The Tour and Germany have had a rocky relationship over the past two decades. During the mid-2000’s a string of high-profile doping offences, the exit of German teams like Telekom and the cancellation of the Tour of Germany resulted in German TV dropping the Tour from programming schedules. However, during this current decade, a new generation of stars have reinvigorated the sport and restored the credibility of German cycling. Riders like Tony Martin, André Greipel, John Degenkolb and Marcel Kittel, who in 2015 went to speak to TV executives to persuade them to revive broadcasting of the Tour and in 2016, ten years after it was last shown on German television, it was restored to the programming schedules. This opening stage is Martin’s reward for that diplomatic work, with the three sprinters chance of a win on home soil coming on Stage 2.

It’s too long to be classed as a prologue, but not long enough for any real time gaps between the GC contenders to appear. The course is similar to that of the opening stage of the 2015 edition in Utrecht, but the winner on that day Rohan Dennis isn’t on the start list for 2017.

The profile is flat, the two lumps representing the bridges across the Rhine. This is an all out power-fest with some technical cornering to slow the pace. The riders head south-east along the Rhine, and cross it for the first time at 4km after a very severe corner. Once they reach the other side of the river, there is a Sa Colobra like loop around and under the bridge, a short section of road, before they cross back over the Rhine and begin the 5km run home, with five 90 degree bends along the way to test their handling and braking techniques.

Martin is the overwhelming favourite and the pressure will be on him to take the first yellow jersey in front of his home crowd, but this shouldn’t worry the current TT world champ. Current Spanish TT champ, Castroviejo, would prefer a few more hills, but he could run the German close. Micheal Matthews surprised everyone by taking last year’s Paris-Nice prologue and could do so again here. The Sky super domestique’s Kwiatkowski and Kiryienka, will likely have been told to conserve their energy in support of Froome, but they should still post a competitive time, but not one that will ultimately challenge. Van Embden and Cummings (who will be resplendent in his Brittish TT champs kit) should also be in the mix for a Top 5 finish. But it’s Van Embden’s teammate, and GC hopeful, Roglic, who could spoil Martin’s day. He’d been strong in prologues and short TT this year, winning the stages at Tour de Romandie, Pais Vasco and Ster ZLM. This could be a fantastic start to his GC ambitions. In regards to the main GC hopefuls, Porte should finish top of this group but his main rivals Froome, Contador, Quintana and co won’t finish too far behind.

Stage Podium Prediction