Trofeo Playa de Palma – Preview

By @EchelonsHub

We reach the end of the week in Spain. Mallorca always provides for an exciting start to the European season and this year was no exception, we have an easier day for the sprinters to wrap it off tomorrow.

The Route

To wrap off racing in Spain we’ve got the Trofeo Playa de Palma. The race goes into the main urban area of the island from what is the classic sprint finish by the sea, here only the wind can wreck some plans, and the only thing you have got to look at is the sprint.

Good thing is, you don’t actually have to study it. 11 kilometer circuit and the final kilometers have nothing of technical. Perfect leadout train practice, the circuit is completely flat and it is ideal for the powerhouses to net an important early-season win.

The Weather

Slight breeze from the southwest. Won’t be important throughout the day, in the final sprint it may make a little difference though as it will come as a tailwind.

Tactics

There isn’t much to analyse really. Flat day, the climb won’t be hard enough to attack or make any differences and the weather won’t make a difference, so it’s all about the leadout and the final kick in the end.

The Favourites

UAE – They blew it on the first opportunity, the amount of quality they brought meant their main sprinter Pascal Ackermann ended up blocked on the first sprint, here they have a chance to redeem themselves, and the German should remain the leader of the team. Juan Sebastian Molano and Ryan Gibbons are always possibilities though, as the team come in with a massive leadout.

Intermarché – Binian Ghirmay took a surprising and strong win in Alcudia and we’re left to think of what tactics will the Belgian team have tomorrow. Will Ghirmay try to leadout Alexander Kristoff? Will it be the other way around? Or will the team want to give both freedom to do their thing? Only they will know, Kristoff has here in theory a very good opportunity but Ghirmay himself is likely not shy to try and go for a second win.

Giacomo Nizzolo – Runner-up in Alcudia, Israel have a good lineup to support him here including fast man Rudy Barbier, and he will be licking his lips to try and finally net his early-season win here.

The win will come from one of the riders above, but there will be more fighting for the podium, perhaps something more under the right circumstances. Matthew Walls will be leading Bora and is an enigmatic rider, very well suited for a race like this though, and on the field of pure sprinters there are some more riders to consider. Giovanni Lonardi and Eduard Grosu are perhaps the biggest names, and then you have some non-pure sprinters who can also get in the fight like Ivan Cortina, Michael Matthews and Hugo Hofstetter.

Inside The Bus

This morning I talk to…

#216 Oscar Peligri – Oscar it was a nice week, getting some racing in the legs. We don’t have big chances tomorrow but Manuel is confident he can go for a good sprint, we can’t contest with the big leadouts but we have to make sure we protect him as much as possible and have him in a good position at least for the final kilometers.

#294 Juan Diego Hoyos – You did a great race in Valencia Juan with a Top10 so hey, why not try it again? Who knows, we don’t necessarily have a fast man so we will try and give you some good assistance, it won’t be a technical sprint, I think you will learn a lot by seeing how the big World Tour sprinters ride so try and follow some big wheels, as for the result, the best possible really.

#85 Sam Bewley – Sam, we have Michael here, he doesn’t pose much of a chance but he’s our leader and you have the responsibility to make sure that he at least has the possibility of fighting for the win. Wether he can or not I don’t know, Dion has the main leadout duty, you will be part of the guys that just have to organize yourselves and have Michael in striking distance in the final meters.

Prediction Time

⭐⭐⭐ Ackermann, Nizzolo, Ghirmay

⭐⭐ Kristoff, Gibbons, Walls

⭐ Molano, Barbier, Matthews, Hofstetter, Lonardi, Cortina

I think UAE have the strongest team but will somehow miss the chance again, Ackermann was inconsistent last year and began this one the same way. Nizzolo is the most consistent and strongest sprinter when you combine both factors, he’s my guess for the win tomorrow.

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Rúben Silva

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