Preview. From the 25th to 30th April 2023 the peloton will tackle the Swiss roads at the Tour de Romandie, on the French-speaking portion of the central European nation. It is a race that features opportunities for the time-trialists, sprinters, puncheurs and climbers, positioned between the spring classics and the Giro d'Italia.
With six stages on the road, two will be time-trials - with a prologue seeing the first leader's jersey given. The race provides terrain for different types of riders to succeed, however the main plot will be the fight for the overall classification which is set to implode in the Alps.
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Profiles & Route Tour de Romandie 2023
The race starts off with a short prologue in the town of Port-Valais of just under seven kilometers. It won't create big differences, however it will set some order in the GC and provide a fair fight for the first lead of the race. Stage one from Crissier to Vallée de Joux will see the riders tackle a rather hilly day, however one that's suited to the sprinters. It features three categorized climbs and no descent following the last, however it should be too far for any team to fully commit to preventing a bunch sprint.
Stage two from Morteau to La Chaux-de-Fonds is a traditional day in Romandie, in which the race will be very open. The climbers have their first opportunity to strike, however it is a day where the puncheurs should have the advantage, whilst the sprinters can't be discounted aswell taking into consideration how the race is ran. Aggressive racing is expected and many riders can succeed.
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Before the mountains, the fourth stage of the race features over 18 kilometers of individual time-trial. It will be in Châtel-St-Denis that this will take place, it's a long time-trial for the race's size however not a flat one. It's a tricky day where the uphills and downhills will be a serious challenge and many riders can surprise.
Whilst specific details are yet to be given, stage four of the race will be the queen stage. It is a classic aswell at the Swiss race, as the riders tackle the Rhône valley's many ascents, in a stage that culminates on the Thyon 2000 climb, where big gaps are expected.
The final day of the race sees the most suiting day for the fast men. From Vufflens-la-Ville to Genève, the peloton will tackle a day that features two categorized climbs, however they should not be too hard or close enough to the finish to deal serious damage.
Estimated start and finish times for Tour de Romandie stages:
Prologue: 14:50 - 17:30CET
Stage 1: 13:20 - 17:30CET
Stage 2: 13:25 - 17:25CET
Stage 3: 14:10 - 17:30CET
Stage 4: 10:55 - 15:50CET
Stage 5: 11:55 - 15:55CET
The Favourites
UAE - Here UAE have a significant portion of their Tour de France block. Without Pogacar, but the team comes in with Adam Yates who should be one of the main favourites for the overall classification. UAE have Rafal Majka to provide support and also see Juan Ayuso finally start his season after a long knee injury.
Simon Yates - Against Adam Yates should be his brother. The two Britons could actually find themselves being the main favourites for the GC fight which could make for very interesting images. Focusing on the Tour de France this year, Simon has a different calendar to the traditional. He's finished second at the Tour Down Under and fourth at Paris-Nice, but will be looking for his first World Tour stage-race win since 2020 Tirreno-Adriatico.
Romain Bardet - Another rider who could really benefit from the absence of the big hitters. Bardet has refound himself when joining DSM and won the Tour of the Alps last year but he has never actually won a World Tour stage-race. Doing so, and at this point in his career, would be quite special. DSM lack the team support but with only one mountain stage he could find himself quite high after displaying good form at the Ardennes.
Sergio Higuita - The Colombian was the winner of the only mountain stage last year, however the GC was decided in the final time-trial. The ITT's will prove a challenge for Higuita but the 25-year old has proven to be capable of riding strongly in the high-mountains. He will be the main card for BORA, however the German team also line up with Cian Uijtdebroeks.
Ion Izagirre - Perhaps the ultimate underdog. As is the case with Mikel Landa Izagirre was swarmed by a new generation over the last few years, but has this season ridden at an incredibly high and consistent level. Winner of the GP Miguel Indurain and third at Itzulia Basque Country were good signs at the beginning of April and he was on the attack a lot at Liège-Bastogne-Liège towards the finale. He could prove an interesting rider with the time-trials in a race that suits him. Last year's surprise podium finisher Simon Geschke isn't expected to be in the mix again but will make his presence felt.
Matteo Jorgenson - The American has had quite the spring. Winner of the Tour of Oman and eighth at Paris-Nice (where he rode quite strongly in the final day) were great signs, and then the leader of Movistar finished Top5 at both E3 Saxo Classic and the Tour of Flanders. He steered clear of the Ardennes and instead will have another great opportunity to net a strong result and is clearly a podium contender.
Michael Woods - Woods is back in great form. He finished sixth at the Volta a Catalunya and was active in the Ardennes including a fourth at Flèche Wallone. He should be up there in the climbs however it won't be easy to fight for a podium because of the time-trialing kilometers where he will suffer heavy losses.
Alexey Lutsenko - Lutsenko recently won the Giro di Sicilia and looked very good at Amstel Gold Race. However Flèche and Liège saw a Lutsenko again below his level. It could have been the build up fatigue, however with very little rest it won't be easy to see the Kazakh improving his level.
Kévin Vauquelin - Vauquelin has been riding under the spotlight of the big races and having a secondary calendar. Winner of the Tour des Alpes Maritimes and the recent Tour du Jura, Vauquelin definitely has the talent to fight with the best here. The high mountains aren't his best terrain but he's a talented climber and a good time-trialist, he will be an outsider for the GC.
Bahrain - Gino Mäder was second last year in the GC. He isn't quite consistent but in his home country motivation will be higher. After finishing fifth at Paris-Nice this spring he will for sure be one to keep under eye, with Bahrain - Victorious also having Damiano Caruso who is building towards the Giro d'Italia here.
Other outsiders could be present in the fight for the GC. The less prestigious field when it comes to GC riders opens things up which should make for an exciting and open race. Lenny Martínez, Thibaut Pinot, Geoffrey Bouchard, Egan Bernal, Rui Costa, Louis Meintjes, Steven Kruijswijk, Thomas Gloag and James Knox could all be within the Top10 under the right circumstances.
Prediction Tour de Romandie 2023 overall classification:
*** Adam Yates, Simon Yates
** Romain Bardet, Ion Izagirre, Matteo Jorgenson
* Juan Ayuso, Sergio Higuita, Lenny Martínez, Michael Woods, Kévin Vauquelin, Gino Mäder
Pick: Adam Yates
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