Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team has announced the selection that will participate in Tour of Beijing, a 835.5km race of five stages from Oct. 11th until Oct. 15th. The third edition will likely be the most challenging yet, as there are no time trials and only one stage is truly sprinter friendly.
150km Stage four, for example, features two category 1 climbs and a summit finale on Mentougou Miaofeng Mountain. Stage one (190.5km) is undulating. Stage two, 201.5km in distance, has four categorized climbs. Two are Category 2 ascents. Stage three, 176km, has seven categorized climbs as well as Category 1 Si Hai. The final stage, 117km Stage 5, is perhaps the only stage that favors a bunch sprint.
OPQS rider Tony Martin returns to the race as the winner of the first two editions.
"I am happy to be here," Tony Martin said. "My condition is good. Worlds really motivated me to get ready for Tour of Beijing as well, but to be honest the parcours this year is not really for me. There is no TT and there are a few uphill finishes. It's kind of at the end of the season, so it is a question of being committed to try and do my best to defend my title. This race in the past gave me a lot of luck and I was really happy to win the last two years. Even if it this edition is difficult, I will try. However, we have a great team able to fight for the sprint with Alessandro Petacchi and Nikolas Maes. We also have a few other weapons. Zdenek Stybar and Michal Golas, for example, can really play tactical roles in the team. So maybe they can also take advantage of the parcours. As for my presence at the race, we will have to change our tactic if we compare it with what we did in the last two years. The team is good, so we are looking forward to this race — even with a different approach."