PREVIEW | Tour de l'Ain 2023 - Hugh Carthy the big favourite for the overall classification

Preview. From the 31st of July to the 2nd of August the French peloton see one more of it's stage-races. This time the riders take on a race within the Jura mountains in the Southeast of France, a race with opportunities for several kinds of riders.

Stage 1 of the race will see the riders travel from Loyettes to La Plaine Tonique. It's a short day on the bike with only 154 fast kilometers, and it should end in a bunch sprint which will attract some fast men. Stage 2 of the Tour de l'Ain is a tricky stage. It features four categorized climbs, the last of which is the Col de Portes which sees around 800 meters of climbing. The downhill finish into Lagnieu concludes a very short 124-kilometer stage where the overall classification will open. 

The queen stage, stage 3, which is the Tour de l'Ain classic. A short, explosive and mountainous stage where the decisive attack can come in many different places. The Col de Menthières is 9.2 kilometers long at 6.3% and is the toughest ascent of the day, which will then lead the riders into Lélex Monts-Jura for the race finale.

*** Hugh Carthy, Cristian Rodríguez
** Jesús Herrada, Jefferson Cepeda
* Michael Storer, Kenny Elissonde, Aurelien Paret-Peintre, Damien Howson

Pick: Cristian Rodríguez