Days 42 to 51 of the OCM Calendar have a distinctly English feel, with 5 one day races in a row. This Wednesday sees the final and most important event of ‘English Week’, the Essex Tour, the smallest of the Division 1 Tours but still a race that that attracts the big teams. This is reflected by the fact that 12 of the top 20 teams have signed up, meaning that a star-studded field will be gracing the streets of Saffron Walden, Maldon and the area’s capital, Chelmsford.
  
  Essex is an opportunity for a different type of rider to win a Big Tour. Whereas, an all-round rider will usually prevail in Germany and Perm and a cobbler in Tweedaagse van Antwerpen, Essex has seen different types of riders take victory. With only 3 stages, Essex is most certainly short and sharp, but provides significantly different challenges in each stage.
  
  Stage 1: Colchester - Saffron Walden
  
  The first stage usually gives a early indication of who will figure in the GC. The governing terrain on the stage is hills, plenty of hills. However, there are also long stretches of windy, flat roads and a few climbs. The stage ends in the imperious grounds of 17th century Audley End House just outside of Saffron Walden, where traditionally a crowd of over 50,000 gather to see a sight of the sprint finish or even a glimpse of royalty. Before wireless team communication was permitted in Essex, this stage was often terminated by breakaways. However, last year's top 9 show that this stage may be won by very different kinds of riders: sprinters, puncheurs and even climbers. Last year’s surprise stage winner, Miles Finnerty (cway), will have a tough job to repeat his feat this year. It is very difficult, maybe even foolhardy, to make out a list of real favourites and a rider from outside the main contenders could easily spring a surprise.
  
  ***
  Rodney Hodgson (Team Atlantic), Pauli Michielsen (skils)
  **
  Jens Waesbergen (Cyklista)
  *
  Miles Finnerty (cway), Soloman Henschel (Team Whalers), Yasunari Yamauchi (Gradient Levellers)
  
  
  Stage 2: Maldon (ITT)
  
  Stage 2 is the Maldon ITT which often decides the battle for the GC. The Time Trial consists of 38 flat and technical kilometres out and back along a windy coast road. Many contre la montre specialists have signed up for this Tour and will be licking their lips at the thought of this stage. Perennial Essex favourite and former GC winner "Solo Man" Solomon Henschel (Team Whalers) will be favourite but young Cayman Islands star Gregory Levis (Equipo Easy On) will be looking to upset the Canadian. Previous stage winner Miles Finnerty (cway) will again have a tough job.
  
  ***
  Solomon Henschel (Team Whalers), Gregory Levis (Equipo Easy On)
  **
  Nicholas Haydon, Verner Mathiasen (both medvedi), Miles Finnerty (cway)
  *
  Joey Poarch, Ciechoslaw Dziedzic (both Cyklista), Carlos Rubiera (Team Whalers), Thaqib Yushua (Ursus RT)
  
  
  Stage 3: Maldon - Chelmsford
  
  Essex Tour is finished off with a classic sprint stage that will most likely not alter the GC. The route is flat and ends in a not overly demanding but technical

sprint. A number of sprinters may win this stage but the favourites are the well known sprinters from the OCM circuit. Hottest candidate is last year's winner, German fast man Torben "the Sturmannator" Sturmann (shinboners), who has been virtually unstoppable in Tour sprints this year.
  
  ***
  Torben Sturmann (shinboners)
  **
  Rodney Hodgson (Team Atlantic), Jens Waesbergen (Cyklista), Jelmer Wijkstra (Team Tirilla), Miles Finnerty (cway), Kyle Abston (CCFC)
  *
  Ethan Churchill (Equipo Easy On), Jari Fredriksson (Team RI)
  
  
  The contenders for the Gold Jersey
  
  As previously mentioned, picking a winner can be notoriously difficult, with numerous riders fancying their chances of claiming the winner’s Gold Jersey.
  
  Last year’s winner, Miles Finnerty (cway), dominated and walked away with two stage victories and he will surely be the rider than the peleton will be marking closely. Finnerty has home support and, more importantly, the help of perhaps the strongest team in the race. Super sprinters, Fergal Lemire and Aedan Weaire will both be trying to get Finnerty into Gold, and failing that Lemire may well have eyes on victory himself in his home Tour.
  
  Essex veteran Solomon Henschel (Team Whalers) knows the area extremely well, having finished 1st and 2nd in the previous two runnings of the Tour. Henschel has not been in the best of form recently and will be hoping to kick-start his season with a result here. Henschel will also be supported by a strong team which includes the inexperienced but uber-talented Viggo Monsen who will surely be let loose by the team on stage 1.
  
  One rider who would have fancied his chances is current World Champion Pauli Michielsen (skils), who could easily place inside the top nine on all 3 stages. However, skils manager, Harwin Mulder, has made the inexplicable decision to send not only a team of inexperienced riders, but riders who are unfit - including one rider who is now injured. It is hard to criticise a manager at the top of the rankings, so clearly the team selection is a decision by the manager to focus on other races. Michielsen is, however, still talented enough to make an impact without a strong team.
  
  Another previous champion who will be looking to make an impact is forgotton man Ciechoslaw Dziedzic (Cyklista), though it remains to be seen whether he will only be focusing on the stage 2 time trial and riding for last year’s 3rd place rider Jens Waesbergen.
  
  Other contenders include Swiss veteran Jan-Niclas Edwin (Siporex) who will be looking to improve on two 5th positions in the past two years. The terrain may not suit Tour supremo, Vernon Kings (Fairfield Flyers Cycling), but one can never discount him from any tour. Yasunari Yamauchi (Gradient Levellers) may also figure in the GC, in what may be his last race for the team, but it will be teammate and Essex-born Adler Talcott who will be particularly keen to impress. Other names in the mix include Jelmer Wijkstra (Team Tirilla) and Rodney Hodgson (Team Atlantic).
  
  Good luck to all teams for this Wednesday.
  
  (written by Eli of Equipo Easy On and Tim Johnson of Gradient Levellers)