Tour of the Alps 2023: GC Favourites

[Underneath article was written before the start of the Tour of the Alps and has not been updated]

Probably, the GC could catch fire as early as the 1st stage. If the riders are up for it the Kerschbaumer Sattel is a perfect place to strike with its 5.2 kilometres at 10.1%. A technical descent leads to the foot of the climb to the line.

It remains to be seen if the riders are willing to put their cards so openly on the table. The likes of Pogacar are not present, so a more delicate approach is to be expected. That said, all stages on the Tour of the Alps are trying, so a weak moment can be fatal.

The GC action is likely to rage big time on the third day of action. All races are played out on mountainous terrain, but this one is a mountain stage in the more traditional sense. In a race with almost 3,000 metres of climbing the finish lies uphill. The climb to the line is 15.5 kilometres long and averaging 7.5%.

The rider who turns out on top in San Valentino di Brentonic is on course to win the GC. Obviously, he has to survive Thursday’s Queen Stage in which the riders are to conquer more than 3,600 metres of climbing, but attacks have to come from far, as the finale is not very demanding.

Still active former winners of the Tour of the Alps – and its antecedent the Giro del Trentino – are Romain Bardet (2022), Simon Yates (2021), Pavel Sivakov (2019), Thibaut Pinot (2018), Geraint Thomas (2017), Mikel Landa (2016), and Domenico Pozzovivo (2012).

Pozzovivo, Sivakov and Thomas are riding this edition.

Favourites 2023 Tour of the Alps

*** Tao Geoghegan Hart, Aleksandr Vlasov
** Thymen Arensman, Geraint Thomas, Hugh Carthy
* Lennard Kämna, Pavel Sivakov, Harm Vanhoucke, Felix Gall