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The Internationale LOTTO Thüringen Ladies Tour is a women's race held in the German state of Thuringia since 1986, making it one of the oldest races in the current women's calendar. The event starts next Tuesday and consists of six stages, so the last two days coincide with the opening weekend of the Tour de France. The Tour will undoubtedly overshadow the German race, but it will still be interesting to follow, as several top-level riders will be at the start.

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The race consists of six stages, of which four have predominantly flat profiles, so we are looking at a festival for sprinters. At first glance, the hilly stage on the fourth day and, above all, the 31-kilometer individual time trial on the fifth day will decide the general classification.

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Last year, this race was a triumphant walk for Team SD Worx, winning all the stages, one with each of their five riders, in addition to the team time trial included in the 2023 edition. This time, it is likely to be the team to beat again, although we do not yet have the full lineup of the Dutch team. Lorena Wiebes (1200) is a candidate for everything, as she is not only the best sprinter in the world but also usually performs well in time trials. However, 31 kilometers might be a bit too long for her to achieve the general classification. Other fast women who can contest the sprints are Elisa Balsamo (1000), Tamara Dronova (800), Sofia Bertizzolo (600), Maria Giulia Confalonieri (400), Marta Lach (400), Daria Pikulik (200), Maggie Coles-Lyster (200), and Anniina Ahtosalo (200). For the time trial (and therefore the general classification), besides Wiebes, standouts include Brodie Chapman (200), Elizabeth Deignan (200), Mieke Kröger (200), Karlijn Swinkels (600), Eugenia Bujak (200), Maike Boogard (200), and Lisa Klein (200), although many teams have yet to confirm their lineups, so it will be worth keeping an eye on the start list.

Photo: © Internationale LOTTO Thüringen Ladies Tour