In article , Alex Beascoechea
wrote:

Everybody is assuming that the ITT is going to decide this tour, but
tomorrow there is an amazingly tricky stage. I am sure there are people that
still has some hope to win a stage (what about Bettini, Boogerd, Nardello),
if a small group forms with this type of fast guys and someone of the top
ten in it, Jan and/or Lance could find themselves losing many minutes.
Someone unexpectedly could get out of the podium.

The teams of the riders who stand to lose a valuable place will have
plenty of time to reduce any dangerous gaps before the finish.

-WG