Binck Bank Tour 2018 – Stage 5 Preview

By David Hunter

Sint Pieters Leeuw – Lanaken 209km

Last chance for the sprinters to shine.

This stage isn’t as easy as it first looks. Not only does the golden kilometre come very late, but we also have a technical lap circuit. The late golden kilometre is perfect for late attacks and a real point of concern for the peloton.

Finale

The 10km lap circuit contains 10 tight corners, this is not going to be pretty! If a late attacker gets a gap, they will quickly disappear from sight. After Stuyven’s move today, you can expect to see a few other riders trying the same. Trying to fight against them will be Jumbo, Katusha and Mitchelton-Scott, all of whom will want a stage win after a barren week. The closing circuits promises to be very entertaining.

The final 3km isn’t too bad, the difficulty is what comes before it.

Weather

Some cloud, some sun and little wind.

Kittel Watch

6km – the team are looking good, they are on the right of the road, with 4 men ahead of Kittel.

5km – Katusha are sitting just off the head of the bunch, in a great position. Kittel still has Dowsett, Schmidt and Zabel in front of him.

3.8km – Marcel survives the first fast corner, but now he and Zabel have become detached from Dowsett and Schmidt.

3.6km – it’s okay, they’re back together again!

3.5km – Kittel gets squeezed off Zabel’s wheel by an AG2R rider.

2.8km – Kittel is back on Zabel’s wheel and Katusha are very well placed near the front of the bunch.

2.6km – the boys look back at Marcel and he gives them the nod. Hit the front!

2.4km – Katusha hit the front, but inexplicably, Kittel has dropped off Zabel’s wheel.

1.6km – fast corner and Marcel has already lost far too many positions. Game over.

200m – Kittel has already sat up, as he passes Zabel who has done his job. Penny for your thoughts Rick!

Okay, this finish doesn’t suit Kittel, but his decision to pull off of Zabel’s wheel was crazy. The Katusha boys were brilliant today, the same cannot be said about Marcel.

Contenders

Caleb Ewan – would have been disappointed today, as he was miles faster than the rest. Ewan handled the finish very well, even with less men to help support him. Alex Edmondson was a DNF and that leaves the train looking a little weak. They still have Kluge, which is a massive plus, but they aren’t as strong as they would like. This finish is another one that Ewan will enjoy, he is one of the best in fast corners.

Dylan Groenewegen – would have been disappointed with today, especially as his team worked very hard on the front of the bunch. They lost position in the bunch with 4km to go, but Timo Roosen did an enormous turn to bring Groenewegen forward. Unfortunately, he lost his wheel, at the beginning of the technical section, which put him in a bad position for the sprint. Once the sprint launched, Groenewegen was horribly boxed in and couldn’t compete for the podium. Going into this stage, the Dutch sprinter will still have confidence in his ability, winning so many stages does that! If Jumbo get the lead out right, he’ll be challenging for the win.

Marcel Kittel – the corners in the circuit make it hard for Kittel, but the final 3km is actually quite easy. I think we’ll see Katusha hang back and wait until the final 3km before rushing to the front. If they can have Dowsett, Schmidt and Zabel left at this point, they still have enough power to deliver him into position. After some positive signs on Monday, Kittel will desperately hope to take a win before the race hits the hills.

Niki Terpstra – late attack option, number 1.

Tim Wellens – late attack option, number 2.

Prediction Time

I was very impressed by Katusha today, I’ll take a win for Marcel Kittel. He just needs to believe in Zabel and follow his wheel.

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