Tour of Alberta 2014: Stage 2 preview

Red Deer was the site of a two-man sprint for the line last year. Silvan Dillier, a stagiaire with BMC, beat Serghei Tvetcov (Jelly Belly presented by Kenda) after they completed the three-lap circuit in town. This year’s Stage 2 looks like it could provide the same opportunity to the peloton’s opportunists. That final circuit is back in Red Deer.

The loop in the finish city isn’t the only circuit in the stage. At roughly the halfway point, the resort town of Sylvan Lake will see the riders contest an intermediate sprint before looping back to contest it a second time.

Whether a breakaway succeeds again in Red Deer or it all comes together for a bunch sprint, race technical director Jeff Corbett is confident that the stage is going to be a fast one. “There are a number of riders and smaller teams that know that this may be their last chance to make an impression for a sponsor. Or it’s a rider’s last chance to make an impression to get a contract. So, you have those guys who are anxious to race. You also have those folks who are putting their final touches on their preparation for the world championships or for the WorldTour events in Quebec. They are not going to be sitting back or playing around. They will want to get the most out of their time in Alberta. It creates a recipe for some fast racing,” Corbett says.