Back to the sprinters' show. Which Greg Van Avermaet is about to steal, along with the points jersey. Just 11 points back of the maillot oro and otherwise occupied Alberto Contador, Van Avermaet has a clear shot at an improbable points win. Consider: Boonen, Bennati, Bettini, Freire... all on hand, veterans with long and glamorous points resumes. But Benna's gone, Freire bowed out, and Boonen and Bettini are almost certainly too far back to make a dent. The stage battle will be competitive, but the points battle is almost over. Enjoy!