Domessargues > Marguerittes 167km Magnier took a great win today, he’ll be keen on doubling up, but there’s plenty of fast men here who’ll fancy this stage.

Bellegarde > Bellegarde 159km The final stage is a smash fest up the final lump to the line, but you’ve got to get there first. Last two times we had this finish, it was won by De Lie and Pedersen, it’s made for sprinters with a lot of grunt.

Orihuela > Orihuela 34.3km TTT The race starts with a 34.3km TTT. I’ve already had a good moan about this in my overall preview, so I won’t go over old ground. A TTT of this length is bound to see big gaps. The time of the fourth rider across the line is the important one. Please note, the organisers have made the time cut off a very generous 35%. They don’t want anyone going home after the first stage.

I’m not sure why the organisers thought that starting the race with a 34km TTT was a good idea, but that’s what we’ve got. Of course, it’s going to have a huge impact on the type of race we get, I pray at least a couple of teams are close as the race could be very boring if not. Anyway, enough of me moaning, time to look at the race.

The big news about the route is that Mont Bouquet is back, which means Mads Pedersen is going to find it impossible to successfully defend his title. Instead, it gives a climber who can TT well a big shot at taking the win.

Marseille > Marseille 164km The first French race in 2025, it’s the usual season opener in Marseille. Route des Crêtes is the main climb and the organisers like to vary where they put it in the day. They’ve stuck with the 2024 position, which means it crests with 24km to go, which is bad news for the sprinters.

Palma > Palma 151km After today’s race was cancelled, the sprinters will be happy to hear that conditions should be fine for the final race of the week. It’s the usual finish in Palma, it should be a nailed-on sprint.

Geelong > Geelong 183km The men’s edition of this race more often than not ends in a reduced sprint, but there’s always a chance a small group can escape in the finale. The uncertainty over the type of finish is what makes this a good race to watch.

Andratx > Pollença 152km It’s the 4th day of racing in Mallorca and after today they’ll be some sore bodies. Quite a few riders hit the deck, and some will also be feeling it after a cold day on the bike. This is another race for the climbers, it ends with a tricky uphill finale.

AlUla Camel Cup Track > AlUla Camel Cup Track 167km The final stage should be one for the sprinters, but there’s enough to keep other types of riders interested. With a bit of wind around, the GC riders will have to be on their guard too. This is similar to stage 3 from last year, that day it did split in the wind and Merlier won a reduced sprint in the camel track.