Tour of Austria – Preview
Wanty-Groupe Gobert will participate from July 2 to 9 in the Tour of Austria and will line-up with Frederik Backaert, Boris Dron, Marco Minnaard, Guillaume Martin, Thomas Degand, Mark McNally and Björn Thurau. The 2016 route includes eight stages suitable for all tastes: a 600 m climbing prologue, three mixed stages, two summit finishes and two for sprinters.
“The level is lower than last year. I think we can have ambitions in this Tour of Austria. I regret the absence of Marco Marcato. Mark McNally replaces him and is also fit. I rely on Guillaume Martin for the general classification”, sports director Hilaire Van der Schueren expects.
The Dutchman Marco Minnaard hopes to get the good feeling again in Austria. “In the Dauphine I didn’t feel so good. It is beter now. I think I’m ready for this. If I get a good result in a mountain stage, I can also target a good overall classification. Anyway I don’t put pressure on my shoulders”, the Dutchman explains.
Thomas Degand, eighth in the general classification in 2015 hopes that this race will help him to get back to his former level. “I didn’t ride for six and a half weeks. I need time to come back to a good level. This race will certainly come at the right moment. I’ll understand very quickly if I can hope something in this Tour of Austria. I want to be good by the end of the month.”
For the first time you can follow the Tour of Austria on the livestream of the organization’s website: https://t.co/C6PpHG4yko
Stages
Prologue – Kitzbüheler Horn › Kitzbüheler Horn 0.6 km
Stage 1 – Innsbruck › Salzburg 186.7 km
Stage 2 – Mondsee › Steyr 194.3 km
Stage 3 – Stift Ardagger › Sonntagberg 179.7 km
Stage 4 – Rottenmann › Edelweißspitze 183.3 km
Stage 5 – Millstatt › Dobratsch 155 km
Stage 6 – Graz › Stegersbach 195.9 km
Stage 7 – Bad Tatzmannsdorf › Wien 187.8 km.
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