Most of the riders prepare themselves for Paris-Roubaix by doing the Flemish classics but for some – mostly Frenchmen – there’s an alternative path to the Hell of the North. At a time of the year when there are mostly one-day races in France, the short Circuit de la Sarthe offers an opportunity for classics riders to do four days of quality racing ahead of one of the biggest races on the calendar and for time triallists who can handle undulating terrain and preferable do a solid sprint, a chance to go for the overall win in a historic event on the French calendar.

 

At this time of the year, the professional cycling world is largely split into two groups. The climbers and stage race specialists have gathered in the Basque Country for the Vuelta al Pais Vasco while the sprinters and cobbled classics specialists are in Flanders and Northern France for a big week of racing on the cobbles at the Ronde van Vlaanderen, Scheldeprijs and Paris-Roubaix.

 

However, a third part of the peloton is gathered in France for a solid block of racing that includes two Coupe de France races and a short stage race. In the weekend, the puncheurs and strong sprinters tackled the lumpy terrain at the Route Adelie Vitré and Paris-Camembert and this week most of them have headed to Sarthe for the four-day race Circuit Cycliste Sarthe which offers a mix of flat stages for pure sprinters and hillier days that have terrain which is very similar to what was found in the weekend races.

 

The race serves a double purpose. Many French riders use it as their final preparation for Paris-Roubaix, especially if they are in a team that has not been invited for the Flemish classics. Often foreign riders who are less fond of the Flemish climbs have used the race to get ready for Roubaix too. At the same time, the lumpy stages in the second half makes it solid preparation for the Ardennes Classics and many of the best French riders for hilly races will use the combination of the two hilly one-day races and the stage race to get ready for their big goals. At the same time, it’s a great chance for time triallists to go for victory in a race that offers no major climbs.

 

The race was created in 1953 and was held as a national amateur until 1963 and then an international amateur event during the next 10 years. In 1975, it was open for professional riders and it was no less of a figure than Bernard Hinault who won the two first editions after that. In general, it has been a great race for young talents to prove their potential. For instance, it was a young Greg Lemond who came out on top in 1980.

 

The terrain in the region offers to major climbs and so it has always been a race with lots of sprint stages. However, the race has always had one or two hillier stages that have been a challenge for the heavy time triallists who have battled it out in the short time trial on the second day which has often been the most important stage of the race. Hence, the race has been won by strong rouleurs who can survive medium climbs and in a race with bonus seconds and small time gaps, a fast sprint has always been an advantage.

 

This was evident in 2015 when Ramunas Navarduaskas took his second win in a row. Going into the final stage, the Lithuanian trailed Manuele Boaro by a five seconds after the Italian had taken a surprise win in the hardest stage but he picked up six seconds in the intermediate sprints on the final day to take overall victory. Recent winners include strong time triallists like Luke Durbridge, Anthony Roux, LuisLeon Sanchez, Andreas Klöden, David Millar, Stefan Schumacher, Thomas Löfkvist and Sylvain Chavanel but Pierre Rolland’s win in 2014 proves that it is possible to change things after the time trial.

 

The course

The race has a rather fixed format. It usually kicks off with a stage for sprinters before the second day which offers two half stages, a sprint stage in the morning and the crucial, short time trial in the afternoon. The final two stages are hillier and especially the third stage has often been the chance for the puncheurs and climbers to make a difference. The final stage is often hard too but it has often been decided in a reduced bunch sprint. This year the race will have a similar format.

 

Stage 1

As usual, the race will kick off with a flat stage. This year’s opener brings the riders over 182.8km around the city of Chateau du Loir. There are two small climbs at the midpoint of the first big 111.8km loop but they will be no major challenges. In the end, the riders will do 5 laps of a 14.2km finishing circuit. It has a small climb which offers KOM points on the second lap but it should do little to challenge the sprinters who are expected to battle it out in the flat finish.

 

The opening stage has always been dominated by the sprinters and it is hard to imagine that it will be different in 2016. Most teams bring a fast finisher and they will probably control things to set up a bunch sprint.

 

 

Stage 2a

The second day offers two half-stages. In the morning, the riders will tackle a short 85.1km stage that will bring them from Saint Mars la Jaille to Angers. There’s a small climb at the 32km mark but apart from that, it is mainly a flat stage. In the end, the riders will do three laps of a flat 6.2km circuit in Angers.

 

This stage always finishes in Angers and has almost always been one for the sprinters. However, last year’s race proved that it is possible to deny the fast finishers as Anthony Roux won the stage from a breakaway. There are only 6-rider teams here which makes it hard to control and many will be keen to save energy for the TT. Nonetheless, this should be another chance for the sprinters.

 

 

Stage 2b

As usual the riders, will tackle the important time trial in the afternoon. It’ the same 6.8km course in Angers that has been used in recent years and the flat route has always suited the specialists. There are some turns at the midpoint but the first and final parts are mainly made up of straight roads where the big engines can use their power.

 

The three latest winners of this stage are Adriano Malori, Alex Dowsett and Luke Durbridge which says a lot about the riders who can do well here. This is the single most important day for the GC and will make us a lot wiser about who has a chance to win the race overall.

 

 

 

Stage 3

The hardest stage usually comes on the third day and it will be no different in 2016. This year the riders will tackle a 190.3km stage that will bring the riders from Angers to the well-known finish at the top of the small Avaloirs climb in Pre-en-Pail. The first 134.9km will bring the riders from the start to the finish and with just one climb at the 85.8km mark, it’s a pretty straightforward start. The real challenges are the five laps of the 10.5km finishing circuit which finishes at the top of the Avaloirs climb.

 

The uphill finale means that it is a stage tailor-made for puncheurs and the peloton has often exploded on the finishing circuit. In the last two years, the winners of the time trial have both been dropped. With small 6-rider teams, it is very difficult to control what is usually a very aggressive stage and in the past, solo moves have worked here. The stage has been used every year since 2009. Manuele Boaro, Ramunas Navardauskas and Pierre Rolland have taken solo wins by going on the attack, Anthony Roux has won a sprint from a breakaway and Roux, Francisco Ventoso and Samuel Dumoulin have won uphill bunch sprints here.

 

 

Stage 4

The race often ends with a pretty hilly stage but this year the final stage is easier than it has been in the last few years. The 172.4km will bring the riders from Abbaye de l’Epau to Arnage which has not hosted a stage finish in recent years. The first 115km will bring the riders from the start to the finish, with three climbs coming in the early part of the race. However, the race will end with 7 laps of mainly flat 8.2km circuit in Arnage.

 

There is little doubt that this stage is easier than the final stage has usually been so it looks like a day for a bunch sprint. However, there will be important bonus seconds on offer in the intermediate sprints and so we could see the race go down to the wire. Furthermore, bigger time gaps have opened up and the small 6-rider teams will have a hard time controlling things so it could be a day for a breakaway which is often the case in the final stage of a stage race.

 

 

The favourites

As usual, three factors will decide the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe. The time trial is the most important stage as it is the best chance to make a difference. Hence, the race has usually been won by strong time triallists. However, they need to be able to survive the hilly stage and in the last two years, the winners of the time trial have both failed to do so. Finally, bonus seconds can come into play in the intermediate sprints and in the uphill sprint on stage 3.

 

In the past, it has been possible for riders to turn things around in the queen stage as it is very hard for the small teams to control the lumpy circuit. A few yars ago, Pierre Rolland changed the script completely but usually you have to be in the top 10 in the time trial to win the race. The time gains in the queen stage are usually smaller than the time differences that can be made in the TT even though it’s a relatively short course.

 

With the TT being so important, Jerome Coppel must be the favourite. IAM claim that they are not here for the GC but it would be stupid of Coppel not to go for the win in a race that suits him really well. He has improved his time trialling a lot since he joined IAM and with his bronze medal at World, he has proved that he is now one of the very best in the discipline. He usually needs harder and longer time trials to really excel but he has also done good prologues. This year he has already won the short TT in Besseges which has a stiff climb in the end and he did good time trial in Criterium International and Paris-Nice even though he was sick in the latter event.

 

Coppel is still not at 10% after his illness and this was evident at the Criterium International. However, he should be a lot better now and as he is a good climber, he shouldn’t lose time in the queen stage. He is not explosive but none of his biggest rivals have those skills so it could be decided in the TT. This makes Coppel the favourite.

 

 

Anton Vorobyev is one of his big rivals. The Russian is one of the most powerful riders for such a short TT as he proved by winning the prologue in West-Flanders last year. He has been set back by lots of health issues and this has made him very consistent but he has been back on track in the last few months. On paper, he has the potential to win the time trial but the big challenge will be to survive the queen stage. However, he has improved his climbing a lot and he is now much better in the road races.

 

Wanty are here with new signing Gaetan Bille who is a real prologue specialist. Last year he was one of the best in the Tour of Belgium prologue and won the Volta ao Portugal opener. This year he has been set back by some health issues but he is now back on track. As he is also a punchy climber, he may even take bonus seconds and be in contention for the stage win on the queen stage. That makes him perfectly suited to this race. As he has been on the podium at the Tour of Belgium, he can definitely win this race.

 

Tiago Machado has always done well in this race. He was second in 2010 when he won the TT and last year he was fourth. He is not a real TT specialist but he can do well, even on a short, flat course like this. He is not time trialling as well as he did at the start of his career but he occasionally shows flashes of his potential. There are a few riders who are better time triallists than him but he is a better climber than all his rivals. If he can gain a few seconds in the queen stage, he could erase a potential time loss from the TT.

 

Matthias Brändle shares many of the same characteristics. He is a real prologue specialist and last year he developed into one of the best riders in the world for short, flat time trials. Unfortunately, he has not been at the same level in 2016 and he needs to turn things around to win here. He has the potential though and then it will be all about surviving the queen stage. In the past, he was a pretty good climber but in recent years he has lost those skills and it could be a challenge for him.

 

Movistar are here with Javier Moreno. The Spaniard has developed into a bit of a prologue specialist which he proved by winning the TT at last year’s Ruta del Sol. This TT is a bit too much about power but he should still be able to do well. He is a pretty explosive climber so the queen stage should offer him the chance to take back any time loss.

 

Mathias Frank is the third IAM candidate. The Swiss is probably the best climber in this race and he has also done good short time trials in the past. However, he has not been in his best form yet and he really needs a great day in the queen stage to win overall.

 

Bryan Coquard deserves a mention. The sprinter has never really done good TTs but as he comes on the track, he has the potential in this kind of short test. He is in great form and can potentially win all the road stages which will maybe give him enough bonus seconds to take the overall win.

 

Delio Fernandez is a good time triallist, fast in an uphill sprint and a good climber so he should be able to do well here. However, his TTs have not really been great this year. Stephane Rossetto is another solid candidate as he can climb and time trial. However, he usually needs longer TTs and has not been in his best form yet.

 

Patrick Gretsch is a good time triallist but he is very inconsistent. Nowadays, he seems to need longer courses to do really well and the queen stage could be difficult for him. Romain Sicard, Thomas Voeckler and Pierrick Fedrigo can limit their losses in the TT and as they will be among the strongest in the queen stage, they have the skills to win. Arnaud Gerard should also do a good TT but it is probably not enough to win the race

 

***** Jerome Coppel

**** Anton Vorobyev, Gaetan Bille

*** Tiago Machado, Matthias Brändle, Javier Moreno, Mathias Frank, Bryan Coquard

** Delio Fernandez, Stephane Rossetto, Patrick Gretsch, Romain Sicard, Pierrick Fedrigo, Thomas Voeckler,

* Arnaud Gerard, Travis Meyer, Jordan Kerby, Marc De Maar, Boris Dron, Lasse Norman Hansen