Obviously this race suffers from living in the shadow of the forum-favourite San Luis perennial epic. But it does offer World Tour points, and it is easier to access coverage, so I thought I would start a thread now that teams are being finalised.
The route is pretty similar to last year’s route. They seem to have chopped and changed a few stages, but there are no major new difficulties from what I can see.
Of more interest is the riders who are going to race. Picking a rider to win is always difficult, as it is unclear which riders are there for training, and which are there for WT points. However, there are some very interesting selections. Gerrans will fancy his chances of at least a stage win, as he always shows up well here. Unsurprisingly, it seems Greipel will ride again. He will have to lock horns with Kittel this year, which should be interesting. Other interesting sprinters include Ferrari (LAM) and Renshaw (OPQ).
But it is the riders more traditionally associated with GC bids at Grand Tours that catch the eye. Evans is on BMC’s squad, Frank Schleck is pencilled in for Trek’s debut race, and Richie Porte has the chance to prove he is a leader early this year in what appears to be a very big year for the Tasmanian.
Others to catch my eye were AG2R sending Bouet and their cobbles squad. And Hansen and Bakelants are two interesting strongmen.
BMC RACING TEAM (USA)
EVANS Cadel (AUS)
BOOKWALTER Brent (USA)
HERMANS Ben (BEL)
MOINARD Amael (FRA)
MORABITO Steve (SUI)
ZABEL Rick (GER)
WYSS Danilo (SUI)
ORICA GREENEDGE (AUS)
GERRANS Simon (AUS)
CLARKE Simon (AUS)
GOSS Matthew (AUS)
HAYMAN Mathew (AUS)
IMPEY Daryl (RSA)
MATTHEWS Michael (AUS)
DURBRIDGE Luke (AUS)
TEAM GIANT-SHIMANO (NED)
KITTEL Marcel (GER)
PETERSON Thomas (USA)
ARNDT Nikias (GER)
HUPOND Thierry (FRA)
FRÖHLINGER Johannes (GER)
DE KORT Koen (NED)
GESCHKE Simon (GER)
LOTTO-BELISOL (BEL)
GREIPEL Andre (GER)
HANSEN Adam (AUS)
DEBUSSCHERE Jens (BEL)
KAISEN Olivier (BEL)
ROELANDTS Jurgen (BEL)
SIEBERG Marcel (GER)
BROECKX Stig (BEL)
TREK FACTORY RACING (LUX)
SCHLECK Frank (LUX)
VOIGT Jens (GER)
VAN POPPEL Boy (NED)
FELLINE Fabio (ITA)
VAN POPPEL Danny (NED)
DIDIER Laurent (LUX)
WATSON Calvin (AUS)
TINKOFF-SAXO (DEN)
SORENSEN Nicki (DEN)
MCCARTHY Jay (AUS)
ANDERSEN Michael (DEN)
TRUSOV Nicolay (RUS)
JUUL JENSEN Christpher (DEN)
KOLAR Michael (SVK)
SUTHERLAND Rory (AUS)
SKY PROCYLING
PORTE Richie (AUS)
DEIGNAN Philip (IRL)
THOMAS Geraint (GBR)
EISEL Bernard (AUT)
ROWE Luke (GBR)
SUTTON Christopher (AUS)
STANNARD Ian (GBR)
AG2R LA MONDIALE (FRA)
BOUET Maxime (FRA)
BERARD Julien (FRA)
BONNAFOND Guillaume (FRA)
DANIEL Maxime (FRA)
DOMONT Axel (FRA)
GAUDIN Damien (FRA)
TURGOT Sébastien (FRA)
ASTANA (KAZ)
GASPAROTTO Enrico (ITA)
GRIVKO Andriy (UKR)
GAVAZZI Francesco (ITA)
WESTRA Lieuwe (NED)
HUFFMAN Evan (USA)
AGNOLI Valerio (ITA)
GUARNIERI Jacopo (ITA)
TEAM EUROPCAR (FRA)
VOECKLER Thomas (FRA)
ARASHIRO Yukiya (JPN)
QUEMENEUR Perrig (FRA)
THURAU Bjorn (GER)
REZA Kevin (FRA)
COUSIN Jérome (FRA)
TULIK Angelo (FRA)
KATUSHA (RUS)
BELKOV Maxim (RUS)
HALLER Marco (AUT)
IGNATYEV Mikhail (RUS)
KOCHETKOV Pavel (RUS)
SILIN Egor (RUS)
PORSEV Aleksandr (RUS)
VORGANOV Eduard (RUS)
FDJ. fr (FRA)
VEIKKANEN Jussi (FIN)
BONNET William (FRA)
COURTEILLE Arnaud (FRA)
ELISSONDE Kenny (FRA)
LECUISINIER Pierre-Henri (FRA)
ROUX Anthony (FRA)
SOUPE Geoffrey (FRA)
MOVISTAR TEAM (ESP)
ROJAS Jose Joaquin (ESP)
ERVITI Imanol (ESP)
GUTIERREZ Jose Ivan (ESP)
LOBATO Juan José (ESP)
VISCONTI Giovanni (ITA)
MORENO Javier ESP
PLAZA MOLINA Ruben (ESP)
GARMIN-SHARP (USA)
DENNIS Rohan (AUS)
BAUER Jack (NZL)
HAAS Nathan (AUS)
DEKKER Thomas (NED)
MORTON Lachlan (AUS)
FAIRLY Caleb (USA)
VONHOFF Steele (AUS)
OMEGA PHARMA - QUICK STEP (BEL)
BAKELANTS Jan (BEL)
ALAPHILIPPE Julian (FRA)
FENN Andrew (GBR)
PAUWELS Serge (BEL)
RENSHAW Mark (AUS)
TRENTIN Matteo (ITA)
VERONA QUINTANILLA Carlos (ESP)
BELKIN PRO CYCLING TEAM (NED)
GESINK Robert (NED)
BOBRIDGE Jack (AUS)
CLEMENT Stef (NED)
BROWN Graeme (AUS)
FLENS Rick (NED)
TANNER David (AUS)
TANKINK Bram (NED)
LAMPRE-MERIDA (ITA)
ULISSI Diego (ITA)
BONO Matteo (ITA)
CIMOLAI Davide (ITA)
FERRARI Roberto (ITA)
MORI Manuele (ITA)
VALLS FERRI Rafael (ESP)
WACKERMANN Luca (ITA)
CANNONDALE PRO CYCLING (ITA)
BENNETT George (NZL)
BETTIOL Alberto (ITA)
BOIVIN Guillaume (CAN)
KRIZEK Matthias (AUT)
MOHORIC Matejv (SLO)
VIVIANI Elia (ITA)
WURF Cameron (AUS)
DRAPAC PROFESSIONAL CYCLING (AUS)
CANTWELL Jonathan (AUS)
PALMER Thomas (AUS)
MEYER Travis (AUS)
CLARKE William (AUS)
SULZBERGER Bernard (AUS)
SULZBERGER Wesley (AUS)
LAPTHORNE Darren (AUS)
The route is pretty similar to last year’s route. They seem to have chopped and changed a few stages, but there are no major new difficulties from what I can see.
Of more interest is the riders who are going to race. Picking a rider to win is always difficult, as it is unclear which riders are there for training, and which are there for WT points. However, there are some very interesting selections. Gerrans will fancy his chances of at least a stage win, as he always shows up well here. Unsurprisingly, it seems Greipel will ride again. He will have to lock horns with Kittel this year, which should be interesting. Other interesting sprinters include Ferrari (LAM) and Renshaw (OPQ).
But it is the riders more traditionally associated with GC bids at Grand Tours that catch the eye. Evans is on BMC’s squad, Frank Schleck is pencilled in for Trek’s debut race, and Richie Porte has the chance to prove he is a leader early this year in what appears to be a very big year for the Tasmanian.
Others to catch my eye were AG2R sending Bouet and their cobbles squad. And Hansen and Bakelants are two interesting strongmen.
BMC RACING TEAM (USA)
EVANS Cadel (AUS)
BOOKWALTER Brent (USA)
HERMANS Ben (BEL)
MOINARD Amael (FRA)
MORABITO Steve (SUI)
ZABEL Rick (GER)
WYSS Danilo (SUI)
ORICA GREENEDGE (AUS)
GERRANS Simon (AUS)
CLARKE Simon (AUS)
GOSS Matthew (AUS)
HAYMAN Mathew (AUS)
IMPEY Daryl (RSA)
MATTHEWS Michael (AUS)
DURBRIDGE Luke (AUS)
TEAM GIANT-SHIMANO (NED)
KITTEL Marcel (GER)
PETERSON Thomas (USA)
ARNDT Nikias (GER)
HUPOND Thierry (FRA)
FRÖHLINGER Johannes (GER)
DE KORT Koen (NED)
GESCHKE Simon (GER)
LOTTO-BELISOL (BEL)
GREIPEL Andre (GER)
HANSEN Adam (AUS)
DEBUSSCHERE Jens (BEL)
KAISEN Olivier (BEL)
ROELANDTS Jurgen (BEL)
SIEBERG Marcel (GER)
BROECKX Stig (BEL)
TREK FACTORY RACING (LUX)
SCHLECK Frank (LUX)
VOIGT Jens (GER)
VAN POPPEL Boy (NED)
FELLINE Fabio (ITA)
VAN POPPEL Danny (NED)
DIDIER Laurent (LUX)
WATSON Calvin (AUS)
TINKOFF-SAXO (DEN)
SORENSEN Nicki (DEN)
MCCARTHY Jay (AUS)
ANDERSEN Michael (DEN)
TRUSOV Nicolay (RUS)
JUUL JENSEN Christpher (DEN)
KOLAR Michael (SVK)
SUTHERLAND Rory (AUS)
SKY PROCYLING
PORTE Richie (AUS)
DEIGNAN Philip (IRL)
THOMAS Geraint (GBR)
EISEL Bernard (AUT)
ROWE Luke (GBR)
SUTTON Christopher (AUS)
STANNARD Ian (GBR)
AG2R LA MONDIALE (FRA)
BOUET Maxime (FRA)
BERARD Julien (FRA)
BONNAFOND Guillaume (FRA)
DANIEL Maxime (FRA)
DOMONT Axel (FRA)
GAUDIN Damien (FRA)
TURGOT Sébastien (FRA)
ASTANA (KAZ)
GASPAROTTO Enrico (ITA)
GRIVKO Andriy (UKR)
GAVAZZI Francesco (ITA)
WESTRA Lieuwe (NED)
HUFFMAN Evan (USA)
AGNOLI Valerio (ITA)
GUARNIERI Jacopo (ITA)
TEAM EUROPCAR (FRA)
VOECKLER Thomas (FRA)
ARASHIRO Yukiya (JPN)
QUEMENEUR Perrig (FRA)
THURAU Bjorn (GER)
REZA Kevin (FRA)
COUSIN Jérome (FRA)
TULIK Angelo (FRA)
KATUSHA (RUS)
BELKOV Maxim (RUS)
HALLER Marco (AUT)
IGNATYEV Mikhail (RUS)
KOCHETKOV Pavel (RUS)
SILIN Egor (RUS)
PORSEV Aleksandr (RUS)
VORGANOV Eduard (RUS)
FDJ. fr (FRA)
VEIKKANEN Jussi (FIN)
BONNET William (FRA)
COURTEILLE Arnaud (FRA)
ELISSONDE Kenny (FRA)
LECUISINIER Pierre-Henri (FRA)
ROUX Anthony (FRA)
SOUPE Geoffrey (FRA)
MOVISTAR TEAM (ESP)
ROJAS Jose Joaquin (ESP)
ERVITI Imanol (ESP)
GUTIERREZ Jose Ivan (ESP)
LOBATO Juan José (ESP)
VISCONTI Giovanni (ITA)
MORENO Javier ESP
PLAZA MOLINA Ruben (ESP)
GARMIN-SHARP (USA)
DENNIS Rohan (AUS)
BAUER Jack (NZL)
HAAS Nathan (AUS)
DEKKER Thomas (NED)
MORTON Lachlan (AUS)
FAIRLY Caleb (USA)
VONHOFF Steele (AUS)
OMEGA PHARMA - QUICK STEP (BEL)
BAKELANTS Jan (BEL)
ALAPHILIPPE Julian (FRA)
FENN Andrew (GBR)
PAUWELS Serge (BEL)
RENSHAW Mark (AUS)
TRENTIN Matteo (ITA)
VERONA QUINTANILLA Carlos (ESP)
BELKIN PRO CYCLING TEAM (NED)
GESINK Robert (NED)
BOBRIDGE Jack (AUS)
CLEMENT Stef (NED)
BROWN Graeme (AUS)
FLENS Rick (NED)
TANNER David (AUS)
TANKINK Bram (NED)
LAMPRE-MERIDA (ITA)
ULISSI Diego (ITA)
BONO Matteo (ITA)
CIMOLAI Davide (ITA)
FERRARI Roberto (ITA)
MORI Manuele (ITA)
VALLS FERRI Rafael (ESP)
WACKERMANN Luca (ITA)
CANNONDALE PRO CYCLING (ITA)
BENNETT George (NZL)
BETTIOL Alberto (ITA)
BOIVIN Guillaume (CAN)
KRIZEK Matthias (AUT)
MOHORIC Matejv (SLO)
VIVIANI Elia (ITA)
WURF Cameron (AUS)
DRAPAC PROFESSIONAL CYCLING (AUS)
CANTWELL Jonathan (AUS)
PALMER Thomas (AUS)
MEYER Travis (AUS)
CLARKE William (AUS)
SULZBERGER Bernard (AUS)
SULZBERGER Wesley (AUS)
LAPTHORNE Darren (AUS)
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