Sisteron > Orcières-merlette

160.5km Tuesday, 1 September Start 12:30 Finish 16:31

This stage continues the early flirtation with the mountains that started on stage two, once again keeping the GC contenders on their toes in the first week.

■ Terrain

It runs through the Dévoluy massif that sits between the northern and southern French Alps to finish at the ski station of Orcièresmerlette. Rated first-category and averaging 6.7 per cent, the final climb isn’t anywhere near as tough as the ascent to La Planche des Belles Filles that featured at about the same point last year. It is, however, exacting enough to shake out any GC hopeful who’s at less than their best.

■ Gameplan

Undulating constantly, this is prime breakaway terrain and plenty of teams will want to get one of their stronger climbers into the break.

While the front group will endeavour to establish a cushion that enables the riders comprising it to decide the day’s spoils between them, the GC favourites will sit tight in the peloton, protected by their team-mates until the final ascent, which, as it’s comparatively short, will be raced at pace.

■ Players

Julian Alaphilippe has maintained that he won’t be challenging for the yellow jersey this year. His reluctance could easily be taken as a ruse because the Tour’s opening week appears to have been designed precisely with him in mind.

■ Tour Fact

On three of the Tour’s four previous visits, the rider who has left Orcières-merlette in yellow has finished in the jersey in Paris.