Tour de France Stage 13 Preview

Stage 13 of the 2010 Tour de France, from Rodez to Revel, is one of the last remaining stages that the sprinters can use to boost their points before the caravan hits this year's most difficult stages through the Pyrenees.

It is a 196 km ride through the foothills of the Pyrenees, with a scattering of category three and four climbs. It's similar in profile to the stage two from Brussels to Spa, although the weather is expected to be significantly better with a mild 24 degrees and overcast forecast, and hopefully there will be nowhere near the carnage.

The General Classification riders will be looking to conserve energy ahead of four days of hellish climbs, so look for a breakaway amongst lower-placed riders to succeed, although Teams Lampre, HTC, and Cervelo will be looking to chase down any escapees to protect their respective sprinters, Alessandro Petacchi, Mark Cavendish, and current green jersey holder Thor Hushovd.

It will be interesting to see how Mark Cavendish handles the loss of his lead-out man, Mark Renshaw. The combination has been all but unbeatable over the last two years and the change may well have finished Cavendish’s chances of a green jersey.

Other than that, we can expect a quiet stage today, with little movement at the top of the GC and another frenetic bunch sprint.

Famous last words.