2013 Tour of Alberta: Stage 5 preview

You know the final stage of the Tour de France in which the yellow jersey wearer essentially gets a procession into Paris? Well, forget that model here. On the final sage of the Tour of Alberta, the race is still on.

The group will start in Okotoks and head out into the foothills. The rolling terrain will take them to the final KOM challenge, about 45 km from the start just before Bragg Creek. Then it’s all downhill toward the Calgary skyline.

“Time bonuses are going to mean everything for the top three in the GC, not just the first,” Alex Stieda says. “So even if first place is wrapped up by more than the time bonuses available, guys are still going to be sprinting for second and third to move up on GC. Either way, there’s going to be a race within the race within the race.”

Jeff Corbett reinforces the idea that time bonuses will be important. “I anticipate that when we get to this stage, we’re only going to see the top guys separated by a handful of seconds,” he says. “So, the time bonus on the line could still play a role.”

The four-lap finishing circuit in downtown Calgary is pretty technical. It features 11 turns, one almost 180 degrees. It will be a battle to the line at Centre Street and 4th Avenue, an exciting finish for a grand race.