Favorites stage 5 Tour of Catalonia 2024 | Will De Gendt pull another classic move, or will the peloton keep tight rein?
Cycling
Up until Wednesday, the Tour of Catalonia was a monstrous climbing race with Tadej Pogacar as the absolute ruler. That changed on Thursday, with an opportunity for the sprinters. Marijn van den Berg defeated, Bryan Coquard and Arne Marit, among others, but the sprinters will have to clean up their act on Friday. Or will this stage be a feast for the punchers? IDLProCycling.com clues you in!
Course stage 5 Tour of Catalonia 2024
The fifth stage runss between Altafulla and Viladecans, with the mid-section of the route containing quite a bit of ups and downs. On paper, this could be a day for the breakaway riders to do their thing.
Climbs
64.5 km: Coll de les Ventoses (7.8 km at 4.3%)
137.0 km: Alt de la Creu d'Aragal (6.4 km at 5.9%)
Times
Start: 1:35 PM
Finish: 5:30 PM
Weather stage 5 Tour of Catalonia 2024
Spring is once again in full swing in finish town Viladecans this week. Clouds will give way to sunshine by late afternoon, and the sun will continue to shine until the evening. However, the thermometer will read eighteen degrees, noticeably cooler than Thursday's twenty-four. The wind, blowing at about ten kilometers per hour, seems unlikely to play a significant role. That makes for some nice, calm racing weather!
Favorites stage 5 Tour of Catalonia 2024
On paper, it seems like one of those racing days that could go in any direction. Do the sprinters smell another chance for victory? Or will the punchers take the bouquet this time? Or will Tadej Pogacar drop another bomb on the general classification? Who can say...
Our prediction leans towards the well-climbing sprinters and punchers who also have a good flat sprint. Riders like Stephen Williams (Israel-Premier Tech) or Ide Schelling (Astana Qazaqstan Team) come to mind. With stage winner Nick Schultz, Israel-Premier Tech also has an ace up their sleeve. Riders like Axel Laurance (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Ethan Hayter (INEOS Grenadiers) should also find the course to their liking, while pure sprinters like Marijn van den Berg (EF-Education-EasyPost), Arne Marit (Intermarché-Wanty) or Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) will need to be on top form to keep up on the day’s final climb or catch back up in the descent.
Therefore, the breakaway riders are certainly not without a chance, and Thomas De Gendt immediately comes to mind. The Belgian veteran of Lotto-Dstny was already stretching his legs in the breakaway on Thursday and will undoubtedly be eager to make a move given the course of this stage. Strong riders like Ivan Garcia Cortina (Movistar) or Dorian Godon are potential companions but can also rely on their sprinting abilities.
Favorites for the fifth stage of the Tour of Catalonia, according to IDLProCycling.com
Top favorites: Stephen Williams (Israel-Premier Tech) and Ide Schelling (Astana Qazaqstan Team).
Outsiders: Ethan Hayter (INEOS Grenadiers), Thomas De Gendt (Lotto-Dstny), Nick Schultz (Israel-Premier Tech) and Ivan Garcia Cortina (Movistar)
Long shots: Andreas Kron (Lotto-Dstny), Dorian Godon (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Tadej Pogacar (UAE Emirates), Arne Marit (Intermarché-Wanty), Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost), Axel Laurance (Alpecin-Deceuninck), Emils Liepins (dsm-firmenich PostNL), Bryan Coquard (Cofidis)
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Latest Comments
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024 - hahahaha love this shit! I didnt even watched the race, but reading all the gossip articles of how stupid this is!Zatoichi19-11-2024
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024