COURSE: A year ago, stage 7 was the first day in the Alps,meaning that the sprinters’ chances of stage wins had already been puton hold. This year, the sprinters have at least three more bites of thecherry, including this rolling stage to the northern coast of Brittany.

FAVORITES: A breakaway could well succeed, as one did on a similarstage into Brittany two years ago won by Rabobank’s Karsten Kroon.

Maybe his teammate Erik Dekker will come though this time or perhaps a Frenchman like AG2R’s Laurent Brochard or La Boulangère’s Didier Rous.

STAGE 7 July 10 Châteaubriant - Saint-Brieuc (129.251mi/208km)

HISTORY: There have been eight stage finishes in St. Brieuc,the last one in 1979. That year, Jos Jacobs of Belgium took the win, onesecond ahead of defending champion Bernard Hinault, who tried all he couldto win in his hometown.

The time trial between Vannes and St. Brieuc in 1947 was to be a formalityfor leader René Vietto. But suffering from the heat, fatigue anda glass of hard cider, he struggled, and finished the Tour in fifth place.

CHÂTEAUBRIANT:
Starts: 1 (1983)
Finishes: 0

ST-BRIEUC:
Starts: 1 (1995)
Finishes: 8 (1938-47-50-54-58-65-72-79)