The organisation of Le Tour de France announced yesterday that today's stage won’t finish at the top of the Mont Ventoux because of the strong wind. Instead, the finish line will be drawn six kilometres lower at Chalet Reynard. More than half of the route is flat and before the Ventoux there are only two shorter and much easier climbs. The question is what role the wind will play today.

Lotto Soudal manager Marc Sergeant gives his preview.

“The Mont Ventoux is a monument in cycling, even if we only ride up to Chalet Reynard. Winning on the Giant of Provence remains a benchmark in your career. I told the riders the story of Eros Poli, the Italian non-climber who won the stage to Carpentras, over the Mont Ventoux, in 1994. To let them know that everything is possible.

"If the teams of the GC riders are happy with the escapees and slow down the pace, those escapees could get a lot of advantage when there’s tailwind. If Movistar and Sky are mainly focussed on the mountain itself and are thinking of tomorrow’s time trial, the escapees have a chance.”