With the exception of Thor Hushovd’s win in Stage 2, the sprinters have been relatively silent in this year’s Tour de France.

But like Stage 3, Stage 5 is flat stage perfectly tailored for the sprinters to come to the fore in a bunch sprint to the line. Of course, Stage 3 didn’t turn out like that with Garmin-Chipotle’s Will Frischkorn attacking at the start and his four-man breakaway staying away for the day.

I don’t expect that to happen again for Stage 5, a 232 kilometer trek from Cholet to Châteauroux, but then again, I’ve been wrong before. Still, this Stage is the last chance for the sprinters to shine before the Pyrennes, so the sprinters’ teams — Credit Agricole for Hushovd, Milram for Erik Zabel, Quick Step for Big Gert Steegmans and Barloworld for Robbie Hunter– should work to pull back any breakaway.

With contenders for the overall, Columbia may opt not to work at the front to bring back a breakaway and set up sprinters Mark Cavendish and Gerald Ciolek. Same with Silence-Lotto vis-a-vis Robbie McEwen. (Unless, of course, a threat to the G.C. gets into the break. Then Columbia and Silence-Lotto should be active at the front.)

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