Looking at the new profile and the preview on Inner Ring, it seems that the new finale presents some different problems* - firstly, the final couple of kms are much steeper than the average would suggest, and the whole climb is uneven with brief dips, flatter sections, steeper hairpins, a long tunnel... in short, the kind of climb that those who favour regular-paced power climbing (i.e.
Evans - or Hesjedal and Wiggins if they were still involved) are going to hate, and where pure climbers and those who can cope with variety and sudden changes in gradient and pace (i.e. most of the rest of the top ten) are going to thrive. I am almost certain that this is where Evans will drop out of second and maybe even out of the top 3.
*assuming it isn't cancelled altogether - the temperatures are still going to be below zero at 1400 metres, apparently, and the weather could get worse. It's going to be another horrible wet and cold day, which will also have an infuence - and that could favour Evans, who, if nothing else does have the sheer bloody-mindedness to push on through the worst weather.
