As a true sign of cycling's globalization, the Tour of Beijing brings the WorldTour calendar to a close for the fourth consecutive year and this year's edition shapes up to be the hardest yet. While the race still lacks the prestige of the major European races, the race is an important hunting ground for riders in search of WorldTour points and has constantly attracted stronger line-ups from year to year. This year the riders will be tested on a course that includes a real mountain stage and a few hilly days and so the race continues the natural trend of progressively harder courses.

 

The UCI have made great strides in their attempt to globalize cycling and have tried to expand the pinnacle WorldTour calendar to as many continents as possible. The race series left Europe for the first time for the 2008 Tour Down Under and entered the North American continent with the Canadian WorldTour races two years later. In October 2011, the series expanded into Asia when that year's edition was brought to a close with the inaugural edition of the Chinese Tour of Beijing.

 

Like the Canadian races, the Tour of Beijing race was included on the finest calendar from its very first edition, with UCI being keen to globalize their finest calendar even further, and so it was granted a four-year WorldTour license from the beginning - much to the frustration of many European organizers who have fought hard for years to get onto the major calendar. However, the UCI had always shown its intentions by getting actively involved in the race that has been set up in a partnership between the global federation and the Beijing City Government, with the race being organized by Global Cycling Promotion, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the UCI. In 2012, 2013 and 2014, the race was set to be either followed or preceded by another new WorldTour event, Tour of Hangzhou, that should make the long travel to China a bit more worthwhile for the ProTeams but the first three editions of that race have all been cancelled.

 

For the locals, the event is a legacy of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and has the official purpose of promoting Beijing as a global event city. The focal point of the race is of course the Chinese capital itself and the race always has a stage that is held entirely on a circuit in the city. However, most of the stages are held in the hilly terrain north of the capital, with the race showing off some of the country's tourist attractions, the Great Wall of course being the main draw card. Everyone who witnessed the road race at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, knows just how hard the terrain in this area is!

 

While the lack of a deep history and late calendar date make it far less prestigious than the major European races, the Tour of Beijing is fiercely contested and has attracted a rather strong line-up for the first three editions of the race. With WorldTour points being of immense importance, many teams see it as an opportunity to add to their tally in a race where the competition is less fierce than it is at the major events in Europe. It is no wonder that smaller teams like Ag2r and Euskaltel have traditionally fielded very strong rosters for the event, clearly hoping to use the race to bolster their chances in the sporting hierarchy that plays a crucial role in determining the ProTeams of the following year. This year is no exception and while most of the major stars have put an end to their season, many teams have been keen to stress the importance of the Chinese event.

 

At this time of the year, many riders have lost all motivation and just want to have a break. For a lot of riders, it is no dream task to be sent to Beijing but for others, it is a big opportunity. The transfer market is about to slow down and for those that haven’t signed a contract yet, there aren’t many chances left. A good result in Beijing and a solid haul of WorldTour points in a race that is not as competitive as the main European races will do a lot to better their career prospects.

 

The race is the final on the WorldTour calendar but has failed to benefit from that position. None of the top contenders in the individual WorldTour standings have so far included the race on their calendar and the organizers still haven't got the chance to turn the race into a decider of the year-long competition. Last year, however, it managed to turn things around in the teams competition as a great performance by Movistar allowed the team to pass Sky in the overall standings. This year the individual win was still up for grabs as Alberto Contador and Alejandro Valverde are both in contention for the overall win. Originally this prompted  both riders to travel to China but after Contador was forced to cancel his participation, Valverde also decided to skip the long journey to China, meaning that the Tour of Beijing again won’t decide the overall winner of the season-long competition.

 

The race still hasn't found a fixed format and the organizers have made the courses progressively harder. In the debut year, all was decided in the opening time trial which was followed by 3 sprint stages and a harder stage that failed to produce much separation. In 2012, there was no time trial and the race had three hilly stages with a maiden summit on the Great Wall being the queen stage of the race. That stage, however, was more for the puncheurs than for the climbers. Last year the race was made even tougher, with a real mountaintop finish turning it into a race for the real stage race riders, but the race still offered its usual fair share of sprint stages too.

 

The first two editions were dominated by Tony Martin who managed to win twice in a row. He laid the foundations for his first win by a dominant showing in the opening time trial and defended his lead all the way to the end. In 2012 he defied expectations when he made up for the lack of a time trial by making a fantastic solo attack on the second day to win the stage and take the leader's jersey. He defended it all the way to the end and rode strongly on the queen stage which had an uphill finish.

 

Last year Martin’s dominance was finally broken as the new, hard summit finish made it impossible for the German to beat the climbers. Instead, Benat Intxausti took the biggest win of his career, having laid the foundations on the queen stage that completely decided the race. The Spaniard attacked early on the final climb but was nearly passed by in-form favourite Daniel Martin who made a late surge in the end. However, the Irishman ran out of power and had to settle for second both on the stage and in the overall standings while David Lopez completed the podium. This year Intxausti will be back to defend his title while Martin and Lopez will both try to do even better than they did 12 months ago.

 

The course

The first edition of the race was criticized for being way too easy for a WorldTour race. In 2012 the organizers tried to make things tougher but the queen stage never lived up to expectations and the only major difference was made by Martin's strong solo attack on a day that wasn't expected to be the decider. Having learnt from their previous experiences, the organizers put together an even tougher route for the 2013 edition which all came down to a spectacular summit finish on the penultimate day.

 

Following the tradition, the organizers have made the 2014 edition harder than the previous ones. Last year’s big summit finish on the Mentougou Miaofeng Mountain is back but this year it comes at the end of a much harder stage with more climbing. For the first time in its history, the Tour of Beiing offers a real mountain stage and even though the final climb is not very tough, a long day of climbing should make the race more selective. That stage will probably decide the overall as the rest of the race is made up of stages that seem destined to end in sprint finishes even though stage 3 should be a more selective day, offering the GC riders a small chance to at least try to make a difference.

 

Stage 1:

The Tour of Beijing has always been a great race for sprinters and the 2014 edition won’t be any different. As usual, the race kicks off with a stage that has all the ingredients to be one for the fast finishers. At 167km, it brings the riders from Chongli to Zhangjiakou over a route that is mostly flat. Travelling north towards the hills, the riders get the race off to a hard start as slightly ascending roads lead to the category 2 Hua Pi Ling Summit (5.9km, 4.9%), with the first intermediate sprint coming already at the 21km mark. Straight after the first climb, the riders tackle the category 3 He Shun Ding Summit (1.8km, 6.9%) before the follow undulating roads for another few kilometres while travelling in a westerly direction.

 

A short descent leads to flatter roads that are only disrupted by a small category 3 climb (1.5km, 7.3%) and from there the rest of the stage is pretty easy. The final 102.5km don’t have a single categorized climb, with the first part being made up of a long, flat, southwesterly run towards the intermediate sprint in Huai Cai Liang Village. It is located 43km from the finish and they are all downhill. That should make for a very fast finish along big roads that are perfectly suited to a fast-moving bunch. The final few kilometres in Zhangjiakou are completely flat and only have a few turns.

 

On the first day of a stage race, it may be a bit unclear which teams are going to keep things under control but as always lots of sprinters have travelled to Beijing. For the fast finishers, this is a very big opportunity and it will be a big surprise if a few of the sprint teams don’t combine forces to bring it back together for an opening bunch sprint. For the third time in a row, the first leader’s jersey is likely to be worn by a sprinter after Elia Viviani and Thor Hushovd won the opening stages in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

 

 

 

 

 

Stage 2:

After the opening sprint stage, a few fastmen will have been left disappointed but they will get an immediate opportunity to take revenge. At 147.5km, the second stage is another short affair that brings the riders from another start in Chongli to Yanqinq. The terrain is a bit harder than it was on the opening day but it is unlikely to be enough to prevent another bunch sprint.

 

Like in the first stage, the riders start the stage by travelling in a northerly direction which means that the first part is again a gradual uphill. After 20.5km, the riders turn around to go towards the southeast and that will be the direction for the remaining part of the stage. A long gradual descent should offer very few challenge for the riders that will contest the final intermediate sprint after 50.5km of racing.

 

Things gets harder at the midway point where the riders hit the bottom of the category 3 Tun Jun Pu Village Summit (2.3km, 4.1%). That will probably not make too much of a difference but the subsequent section will be the place to make the race tough. After a short descent, the road is slightly ascending for almost 30km and constantly gets steeper and steeper. It all culminates with the category 3 climb Yan Jia Ping Village Summit (1km, 8%) that comes with 36.5km to go.

 

The final part of the stage is very easy as a pretty steep descent leads to the Song Shan Reservoir. From there, the riders will do a 22.5km small loop on the northern outskirts of Yanqing. The roads are completely flat and non-technical, meaning that it suits a fast-moving bunch that will be intent on setting up a bunch sprint.

 

The stage may be a bit harder than the opening one but it will be very hard to prevent a bunch sprint. A few teams may try to make things a bit hard on the final climb but as it is more of a long, gradual uphill than a real climb, it is unlikely to make too much of a difference. As the leader’s jersey will probably be resting on the shoulders of an in-form sprinter, there should not be too much confusion about who’s going to control the stage and all is set for another big bunch sprint in Yanqing.

 

Yanqing hosted its first stage finish in 2013 when Nacer Bouhanni beat Roberto Ferrari and Mitchell Docker in a bunch sprint.

 

 

 

Stage 3:

After two days for the pure sprinters, the riders will need to turn on their climbing legs for the third day which will be more selective than the opening days. Riders who did the race 12 months ago, will know what to expect as the stage is an identical copy of stage 3 of last year’s race, meaning that the riders are familiar with the climbs and know how much damage they can do.

 

The 176km course is a very hilly affair and has a route that is up or down almost all day. From the start in yesterday's finishing city of Yanqing, the riders head along flat roads in an easterly direction but things get complicated when they turn to the south to get into hillier terrain. First up is the category 3 Dong Hui Ling (2.4km, 5%) at the 23.5km mark but the road continues to point upwards for a little longer before a long descent takes the riders back to the Great Wall. The passage of the edifice consists of two category 3 climbs, Zhuang Ke (3km, 4.4%) and Xie Zi Shi (2.3km, 5.3%) which come in quick succession.

 

A long descent leads to the southernmost point of the route where the riders turn around to head in a northeasterly direction. They will tackle one of the steepest climb of the entire race, the category 2 Sha Ling (3.4km, 6%) before continuing to the first category 1 climb of the race, Si Hai (7.4km, 5.1%) that brings them past the Great Wall for the second time. At the top, the riders tackle a long gradual descent that leads to the category 2 Cang Mi Gu Dao (4.6km, 5.2%) whose top is located 43.5km from the finish.

 

They consist of a descent and a long section of slightly ascending roads that lead to the final difficulty of the day. The category 3 Huang Tu Liang (2km, 4.3%) is the perfect launch pad for attacks and from its top, only 11km remain. They consist of a short descent and a flat stretch to the finish at the Ciao Young Temple in Qiandiajian.

 

The stage may have lots of climbs but as it is often the case in the Tour of Beijing, none of them are very steep. Furthermore, the steepest of them come pretty far from the finish and there are lots of long, flat straights in the finale. That means that the strongest sprinters should be able to stay in contention and if several teams combine forces, it should be enough to ensure another bunch sprint. Last year the GC riders tested each other in the finale, with Tony Martin being keen to make a difference, but the terrain was not hard enough to make a difference. Hence, it all came down to a sprint from a reduced peloton where Nacer Bouhanni made use of his climbing legs to take his second win in the race.

 

This year a number of teams will have targeted this stage as an opportunity to put the pure sprinters under pressure and they will probably try to make things hard of the climb. In the finale, we could again see some attacks from the GC riders but like last year it is hard to imagine that this will not end in a sprint finish. The main question is how many of the fast finishers will still be in contention,

 

 

 

Stage 4:

Unless something unexpected happens, the GC is set to come down to Monday's fourth stage which is the toughest in the history of the Tour of Beijing. The stage is very similar to last year’s queen stage, has the same opening part and finishes on the same climb. However, the organizers have made some modifications to the middle section to make for a tougher run-in to the final ascent.

 

For the second day in a row, the riders will take off from Yanqing and like on the previous day, they will head in a southerly direction as they travel towards the hills west of Beijing. The first 12km are slightly ascending and are followed by a long descent that takes the riders past the Great Wall in Badaling where Francesco Gavazzi won the queen stage in 2012. After a short, flat section, the riders turn right to head into the hills and up the category 1 Xian Ren Dong Village climb (7.7km, 5.5%). At the top, a short section of slightly descending roads precede the steepest climb in the race, the category 2 Gao Ya Kou (3.5km, 7.1%), which is followed by a steep descent that takes the riders back to the northern outskirts of Beijing.

 

This is where the course deviates from last year’s route as 40km of flat roads have been replaced by a tougher section that again takes the riders into the hills. Having finished the descent, the riders again turn to the west to go up the category 3 Pu Sa Lu (2.9km, 5.5%) and Si Jia Hui (2.5km, 5.4%) which come in quick succession. As they gradually turn around to head back towards Beijing, the roads become less undulation before the category 2 Dong Fang Hing Tunnel (3.3km, 6.2%) offers a final test before the finishing climb.

 

From the top, just 22.5km remain and they first consist of a fast descent and then a short flat stretch that leads to the bottom of the category 1 Mentougou Miaofeng Mountain (12.6km, 5.7%). The finish line comes at the top of the ascent that also brought last year’s penultimate stage to an end.

 

When the climb debuted in 2013, Benat Intxausti attacked from afar and narrowly managed to hold off a fast-finishing Daniel Martin by 3 seconds, with David Lopez completing the podium 1 second further adrift.

 

The final climb is not overly steep and last year the best riders were separated by seconds as the many attacks mostly proved fruitless until Intxausti benefited from a tactical standstill to get away. The favoiirtes were unable to make a difference until Martin accelerated hard in the end but he only managed to gain 1 second on Lopez and 3 seconds on Rui Costa and 22 riders finished within 40 seconds of the stage winner. This year the harder stage may create a bigger selection but it will all come down to the final climb. Even though it is long, its easy gradients mean that it is more suited to punchy riders than real climbers. Nonetheless, it is likely to almost completely determine the final overall standings of the fourth edition of the Tour of Beijing.

 

 

 

Stage 5: 

Only one stage has been part of the route for all three editions of the race: the 117km stage that takes the riders from Tian An Men Square in central Beijing to a circuit around the Beijing National Stadium and a finish on Bird's Nest Piazza. The first 17.5km bring the riders from the city centre to the circuit in the northern part of the city and they will cross the finish line for the first time 6km later.

 

Then they will do 12 laps of the 7.5km circuit that is rather non-technical and completely flat. There are six 90-degree turns and the riders will make a U-turn in a roundabout but the roads are wide and non-dangerous as the riders circle around the many landmarks from the Beijing Olympics. All day the terrain is completely flat and the finishing straight is very long at more than one kilometre. There will be intermediate sprints at the end of the third and seventh laps.

 

It's a classical end to a big stage race and like many other circuit races in major cities, it is guaranteed to end in a big bunch sprint for the fastest riders in the race. Such a short stage on a pretty non-technical circuit with a long finishing straight is suited to the really fast, pure sprinters who excel when the race has been easy.

 

In 2011, the stage also ended the race when Denis Galimzyanov took the win while the stage opened the 2012edition of the race with Elia Viviani riding himself into the first leader's jersey. Last year Luka Mezgec took his first professional victory on the very last day of his first season with Giant-Shimano. This year the stage will bring both the race and the 2013 edition of the WorldTour to a close in beautiful surroundings.

 

 

 

The favourites

While the first edition of the Tour of Beijing was one for the time triallists and the 2012 edition was perfectly suited to puncheurs, the final two editions of the Chinese race are races for climbers. The race may have lots of opportunities for the sprinters but unless something unexpected happens, the GC will be decided on stage 4. The final GC is likely to almost completely mirror the result of that stage, with only bonus seconds potentially creating a few changes.

 

While stage 1, 2 and 5 are destined to end in bunch sprints, there is a very slight chance that difference can be made in stage 3. In 2013, however, the climbs in that stage were not hard enough to create a major selection and a sprint from a reduced group decided the race. This leaves stage 4 as the only chance to create bigger time gaps.

 

Everything is likely to be decided on the final climb of that stage. It is a not a very hard climb and the easy gradients mean that the punchier guys will be favoured over the pure climbers. This year, however, the first part of the stage has been made tougher and this should make the stage a bit more selective than it was 12 months ago.

 

This year’s edition was set to be greatlly boosted by the fact that Alejandro Valverde and Alberto Contador both wanted to win the WorldTour. To do so, they both needed to go to China and this year’s race was set to have the addeed intrigue of not just being a battle for the overall win in the race. More importantly, the overall WorldTour was up for grabs.

 

However, Contador’s withdrawal prompted Valverde to cancel his participation, meaning that the WorldTour has already been decided. The absence of the two Spaniards has significantly reduced the prestige and level of the race but with important WorldTour points up for grabs, the race can again present a pretty strong line-up. Lots of strong riders are in great condition at this late point of the season and want to benefit maximally from their form in the final big stage race of the season.

 

Last year the Tour of Beijing was the first stage race in the rainbow jersey for Rui Costa. The Portuguese rode strongly to finish fourth despite his many post-Worlds obligations. This year he failed to defend his title but this has allowed him to have a much better preparation for the Chinese race.

 

Costa rode strongly in Canada and so it was a surprise that he was unable to hang onto the best on the final climb in Ponferrada. He didn’t miss much but the race left the impression that he was not as strong as he was in 2012. In Il Lombardia he bounced back with a very impressive showing and was clearly one of the strongest riders in the race, climbing strongly before sprinting to third.

 

Unlike most of his rivals, Costa has had a pretty easy second half of the season. In preparation of the Worlds, he mainly focused on the Canadian WorldTour races, meaning that he has very few racing days in his legs since he abandoned the Tour de France prematurely. At this point of the season, freshness is more important than anything else, and this should give Costa an advantage.

 

Costa is no pure climber and the Miaofeng Mountain should suit him well. Being pretty fast in a sprint and having a decent punch, the easy gradients are tailor-made for him. The climb is not very selective and it may all come down to an uphill sprint from the strongest riders. Here Costa should be one of the best and his great condition could allow him to end his season on a high.

 

Costa’s biggest rival is likely to be Daniel Martin. By winning Il Lombardia, the Irishman showed that he is riding strongly at the moment. However, that victory was more based on a perfectly timed move on the descent than strength on the climb. In fact, Costa seemed to be more comfortable than the Garmin captain in the finale and seems to be in slightly better condition.

 

Last year Martin was clearly the strongest rider in Beijing but missed out on the win as he was unable to catch lone attacker Intxausti in the finale. Back then he arrived at the start with fewer racing days in his legs as he had crashed out of the Vuelta before doing the Tour of Britain. This year he has done both the Vuelta, the Worlds and Il Lombardia and even though he has barely raced in the first half of the season, he is probably more tried than Costa.

 

On the other hand, the main climb suits him pretty well. With easy gradients, explosiveness and punch are extremely important skills and that’s where Martin really shines. If Martin has the legs to stay with the best and it comes down to an uphill sprint between the strongest riders, he will be very hard to beat.

 

Samuel Sanchez put a disappointing first part of the season behind him by riding very strongly in the Vuelta where he finished sixth overall. He was hugely disappointed not to have been selected for the Worlds, claimining that he had the form to do a solid contribution to the Spanish team. He proved himself right by riding strongly in Il Lombardia where he put himself in Philippe Gilbert’s service in the finale.

 

Now Sanchez is the clear team leader and he will be hugely motivated to benefit from his great Vuelta condition. It is a well-known fact that he always finishes his grand tours strongly and this edition of the Spanish race was no different. Having won the Beijing Olympics on the same roads in China, he will be keen to return to the site of the biggest win of his career and he is the leader of a strong BMC team that can also count on strong riders like Tejay van Garderen and Dominik Nerz.

 

Sanchez may not be as explosive as Costa and Martin but he has a pretty fast sprint. The Miaofeng Mountain may be a bit too easy to suit him perfectly but he may be strong enough to drop his two main rivals. Even if they are still there, he may be fast and punchy enough to beat them in a final battle to the line which could allow him to take his first overall victory in  a WorldTour race since he won the 2013 Vuelta al Pais Vasco.

 

Warren Barguil faced a big test in the Vuelta a Espana and proved that he has a great future as a grand tour rider by finishing in the top 10 overall. Impressively, the young Frenchman doesn’t seem to be fatigued yet as he ride very strongly in the Worlds, working hard for Nacer Bouhanni before going on to stay with the main group in the finale. Last week he did well in Il Lombardia and he has decided to try to benefit from his great condition in China.

Barguil is a great climber who should be able to excel in stage 4. He may not be known as the most punchy rider in the peloton but last year he beat Rigorberto Uran in an uphill sprint. On a pretty easy climb, that explosiveness is a very important feature. Furthermore, he has a very aggressive mindset and as Intxausti proved last year, that may pay off in China. On paper, the course suits Barguil. If he isn’t fatigued yet, he should be in podium contention in a WordTour stage race for the first time in his career.

 

Martin is not the only Garmin-Sharp card for the Chinese race. Ryder Hesjedal will also travel to Beijing for a final race of his 2014 season. The Canadian saw a combination of bad legs and crosswinds spell an end to his GC campaign in the Vuelta but he bounced back with a strong showing, winning a stage, riding very aggressively and supporting Martin greatly. He decided to skip the Worlds but proved that he is still in great condition when he was close to the best in Il Lombardia.

 

Hejsedal usually comes strongly out of a grand tour and his diesel engine is well-suited to a race at this late point of the season. The Chinese race may not suit him perfectly as he would probably have preferred it to be longer and have more hard stages. Forming part of a strong duo with Martin, however, he has a few tactical cards to play. That’s how Intxausti won the race 12 months ago, attacking while many were looking at his teammate Costa. This year Martin will have lots of eyes on him and this could allow Hesjedal to escape in the finale, retuning to stage race glory for the first time since the 2012 Giro.

 

Rigoberto Uran rode strongly in the Vuelta until a bout of bronchitis took him out of the race. He failed to recover in time for the Worlds team time trial but he put in a decent performance in the road race. He may not have been able to follow the best but he proved that his form is still at a decent level.

 

He last raced in Lombardy where he abandoned the race prematurely and he is clearly not in his best condition. That’s not he case for anybody though and unlike many of his rivals, he has had a pretty easy racing schedule in the second part of the season. On paper, he is one of the best climbers in the race and his fast sprint will make him a threat on the Miaofeng Mountain.

 

Rinaldo Nocentini had a bad crash in the early part of the season which took him out of the Ardennes classics which were his big objectives in the first part of the year. He missed most of the summer racing but has gradually rebuilt his condition. He had hoped to be a protagonist in the Vuelta but that race came a bit too early for him. However, the three weeks of racing served him well and he proved that he had come out of the race in good condition when he finished second in Milan-Turin by benefiting from a tactical battle between the favourites. Most recently, he was among the best in Lombardy.

 

Nocentini is no longer the rider he once was but he is clearly in good condition and is riding better than he has done for a long time. He will be a lot fresher than most of his rivals and that is of utmost importance at this point of the year. He is no pure climber and the Miaofeng Mountain is probably a bit too long to suit him perfectly. On the other hand, the easy gradients should suit him well and in an uphill sprint he is very hard to beat.

 

Last year David Lopez finished third in the race and this year he is back in China as the leader of the Sky team. The Spaniard is mostly working as a domestique but his great climbing skills make him a definite threat in this kind of race. At 100%, he is one of the best climbers in the world and if he is still in good condition he is one of the favourites for his race.

 

The main question is his form. Like last year he never hit peak condition for the Tour de France but he bounced back with a solid showing in the Tour of Britain. Surprisingly, he didn’t bring those legs to Italy as he performed surprisingly poorly in both Milan-Turin and Il Lombardia and this raises several questions for the Chinese race. Being a past podium finisher, however, he has proved that he can maintain his condition at this late point of the season and he will be highly motivated to shine in one of his rare chances to race as a team leader.

 

Philippe Gilbert has had a very poor second part of the season. He didn’t find his best legs in the Vuelta and this made him an outsider more than a favourite for the Worlds. However, he suddenly found his best form for the race for the rainbow jersey, riding strongly on the final climb and supporting Greg Van Avermaet strongly in the finale. In Il Lombardia, he was clearly one of the strongest riders in the race and there is no doubt that he has finally rediscovered his best form.

 

On paper, the Tour of Beijing should be too hard for Gilbert as the Miaofeng Mountain is usually too long for the Belgian. However, the easy gradients should provide him with a chance to create a surprise. At the moment, there is no doubt that Gilbert is one of the strongest riders in the peloton and he has clearly indicated that he will try to give the GC a shot. We doubt that he will be able to beat the climbers in the queen stage but everybody knows that Gilbert is very unpredictable when he is at 100% of his capabilities.

 

It is very easy to forget how strongly Julian Arredondo rode in the Giro as he has been unable to find back his best legs for the second part of the season. He rode poorly in the Vuelta but after Milan-Turin he was greatly encouraged by his performance. Feeling that his condition is on the rise, he is very motivated for the Tour of Beijing which suits him pretty well.

 

Arredondo mostly shines on short, very steep climbs but he can handle longer ascents too. The final climb may be a bit too easy to suit him perfectly but his punchy riding style provides him with the tools to make a difference of this kind of ascent too. Until now, he has done nothing to show that he is back at his Giro level but he is clearly getting stronger and stronger. It remains to be seen whether this race comes too early for him but he is one of the select few riders who have the skills to actually win the race.

 

***** Rui Costa

**** Daniel Martin, Samuel Sanchez

*** Warren Barguil, Ryder Hesjedal, Rigoberto Uran

** Rinaldo Nocentini, David Lopez, Philippe Gilbert, Julian Arredondo

* Johan Esteban Chaves, Pieter Serry, Pieter Weening, Giovanni Visconti, Steven Kruijswijk, Sergeri Chernetskii, Benat Intxausti, Jesus Herrada, Carlos Betancur, Tejay van Garderen, Dominik Nerz, Simon Yates, Jesus Herrada, Dayer Quintana, Riccardo Zoidl, Louis Vervaeke