Tour de France Stage 2:
* Dunkirk to Ghent
* 168.5km
* Start time: 1:10pm (local time) 7:10am (US Est)
* Finish Time: 5:05pm (local time) 11:05am (US Est)

*COURSE: Stage 2 will take the riders into Belgium and make a giant “S” across the flat plains of Flanders passing through the hometowns of past champions Freddy Maertens, Johan Museeuw, Roger De Vlaeminck and Walter Godefroot. You can count on this stage being very fast, similar to the one from Calais to Antwerp won by homeboy Marc Wauters in 2002. The wind should be a factor, so the pack might split and could favor the development of a fast-moving breakaway making for an exciting race and finish.

* HISTORY: Incredibly, it has been almost a half-century since a Tour de France stage finished in Ghent, which is one of the largest centers of Belgian bike racing. There have been only two other times. Stage 1 from Brussels in 1958, in which French sprinter André Darrigade took the win ahead of breakaway companions Jos Hoevenaers and Joseph Planckaert of Belgium, almost two minutes ahead of the pack. And Stage 2, in 1951, from Reims, was won in a solo break away by Luxembourger Bim Diedrich with almost four minutes ahead of the peleton.

FAVORITES: Should a breakaway develop look for local riders Nick Nuyens (Cofidis), Leif Hoste (Predictor-Lotto) or Gert Steegmans (Quick Step) to succeed, which would be a long shot at best. Otherwise, super sprinters Boonen, McEwen and Hushovd should contest the win on a boulevard near Ghent’s old indoor velodrome, while the wild cards are Bennati, Cavendish and Robert Förster (Gerolsteiner). My long shot break away prediction would be Fast Freddy Rodriquez (Predictor-Lotto), and my long shot sprint finish is George Hincapie (Discovery).