Dylan Groenewegen, a Dutch sprinter from Team Jayco AlUla, emerged victorious in the first stage of the Tour of Slovenia. This win serves as preparation for the upcoming Tour de France, where he aims to secure stage wins in the mass sprints.
This marks Groenewegen’s third victory of the season, although he has not been performing at his best this year. His previous wins include the Clàssica Communitat Valenciana in January and the Tour of Limburg in May. While these races, including the Tour of Slovenia, are not part of the WorldTour, they still provide valuable competition. In Slovenia, Groenewegen faced off against other top sprinters such as Alexander Kristoff and Phil Bauhaus, who finished second and third, respectively. Sam Welsford and Alberto Dainese also placed in the top ten.
The Tour of Slovenia is a popular race for sprinters to fine-tune their skills ahead of the Tour de France, as it features a mix of sprinting and climbing stages. This allows sprinters to test their speed and improve their climbing abilities. Unlike races like the Tour of Switzerland and the Critérium du Dauphiné, which offer alternative high-level competition, sprinters have more opportunities to showcase their talents in Slovenia.
In preparation for the Tour de France, Groenewegen has brought along key teammates to ensure a strong sprint train. Both lead-out man Luka Mezgec and powerhouse Elmar Reinders are actively supporting Groenewegen in Slovenia. Meanwhile, other sprinters like Jasper Philipsen and Mads Pedersen have opted for different preparation strategies. Philipsen is gearing up in the Baloise Belgium Tour, while Pedersen is fine-tuning his form in the Critérium du Dauphiné.
The Tour of Slovenia will continue until Sunday, featuring two more hilly stages where sprinters will be looking for opportunities, as well as a mountainous stage. The final stage appears to favor the fast men once again, providing another chance for sprinters to showcase their skills on the road.