After a successful start to the French season in Marseille, racing continues with the 5-stage long Etoile de Bessèges, a race with opportunities for several kinds of riders who will target some important wins, and also the presence of some huge names coming here after the Spanish races got postponed to get in some early season racing.
The Route
The race begins with a loop around Bellegarde with a flat stage with a cruel sharp pinch in the end in the Côte de la Tour, in a finish suited for puncheurs and sprinters who are able to withstand the gradients in what is an incredibly explosive finish.
Stage 2 will be a perfect opportunity for the pure sprinters, perhaps the only one, but it won't be the only bunch finish that's almost certain.
Stage 3 will also be one for a bunch sprint but there are some hills that will make it hard for some to resist. Bonifications are important, the stage is also one that could see some raiding as it's happened in the past with that rough beggining.
Stage 4 is a hilltop finish that should finish in a sprint, it's a small gradual rise to the line in Saint Sifret. A hilly stage, no big climbs, but the final circuit will put the sprinters in dificulties and the dificult finale will be a vital battle for the GC contenders.
The final stage should be the queen stage. The 10.5Km time-trial is usually very important, but this year even more with the lack of a big stage where gaps can be made. A race for time-trialists, however the brutal hilltop in the Montée de l'Ermitage makes it one where form is definitely more important than the minor aerodynamic differences.
Weather for the Week
Some rain possibly over the end of the week, but mostly it should be dry stages, not a lot of wind, typical February weather.
GC Contenders
The GC will be decided in the time-trial and those who will contest it are those who do well in the other stages, mainly the 1st and 4th with little hilltop finishes, where they will be on the hunt for some seconds and also on the hunt for the ever-important bonifications. As a race with no big hills, lot of bonifications to hand and a tricky time-trial, it's naturally very open, as a lot of puncheurs, rouleurs, time-trialists and even climbers can contest the win. AG2R who's snuck in a brilliant win in Marseille should come properly motivated, although Paret-Peintre isn't present the team has several options as they've brought their classics block to get some racing in. Gougeard should perhaps be best GC option due to his strong time-trialing but Greg van Avermaet and Oliver Naesen will both be on the hunt for some wins, GVA is one very well suited to these little hilltop finishes, their struggle may be in the final day. Like these two, several others should struggle and perhaps will be more focused in netting a stage win like Intermarché's Odd Christian Eiking, Qhubeka's duo of Simon Clarke and Michael Gogl and Anthony Turgis representing Direct Energie.
But then in the field of those that can time-trial, well firstly Ineos must be mentioned as they have an absolutely stacked squad. Firstly past Tour de France winners are starting out their season here, Egan Bernal is likely just coming for the racing and won't have a leadership role but you never know what he's able to do, but then Geraint Thomas is the opposite, on his best day the final TT suits him very well and he is also quite capable of sprinting in those explosive finishes. But excluding those climbers you've got the puncheur who can time-trial very well and sprint just as good, Michal Kwiatkowski, and also Filippo Ganna who is perhaps the man to beat as he is likely the strongest contender for the final time-trial, he just needs to hang on as best in the hilly stages. He is usually in terrific form always in February because of the Track worlds, but with it's delay this year he may not be as sharp, but he is one of 4 big GC contenders for Ineos. The other team bringing in a mega squad looking to get in some good racing for their climbers is Trek, Nibali is the biggest name but he shouldn't be a candidate for the win as he isn't an explosive rider, not suited for those finishes, but he can time-trial well if he's got the form so he can be up there, Mollema is somewhat similar but he is definetely sharper, Mads Pedersen is another opportunist who can surprise as he can definetely time-trial, get bonifications and also is quite strong going up those short hills.
Adding to that there's Groupama, Brunel had a massive breakthrough here last year winning the first stage and finishing third in the overall (although it didn't seem he had the best form in the weekend), he and Benjamin Thomas should be contenders as they can time-trial very well and they are good riders for those rolling stages. And Lotto have Tim Wellens, looked sharp in Marseille and he is very suited for the race being able to time-trial very well and having the sharp edge for the hilltop finishes, he has Andreas Kron who I wouldn't rate as such a big GC contender but can definetely surprise in a stage or two. EF have Alberto Bettiol, winner of last year's time-trial in Alés, Michael Valgren and Rigoberto Uran who can all be an important part in the GC fight.
The Sprinters
There are two stages that should end in a bunch sprint, one will without a doubt. This is bait for sprinters and they have came in, not the biggest stars but some very big names came in firstly mentioning Mads Pedersen who I've already talked about, he's got Edward Theuns and Alex Kirsch and if there's a team who know how to leadout it's Trek and they won't settle with less than a win, there's Qhubeka who is debuting it's new leadout, Giacomo Nizzolo had a brilliant season last year and he is for sure looking to replicate or improve it and that starts here, he's got a team of rouleurs and puncheurs, new addition Matteo Pelucchi could do some important work which I'm interested to see, but overall it's a nice leadout that just has to work efficiently. The other main powerhouse sprinter is Tim Merlier also starting his season here, definetely a contender for the sprints who alongside Rudy Barbier are probably going to be the two outsider names that have the most chances of taking a win, as they have big wins at the highest level.
Those 4 should be the ones who will contest the pure sprints, however there's a lot of outsiders. Starting with the French, Bryan Coquard will definitely be one to watch, but I would have him more as a contender for the opening stage and perhaps the 4th, his pure sprint is good but he needs luck to pull it off, whilst the opening stage as an explosive finish perfect for someone like him. Cristophe Laporte will be leading Cofidis' big leadout with new names like Bohli and Drucker, Nacer Bouhanni is coming in leading Arkéa, Marc Sarreau is coming in representing AG2R, and regarding the sprinters representing the other French teams you've got young Brit Jake Stewart leading Groupama and a trio of fast men including the new duo of Edvald Boasson Hagen and Chris Lawless, but also Adrien Petit. Lotto have both John Degenkolb and Gerben Thijssen as two pretty good outsiders who can sneak in the podium and Intermarché have brought in Danny van Poppel as their fastest men, although there are more who will be able to lead him out, the Romanian Eduard-Michael Grosu is an outsider to watch as are Kern Pharma's Enrique Sanz and Francisco Galvan who was in my opinion the big surprise of the GP la Marseillaise.
Big Stars and Incomplete Rosters?
At the time I write this preview, less than 24 hours before the begining of the race, several teams have not yet confirmed their squads. However, some sites have very accurate information over this but for obvious reasons I'll have these riders apart from the rest. Bora, Bingoal, Cambodia and St Michel are the ones, the later two shouldn't have big names however Bingoal has some quality classics riders like Sean de Bie and Joel Suter who can definetely pop a surprise, and Timothy Dupont who should target the sprints, whilst Bora have Pascal Ackermann set to start and be their main sprinter with Laas and Meeus as support (Selig is still injured so Ackermann lost an important piece of his leadout). Regarding the hilly stages and the overall, Lennard Kamna and Felix Grossschartner are a duo to watch.
Prediction Time
⭐ Bernal, B.Thomas, Uran, Valgren, Turgis, Kamna, Clarke, Perez
I think Filippo Ganna will win the overall in Bessèges. I frequently look at his Strava activities, I can assure you he is in good form. Despite the brutal hilltop in Alés, he should be the main favourite to win the time-trial, and although not being sharp he can definitely climb and the gaps made on the hilly stages will surely be quite short. Plus, his team is full of great riders, whilst you could argue that they'd be an obstacle for his ambitions, I reckon we'll see the opposite.
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