Feared Roubaix Cobbles: Where the Tour can be Lost

"You can't win the Tour on the cobbles, but you sure can lose it."

Movistar veteran Alejandro Valverde summed up tomorrow's gruelling stage "You can't win the Tour on the cobbles, but you sure can lose it."

Stage 9 sees the pro Peloton tackle 15 sections of 22 kilometers of cobbles during the 156.5-kilometer course of Stage 9 from Arras to Roubaix, near the Belgian border.

For most the the GC contenders, the stage is just about surviving upright and not losing any time, but the Roubaix cobbles have shattered the ambitions and dreams of many a rider. Without question the probability of cashes, time gaps, anguish and panic is unquestionable.

The cobble, or "pave" in French, is as respected in cycling as the mightiest of mountains, and those specialists who have mastered the uneven surface are the clear favorites to win the stage.

GC contenders who feel more at home are Yellow Jersey wearer Greg Van Avermaet and Vincenzo Nibali. 

Vincenzo Nibali, secured his 2014 Tour de France title when he skillfully traversed the punishing cobbles to extend his overall lead.

Paolo Slongo, Nibali's coach at Bahrain-Merida, told the press "The idea is to try and earn some time but when you're on the cobbles, there's no specific tactical plan. It's a stage where you go all out. There are no tactics."

Greg Van Avermaet, the Olympic road race champion, won the cobbled one-day classic in 2017 has the freedom to defend the yellow jersey in Roubaix as the rets of the BMC team support Richie Porte. "We will try to do both," Van Avermaet said. "We will try to keep Richie with me, but if I have to follow another rider or attack the other six guys (on the team) will take care of Richie."

World champion Peter Sagan, who won the Paris-Roubaix in April, has already won two stages at this Tour.

The other former Paris-Roubaix winners competing at the Tour are Mathew Hayman (2016), John Degenkolb (2015), and Niki Terpstra (2014).

The peloton can look forward to a rest on Monday, before the Tour turns south towards the High Cols of the Alps for the second phase of the three week race.

Live Coverage starts: 03:00 USA Pacific, 06:00 USA East Coast, 11:00 UK, 12:00 Europe tomorrow, Sunday July 15.