Deutschland Tour 2023 Favourites

Country: Germany
Level: Pro
Total Stages: 5
Mountain Stages: 2
Sprint Stages: 2
Time Trials: 1
Stages: LFR

Odds haven't dropped yet, so stay tuned for that, but we've got the stages up and we'll do a brief rundown. Names are slowly starting to appear for the startlist

Here's the top ten from the previous year. INEOS is going to have Luke Rowe backing them, and he's in a fiesty mood after not making the Vuelta team. We could definitely see Yates (or McNulty if Yates isn't going) pulling off another victory with his support. Especially after Yates' form in the Vuelta a Burgos. McNulty's form in BEMER was also looking solid too.

But then again, Mads Pedersen is on the start list and he's almost consistently hot. Coming off the win from the Tour of Denmark, and then straight into an impressive come from behind second at the BEMER Cycling Classic. Pedersen is consistent too, but so is Yates. So it's going to be interesting.

Bilbao, who came second last year is once again appearing for Bahrain and he's been having a killer of a season, not just from that stage win in the Tour de France.

A ton of sprinters are showing up, with the likes of Bennett, Van Poppel, Kristoff and Bauhaus all showing up. Hayter's working back into form after his accident earlier in the year and might be a good dark horse given his lack of recent data. But he didn't look super hot at BEMER.

We could see Nils Politt winning a stage. Politt has been looking strong all season and we could see him winning stage one or stage three. Especially with the German boost.

Stages

Prologue (ITT)

Extremely short Prologue at only 2kms. Almost non-existant if you ask us. But it's technical enough with the five corners that the big men with high seated power might not actually be able to get too much of an advantage out.

Stage 1

Elevation: 2600m

Is the 1.8km @ 6% twice near the finish enough to make a difference here? We think so after watching BEMER which had a shorter hill that strong climbers crushed on and formed a massive gap that just got caught by the finish. So this may not be a bunch sprint finish. We could see GC starting early.

Stage 2

Elevation: 3293m

Definitely not a bunch sprint day. Here's where the GC will most certainly be defined. First a climb of 5km @ 4% and then 2.7km @ 6.1% right near the finish. The finish tails off but it still on an incline.

Stage 3

Elevation: 2154m

A rouleur stage for sure. With one kicker placed nicely 14.5km in for a break to form that will likely not last too the finish but who knows. GC will fight for the bonus seconds on the final climb of 1.3km @ 2.2% likely if it's still close.

There's another break opportunity right in the middle at the climb that's 2.1km @ 6.7% that might have a better chance of hanging on until the finish.

There's a couple of uncategorized climbs in here that should be categorized but alas.

Stage 4

Elevation: 390m

This is why all the sprinters are showing up realistically. How flat is this course? Almost UAE Tour level.