The Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz (Ineos), Olympic road champion and third in the 2021 Tour, will premiere the season this Wednesday at the 52nd edition of the Bességes Star, a five-stage French test in which the Spanish team from Kern Pharma will start. Carapaz, 28, starts the course with his sights set on the big events in stages and with the added responsibility of leading a team that has just suffered the serious injury of Colombian Egan Bernal, for which the Ecuadorian becomes the reference of the British line-up for the big events of 2022.
Along with Carapaz, who will train at Ineos together with the Polish Kwiatkowski and the double time trial world champion Filippo Ganna, Prominent names in the peloton will start this Wednesday in Bellegarde, such as the Dutchman Bauke Mollema (Trek), the Frenchman Thibaut Pinot (Groupama), the Belgian Greg Van Avermaet (Ag2r) and the Spanish Jesús Herrada (Cofidis).
The Spanish formation UCI Pro Team of Kern Pharma It will be made up of Francisco Galván, after his recent third place in the GP La Marsellesa, Martí Marquez, Ibon Ruiz, Pau Miquel, Van der Tuuk, Daniel Mendez, and Savva Novikov. The Star of Bességes will begin with a long stage of 198 with an undulating profile with a finish suitable for sprinters, two leg-breaking days will follow, with constant ups and downs and will have the queen stage on the fourth day between Saint Hilaire de Brethmas and Mont Bouquet, with finish on top after a climb of 5 km at 9.1 percent, where the race could be decided. The competition will conclude on Sunday with an 11km time trial in Ales, a good option to show off Filippo Ganna’s rainbow jersey.
.- The stages:
Day Stage Route Kms
2 1a Bellegarde-Bellegarde 160
3 2a Saint-Christol-les-Alès-Rousson 156
4 3a Bessèges-Bessèges 155
5 4a Saint Hilaire de Brethmas-Mont Bouquet 145
6 5th Alès-Alès l’Ermitage (CRI) 11
.- Last winners:
2021: Tim Wellens (BEL)
2020: Benoit Cosnefroy (FRA)
2019: Christophe Laporte (FRA)
2028: Tony Gallopin (FRA).
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