The Favourites:

		HILL	SPRINT
	J.Mendes	78	68
	G.Lejman	77	59
	N.Haas	76	68
	S.Cioban	75	64
	M.Wyss	75	68
	T.Duggan	75	62
	W.Walker	74	59
	I.Sarabia	74	67
	M.Montaguti	74	63
	C.Fonte	74	62
	M.Ito	74	61
	M.Fahnert	74	63
	G.Bole	74	76
	J.Toribio	74	64
	S.Geschke	74	76

With hilly, summit, finishes sandwiched between a prologue and a sprinters' stage it is right that the puncheurs are considered favourites for the GC here.

Bank of Ireland – Irish Cycling's Jose Mendes is arguably the most gifted rider on the continental circuit and also the most feared. He has already taken some impressive, yet predictable, results this season and starts as favourite for another GC here.

FCB - Polska are the only pro continental team to enter this race and in Lejman they have an outside hope for the GC. His chances are credible as he has already performed well in c2 races this season.

Earlier this month the Tour de Bretagne was raced, we have many riders who contested the GC there also present here. Duggan won the GC there and will be looking for another high result here, he is abily supported by Toribio. Marentes, 2nd in Bretagne, also makes the startline here and is Azteca - NBCSN's best hope for GC glory.

Haas will start as a real GC favourite here and once again, as in Bretagne, he is supported by a strong team. Will Haas take the GC for Risa - Ergon?

This race is practically a home race for Team Nordeus, who bring some of the most able Croatians to the race. Bole will lead them, looking for similar performances as he achieved in Bretagne. Nordeus' questionable tactics again come into question here as they bring their star stage race rider, Yasmani Martinez, to the race. This is perhaps a waste of race days as the likes of Bole and Jovanovic look more suited to the terrain here.

Having said that it is very understandable that Nordeus should send their big guns here as they are the only team to have a direct goal here: that goal being to win the GC.

Geschke is one of the top sprinting puncheurs in the continental ranks, similar to Bole, he will be hoping that the hilly finishes aren't too selective so he has a chance at the GC through bonus seconds.

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For the prologue riders looking for victory will be Elijzen and Renäng and if stage 4 ends up in a sprint we can expect Matthews and Haedo to be in the mix up.

Lierse SK - Pizza Ullo Cycling Team, Sauber Petronas Racing and Wounded Warrior Racing look the three weakest squads here. They will do well to get some points out of this race, expect them to make the breakaways.