The longest day in the race, this could be a day for a breakaway. As well as the usual preview fare there’s also a quick note below on the GP E3 Harelbeke which is planned to finish 20 minutes after today’s stage.
Where Are You?
Last week’s “Wash Your Hands” piece about pros and personal hygiene was a surprisingly popular read. It showed an often unreported but essential part of the job of a pro cyclist. With this in mind, time to look at the topic of “Whereabouts” reporting, the daily logging of location by athletes so that anti-doping authorities can visit for a control.
If you asked many riders about the worst part of the job some might complain about the rain, the crash risks or crappy hotels but many would reply in a flash with one word: Whereabouts.
Volta a Catalunya Stage 4 Preview
After yesterday’s introduction to the mountains today’s stage is the big one with a long, steep climb leading to a high altitude summit finish. It’s not certain to settle the race but will hand-pick the contenders.
Volta a Catalunya Stage 3 Preview
The race enters the Pyrenees for the first mountain stage but the final climb is not fierce. Instead this is a day when the descent could pick the winner because foul weather is forecast and the riders face a long and chilly ride down the top of the Coll de la Creueta in freezing temperatures. A battle between the big guns isn’t certain but they might feel compelled to turn up the heat… if the stage goes ahead.
UCI WorldTour Reforms
The UCI has announced bold and sweeping reforms to the men’s pro cycling system only they’re inside a PDF newsletter lurking on a quite corner of the UCI website. These build on plans announced last autumn, involve radical change and they are coming faster than expected. Let’s take a look.
Volta a Catalunya Stage 2 Preview
Clear goal-setting by @lukamezgec at February trainingcamp @tgiantshimano. Hard work and focus paid off. #Catalunya. pic.twitter.com/1MUNqiXkPL
— Adriaan Helmantel (@a3aanhelmantel) March 24, 2014
Luka Mezgec won yesterday but did he plan for a second stage win? Because today’s stage suits the sprinters as it speeds to Girona.
Volta a Catalunya Stage 1 Preview
I’ll be doing short previews for this races each morning. It’s a great event with a challenging course and, best of all, galactic startlist that seems many big names in action.
Here is the Stage 1 preview along with a quick take on route as a whole, the overall contenders and the Daily Diaz reprised from the Vuelta a Espana.
The Moment The Race Was Won: Milan-Sanremo
An old route but a new winner as Alexander Kristoff leads the sprint down the finishing straight. This was the moment the race was won.
Roads to Ride: Passo delle Erbe
The Dolomites are part of the Italian Alps and offer plenty of great cycling routes that are rich in race history. This month the site is sponsored by travel company Holimites and speaking to them about the best places to ride in the region I mentioned the usual suspects like the Passo Pordoi, Passo Giau and Selle Ronda but they came back with… the Passo delle Erbe.
This might not have the celebrity status of other mountain passes but it is probably the most scenic and with several routes to the top, there’s variety.
Milan-Sanremo Preview
So much talk about the route and now it’s time to focus on the race. This is the longest event on the calendar and loaded with prestige, history and action. Fate means this Sunday’s edition reverting to a pre-2008 course with neither the new climb of Pompeiana nor Le Mànie. It would be a gift to the sprinters only paradoxically these late changes mean many of them might not be ready for it.
Here’s the race preview for Sunday with the route, scenarios, contenders separated from pretenders as well as TV times, the weather and more.