The biggest event on the cycling calendar kicks off tomorrow. Düsseldorf has been chosen for the Grand Depart of the 2017 Tour de France.
A 14km time trial along the banks of the Rhine awaits riders on Saturday afternoon. It's a loop course with very few technical sections - there's just two corners in the final 4km.
With three Tour de France time trials to his name, where better to start than World Champion Tony Martin. The German would love to pull the yellow jersey onto his shoulders in front of a home crowd and could well have been preparing for this stage all season. He's a justified favourite with the bookies and you won't find better than 2/1 at Coral.
Nevertheless, Martin may have ideally wanted a longer course and there's plenty of value in the rest of the field.
Sticking with the Germans, I'm interested to see what Jasha Sütterlin can do. He was just 15 seconds behind Martin at the recent German Nationals and may relish this far shorter course. He can be taken at around 20/1 and offers a nice slice of EW money.
The last German to keep an eye on is Marcel Kittel. The Quick-Step sprinter was a successful time trialist in the youth ranks and may be interested in collecting the yellow jersey on Sunday courtesy of some bonus seconds. I'll be surprised if he doesn't ride hard and the fast course is suited to his credentials.
Second favourite for the stage is Primoz Roglic and the former ski-jumper could have big ambitions. I'm not interested in him at such a short price but it will be a big shock if he doesn't cruise into at least the top ten.
Last down the starting ramp tomorrow is defending champion Chris Froome. I doubt he'll trouble the hot seat but there's some evidence to suggest the weather will favour the later starters.
Second last to start is French national time trial champion Pierre Latour. The promising youngster can be taken at a huge 500/1 which may tempt you to part with some loose change. However, this longshot should be approached with caution - it will be a massive result if Latour can get close to the podium.
Of those not yet mentioned, Australians Michael Matthews and Luke Durbridge both deserve a mention. Sunweb's Matthews is primed for a big Tour and has been time-trialling well all season. Durbridge has been equally as consistent and he'll give you a fair shout at 66/1.
The Verdict
I'll start the Tour bold and say the favourites will be beaten today. I've gone EW on both Jasha Sütterlin at 33/1 and Michael Matthews at 50/1.
Words By: Mike Franchetti
