Tour de France stage seven predictions: Tadej Pogacar can kick on

Free cycling tips, best bets and analysis for Stage 7 of the Tour de France on Friday.

Where to watch

ITV4 & Eurosport, from 11.45am Friday

Best bet

Tadej Pogacar to win stage seven
2pts 2-1 bet365

Stage seven preview

Many people would have expected Tadej Pogacar to end stage seven of the Tour de France in the yellow jersey. Considerably fewer would have envisaged him starting the stage in the leader's colours.

But that will be the case after the scintillating Slovenian burst clear of his rivals on the final sharp blast to the finish of stage six, the ten-second bonus he collected being enough to succeed Wout van Aert in yellow after the intrepid Belgian's attempt to break clear of the field was thwarted with 11km to go.

Pogacar hardened from 1-3 to 1-4 to secure a third straight Tour title and will look to shrink those odds further when the riders tackle La Planches des Belles Filles, an unknown ascent only ten years ago but now a regular port of call.

It is the climb up which he sensationally destroyed Primoz Roglic two years ago to land his first Tour triumph and, having been around 7-1 to win stage six, he is just 2-1 to follow up.

Much will depend on the shape of the inevitable breakaway. It is too early in the race for many of the field to have dropped so far behind that they will be given sufficient leeway to go away and stay away. However, if the big guns decide to allow a group of lesser lights to go clear it is possible they will be able to contest the victory, given that the route is tame until the vicious final ten kilometres.

But the first mountain finish is usually a chance for the leading contenders to establish their strength and in his current mood it is easy to see Pogacar being towed into contention by his team before kicking on and securing another stage win.

Increasingly it looks as though the champion's only danger is not his rivals but a major slice of bad luck.

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