14 DAY TRIAL // The first two stages of Le Tour de France 2014, which started in England, are filled with exciting possibilities and could deliver quite a few surprises, but the organizers are also keen to deliver some of the traditional Grand Tour experiences with the third stage.
The 155-kilometer (96.3-mile) affair takes riders in the peloton to London, the capital of the United Kingdom, and is designed to show off some of its biggest sights, including the all new Olympic Park and the various other landmarks that are placed on the path to the Buckingham Palace.
The course is very flat and the teams of the major sprinters should have no trouble when it comes to keeping breakaways attempts contained, which means that the fastest men on two wheels in the world will have a chance to see which of them is best at the moment.
This third stage of Le Tour de France could also offer a first indication about the riders who are trying to get the Green Jersey, which rewards the player who picks up the most points either in final or in intermediate sprints.
Peter Sagan will probably aim to wear it once again, but he will probably be challenged by other sprinters who failed to get solid results.
This is the first stage where I have the chance to test the sprinter train that Trek can put together, in order to deliver Nizzolo to the line.
Unfortunately, I was not in a good position to do anything in the sprint and the usual suspects have contested the win, with Mark Cavendish unable to beat the German duo made up of Greipel and Degenkolb on his home ground.
In the real world, the top sprinters demand that en entire nine-man squad be built around them for Le Tour de France, with solid teammates who can protect them in the peloton and a series of fast and nimble men who can guide them to the line.
Solid reconnaissance work and perfect communication are also required for those teams that are looking to win in the sprint.
In Pro Cycling Manager 2014, the last two cannot be replicated, but Cyanide has managed to simulate enough of the mechanics in order to make it hard for smaller groups, of three to four riders, to challenge those with more resources and better overall riders.
England is now past, and the entire peloton is moving to France for some interesting challenges.
