Well, I'll risk saying I expect a battle between Eddy and Gerrans for the final win, with the Norwegian having a bit of advantage due to the bonus time. This because I really don't think Goss is in a good shape, nor can't stay with the best in the decisive stage up to the Willunga.
On the other hand some riders won`t go all-in for the criterium to avoid crashes.
Some more riders I surely have on my list for Down Under are Valverde and Gerdemann.
Both of them obviously have big goals for the Tour Down Under and the hill top finish should suit both of them.
Plus I still hope that Ciolek comes back into form as he was winning these hill top finishes some years ago.
roturn wrote:
On the other hand some riders won`t go all-in for the criterium to avoid crashes.
Some more riders I surely have on my list for Down Under are Valverde and Gerdemann.
Both of them obviously have big goals for the Tour Down Under and the hill top finish should suit both of them.
Exactly you can't compare this criterium with the coming "flat" stages at TDU. There's so many different factors that will influence the race.
Edit: Now wouldn't it be funny if Valverde immediately wins the first race he enters?
Impressive by Hagen, having to sprint once to close that gap, then sprint again to second.
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"I love him, I think he's great. He's transformed the sport in so many ways. Every person in cycling has benefitted from Lance Armstrong, perhaps not financially but in some sense" - Bradley Wiggins on Lance Armstrong
Dominant performance from Lotto, but issoisso made a good point with Hagen, if Sky gets their train right it will be close sprint against Greipel me thinks. I just hope they will realise Hagen should be their sprinter, and not Sutton. Sutton was the designated sprinter today but there was bit of shuffle and he didn't get the positions right. Hagen will need as many bonus seconds possible.
Another nice picture from Sky website. Amazing bum I like Asutralia now even more
I think I may have been wrong when I sent my suggestion to lower Hagen's sprint down 1 or 2 points to Mike, although he is absolutely unbeatable in PCM which may still be unrealistic.
Well obviously. I'm not one to base stats on the first race day of the year (other than Nathan Haas maybe) but I'm just saying that if results like this can be kept up by him I may have been wrong. Thats it.
Wilier wrote:
It's a bit early to jump to conclusions about PCM stats.
Exactly. This is just the start of the season and only a few riders are in shape. Hagen seems to be one of them.
Hagen looks always to have a decent form. He performs in almost every race he enters when he has no injuries. And as Hagen said he isn't in great shape, but as always he's able to have that decent form that many riders can't hold.
What? And how exactly is he going to lead? Attack on Willunga, get caught, then sulk? That's very dumb, the leader should be Hagen, no question.
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"I love him, I think he's great. He's transformed the sport in so many ways. Every person in cycling has benefitted from Lance Armstrong, perhaps not financially but in some sense" - Bradley Wiggins on Lance Armstrong
That's what he says, another thing is what he really thinks. I guess saying their leader for the TDU is Rogers is the standard populist statement so that the local public hears what they want to hear.
issoisso wrote:
Random Sky DS on TV: "Our GC leader is Michael"
What? And how exactly is he going to lead? Attack on Willunga, get caught, then sulk? That's very dumb, the leader should be Hagen, no question.
Sutton said the exact same thing,
he might be in really good form????
maybe????
He was 17th in the national champs last week.
The preceding post is ISSO 9001 certified
"I love him, I think he's great. He's transformed the sport in so many ways. Every person in cycling has benefitted from Lance Armstrong, perhaps not financially but in some sense" - Bradley Wiggins on Lance Armstrong
