The Tour de Romandie begins with a 2.28km prologue in Payerne on Tuesday, the beginning of six days of racing in Switzerland because the countdown to the Giro d’Italia additionally begins.
The WorldTour stage race options two summit finishes at Les Marécottes and Leysin, in addition to a midweek 15.5km time trial in Oron and welcomes a wealth of prime stage racers for the primary stage race following the conclusion of the spring Classics season.
2023 winner Adam Yates is again to defend his title together with one other prime favorite in UAE Workforce Emirates teammate Juan Ayuso. Former winner Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) can also be on the startline, whereas different main names lining as much as race embody Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers), and Enric Mas (Movistar).
Main the way in which for Jayco-AlUla are a trio of riders in Simon Yates, Luke Plapp, and Eddie Dunbar, making up one of many strongest squads of the 23 beginning the race.
Cyclingnews can have each day stage reviews and information from the Tour de Romandie.
Yates is seeking to proceed his comeback after an early season disrupted by sickness, whereas Plapp is again within the saddle for the primary time in over a month.
The Australian is making ready to tackle the Giro d’Italia alongside Dunbar earlier than making ready for the time trial and highway race on the Paris Olympics. Dunbar’s 2024 marketing campaign was disrupted by a crash on the UAE Tour. He final raced at Itzulia Basque Nation.
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“I am actually wanting ahead to Romandie and to have the ability to race with each Simon and Eddie,” Plapp mentioned forward of the race.
“All of us could possibly be able to a robust GC consequence so I feel we are able to play off one another fairly properly. I have been in altitude since MiIan-San Remo constructing in direction of each Romandie and the Giro so I am wanting ahead to seeing how my form is heading into the Giro.”
Plapp completed among the many prime 10 on his race debut right here again in 2022 whereas Yates received a stage at Leysin on the way in which to ending second total again in 2017. Dunbar, in the meantime, completed ninth right here final 12 months.
“Romandie has at all times been a favorite race of mine,” Plapp mentioned.
“I had an excellent race in my first-year professional right here and the area of Aigle the place we race is one among my favorite locations to trip a motorbike on the earth. With Two TTs and the possibility to put on the Aussie TT colors for the primary time this 12 months can also be going to be nice.
“I feel with the staff now we have on paper we hope to be proper up there within the GC ranks and have just a few playing cards to play! I imagine the tour will come all the way down to the 15km stage 4 TT, so that can undoubtedly catch the attention of myself.
“With Simon as a frontrunner and myself and Eddie there to play a giant position of help and having some alternatives as nicely.”
Plapp shall be up there among the many favourites to take the opening chief’s jersey on the race in the course of the brief, flat prologue on Tuesday afternoon.
Along with the Jayco-AlUla trio and people contenders listed above, different main GC names seeking to begin their race off nicely in Romandie embody Groupama-FDJ pair David Gaudu and Lenny Martinez, Richard Carapaz (EF Schooling-EasyPost).
Julian Alaphilippe (Soudal Fast-Step) is again in motion after driving the cobbled Classics with a micro fracture in his fibula head. Different large names to observe for embody Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe), Tao Geoghegan Hart (Lidl-Trek), Damiano Caruso (Bahrain Victorious), and Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers).
