BINCKBANK TOUR 2019 – OVERALL PREVIEW
The BinckBank tour is one of those rare races where classics riders get to show their best outside of the spring classics season. This years 15th edition of the BinckBank Tour will once again provide plenty of opportunities for some exciting racing!
The last 10 winners are all still active within the professional cycling peloton, but of all those former winners only Wellens and Stybar are participating in this years BinckBank Tour:
2018: Matej Mohorič
2017: Tom Dumoulin
2016: Niki Terpstra
2015: Tim Wellens
2014: Tim Wellens
2013: Zdeněk Štybar
2012: Lars Boom
2011: Edvald Boasson Hagen
2010: Tony Martin
2009: Edvald Boasson Hagen
Mohoric is not defending his title, which means we will get a new winner this year, but who will it be? Let’s take a look at the roadbook.
The Route
This years BinckBank Tour consists of 4 flat stages, a 8.4km flat ITT and two hilly stages. Each stage contains a ‘golden kilometer’ in which 3, 2 and 1 bonification second can be gained at an intermediate sprint, which could lead to some tactical racing.
Stage 1: A panflat 167 km stage in which the other sprinters will try to beat Groenewegen.
Stage 2: Another chance for the sprinters but the cobbles in Ichtegem could be used by attacking riders.
Stage 3: Another stage, another sprint. We will see if someone can beat Groenewegen to the finish line.
Stage 4: A short hill stage of 96.2km where the riders who are going for a good GC will have to make their first moves. The most challenging sections of the route are the Bois des Moines and the Cote de Saint-Roch (1.1km @ 11%).
Stage 5: Sprint stage that ends at Mike Teunissen’s home-grounds. Perhaps Groenewegen will allow him to give it a go, but this should be another sprint.
Stage 6: A really short ITT with close to no turns and a panflat road. One for the powerhouses of the peloton. Gaps will be small given the profile and distance, but the results of this stage could still turn out to be decisive in the GC battle.
Stage 7: The classic final stage. A very tough classics stage where only the strongest classic specialists will be able to challenge for victory. Another very important day for GC.
The Favorites
The guys who are strong at the Ardennes spring classics will also perform really well here. The top 15 of the 2018 and 2017 editions gives a good indication of the type of riders that tend to excel in this tour. It also tells us that the race is usually won by only small margins.
Finally, if we dig deeper into the race’s history, the results of Tim Wellens are really striking:
2014: 1st
2015: 1st
2016: DNF
2017: 2nd
2018: 3rd
This leads us to our favorites: who will be contending for the overall victory?
Greg van Avermaet
If you say spring classics you say Greg van Avermaet. The belgium rider is good on cobbles, excels on the short steep climbs and has the sprint to grab bonification seconds along the way. The perfect package for this race, but does he have the form to win it? He made quite a showing in the Tour de France and finished 2nd in the Clasica San Sebastian behind Evenepoel. However, its been a while since he actually won something, and he has participated in so many races this year that his form might start declining.
Dylan van Baarle
Another rider who traditionally does well here. He is the leader of INEOS and this race and will have a lot of support from his strong squad. Seemed to be in perfect climbing form in the Tour de France, but looked a lot leaner than during his past spring seasons. Does he still have the raw power to keep up in the flat and cobbled stages?
Quickstep
The kings of the spring season who arrive with a very, very impressive team. They have 3 cards to play for the overall with Gilbert, Stybar and Jungels, who will be supported by strong riders like Declerq, Keisse and Senechal. This provides opportunities for some team tactics, at which Quickstep is best.
Tim Wellens
As stated before, he always performs in the BinckBank tour. The belgium squad will do anything they can to help Tim Wellens add a third overall victory to his palmares. He unsuccesfully went for KOM in the Tour de France, but showed some strong climbing legs. His fairly decent sprint might also come to use in this years BinckBank Tour.
Olivier Naesen
Another rider who in potential has it all: a fast sprint, toughness for the cobbles and a decent amount of climbing skills. Still, his best record so far at the BinckBank Tour is a disappointing 5th place in 2017. One of those riders who is always ‘up there’, but almost never cashes in on it.
Alberto Bettiol
Education First’s GC pick. Performed really well in the spring classics with a 4th place at the E3 BinckBank classic, a 6th place at de Brabantse Pijl and winning the Tour of Flanders! He was beaten by milliseconds by Ganna in the Italian national ITT and came in 3rd in the road race behind Formolo and Colbrelli, winning a sprint from Diego Ulissi in the process. He has riden a very anonymous Tour de France as a domestique for Uran, which might result in a fresh Alberto Bettiol at the start of this years BinckBank Tour. In Sep Vanmarcke he has a strong companion in his quest to overall victory. He quit the race early the last three times he participated, so picking him as the winner is a large gamble.
Outsiders: Teunissen, Kung, Vanmarcke, Kragh-Andersen
The Winner:
Does he still have the raw power to keep up in the flat and cobbled stages? The answer was given in the European Championships Road Race: Yes. And he also looks to be in impressive form. Dylan van Baarle to win his first BinckBank Tour!
