Category: Previews

Eijsden > Eijsden 193.5km The Limburg Classic is one of those races that some riders hate, in fact, quite a lot of riders hate. Constantly up and down, narrow roads, horrible weather, I can understand why most don’t want to be here. The good news is that it’s much better for the watching fans, it...

Estella > Estella 203.8km The bunch roll into town looking to get some racing in the legs before Itzulia starts on Monday. The route remains almost the same as the last couple of years, lots of little climbs to sap the strength before the steep climb and fast descent to the finishing line. Warren Barguil...

Brugge > Oudenaarde 273.3km The big one is here, the best race in the calendar. 282km, if you include the neutral section, and it’s rammed full of cobbles, climbs and cobbled climbs. This is everything I want from a bike race, and it’s in the home of cycling. Sit back, grab a beer, and enjoy...

Roeselare > Waregem 183.4km Dwars door Vlaanderen is a race that offers the sprinters a lot of hope, but it rarely ends in a sprint. In fact, just once in the last ten editions has it been one for the fast men, that was all the way back in 2016 when Jens Debusschere took the...

Barcelona (Montjuïc) 135.7km There’s a change compared to previous years; the organisers have inserted a harder climb at the beginning of the day. Good news for climbers looking to get in the break. Weather Another beautiful day with temperatures edging above 20 degrees. Early Climb 6.6km at 5.4% is an interesting climb, it’s a good...

Ypres > Wevelgem 260.8km Sitting between E3 and Flanders is Gent-Wevelgem, a race that offers so much to so many, but it often leads to disappointment. This is the one the sprinters think they can win, and it is possible, but it’s funny how this race always seems to throw obstacles in their way. Weather...

Martorell > Molins de Rei 173.9km Just a couple of days ago the organisers had to change the finale of this stage, removing the final climb and descent. The image above is the old stage, below is the new one. That climb was a tough one, meaning it was a nailed-on breakaway day, the new...

Tortosa / Lo Port 176.6km Another big GC day and the return of Lo Port, which was used as a finish back in 2017. Valverde was the winner that day, in front of Contador and Froome, in what was one of his best climbing performances, in my eyes at least. It’s a proper mountain, one...

Harelbeke > Harelbeke 202.1km After the fun of Milano-Sanremo, we head to Belgium for a race that never disappoints. Just 200km in length, but full of cobbles, hills, cobbled hills, narrow roads, and crosswinds. Not only that, but we get the second round of van der Poel v Van Aert v Pogačar v Pedersen v...

Llívia > Sabadell 188.0km A classic game of cat versus mouse, but who will win? Weather Another cracking day in Catalunya, it better stay like this for another week, as I’m heading there on Monday. The bad news for the break is the headwind for most of the day, it gives the bunch a fighting...