Tour de Yorkshire 2018 – Stage 2 Preview

By David Hunter

Barnsley – Ilkley 147.5km

Time to hit the hills.

There are a few bumps along the way, but this stage is all about the final 20km.

Climbs

First up is the climb of Old Pool Bank, which is 1km at 9.8%. This is the first categorised climb of the day and will be used to thin the bunch, then it’s the hilltop finish.

The Cow and Calf is a well known climb in the area. It will be rammed full of fans and the atmosphere will be incredible. 1.8km at 7.8% is too hard for any of the sprinters, this one is for the puncheurs and GC men. It is a climb that starts easy, but increases in difficulty, with the final 400m at 11.6%. This will be a brilliant finish to watch.

Weather

Cloudy, but not cold.

Contenders

Greg Van Avermaet – the BMC man starts the stage as the man to beat. He loves an uphill sprint, but what is his current form like? He is the stand out rider in the field, but that can sometimes make life a little difficult. BMC have a number of options for this stage, they won’t simply rely on GVA.

Paddy Bevin – has to be option 2 for BMC. The Kiwi is a very strong rider and has enjoyed success this season, but mainly on his TT bike. Bevin has a very fast sprint and doesn’t mind a climb. BMC could use him as an attacking option in the final kilometre, if they think that the other teams are leaning on them.

Owain Doull – this is his 2nd season with Sky and his first leadership opportunity. The man from Wales is a quick finisher, but he can also climb well. This looks like a good stage for him, but some of his teammates might also fancy their chances. It will be good to see Doull at the front of the race, something that hasn’t happened for a long time.

Magnus Cort Nielsen – another rider with a question mark over his form? He crashed out of Paris-Roubaix, but he should have had enough time off to sufficiently recover. The Dane is another who loves an uphill kick, he was 2nd on the Hatta Dam. Looking at the final kilometre, it is right on his limit, but he should have enough to challenge for the win.

Jonathan Hivet – fast finish, likes a hill, super motivated. Hivert ticks all the boxes for this stage. Bonus seconds will put him in a strong position in the GC battle.

Mike Teunissen – strong classics campaign and has the skills required to challenge for the win. Sunweb are a strong team and will hope to be challenging for the stage and Teunissen looks their best bet.

Wee Men

The stage is rather easy, apart from the final 20km. This is sure to encourage some of the continental riders in the pack, who have a decent chance of causing an upset. Looking at the English squads, it seems that riders like Ian Bibby, Connor Swift, Karol Domagalski and Tom Pidcock are the best options for a surprise winner.

Prediction Time

After making a mess of today’s chase, I can’t see it happening again. This is a big day for the puncheurs and it’s hard to see past Greg Van Avermaet. He might not be on top form, but the stage is easy enough for him to save his energy for the final kilometre.

David Hunter

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