Geographically, you may’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 potential 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 yr’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 this planet, is thought. Vingegaard may hardly discover himself thrown beneath a sharper highlight, both, given the 12-kilometre particular person race towards the clock not solely marks his debut within the 2024 season, however can also be the primary level when his presently unbeaten monitor document in O Gran Camiño could possibly be challenged.
Victorious in all three levels – a fourth was suspended due to poor climate – and, naturally, the general within the 2023 Gran Camiño, all of which occur within the north-westerly area of Galicia, Vingegaard couldn’t have set the bar greater than final yr.
However his job of defending his resounding first victory of 2023 shall 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 Training-EasyPost) and David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ). The shadow solid by the outcomes from the Tower of Hercules time trial and the three very hilly levels by Galicia that comply with, then, will probably be a really lengthy one.
2024 Route
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Following the opening 12-kilometre time trial, working virtually solely alongside A Coruña’s seafront, and with a small climb mid-way by to resolve the primary mountains classification chief, there’s an abrupt change 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, may 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 probably forestall the fastmen from having their flip to shine within the end at Castelo de Ribadavia.
Stage 4 is a really completely different story, with all the things to play for, together with the race general, within the final 100 kilometres. Working solely by 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 last three kilometres, 4 ramps of between 18% and 20% ought to present a blast-off level for what is ready 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 Nineties Italian star Claudio Chiappucci, Swiss all-rounder Fabian Jeker and Spanish Tour de France stage winner Marcos Serrano. Additionally it is a lot tougher than the Camiño summit finishes of final yr of Rubia and A Guarda, each solely half as lengthy and, in contrast to the Monte Aloia, solely tackled as soon as.
The opposite vital modifications on this yr’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 virtually provides the time trial the texture of a protracted prologue greater than a defining component within the course, which can now virtually definitely be selected the final ascent of the Monte Aloia.
Nonetheless, the most important query mark on how O Gran Camiño will play out this yr 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, aren’t 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 til the summit of Aloia on Sunday afternoon.
A deeper area
With no disrespect meant 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 yr within the Tour’s Alpine time trial check, Vingegaard’s skill towards the clock can hardly be known as into query. However on a way more simple course like A Coruña, there’s each likelihood that Tarling may give Vingegaard a run for his cash.
Hold 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 general contendership is Nairo Quintana (Movistar), lacking from the provisional begin record 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 probably 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 may work collectively in a joint GC bid.
As for EF Training-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 could be wanted to assist set up an inner GC hierarchy. Yet one more attention-grabbing rider within the EF lineup is Briton Lukas Nerurkar, who additionally rode very effectively in final yr’s O Gran Camiño when with Trinity Racing.
However the primary focus, not less than initially, will logically be on Vingegaard and Visma-Lease A Bike. The Dutch crew’s inclusion of latest signings like Belgian GC expertise Cian Uijtdebroeks, presently 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 depend on some strong climbing assist. However it’s how the Dane performs himself that can come beneath the closest scrutiny this week in Galicia.
