Tour Watopia 2024

Stage 4: Austrian Snaps After Party

Date: 5th January
Distance: 37 km | 23 mi
Type: Group Stage
Elevation: 650 m | 2132 ft

Overview:
Stage 4 is 37km (23 mi) of intense focus. Innsbruck is a brute! Featuring significant elevation gains, this tough stage is a battleground for 🟩 sprinters, 🔴 climbers, and 🟨 GC hopefuls.

Key Highlights:

• Route Profile: The stage consists of approximately 30 km (18 mi) of flat terrain, followed by a solid climb up the Innsbruck KOM (7.4 km|4.6 mi @5.4%)

• Terrain Dynamics: The flat section allows powerful riders to push hard, while the final climb offers climbers an opportunity to regain lost time or extend their lead. Pick your poison.

• Segments: 7 total, 3 laps of 2 each, the infamous Leg Snapper soon followed by Innsbruck sprint. The 3rd and final lap features a summit finish atop Innsbruck KOM.

Tips for Riders:

• Flat Section Strategy: Riders with raw power should use the flats to create gaps or conserve energy for the final climb

• Climbing Approach: The final KOM climb is crucial. Find your rhythm and dance on those pedals. Keep chasing the next wheel up the road right to the top.

• Segment Tactics: Navigating the repeated "Leg Snapper" climbs effectively is key to maintaining a good position before the final ascent.

Expectation:
This stage is expected to be highly tactical, with a mix of strategies playing out between the 🟩 sprinters, 🔴 climbers, and 🟨 GC contenders. The flat sections and the demanding climb will shape the race, potentially leading to significant changes in the overall standings.

SPRINTs:

• Innsbruck Sprint: 300 m (0.18 mi), 0% incline

CLIMBS:

• Leg Snapper KOM: 0.43 km (0.27 miles), 6.9% incline - repeated multiple times during the first part of the race.

• Innsbruck KOM: 7.4 km (4.6 miles), 5.4% incline - the final and most significant climb of the stage.

FOR THE SICK!OS

The first rule of being a cycling sicko is learning to stalk Strava segments. You've got to know what you're capable of to prevent yourself from blowing up and watching the pack ride away. Click on the button below and check out your past results. You'll need to be Premium Member on Strava for leaderboards

Now for the truly ill amongst us there is then head over to Veloviewer which is going to present things to us in a very different way. The information is more detailed, and gives a unique analysis of the segment. It also has a better visual representation of the ride ahead. This tool is free to use

Now this is where most of you will stop, you'll be satisfied now with all of that. Not here at 😷⚡we're a bit kookoo for coco puffs.

Lastly we did course recon on every meter/foot of each stage. From this we built a 😷⚡🍞(breadcrumb) cheat sheet. With this there are very little surprises heading your way you'll be about as prepared as it gets.

Bonus section to take the vail off of the mystery of 🥤🍜 (on/off bike nutrition). Here we will have the entire breakdown of what we ate and drank the day of the event. This is mostly to document this for ourselves but Chef Sick! is creative in the kitchen. You'll have seen these melas on the Social feeds if you've been following us.