Tour of Alberta 2014: Stage 3 preview
A big factor in Stage 3 will probably be crosswinds, a feature of Prairie riding. “This is one of those stages where it doesn’t look like much on paper: a pretty straight shot north,” race technical director Jeff Corbett says. “Whatever the conditions are, you’re going to have to deal with them all day. It’s not that big of a deal if it’s a tailwind all day. But if it’s a headwind or a nasty crosswind, there’s not going to be any getting out of it. Every single team is going to be studying the weather report furiously that morning.”
Wetaskiwin to CFB Edmonton, 160 km
A big factor in Stage 3 will probably be crosswinds, a feature of Prairie riding. “This is one of those stages where it doesn’t look like much on paper: a pretty straight shot north,” race technical director Jeff Corbett says. “Whatever the conditions are, you’re going to have to deal with them all day. It’s not that big of a deal if it’s a tailwind all day. But if it’s a headwind or a nasty crosswind, there’s not going to be any getting out of it. Every single team is going to be studying the weather report furiously that morning.”
The finish is actually just north of the capital city at CFB Edmonton, also known as the Edmonton Garrison. It has one of the longest runways in Canada, on which the peloton will ride the final circuits of the stage. They’ll have the full runway for about 1.5 km. Expect intense, fast racing. Anyone who wants to be at the front when the pack has to make a 90-degree turn onto a narrow service road will simply have to be too fast to pass. On a runway, there’s lots of room to pass.
Stage 3 is flat but could have crosswinds. Finish on a military airstrip. How cool is that! #TOA2014 @TravelAlberta pic.twitter.com/lfyl8OtRlZ
— Canadian Cycling Mag (@CDNCyclingMag) September 4, 2014
