After a shorter Stage 4, which took riders on a tough ride up the Kitzbuheler Horn, the peloton will face a number of imposing climbs on the longer Stage 5.
Stage 5 of the 2017 Tour of Austria will take riders 212.5 kilometers through the Austrian Alps from the town of Kitzbuhel to the village of Alpendorf.
The stage will begin at 368 meters above sea level before the peloton will gradually climb for 18 kilometers. The field will then descend into the town of Mittersill 25 kilometers from the starting line, where the first intermediate sprints points of the day will be up for grabs.
After the intermediate sprint in Mittersill, riders will immediately begin their first major climb of the day. For the next 14 kilometers, the peloton must ride up a 6.4% average gradient on their trip up to Felbertauern, which sits at an altitude of 1600 meters.
After reaching Felbertauern, riders will be able to gradually descend for the next 51 kilometers.
After reaching the feeding zone 91 kilometers into the stage, the peloton will face their second major climb of the day. On the second climb, riders will ascend for 7 kilometers on an average gradient of 5.2% before reaching the summit of the Iselberg at an altitude of 1200 meters.
The riders will descend from the summit at the Iselberg before they reach the second, and final, intermediate sprint of the stage in the town of Heiligenblut 120 kilometers into the stage.
After riders leave Heiligenblut, they will face the third, and most challenging, climb of the stage. The climb up to the summit of Hochtor will test even the most experience climbers, taking riders up an average gradient of 8.3% for a grueling 17.4 kilometers. Not only will the steep gradient and length of the climb test the field, the thin mountain air will challenge riders aerobic capacity, as the summit sits at over 2500 meters above sea level.
Once the riders finally complete their summit of Hochtor, they will make a quick descent before facing their fourth and final major climb of the stage.
Only 4 kilometers after the summit of Hochtor, riders will begin their climb up Fuscher Thorl. While Fuscher Thorl does not possess the length of the climb up Hochtor, this mountain pass must be respect, as it will take the riders up an 8.4% average gradient for almost 2 kilometers.
After their final mountain summit at Fuscher Thorl, riders will end Stage 5 by descending for 63 kilometers into the mountain village of Alpendorf.
Stage 5 will be a true separator in the general classification and Stefan Denifl (Aqua Blue Sport) will look to retain the yellow leaders jersey after Stage 5. Denifl grew up in the Austrian Tyrol, and is and experienced climber.
Stage 4 winner Migel Lopez (Astana) will be a possible challenger to Denifl at the top of the classification. Lopez displayed not only his climbing talents in his Stage 4 victory, but his ability to break off of the peloton and capture a stage victory off the front of the main pack.
Felix Grossschartner (CCC Sprandi Polkowice) will be another rider to watch out for on Stage 5. Grossschartner has been consistent throughout this year's Tour of Austria, and currently sits in 5th place in the general classification standings. Grossschartner has been fighting for a general classification lead, as well as the best Austrian rider title, through this year's Tour, and will undoubtedly be eager to continue his ascent up the overall standings.
Other riders to keep an eye on during Stage 5 include Daniel Teklehaimanot (Team Dimension Data), Rein Taaramae (Katusha-Alpecin), Martijn Tusveld (Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij), and Patrick Schelling (Team Vorarlberg).
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