First edition of the race was won by mangame legend Romain Sicard back in 2018, he repeated 4 years later in 2022 and is the only 2 times winner. The race used to be a PTHC race and the winners list show that with Dombrowski, Olivier and Lopez, before the race got taken down first to HC, then to C1 2 years ago when Yates won. Won by George Bennett of Spark Team last year in a suprisingly tight battle considering the route.
2018
Romain Sicard
Air France - KLM
2019
Joe Dombrowski
eBuddy
2020
Daan Olivier
Aegon - Peroni
2021
Miguel Angel Lopez
Evonik - ELKO
2022
Romain Sicard
Strava
2023
Adam Yates
Indosat Ooredoo
2024
George Bennett
Spark Team NZ
2024
1
George Bennett
Spark Team NZ
25h11'32
2
Warren Barguil
Specialized
+ 12
3
Caio Godoy
Team UBS
+ 14
4
Pierre Paolo Penasa
Ethiopian Airlines
+ 28
5
Louis Meintjes
Bralirwa - Cegeka
+ 41
6
Ivan Sosa
McCormick Pro Cycling
+ 44
7
Gijs Leemreize
Sony - Force India
s.t.
8
Yuriy Vasyliv
Team Popo4Ever p/b Morshynska
+ 1'08
9
Julien Bernard
Genii Hyundai N Cycling
+ 1'29
10
Daniel Munoz
Euskadi-Murias
+ 1'58
Preview
Back to HC again this year and the field shows it with some of the best climbers in PCT present. The 2 first names on the list are the perhaps best climbers in PCT with Almeida and Padun. Almeida the best pure climber in the division and Padun the big TDF surprise this season, who will be the strongest here in Marocco?
Another strong climber is Eastman, rumours about his team considering disbandment might give him the push to show he is worth a big contract next year. Too bad for him there is no TT, same can be said for Rodrigues who is a strong climber and will want to show it here!
Considering we have a very interesting hilly stage on stage 5, combined with the mouintain stages riders like Amezawa, Novak and Sosa might have an edge. Their hilly skills might be crucial when this stage decides the final placements in GC
Many more great climbers can be mentioned, inclduing Inkelaar, Elosegui, Ranaweera, Carapaz, Shikai and Reis. Special mention also to (my own) Galta who is the only CT climber in an ocean of PCT top climbers.
Name
MO
MM
HI
ST
RS
RC
AC
Almeida
83
77
71
76
78
78
71
Padun
82
80
77
72
74
76
75
Eastman
81
76
70
75
74
74
68
Rodrigues
81
77
73
73
75
77
72
Amezawa
80
79
77
76
78
80
75
Novak
80
79
77
74
76
77
76
Galta
80
76
72
77
78
75
65
Inkelaar
80
75
70
75
76
79
74
Pira
80
76
71
68
71
73
69
Elosegui
80
76
71
77
80
83
71
Sosa
80
79
78
75
79
80
74
Ranaweera
80
77
73
75
75
74
65
Carapaz
80
76
71
71
76
77
65
Shikai
80
75
70
73
75
76
66
Reis
80
76
72
77
75
77
63
Hirt
79
76
72
74
76
76
73
Arensman
79
76
73
72
77
74
68
Bennett
79
77
74
72
71
74
70
Min
79
78
76
75
77
70
66
Misbah
79
75
70
76
73
74
68
Barguil
79
76
73
74
74
77
72
Mavrikakis
79
76
72
74
73
69
67
Cras
79
76
72
78
77
77
67
With 3 flat stages there are plentyt for the sprinters to fight for and that shows with Grosu, Abdul Halil, Van Poppel, Liu, Walls and Zariff present. Riders like Riabushenko and Thijssen also deserves to be mentioned. The fight for stages wins will be really tight!
Name
FL
ST
RS
RC
SP
AC
Grosu
72
73
69
77
82
79
Abdul Halil
70
71
68
77
81
79
Van Poppel
72
74
71
78
81
78
Liu
74
76
69
80
80
80
Walls
74
73
71
73
80
78
Zariff
70
71
67
77
80
80
Kalaba
74
70
72
76
79
79
Riabushenko
76
71
74
76
79
77
Thijssen
75
74
70
78
79
81
Waersted
73
69
78
77
78
79
Rajovic
72
70
76
70
78
82
Sanikwathi
72
70
67
75
78
78
Page
75
72
72
75
78
79
While there is only 1 pure hilly stage we have some puncheurs present that deserves to be mentioned even though I wont list them up. Stronget among them is Vakoc, but also Vogt, Morin, Bystrom, Boswell and Narvaez might have singled out stage 5 for a stage win.
Not having a TT will hinder Ranaweera here, so a top 10 is the realistic goal here although it could also end even worse. Rajovic is hit or miss here as is essentially the entire race.