Greig Leach

Due to the protect status of the Puy du Dome, the race was not allowed to post the normal countdown markers in the final meters of the stage. However, given the struggles the contestants riding with their heads down, having the markers on the road seemed a reasonable solution. Matteo Jorgenson (Movistar) was still off the front on his own with one kilometer to go and about fifteen seconds on those chasing behind. It has looked as though the stage was going to go to an American without doubt since it was Jorgenson being chased by Powless. But now, the one closing in was Michael Woods (Israel-Premier Tech), but it still means my prediction is right, he hails from Canada, another part of America. Additionally, the race was not allowed to permit fans on the course until the summit, so it was a bit odd to watch the peloton toil in silence. While not as exciting for fans and viewers alike, it was certainly considerably safer.