The Sibiu Cycling Tour benefitted from its ambitious 2020 edition as the first UCI 2.1-ranked stage race to take place after the coronavirus pandemic race stoppage, attracting WorldTour riders for the first time in its history. The Romanian event announced on Tuesday that three WorldTeams including Bora-Hansgrohe, the team of defending champion Gregor Mühlberger, intend to return to race again in 2021.
The race, which takes place from July 3 to July 6, will see Astana-Premier Tech and Qhubeka Assos take part for the first time along with the German WorldTeam and six ProTeams: Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec, Bardiani-CSF-Faizanè, Delko, Gazprom-RusVelo, Team Novo Nordisk and Vini Zabù along with 17 Continental outfits for a total of 27 teams.
The race will start with a technical prologue through the historic centre of Sibiu, followed by two mountaintop finishes in Păltiniș and Bâlea Lac before the sprinters get a chance to shine on the final day on a 226km circuit finishing in Sibiu.
Organisers are also hosting an ambitious new amateur event, if the pandemic conditions allow, where the public can race up the Transfăgărășan - the iconic twisting strip of tarmac that snakes its way from Bascov to the second highest paved section of road in Romania at over 2000 metres.
Despite it only attracting the top teams since 2020, the Sibiu Cycling Tour has several big names among its past winners, including Egan Bernal (2017), Ivan Sosa (2018) and Kevin Rivera (2019), who all claimed victory here while racing for Androni Giocattoli.
Also among the starters will be three North American squads - Wildlife Generation, with top Romanian rider Serghei Tvetcov, Team Illuminate, and the Canadian squad Yoeleo Test Team.
2021 Sibiu Tour stages
- 3 July: Prologue: Historic City Centre of Sibiu, 2.5 km
- 4 July: Stage 1: Sibiu - Păltiniș, 208.0 km
- 5 July: Stage 2: Sibiu - Bâlea Lac, 185.0 km
- 6 July: Stage 3: Sibiu - Mediaș - Sibiu, 226.0 km
Provisional list of participating teams
- Astana-Premier Tech
- Bora-Hansgrohe
- Team Qhubeka Assos
- Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
- Bardiani CSF Faizane'
- Delko
- Gazprom-RusVelo
- Team Novo Nordisk
- Vini Zabu'
- ABLOC CT
- Amore e Vita
- Bike Aid
- Cycling Team Friuli ASD
- Elkov - Kasper
- Giotti Victoria - Savini Due
- NIPPO-Provence-PTS Conti
- Team Hrinkow Advarics Cycleang
- Team Illuminate
- Team Felbermayr - Simplon Wels
- Team Novak
- Team SKS Sauerland NRW
- Team Vorarlberg
- Topforex - ATT Investments Pro Cycling Team
- Wildlife Generation Pro Cycling
- Yoeleo Test Team p/b 4Mind
- Work Service - Marchiol - Vega
- National Team Romania