Stage 1 will involve a more traditional course, in which the riders will depart from the mountain city of Graz and make their way to the Austrian capital city of Wien.
The Stage 1 route will move out of the Alps to the hilly countryside of eastern Austria and will take the peloton 193.8 kilometers. After the individual time trial, which took place at the Prologue, riders seeking the general classification title will look to be at the front of the pack during Stage 1.
Cannondale-Drapac rider Sep Vanmarcke will be expected to be in contention for the Stage 1 victory after finishing 5th at the prologue. Vanmarcke recently finished second at the Belgian National Road Race Championship behind Oliver Naesen, and will be eager to show his ability to capture a race win at the Tour of Austria.
The Felbermayr-Simplon Wels team rider Markus Eibegger is another member of the peloton to look for during Stage 1. Eibegger is an Austria native cycling for an Austrian team, and finished 7th overall at last year's edition of the Tour of Austria. Eibegger was also able to put in a strong Prologue effort, that placed him 4th in the general classification after day 1.
CCC Sprandi Polkowice's Jan Tratnik is another rider who has shown good form in 2017, winning the general classification at Okolo Slovenska and finishing fourth at the Slovenian National Road Race Championship. Tratnik sit in 8th overall in the general classification after the Prologue, and will be expecting to move up the standing after Stage 1.
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