Author: cyclingmole

Olost > La Molina 180.2km With just over 4000m of climbing, this is a tough day in the saddle. The race finishes with La Molina, a climb that rarely causes gaps between the best riders, but it all depends on how the climb is ridden. Weather A lovely day. The Climbs This is Coll de...

Brugge > De Panne 211.8km One of those days where you’d much rather be watching on TV rather than being in the race. It’s a race that’s for the sprinters, but it won’t be a big sprint this year. Weather Lots of wind and a bit of rain too. The wind is coming from the...

Mataró > Vallter 165.4km The first of the big GC days. Roglič and Evenepoel finished one and two in today’s sprint finish, what’s the chances of a repeat? Weather Another nice day for the riders and there’s a gentle tailwind on the climb. The Climb Vallter 2000 is a climb most of this bunch know...

Sant Feliu de Guíxols > Sant Feliu de Guíxols 164.6km The opening stage is just about the same as last year, it should be a big sprint, but one that tests everyone to the limit. Weather A sunny start to the week. The Climb This is the final categorised climb of the day. It starts...

It’s the 102nd edition of this beautiful race, and it’s the hardest route I can remember. Instead of the usual two mountaintop finishes, this year we’ve got three, I am a happy boy. The opening stage is basically the same as last year when Michael Matthews beat Sonny Colbrelli in a gruelling uphill sprint. You’ll remember...

Bredene > Koksijde 190.5km The race will follow a normal scenario. An uneventful opening 80km, then the bunch splits on the climbs, then the peloton see if they can catch the front group. Normally, the cat wins the chase, but the weather can always cause havoc in this part of the world.  Weather Could be...

Denain > Denain 194.8km The organisers have changed it up this year, but quite a few of the cobbled sectors remain the same. The last couple of years haven’t been as selective as I would have hoped, but this year could well be different. Weather Lots of wind, and there could be some rain around....

Rho > Orbassano 193.4km It’s going to be a big sprint, but the finish is different from last year. Weather Nice and sunny. There’s a bit of wind around at the start, but it quickly disappears. Finale A big straight road into town but punctuated by several roundabouts. They come at 5.1km, 4.8km, 3.4km, 2.7km,...

Deinze > Nokere 193.1km The same route as last year, which means the usual mix of cobbles and little climbs, it’s a race that usually ends in a sprint, but it does offer the classics riders a little hope. Weather Temperatures will be around 7 degrees, so it’s not going to warm. The wind will...

Abbiategrasso > Sanremo 293.5km The same finish as usual, the same gruelling test of stamina, it can only be Milano-Sanremo. Weather Not too hot, not too cold, not too windy. A good racing day. Crucially, there’a lot of tailwind on both the Cipressa and Poggio. Key Points The Cipressa. Hold onto your hats, time to...