Clásica de Almería 2018 Preview

By David Hunter

Almeria – Roqetas Del Mar 185km

The race steps up to 1.HC level, but it remains one for the sprinters.

Route

With all the climbing happening in the opening half of the race, there is plenty of time to bring back any attackers. This race usually ends in a sprint, the weather is only worry for most of the bunch as we do have a number of exposed sections of road.

Weather

A nice sunny day, but we do have some wind coming from the south-west. We shall have to see if it’s possible to split the bunch. This is always the concern for the sprinters in Almeria, the wind is their only obstacle.

Contenders

Caleb Ewan – this marks the start of his European season. Mitchelton-Scott arrive with a ridiculously strong sprint train: Trentin, Kluge, Mezgec. For a race like this, they look set to dominate. I’m delighted to see Kluge back riding with Ewan, they developed a good relationship in 2017, but Kluge was overlooked for some big races. Ewan’s performance in the Tour Down Under was littered with mistakes, but he did take a stunning win in Stirling. 2018 is a big year in his develpment, with his first appearance in the Tour de France on the cards. He starts this race as the strong favourite.

Matteo Pelucchi – the Italian has started to develop into more of a lead out man. He did have some opportunities in San Juan, but the best he could manage was a couple of 3rd places. I starting to lose my faith in him.

Carlos Barbero – the Movistar quick man will benefit from riding for a strong team. After moving from Caja Rural in 2017, his season wasn’t a big success. Normally a man for an uphill kick, I had expected Barbero to concentrate on improving his sprinting speed, but that doesn’t seem to have been a focus for him.

Coen Vermeltfoort – the Dutch sprinter started 2018 with 3rd place in Trofeo Palma, a solid start to the year. Roompot are an impressive team, they always seem to compete against the bigger squads. Their sprinter isn’t the quickest, but a solid lead out can propel him into a great position.

Sergey Shilov – the Russian sprinter enjoyed a successful 2017, taking wins in Klasica Ordiziako and Trofeo Matteotti, while riding for the continental squad, Lokosphinx. His success earned him a step up to Gazprom, a move that should work out well for him and his team. The Russians seem to take pride in their sprint train and they usually pull out a good ride. Now with a fast man to finish off their good work, I expect a few more wins for them in 2018.

Nelson Soto – the Colombian sprinter had a slow start to his Caja Rural career, but 4th place in Valencia was a sign that he is starting to find his feet. It is brilliant for Caja Rural to have a proper sprinter for these races, no doubt Soto will get them plenty of coverage this year. I do have a few concerns about their sprint train, it seems that Soto will have to get used to working for himself.

Danny Van Poppel – the Dutchman enjoyed a great start to the year, with a win in Peñiscola. Lotto-Jumbo have enjoyed a strong start to 2018 and have two amazing sprinters in their ranks. After a frustrating spell at Team Sky, it’s great to see Van Poppel back amongst the best in the world. If he continues to work hard and listen to his coaches, he has the potential to compete against the best sprinters in the world.

Timothy Dupont – the Belgian has enjoyed a good start to his Wanty career, but he will be disappointed about just missing out on a win in Bessèges. After a poor 2017, where his team questioned his professionalism, it seems that he has returned with a new attitude. He’s fast, but not fast enough to win this race.

Jonas Rickaert – a rider with a big year ahead. Illness forced him to postpone his start to the season, but he’ll be hungry to get his year underway. The track star is a quick finisher and the prospect of wind will excite him and most of the Belgians in the field! As it’s his first race of the year, I think he’ll settle with a solid performance.

Aidis Kruopis – my spies are telling me that the Lithuanian sprinter is getting back to his best. Remember, this is a rider with a World Tour win to his name. After a good winter, he is ready to once again challenge for some wins. It will be good to see him back in the mix.

Prediction Time

Given the squad that Mitchelton-Scott have here, it seems almost unfair for the other teams. This should be a win for Caleb Ewan, but he can’t afford to make any mistakes!

David Hunter

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