Binck Bank Tour 2018 – Overall Preview

By David Hunter

The organisers have decided to change the route and have gone back to a more traditional parcour, one that leaves me disappointed. The race is much easier and bonus seconds will have a big say in the outcome of the race.

Route

Stage 1

We open with the usual sprint in Bolsward. Narrow approach roads make this a very messy sprint.

Stage 2

The 2nd stage is a 12.5km ITT and will have a huge say in who wins the overall title.

Stage 3

Another one for the sprinters as we head into Belgium.

Stage 4

Classic finish in Ardooie, one of my favourite in cycling.

Stage 5

You guessed it, another sprint!

Stage 6

Doesn’t look selective enough for my liking. We do have a number of short climbs, but I can’t see gaps between the big GC riders.

Stage 7

The race ends with the traditional finish in Geraardsbergen and the organisers have tried to make it a little harder. The distance is up and we have one more lap of the circuit continuing the Muur, which is good news.

Weather

We have rain and wind predicted for the beginning of the week, which could turn a boring sprint stage into a GC day. That would be fun!

Contenders

Niki Terpstra – it all depends on his performance in the TT. Terpstra has enjoyed a wonderful season, but his lack of a sprint means that he will lose bonus seconds to others and it’s been a while since he’s performed very well in a TT. QuickStep have enjoyed an incredible season and they’ll expect to do well in this race. If Terpstra and Stybar are a little down going into the final stage, expect fireworks!

Soren Kragh Andersen – after some huge performances in the Tour de France, I feel a landmark win is on the horizon. The Dane is developing into a fine TT rider and packs a huge punch in uphill finishes. If he delivers a strong TT performance on Tuesday, it will put him into a terrific position. Backed up by Theuns and Matthews, he has the teammates required to chase down moves and he has to be considered as one of the big favourites for the title.

Dylan Van Baarle – it’s just not clicked yet for him at Sky. After missing out on Tour de France selection, I’m sure than Van Baarle will be super motivated to perform well in his home race. He is the Dutch TT champion and needs a strong performance against the clock to challenge for the overall title. Another rider who doesn’t have a sprint, he looks like a solid top 10 challenger, but nothing more.

Greg Van Avermaet – as usual, Van Avermaet starts as one of the big favourites. One issue for him is that he rides the Euro Road Race on Sunday and starts here on the Monday. If Monday becomes tough, because of the weather, he could suffer a little. Tuesday will be the big day in deciding his role in the GC as his TT performances are a bit hit and miss. That day, BMC expect Stefan Küng to go well, he could even take the race lead. This would be a good thing for GVA, allowing him freedom to cover moves in the final stage. With the easier route, I think it’s going to be difficult for him to win the overall.

Tim Wellens – has the potential to deliver one of the best TT performance of the GC riders. Wellens is another that is disappointed with the route, it makes it very difficult for him to win. The final stage has never been his favourite and his rivals are better on the Muur than him, making it very complicated to take his 3rd crown.

Jasper Stuyven – claimed the final stage in 2017, after a well timed attack in the closing stages. Similar to GVA, he arrives after competing in the Euro Road Race. Stuyven isn’t usually the best against the clock, making it almost impossible for him to win this title.

Oli Naesen – after seeing his classics season hammered by crashes and bad luck, I really hope that Naesen enjoys a period of good luck! After spending the summer on Bardet bodyguard duty, he arrives fresh and ready to challenge. Like many of his rivals, Naesen will suffer with the easier route and the increased importance of the TT. He’ll be challenging for the top 10, but the podium will be difficult.

Lars Boom – predicting when Boom is on form is rather difficult! This was the point in 2017 when he started to show signs of his old self and that could happen again. It’s contract year for the Dutchman and I don’t think he’ll have many teams at his door. If he wants to land a good contract, he needs to start performing.

Prediction Time

A big win for Soren Kragh Andersen. His TT is excellent and form seems very strong. It will be very hard for a non-TT specialist to win this race.

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