Between the Tour and the Olympics
This Sunday marks the end of the Tour de France, which for three weeks has provided a grand spectacle for all cycling fans. However, the end of this Tour will be different from all previous ones, as the traditional final stage on the Champs-Elysées has been replaced by an individual time trial from Monaco to Nice while Paris is finalizing preparations to host the Olympics. The Olympic Games open on Friday, July 26, and just one day later, some of the first medals to be contested will be the road cycling time trial events.
In the five days between the end of the Tour and the start of the Games, a ProSeries race has managed to fit into the calendar without overlapping with either of the summer’s two major events. This is the Ethias Tour de Wallonie, which takes advantage of this free window to hold its 45th edition.
Route
As every year, the Ethias Tour de Wallonie consists of five stages that take place in the French-speaking region of Belgium, but unlike the 2023 edition, this time the race does not include a time trial. The first stage is the most straightforward for sprinters, but the rest of the days could be challenging for the fast men. The third stage will likely decide the general classification, as it is the most demanding, but stages 2, 4, and 5 feature interesting intermediate profiles that could end in reduced sprints, late attacks, or for the riders in the breakaway. We shall see.
Favorites
The GC favorites are punchy riders like Thibau Nys (400), Andreas Kron (400), Dylan Teuns (400), Benoît Cosnefroy (400), Corbin Strong (600), Nick Schultz (400), Natnael Tesfazion (200), or Julien Simon (200). Meanwhile, Juan Pedro López (200) is probably the best climber in the race, but the stage profiles, without any long climbs, don't suit his strengths too well.
On paper, Jordi Meeus (600) and Alberto Dainese (600) are the fastest men for the first day, while riders like Iván García Cortina (400), Matteo Trentin (600), Paul Penhoet (400), Emilien Jeannière (200), Dries Van Gestel (200), and Florian Sénéchal (200) are good candidates for stage wins in slightly more selective sprints.
Photo: © Ethias Tour de Wallonie