Eneco Tour 2015 – Stage 7 Preview
By David Hunter Sint Pieters Leeuw – Geraardsbergen 188.6km This is my favourite stage of the week, thanks to the finish in Geraardsbergen. Such a shame it no longer features in the Tour of Flanders.
By David Hunter Sint Pieters Leeuw – Geraardsbergen 188.6km This is my favourite stage of the week, thanks to the finish in Geraardsbergen. Such a shame it no longer features in the Tour of Flanders.
By David Hunter Heerlen – Houffalize 208.6km GC day is here. This is the stage they’ve all been waiting for. For starters, it’s nearly 210km, which decreases the number of potential winners. Secondly, we have some tough climbs. There is less climbing than yesterday but these climbs are much more challenging.
By David Hunter Riemst – Sittard 179.6km It’s time for a mini-Amstel Gold! I know they call it that and they want us to believe it but I need you to stop thinking of Amstel Gold, this is not it. At 180km, it’s not a particularly long race. They do cover 23 climbs, which will be…
By David Hunter Hoogerheide – Hoogerheide 14km ITT The sprinters have had their fun, it’s time for the GC riders to shine. The riders tackle a nice loop circuit, and despite the profile, is flat. The first thing to look at is the weather.
By David Hunter Beveren – Ardooie 171.9km The third stage of the race is a familiar one. The Eneco loves a finish in Ardooie, although some of the riders don’t. This is one of the most dangerous finishes in the World Tour. Last year, it took Zdenek Stybar out of the race, with a terrible crash….
By David Hunter Breda – Breda 180.7km The second stage sees the riders travelling around the roads of Breda. They do step into Belgium, for a very short period, before returning to Holland. The race ends with two laps of 29.7km. Breda hosted the ITT in 2014, and it’s a city that many riders are familiar…
By David Hunter Bolsward – Bolsward 183.5km The race begins with a circuit around the Dutch coastline. Any type of wind is dangerous, but the forecast looks like being kind. There is a small wind, coming from the south, not really enough to cause any damage. This should be a big, bunch sprint. With plenty of…
By David Hunter One of the best stage races, is back! The peloton returns to Holland and Belgium, for a rerun of the Spring Classics. Every year, this race delivers excitement and brilliant racing, I don’t expect anything different in 2015. The opening 3 stages are flat, and provide opportunities for the sprinters. However, if we…
By David Hunter Krakow – Krakow 25km The orgaisners have kept faith with the course used in 2014 and the riders have to tackle a flat, untechnical TT.
By David Hunter Bukovina – Bukovina 174km In my, not so humble opinion, this is one of the hardest stages in the World Tour. A regular fixture in the Tour of Poland, this is a stage to fear. Think of today and multiply by 10.
By David Hunter Nowy Sacz – Zakopane 223km The GC battle starts here. The riders face a long day in the saddle, with may challenges along the way. It’s another lap circuit, but this isn’t your normal route around a city. The circuit features 3 climbs:-
By David Hunter Jaworzno – Nowy Sacz 220km At last, mountains! After 3 days for the sprinters, the fun starts. We have a cat 2 climb, before two cat 1 climbs. Once off the descent, it’s another circuit race, with 3 laps of 7.6km.
By David Hunter Zawiercie – Katowice 166km Today was chaos. It was all going so well for Orica. They delivered a fantastic end to the stage, dominating from 3km out. They had plenty of men left too, but when Docker pulled off, it all went wrong. It was a little early for Ewan to launch his…
By David Hunter Czestochowa – Dabrowa Gornicza 146km Another short stage and another lap circuit. Once into the finishing town, the riders have 5 laps of a 10km circuit. There is a small climb, but nothing to worry about. Similarly, there are a few climbs at the start of the race, but again, they are not…
By David Hunter Racing returns to America, for the hardest race in the calendar. The Tour of Utah, prides itself in being much harder than all other American stage races, and it is! This year, they’ve decided to make it even harder. Instead on relying upon the same old stages, the organisers have thrown in some…
By David Hunter Livarot – Fougeres 190.5km The race continues it’s stay in Britanny, with a day designed for the sprinters. The profile isn’t easy, as the roads in this area are rarely flat. There is just one, cat 4 climb, so Daniel Teklahaimanot, will have another day in the KOM jersey. This stage is all…
By David Hunter Abbeville – Le Harve 191.5km Another stage that looks easier than it really is. We have three categorised climbs, all cat 4. Despite that, if a rider is first over all three, they will wear the Polka Dot jersey tomorrow. That means a few riders will try for the day’s break. A visit…
By David Hunter Arras-Amiens 189.5km After three difficult days, the riders would have been looking forward to this stage. That would have been until they looked at the weather forecast. This is another hard day in the saddle