The classics are over, it’s time to focus on stage races. The peloton head to Romandie for its usual mix of punchy stages and big mountains.

Prologue

A technical prologue to kick off the race, especially if the roads are wet. There are quite a few corners to deal with, GC riders will have to be very careful if it’s wet.

Stage 1

The opening road stage ends with two laps of an undulating circuit that contains many little kickers. The final kilometre averages 7.4%, this isn’t a stage for the sprinters.

Stage 2

2500m of climbing, this is about as easy a stage you’ll get in Romandie. This one should end in a sprint.

Stage 3

It’s got just about the same amount of climbing as the previous stage, but the placement of the climbs means this is one for the puncheurs and GC riders. Two climbs in the final 20km will make this a tough stage.

Stage 4

The big mountain stage, it has six categorised climbs. The final climb isn’t your normal big summit finish, but the accumulation of climbing throughout the stage will make it seem much harder than the numbers suggest.

Stage 5

The big TT to settle the GC. There is 5km of flat and then 10.75km at 7.7%. This is where Bernal took the TT win back in 2018.

Contenders

Rohan Dennis – this is his first crack at being team leader for Jumbo-Visma, I expect him to seize it. The mountain TT is good news for him, as is the fact the previous stage doesn’t contain a “proper” climb at the end. The Aussie will try and limit his losses that day and take back the time in the TT. He was 7^th in this TT back in 2018, but he’ll need a better performance than that if he wants to take home his first GC win since 2017.

Steven Kruijswijk – he was 4^th in the TT back in 2018, it’s a climb that suits him very well. Just like Dennis, he’ll also have protected status for this race, it’s a big moment for him after a tough opening to the year. After finishing 3^rd in the 2019 Tour de France, things just haven’t clicked for him, but he’s got the quality to get back to the top level.

Geraint Thomas – after riding as a domestique, it’s now time for him to move back up the ladder and become team leader. He’s been doing well in recent races and should be ready to defend his title. He might not be able to win the Tour de France anymore, but he’s more than capable of winning here. The mountain TT should be good for him, it’s the type of effort he should enjoy.

Ben O’Connor – his form is excellent just now; he’ll sense a chance of landing his first GC win. After such a good Tour de France in 2021, it’s been great to see him continue to progress. He was gutted to have to pull out of Paris-Nice but responded with a stage win and 6^th on GC in Catalunya, before taking a win in the recent Tour du Jura. He starts as one of the big favourites, watch him attack on stage 4.

Michael Storer – he’s now started to hit some form, he looked good in the Alps. I don’t think the mountain TT will suit him that well, but he should be challenging the previous day.

Michael Woods – another who’ll likely suffer in the mountain TT. 

Brandon McNulty – crashed hard in Liège, so we’ll have to see how his body responds. He’s also still recovering from COVID, it’s hard to tell how he’ll do this week.

Ion Izagirre – after a great performance in the Basque Country, he’ll be hopeful of doing something similar in this race. He’s one of the climbers who’ll be looking forward to the mountain TT. As usual, there’s every chance of some bad weather this week, something that suits him well.

Aleksandr Vlasov – form is currently very good, it’s no surprise he’s been installed as the bookies favourite. He performed very well in the Basque Country, and in the Ardennes, but will he start to feel those races in his legs? To be on top form for a whole month is quite an effort, we’ll see how his legs respond in the last two stages.

Damiano Caruso – after winning in Sicily, he starts as one of the men to beat. He’s certainly climbing well, but I’m not sure how he’ll get on in the mountain TT. It’s a discipline that requires a certain skill set, I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do.

Prediction Time

I’ll go with form and take a win for Damiano Caruso.