GP Marseillaise 2022 - Preview

Welcome everyone in 2022! The first great one-day race of the season is here with the GP Marseillaise... and it is gonna be an exciting one due to many reasons.

First of all, we need to talk about the route changes.

The first 110 kilometres are the same as it was in 2021, but the last 60 altered a lot. Route des Cretes is further away from the finish than it was last year, but on a positive note, it is a bit harder. Organizers have included Pas d'Ouilier to the route - and it joins to the original route at Col de la Gineste. The denivele+ is almost 3000, around 150 metres more than it was last year.

The history of the race is also interesting. In the last 5 years, only French riders won this race (Paret-Peintre, Cosnefroy, Turgis, Geniez, Vichot), and the last time when a non-French, Belgian or Dutch rider won this race was in 2007, when only 16 riders finished the race. La Marseillaise is really hard to predict as it is suitable for climbers, puncheurs, classics riders and sprinters as well. If weather prediction is correct, the last part of the race will go in headwind, making it hard for breakaways to escape on the climbs.

FAVOURITES

Teams that have riders from many subgroups will prevail and control the race - and there are lots of them in all due respect.

UAE is the main favourite in my opinion. They have a squad which is the most versatile and literally anyone can win. Matteo Trentin is the #1 rider in the team, who is an option for the sprints. Ulissi and Covi are amazing puncheurs, Ivo Oliveira and Laengen are great in rolling terrains, and Joel Suter can be a jolly joker in such circumstances. They should decide what will be the frame of this race and what types of riders could win.

AG2R is the 2-time title defender - and they have a good chance to defend it for the first time in a row. Although Benoit Cosnefroy's preparation was disrupted by a positive COVID-19 test, they still have Clement Champoussin and Geoffrey Bouchard - yet a fast race with lots of attacks would be the best option for them.

EF. The Danish Dynamite Duo, Cort and Valgren are here, but as local newspapers and writers said, they are not 100%. In this case, they have Alberto Bettiol and new signing Owain Doull as their chances. Deep squad, result might be beneficial for them.

Trek-Segafredo. 4 option in this race, Gallopin, Mollema, Mads Pedersen and Edward Theuns. I feel that especially Mads is gonna be really great, he has the engine to go big... but the rustyness of first race can influence the all-around team performance.

FDJ is interesting, I feel Thibaut Pinot would need to go back to his best form to win this race but Quentin Pacher can be a good option for the French team. Cofidis also has a climber (G. Martin) and a sprinter (Coquard), many think Coquard could win, but I really doubt he would survive even these hills. Daryl Impey and Boivin start as dark horses for Israel-Start Up Nation. There are some fast guys as well in the peloton, names like Aime de Gendt, Rasmus Tiller, Kristoffer Halvorsen, Milan Menten, Amaury Capiot, Arne Marit and Orleis Aular all can cause surprise. And then, we haven't even talked about Gilbert, Boasson Hagen, Burgaudeau or Franck Bonnamour...

La Marseillaise is wide open, and hard to predict... but my pick is Clement Champoussin for tomorrow, the French streak will not be broken.