Written by Willunga Hill at 07:01 22/8-2016
So, with Willunga Hill starting its 1st tour tomorrow, the 18th edition of Fast on Wheels, management has been taking a look at the competition. Here's their ill-informed opinion.
This year's hot favourite has to be last season's runaway winner of the Youth Classification and overall 3rd, January Bednarz of Katakumby. The 22 year old couples strong TT abilities with nearly the highest TQ and HL skills in this year's race, and comes into the race with good DP and RS, not to mention a strong team behind him. He looks like a younger, stronger version of Ryan Ryder, the Darkwave Recordings rider, who is the only previous winner riding this year. There has never been a repeat winner of the Youth Classification, so Bednarz has a good shot at some history this coming week. Behind Bednarz are a number of riders who can seriously view themselves as potential winners.
Among the TT specialists, Aristarkh Fokin (Tashkent Browncoats) and Ludevit Hojdar (mak athletik) will be in the mix -- though there are doubts over Hojdar's RS. The 23 year old Bastian Hviid (Navarone Cyclng Team) is another young gun to keep an eye on.
Most of the leading hillers (Bednarz aside) appear to lack sufficient TT strength to survive Stage 5's time trial course. The strongest contenders look to be Puch Pro Racing's Nikolaus Hirscher and Valerie Pro Cycling Team's Francis Drager. Bartosz Uminski (Ulrich team), who is also a strong sprinter, and Bjarne Hall (Carnap Kickers) will be looking for good legs on Stage 5 to limit the damage.
The list of sprinters to have won Fast on Wheels includes the modern great Frederick Longosiwa. Though back where he belongs in the top most echelons of OCM, in his stead come several men who will be chasing the Sprinting Classification, if not the overall. Puch Pro Racing has a 2nd contender here, namely Peter Hauke, who is comfortably the highest rated SP this tour. Ahmed cycling team also comes with two serious contenders, Donato Napodano and Khoury Firas, though both may be slightly underdone. We also like the look of RBC Austria's Oskar Solberg, who we're going to (unfairly) label as the dark horse.
And what of Willunga Hill's aspirations? Shane Austin comes into the race as the best CL rider. Though not a climber's race, Fast on Wheel's does offer one opportunity for the true climber: the finish of the king stage. Austin's primary goal is to win Stage 4; a secondary goal is to get top 9 overall. The second rider looking to make an impact for Willunga Hill will be Babatunde Madaki. The only major rider in top form at this year's race, Madaki will look to make some impact in the two sprint finishes on Stages 2 and 6, with a podium placing in the Sprinting Classification the probably unrealistic secondary goal.
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