It’s all about your pacing. Time trials are hard because there’s no group to stay with, you’re entirely self-governed. That can mean it’s easy to go out too hard, or to leave too much in the tank by the end of the race.

From a small town in Switzerland, on the menu for the riders is a total of six climbs, a set route for each climb, but riders can do them in any order they wish. Given a race card, which gets stamped at the peak of each of the climbs, the first rider to arrive in the race village with a completed card can say 'BINGO, I’ve won'. Or something along those lines. 

Don’t expect this to be a low budget trip, but relish in the fact that you can get the world’s best hot dogs and can cook eggs in thermal pools.

Similar to last year's Serenissima Gravel race, I'm told the gravel is not very technical and the parcours is almost completely flat, so we can expect a big bunch for most of the race, with very few major obstacles other than positioning and your standard challenges of racing on gravel without a support vehicle. 

Best Training Tip

• £80 as tested
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The Lite version of the popular SingleTrack II shorts features a familiar tailored fit and length with a ‘barely there’ feel, being lightweight and breathable without compromising durability. A zippered fly with a popper closure gives the shorts a clean look and elasticated Velcro adjuster tabs enable you to fine-tune the fit around the waist.

There are three well-sized zippered pockets – two on the front and one on the rear. The high elastane content ensures stretch in all directions for an excellent fit, which can be altered via the adjuster tabs on the waistband.

Best Racing Tip

What’s cool is that riders won’t know the progress of their competitors, nor if they’re winning, or even hours behind. It’s got elements of a randomness, but without looking at a compass. 

That number comprises the 15 Women’s WorldTour teams and seven invited teams from the second tier of women’s pro racing. The penultimate stage finishes atop the Col du Tourmalet. All eyes will be on Annemiek van Vleuten of Movistar to see if she can achieve her aim of completing the Vuelta-Giro-Tour treble in 2023, prior to her retirement later this year.