During the month of July, the cycling world has all its eyes on the Tour de France and so there is very little room for other bike races at this time of the year. However, there is one notable exception as the Tour of Austria offers a chance for riders to stay active during the summer and the riders who failed to get selected for La Grande Boucle, an opportunity to use the great form that they had hoped to use on the French roads.

 

Only one cycling event really transcends the sport and gets attention from all over the world. The Tour de France has a special status not only in cycling. As it is the largest annual sport event in the world, it has a unique position on the world of sport.

 

That makes it hard for anyone to compete with the French grand tour for the attention from cycling fans and so it is no wonder that there are barely any other major races during the month of July. There have been a few one-day races in Spain, the German Sachsen Tour was once held at this time of the year and the Vuelta a la Comunidad de Madrid was also a July event at one point. However, everybody have realized that it is impossible to match the Tour and so those races have all disappeared or moved to another slot on the calendar.

 

One race has bucked the trend. Since 2005, the Tour of Austria has been held during the first week of the tour and the race has seemed to thrive in its role. The month of June is one of the most competitive times of the cycling year because lots of riders are trying to get selected for the Tour de France. Many are left disappointed and need another race to make use of their great form. The Tour of Austria is the perfect venue for them to reap the fruits of their hard work and prove to the team management that their non-selection was a mistake.

 

However, the Tour of Austria has not always had that role. As one of the most mountainous countries in Europe, Austria has some of the best cycling terrain in the continent and so it is no surprise that their national tour is an old home. It was first held in 1949 as an amateur race that was mostly dominated by local rider and Dutchmen. In 1996, it was turned into a pro race and as it was held in June and offered lots of mountains, it was regarded as great preparation for the Tour de France. It offered an alternative path to La Grande Boucle instead of the Criterium du Dauphiné and the Tour de Suisse and it had great line-ups already from the start. Franck Vandenbroucke won the first edition and a young Cadel Evans won it twice.

 

In 2005, however, the organizers made the brave decision to move it to the month of July and immediately its status changed. It was no longer a preparation event and now serves as a place to get revenge for riders that had been omitted from the Tour de France team. For other riders – often riders that have done the Giro – it is a great place to get the legs going after a short break and for many it is the start of the path that leads to the classics or the World Championships.

 

It is no coincidence that the race is a great place to take revenge for riders that have missed out on Tour selection. With the Alps playing a prominent role in the country, the 8-day Tour of Austria is like a mini grand tour. Very often it has had a number of tough mountain stages – the mountaintop finish at Kitzbüheler Horn is a bit of a classic – a long time trial and a few sprint stages. In that sense, it is like a mini grand tour and a perfect place for riders to make use of the climbing form that they had built in the hope that they would be selected for the biggest race in the world. In recent years, riders like Jakob Fuglsang, Kevin Seeldraeyers, Peter Kennaugh and Michael Albasini are prime examples of frustrated riders who have used their Tour condition and rage to be successful in Austria.

 

As a 2.HC race, the organizers have often managed to attract several WorldTour teams but unfortunately the 2016 edition will have a weaker field than usual. Due to the Olympics, the Tour de Pologne will be held during the second week of the Tour and for many riders, two tough one-week races are too much at this time of the year. As the WorldTour teams are all obliged to ride in Poland, almost all of them have decided to skip the Austrian event. The organizers have moved the race one day forward as it will now be held from Saturday to Saturday but that has not been enough to change the minds of the teams. The list of pro continental teams is very strong but Astana will be the only WorldTour team in attendance.

 

The course

Austria, Switzerland and France are all known for their Alpine climbs but there is a difference between the ascents in the three countries. While the climbs in the latter two countries are often long and regular, the mountains in Austria are often brutally steep. The country doesn’t host the biggest races in the world and so their climbs are less famous but Austria has some of the hardest climbs in Europe. Hence, the Tour of Austria often has some brutal mountaintop finishes and it has traditionally been a great race for pure climbers.

 

This year’s race is even more suited to climbers than it has usually been. For the second year in a row, there will be no long time trial and this year there will be no team time trial either. Instead, the only race against the clock will be a unique 600m mountain prologue on the Kitzbüheler Horn and as the average gradient is more than 11%, it is a stage for the climbers, not for specialists. The traditional mountaintop finish at Kitzbüheler Horn won’t return but instead the riders will face a new mountaintop finish at Edelweissspitze on the famous Grossglockner mountain. It’s just as tough as the climb in Kitzbühel and is even followed by another big mountaintop finish in Dobratsch. As the race also has two uphill finishes on shorter, more explosive climbs, there will be a total of four summit finishes and a mountain prologue and so it will be a true race for climbers.

 

While the climbers will lick their lips in anticipation, there will be no reason to be pleased for the sprinters. This year only the first two road stages look like real sprint stages and even the final stage to Vienna has been given a twist as it is now one of the two puncheur stages mentioned above. Stage 6 could be a chance for the fast finishers if they can get over a late pair of climbs but there will be no guarantees so they have to make the most of the first two stages in a race that is truly one for the climbers.

 

Prologue

In most years, the race has had a summit finish on the Kitzbüheler Horn climb but that won’t be the case in 2016. Instead, the climb will be used for a very unique opener. This year’s Criterium du Dauphiné started with a very special mountain prologue that saw the GC riders battle it out in a unique discipline. The Austrian organizers have had similar ideas but there mountain prologue is even more special. While the French prologue was 4km long, the opening stage in the Tour of Austria is a 600m uphill sprint on the Kitzbüheler Horn. The distance may be short but an average gradient of 11.3% will make sure that the legs will hurt and that time gaps will be opened right from the start.

 

This is a very special stage and to our knowledge, no major race has had such a prologue in recent years. For the riders, it will be a new experience and it will be open the first time gaps between the overall contenders right from the start. With such a steep climb, it’s a stage for climbers and there will be no room for TT specialists or sprinters. As it is relatively short effort, it will be one for puncheurs and explosive climbers and it would have been a great opportunity for riders like Julian Alaphilippe, Alejandro Valverde, Joaquim Rodriguez and Daniel Martin if they had been in attendance.

 

 

Stage 1

After the prologue, the GC battle should be put on hold in stage 1 which is one of the few chances for the sprinters in this year’s race. The 186.2km between the big cities of Innsbruck and Salzburg are predominantly flat and only include a category 3 and a category 4 climb in the middle section. There are 1972m of climbing but the stage doesn’t include any major ascents and the final categorized climb comes 62.1km from the flat finish.

 

The sprinters don’t have many opportunities in this year’s Tour of Austria and everybody is still fresh. Hence, it will be a surprise if the fast finishers don’t battle it out for the prestigious win in Salzburg.

 

 

Stage 2

The sprinters who failed in the first stage, will have an immediate chance to get their revenge in stage 2 which could be the final chance for the fast finishers in this year’s race. The 205.5km between Mondsee and Steyr include a category 2 climb at the 73.8km mark and 2562m of climbing but the roads are predominantly flat. There are a few rolling hills in the finale but the final kilometres are flat.

 

Every stage from now on includes significantly more climbing so the sprinters can’t really allow themselves to let this opportunity slip away. The list of sprinters in this race is not impressive so for teams like Cofidis (Ahlstrand, Venturini), Bardiani (Ruffoni), Stölting (Ciolek) and Roth (Pasqualon) who have some of the fastest guys here, it is a big chance to get a major win. They have to keep things together for a second consecutive bunch sprint.

 

 

Stage 3

After two days of recovery, the GC riders face their next battle in stage 3 which has the first uphill finish in the race. The 181.3km Ardagger and the Sonntagberg have 3084m of climbing so it is not a big mountain stage but the finale is difficult. There are two tough category 2 climbs in the first half and then the road levels out. However, it is all just a warm-up for the finish on the category 3 climb of Sonntagberg (3.9km, 8.6%). It’s a tough climb with a maximum gradient of 20% and which has a very steep first section and steep cobbled finale.

 

Sonntagberg is not a long climb but history proves that it is hard enough to do some damage. In 2014, Peter Kennaugh soloed to victory here, with only 11 riders finishing within a minute of him. Mathias Frank beat Rafal Majka here in 2013 while Fabio Taborre won from a breakaway in 2012. The climb suits the puncheurs more than the real climbers but it will give a solid indication of who’s going to win the race overall.

 

 

Stage 4

One day after the first small uphill finish, it is time for the queen stage. Stage 4 will bring the riders over 183km from Rottenmann to Edelweissspitze and includes the hardest mountaintop finish of the race. The total amount of climbing is 3910m but it almost all comes at the end. The first part is completely flat and then the terrain gradually gets a bit more undulating with two small category 3 climbs that serve as a warm-up for the finale. The stage ends on the HC climb of the Edelweisspitze which is just part of the famous Grossglockner climb which features on the course every year. The final 14.2km average a massive 10.1%, making it one of the hardest climbs in Europe.

 

A stage hasn’t finish on the Edelweissspitze climb since the race was opened to professionals in 2005 so it is untested territory for the riders. However, the mountain has a brutal average gradient that makes it fully comparable to the brutal Kitzbüheler Horn which hosts the prologue in this year’s race, not the usual mountaintop finish. Such a tough climb will make a massive difference and at the end of this stage we will have a pretty good idea about who’s going to win this year’s race.

 

 

Stage 5

There will be no room for recovery for the GC riders as they face the third consecutive summit finish in stage 5. The 147.3km between Millstatt and Dobratsch are actually some of the easiest of the entire race as they are almost completely flat. However, the stage still has 2286m of climbing and they almost all come in the end. The stage ends at the top of the category 1 Dobratsch climb which averages 5.7% over 21km. One shouldn’t be fooled by the numbers as the first part is pretty easy while there are several double-digit gradient sections in the second half.

 

This is the final big mountaintop finish in the race and the final big chance to change the outcome of the race. It’s another stage for pure climbers and it will definitely be the scene for another GC battle. However, if the GC is already set in stone and one rider has turned out to be superior, it could very well be a day for a breakaway.

 

 

Stage 6

The sprinters have bided their time in the mountains, hoping that they will get a chance to sprint in stage 6. The 203.9km between Graz and Stegersbach are mostly flat, only has 1969m of climbing and has a completely flat finale. However, the riders will reach the top of a category 2 climb at the 145.1km and the summit of the category 3 climb of Bernstein with 34.3km to go, meaning that there are some undulations to overcome before the road levels out.

 

This could be a day for the sprinters but much will depend on their freshness after the mountain stages. The final two climb could very well be too hard for them and if they don’t feel ready, they won’t ask their teams to control a stage of more than 200km. Hence, it could be a great day for a breakaway but it could also come down to a reduced bunch sprint.

 

 

Stage 7

The capital of Vienna has often hosted the final stage and been the scene of a big bunch sprint. The city will again welcome the riders on the final day but this year the organizers have added a twist that will take the sprinters out of contention. The 179.8km stage starts in Bad Tatzmannsdorf and has a tough start as the riders will tackle a category 3 climb right from the drop of the flag. From there, the stage is almost completely flat and only has a total of 1553m of climbing. However, the stage has a nasty sting in its tail as it ends at the top of the Kahlenberg climb, one of the highest points in Vienna. The ascent averages 8% over 3.9km.

 

If the GC is still close, the Kahlenberg is hard enough to change things and it could be a chance for the GC riders to try to shake things up. However, the final climb is more suited to puncheurs than real climbers and those who did well on the Sonntagberg should find this stage to their liking too. However, with two very tough mountaintop finishes earlier in the race, the time gaps are likely to be so big that the winner has already been found and there is a solid chance that a breakaway will ride away with the win in Vienna.

 

 

The favourites

As said, the Tour of Austria has always been a race for climbers but this year it is more evident than ever. With no flat time trial, the race will be decided in the mountain prologue and the four uphill finishes. Two of them are more suited to the puncheurs while two of them are for pure climbers. They are both so extremely hard – especially the queen stage – that they will go a long way in determining the overall winner. Some of the less explosive guys may lose some seconds in stages 3 and 7 but they should easily erase their deficit on some of the longer climbs.

 

Furthermore, the stages have easier starts than usual. Mostly, it will all be decided on the final climb. This means that team tactics will be less important and it will come down to the legs of captains. There will be less need for a strong team to control any big mountain stages so the race is likely to be won by the best climber.

 

This year the fact that Astana is the only WorldTour team means that it’s a very open and unpredictable race. Only one of last year’s podium finishers is back and he is our favourite to win the race. For some reason, CCC don’t go into the race with defending champion Victor De La Parte but they have last year’s third place Jan Hirt. The Czech is one of the biggest climbing talents but he is hugely inconsistent. For most of the time, he is riding very poorly but when he reaches his best level he can even mix it up with the best on the WorldTour scene. He did so in the queen stage at last year’s Tour de Suisse and repeated the performance a few weeks ago when he again finished in the top 10 on the Rettenbachferner, one of the hardest climbs in Europe.

 

The performance shows that he has finally found some form and after last year’s third place, the Tour of Austria must be a big goal. He is a pure climber who excels on the steepest of climbs so he should really find the queen stage to his liking. As the race is likely to be decided there, the Czech is our favourite to win.

 

Another rider to excel at the Tour de Suisse was Pieter Weening. The Dutchman won one of the big mountain stages from a breakaway but didn’t go for GC. Earlier this year he proved his climbing strength by winning the Tour of Norway overall and he was also close to a stage win on a mountain stage at the Volta a Catalunya. On paper, Weening is one of the best climbers here and his form is obviously great. However, he is a relatively big guy so he may come up short against some of the pure climbers in the queen stage. Antwan Tolhoek is a second option for Roompot after his splendid showing at the Tour de Suisse where he won the mountains jersey.

 

Brendan Canty is a huge climbing talent who mixed it up with the elite at last year’s Abu Dhabi Tour and at this year’s Tour of Oman. He has now set his sights on the Tour of Austria and the Volta a Portugal to prove that he can also be there in Europe. He has preparing carefully for this race and he seems to excel when the roads gets very steep. The queen stage is not too different from the Green Mountain stage in Oman where he did so well. If he has the same legs here, he can win this race. He is even part of a great team that has Lachlan Norris and Gavin Mannion as back-up plans.

 

For years, Jure Golcer has been one of the best climbers in races like these. At the recent Tour de Slovenie, he finished fifth in the queen stage and so proved that there is still life in the old legs. Of course his home race was the biggest goal but if he has maintained the condition he will be one of the strongest here.

 

Wanty go into the race with last year’s U23 Liege-Bastogne-Liege champion Guillaume Martin. The Frenchman had an injury-marred start to his neo-pro season but showed his class when he finished in the top 10 in the first mountain stage at the Dauphiné. It may be a bit too early for him to win this race but he definitely has the potential to do well. Thomas Degand is a back-up plan for Wanty but he has been out with an injury for a long time so he is probably not ready to win such a hard race.

 

Felbermayr are led by local rider Markus Eibegger who won the Tour of Azerbaidjan earlier this year. The Austrian has been very consistent in the 2.2 races and this race is obviously his big highlight. The same goes for Stephan Rabitsch and Clemens Fankhauser who are also leaders of continental teams and have shown great form.

 

Two of the big question marks are Manuel Bongiorno and Stefano Pirazzi. On paper, they are among the best climbers here but they haven’t raced since the Giro. They probably need some time to get going again so it will be a bit of a surprise if they win here even if they have the potential to do so.

 

David Belda would usually be one of the favourites but it is hard to say how he is going. The Spanish climber has been far from his best form all year. However, he has barely raced since May and showed signs of improvement at the Spanish Championships. If he is back at his best level, he can win a climbing race like this.

 

Finally, Cofidis are here with Rudy Molard and Stephane Rossetto who are among the best climbers. Unfortunately, they showed poor form in June and it is doubtful whether that has changed since then. Their compatriot Quentin Pacher has been riding really well for several weeks and should be going well here too. However, he is probably not strong enough to win.

 

***** Jan Hirt

**** Pieter Weening, Brendan Canty

*** Jure Golcer, Guillaume Martin, Markus Eibegger, Manuel Bongiorno, Stefano Pirazzi, David Belda

** Antwan Tolhoek, Rudy Molard, Stephane Rossetto, Lachlan Norris, Gavin Mannion, Stephan Rabitsch, Quentin Pacher, Thomas Degand, Clemens Fankhauser

* Evgeny Shalunov, Bruno Pires, Marco Minnaard, Domen Novak, Rdoslav Rogina, Sylwester Szmyd, Valerio Agnoli, Bkahityar Kozhatayev, Remy Di Gregorio, Delio Fernandez, Patrick Schelling, Florian Bissinger, Marek Rutkiewicz