BINCKBANK TOUR 2019 – STAGE 7 PREVIEW

The weather turned out to be a decisive factor in the time trial yesterday, with the late starters having to deal with a lot more wind than the early starters. This lead to a victory for one of our picks Filippo Ganna, who was one of the few outsiders that started early before the wind increased.

In the top of the GC, everything stayed close together, which means we can expect fireworks today in the final stage of this years BinckBank Tour over Flemish roads and hills!

The Route:

The stage looks a bit like a traditional Flemish spring classic. The peloton will have to tackle famous hills like the Bosberg and the Kapelmuur in a local circuit that will be run three times. After exiting the local circuit, the peloton will head back to Geraardsbergen for the finish.

As said, the finish is in Geraardsbergen. Unfortunately, they finish on the early stretch of the Muur and not the actual top. However, the final kilometer is still uphill and on cobbles, so it is going to be one for the fast classics specialists.

The Race:

The BinckBank Tour often ends with a stage like this, but in the past few years it has not always lead to spectacle. However, since the time differences are so small at the top, we expect guys like de Plus and Hirschi to attack to try to crack Wellens and grab the overall jersey. If nobody manages to get away and it all gets back together, it will likely be a sprint of an elite group.

Weather:

Just like the last few days, there will be rain in the morning which means the riders will start on wet roads. During the rest of the day the forecast is grey skies, so we might also see some rain during the race itself.

The Favorites:

Tim Wellens
Wellens looks to be one of the strongest, if not the strongest, man in the race. He was hugely impressive in stage 4, but will have to face a lot of attacks today. If he survives till the end, he can win with a strong attack during the final kilometer.

Greg van Avermaet
An uphill sprint on cobblestones is exactly what van Avermaet wants. He does not seem to be the strongest rider in the race, but he has won in Geraardsbergen before. If the race ends in a sprints he will be one of the main contenders.

Mike Teunissen
Teunissen is having a true breakthrough season so far. This race, he worked for both Groenewegen and de Plus, but after a solid time-trial he still finds himself in the top of the GC. From all the classics riders in the race, he is probably the fastest so he will be the man to beat if it turns out to be a sprint today.

Marc Hirschi
The young rider from Sunweb has been riding incredible this week. He was just narrowly beaten by Wellens on stage 4 and delivered a solid time trial yesterday. He has proven himself to be fast, and he will also want to win to grab the bonification seconds for the GC.

Oliver Naesen
His sprint has improved a lot over the last few years, as shown by his second place in Milan-Sanremo. Instead of waiting for the sprint, he might also go for a suprise attack in the final kilometers.

Ivan Garcia Cortina
Another rider that is in great form and has been very impressive this week. In stage 4, he managed to bridge the gap to the front three on his own, but got dropped again on the hardest uphill parts. If he manages to stay with the group, he can battle it out for victory in the sprint.

Outsiders: De Plus, Kragh Andersen, Stybar, Gilbert, Pedersen

The Winner:

He has been riding a bit undercover and in support of his team this week, but today will be his time to shine as Mike Teunissen will sprint to victory!