Yesterday we presented the PTHC bands where there were some pretty interesting changes made but how will the HC bands unfold this year? Let’s find out! The HC bands are generally around 10 race days and are an important part of the PCT race schedule!
Information on selection will come in due course
Band 1
Benelux Challenge
6
Down Under Classic
2
Giro dell'Emilia
2
Benelux Challenge
Down Under Classic
Giro dell’Emilia
Band 1 is unchanged from last year and consists of the trip around the BeNeLux area starting with a prologue. Benelux Challenge is a race that has something for everyone as long as they aren’t a pure climber. That could be said for the entire band as the two classics in the band are Down Under Classic that is tailored for the sprinters and Giro dell’Emilia a race that normally tends to be won by the strongest PCT puncheurs!
Band 2
Circulo de Juarez
5
Post Danmark RundtÂ
5
Circulo de Juarez
Post Danmark Rundt
Band 2 is also the same as last year with five sprint stages in Juarez where the division’s greatest sprinters will fight it out for a rare chance at a GC victory. Post Danmark Rundt is also a primarily sprint centric race around the Danish countryside but the puncheur stage to Vejle and the final ITT of 35.3kms means that the race traditionally has been won by the strong TTers in the division!
Band 3
Tour of California
7
GP Wallonie
2
Tour of California
GP Wallonie
In band 3 we get our first change of this year’s bands! Tour of California takes the step up from being a C2 race into the big leagues in the HC category The route has also changed for this year’s rendition and it is looking like an absolutely crazy route with a prologue and a flat ITT. There is a MTF as well as a crazy tough 202km final stage to San Francisco known for its crazy inclines! GP Wallonie maintains its spot as the classic in Band 3, providing an option for the puncheurs to get to work!
Band 4
Tour de Pologne
7
Lisbon Classic
2
Tour de Pologne
Lisbon Classic
No changes in band 4 either as Tour de Pologne returns together with Lisbon Classic. The Polish stage race provided a great showcasing of Arerurya last season, the route is unchanged meaning it’s still a stage race that for the strong puncheurs. Lisbon is also unchanged and remains a classic that is suited for the punchier sprinters that can handle a lot of hills on the same day with its rolling nature.
Band 5
Tour of Norway
5
Arab Tour
4
Tour of Norway
Arab Tour
Band 5 has also undergone a stage race change as Arab Tour replaces Bayern Rundfarht in this band. Tour of Norway stays as a Hills-centric stage race with an ITT that generally has been defining for the outcome of the GC over the last few years with Rohan Dennis and Mads Würtz being the two most recent winners. The addition of Arab Tour still gives another ITT GC opportunity for the specialist with no mountain stages like the one in Bayern in previous years that was more favoured for the traditional stage racer.
Band 6
Tour of Japan
6
Strade Bianche
2
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
2
Tour of Japan
Strade Bianche
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Another change has been made in band 6 where Strade Bianche and Omloop Het Nieuwsblad will still be the classics that will provide opportunities for the specialists but a returning face to the race calendar this year in Tour of Japan shakes up band’s dynamic as Tour du Maroc has been kicked to the curb in HC bands. Tour of Japan is a very unique race featuring 6 stages. It starts with a short prologue followed by two short circuit stages that could almost be described as traditional crits with a bit of bumps along the way. This is followed by a MTT, before a hilly circuit stage and a flat ride through Tokyo finishes it all! Super interesting race!
Band 7
Tour of South Africa
6
Le Samyn
2
Pro Hallstatt Classic
2
Tour of South Africa
Le Samyn
Pro Hallstatt Classic
The final band has also undergone a change as Tour of South Africa moves up from C1 to HC, meaning that we might see a stronger field than we’re used to. A unique race where the only breather from constantly rolling hills and a puncheur paradise is the 34.6km team time trial. Le Samyn is a solid cobbled classic and Pro Hallstatt Classic gives an option for the hardcore climbers of the PCT division to go for glory on one of the single most tough parcours on the entire calendar!
That’s all for this preview, feel free to share your thoughts on them below!
The most shocking for me is that the traditional DUC - TDU season opener is gone At least at HC level, maybe TDU just got demoted?
I do appreciate the return of the Tour of Japan (which was C1 in 2021 iirc); it's really a unique race with the MTT being pretty much the only decisive stage.
I can also understand that Österreich Rundfahrt got replaced by California, given that there are two (??) U.S. teams in PCT, but no Austrian one currently even exists iirc. I'd still prefer Österreich from a regional point of view, though
Even more so given that Bayern is gone as well. I was always trying to do as many central European races as possible; at least at HC level there are now less options.
To be honest, I'd also have appreciated to see Tour de Romandie promoted to HC instead of ToSA, given that we're now three Swiss teams in the division - but with Tour de Suisse being PTHC again I guess that would've been too much. And it's obviously great news for some other teams I'm still not overly happy that there are just two mountain stage races left in HC with California and Japan (compared to Austria, Bayern and Morocco last year).
On the other hand, I'm happy that there finally is a race including a TTT in HC with ToSA (although Romandie would've done the job as well ). And the pure TT specialists get their stage race now as well with Arab Tour moving up, so I guess the HC calendar is pretty balanced
Thanks again to the calendar team for their huge amount of work, and to WJ for the writeup!
Benelux Challenge 
Down Under Classic
Giro dell’Emilia 
Circulo de Juarez 
Post Danmark Rundt 
Tour of California 
Tour de Pologne 
Lisbon Classic 
Tour of Norway 
Arab Tour 
Tour of Japan 
Tour of South Africa 
Pro Hallstatt Classic 
At least at HC level, maybe TDU just got demoted?
