Super Sunday
Next Sunday, September 8th, La Vuelta ciclista a España will conclude with a time trial in Madrid, which will undoubtedly be the highlight of the day for cycling fans. However, on this day, the closing stage of the Vuelta is not the only event happening in our sport, as the final stages of the Tour de Romandie Féminin and the Lloyds Bank Tour of Britain will also take place. Additionally, three one-day races will be held in different parts of Europe: the BEMER Cyclassics in Germany, the GP de Fourmies / La Voix du Nord in France, and the GP Industria & Artigianato in Italy. In total, six first or second-division races make for an ideal Sunday to spend in front of the TV.
BEMER Cyclassics: route and favorites
The BEMER Cyclassics has been held in Hamburg and its surroundings since 1996, and sprinters usually prevail. This time, the route covers 198 kilometers with an elevation gain of 880 meters, which shouldn't be a problem for another sprint finish.
As a result, the start list is full of fast men: Jasper Philipsen (1200), Biniam Girmay (1000), Tim Merlier (1000), Olav Kooij (1000), Phil Bauhaus (800), Jonathan Milan (1000), Pascal Ackermann (800), Bryan Coquard (1000), Fernando Gaviria (600), Sam Bennett (800), Alexander Kristoff (800), Jordi Meeus (600), Arnaud De Lie (800), Juan Sebastián Molano (600), Caleb Ewan (600), Danny Van Poppel (600), Matteo Trentin (600), Arnaud Démare (400), Alberto Dainese (400), Iván Garcia Cortina (400), Max Kanter (400), and Paul Penhoët (400) form a spectacular lineup of sprinters.
GP de Fourmies / La Voix du Nord: route and favorites
Like the BEMER Cyclassics, the French race is also usually decided in a sprint, although it adds more than 2,000 meters of elevation gain.
The overlap with the German race affects the start list, as most top sprinters will head to the WorldTour event. Soren Waerenskjold (600), Gerben Thijssen (400), Arvid De Klein (400), Laurence Pithie (400), Giovanni Lonardi (400), Luca Mozzato (400), Milan Fretin (200), Jakub Mareczko (200), Luka Mezgec (200), Jensen Plowright (200), Jason Tesson (200), and Max Walscheid (200) are some of the main favorites.
GP Industria & Artigianato: route and favorites
The GP Industria & Artigianato marks the beginning of the autumn classics in Italy. It's a mid-mountain race that takes place on three circuits around the town of Larciano. The Fornello climb (2.9 km at 6.3%) is tackled twice, and the San Baronto climb (8.4 km at 3.5%) three times.
The start list is still in a very early phase, making it impossible to name favorites. However, Marc Hirschi (600) will start in an attempt to defend his victory from last year.
Photo: © BEMER Cyclassics