It's gonna be do or die because if no GC rider goes hard from the start I don't see why Sky couldn't mount at least a partial train. All at the risk of breaking/getting a fringale and blowing your top 10 position. I think there will be action but wouldn't be too surprised if it's quieter than desired sadly. I hope Bardet, Steven Kruijswijk or the Movistar hombres have the legs.
Also pretty long odds on this but hear me out : Maybe, possibly, Dan Martin will kamikaze himself.
Otherwise it came out that for the cobbles AG2R had the wrong tyres on most bikes which may account for Bardet multiple punctures.
I know the whole "professionalism is why we blow races" is a bit of a running joke but that shit ain't serious if you claim to be contending for the Maillot Jaune.
Also Quick Step is looking for a main sponsor again. They struck a deal with Maes (the non alcoholic version anyway), the team has its budget regardless for next year, Quick Step will stay too but not as the team headline and Lefevere is probably baiting for better bids but still... QS is a top team, certainly the best Classics squad, very prominent in the last two TdF despite not playing GC, you'd think finding a sponsor wouldn't be too hard. The economic model in cycling is a bit of a dystopian miracle.
