The Tour de France enters its final week. In the battle for the yellow jersey, the Dane Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma) 2:22 minutes ahead of defending champion Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates). The German pro cyclists are still waiting for a victory. Five questions ahead of the last six stages in the final week:
Has the battle for the yellow jersey been decided?
No. Even if Vingegaard hasn't shown any weaknesses so far, there are still three tough Pyrenean stages and the individual time trial to come. Back in 2020, Pogacar took the Tour against his Slovenian compatriot Primoz Roglic on the penultimate day in a battle against the clock. Back then, however, it went up to Planche des Belles Filles. This time it's flat, so Pogacar will hardly make up 2:22 minutes. So he will have to attack in the Pyrenees. Tension is guaranteed.
Will the German riders take another stage win?
Rather not. In the mountains, Lennard Kämna (Bora-Hansgrohe) can be expected to pull off a coup. However, the North German, who has tried in vain three times so far and failed once by the narrowest of margins, seems to be running out of steam. Kämna has just come down with a minor infection and has already missed the Giro d'Italia driven. In the Individual time trial the German riders have no chance, there is no longer a winning sprinter compared to the times of André Greipel or Marcel Kittel.
Will Simon Geschke win the mountain jersey?
That will be difficult. The Berlin-born member of the team Cofidis has been leading the mountain classification for seven days. However, it is a feat of strength for the 36-year-old to repeatedly join breakaway groups and collect mountain points. In the Pyrenees, the former Tour stage winner will have to surpass himself once again. But even before the Alps, hardly any experts thought Geschke would be able to defend the jersey.
What's wrong with the French?
The hosts are still waiting for their first stage win. The first Tour without a home win since 1999 is looming, one reason being the absence of world champion Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), who has always won at least one stage in the past four years. After his heavy crash in the spring classic Liège-Bastogne-Liège, his form was not yet good enough for a start. The best French sprinter Arnaud Dèmare (Groupama-FDJ) was not nominated. And in the overall standings, fourth-placed Romain Bardet (Team DSM) is unlikely to pull off a major coup. The Grande Nation has been waiting for a French Tour winner since 1985.
Is the tour still threatened by coronavirus chaos?
So far there have been eight positive cases in the peloton. All riders were tested again on the last rest day. There were two positive tests.
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