs are starting to weigh, a phenomenon that the specialists in finding leaks hope to take advantage of to achieve success on the stage. One thing that the teams of sprinters, which will have a few more opportunities from there to the end. It is the turn of cyclists like Matej Mohoric, Magnus Cort or Oier Lazkanowhich has the ‘punch’ needed to enter the breakaway and withstand the peloton shooting later.

Intermarché-Wanty He will try to control the race to give Biniam Girmay more chances to win, winner of two stages so far and, by far, the most dominant cyclist in the sprint finish. He Alpecin-Deceunink He will try to break his record of achievements and will do so with the help of a Jasper Philipsen that despite not being at his best level, he has twice been second or sifting through Mathieu van der Poel on some vacation.

The mountain is gaining ground

On Wednesday the peloton faces a stage between Évaux-Les-Bains and Le Lioran with six climbs and over 4,300 meters difference in altitude. It is necessary to see if men in the general classification want to compete for success or if we live in two different races; one for stage victory and another for general classification distinctions.

But it will be the weekend when the moment of truth will come. Two high finishes that will put everything in their place. On Saturday a terrible last link to Tourmalet, l’Hourquette d’Ancizan and Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet. The next day, four first-class ports and the Plateau de Beille, out of the category, as the final fireworks. An all out battle between the strong men of the race with a U.A.E who will look to impose their dominance when the road gets steeper thanks to the work of Adam Yates, Joao Almeida and Juan Ayuso. Evenepoel and Vingegaard, who are more exposed in the mountains, will wait until Pogacar shows the weariness of the Giro and shows some weakness to try to make up the deficit before the second rest day next Monday.