After a flat, sprinter-friendly Stage 4, which saw FDJ rider Arnaud Demare beat out Bora-Hangrohe's Peter Sagan at the line, Stage 5 will give the peloton its first true mountain summit finish of the 104th Tour de France.
The shorter Stage 5 will likely have a large break at the front from the start, with the climbers looking for their first moment to shine at the 2017 edition of the Tour de France. Nathan Brown's (Cannondale-Drapac) polka dot jersey will undoubtedly be under attack, with two mountain climbs during the stage.
For the first 100 kilometers, riders will face a few smaller climbers before reaching the intermediate sprint point at Faucogney with 58 kilometers to go.
Not long after the intermediate sprint, a category 3 climb up to 573 meters on the Cote d'Esmoulieres at the 107.5 will provide the first major climb of the stage. After the category 3 climb, riders will descend into Servance before they face the final climb.
The finish will be anything but pleasant, as the peloton must climb above the 1000 meter mark to La planche des Belles Filles, which sits at 1,035 meters. For the final 6 kilometers the riders must navigate an average gradient of 8.5%, and attack the final 200 meter stretch which sits on a 20% incline. The climb up La planche des Belles Filles is listed at a category 1 climb, the most difficult rating.
Stage 5 could be the first time we see Movistar rider Nairo Quintana put in an attack and seek a stage victory. Quintana has been a favorite to challenge for the Maillot Jaune this year, but currently sits in 21st place overall in the general classification. Quintana finished 3rd overall last year, behind race champion Chris Froome (Team Sky) and Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale), who currently sit in 3rd and 24th in the general classification this year, respectively. The Columbian rider is known for his prowess in the mountains, and can make up large amounts of time as the race spreads out in the mountains.
Chris Froome will also be looking at Stage 5 to possibly move up into the lead in the general classification. Froome's Team Sky teammate Geraint Thomas is the current holder of the Maillot Jaune, but Froome sits only seven seconds back of Thomas and will surely be looking to capture the yellow jersey for the first time in 2017.
Expect to see Bora-Hangrohe rider Rafal Majka put in a strong showing on Stage 5, and putting himself in position to capture the stage victory. Majka ran away with the mountains classification at last year's Tour de France and took home the polka dot jersey, ahead of Thomas de Gendt. Majka currently sits in a respectable 23rd place in the general classification as well, and will be looking to make this year's edition of the Tour de France another solid race.
Direct Energie's Thomas Voeckler is another rider to look out for on Stage 5. Voeckler may be rider for a Pro Continental team, rather than a World Tour team, but the Frenchman is known for his Tour de France performances. Indeed, Voeckler is riding in his 14th consecutive Tour de France this year, and finished an outstanding 4th in the general classification at the 2011 edition of the Tour. Voeckler has the experience, abilities, and attitude to take home a victory on Stage 5, so make sure to look for the Direct Energie rider throughout the stage.
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