How Mark Cavendish would have relished a Tour de France day like this: a flat-ish 180km through central France with the potential for a bunch sprint to the line.
Stage 11 of this Tour is the final flat ride before the hard Alpine ascents. The day begins in the university city of Clermont-Ferrand before the riders wind north and then east to Moulins, a small town on the Allier river. There is still some climbing to be done including three category-four hills along the route, but any breakaway is likely to be reeled by those teams with dedicated sprinters eyeing their only opportunity for a stage win between the two rest days.
