Tour of Catalonia

20 26 March, 2.WT, Spain

Race director Rubén Peris has turned the clock back with the inclusion of a team time trial on stage 2. This race hasn't had a TTT since '07, and this one’s a whopping 41.3km. There hasn't been a TTT this length in a WorldTour stage race since the 2009 Tour. Peris, who has already received word that Chris Froome and Alberto Contador will both start, hasn't skimped on the climbing either, and the race makes its return to the summit !inish at La Molina for the fourth year in a row on stage 3. The other key mountain stage looks set to be the 182km stage 5 from Delta de l’Ebre to the limestone outcrops of Lo Port which hove into view after a 10km climb and sections around 15 per cent. The race is usually a hunting ground for attacking riders, and in the race’s current late March position, it’s become a key early rendezvous for Tour riders.