Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux > Superdévoluy 178km It’s a stage where UAE could control for a Pogačar stage win, but it’s likely they’ll throw the rest of the teams a bone and “let” the break take the day. This is stage many will have marked in their road book, it’s a wonderful day for the break. We’ve seen how the other break stages have started, the fight to get in the move could well take a long time, we could well see riders from UAE and Visma looking to get up the road. The final 40km is tough, you need to be a...

Gruissan > Nîmes 188km The third week kicks off with a sprint stage, the final opportunity for the quick men. Quite a lot of teams have lost riders, meaning fewer men left to chase, but there should still be enough teams interested in making sure this day ends in a sprint. There will be quite a few riders looking to get in a break, the opening kilometres will need to be managed carefully to make sure a strong group don’t get up the road.

Loudenvielle > Plateau de Beille 198km Welcome to one of the hardest stages you’ll ever see in your life. 198km of racing and 4936m of climbing, this is as hard as it gets in professional cycling. Today showed that Pogačar is still stronger than Vingegaard, but this is a stage that would normally favour the Dane, but there’s no guarantee it will this year. 

Pau > Saint-Lary-Soulan Pla d’Adet 152km Back to the mountains we go. There are four big mountain stages left in the race, this is the easiest of them, but it still has over 4000m of climbing in just 152km. After what happened on Wednesday, no one really knows how the big teams will approach this day, there’s uncertainty in the air. Will UAE ride hard again? Is it time for Visma to try and take control? After such an exciting race, are we due a damp squib? 

Agen > Pau 165km Of all the sprint stages, this is the one which gave the break a chance. We’re 12 stages into the race, legs are heavy, and riders are starting to feel tried. Not only that, but it’s been quite a hot race, this adds to the feeling of fatigue most are currently experiencing. Then we have the route, it’s a lumpy start and finish, which makes things hard to control. It’s all to do with which teams are willing to chase the break, Alpecin will need help, they won’t be able to do it all by themselves....

Aurillac > Villeneuve-sur-Lot 204km In most grand tours you get a sprint stage where the peloton makes a mess of the chase, we’ve not had one yet this year, could this be the day? One issue is the lack of riders wanting to go in the break, this race has been a bit of a disaster in terms of the sprint stages being entertaining, hopefully we get a strong group of 5 riders who want to race.

Évaux-les-Bains > Le Lioran 211km Welcome to a classic Tour de France breakaway stage. Too hard for the sprinters, not hard enough for the GC men, it’s a day for the breakaway artists of the peloton and one that suits riders who don’t mind a bit of distance.. This is a day many will have marked in their road books, to win you need to be out of the GC picture and a bloody good climber to cope with the finale. As everyone in the bunch knows the break is 99% certain to win, the fight to get in the...

Orléans > Saint-Amand-Montrond 187km Everyone has had a rest day, take stock and breath. It’s now back to work and the second week begins with a standard sprint stage. The first week was wonderful, it delivered hugely significant moments for the sport, Cavendish broke the record, and Biniam Girmay became the first black African rider to win a stage. Fingers crossed, week 2 can continue to deliver historic moments.

Troyes > Troyes 199km The gravel stage, the more I look at it the more I think it’s a fugazi, a fake. I love Paris-Tours, I think it’s a great race, but one of the reasons is the placement of little climbs just before the gravel sectors. This stretches out the peloton and the gaps can grow once on the gravel; I don’t see this in this stage. It cannot be compared to Strade Bianche, it’s a million miles away in terms of difficulty, this day lacks climbs and descents on the white stuff.

Semur-en-Auxois > Colombey-les-Deux-Eglises 184km In the last two sprint stages you could barely convince someone to jump in the break, that will not be an issue in this stage. This is the first of the complicated sprint days, one where the breakaway will sense a chance of fighting for the win, mainly due to the amount of climbing in the opening half. However, it’s also a day that suits some sprinters very well, the peloton will chase, which means we should be in for a cracking stage.

Nuits-Saint-Georges > Gevrey-Chambertin 25.2km ITT Another big day in the battle for yellow, the first of the time trials. It’s 25km and has 305m of climbing. Time to see what level Vingegaard is at, there’s no hiding place against the clock.

Mâcon > Dijon 164km Project 35 is complete, and history has been made, what a moment for Cavendish, his family, friends and fans. Today’s sprint was reminiscent of him at his very best, can he take more wins? Astana will head into this stage full of confidence, they’ll sense a chance of going for another win, it’s up to everyone else to try and stop them.

Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne > Saint Vulbas 177km Chance number 2 for the fast men. Monday’s sprint was a mess, when will organisers learn that wide roads and no corners is a recipe for disaster. Thankfully, this sprint is much more like normal and should be safer for all.

Pinerolo > Valloire 139km A huge day for the sport, Girmay takes an incredible win and Carapaz moves into yellow. Tomorrow is the first big test for the GC men. It’s only day 4 of the race, but the peloton head to the mountains and we’re all set to see how Vingegaard responds to the incoming Pogačar attack. The Dane was up to the challenge on Sunday, which will have caused a bit of panic in the UAE team, now we get to see how he responds on a big mountain. 

Piacenza > Torino 230km A 230km sprint stage in the first week of the race, it feels like we’ve gone back in time. First, we’ll get to see who the breakaway warriors are in this race, the guys who go up the road with basically no chance of taking the win. Which of the peloton will be willing to go in a small break for close to 200km, into a headwind? My bet would be Alexis Renard and Thomas Gachignard. Everyone knows, this is going to be a sprint, much respect to the breakaway riders in this stage.

Cesenatico > Bologna 198km Allez, Romain! Fortune favours the brave, and there was no one braver than Romain Bardet. Saying that, there was no one stronger than Frank van den Broek. DSM are in yellow, now time for stage 2. The riders head towards Bologna, for a finish that includes two ascents of the beautiful, San Luca, climb. Made famous by Giro dell’Emilia, it’s a hill that most of the GC contenders know well. In that race, they usually do 5 ascents of the climb, there’s just the 2 in this stage. 

Firenze > Rimini 207km Welcome to the opening stage of the 2024 Tour de France and what a treat we have. No gentle stage to ease the riders into the race, this day punches you in the face, then kicks you in the balls on the way down. 3727m of climbing, with 7 categorised climbs, this is a hugely demanding opening stage, one of the hardest I can remember. We’re in Florence, but will we see an Italian in yellow at the end of the day?

In this preview I’ll give an overview of the road races in Great Britain, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Denmark, France and Belgium. Enjoy the races, it’s going to be a busy Sunday.

The biggest race of the year, and it could be a very special edition of the Tour de France. Pogačar’s going for the Giro/Tour double, Vingegaard’s looking for three in a row, Roglič is looking to get one over on his old bosses, Cav’s going for 35 and then there’s Remco. Three weeks of passion, excitement, tension and controversy awaits, I can’t wait for it to start. 

You can sign up here to get access to my Tour de France previews. £20 buys you the Tour and the rest of 2024.

Aigle > Villars-sur-Ollon 15.6km ITT The battle for the 87th Tour de Suisse comes down to the final ITT. Yates goes into the stage with a 31s advantage over his teammate, João Almeida, but will he still be in yellow at the end of the day? The stage is 5km of flat, then the climb to Villars-sur-Ollon, yes, the same one they did today. The riders approach from a slightly different direction, but it’s basically the same climb they did twice today.

Villars-sur-Ollon > Villars-sur-Ollon 118km A big day in the fight for the yellow jersey. Villars-sur-Ollon is a well-known finish, it’s been used regularly in both this race and Tour de Romandie in recent years. They start not far from the finishing line and head up Col de la Croix. Then the bunch head out on a loop and then it’s up the finishing climb for the first time, and straight on up Col de la Croix for the second time. After that, they loop back round and take on the climb to the line for the second time. Special mention...

Ulrichen > Blatten 42km This is what the new stage 6 looks like, a pale imitation of the original, but the organisers were forced into a rethink due to snow. We still have the same mountaintop finish, but just 42km in length is a weird one for me, I can think of just one stage like this in recent years. Stage 20 of the 2019 Tour de France, where there was a 60km stage finishing up at Val Thorens. You might remember, Nibali won from the break despite only having a gap of around 1 minute at the foot of...

Ambri > Cari 149km Due to the change to Friday’s stage, I would say this is the Queen stage. 3104m of climbing in 149km, and there’s three challenging climbs to deal with. Adam Yates was denied by the break today, will UAE chase down the attack and try to set up a stage win?

Rüschlikon > Gotthardpass 171km Off to the mountains we go. Easy day, and then a climb up to 2100m above sea level. The final climb isn’t the hardest in the world, but it goes up for a very long time. EF are in the race lead, but will they chase the break? If not, will anyone else decide to go for it, especially with some big days to come.

Men Steinmaur > Rüschlikon 162km Time to find out who’s the best uphill sprinter in the world. Okay, we’re missing a few, but most are here. An uphill sprint is a thing of beauty, I love them, they are far better than flat sprints. However, I might be disappointed, the finale is good for late attackers, I won’t be pleased if they ruin my fun.

Vaduz > Regensdorf 177km Day 2 and the only stage the pure sprinters can even hope of winning, but it certainly won’t be easy. Cavendish is probably the only pure sprinter in the bunch, but his presence in the race isn’t necessarily to go for this stage, the main reason he’s here is to get proper racing in his legs before the Tour, and that means trying to survive the mountains. He’ll give this stage a nudge, but the final climb is close to the finish, he’ll need to be going well to survive it.

Thônes > Plateau des Glières 161km The final day of the Dauphiné, and just like last year, it looks like a good day for the breakaway. In fact, in four of the last five editions the final stage has gone the way of the breakaway, only Jumbo spoiled the run in 2022. Roglič looks secure in yellow, and the podium also looks set in stone, although the exact order is still all to play for. The uphill start is again perfect for those looking to make the break and today showed which riders will be interested. If a rider in...

Vaduz > Vaduz 4.8km ITT The Tour de Suisse starts with a 4.8km ITT in Vaduz, the capital of Lichtenstein.  The route is about as untechnical as you can get, it’s all about power and who can go super deep for 5 minutes. This is a particular skill, not everyone can do it.

Albertville > Samoëns 1600 156km Queen stage, but the race for the yellow jersey feels like it’s already over. Roglič was back to his best today and he now leads Evenepoel by 19s, with Jorgenson at 58s, everyone else is over 1 minute down. This means Roglič is in a brilliant position, especially with Vlasov and Hindley to support, and they’ll be needed as this stage has a lot of climbing. Beating Bora won’t be easy, but there should be plenty of fight left in the GC contenders.

The race will obviously be a sad affair as everyone reflects on the loss of Gino Mäder. This talented young man died during last year’s race, crashing on a descent. His death hit the peloton hard, his parents showed incredible courage to be at the subsequent stages. The race will honour Gino with a special prize for the rider who is first over the highest point in the race. This is a nice gesture by the organisers, it’s a way of ensuring we remember Gino, it’s important we continue to talk about him and what an incredible human he was. 

Hauterives > Le Collet d’Allevard 173km Today’s mass pile up has left us with many questions, even more than we had at the start of the race. It’s very hard to predict how those who went down will react after a night’s sleep, we won’t find out until the bunch hit the final climb.

Amplepuis > Saint-Priest 167km Okay, this isn’t the easiest stage to control, especially with only two teams wanting a sprint. 2464m of climbing, a cat 2 climb of 5km at 7% and it looks like rain too. It’s all about the opening kilometres, the break needs to be four riders or less, anymore and its trouble for the sprint teams. 

Saint-Germain-Laval > Neulise 34km ITT 34km of pain. It’s a long ITT and will have a big impact on the fight for the yellow jersey.  454m of climbing isn’t flat, and most of this comes in the final 19km, this is a tricky TT. It’s a day where some of the GC contenders will have a chance of going for the stage win, they’ll hope the climbing is too much for Tarling, but there’s also Remco to beat.

Celles-sur-Durolle > Les Estables 181km Stage 3 and another one which will interest the break but also some of the fast men. We saw today that chasing a break isn’t easy in this race, once it hits five riders it always has a chance. To ensure a relatively easy day, the teams who want a sprint need to do a job in the opening kilometres, but that could be hard with many riders looking to get up the road.

Gannat > Col de la Loge 142km Who wants to control a finish like this? My gut reaction is no one, but you never know, there could well be a team with a cunning plan. The break will hope not, this is a big chance of winning a world tour stage and claiming the yellow jersey, that’s something to tell the grandkids about. 

Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule > Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule 172km Welcome to the opening stage of the Dauphiné. We have a day for the sprinters but only two of the top quickest men in the world are here, I’m a little disappointed so many of them have chosen a different route into the tour. This should be round 1 of Bennett versus Pedersen, I don’t think they’ll be much between them.

Summer’s here and thoughts turn to the Tour de France. Just about everyone (except Mads Pedersen) has spent recent weeks up at altitude and rouleurs have dropped a few kilos, the Dauphiné is where we start to see these riders climb above what is normally possible. If I think back, Naesen and Valgren stick out in terms of incredible climbing performances in this race, this is when rouleurs turn into climbing domestiques, there’s a spot at the Tour de France to fight for. Okay, time to think about the race. Evenepoel and Roglič are here, but with questions about current...

Tournai > Mont-de-l’Enclus 190km Goodbye to the Giro, and hello to the next phase of racing which leads up to the Tour de France. It’s just over 4 weeks to the start in Florence, but there’s plenty of racing before then. This is the 83rd edition of the Circuit Franco-Belge, and the organisers have decided to go with the same route as last year, when Arnaud De Lie took the win. He’s not back to defend his title, we’ll have a new name on the trophy come the end of the race. The route is a good one, with four and...

Puget-Théniers > Valberg 169km Just the 4th edition of the race, it’s a chance for climbers to stretch their legs ahead of the Dauphiné/Tour de Suisse. The route is slightly different to last year, meaning a touch less climbing, but there’s still 4182m of uphill. This is a very demanding day in the saddle, you’ve got to be a great climber to win this race.

Rome > Rome 125km The race comes to an end in Rome. I don’t know about you, but I’ve enjoyed the last three weeks, but the race has lacked a bit of drama. This should be another sprint battle between Milan and Merlier, the Belgian is looking to pull level with him and secure a 3rd stage win, but there are others in the mix too. Mark Cavendish took a brilliant win last year, after what was a poor race for him, surprises can happen at the end of a grand tour. Cav winning wasn’t a shock, but Kirsch and Fiorelli...

Alpago > Bassano del Grappa 184km The final mountain stage, and it’s another tough one. Nearly 4200m of climbing, which is largely made up with two ascents of Monte Grappa. It’s not been in the Giro for 10 years, last time it was a mountain ITT and Nairo Quintana took the win, I wonder if he’ll be trying to win from the breakaway. Pogačar looks secure in pink, the battle is for the other spots on the podium, it should be an entertaining day.

Mortegliano > Sappada 156km The end is nigh. Just a few days until Rome, and with most of the classifications already sorted, this day is all about the stage win. We have a flat start, nightmare for the climbers, before a challenging 2nd half. Will we eventually see a conventional breakaway stage in this race? One where a large group gets a huge advantage and fights for the win.

Fiera di Primiero > Padova 179km After a couple of gruelling days in the mountains, the peloton head back to the flat lands. Just 843m of climbing and with lots of fast men still in the race, it’s going to be hard for the break to stop this stage ending in a sprint. However, with tired domestiques, the attackers do have a small chance of success, but it depends on the size of the move.

Selva di Val Gardena > Passo del Brocon 159km The RCS, yet again, managed to make themselves look like people who couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery, these guys are fucking clueless. You might have thought they would have prepared multiple back-up options for a stage at high altitude raced in May, nope, they like to wing it. After trying to put the peloton under pressure, they failed, and had to back down and do what the riders proposed. Let’s be honest, it was a shambles, an embarrassment for this beautiful sport. Will they learn? Of course not,...

Livigno > Santa Cristina Valgardena 206km The final week begins. Pogačar is in the pink jersey, he also leads the KOM competition, Tiberi is looking shaky in white, Milan is secure in purple and Ineos have a small lead in the team competition. The six stages this week have a 4/2 split in terms of mountains stages to sprints, it’s going to be a demanding six days for all involved. The bad news for the peloton is the weather has turned, no more sunshine for a while. This stage has already been changed once, with the full Stelvio not being...

Manerba del Garda > Livigno (Mottolino) 222km On paper, this is one of the hardest stages of the year, and for some the hardest stage they’ll ever have ridden. 222km is a long day in the saddle, add in 5468m of climbing and you can see why it’s so hard, especially as the finish is at 2300m above sea level. This is a huge day in the battle for the pink jersey, podium, team classification, white and KOM jerseys. 

Castiglione delle Stiviere > Desenzano del Garda 31km ITT The second ITT of the race and another chance to see Pogačar going up against Ganna and the rest of the Ineos boys. Away from the fight for the stage, it’s a chance for some of the GC riders to cement their place in the top 5 and the race for the podium should heat up.

Riccione > Cento 180km Welcome to the flattest road stage of the Giro. Just 330m of climbing over 180km of racing is one of the lowest elevation gains you’ll see all year, and it’s another opportunity for the sprinters. Milan is going for his 3rd stage win, Merlier is after his 2nd and the rest of the quick men are hoping to get their first success of the race. 

Martinsicuro > Fano 193km The muro stage, but I would like it to be harder. There are four steep walls to climb throughout the day, the first three are too early to have any impact on the type of race we get. Only the final one is going to have a say in the outcome of the race, which seems like a wasted opportunity to me, but maybe I’m just cruel.

Foiano di Val Fortore > Francavilla al Mare 208km Another long stage for the sprint teams to control. 208km in total, and with a tricky looking start, some breakaway riders will sniff a chance of doing something. Lidl-Trek don’t need to chase the break, Milan has a stage win a nice lead in the Ciclamino jersey, chasing only gives his rivals a chance of closing the advantage. Alpecin did all the chasing on Sunday, and got nothing from it, will they be happy to do all the work again? We’ll have to wait and see.

Pompei > Cusano Mutri (Bocca della Selva) 142km After a day of the rest, the riders are straight back into it. Stage 10 starts in Pompei, before heading north and into the hills. It’s a mountaintop finish on Bocca della Selva, which was used in the 2021 edition, the day Lafay won from one of the weakest breaks in grand tour history. That day it was placed in the middle of the stage, it’s the not the hardest finish in the world, we’ll see if this is a chance for the attackers or another day for the Pog.

Avezzano > Napoli 214km The final stage before the first rest day and the race is now down in Naples, we were here last year, Mads Pedersen took a thrilling win, just catching De Marchi and Clarke in the final kilometre. It’s a long stage, 214km isn’t to be sniffed at, and with a demanding final 40km, not all the fast men will be in the peloton come the end. It’s also a stage that will interest a late attacker, the roads in this part of the world can be technical.

Spoleto > Prati di Tivo 152km After the fun of the TT, the riders head back to the mountains. We’ve already had a look at who’s climbing well, and this day will see a further selection take place. The stage finishes on Prati di Tivo, a climb where Pogačar won back in the 2021 edition of Tirreno. Most recently, it was used just a few weeks back in Abruzzo, it’s a climb which will be known by most of the GC contenders. It’s another day where we’ll see if UAE want to keep a hold of the pink jersey.

Foligno > Perugia 41km After today, Pogačar remains in pink and Pelayo Sánchez can be very pleased with himself. Stage 7 and it’s the first battle against the clock, and it’s a long one. The Giro has long favoured a lengthy TT, and this looks a good route. 34km of flat, followed by 1.3km at 11% and then 5km of mainly uphill. The flat is obviously good for the TT specialists, but will the climbing be too much for them?

Viareggio > Rapolano Terme 180km Well done to the breakaway, they took advantage of some classic fuckabootary from the peloton, especially Alpecin. We move to stage 6, a day that some GC riders will be worried about as it features three white road sectors, two of which appear early in Strade Bianche. In total, there’s only 12km of the sterrati, but that could be enough to dent the GC hopes of some. 

Genova > Lucca 178km Another good chance for the sprinters, but the opening of the stage gives attackers some hope. It’s another day with a climb near the end, but this one is further from home, so the sprinters who don’t climb well will hope it’s taken at a steady tempo. 

Acqui Terme > Andora 190km What a crazy stage we had today. So much for a standard/boring sprint stage, you got to love modern cycling. This one should be a day for the sprinters, emphasis on should. The final 60km takes place on the route of Milano-Sanremo, but don’t worry sprinters, it ends just after Capo Mele, not the Poggio. 

Novara > Fossano 167km The opening sprint stage of the race, and I can’t wait. We have a very high level of sprinters at this race, these stages are likely to be far more competitive than the mountain days. It’s not a straightforward day, there’s a hint of crosswinds and a few kickers in the final 25km, this is going to be fun.

San Francesco al Campo > Santuario di Oropa (Biella) 161km Not the hardest stage in the world, but it’s still the first mountaintop finish of the race. Oropa has been used quite a few times in the Giro, it’s often perceived as being an “easy” climb, but I don’t buy that, it’s usually hard enough to see separation between the GC riders. After today’s amazing finish, Ineos are in the race lead with Narváez, but a mountaintop finish would normally be too much for him, so who’s going to chase the break? You know the answer.

Distrito telefónica Madrid > Valdesquí Comunidad de Madrid 89km The final stage, hopefully the fight for the red jersey goes all the way to the end. The race takes place in the hills just outside of Madrid, it’s a very short stage but features two demanding climbs. Fingers crossed it’s a good one.

Venaria Reale > Torino 140km There’s nothing quite like the opening stage of a grand tour. The hope and excitement of the long road ahead, everything is yet to come. The Giro starts in Italy, up in the north-west in Turin, and it’s straight into a tough stage. The goal is clear, win and wear the pink jersey, something every rider would love to do, but this stage favours but a few. 

San Esteban de Gormaz > Sigüenza 139km Just 1211m of climbing, perfect for the sprinters, but there’s a sting in the tail. 

Tarazona > Laguna Negra de Vinuesa 132km Normal service was resumed, shame on me for doubting the mighty Vollering. This stage is easy, then it ends with a nasty climb. It’s the same finish used in last year’s Vuelta, when Herrada won from the break. We now have significant gaps on GC, this could be a chance for the break.

Huesca > Jaca 114km An interesting stage in terms of the fight for the red jersey. The gaps will likely be small between the very best, but it should be a great fight for the stage win. Today’s echelons have had a big impact, this stage will reveal more riders who won’t be challenging come Madrid.

Molina de Aragón > Zaragoza 142km The day Realini has been having nightmares about. Welcome to the open plains of Zaragoza, but will the wind play ball?

The first grand tour of the season, it’s Giro time. There’s a fear the race is going to turn out to be very boring, but I’m going to try and embrace greatness. There’s a start in the north-west of Italy, then the peloton heads down to the south. Once they reach Naples, it’s up the Adriatic coast and into the Alps.

Lucena del Cid > Teruel 130km After today’s crash fest, this will hopefully be a much safer stage. 2441m of climbing over 130km is a lot in women’s cycling, and despite only a cast 3 climb to deal with, this is a much harder stage than it looks.

Buñol > Moncófar 118km After Lidl-Trek beat Visma by 0.2 of a second, Gaia Realini is in the red jersey, but that’s only going to last for the day. In terms of climbing, this is the joint easiest day of the race, and it should be one for the sprinters.

Vernier 149km After today’s brilliant stage, UAE have been blown out the water. Ineos lead the race with Carlos Rodríguez, he has a gap of 7s to Vlasov and the revelation of the race, Lipowitz, is 2s further back. The final stage should be one for the fast men, but Bora might roll the dice and see if they can do something special and take the jersey.

Valencia > Valencia 16km TTT Out, and back TTT to kick off the race. The first half is into a headwind, then it’s tailwind on the way back. Just 16km in length means that the gaps will hopefully be small, it’s not going to have a big say in the outcome of the race.

Saillon > Leysin 151km

Oron 15.5km ITT Not another time trial. 15.5km in length isn’t the longest TT in the world. There’s a climb almost from the gun, 3.5km at 5.1%, the rest of the route contains a little bit of flat, a couple of kickers and two descents. The hill right at the start is good news for the GC riders, it means that climbing ability is important, it’s not just about pure horsepower. It’s still possible for the TT specialists to go for the win, but they’ll need to be climbing well.

Fribourg > Salvan 171km The first of the GC days. The stage ends with the climb, Les Marécottes, it’s not I know. It’s an easy day, only 2659m of climbing, which is why making big gaps will be hard, but not impossible. 

Château-d’Oex > Fribourg 165km The race returns to Fribourg for the first time since 2021 and the organisers have designed an interesting looking stage. There’s a big loop of 40km which the bunch do on two full occasions to finish off the day, it has two nice climbs to deal with, hills are always tougher in real life than they are on paper in this part of the world. With just over 2500m of climbing, most of the fast men will hope to make the finish, but will they?

Payerne 2.3km Short, even by prologue standards. I can live with that, what I’m not pleased about are all those corners, I count 12 that are 90 degree turns. This is a bonkers route for a 2.3km battle against the clock. Bike handling skills are the most important factor, this is where the stage will be won or lost. We have a handful of prologue specialists here; it really is a niche discipline. Think track rider, with a hint of sprinter.

My first thought when looking at the route for this year’s Tour de Romandie was, is that it? Okay, the organisers have stuck with tradition and have a prologue and ITT, which always baffles me. I don’t see the need for both in a six-day race, but maybe that’s just me. For the GC riders, it’s going to be hard to make big differences. The Queen stage ends with a relatively easy climb, and the other GC day is very easy and then a climb at the end. Of course, the riders make the race, hopefully they can come up...

The race has reverted to its usual spot in the calendar, but it’s failed to attract most of the big teams. We do have some top tier sprinters, but the GC fight will be interesting as it should include riders who don’t often get the chance to shine. I won’t be writing daily previews, just the overall.

Liège > Liège 254km The fourth monument of the year brings to the end the opening third of the season. After biblical conditions on Wednesday, the riders will be hoping for a nicer day, but they might not get it. Pogačar returns to racing, it’s going to be just his tenth race day of 2024, he’s already got six wins to his name. He’s the huge favourite to win his 2nd Liège title, it would be his 6th monument in total. Can anyone stop him?

Levico Terme > Levico Terme 118km That was one hell of a ride by López, he delivered a huge result today and remains in the race lead, 38s ahead of O’Connor, with Tiberi, Poels, Bardet and Valentin Paret-Peintre a further 10s back. Carr took the stage, but he got a big slice of luck, Harper was on his way across when he crashed. It looked bad, but it sounds like Chris has managed to dodge a bullet. This is the final stage, and with the climbing involved, López isn’t safe yet.

Leifers/Laives > Borgo Valsugana 141km After today’s surprise win by Juanpi López, he sits in the race lead by 31 seconds to Foss, with O’Connor at 45s. It’s not a position Lidl-Trek would have expected to find themselves in, and it’s not going to be an easy day to control.

Schwaz > Schwaz 125km The first of the GC days, but we’ll have to see if it goes ahead as planned. There are two ascents of the Weerberg and Pillberg in the final 36km of a very short stage.

Charleroi > Huy 198km Route change alert! Roadworks has removed Côte de Cherave from the race. The organisers have decided to add an extra lap, meaning four ascents of the Mur de Huy, the circuit looks a little easier to me. Will the change impact the type of race we get? Probably not, I’d be amazed if we didn’t have a grandstand finish last time up the Mur.

Salurn/Salorno > Stans 189km After Foss took the win in the opening stage, Ineos are in the race lead, which is normally bad news for the breakaway. The second stage sees the riders finish in Austria, if their national team doesn’t get someone in the break there’s going to be big trouble. With 2648m of climbing, it’s the second hardest stage of the week in terms of altitude gain, but it looks like the easiest stage of the week to me.

Neumarkt/Egna > Kurtinig/Cortina 133km This is a cracking start to the race, a lot of riders will hope to be there at the finish, but I have a feeling some will be disappointed.

The race that used to be known as the Giro del Trentino but in recent years was rebranded as Tour of the Alps. We’ve got 5 stages, all short, and 4 of them look hard to me. It’s the usual mix of riders getting final prep done for the Giro and those coming to the end of a serious block of racing, which makes predicting it rather tricky, but I’ll give it a bash.

Maastricht > Berg en Terblijt 253km The Ardennes week is ready to roll. After an incredible start to 2024, Alpecin arrive looking to win another big race. Their main man is Van der Poel, he’s looking to win this race for the second time, 2019 was one of those days that lives long in the memory. Since then, we’ve seen Van Aert, Kwiatkowski and Pogačar take home the title, will we see a new name this year?

Leuven > Overijse 195km Just about the same as last year, when Dorian Godon took a surprise win, it’s a race with many different potential outcomes. The finale plays out in a lap circuit which is completed three and a bit times, it’s a race that normally is great to watch, the route is perfect to create attacking racing.

Compiègne > Roubaix 259km A race that needs no introduction.

Eibar > Eibar 137km One of the hardest stages of the year. Just 137km, but with 3325m of climbing, makes for an intense day. Throw in some technical descents and you’ve got a day where anything can happen. We are perfectly set up for an amazing final stage, I see 11 riders who can take home the big hat. They are Skjelmose, Ayuso, Grégoire, McNulty, Bilbao, Del Toro, Ion Izagirre, Buitrago, Hindley, Soler, and Rodríguez. The big problem for everyone is that UAE have 4 of these guys, they hold the cards, but it doesn’t guarantee they’ll be taking home...

Amorbieta > Etxano 175km That was a sickening crash. It’s not the right time to start pointing fingers and trying to blame people, hopefully all the riders make a full recovery. Without the big 3, the door now opens in terms of the GC battle, the race is wide open.

Etxarri Aranatz > Legutio 159km The first of the potential GC days, the final climb of the day is close enough to the finish to draw out some attacks. As most of the stages fall into the easy category, riders will be looking to make a difference wherever they can, and that starts here. The second intermediate sprint is well placed, right at the foot of the climb, which will kick off the attacking. 

Terneuzen > Schoten 205km One of the biggest races on the calendar for the sprinters, Jasper Philipsen is here to see if he can win his third title in just four years.

Ezpeleta > Altsasu 190km With 3013m of climbing, this is the second hardest stage of the week, in terms of elevation gain. The stage starts with a cat 2 climb, which will interest the breakaway riders, and the finale isn’t straightforward either, this is a day which is complicated for the fast men but still achievable.

Irun > Kanbo 159km The second stage is one for the sprinters, not that there’s many of them at this race. This type of day is a rarity in this part of the world, it doesn’t get much flatter. 

Irun > Irun 9.9km ITT We’ve got a punchy time trial to start the race. Just 10km in length, and it contains one categorised climb (1km at 6%), this is already an important GC day. 

We’ve got a stacked field for the 63rd edition of the race, but one of the easiest routes in many years. It’s on the disappointing side, hopefully the riders make up for it.

Eijsden > Eijsden 190km It’s got a new name, but it’s just about the same route, that means 27 climbs to be tackled by the peloton. Last year’s winner, Kaden Groves, is back to see if he can defend his title. The weather will be better than 2023, but how will the race unfold?

Estella > Estella 198km GP Miguel Indurain is always a great race, full of punchy climbs that riders must attack. Ion Izagirre delighted the fans last year, he’s back to try and defend his title. The start list is a good one, with many riders here before the Basque Country starts on Monday.

Antwerp > Oudenaarde 271km The big one, for me, the best race of the year. After losing out to Pogačar last year, Van der Poel is back and he’s the huge favourite to take the win, which would be his third Flanders title. The problem is, all eyes are on him, being the overwhelming favourite isn’t easy, especially for his teammates. Everyone expects Van der Poel to win, the rest of the peloton can ride without pressure, which makes them very dangerous. This isn’t going to be an easy day for Alpecin, can they deliver when the pressure is on?

Vitré > Vitré 197km Same route as last year which means 6 big laps and 8 little ones. There’s 2752m of climbing, so a climbing sprinter can be in the mix for the win, but they need to be on the top of their game. Cosnefroy won on Wednesday in Paris-Camembert, he looks like the favourite to me.

Roselare > Waregem 188km Amazing the difference one race can make. Lidl-Trek delivered a brilliant performance and suddenly everyone is talking about them being the next super team, I think people need to calm down a little. Just a few days earlier, Mads Pedersen was taking a lot of stick for his result in E3, cycling fans/pundits can be so fickle. After not winning in E3, and being anonymous in Gent-Wevelgem, Visma will approach this race looking to make amends. This is the narrative, which is being talked up pre-race, Visma versus Trek, but there are others who’ll fancy their...

Magnanville > Livarot 206km The race for cheese, the winner gets their weight in Camembert, not that these skinny cyclists eat too much of the stuff. The route is like last year, but there are a couple of changes in the finale, but it’s still just as hard. This is usually a day for the puncheurs.

Barcelona > Barcelona 145km A beautiful city and a stage to match. It’s up there in the top 10 stages throughout the year, it begs to be attacked. Hands up if you remember Tsatevich beating Roglič in a two up sprint back in 2016. The break has a decent win record in this stage, it’s tough taking back a significant chunk of time once on the circuit.

Ypres > Wevelgem 253km We’ve got a rampant Van der Poel and a Visma team left to lick their wounds and go back to the drawing board, but this is a totally different race compared to E3. First of all, there’s the distance, 253km is a long way, a significant amount of distance which makes the last ascent of the Kemmelberg feel like Ventoux. Then there’s the wind, which will make the race very demanding for an awful long time. Last year, Van Aert and Laporte were untouchable, going away on the second ascent of the Kemmelberg, which isn’t a...

Berga > Queralt 155km 4100m of climbing in just 155km of racing, that’s one hell of a day. It’s a shame that all we’ve got left is a fight for 2nd and 3rd, it could have been a fascinating stage in terms of the fight for the race lead, but Pogačar is too strong for anything to happen in that department. It could be a good day for the break, it all depends on when the GC teams want to start racing.

Altafulla > Viladecans 167km A climb of 7km at 6% awaits the riders with 36km to go. Too hard for the sprinters, not hard enough for the GC men, that means it’s surely a day for the break. As most of the peloton are out of the GC fight, getting in the break will be very difficult and it’s likely to take a long time for it to get away. Once it does, the peloton can have a rest, and the attackers can fight it out for the win.

Sort > Lleida 169km The sprint stage. Usually, most would be disappointed by the presence of this stage, but after more Pogačar domination, I’m looking forward to it.

Harelbeke > Harelbeke 208km E3 is here, the start of a huge period of cycling in Belgium and France. Often referred to as a mini-Flanders, this is the first big test in Flanders for van der Poel and Van Aert, two riders who are approaching the race from totally different angles. After a hugely dominant CX season, van der Poel has been training over in Spain, and only returned to racing in Milano-Sanremo. Van Aert, who didn’t have a great CX season, has seriously slimmed down his own calendar, and has recently been up at altitude preparing for the next...

Sant Joan de les Abadesses > Port Ainé 177km Shall I celebrate brilliance or complain about boring racing? Pogačar is magnificent, but dominance like this makes watching cycling a tough shift. He is magnificent, and without Vingegaard, Roglič or Evenepoel to challenge, this race isn’t going to be much of a watch. Hopefully, UAE are in a mind to let the break take a few stages, starting now. This stage has almost 4000m of climbing, it’s a tough day in the saddle, especially after today’s bad weather.

Brugge > De Panne 200km The flattest of the flattest races in the world. If the wind blows, it’s carnage, but very boring if the wind doesn’t play ball. The best sprinters in the world are here, give or take one or two, but there isn’t enough space for all of them. This is Belgium, not the UAE, the roads used are incredibly narrow. Unfortunately, this usually means we get crashes, hopefully not this year.

Mataró > Vallter 2000 186km Israel Premier-Tech pulled off a master stroke and Nick Schultz won the opening stage, he just about managed to hold off a charging Pogačar, with teammate Stevie Williams in 3rd. The race now heads to the mountains and Vallter 2000, so called as it climbs over 2000m of altitude. Giulio Ciccone won here last year, and Adam Yates the two visits before that. After what happened today, UAE will be going full gas for the stage.

Sant Feliu de Guíxols > Sant Feliu de Guíxols 174km The organisers have tinkered with the usual opening stage, it still finishes with the grippy rise to the line, but the stage looks harder to me. The finale of the stage is different, the bunch approach the finish from a different direction, which includes a cat 2 climb. This is usually a day that ends in a fight between the climbing sprinters and speedy GC riders, we’ll see if the changes have any impact on the type of finish we get.

It’s the 103rd edition of this grand, old race, usually one of the best stage races of the year. The organisers have decided to make things even harder this year, by adding in a 3rd mountaintop finish, a hilltop finish, and making some of the stages more challenging too. Pogačar is here, which means we’re unlikely to see a fight for the overall win, but I live in hope.

Maccagno con Pino e Veddasca > Cittiglio 140km The organisers have decided to add an extra lap of the circuit, making the race 140km and now with 2134m of climbing. In terms of women’s races, that’s fair bit of climbing. The tougher race will make it hard for someone Balsamo to win, she was victorious back in 2022. Instead, this should be a day for the puncheurs/climbers, but it helps if you have a sprint.

Pavia > Sanremo 287km The first monument of the year is here. I’ll try avoiding all the usual phrases that are used to describe this race, I find them tedious and boring. In all the 2000s only one rider has retained the title, that was Erik Zabel in 2000 & 2001, it’s very hard to do the double. Not only that, but the winning scenario seems to change most years too. Despite looking like a predictable race, the finish is anything but. This year the focus is all on van der Poel and Pogačar, but it would be foolish to...

Bredene > Koksijde 201km A race that gives sprinters and classics riders hope. It’s the 22nd edition of the Bredene Koksijde Classic, the hills are important, but the weather is the biggest factor in this race. 

Denain > Denain 198km A sprint with some cobbles or a cobble race that sometimes ends in a sprint? It’s the 65th edition of GP Denain, a cracking race up in the north-west of France. With 12 sectors and 22.6km of cobbles, it really is a test for the peloton, it’s always great to see some cobbles on a Thursday afternoon.

Rho > Salassa 177km

Deinze > Nokere 188km We’re back in Belgium and back on cobbles with the 78th edition of the Nokere Koerse. It’s the usual mix of cobbles and narrow roads, but this is a race that usually ends in a sprint, the cobbles aren’t hard enough to cause gaps, and sprinters love cobbles anyway. It’s a flat race, just under 1300m of climbing throughout the day, perfect for the big units of the peloton. Tim Merlier is the defending champion and he’s back to see if he can win this race for the 3rd consecutive year, it means a little more to him...

San Benedetto del Tronto > San Benedetto del Tronto 154km I’m a fan of this final stage, it gives attackers and sprinters equal chance of success. The first half is for the break, the second half is for the sprint teams. We’ve had two cracks at this stage, both ended in a sprint, Bauhaus and Philipsen were the winners. Will the break be able to take the spoils this year?

Nice > Nice 109km One of the best stages of the whole year, I love it! There’s a slight change this year, the first four climbs are the same as usual, but the riders then take the short way up Col d’Eze, descend into Nice, then do Quatre-Chemins. Instead of carrying on all the way to Eze, they turn right and head for the finish. This means the crest of the final climb is much closer to the end of the stage, now just 9km. The route is brilliant, and the stage is set for a huge GC fight, I...

Sassoferrato > Cagli (Monte Petrano) 180km This was meant to be the big GC day, but that ship has sailed, we’ll have to see what type of day we get. The race ends with Monte Petrano, Carlos Sastre won here in the Giro back in 2009, which seems like a lifetime ago. It’s a proper mountain finish, but I would have preferred the rest of the stage to be a little harder.

Nice > Utelle 104km Paris-Nice has been blown wide open, thanks to two Americans and a Dane. Everyone is looking at Remco and for some reason he’s looking at Roglič, surely, he’s realised by now that Roglič isn’t the rider he needs to be watching, that’s Matteo Jorgenson. He’s 23s behind the race leader, Brandon McNulty, Skjelmose is at 54s and Evenepoel is back at 1:03. The scene is set for a big weekend of racing. This stage had to be quickly redesigned due to snow, the organisers have done well to ensure it’s still a GC day.

Sisteron > La Colle-sur-Loup 198km This is the stage, which was cancelled last year due to high winds, I’m happy we get to see it this year. The weather isn’t looking very good, and it’s going to get worse this weekend, which could make this stage much more important than it would normally have been. 

Torricella Sicura > Valle Castellana 144km The first of two GC days, but is it hard enough to cause gaps? The weather is good, the stage has under 3000m of climbing and the “big” climb doesn’t spend much time over 7%. We’ll see, I have my doubts.

Saint-Sauveur-de-Montagut > Sisteron 193km A sprint stage, but will all the sprinters survive? Last time the race was in Sisteron was back in 2018 and Jérôme Cousin played it clever/nasty to beat Politt from the breakaway. The Tour was here in 2020, Caleb Ewan taking the win after threading the needle in the final 200m. Which of the sprinters will take the glory this time round?

Arrone > Giulianova 208km I’m not sure why there’s a huge climb just 50km into a 208km stage, but maybe the organisers know better than me. The breakaway riders will smell a chance, but stages like this regularly end in a big sprint, as most of the sprint teams come to an agreement to chase down all the main breakaway riders, but not always. As usual, the riders make the race, they’ll decide what we get.

Volterra > Gualdo Tadino 224km Last time the race finished in Gualdo Tadino was in 2021 and Mathieu van der Poel won the sprint from Wout Van Aert. That year, the stage had 3100m of climbing, this time it’s only 2758m. It’s a very long stage, 224km isn’t to be sniffed at, some will find they don’t have any power left when the sprint launches. 

Chalon-sur-Saône > Mont Brouilly 183km A big old day in the fight for the yellow jersey. Today’s TTT has left the UAE boys with the lead, Remco sits 18 seconds back, but the big loser was Roglič, he’s a further 36 seconds behind the Belgian. Mont Brouilly has been used in Paris-Nice three times in the last 8 years but has only been a finish back in 2017 when it was an ITT. This should be an exciting stage, Roglič needs to make up some time.

Auxerre > Auxerre 27km TTT It’s time for the first big day on GC with a 27km TTT. The organisers have continued with the rule they brought in last year, the team’s time is taken when their first rider crosses the line, everyone else gets the time they take to get to the finish. Perfect if your GC rider is very good in a TT, hello Remco. There are two climbs to negotiate, both are around 2km at 4.6%. There are not many corners to deal with, which is normally good news in this discipline.

Camaiore > Follonica 199km The first of the sprint stages in Tirreno. The finishing town, Follonica, has been used three times in recent years, 2023, 2020 and 2018, but the actual finish isn’t the same. This year, when the bunch get into town, they do one and a bit laps of the finishing circuit. Those of you who’ve watched this race in the past will be well aware of the dangers a circuit usually brings, the roads in this part of the world aren’t the best.

Thiory > Montargis 177km This was meant to be the echelon stage, but the weather Gods are smiling on the tiny climbers. Without wind, it’s a nailed-on sprint and there’s not much to get excited about until the final 10km.

Lido di Camaiore > Lido di Camaiore 10km ITT Compared to last year, the start and finish locations have been changed but the TT remains on the same stretch of road but comes down a bit to the port. It’s an out and back route with just a handful corners. This is all about pure power, that’s why Ganna has such a good record here.

Welcome to the 59th edition of Tirreno-Adriatico. The defending champion, Primož Roglič, has decided to head off to Paris-Nice, but the current yellow jersey holder, Jonas Vingegaard, returns to the race. This year the organisers have decided to omit a muro stage, I’m not best pleased with that, it’s usually my favourite day.

Les Mureaux > Les Mureaux 158km A great stage to start the race off with. Not too much climbing throughout the day, but some well-placed kickers will make it tough for the pure sprinters to go for the win.

Bad news people, looks like there’s not going to be any wind. That means the sprint stages will be relatively boring, but most of the GC riders will be happy. This is the first edition of Remco v Roglič in 2024, it should be a good one.

Siena > Siena 215km Does size really matter? There was nothing wrong with the old route, it always delivered fascinating racing and allowed a variety of rider types to challenge for the win. However, the organisers have decided to add 31km, 577m of elevation and 4 more white road sectors. Is it really because they want the race to be a monument? Well, if it is, it’s bloody stupid. There is no “monument panel”, no one actually decides if we’ll get a sixth monument. The change in route changes the type of rider who can win, over 4000m of climbing...

Laigueglia > Laigueglia 202km Last year, this was raced in filthy weather, and it made the race very selective. This year, the weather is much better, and I’m looking forward to a good battle. The challenging circuit suits the punchy climbers, but you also need to be a decent descender to go for the win.

Quaregnon > Dour 202km The opening weekend is behind us, Le Samyn slots into place just after, the last bit of cobble action for a while. The strength of the start list has varied over the years, this year isn’t the strongest.

Valence > Valence 190km After yesterday’s brutal edition of the Ardèche Classic, today should be calmer, but it’s still a tough race. There might only be 2400m of climbing, but the final 50km is very demanding.

Kortrijk > Kuurne 196km After the fun of Omloop, it’s time to dust down and go again. This race always ends with a classic game of cat and mouse, will the mouse be successful this year?

Bait Mohammed Bin Khalifa > Jebel Hafeet 161km After what seemed like an eternity of sprint  stages, it’s time to go climbing again. The riders head to Jebel Hafeet, and the GC will be decided. Jay Vine is currently in the race lead, but things are nice and tight, it should be a fascinating battle. It’s the first time for ages that we don’t know who’s going to win this stage before it starts. I’m not saying I’m a genius, it’s just been very easy to predict the past winners: Adam Yates, Pogačar (x3), Adam Yates & Valverde. One thing is...

Guilherand-Granges > Guilherand-Granges 169km All eyes are on Omloop, but if you prefer climbing, this is the race for you.

Gent > Ninove 127km SD Worx arrives as the team to beat, don’t they always. The first of the big races in the calendar, it’s time for The Omloop.

Louvre Abu Dhabi > Abu Dhabi Breakwater 138km Guess what? It’s another boring sprint stage. I like a sprint and even I’m fed up with this race. By the way, these finishes are horrible to watch, it feels like a crash will happen any minute.

Gent > Ninove 202km The first big race of the year. Everyone has spent the winter preparing, now it’s time to shut up and let the legs do the talking.  I Have Questions  Just how much will Visma miss Nathan Van Hooydonck? Will they continue to dominate one day races when their big rivals aren’t racing? As the winner of Omloop never wins Flanders, is Wout scared of the history books? Will Tim Declercq continue to ride on the front for shits and giggles? Do Jumbo have too many chiefs? Are Quick Step finished in the cobbled classics? Will Philipsen...

Al Aqah > Umm Al Quwain 183km Not enough wind for anything to happen. Another procession followed by a sprint.

Dubai Police Officer Club > Dubai Harbour 173km The second chance for the sprinters. This is a finish which has been used before, the last winner was Molano.

Al Marjan Island > Jebel Jais 176km The worst mountaintop finish in professional cycling.  Wide roads + a gradient that rarely gets over 6% + a peloton full of fresh riders = boring

Hudayriat Island > Hudayriat Island 12.1km ITT A time trial around Al Hudayriat Island. 

Al Dhafra Walk > Liwa Palace 141km Time for some echelons? This stage is similar to the one used in the opening stage of the 2022 edition of this race, but it’s not the exact same. The circuit of the Moreeb Dune is the new bit, and it could be fun. 

Faro > Malhão 165km I’m happy the organisers have gone back to Alto do Malhão being the final stage. It’s a great climb, short and punchy, and it’s been a staple of this race for many years. Previous winners include Contador, Kwiatkowski, López, Higuita and Pidcock, you need to be explosive to win here.

It looks like even the organisers are bored of this race and they’ve tried to spice things up a little bit. Fingers crossed it works and we see some exciting racing, otherwise, it’s boring as all hell.

Albufeira > Albufeira 22km ITT A brand-new TT for the race, and it’s a tough one. Lots of little kickers spread throughout the 22km, hard for the riders to settle into any type of rhythm. On the other hand, it’s not very technical, thanks to a few long straights and not too many corners. This is the big day in terms of the GC battle, time lost will be hard to make up on Sunday. The start list is incredible, we’re unlikely to see so many top riders going head-to-head in a TT until the world championships.

Vila Real de Santo António > Tavira 192km Last year, Magnus Cort produced one of the finest victories I’ve ever seen in my life. A strong group of riders escaped after the intermediate sprint and were frantically chased by the peloton. They were eventually caught just at the final turn, with 450m to go, but Cort decided to launch his sprint just after he went through the bend. To the amazement of all, he blasted up the little incline to take a stunning win, one to tell the grandkids about. This year, it’s probably going to end in a sprint.

Alcaudete 5km ITT A little context. The original race was cancelled as the Guardia Civil were needed to police farmer protests, they didn’t have enough left for the race. This is the 2nd week of protests, due to the farmers being very unhappy with the EU. They must adhere to strict rules, but non-EU farmers don’t, and their products are coming into the market at a cheaper price. Farming is a big part of life down in the south of Spain, and the weather already makes it a very hard living, I’m in full support of them. If you were one...

The organisers and local authorities have done very well to find a new route that can be policed. Just the three stages, but it’s good that the riders get to race this weekend.

Silves > Fóia 172km The usual finish on Alto da Fóia. The organisers have made a habit of tinkering with the approach to Fóia, this year they go back to the same finale they used in 2022. That was during COVID times, which meant the race was in May, and the front group was much smaller than usual in the final kilometre, but the quality of participants wasn’t the highest either. We’ll have to see if the finale changes the type of finish we get.

Almuñécar > Cádiar 163km A tough old day in the saddle. There might not be any big mountains, but the race heads up to Sierra Nevada, which is why there’s over 4000m of climbing. It’s the hardest stage in the race, it should be a big GC day.

The route looks experimental to me, I’m looking forward to seeing it goes this week. The first stage looks like being the big GC day, which I’m not keen on, hopefully the gaps are small, and the rest of the stages see a battle between the best.

Portmão > Lagos 201km The first stage in the Algarve is usually a nailed-on sprint in Lagos, but the wind could have something to say about that.

Standard Algarve route. The 22km ITT gives hope for the TT riders, but the two hilltop finishes still make it hard for them to win the race.

The big GC day in Oman. An easy day rolling round the desert, then 18 minutes of pure hell. This is why puncheurs have a good record on the Green Mountain compared to climbers, they do much better than expected. As everyone arrives fresh, and the whole race is easy, riders like Jorgenson can climb just as well as pure climbers. Will Finn Fisher-Black be able to continue this pattern? Yet again, the stage has been shortened, now just 72km.

Again, the organisers have had to change the stage due to landslides. This time they’ve removed the opening 106km, leaving just 105km to be raced. The hills remain in place, last year we saw Lutsenko almost blow Jorgenson’s legs off, then Ackermann attacked ahead of the final climb, he was then caught and Ulissi won the reduced sprint. We’ll have to see what impact reducing the day to 105km has on the outcome.

Naseem Park > Al Bustan 76km Today’s rain has caused landslides and a new route for this stage. Out goes the super steep finish, which was one for the GC riders, and in comes a punchy finale. It might only be 76km but hats off to the organisers for sorting it out.

Jebel Sifah > Qurayyat 170km Easy day, then a big effort at the end. Qurayyat has been used as a finish for many years, to win the stage you need to have a big punch. Jesús Herrada did it last year, he’s back to see if he can double up.

Puebla de Vicar > Roquetas de Mar 189km Virtually the same route as last year, it’s all about the big sprint finish in Roquetas de Mar. Previous years have shown this is a hard sprint to get right and the top names have often been left disappointed. 

Louvre Abu Dhabi Museum > Abu Dhabi Breakwater 105km After today’s epic ride by Kopecky, all that’s left to do is see if SD Worx can win every stage of the race. It’s not fun to watch, but it’s the way it is, it’s up to the rest to stop them.

Oman Across Ages Museum > Oman Convention & Exhibition centre 182km Stage 1 is the only sprint stage in the race, that’s a long way to come for just one opportunity. At least the weather will be nice throughout the race, the fast men can top up their tan.

Alhama de Murcia > Murcia 201km The organisers have decided to go back to the old finish and removed the narrow climb that ended the race in 2023. To be honest, that wasn’t a great finish, I’m happy to see them back on the flat. It’s the same route as usual, with a big climb in the middle of the stage, followed by a punchy hill in the final 20km. It’s a race for the climbers, but it helps if you have a sprint.

Figueira da Foz > Figueira da Foz 190km Just the second edition of the race, but the organisers have gone for it. They’ve added in an extra lap, which features the big climb, increasing the distance from 188km to 220km. This is a serious distance at any point in the year, let alone February. 2900m of climbing isn’t a huge amount, but when you mix in the distance, it’s going to be a selective race, especially the final lap. Well, that was the plan. At the last moment, the organisers have decided to revert to the old route, 3 laps...

Al Ain Police Museum > Jebel Hafeet 128km The big GC day. It’s an easy day in the saddle, then one big effort. 10.1km at 7%, with a light cross/tailwind all the way up. We’ll see if Lidl-Trek can dominate like last year.

Jan Hirt is the only previous winner starting the Tour of Oman, there’s every chance a new name is added to the trophy at the end of the week. The race is almost identical to last year, which was a great race to watch, fingers crossed for another exciting battle.

Al Mouj Muscat > Al Bustan 174km The second edition of the “Kevin” Muscat classic (a wee football joke for you!). Last year, the race ended in a reduced sprint, with Jenthe Biermans taking the win from a group of 35 riders. Will we get something similar this year, or will a late attacker take the day?

Al Mirfa Bab Al Nojoum > Madinat Zayed 114k Should be another sprint finish, hopefully it’s a little more entertaining than the opening stage. The bunch head south, into the desert, but will the wind play ball?

Dubai Miracle Garden > Dubai Harbour 122km The first of three sprint stages, but this is a day which could be impacted by the wind. The riders head out into the desert, do a little loop, then head back up the same road they came down. 

After last year’s first edition of the women’s UAE Tour, the pro peloton is back. Lidl-Trek dominated in 2023 and will hope to do so again this year, but they won’t get it all their own way. The sprint stages are different compared to last year, but it’s the same GC day with the climb of Jebel Hafeet.

Bétera > València 93km The race ends with the same final stage we had last year. Super short and very explosive. Last year, Vlasov, Ciccone and Geoghegan Hart went clear halfway up the final climb, Soler and Bilbao were able to join them just at the crest, and at that point McNulty’s legs feel off. Also at the front was Battistella, he rode a clever race that day. Despite the break only having 2 minutes at the foot of the climb, the Italian managed to hold off the peloton and got over the top just as they caught him. On...

Teulada > la Vall d’Ebo 175km 175km and 3715m of climbing, that’s a big day in the saddle, especially at this time of year. The climbs in the first 100km will be used to soften the legs, all hell will break loose on the final two hills. This is the big GC day, get ready for plenty of action.

AlUla Old Town > Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid 150km Easy day, then one big effort. This is the reason the gaps are normally relatively small in this stage; everyone hits the climb feeling fresh. Of course, the steep slopes mean the climbers drop everyone else, but you’d be amazed at how well the rouleurs do at limiting the damage.

Hegra > Maraya 142km After the echelons of stage 3, this should be a calmer day in the peloton. There is a chance of some splits, but the wind shouldn’t be as strong, so this one should end in a bunch sprint. This is the same finish they used in last year’s final stage; it’s got a grippy bump at the finish.

San Vicent del Raspeig > Orihuela 161km The first, and only, sprint finish in Valenciana. As Jonathan Milan is the main sprinter in the peloton, everyone will be looking at Trek to control. They are down one man, so might need a little help chasing down the break. The good news is Wanty will likely lend a hand and help to ensure we get a sprint.

AlUla International Airport > AlUla Camel Cup Track 171km After day for the sprinters. The race ends on a camel track, that’s a first for me. 

Canals > Mancomunitat de la Valldigna 163km After a brilliant day for the breakaway, this stage should be one for the peloton. There’s a cat 3 climb cresting with 10km to go, so it’s not a nailed-on sprint, the late attackers have a chance.

Winter Park > Sharaan Nature Reserve 199km A day where the wind could make the GC riders a little on the nervous side. The finish is also on the limit for the pure sprinters, but the durable sprinters will hope to be fighting for the win.

Benicàssim > Castellón 167km Well then, who wants to control this stage? With a cat 2 climb cresting with 17km remaining, the breakaway will sense a chance of going for the win, but that all depends on who makes the move and if the GC teams are happy.

I like this race, it always has an interesting route, one that interests a variety of riders. This year is no different, it should be a good week.

Al Manshiyah Train Station > Al Manshiyah Train Station 149km The first stage of the race is one for the fast men. There’s not much to get interested about, apart from a couple of late sprints for GC men to fight over, especially the bonus sprint with just 11km to go. 

Not the best race in the world for us watching fans, but the riders get 5 days of nice weather, and pretty easy racing. I’ve got to say, I’m underwhelmed.

Marseille > Marseille 168km After a couple of years of trying something different, the organisers have gone back to what the finale of the race used to be like. This is good news for the climbers/puncheurs, but I don’t think they got the memo as most aren’t here. It means that Route des Crêtes is climbed from the slightly easier side, but it comes closer to home. 

Geelong > Geelong 174km The last world tour race in Australis for a year. The Cadel race usually ends in a sprint, but that isn’t a foregone conclusion. Challambra offers the puncheurs some hope, but they need to make sure every ascent is done at pace.

Palma > Palma 150km The final race in Mallorca is one for the fast men. Paul Magnier took the first sprint win, can he do it again in Palma?

Geelong > Geelong 141km Not the strongest line up you’ll see for a world tour race, but that doesn’t matter to those who are racing. The route is like previous years, which means it’s all about Challambra Crescent, which is climbed twice. 

Pollença > Port d’Andratx 157km The last of the climbing in Mallorca. In this race they again head up Puig Major, the way they descended today, but it comes halfway through the stage, so it shouldn’t be too important. There’s 2415m of climbing, so it’s not the hardest day in the world, but it should still be relatively selective. 

Selva > Lluc 152km The third race of the Mallorca Challenge and the riders head back to the hills. Simon Carr took the win on Wednesday; can he do the double? 

Ses Salines > Felanitx 180km The first of the sprints in Mallorca, this race should end in one, the same goes for Sunday. A small break will be allowed to roll off the front, allowing everyone to settle into a lovely training ride. Most of the bunch will be delighted to get 180km of peloton riding into the legs before more sterner tests in the upcoming races.

Lorne > Torquay 156km It used to be called Race Torquay, now it’s Surf Coast Classic, totally radical dude. Most of the teams who competed in the TDU have stayed on, but QuickStep, Bora and UAE have packed their bags and headed west. It’s a shame, I wanted to see more of Del Toro. The race starts with a climb, but it should end in a sprint. Welsford dominated last week, who’s going to replace him on the top step?

Palmanova > Palmanova 149km The men’s European season jumps across to Mallorca after two days near Valencia. Officially a 1.1 race, Trofeo Calvià isn’t a race that features high on anyone’s goals for 2024. Over the years, the race has slightly grown in stature, but it still feels like a pre-season friendly. Live TV coverage has helped make it seem more important, hopefully we get a good race to watch.

Castellón de la Plana > Onda 174km A new race, and one with an interesting finish. Most of the peloton have just done GP València, here’s another chance for the fast men to take a win.

Unley > Mount Lofty 128km 2591m in just 129km, in January, at the end of 6 stage race, I can see why the organisers have stuck with this stage. Last year, Yates, Vine and O’Connor snapped the elastic very close to the finish, with Yates winning the sprint. Just behind them was a group of 15 riders, most finished only 6 seconds behind the winner. In that group was Bryan Coquard, it is possible for a fast man to survive, but they need to be climbing very well.

La Nucia > Valencia 200km The European season kicks off in Valencia. The race goes in the opposite direction compared to last year, meaning a much easier finish, but a much harder start. Most teams are here with a sprinter, thanks to the second half of the race behind as flat as a pancake, it’s up to these teams to chase down the morning break and set it up for the quicks.

Christies Beach > Willunga Hill 129km Willunga Hill. GC Showdown. Tailwind. No Aussie contender? The Aussies want Richie back.

Murray Bridge > Port Elliot 136km The third and final sprint stage of the week, can Welsford complete his hattrick? This was a day where the wind could have played havoc, but it’s not strong enough to bother the bunch. It’s the easiest stage of the week and should be a nailed-on bunch kick.

Tea Tree Gully > Campbelltown 145km That was some win by Del Toro, the kid certainly has a lot of punch. Stage 3 is the second chance for the sprinters to shine, with Welsford looking for a second win, but Ewan and Bauhaus will want to spoil his party. The start is lumpy, hopefully they’ll be more action than the stage 2 start. With some gaps now on GC, we should see a bigger fight to get up the road. It’s another short stage, the sprint teams will be keen on keeping the gap down and setting it up for...

Norwood > Lobethal 142km I described this in my overall preview as the “unknown outcome stage”. These are the stages I like the most, one where there are several possible outcomes. Basically, you can rule out a big sprint, but everything else is ruled in. The breakaway has a chance, albeit a small one, we could get a reduced sprint, a solo winner or a group of GC riders sprinting for the win. As someone who writes previews, these stages are a God send, it’s great to think through all the potential scenarios.

Tanunda > Tanunda 144km Welcome to the start of the men’s 2024 world tour. The year starts with a sprint stage, it’s three times round a lap circuit in Tanunda, it’s the same finish as last year when Phil Bauhaus took home the win, just pipping Matthews and Ewan on the line. Can he double up in Tanunda?

The first world tour race of the year for the men is here, welcome to the Tour Down Under. This is a race that’s been dominated by southern hemisphere riders for many years, but this year there’s a chance we’ll get the first northern hemisphere winner since Tom-Jelte Slagter, way back in 2013. We have six stages, three sprints, two GC days and one grippy day where the outcome is currently unknown. Just like most years, it’s going to be tight and bonus seconds could go a long way to determining the winner.

Adelaide > Willunga Hill 93km “I’m here to race for Grace Brown.” No bother Pinocchio! Never trust what Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig says. On a serious note, that was one hell of a sprint to win stage 2 and put her into the ochre jersey. It was a good move for the team as Grace Brown dropped time and fell out of the GC picture, now it’s all about Cecilie. Stage 3 and Willunga Hill, the first time the women have finished here in the Tour Down Under. It’s going to be a cracker.

Glenelg > Stirling 104km The second stage of the race sees the riders heading for Stirling, home of the devilish lap circuit which has featured in the men’s race for over a decade, I remember a very young Michael Matthews winning here way back in 2011. This stage is 104km, the longest of the race, and features three laps of the circuit. Last time the women were here it was 2020 and Ruth Edwards (née Winder) took the win from Liane Lippert. It’s an important day in the GC battle.

Hahndorf > Campbelltown 94km The opening stage of the race should really be one for the sprinters. Only 94km long, it will be over in a blink of an eye, but don’t you worry, you can watch the whole stage live if you choose to. There’s a couple of cat 4 climbs along the way to reward someone in the break with the KOM jersey, but most of the bunch will be sitting tight, waiting for the likely bunch finish.

The women’s Tour Down Under is the first world tour event of the year, and a big target for the Aussies in the bunch. The race consists of three stages, which is spread out between different types of riders. Grace Brown is back to defend her crown, but she knows it’s not going to be easy.

Ballarat > Ballarat 186.6km Well, well, well, it’s time for another season of bike racing. The off-season has been the craziest yet, with the unsuccessful Visma/Quick Step merger, Roglič leaving Visma, the whole Cian Uijtdebroeks thing and the surprising end of GCN+. I’m delighted the talking can stop and the racing can start, it’s time for the Aussie Road Race. The route is the usual one, 16 laps of the Ballarat circuit which features Mount Buninyong. 3385m of climbing isn’t the hardest race in the world, but this is always a selective race, thanks to the timing of it and...

I’ve decided that all my 2024 previews will be subscription only. In 2023 I wrote over 260 previews; I would expect something similar next year. I will also look to write other types of articles throughout the year, but the focus, as always, will be the previews.  The cost will be £40 for the full season, but if you sign up before the end of 2023 you’ll receive a 25% discount, making the cost £30. You can pay by clicking the “SIGN UP HERE” link at the bottom of this page or using PayPal. If using PayPal, send the money...

Chartres > Tours 214km Basically, it’s the same route as last year, it’s all about the final 50km. Weather Hot and sunny, which means lots of dust. The Sectors It’s hard to make big selections due to the relatively short length of the sectors. This is from 50km to go until 10km to go, this is where the race winning move usually goes. Lots of little climbs and gravel roads which begged to be attacked. Tactics This is a race which can be decided by crashes and mechanicals, there’s an element of luck required. You can never be sure how...

Como > Bergamo 238km For many, the last race of the 2023 season, and what a season it’s been. We’ve had three fascinating grand tours, van der Poel blowing everyone away on the Poggio, Pogačar dropping the big boys on the Kwaremont, Van Aert puncturing at a terrible time in Roubaix, Pogačar crashing out of Liège and then Remco dominating, it’s been another tremendous year to be a cycling fan. There’s one more monument up for grabs, and a chance to see Pogačar, Roglič and Evenepoel go head-to-head, strap yourself in. The race finishes in Bergamo this year, which means...

Carpi > Bologna 205km Well then, quite a lot has happened since my last preview, most of it isn’t good. We’ve got two of the best teams in the world looking to merge, with terrible consequences for most riders at Soudal – QuickStep, and one of the best riders in the peloton allowed to leave Jumbo-Visma. Mergers, or in this case a takeover, are never good in sport. Jumbo are clearly struggling to attract sponsorship, even with Amazon rumoured as a new partner, it’s a bad sign when the most successful team can’t get enough sponsors to continue. Anyway, you’re...

Hipódromo de la Zarzuela > Madrid. Paisaje de la Luz 101km The race hits Madrid for the final stage, a ceremonial bore of a day. Jumbo-Visma will get the Cava out, and then the sprinters will have one last chance of taking a win. Last year, Molano won this stage, despite trying to lead out Ackermann. Will he manage to double up? Weather Another day with a risk of rain throughout. Fingers crossed it stays dry; nobody wants a wet race in Madrid. Lap Circuit Wide roads, big 180s and a couple of fast turns. The final 180 comes at...

Manzanares El Real > Guadarrama 207km The penultimate stage of the race is a beauty, it’s such a shame the GC is already all over. You’ll hear this day described as a nod to Liège-Bastogne-Liège, thanks to a day full of short climbs. There isn’t anything harder than a cat 3 but the riders still have to tackle 4416m of climbing (the most in the whole race), it’s a brutal day in the saddle. Weather Cloudy with a small chance of rain. Key Points This section of road is done twice, it contains three cat 3 climbs, 8.4km at 4.1%,...