The worst designed race of the world is back, just this time with only 8 stages and in the 2.1 category
prolgue: Kitzbüheler Horn (700m)
Probably the strangest prologue I've ever seen. Not even one kilometer long but over 11% steep and the strangest thing is that this is actually a long climb, but the start of the stage is almost at the top. That's like making a MTT on the Zoncolan but starting after the tunnel. Due the the short length there also won't be any important time gaps, so we can assume, this stage only exists because Kitzbühel payed for it but the organizers noticed that 5 uphill finishes would just be too ridiculous.
stage 1: Innsbruck - Salzburg (186.2 km)
Stage 1 connects the host town of the WC 2018 with the host town of the WC 2006 and it is located in the middle of the Austrian alps and is therefore the first real...sprint stage? Well I guess it makes sense considering how many mountain stages are still to come, but generally making such a flat stage in this area is really sad. As you can see on the map, the riders leave Austria for a few kilometers before Salzburg, and ride through the "Deutsches Eck" (which translated means German corner). Maybe the bumps you can see on the profile are even hard enough to prevent a bunch sprint, but it's difficult to say how hard they really are.
stage 2: Mondsee - Steyr (205.5 km)
The next boring day and although there are of course still many climbs they could have put into this stage it at least makes a little bit more sense here. There is a 2nd category climb near the start of the stage but besides that nothing really worth mentioning besides the fact that this region will at least cause some beautiful camera pics.
stage 3: Ardagger - Sonntagberg (181.1 km)
The first medium mountain stage might already be the crucial one. There are still way more difficult climbs on the following days but the Sonntagberg is not an easy 3rd category climb and whoever is the best there has a high chance to also be the best on the remaining climbs of the tour. For example in 2014 Peter Kennaugh got the lead of the race on the first day due to a stage win here and then went on to win the whole race. The climb is 3.1 kilometers long and over 10% steep and the last few hundred meters are on cobbles. This should cause the first serious time gaps between the favorites and a very interesting finish.
stage 4: Rottenmann - Edelweißspitze (182.2 km)
After the first mtf on stage 3, stage 4 is definitely the queen stage of the Österreichrundfahrt this year. After the start in Rottenmann the majority of the stage is hilly and there isn't a lot of flat, though the only two categorized climbs in the middle of the stage will be Ramsau and Embach, both 3rd category. However the really interesting part starts a little bit later only about 20 kilometers before the finish, where the road starts to really go uphill. The following climb, the "Edelweißspitze", is harder than any climb used in a gt this year, and a climb which has partly never been used in a cycling race before. The majority of this ascent is simply the Großglockner Hochalpenstraße, a climb which gets used in the Österreich Rundfahrt almost always and has also already been used in the Giro. But where the normal climb is almost over, this year the riders have to drive on into a 1.5 kilometer long and over 10% steep, cobbled one way street up to the Edelweißspitze. This is just absolutely brutal and you can hardly find any more difficult mtf's in the whole history of gt's, because also don't forget, this is on an extremely high altitude, which will make everything even more difficult. And besides the difficulty, this climb is very scenic too.
stage 5: Millstatt - Dobratsch (147.3 km)
The hardest day of the race is over, but the next one will still be very difficult, because of another mtf, this time on the Dobratsch. Don't let you confuse by the categorization, this is surely no 1st category climb, the Dobratsch is without any doubt HC, with 16.8 km at 7%. If the leader of the race doesn't have a huge advantage on the 2nd place after the Großglockner anyway, there is still a lot that could happen hear. Unfortunately nothing on earlier climbs since this is a one climb stage, but the Dobratsch is still long enough to put pressure on the leader if you attack early. However after this stage the gc will probably be decided. There is still one option to take time, but not a lot, so except if the gap between 1st and 2nd isn't bigger than 20 or maybe 30 seconds we will most likely know the winner of the race after this stage.
stage 6: Graz - Stegersbach (203.9 km)
The high mountains are over, but the riders can still fight for stage wins and therefore this could still be an interesting day. There are two categorized climbs, not too far away from the finish, and especially the first one has an altitude difference of almost 500 meters and is therefore quite difficult. It will be hard for the sprinters to win here, so the break should have a good chance.
stage 7: Bad Tatzmannsdorf - Wien/Kahlenberg (179.8 km)
The last stage of the Österreich Rundfahrt finishes in the capital of the country, but not in the centre of the city, but on one of the hills around it, the Kahlenberg. Although this ascent is't categorized on the profile, it definitely deserves to be, since it has more than 250 of altitude difference and even more important, this climb is cobbled. The cobbles are in a very good condition, but they will make it a little bit more difficult and a very interesting finish. Hard to say if a good classics rider or a real climber will win here, but it should be a big fight. Unfortunately the organizers decided not to use any of the 5000 other climbs in this area to give riders a chance to attack from a little bit further out and make this last stage interesting. Oh well. The winner of both the stage will then be honored with a ceremony with hopefully some beautiful camera picks of the winner with the big city Vienna in the background, since you won't find a better view on the capital than from the Kahlenberg.
The Teams
source: http://www.oesterreich-rundfahrt.at
And finally the best news of the race, it will be completely broadcasted live, but only in Austria. Nevertheless I hope that there will be some streams for the race available so you can all watch it live, since there is no other interesting race going on at the same time anyway
prolgue: Kitzbüheler Horn (700m)
Probably the strangest prologue I've ever seen. Not even one kilometer long but over 11% steep and the strangest thing is that this is actually a long climb, but the start of the stage is almost at the top. That's like making a MTT on the Zoncolan but starting after the tunnel. Due the the short length there also won't be any important time gaps, so we can assume, this stage only exists because Kitzbühel payed for it but the organizers noticed that 5 uphill finishes would just be too ridiculous.
stage 1: Innsbruck - Salzburg (186.2 km)
Stage 1 connects the host town of the WC 2018 with the host town of the WC 2006 and it is located in the middle of the Austrian alps and is therefore the first real...sprint stage? Well I guess it makes sense considering how many mountain stages are still to come, but generally making such a flat stage in this area is really sad. As you can see on the map, the riders leave Austria for a few kilometers before Salzburg, and ride through the "Deutsches Eck" (which translated means German corner). Maybe the bumps you can see on the profile are even hard enough to prevent a bunch sprint, but it's difficult to say how hard they really are.
stage 2: Mondsee - Steyr (205.5 km)
The next boring day and although there are of course still many climbs they could have put into this stage it at least makes a little bit more sense here. There is a 2nd category climb near the start of the stage but besides that nothing really worth mentioning besides the fact that this region will at least cause some beautiful camera pics.
stage 3: Ardagger - Sonntagberg (181.1 km)
The first medium mountain stage might already be the crucial one. There are still way more difficult climbs on the following days but the Sonntagberg is not an easy 3rd category climb and whoever is the best there has a high chance to also be the best on the remaining climbs of the tour. For example in 2014 Peter Kennaugh got the lead of the race on the first day due to a stage win here and then went on to win the whole race. The climb is 3.1 kilometers long and over 10% steep and the last few hundred meters are on cobbles. This should cause the first serious time gaps between the favorites and a very interesting finish.
stage 4: Rottenmann - Edelweißspitze (182.2 km)
After the first mtf on stage 3, stage 4 is definitely the queen stage of the Österreichrundfahrt this year. After the start in Rottenmann the majority of the stage is hilly and there isn't a lot of flat, though the only two categorized climbs in the middle of the stage will be Ramsau and Embach, both 3rd category. However the really interesting part starts a little bit later only about 20 kilometers before the finish, where the road starts to really go uphill. The following climb, the "Edelweißspitze", is harder than any climb used in a gt this year, and a climb which has partly never been used in a cycling race before. The majority of this ascent is simply the Großglockner Hochalpenstraße, a climb which gets used in the Österreich Rundfahrt almost always and has also already been used in the Giro. But where the normal climb is almost over, this year the riders have to drive on into a 1.5 kilometer long and over 10% steep, cobbled one way street up to the Edelweißspitze. This is just absolutely brutal and you can hardly find any more difficult mtf's in the whole history of gt's, because also don't forget, this is on an extremely high altitude, which will make everything even more difficult. And besides the difficulty, this climb is very scenic too.
stage 5: Millstatt - Dobratsch (147.3 km)
The hardest day of the race is over, but the next one will still be very difficult, because of another mtf, this time on the Dobratsch. Don't let you confuse by the categorization, this is surely no 1st category climb, the Dobratsch is without any doubt HC, with 16.8 km at 7%. If the leader of the race doesn't have a huge advantage on the 2nd place after the Großglockner anyway, there is still a lot that could happen hear. Unfortunately nothing on earlier climbs since this is a one climb stage, but the Dobratsch is still long enough to put pressure on the leader if you attack early. However after this stage the gc will probably be decided. There is still one option to take time, but not a lot, so except if the gap between 1st and 2nd isn't bigger than 20 or maybe 30 seconds we will most likely know the winner of the race after this stage.
stage 6: Graz - Stegersbach (203.9 km)
The high mountains are over, but the riders can still fight for stage wins and therefore this could still be an interesting day. There are two categorized climbs, not too far away from the finish, and especially the first one has an altitude difference of almost 500 meters and is therefore quite difficult. It will be hard for the sprinters to win here, so the break should have a good chance.
stage 7: Bad Tatzmannsdorf - Wien/Kahlenberg (179.8 km)
The last stage of the Österreich Rundfahrt finishes in the capital of the country, but not in the centre of the city, but on one of the hills around it, the Kahlenberg. Although this ascent is't categorized on the profile, it definitely deserves to be, since it has more than 250 of altitude difference and even more important, this climb is cobbled. The cobbles are in a very good condition, but they will make it a little bit more difficult and a very interesting finish. Hard to say if a good classics rider or a real climber will win here, but it should be a big fight. Unfortunately the organizers decided not to use any of the 5000 other climbs in this area to give riders a chance to attack from a little bit further out and make this last stage interesting. Oh well. The winner of both the stage will then be honored with a ceremony with hopefully some beautiful camera picks of the winner with the big city Vienna in the background, since you won't find a better view on the capital than from the Kahlenberg.
The Teams
source: http://www.oesterreich-rundfahrt.at
And finally the best news of the race, it will be completely broadcasted live, but only in Austria. Nevertheless I hope that there will be some streams for the race available so you can all watch it live, since there is no other interesting race going on at the same time anyway
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