Etape Classique Stage Preview Stage 1 2007-

Leader: Fabian Cancellara (CSC) by 13 secs after prologue win.

Parcours: 3 x Cat 4 climbs, 3 x intermediate sprints.

Plenty of sprint teams here that will want this to come to a bunch kick #sbscycling #couchpeloton

Contenders- Robbie McEwen (Predictor-Lotto) is consistently good as ever and the Australian speedster is the best in the peloton at improvising in the finish. Good chance!

Oscar Freire (Rabobank) isn& #39;t a two-time world champion without cause, he can adapt to most parcours and is wily in the sprint finishes. A pure sprint finish shouldn& #39;t suit him as much, but the Spaniard is coming off a super consistent classics campaign and will be thereabouts.

Thor Hushovd (Credit-Agricole), Gert Steegmans and Tom Boonen (both Quickstep-Innergetic) will all benefit from a harder day in the saddle, all have classics credentials and a powerful kick to the finish.

Mark Cavendish (T-Mobile) is the new kid on the block, it& #39;s his Grand Tour debut, but he& #39;ll be one of the favourites in his home nation after impressive wins at the unofficial sprinters& #39; world champs, the Scheldeprijs to go with 6 victories to date this year.

Robert Forster (Gerolsteiner). Have you seen this guys quads? Massive. Forster is almost too much of a track specialist to be suited to a 200-kilometre stage like this one, but there& #39;s no doubting his punch in the finish.