5 days in the hills of Luxembourg
The Tour de Luxembourg begins next Wednesday, and for 5 days, this small European country and its hills host a race ideal for rouleurs and punchers, as the route does not include major mountains but also lacks stages for sprinters. Last year, Mattias Skjelmose (1000), Valentin Madouas (600) (2), Aaron Gate (200), and Matteo Trentin (600) were the stage winners, and they serve as an example of the type of rider who can shine in Luxembourg.
Route
As mentioned, the race features 4 stages with undulating profiles that exceed 2400 meters of positive elevation gain. The route is completed with the time trial on the fourth stage, which can be decisive for the general classification.
Favorites
Riders like Mattias Skjelmose (1000), Ion Izagirre (600), Brandon McNulty (800), Valentin Madouas (600), Alex Aranburu (600), Dylan Teuns (600), Marc Hirschi (600), Julian Alaphilippe (800), Tiesj Benoot (400), Felix Grossschartner (400), Soren Kragh Andersen (400), Diego Ulissi (400), or Ilan Van Wilder (400) are some of the top contenders for stage victories in the road stages. For the time trial on the fourth day, Skjelmose, McNulty, Izagirre, Grossschartner, Kragh Andersen, Van Wilder, and Ethan Vernon (400) are some of the main specialists.
Photo: © Tour de Luxembourg