BinckBank Tour 2019: Favourites

The BinckBank Tour features four chances for sprinters, while the general classification is likely to come down to a flat ITT of 8.4 kilometres and two lumpy stages. Yet, the decisive factor in the 2018 edition was a flat stage in which the sprint teams miscalculated. Matej Mohoric gained 1 minute, which was enough to seal the GC win after seven days of action 5 seconds ahead of Michael Matthews with Tim Wellens another 15 seconds further behind.

Usually, the BinckBank Tour comes down to seconds. In advance, one would argue that stage 4 (circuit race in the Ardennes), stage 6 (flat ITT in the Hague) and stage 7 (BinckBank’s version of the Tour of Flanders) are going to be decisive in terms of the GC. Classics riders with chrono skills are the riders to watch.

If you want to win the BinckBank Tour it helps if you are a kind of a jack-of-all-trades in the positive sense of the saying. Former winners at the start are Tim Wellens (2015, 2014), Zdenek Stybar (2013), and Lars Boom (2012).

Favourites 2019 BinckBank Tour
*** Dylan van Baarle, Tim Wellens, Philippe Gilbert
** Bob Jungels, Zdenek Stybar, Greg Van Avermaet
* Tiesj Benoot, Oliver Naesen, Søren Kragh Andersen, Alberto Bettiol