On paper, stage 3 from Amorebieta to Bayonne is suitable for sprinters but a few of them including European champion Fabio Jakobsen hinted prior to the Grand Départ in Bilbao that the first standard sprint might only take place in Bordeaux on the seventh day of racing. The 187.4km long course brings the riders from Spain to France but remains in the Basque Country. Bayonne is the major city on the French side of the historical region. The four categorized climbs are before the passage at San Sebastian where Victor Lafay will remember his spectacular win yesterday. The question mark of a French stage winner in this Tour is already archived. However, the Basque Country isn’t flat, even in its northern part. There are short climbs in the finale. Pure sprinters like Mark Cavendish, Dylan Groenewegen and Jakobsen have been in trouble in the hills yesterday. Wout van Aert can’t be satisfied with his second place behind Lafay in San Sebastian, that’s why he appears like a hot favourite in Bayonne.
