Since the Tour de France route was unveiled at the back end of 2013, speculation as to who it will best favour has been rife.
Five summit finishes and just one time trial could play into Contador’s hands – though both Froome and Wiggins will fancy their chances in the ‘race of truth’ on the penultimate stage.
On the other hand, though Contador has been pictured training on the stage five cobbles it is Sky who enjoyed the better Classics campaign – Thomas, Ian Stannard and, at Paris-Roubaix, Sir Brad, all enjoying some form of success on the cobbles.
The summit finishes will be where the race is won and lost though – Contador has been in incredible climbing form but Froome showed 12 months ago he can be peerless on climbs such as Mont Ventoux and Ax-3 Domaines.
A return to the route of La Planche des Belles Filles – scene of Froome’s first Tour stage victory in 2012 – will also be a stage the Kenyan-born Brit will target.
Contador showed last year however, it is the descents where he can target Froome – and the technical descents of Porte-de-Bales and the Tourmalet on stages 16 and stage 18 could be where the likes of Contador and Rogers, who showed his formidable talent to claim stage 11 of the 2014 Giro, target Team Sky’s perceived weaknesses.
