Rebranded, but no less easier, the Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes – which starts on Sunday – arguably marks the start of the countdown to this year’s Tour de France.
While cycling fans may not recognise the race’s new name and continue to refer to it as the Dauphiné, the climber-friendly route will look familiar: stages one, six, seven, and eight are all clear GC days, with the final three of those being summit finishes. Stage five, which finishes at the Parc des Oiseaux zoological park, is the one obvious sprint opportunity.
“The race is full of climbing, so we’re not going there to get a GC result,” says DS Rene Mandri. “Our goal will be to get the best results out of the stages – we’ll take it day by day, try to put the guys in breakaways, and hope some days they go to the line.
“We also have Brady Gilmore and Hugo Hofstetter there, and there are a few days that could end up in a sprint, especially stage five. Let’s hope there are other teams that are also keen for a sprint on this stage. Brady has shown us already this year that he is able to make it to the line on a hard day, so if there is a select sprint, we hope he can make it again.”
Gilmore is one of four debutants in the NSN line-up: Marco Frigo, Pau Martí, and Rotem Tene will also compete in the race for the first time.
“I’m looking forward – there are a few good opportunities for me,” says Gilmore. “I’ve already found success at the WorldTour level, so that gives me confidence coming into the race.
“I know that I can be competitive with the best puncheur guys in the world, so I’m definitely going to go all in for them, and hopefully I can get it right.”
Italian rider Frigo heads to France after a productive spell in Tenerife, which followed a Classics campaign that saw him produce a memorable ride on the attack at Amstel Gold Race.
Frigo says: “We know that it is always a race where people are testing themselves – some riders are trying to make the selection for the Tour, so we know the level will be super high.
“After a good training block and a period at altitude, I am confident that I can have good feelings. I’m looking forward to doing some intensity in the race, maybe in some breakaways in the second part of the race, but we know that we need to finish the race and get through with good legs with the bigger objectives to come.”
New Zealand champion George Bennett has the most experience in the race out of the team’s line-up, being a four-time finisher, with two top-20 results in those appearances. Nadav Raisberg competed in last year’s edition, in which Jake Stewart sprinted to the biggest win of his career in Mâcon on stage five.
NSN Cycling Team to the Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes (Sunday 7 – 14 June)
Riders: George Bennett (NZL), Marco Frigo (ITA), Brady Gilmore (AUS), Hugo Hofstetter (FRA), Pau Marti (ESP), Nadav Raisberg (ISR), Rotem Tene (ISR)
Sports Directors: Rene Mandri (EST), Oscar Guerrero (ESP), René Andrle (CZE)