The HC band calendar changed quite a lot.
While it was 4 bands of 20rd each and all PCT teams were racing 3/4, it`s a lot different in 2018.
Now it`s 7 bands of 10/11 race days! And all 26 PCT teams race 6 of those 7 bands and hence have a total of 60-62 HC race days!
Later on, once the selection process begins a prioritising system will come to place.
Band 1
Tour de Pologne
Pologne
7
Down Under Classic
Australia
2
Philadelphia International Championship
USA
2
Band 1 is for puncheurs and sprinters. Two flat classics in the USA and Australia and the hill/flat stage race in Poland.
Band 2
Tour of Vancouver
Canada
7
Tour of Ukraine
Ukraine
3
Just 2 stage races. The longer Tour of Vancouver with the known profiles and a re-designed Tour of Ukraine, that returns being a Hill/TT event with a hill stages rounded by two ITTs.
Band 3
Cheshire Cycling Tour
Great Britain
5
Post Danmark Rundt
Denmark
5
Another short 2-stage race-band. Both with 5 race days. The known Post Danmark Rundt with the flat/hill/TT combination and the new Cheshire Tour in Great Britain, which is a cobbled stage race that replaced Dunkerque in the HC category with 2 cobbled stages on day 1 and 5 alongside 3 sprinter stages in between.
Band 4
Tour of Beijing
China
4
GP Herning
Denmark
2
Kenya Mountain Classic
Kenya
2
Berlin ProRace
Germany
2
Yes, 4 races with 10 race days in one band is possible. The only one though in 2018 and a very balanced one.
First Beijing as only stage race, which got cut to 4 stages that should be puncheur material.
Herning then for the cobblers, Berlin for sprinters and Kenya for the climbers. No TTs though in this band.
Band 5
Int. Osterreich Rundfahrt
Austria
7
Dutch Food Valley Classic
Netherlands
2
GP Kigali
Rwanda
2
The Int.Osterreich Rundfahrt with a few new stages and hence a new design. First five stages have a lot of climbs while it ends flat then with a sprinter stage and a 30km ITT.
Dutch Food Valley remains a sprinter classic while Kigali stepping up to HC level as hilly cobbled classic.
Band 6
Vuelta a Colombia
Colombia
6
Japan Cup
Japan
2
Clasica San Sebastian
Spain
2
Not a lot for sprinters or cobblers. Just the few days in Colombia that should end in a sprint finish. The rest is for climbers and puncheurs. 4 tough days in colombia as it`s up to 6 rd again, surely one of the hardest races on the calendar.
The hilly classics in Japan and San Sebastian don`t make it a very easy band clearly.
Therefore a very prestigious one as all 3 races have minimum 10 editions already in the MG!
Band 7
Tour of the Middle East
QAT/UAE/OMN
4
Barbados Cycling Festival
Barbados
4
Giro dell'Emelia
Italy
2
Middle East is back on the calendar with a shortened 4-day trip to three countries and is a mix of sprinter, puncheur and mountain stages.
Barbados remains as sprinter festival while Emelia is a late season puncheur classic.
Tour de Pologne
Down Under Classic
Philadelphia International Championship
Tour of Vancouver
Tour of Ukraine
Cheshire Cycling Tour
Post Danmark Rundt
Tour of Beijing
Kenya Mountain Classic
Berlin ProRace
Int. Osterreich Rundfahrt
Dutch Food Valley Classic
GP Kigali
Vuelta a Colombia
Japan Cup
Clasica San Sebastian
Tour of the Middle East
Barbados Cycling Festival
Giro dell'Emelia
