PREVIEW | Tour de Suisse 2023 stage 7 - Hilly day open for classics riders, reduced bunch sprint possible as Wout van Aert seeks first win

Preview. Today was a very complicated day at the Tour de Suisse, the race goes on but with a very different tone. Stage 7 sees the peloton back in action for what should be a very tricky and interesting day, packed with climbs and very open overall.

Stage 7 is a hilly day, a very tricky one. The 162-kilometer route from Tübach to Weinfelden features several climbs, none too hard but they are not easy. This is the most Tour de Suisse-like day in the race (if such definition actually exists!), just a day packed up very different climbs throughout the middle of the day, where a breakaway can win, so can late attacks of anything up to a bunch sprint.

- June 17 - Stage 7: Tübach - Weinfelden, 162.7km. From 12:15 p.m. to 4:35 p.m.

The GC riders should remain conservative with the time-trial on the final day, but they do have roads to try and surprise. The start of the day is flat which should help the sprinter teams keep everything under control, but into the mountainous section of the race that could prove to be harder. The riders start an 8.9-kilometer climb at 5.3% with 50 kilometers of racing.

Then they face a hard one, Eggerstanden features a section of 3.3 kilometers at 9.2%. This is hard, and part of a 6.2-kilometer ascent which ends with 77 kilometers to go. The riders plummet down and climb back up again, and that is how it goes until the end of the day. A third category follows ending with 52 kilometers to go, it's 2.4 kilometers at 5.4%, and from there on the riders descent 500 meters in altitude towards the finish line.

They do descend more however, but still have some climbing. Gentle, inconsistent rolling roads, all the way into the final 4.5 kilometers. It's a very hard day to control, but if there is enough firepower and intention, there is still time to take back some time on those final kilometers into Weinfelden, although they are a bit technical.

In case of a bunch sprint the riders find 90-degree turns with 1.7 and 1 kilometers to go, and then in very quick succession two with just under 500 meters to go. A short finishing straight coming from a loss of speed, it means a very long sprint is to happen.

Sunny with a small breeze from the northwest, however the temperature will likely be the only factor affecting the race.

This would on most instances be a certain day for a breakaway. It includes several climbs of different lengths and gradients spread all throughout the day, the second half of the stage barely features flat meters, mostly rolling climbs but several descents. It's very hard to control such a stage and there are tons of climbers, puncheurs and rouleurs with freedom which means fireworks are expected, as it's the final stage before the time-trial where virtually none stand chances of success.

The only thing that can prevent if the flat start. But if there are enough numbers and patience to start attacking in the first climb of the day, then a strong group will certainly explode off. How many contenders there are... This race is not too different than the Ardennes in terms of startlist, but the fact that the climbs are not overly hard opens it up to many many riders. Most prominently premier puncheurs such as Tom Pidcock, Max Schachmann, Neilson Powless, Marc Hirschi, Dylan Teuns and Andreas Kron.

But the list spreads far and wide, some can sprint too. Take Jhonathan Narváez and Quinten Hermans for example who pack a lot of speed. There are rouleurs who can fly off to the win comfortably if they get a gap in the finale such as Stan Dewulf, Kasper Asgreen, Soren Kragh Andersen, Oier Lazkano, Matteo Sobrero, Quinn Simmons and Hugo Houle... And there are some more who can be up there such as Romain Grégoire, Rui Costa or Krists Neilands who are more pure puncheurs. All of these riders may not only try to get into a breakaway, but also launch a late attack.

But can the stage end in a sprint however? Common logic would say no, this is a very difficult day to control, but most teams are full and there are several teams who may commit to prevent a strong breakaway from going up the road, but allying to chase whoever does. Wout van Aert and Biniam Girmay can both climb and sprint very well and bring certainties that the work may be worth it, both Jumbo and Intermarché should commit to this. Movistar of Alex Aranburu and Cofidis of Bryan Coquard should in my opinion also help as they stand their best chances of succeeding in this scenario, and they will certainly both resist the climbs if the pace is hard too.

The likes of Iván Garcia Cortina, Luca Mozzato and Alexander Kamp could also prove to be outsiders if it comes down to a sprint, as are some of the riders who can join the break. If the day is taken somewhat more conservatively and a normal bunch sprint becomes the expected scenario - which is not unthinkable - it will also open up the doors for riders like Kaden Groves, Jordi Meeus, Tim Merlier, Arnaud Démare and Peter Sagan who will hope for that.

*** Wout van Aert, Biniam Girmay
** Alex Aranburu, Bryan Coquard, Tom Pidcock, Quinn Simmons
* Jordi Meeus, Kaden Groves, Arnaud Démare, Tim Merlier, Peter Sagan, Soren Kragh Andersen, Max Schachmann, Rui Costa, Marc Hirschi, Oier Lazkano, Andreas Kron

Pick: Oier Lazkano