Banyoles > Figueres 176km The first stage was a day to forgot for the majority of the peloton, but a day to remember for Matt Brennan. To pull for 2km with Groves in the wheel and still have enough to drop him in the sprint, and close a huge gap to Del Grosso, was out of this world. He’s in the race lead and will be hopeful of consecutive wins.

Sant Feliu de Guíxols > Sant Feliu de Guíxols 177km The race starts with the usual uphill finish in Sant Feliu de Guíxols. Past winners include Matthews (x2), Roglič and Schultz. The top 10 is normally a weird mix of climbing sprinters and GC riders, I expect something similar again this year.

The 104th edition of this grand, old race. One that can be seriously impacted by bad weather, the riders will be hoping the weather Gods are smiling. La Molina is back but there’s also some finishes that haven’t been used for a long time. It promises to be a hard week of racing.

Pavia > Sanremo 291km The first monument of the season. There are many previews out there you can read for free, you need to pay to see my one. Yes, it’s worth it.

Bredene > Koksijde 200km It looks easy, but if the wind blows, this is a brutal race. If it’s a calm day, the race will end in a big sprint, but what does the all-important forecast say?

Denain > Denain 196km There’s been a few changes to the route, but there’s still lots of cobbles, 13 sectors and 23.9km to be exact. Last year, Steimle won from the morning break and Molano won from a small group in 2023. It’s a tough race but a sprint finished cannot be ruled out.

Deinze > Nokere 188.3km The Nokere Koerse is usually an exciting race, there’s a reasonable amount of cobbles, enough to keep me happy on a Wednesday afternoon. This year, the finish has been changed, no more Nokereberg, the organisers have decided the fast downhill run into the finish is too dangerous, but it’s still included earlier in the race when the pace isn’t as high. Will this change the type of race we get?

Rho > Superga 174km The return of Superga, which hasn’t been in the race since 2021. Back then the race was in October, where it used to sit in the calendar, now it’s March and that does change who can win here. Of course, it’s still going to be a climber, but it should be a little more open than the autumn editions.

Nice > Nice 120km After a gruelling week, the riders get ready for another demanding stage. It’s the usual finish in Nice, but the organisers have changed the start of the day. Out goes a series of cat 2 climbs, in comes Col de la Porte. The final 50km remains the same with Côte de Peille, Col d’Èze and Quatre Chemins. It’s usually one of the best stages in the whole year.

Porto Potenza Picena > San Benedetto del Tronto 147km The final stage of the week is the usual sprint in San Benedetto del Tronto. The organisers have played around with the hilly section of the race, this year it looks a little easier than previous editions, stopping it from ending in a sprint will be very difficult. Ganna is 1 second behind Tiberi in 2nd, I wonder if Ineos will go for the intermediate sprint and get the big man up to an incredible position on GC.