Tour de Romandie 2023 – Stage 3
Time for the second time trial of the race. This one is very different.
Route
6.5 km flat followed by 5 km at 5% before it flattens over the top and we have a very fast descent to the line
The downhill looks easy from above, but from 3.5 km – 3 km left this is where you can mess up. They come here with high speed and they need to hit the brake quite hard.
Weather
Different forecasts say different things. There is a chance of rain throughout the day. The wind should change a bit too according to a few weather forecasts, instead of the wind coming from the SW, it changes to south. You want the wind from the SW as it gives you more tailwind on the climb. So both the wind and the danger of rain is for the late starters, it should give a slight edge to the early starters.
If it does rain, that also means a few riders will struggle downhill. Not everyone is keen on throwing it all on the line with the Giro d’Italia around the corner. Despite that, all the late starters are the favorites.
Contenders
Tomorrow, everything is tested. Flat, uphill and downhill. I think the flat section and the uphill section is where you can take most time on your opponents.
Foss – he said after the prologue that this suit him better. It does. The climb is not really made for pure climbers, the gradients are not too difficult It is still down in the saddle and grind away. He has had a few more days to recover from stomach bugs, he will be a podium contender.
Sobrero – I just think looks very similar to his 2022 Giro stage win. He will lose a few seconds on the flat to the heavier guys but can he make it up on the climb? I think he can. He is going very well just now.
Hayter – stage win today. Reflecting on that, it makes sense. They were never going to let anyone get away. Constant stop and go tactics. 6th in the prologue was not good enough. He was 4th at WC TT last year, he can do longer time trials. I think he be just outside the podium.
Cavagna – another one who was very close to winning the prologue. He is going better than I’ve ever seen him. He can handle the climb and he will not lose much on the flat. He is the favorite.
Cort – it just seems he needs 5% more before the Giro d’Italia.
Ayuso – he did a good prologue and usually performs well against the clock.
Stars
⭐⭐⭐ Cavagna
⭐⭐ Sobrero, Foss
⭐ Ayuso, Cort, Hayter
I will take a stage win for Cavagna, 2nd for Sobrero and Foss to fill out the podium.
