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Tour de Langkawi Discussion
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| Selwink |
Posted on 04-10-2016 14:02
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From the 19th to the 28th of April it's time for the 9th edition in the history of the Tour de Langkawi. In its 8 previous editions the race saw 7(!) different winners. Only Bernhard Kohl, winner in 2008, the first edition, and 2011, won two editions. Last year's winner Darwin Atapuma promoted with Indosat and therefore won't be present.
A look at the course shows a familiar outlook. What does stand out is a new, short, prologue on stage 1. It shouldn't provide large gaps, but at least the tone is set. Stage 3 and 5 are the other two important stages, as these two contain mountains. Especially stage 5 to the Genting Highlands has proven to be the decider in previous editions. The other 7 stages are all flat. Only stage 6 should be interesting due to its long length of over 210km. The rest should be a sprintfest.
| MO | HI | RES | ACC | PRL |  Sella | 79 | 72 | 78 | 73 | 64 |  Hacecký | 77 | 70 | 76 | 75 | 68 |  Hirschlein | 77 | 71 | 71 | 59 | 69 |  Kung | 76 | 76 | 68 | 68 | 66 |  Nakane | 76 | 70 | 71 | 65 | 63 |  Lewis | 76 | 67 | 76 | 73 | 62 |  Nieve | 76 | 73 | 74 | 64 | 67 |  Lundberg | 76 | 71 | 71 | 65 | 64 |  Ardila Cano | 76 | 70 | 73 | 76 | 69 |  Juodvalkis | 75 | 73 | 70 | 68 | 61 |  Baz | 75 | 71 | 71 | 70 | 60 | | Tatarinov | 75 | 74 | 71 | 73 | 63 | | Moreno | 75 | 70 | 73 | 72 | 67 | | Karagobek | 75 | 73 | 68 | 71 | 63 | | Mat Senan | 75 | 71 | 71 | 70 | 67 |  Jim | 75 | 71 | 71 | 63 | 63 |  Di Gregorio | 75 | 70 | 74 | 75 | 60 | | Öste-Macdonald | 75 | 64 | 75 | 74 | 61 |
As we can see, Sella is the clear stand-out favourite, being by far the best climber. None of the favourites here is an outsider for the prologue, so not much should happen there among the GC riders.
| PRL | RES | | Steensen | 77 | 73 | | Scully | 77 | 70 |  Ma | 77 | 68 |  Vingerling | 76 | 66 | | Sakellaridis | 75 | 71 | | Rijntjes | 75 | 68 | | Kip | 75 | 63 | | Drucker | 74 | 71 | | Mihaylov | 74 | 70 | | Andersen | 74 | 70 |  Popkov | 74 | 70 |
Of these riders only Popkov is a good climber who might actually defend his leader's jersey properly in the mountains if he were to win the prologue.
And of course for the 7 sprint stages plenty of contenders who have decided to not skip this opportunity.
| SPR | ACC | FL | | Kip | 80 | 82 | 69 | | Stauff | 80 | 81 | 74 | | Salleh | 80 | 80 | 70 | | Awang | 79 | 83 | 64 | | Scully | 79 | 80 | 74 | | Vingerling | 79 | 79 | 71 | | Krieger | 79 | 79 | 71 | | Mezgec | 79 | 77 | 71 | | Napolitano | 79 | 77 | 70 | | Colbrelli | 79 | 75 | 74 | | Jones | 78 | 78 | 72 | | Manan | 78 | 78 | 68 | | Krasnov | 78 | 77 | 72 |  Gavazzi | 78 | 74 | 71 | | King | 78 | 73 | 75 | | Boonen | 78 | 73 | 76 |
Of course in such a long race anything may happen, with breakaways, crashes and stuff such as that. However, these 10 stages should be very interesting.
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 04-10-2016 14:08
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thx for the oreview  it looks like I should've sent Anton here looking at the opposition, but 10 race days was too much of a turn-off for me...instead I went to the TOME  could be a glorious amount of points for Elta...
Mezgec here to win a stage as he could have one of the best supporting casts in the race...
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| the_hoyle |
Posted on 04-10-2016 14:19
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Did not expect to see Baz in the list of climbers but it seems many bigger riders have decided not to partake.
Krieger for the sprints, where he needs to follow Dowsett and start to perform when he is needed. Only has Drujon for support, who also needs to step up and do what he did all last year for Lavoine.
Other than that, day's in the breaks will make me happy... Not that I'm asking too much.
Thanks for the preview Selwink
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 04-10-2016 14:22
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Oh and I forgot: Juodvalkis leading our GC ambitions. Do you get the joke?
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 03:03
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 04-10-2016 14:32
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I didn't send Garby here, so I'm not expecting much, but fortunately Lundberg is actually an outsider threat with the weak a startlist. Not expecting anything int he sprints with the startllist strength in that field, but hopefully Steensen can do something in the prologue.
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| sammyt93 |
Posted on 04-10-2016 15:21
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If my sprint train doesn't perform here I will be disappointed as you'd think they'd be extra motivated, getting to race on home soil, which is true for five of my 8 riders.
In theory we should score well here having the 4th best GC guy on paper and both the 3rd and 4th best Sprinters.
As long as Kung doesn't have a bad day on one of the 3 mountain stages then I'm hoping to see a top 5 and a youth jersey from him and I think my sprint train should find us at least one stage victory out of the 7.
I must admit that I was expecting a much stronger field for this one, at least that means our top 10 goal should be easily achievable.
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 04-10-2016 16:13
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Please. please, please ...........
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| Spilak23 |
Posted on 04-10-2016 16:18
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One of those C2HC races we had to do cause of band choice. No expectations but hopefully Gavazzi can mix it up in the sprints. Breaks are only other option for succes. Would be hilarious if it's here we finally win something 
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| matt17br |
Posted on 04-10-2016 17:51
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Interesting race this and not sure why a few more top climbers were sent to the likes of TOME instead of here. Sella and Hacecky will be quite happy though!
Great preview.
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 04-10-2016 17:59
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matt17br wrote:
Interesting race this and not sure why a few more top climbers were sent to the likes of TOME instead of here. Sella and Hacecky will be quite happy though!
Azerbaijan clash...
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| matt17br |
Posted on 04-10-2016 18:11
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Good point 
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 04-10-2016 18:12
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still I regret that, as this race is much less crowded and HC...but still 2,5 times more race days for less mountain stages...
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| DaveTwoBob |
Posted on 04-10-2016 19:22
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Well Kraftwerk have really lucked out here, picked this as a top 5 goal and Hacecky has a great chance to deliver that for us.
The sprints on the other hand are stacked and with most of our support for Hacecky, Stauff will have to be on top form to make the top spot on the podium.
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| roro_352 |
Posted on 04-10-2016 19:30
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I finished 3rd with Rienda last season, I hope Sella will do better 
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 04-10-2016 19:47
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Croatia14 wrote:
Oh and I forgot: Juodvalkis leading our GC ambitions. Do you get the joke?
I've got Hirschlein. Let's go top 30! Indeed Salinas is in Azerbaijan - I'm more confident there (plus I didn't want anyone in the way of Scully with a prologue and sprints, plus 6 more race days)...
Also, this is a big race for us as it decides the future of Scully If he's leader (which he is) and sprints (fingers crossed), well, I'll just have to separate him and Clarke
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 04-10-2016 20:07
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matt17br wrote:
Interesting race this and not sure why a few more top climbers were sent to the likes of TOME instead of here. Sella and Hacecky will be quite happy though!
Great preview.
Azerbaijan clash for sure, but also many less stage points up for grabs in this kind of race than ToME.
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 04-10-2016 20:10
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but lot's of points for potentially being the leader, and I didn't took this into account...still anybody would have a tough time against Sella...
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| weirdskyfan64 |
Posted on 04-10-2016 20:37
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Jerome Giaux, this is a heartfelt, personal appeal from your manager.
You were signed on big money- you cost almost a quarter of a million Euros.
But now, you fumble through races, searching for an exit door that simply isn't there.
Please, Jerome...
Do something. Anything will do, just a Top 10, the same Top 10s you've ridden before, the same Top 10s I know you can deliver.
In unrelated news, KAYAK-Clas Ohlson are looking to flog a Central European sprinter. Any takers?
Disclaimer- Most of my posts are me thinking aloud. And most of what I think is rubbish.
Winner of a FIFA Prediction Fair Play Award (a phrase becoming increasingly ironic)
"... Because he (me) has a sound tactical mind in general..." jandal7, at 9:30 am GMT on 12th May 2016
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 05-10-2016 13:44
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no show there, a little disappointing by my outsider Drucker
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| the_hoyle |
Posted on 05-10-2016 14:03
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The gaps are minimal so no real issue with GC - Krieger within shout of taking lead with bonus seconds on first few sprint stages
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