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Geographically, you possibly can’t get a lot additional in western Europe from Good’s Promenade des Anglais than the Roman Empire-era lighthouse within the northwesterly Spanish metropolis of A Coruña. However for Jonas Vingegaard, the trail in the direction of a doable third Tour de France victory on the French Riviera subsequent July will begin there on Thursday for the O Gran Camiño, within the shadow of the two,000-year-old guardian of the rugged Galician shoreline.
Stage 1’s opening time trial of this 12 months’s O Gran Camiño race will end on the foot of the ‘Tower of Hercules’, as A Coruña’s lighthouse, the oldest still-functioning mannequin on the planet, is understood. Vingegaard might hardly discover himself thrown below a sharper highlight, both, given the 12-kilometre particular person race in opposition to the clock not solely marks his debut within the 2024 season, however can be the primary level when his at the moment unbeaten monitor report in O Gran Camiño may very well be challenged.
Victorious in all three phases – a fourth was suspended due to poor climate – and, naturally, the general within the 2023 Gran Camiño, all of which happen within the north-westerly area of Galicia, Vingegaard couldn’t have set the bar larger than final 12 months.
However his activity of defending his resounding first victory of 2023 will likely be rendered even tougher by a beefed-up opposition in 2024, that includes headline acts of the calibre of Egan Bernal and Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers), Richard Carapaz (EF Schooling-EasyPost) and David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ). The shadow forged by the outcomes from the Tower of Hercules time trial and the three very hilly phases by means of Galicia that comply with, then, will possible be a really lengthy one.
2024 Route
Following the opening 12-kilometre time trial, working nearly completely alongside A Coruña’s seafront, and with a small climb mid-way by means of to determine the primary mountains classification chief, there’s an abrupt swap of terrain to hillier inland roads on stage 2.
With over 3,000 metres of climbing, stage 2 takes O Gran Camiño deep inland to the province of Lugo. The double ascent of the class 2 Alto de San Pedro de Lincora, the second time round peaking out only a handful of kilometres away from the end in Chantada, might make this one other main GC day.
Stage 3, whereas additionally very hilly, has most of its climbing difficulties early on. Solely the third class climb of Alto de Couso, round 15 kilometres to go, will possible stop the fastmen from having their flip to shine within the end at Castelo de Ribadavia.
Stage 4 is a really totally different story, with every part to play for, together with the race total, within the final 100 kilometres. Operating completely by means of the mountains of south-west Galicia, the class 2 of Alto de San Cosme acts as an appetizer for the double ascent of the cat 1 climb of Monte Aloia. By no means dropping beneath 9.5% within the ultimate three kilometres, 4 ramps of between 18% and 20% ought to present a blast-off level for what is about to be one of many hardest early season occasions in Europe this spring.
Usually used within the now-defunct Vuelta a Galicia, the predecessor of O Gran Camiño, Monte Aloia within the Tui Nationwide Park was as soon as the scene of victories for riders of the calibre of Nineteen Nineties Italian star Claudio Chiappucci, Swiss all-rounder Fabian Jeker and Spanish Tour de France stage winner Marcos Serrano. It’s also a lot tougher than the Camiño summit finishes of final 12 months of Rubia and A Guarda, each solely half as lengthy and, not like the Monte Aloia, solely tackled as soon as.
The opposite vital modifications on this 12 months’s route are the place and size of Camiño’s particular person time trial, shifting from the final day to the primary, and being lower from 18 kilometres in 2023 to 12 kilometres in 2024. This nearly provides the time trial the texture of an extended prologue greater than a defining ingredient within the course, which can now nearly actually be selected the final ascent of the Monte Aloia.
Nevertheless, the most important query mark on how O Gran Camiño will play out this 12 months is to not do with any switches in terrain or rivals, however the climate. The vicious snowstorms which battered the peloton on the opening stage to power its suspension, should not present forecast to return. However Galician climate is famously unpredictable and this February organisers are crossing their fingers that present predictions of showers and sunny intervals all through this week in north-west Spain maintain true by means of til the summit of Aloia on Sunday afternoon.
A deeper discipline
With no disrespect supposed to the peloton of the 2023 O Gran Camiño, Vingegaard will face a way more highly effective set of rivals than final February. Ranging from the opening time trial, he’ll face present British Nationwide TT Champion and 2023 World TT bronze medallist Josh Tarling (Ineos Grenadiers). Given how he carried out final 12 months within the Tour’s Alpine time trial check, Vingegaard’s potential in opposition to the clock can hardly be known as into query. However on a way more simple course like A Coruña, there’s each probability that Tarling might give Vingegaard a run for his cash.
Preserve a watch open for Movistar’s Will Barta, too, who as soon as got here inside a whisker of a time trial victory in Galicia again within the 2020 Vuelta and clearly in good kind after his early season win on the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana.
Whereas neither Tarling nor Barta are anticipated to determine within the GC battle that follows, one notable absence from potential total contendership is Nairo Quintana (Movistar), lacking from the provisional begin listing due to COVID.
On the plus facet, Ineos Grenadiers have introduced an impressively highly effective lineup for Galicia – riders like Ethan Hayter, Carlos Rodriguez, Michal Kwiatkowski and Omar Fraile are all tried and examined at preventing for week-long stage races, whereas Egan Bernal confirmed steadily rising kind on for much longer climbs within the Tour Colombia.
Groupama-FDJ will possible be taking a look at Mount Aloia as their key check, the place established chief David Gaudu, fourth within the 2022 Tour de France, and their new climbing expertise Lenny Martinez might work collectively in a joint GC bid.
As for EF Schooling-EasyPost, Carapaz’ victory on the Alto de Vino within the Tour Colombia sharply raises his standing amongst the GC contenders, however as with Ineos, the American squad have a number of choices on the desk within the form of Rigoberto Urán, Hugh Carthy and Neilson Powless, and placings within the opening TT might be wanted to assist set up an inner GC hierarchy. One more fascinating rider within the EF lineup is Briton Lukas Nerurkar, who additionally rode very properly in final 12 months’s O Gran Camiño when with Trinity Racing.
However the primary focus, a minimum of initially, will logically be on Vingegaard and Visma-Lease A Bike. The Dutch staff’s inclusion of recent signings like Belgian GC expertise Cian Uijtdebroeks, at the moment certain for the Giro after a last-minute offseason switch from Bora-Hansgrohe, and stage racing specialist Ben Tulett, together with different extra established heavyweights like former Giro podium finisher Wilco Kelderman, means Vingegaard can rely on some stable climbing help. However it’s how the Dane performs himself that can come below the closest scrutiny this week in Galicia.
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