PREVIEW | Drôme Classic 2024 - Mattias Skjelmose and Juan Ayuso again among main favourites for hilly classic

Preview. On the 25th of February the French peloton tackles the second of two hilly classics. The Drôme Classic is another exciting day of racing and will certainly deliver for the classics specialists.

The route features many climbs. As in the Faun-Ardèche Classic the riders take on two loops of an initially hilly circuit, but then face the toughest climbs towards the end. Inside the final 75 kilometers there are none less than 8 categorized ascents, all of them either featuring challenging gradients, distance or both.

The finale into Étoile-sur-Rhône is also in a slight uphill drag, however only a few riders are expected to be within a shot of victory after so many different ascents that are to be faced.

*** Mattias Skjelmose, Maxim van Gils
** Juan Ayuso, Marc Hirschi, Benoît Cosnefroy
* Paul Magnier, Corbin Strong, Stephen Williams, Rémy Rochas, Kévin Geniets, Romain Bardet, Bastien Tronchon, Mathieu Burgaudeau

Pick: Mattias Skjelmose