Tour de France stage 16 Predicted Results

Today is a rest day for the riders of the 2009 Tour de France, but to them it may not seem long enough. Tomorrow will see them complete the 160 kilometer stage 16, which takes the remaining 162 riders from Martigny to Bourg-Saint-Maurice.

This next stage may prove challenging for some riders, with the final three miles of the stage having an average grade of 6.2 percent and some sections have as steep as 10 percent. So how does this leave things now Alberto Contador is in the lead?

Will he be able to keep his 1:36 lead over American Lance Armstrong through two more stages, until they reach the stage 18 time trial in Annecy? According to examiner.com, once the riders get over the first summit, there is a long descent, so it could well see changes.