Tag: Tour de Suisse

Tour de Suisse 2016 Preview

If you only watch bike racing in June for the Tour de France implications, the Critérium du Dauphiné far outweighs the Tour de Suisse with its startlist of potential yellow jersey hopefuls. However, if you can appreciate incredible scenery and a good one-week showdown, the Suisse has plenty to offer. VH previews the action, which kicks of Saturday in Baar.

The Route

The Suisse begins with a few quieter stages but things turn quite mountainous midway through the race.

Things kick off with a short time trial unlikely to have too much of a GC impact. Then come three straight sprinter- or puncheur-friendly days that will have the overall hopefuls mostly looking to stay safe before a brutal final five stages.

Stage 5 is short at under 130km, but an hors-categorie finish after an HC and Cat. 1 duo will be brutal. Stage 6 follows that up with an HC climb into a Cat. 1 finish. Anyone hoping for a rest day after that will be disappointed by Stage 7, a long one at 224km with an early hors categorie climb and then an HC-rated summit finish.

The Stage 8 time trial is short at 16.8km but it could still have some impact on the race. Expect a few contenders to come up empty against the clock after three straight mountain stages.

Stage 9 closes things out with one last day at high altitudes. While very short (it’s less than 120km from start to finish) the route includes two HC-rated climbs sure to provide excitement.

The General Classification Contenders

This is one of the most mountainous WorldTour one-weekers in recent memory. The climbers will be licking their chops for this opportunity to put their skills on display, though some TT ability could provide the winning edge.

Tejay van Garderen will be motivated to perform given how well Richie Porte is doing in the Dauphiné. When healthy, he’s proven that he can climb with the very best, and of course he has the time trialing skills to seal the deal. I like his chances in the Suisse.

Geraint Thomas is similarly well-rounded. Runner-up in 2015, the Welshman will be very dangerous on these long, grinding climbs. Leopold König is a strong second option.

Rui Costa, three-time winner at the Suisse, has an extra gear for this race. The parcours this year could make things difficult, as Costa may struggle on the very toughest climbs, but he’s one of the few riders in attendance likely to be seriously targeting the win.

Last year’s winner Simon Spilak is another big name that comes to mind as likely to be going 100% for the overall victory. Never a rider for the grand tours, Spilak thrives in Swiss one-week races, and he should be in shape to contend here.

Ion Izagirre also specializes in one-week success. The high mountains will prove challenging, but Izagirre has been very impressive when he has been given opportunities to ride for his own ambitions.

Cannondale’s dynamic duo of Andrew Talansky and Joe Dombrowski, LottoNL-Jumbo’s pairing of Wilco Kelderman and Robert Gesink, rising star Miguel Ángel López, home rider Mathias Frank, veteran JC Peraud, and young gun Warren Barguil are other potential protagonists for the overall.

The Stagehunters

The marquee bunch sprinters of the pro peloton are skipping out on a Tour de Suisse that has little to offer them, leaving Fernando Gaviria as the biggest name “pure” sprinter in the field. However, Peter Sagan, Michael Matthews, Philippe Gilbert, and Michael Albasini bring plenty of speed to contest what could be a few reduced gallops in the early stage of the race.

Tim Wellens, Fabian Cancellara, Silvan Dillier, and Zdenek Stybar are others to watch in the stagehunting game.

VeloHuman Top 10 Overall Favorites

Winner: Tejay van Garderen
Podium: Geraint Thomas, Rui Costa
Other Top Contenders: Simon Spilak, Ion Izagirre, Andrew Talansky, Wilco Kelderman, Warren Barguil, Leopold König, Miguel Ángel López, Mathias Frank

Photo by youkeys (CC).

June 11, 2016
The Recon Ride Podcast: Tour de Suisse 2016

Episode 46: Tour de Suisse 2016 Pre-race Show

The Recon Ride dives into the Tour de Suisse, the “other” Tour de France tune-up race.

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Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano take a closer look at the parcours and the start list of the 2016 Tour de Suisse.

Photo by will_cyclist (CC).

June 9, 2016
Tour de Suisse 2015 Preview

As the Dauphiné nears its conclusion, a sizeable contingent of cycling’s top stars who aren’t racing in France have made a trip to Switzerland. Nine days in total with flats, hills, mountains, a short ITT, and a long one, the 2015 edition of the Tour de Suisse has something for everyone.

The Route

The race opens with a 5.1km ITT that will serve to put a rider into an early leader’s jersey, but will likely not have that much of an effect on the General Classification as it is so short (and flat). The day that follows is more challenging than you might expect for such an early stage in a nine-day race: Stage 2 closes out with plenty of up and down. The riders will take on the Cat. 1 Michaelskreuz climb, zoom back down the other side, circle back to the foot of the climb to do it one more time, and then zoom down to the finish line.

Stages 3 and 4 have a few bumps (including the extremely challenging Gotthardpass at the beginning of Stage 3) but less challenging finishes will likely make these days more for the stagehunters than the GC favorites.

Stage 5 will be the most difficult mountain test for the overall contenders. It’s a long day of racing, 237.3 kilometers, punctuated by two HC-rated climbs, one near the midpoint of the stage, the other making for the stage finale.

Stage 5: Unterterzen › Sölden (237.3km) – The fifth stage of the Tour de Suisse will give the pure climbers every opportunity to build an advantage before the long time trial at the end of the race.

This is not a stage for the faint of heart, and not one likely to be forgiving to anyone at a loss for form.

Hilly but not overly challenging Stages 6 and 7 look like they will favor the sprinters or puncheurs. Stage 8 will put the riders to the test with a very bumpy profile that, despite a lack of any truly vicious climbs, should offer opportunities for aggressors to try to stir up the pot.

The Tour de Suisse finishes with a 38.4km time trial in Bern. The profile of Stage 9’s ITT features an irregular climb and similarly uneven descent right in the middle of the route, but it’s not a hill climb time trial by any means, and should favor the big engines in the peloton.

The General Classification Contenders

Rui Costa has won this race three years running, but he won’t be taking the victory this year, having eschewed the Swiss race for the Dauphiné. In his absence, this is a wide open race, one of the most open stage races of the year. There are plenty of big talents on the startlist but none stand out as five-star favorites.

Sky will bring a strong contingent of starters to Switzerland, among them, Geraint Thomas and Sergio Henao. Thomas has had a great year so far and the time trial-heavy route suits him well, though the very steep climb that closes out Stage 5 will challenge him. Henao is a balanced stage racer who can climb at a very high level and time trial surprisingly well too. Personally I see Henao as better suited to this race but recent talk about the Sky plan for this race would suggest that they aren’t coming to the Suisse with Henao as their sole leader, and that does raise a few questions about his chances. Whoever leads Sky will want every ounce of support possible in what is likely to be a close race.

FDJ’s Thibaut Pinot is probably the best climber on the startlist, and he’s had a strong year so far. He’s already won a tough mountain stage in Switzerland this year, taking the fifth stage of the Tour de Romandie, and he’ll be among the top favorites to win Stage 5 of this race—the long time trial is the question for Pinot. He showed flashes of improved TT ability last year though, and if he can replicate that here, in advance of his season’s main goal, the Tour de France, he’ll be hard to beat.

Jakob Fuglsang is consistently among the best riders in the one-week stage races he takes on, but usually he has to ride in support of Vincenzo Nibali. Without Nibali here, Fuglsang should be up there fighting for the win himself. This balanced race will require the sort of Grand Tour versatility that Fuglsang has in spades, and he has the always powerful Astana team to back him up too.

Tinkoff-Saxo’s Rafal Majka is in a very similar situation. He’ll be at the Tour as a lieutenant for Alberto Contador, but in the Tour de Suisse he has an opportunity to race all for himself. His elite climbing skills will come in handy on Stage 5, though he’d probably prefer more real mountain stages in this race; still he’s a good time trialist with a chance at the overall victory if he can ride well against the clock.

Michal Kwiatkowski will love the first and last stage of this race, where he’ll be among the favorites for TT victories. For him, the big challenge of pulling of a Tour de Suisse GC result will be the very steep finishing climb of Stage 5. The sort of ascent doesn’t suit him particularly well. He’ll need all the help he can get from his team, and he’ll need to put in top-notch TT performances to have a shot at the overall in this race.

Simon Spilak has done very well in Switzerland in the past, with a Top 10 here and a GC win (and three stage wins) in Romandie. He’s an elite one-week racer who can climb and TT with the best. He tends to falter in the Grand Tours, however, and he’ll need to come prepared to race for the full nine days if he wants a shot at victory. If he can put it all together, and I think he will, he should be in the mix. Katusha has Daniel Moreno as a strong alternative.

Jurgen Van Den Broeck should still have some form in the tank after the Giro d’Italia, and he looked great in Romandie earlier this season. The very long nature of the race should suit the Grand Tour veteran. Tom Dumoulin put in a good ride last year, and he is always improving as a climber—if he can limit his losses on Stage 5 he’ll have a shot at the GC title. His Giant-Alpecin teammate Warren Barguil will look to do the opposite: shine in the mountains and limit his losses against the clock. Robert Gesink should be in the mix after a decent ride to California. He looks to be working his way back into good form. Domenico Pozzovivo, Ion Izagirre, Bob Jungels, Julian Arredondo, Esteban Chaves, and the Cannondale-Garmin duo of Joe Dombrowski and Tom Danielson are others with a chance in the General Classification at the Tour de Suisse.

The Stagehunters

The caliber of quick men making the trip to Switzerland is impressive. Mark Cavendish is the class of the pure sprinters in attendance, and should be tops in terms of pure speed on the startlist. There are several bumpier days that could see the more versatile types in control, however, and that’s where four-time Tour de Suisse Points Classification winner Peter Sagan will come in. He’s a machine in this race, and he’ll have plenty of opportunities to add to his impressive career win total here (he has nine victories so far in the TdS). In fact, watch out for him from the very start of the race—the short ITT opener is a perfect opportunity for him.

Alexander Kristoff, John Degenkolb, Arnaud Demaré, Michael Matthews, and JJ Rojas are just a few of the other top-notch quick men with a bit of versatility in attendance. This race, which has no shortage of stagehunter-friendly intermediate days, should have no shortage of elite contenders for victories on those stages.

Philippe Gilbert, Greg Van Avermaet, Michael Albasini, Jan Bakelants, and Zdenek Stybar are among the many aggressive types who could thrive on the hillier stages.

The double helping of ITTs has drawn plenty of chrono talents as well: Adriano Malori and Fabian Cancellara should enjoy opportunities to face off against some of the aforementioned potential GC riders (Kwiatkowski and Dumoulin in particular) for time trial wins.

VeloHuman Top 10 Overall Favorites

GC Winner: Sergio Henao
Podium: Thibaut Pinot, Jakob Fuglsang
Other Top Contenders: Rafal Majka, Michal Kwiatkowski, Simon Spilak, Geraint Thomas, Ion Izagirre, Domenico Pozzovivo, Jurgen Van Den Broeck

Be sure to follow @VeloHuman on Twitter for commentary and analysis during the race, and check out the Recon Ride’s latest episode for more Tour de Suisse coverage!

-Dane Cash

Photo by Harald Schnitzler (CC).

June 12, 2015
The Recon Ride Podcast: Tour de Suisse 2015 Pre-race Show

Episode 16: Tour de Suisse 2015 Pre-race Show
The Recon Ride takes a closer look at the WorldTour calendar’s last pre-Tour de France event, the Tour de Suisse.
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Many of cycling’s biggest names are headed to Switzerland to take on the Tour de Suisse. Dane Cash of VeloHuman and Cosmo Catalano of Cyclocosm delve into the storylines of the nine-day stage race in the latest episode of the Recon Ride.

Photo by youkeys (CC).

June 11, 2015
Criterium du Dauphine 2014 and Tour de Suisse 2014 Post-race Impressions: Final Stage Fireworks as Stars Tune Up for July

Takeaways from the Criterium du Dauphine

The Dauphine was supposed to be a showdown between Tour favorites Chris Froome, Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali, but other riders decided to crash the party, offering a chance for a number of stars beyond those big names to show off impressive form. At first, it did not look like any outsiders would have a chance. Chris Froome was impeccable in Stages 1 and 2, delivering a convincing victory in the opening time trial, and nabbing another stage win on the following day. Contador was not far behind in the ITT and just moments behind Froome on the second stage. Things seemed set for a showdown between the two, especially with Nibali showing signs of weakness: Astana’s GC man could not match the constant accelerations of his two rivals on the slopes of Stage 2. The coming days had plenty of surprises in store, however. Froome’s hard crash on Stage 6 raised a cloud of uncertainty over his race, but it was only the beginning of the surprises; Andrew Talanksy shocked the cycling world when his early attack on the final stage survived the immense efforts of a group of strong chasers, giving the American the overall victory ahead of Contador. Jurgen van den Broeck was another winner out of the move, sliding into 3rd overall. Meanwhile, Chris Froome couldn’t handle the pace of the chase and fell out of the Top 10 altogether, forced to be content with his two stage victories and the points jersey.

Unfortunately, Froome’s crash makes it difficult to draw any clear conclusions about his form coming into the Tour de France. He looked unstoppable on the first two stages, but it’s hard to say whether his vulnerability in the final two days was a result of his inability to match rival Contador, or pain from his injuries. With the way he rode the first mountain test, I have to imagine that his crash had a significant impact on him in the closing stages. Regardless, what could have been a major confidence booster for Froome in what has been an otherwise rough year was instead yet another disappointment. He goes into the Tour with question marks surrounding his campaign, no longer the sterling, heavy favorite he was in 2013.

Meanwhile, Alberto Contador made a strong statement: he put in a stellar opening time trial and matched Froome in the first climbing stage, even before Froome’s crash. He was by far the strongest climber of the GC riders in the penultimate day of racing. Though he was unable to reel in Talansky’s move on Stage 8, the strength he showed in his attempt was another impressive show of the excellent shape he is in. Even more encouragingly, he was able to deliver such a strong Dauphine despite lacking support from the big names that will support his Tour bid; top lieutenants like Roman Kreuziger and Nicolas Roche did not join him for this race. With the help of Tinkoff-Saxo’s first string, Contador will be an extremely difficult opponent in the Tour de France.

Vincenzo Nibali‘s 7th place in the final GC was not a bad performance, per se, but at no point in the race did he look the part of a Tour de France top contender. Time is running out for Nibali to find form in 2014 before his main objective.

Andrew Talanksy made the most emphatic statement of the Dauphine, and it wasn’t only due to his masterful attack in the final stage. He never would have been in contention for the overall had he not delivered strong performances throughout the race: 4th in the opening ITT, 5th in the mountainous 2nd stage, and the GC rider closest to Contador on Stage 7, Talansky was firing on all cylinders all week long, and he looks primed for another strong Tour de France (he was 10th last year). Jurgen van den Broeck can take many of the same positives away from the race: his podium position was the result of a consistent racing from the very first day of the Dauphine. He has been lacking that consistently recently. After a disappointing 2013, van den Broeck made a resounding statement to his team that he deserves another shot at the Tour GC this year.

Wilco Keldmeran followed up his 7th in the Giro with an excellent 4th at the Dauphine: carrying that level of form this far into June confirms that the 23-year-old is truly the real deal. Romain Bardet‘s 5th should offer a fair bit of consolation for his team; AG2R will be without Carlos Betancur come July’s main event. Adam Yates landed an impressive 6th; his Tour of Turkey victory and his 5th in the Tour of California were nice results, but a Top 10 in this race, one of the biggest one-week events of the year, is an undeniable confirmation of his talent.

Tejay van Garderen looked like a strong contender for the overall, but after faltering early he revealed that he had sustained a hip fracture in the Tour de Romandie; with that in mind, his 13th overall is not as disappointing. He did seem to get stronger as the race went on. Speaking of injuries and Top 15s, Leopold Konig notched an 11th place, which should give NetApp some hope that his recovery from a knee injury is coming along.

Among the stagehunters, Giant-Shimano’s Nikias Arndt took an impressive sprint win on a technical finishing circuit in the 3rd stage. It seems the Giant sprint train can do no wrong, no matter who is doing the sprinting (more on that train in the next Up-and-comer Q&A, so be sure to check back Monday). Simon Spilak was seen by many, including VH, as a potential outside contender for the overall victory, but whether due to heat or team leadership decisions, he instead spent the race hunting stage wins, and he secured one with a brave breakaway move on a hilly Stage 5. Teammate Yuri Trofimov, OPQS’s Jan Bakelants, Astana’s Lieuwe Westra, and Sky’s Mikel Nieve were other deserving breakaway victors.

Takeaways from the Tour de Suisse

For the second week in a row, the last stage of a major WorldTour race ended with brilliant fireworks to shake up the overall GC; again, an early attack stuck to the very end, overhauling the final leaderboard. Much like the Dauphine, the Tour de Suisse offered lots of insight into the form of some likely Tour de France protagonists, and it did it with plenty of excitement, to boot.

With his first opportunity as a Grand Tour leader approaching, Rui Costa delivered his third GC victory in the Tour de Suisse in grand style, on the back of some solid time trialing (his 3rd place in the Stage 7 chrono bettered even Fabian Cancellara) and stellar climbing, and with the help of the sharp racing mind for which he is well-known. His escapees held off a mad chase in the race’s final stage and he out-attacked all of them in the closing kilometers to take his first stage win and first overall victory in the rainbow jersey. It’s hard to know how Costa will fare in his inaugural run as his team’s featured GC rider in the Tour de France, but his performance in Switzerland makes a powerful statement about his form and his skillset, which is looking more well-rounded with every race.

Tony Martin of OPQS saw his chances at an impressive GC win slip through in fingers in the mountainous final stage, but he should still be very pleased with his trip to Switzerland. His ability to land a Top 10 in a very hilly race was impressive, and he won both time trials convincingly. That ITT success may not come as a big surprise, but Martin was not the bookies’ favorite in the first chrono due to its short length. With this form, he should be the favorite for the long time trial in the penultimate stage of the Tour de France, and he’ll also have earned trust from his team as a GC rider in chrono-heavy weeklong races to come.

Mathias Frank was a strong 2nd overall and, like Costa, his nice result was buoyed by a very impressive (and much improved) time trial skillset. That discipline is not traditionally seen as one of his strengths. This more complete game will serve him nicely in the upcoming Tour. Bauke Mollema, 3rd overall, did not time trial as well as expected in the Suisse, but he did climb at a very high level, an encouraging sign ahead of the Tour, especially after a slow start to his year.

Giant’s Tom Dumoulin is an established chrono talent who has flashed climbing chops as well, and he made a nice statement in this race; he used his skill against the clock to get ahead early and held on in the mountains for 5th. At just 23, he’s one of quite a number of exciting young up-and-comers for the Dutch team… again, check back Monday for more on Giant-Shimano’s young talent! Davide Formolo of Cannnondale was decidedly the revelation of the race. The 21-year-old was 4th at the Tour of Turkey, but few could have expected him to finish this major event ahead of Roman Kreuziger. He put in a pair of decent time trials and consistently climbed with the top GC riders, good for 7th overall.

Speaking of Roman Kreuziger, his Suisse was an up-and-down affair, and in the end, he settled for 8th overall. He did not time trial particularly well, and though climbed to a 2nd place finish on Stage 8, he missed the move on Stage 9 and therefore lost a chunk of time to his other rivals. It’s a disappointment for last year’s podium finisher, but it’s nothing to scoff at, and he certainly looks strong enough to play the role of elite domestique again for Alberto Contador.

Thibaut Pinot‘s 15th overall was a disappointment, but he battled sickness in the race and was unable to give it 100%. He still managed to find himself in the Top 10 on the Stage 7 time trial, which is a strong result in that discipline for him. I don’t think he’ll be too discouraged by his race.

For many observers, Bradley Wiggins will be seen as the biggest disappointment of the Suisse. He did not crack the Top 10 in the opening ITT, lost time in the following stages, crashed, and then abandoned. Sky reported that he had a chest infection coming into the Suisse, and his crash left him with a knee injury. Whatever the reason, Wiggins was unable to have much of an impact on the event. While Wiggins has already said that he won’t be on Sky’s Tour de France squad, the team has yet to make any official statements; unfortunately his forgettable trip to Switzerland probably won’t help whatever chance he still has. Teammate Sergio Henao was another victim of misfortune, this one more grave: he was hit by a car doing recon for the Stage 7 ITT, and he is out for the foreseeable future with a broken knee.

Wilco Kelderman may have been able to land a top GC result right after the Giro d’Italia, but Cadel Evans was not up for it; he finished 11th overall in the Tour de Suisse and never seemed to be a strong challenger. Fellow former Tour winner Andy Schleck was not a GC factor but he at least finished the race. Unfortunately his brother Frank crashed hard in Stage 3 and was forced to abandon.

Peter Sagan easily took his third Tour de Suisse Points jersey. He only came away with one stage victory, but he was consistently stellar over the whole first week, finishing in the Top 6 for six days in a row, and then notching the 15th best ITT in Stage 7. He looks very sharp. Mark Cavendish of OPQS took a convincing victory in Stage 4 to put the pure sprinters on notice that he’s feeling strong as the Tour approaches. Unfortunately, he was unable to contest the following stage: he was one of several riders to hit the deck in a crash in the last few hundred meters. Sacha Modolo survived the carnage to take a victory that day, and I doubt anyone will say that it was purely a lucky break as his rivals crashed behind him: he looked extremely fast in the final moments of the stage, and he’s been close to a victory like this for a while.

Johan Esteban Chaves deserves a paragraph of his own. Orica-GreenEdge obviously has a collection of brilliant sprinters, puncheurs, and breakaway artists, but they have been looking for a top-flight climber to score victories when the road goes up. Suddenly, they are flush with climbing young talent. Adam Yates has the makings of a star, as he proved in the Dauphine, and 24-year-old Johan Esteban Chaves Rubio, who, like Yates, also flashed brilliance in the Tour of California, made another loud statement this week with a victory on the Verbier climb. To boot, he did it with a late uphill surge from the pack of GC heavyweights, besting uphill stars like Roman Kreuzgier and Bauke Mollema. The future looks bright for OGE and their young climbers.

La Grande Boucle Awaits

The Tour de France is now less than two weeks away. In the interim, national championship races will put new riders into national jerseys, and the Tour’s biggest protagonists will get in their final days of preparation before the main event. VeloHuman has plenty in store: check back soon for another entry in the Up-and-comer Q&A Series, and get ready for Tour de France previews!

-Dane Cash

Photos by Georges Menager and youkeys.

June 22, 2014
Tour de Suisse 2014 Preview

As the Criterium du Dauphine is heading towards its conclusion, the second major Tour de France tuneup race kicks off Saturday: the Tour de Suisse. Much like its French cousin, the Suisse features a diverse array of challenges, with time trials, sprinters’ days, hilly stages, and mountaintop finishes. The good mix of profiles draws an impressive startlist of riders, many of whom are using the nine-day event to perfect their form leading into July’s main event.

While the biggest GC names of the Tour de France have preferred to use the Dauphine as their warmup of choice in recent years, the Suisse has drawn some major protagonists as well. Current rainbow jersey wearer Rui Costa is the defending champion; he followed up on his 2013 Suisse with a pair of stage wins in the Tour. Meanwhile, Peter Sagan has won the Points Classification of the Tour de Suisse prior to both of his Green Jerseys in the Tour de France. Costa and Sagan are on a long list of returning riders likely to feature again. As a note: most of the big names on the provisional startlist look set to go, but the official startlist is not completely finalized at this point, so keep an eye out for late additions and subtractions.

The Route

The 78th Tour de Suisse begins with a 9.4 kilometer time trial. While short, it involves a tough climb and a tricky descent, so it’s not going to be as simple or as speedy as last year’s mostly flat out-and-back prologue. Stage 2 has some tough climbs (two HC-rated mountains and then a Cat. 2) in the middle of the day, followed by a late Category 2, but a downhill and then flat final 21 kilometers could limit GC action. The third stage has some bumps along the way and an uncategorized uphill finish. Stage 4 and Stage 5 are mostly flat days likely for the sprinters.

Stage 9: Martigny › Saas-Fee (156.5 km) – A challenging climb closes out the final stage of the Tour de Suisse, ensuring that the GC battle will go all the way down to the wire.

Stage 6 has a late climb that could inspire punchy riders to make moves. A 24.7 kilometer time trial on Stage 7 will have major GC implications. It does have a few bumps to offer some consolation to the pure climbers, but it’s a far cry from the hill climb chrono that finished the 2013 TdS. The uphill specialists will look forward to the following two days. A Hors Categorie ascent to Verbier closes out Stage 8. Stage 9 will guarantee an open fight for GC to the final meters of the Tour de Suisse: it’s a short one at 156.5 km, but the profile will challenge the peloton with a Cat. 1, a Cat. 2, another Cat. 1, and then an HC-rated summit finish where the Tour de Suisse will crown its overall victor.

The General Classification Contenders

Lampre’s Rui Costa has won the past two editions of the Tour de Suisse. This is a race that he knows how to win, and a stage on which he loves to shine. His very versatile array of skills (climbing legs, a fair bit of punch, and an underrated time trial) are well-suited to varied profiles of the weeklong event. He showed excellent form this year in Switzerland’s other major stage race, the Tour de Romandie, where he was 3rd behind Chris Froome and Simon Spilak. Riding as his team’s main option in the upcoming Tour de France for the first time, Costa will be eager to put his talents on display. He will also be eager to pick up his first win in the rainbow jersey, and this may be his best chance all year.

Belkin’s Bauke Mollema was runner-up and a stage winner in 2013 and he will be hunting continued success this year. He, too, sports a very strong combination of talents that will keep him comfortable in both the hills and the high mountains of the race. Belkin sends an excellent squad to support his amibitions, with climbing expert Laurens Ten Dam to play the role of second. Mollema has all the tools to contend for the overall victory in the 2014 Tour de Suisse.

Tinkoff-Saxo’s Roman Kreuziger rounded out the 2013 podium (and he actually won this race back in 2008) and he will again have a shot at a good result this year. Kreuziger is Alberto Contador’s top lieutenant in the Tour de France, but at the TdS he has the chance to ride for his own ambitions, and he will be an excellent bet to achieve his goals, given his well-rounded skillset. Kreuziger had a hot start to the year but has not raced in over a month; however, with Tinkoff-Saxo’s main target approaching, he should be getting back up to top form now.

Sky’s Bradley Wiggins will certainly bring excitement to the race, especially coming off a Tour of California victory, but it’s hard to know what to expect from him. He worked himself down to a GC-oriented weight for his AToC bid, but now that he does not plan on riding in La Grand Boucle, he may refocus his approach to prep himself for time trialing and track goals to come. Obviously, with the motivation and focus, Wiggins is a major contender, but there are enough question marks that I don’t see him as the top favorite he is capable of being. Teammate Dario Cataldo couldn’t quite come away with a victory in the Giro d’Italia but he looked great throughout that race and could feature as a fringe contender with two time trials on the route. It is worth noting that Sky is also sending Sergio Henao to the Tour de Suisse, his first race since an extended break from competition.

FDJ’s Thibaut Pinot should be able to land himself another good result (he was 4th last year). He has shown an improved time trial this year, outperforming expectations in Pais Vasco and Romandie, and the ability to limit his losses in a discipline that troubled him in the past will be critical with this route. IAM Cycling’s Mathias Frank (5th in 2013) is another rider I expect to see at the very top. He, too, has displayed a more balanced approach in 2014, and he has a knack for success in races that take place in his home nation. He led the 2013 Tour de Suisse into the final day, but ultimately fell several placings with a lackluster performance on the last stage, a hill climb ITT. With that on his mind, and now the sole leader on a new team, Frank is likely to be a major protagonist.

BMC’s Cadel Evans and AG2R’s Domenico Pozzovivo are both only a few days removed from the Giro d’Italia. Wilco Kelderman has shown in the Dauphine that it’s possible to carry that Grand Tour form even into the middle of June, but it won’t be easy. Evans was fading as the Giro drew to a close, so it will be a big ask for him to continue to perform at a high level here. Pozzovivo battled illness in the Giro’s final week, but he maintained his strong performance through the last days of the race, and he may have more in the tank. Christophe Riblon makes for another excellent option for AG2R. The climbing expert (and Alpe d’Huez winner) showed an improved time trial in last year’s Tour de Pologne, and he’ll be motivated to perform leading into the Tour de France. Carlos Betancur was supposed to ride this race, but recent news suggests that he is skipping the Suisse, and possibly even the Tour de France.

Movistar’s Ion Izagirre is a vastly underrated GC performer who has flashed strong chrono chops to complement his excellent climbing skills recently. Rarely given the opportunity to ride for his own ambitions, he will have a nice shot at success here. Eros Cappechi is one of a number of strong teammates. Garmin is another very strong all-round squad led by riders who often play lieutenant roles. Rohan Dennis was 2nd only to Bradley Wiggins in the Tour of California. His time trialing prowess is well-known, but he has worked to better himself on the slopes in 2014 and it has really paid off. Teammates Janier Acevedo is a pure climber who will look to light up the late mountain stages, and Tom Danielson may feature in a similar role.

Giant-Shimano’s trio of Warren Barguil, Lawson Craddock, and Tom Dumoulin pack a particularly strong punch. Barguil has the climbing saavy to survive the late climbs. Craddock and Dumoulin are both excellent all-rounders who will look to jump to an early advantage in the time trial. Tony Martin of OPQS will likely be well-placed after that opening chrono as well, and he has decent climbing legs to boot. It wouldn’t be particularly surprising to see him hunting a GC result. Trek’s Schleck brother duo will hope to pick up a decent result; Frank has had something of a resurgence this year. Lotto Belisol’s Maxime Monfort, strong in the time trial, could put up a nice performance. MTN-Qhubeka’s Louis Meintjes is a fast-rising, versatile rider who is just coming into his own. His team may surprise some—they have a lot of talent for a variety of scenarios, and Meintjes can hang with the big guns when the road goes up (he was 5th at the Giro del Trentino in April). Orica-GreenEdge’s Johan Chaves is another outsider with a chance for success: he delivered a beautiful Tour of California stage win last month and he will look to make a late move up the GC leaderboard on the HC-rated climbs of the last two stages.

The Stagehunters

A number of elite stagehungers make the start from Bellinzona. Peter Sagan was brilliant in the 2013 edition, shocking everyone by nabbing a victory after surviving a particularly mountainous Stage 3 that even dropped most of the GC contenders, and he will try to defend his Points title in 2014. It won’t be easy. Giant-Shimano’s John Degenkolb, supported by excellent-sprinter-in-his-own-right Luka Mezgec, is on fire in 2014 and has shown an ability to handle some of the tougher peloton-whittling climbs that Sagan also prefers.

Unfortunately for both of them, they’ll have to contend with Mark Cavendish and his elite OPQS leadout squad on the flatter days. Tom Boonen is here for Omega Pharma as well: they mean business in this race. Katusha’s Alexander Kristoff is another sprinter hoping to make an impression, and for once, he’ll actually have an entire team dedicated to his ambitions in a stage race. He took a stage last year and will be hungry for more. Sky’s Ben Swift gets another chance to shine this season, and he look for the harder days as opportunities to win from a reduced bunch. Lampre’s Sacha Modolo got off to a hot start in 2014 and could find himself returning to success here. Europcar’s Bryan Coquard is a brilliant young talent who could feature. MTN-Qhubeka’s Gerald Ciolek, Movistar’s JJ Rojas and JJ Lobato, Astana’s Andrea Guardini, Trek’s Danny van Poppel, AG2R’s Davide Appollonio, OGE’s Matt Goss, and Tinkoff-Saxo’s in-form Matti Breschel and Michael Morkov are other likely sprint protagonists.

For the very hilly days, look out for Garmin’s Tom Jelte-Slagter, Lotto’s Jelle Vanendert, and OGE’s Michael Albasini, who lit up the Tour de Romandie, to try to take on the GC riders for stage supremacy. Don’t be surprised to see classics powerhouses like Belkin’s Sep Vanmarcke, OPQS’s Niki Terpstra and Stijn Vandenbergh, and Trek’s Stijn Devolder and, of course, Fabian Cancellara looking for long distance victories either. Cancellara will also headline (along with Bradley Wiggins and Tony Martin) an elite field of chrono riders for the race’s two stages against the clock. Movistar’s Alex Dowsett and AG2R’s Patrick Gretsch are specialists who will hope to contend with that trio, as well as a number of other aforementioned strong ITT riders, for prestigious wins against elite competition.

VeloHuman Top 10 GC Favorites

Winner: Rui Costa
Podium: Bauke Mollema, Roman Kreuziger
Other Top Contenders: Thibaut Pinot, Mathias Frank, Ion Izagirre, Bradley Wiggins, Rohan Dennis, Domenico Pozzovivo, Laurens Ten Dam

I will not be doing daily stage previews here, but follow @VeloHuman on Twitter for stage picks and commentary. And check back soon for some very exciting things to come: Q&As with some of the sport’s up-and-coming young stars and plenty of Tour de France coverage are right around the corner.

-Dane Cash

Photos by F. Gopp and youkeys.

June 12, 2014