Favorites stage 1 Tour de Romandie 2024 | Does Thibau Nys use his cyclocross experience in Mario Kart prologue?

The Tour of Romandie kicks off with a sort of Mario Kart prologue in the streets of Payerne. There, the riders have to cover 2.3 kilometers, which includes quite a few turns. Braking and acceleration, that's the name of the game! In the canton of Vaud, no less than thirteen right-angled turns and a chicane await the riders.

Climbs
No.

Times
Start: 2:49 p.m. (first rider)
Finish: 5:33 p.m. (last rider)

The riders, who thought they were done with the cold and wet weather conditions after the Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège, are mistaken. The mercury will barely reach six degrees Celsius in Payerne, while the chance of rain between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. will consistently hover around sixty percent. However, the northeast wind will not cause major differences.

Given the rather unusual course of the opening stage, it's difficult to predict who will wear the first leader's jersey in Romandie. The numerous twists and turns may lead to some variations, although they won't be significant due to the relatively short length of the course. Nevertheless, the most agile riders will have an advantage, especially riders like Ethan Hayter. The British rider from INEOS Grenadiers excels in the Swiss stage race, as evidenced by his three stage wins in the last two editions. In 2022, the 25-year-old Englishman won the five-kilometer prologue in Lausanne, making him a top favorite for this stage.

In the next tier of contenders, we're primarily looking at explosive time trialists and daredevils, such as Josef Cerny and Ivo Oliveira. The 30-year-old Czech from Soudal Quick-Step triumphed over Tobias Foss and Rémi Cavagna, among others, in the prologue in Port-Valais last year. While the INEOS Norwegian won't be present this year, Joshua Tarling could certainly step into the role of a dark horse. The European champion may struggle with his big engine on the twisty and short course, but he still stands a chance. The same applies to the dynamic Rémi Cavagna. The French rider had a lackluster spring so far but is eager to prove his worth to his new team, Movistar.

Among the real dark horses, we are eagerly anticipating the performance of Thibau Nys. The 21-year-old Belgian is competing in his very first road race of the season for Lidl-Trek and should be able to transfer his explosiveness from the field onto this challenging course. Braking, accelerating, and navigating tight turns—it's akin to a cyclocross race, but on asphalt! From the Low Countries, Maikel Zijlaard also stands out as a potential outsider. The 24-year-old Dutchman, riding for Tudor, has already showcased good form this season with a seventh-place finish in Nokere Koerse.

Furthermore, we are keeping an eye on the more traditional time trial specialists, such as Juan Ayuso, Brandon McNulty, or Luke Plapp. They have already achieved commendable results in time trials this season, but they may opt for a more conservative approach, prioritizing the general classification.