As Neves > Monte Trega 155km As expected, Adam Yates got the win today, easy money if you decided to pull the trigger. With the GC effectively over, we’ll have to wait and see how this stage plays out, the break will sense a chance. This finish was used in 2023, Jonas Vingegaard took a comfortable win, you might remember the nasty section of cobbles on the final climb.

Lennik > Overijse 126km The 11th edition of the women’s race, and the two-time defending champion, Longo Borghini, isn’t here. Silvia Persico is the only former champion on the start line, we’ll see if she can keep the title in the UAE team. The race is the usual one, the lap circuit basically guarantees attacking racing.

Besançon > Montfaucon 176km A very busy day of cycling with races all over the place, this one is in France and favours the climbers. Guillaume Martin is the defending champion, he’s back and brings a strong looking FDJ to support him. 

Xinzo de Limia > Alto de Cabeza de Meda 146km The big GC day with the stage finishing at Alto de Cabeza de Meda. After today’s win by Romeo, it was Nordhagen who moved into the race lead, by 2s to Pinarello, he holds a 14s advantage over Yates. These gaps look big on paper, but on a climb like this, they don’t mean much.

Beersel > Overijse 163km The 66th edition of this beautiful race, one that now takes place on a Friday, perfect if you’re a fan of beer o’clock! It’s the usual lap circuit in and around Overijse, a circuit which is perfect for attacking racing. 

Carballo > Padrón 169km Another potential sprint stage which might not end up being a sprint, you got to love it when sprinters don’t show up for a race. Carlos Canal got his win today, a great moment for him, and Rafael Reis is now in the race lead. All eyes will be on his team to see if they can control this stage.

Vilalba > Barreiros 149km In terms of climbing meters, it’s the easiest stage of the week, but that cat 3 climb inside the final 25km isn’t easy. The startlist is interesting, there’s a real lack of sprinting talent, we’ll have to see who wants to control the break. UAE will be interested, Johansen is in the race lead after a brilliant ITT, UAE will want to keep him in the jersey for a couple of stages.

Hasselt > Tongeren 179km Ronde van Limburg is a race for the sprinters, I’m delighted to see Tim Merlier on the startlist. The Belgian had a delayed start to the season due to a knee injury, he’s now back to fitness and looking to get races (and wins) under his belt. Expect to see quite a lot of him over the next couple of months as he looks to fast-track his Tour de France build up.

Torre de Hércules > Torre de Hércules 14.9km ITT The opening stage in O Gran Camiño, a tricky individual time trial.

A new spot in the calendar for the Spanish stage race, hopefully it means much better weather than in previous editions. The route is the usual mix of ITT, sprint stages and GC days.