Tour of Britain 2018 – Stage 6 Preview
By David Hunter
Barrow-In-Furness – Whinlatter 168.3km
D-Day for the GC.
Not an overly difficult day, but the racing has been hard. The stage features a double ascent of Whinlatter Pass, both from the more difficult side. We do have a number of climbs in the central section of the day, but it does look like being a day for the GC boys to fight for stage glory.
Finale
3.2km at 7% is relatively difficult, but it’s hardly alpine. This isn’t a hill for the pure climbers, but one that the puncheurs should be able to sprint for glory.
Weather
Cloudy, with the wind coming from the west. This means we’ll have a headwind on the climb, bad news for those not wanting a sprint!
Contenders
Primož Roglič – holds a 6 second advantage over Alaphilippe after a sensational TTT. The Slovenian has enjoyed a tremendous season, but arrived in Britain looking to get some racing in his legs. He now sits in the race lead and will look to defend as best he can. Jumbo have a strong squad and will be able to hold the QuickStep riders at bay until the final climb. At that point, it will be over to Roglič, but he’s got to watch both Alaphilippe and Jungels. This will be a difficult task for Roglič, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pull it off.
Julian Alaphilippe – looks in tremendous form and will be eyeing up another stage win. He needs the bonus seconds, so it makes sense for QuickStep to help with chasing the break. If the Frenchman takes the stage win, Roglič needs to finish 2nd to hold onto the race lead. I expect to see QuickStep go full gas and attack Jumbo on multiple occasions.
Paddy Bevin – after a hugely disappointing TTT, Bevin will be chasing a stage win. The climb is properly close to his limit, he’s not as strong on the hills as the other main contenders. The Kiwi will hope to hang tough, as his sprint is quick and he could potentially take the stage.
Bob Jungels – just 16 seconds behind Roglič, making him a marked man. He’s already worked hard for Alaphilippe in this race, setting him up for a great win on Wednesday. QuickStep won’t mind who takes the win, as long as they take the stage and GC. Jungels has more ground to make up, it makes sense for him to sacrifice himself for Alaphilippe.
Chris Hamilton – the Aussie has enjoyed a fine race and could benefit from freedom in the closing kilometres. After the TTT he isn’t a threat to the overall lead and Roglič will be more than happy for a non-QuickStep rider to take the win. If he times his move right, it could be his first pro win.
Wout Poels – after a poor TTT by Sky’s high standards, Poels is also just chasing a stage. The best climber of the group, he needs to make his move at the foot of the final climb, but that headwind could be a killer.
Hugh Carthy – in the same position as Chris Hamilton. It’s been great to see Carthy continue the attacking racing we witnessed in America and he will certainly try and take the stage. Having family members at the finish will act as extra motivation for the Preston boy.
Prediction Time
Headwind on the climb means we’ll get a sprint and Julian Alaphilippe will take the win and the race lead.
David Hunter
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