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Tour de Azerbaijan Discussion
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| trekbmc |
Posted on 09-10-2016 19:43
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 Tour De Azerbaijan
Welcome to the 2016 Tour de Azerbaijan! A 4-day CT climbing race made special by the clash with the Tour de Langwaki, reducing the strength of the field and perhaps giving weaker climbers a chance to show their skills? Perhaps not as the field still has most the big CT climbers here.
After a sprinters opening, the race takes on an interesting mountainous stage, where the flat section after the climb could reduce the temptation to attack. Following that there is a hilly stage, although the climb is still a decent length and should have an impact on deciding who should have to attack on the very tough final mountainous stage.
Favourites: | Mo | Hl | ACC | | Mo | Hl | ACC |  Krasnoperov | 80 | 68 | 61 |  Rienda Segura | 76 | 68 | 77 |  Garby | 79 | 70 | 70 |  Rojas Villegas | 76 | 64 | 74 | | De la Cruz | 78 | 75 | 73 | Landa | 75 | 67 | 71 |  Pomoshnikov | 78 | 74 | 66 | Santoro | 75 | 66 | 66 |  Antón | 78 | 73 | 76 |  Gerdemann | 74 | 74 | 63 |  Tvetcov | 77 | 75 | 73 | Possoni | 74 | 73 | 69 |  Salinas | 77 | 73 | 72 | Pedrero | 74 | 71 | 69 |  Battaglin | 77 | 72 | 70 |  Georgiev | 74 | 70 | 67 | | Pozzo | 76 | 70 | 75 | Ebsen | 74 | 70 | 66 |
A small startlist but no shortage of climbers, Garby is the definite favourite here, there’s no time trial and two mountain stages, so provided he can keep his losses to a minimum on the hilly stage he has a very good shot at the win.
De la Cruz, Pomoshnikov and Antón will be the main challengers for him here, they all can almost match the Dane on the climbs and are better puncheurs them him, so will look for advantages on stage 3.
Tvetcov and Salinas as well as duo Battaglin and Pozzo also will have cards to play amongst a field of riders who could contest this race.
Stage-Hunters | Sprinters | Sp | ACC | Puncheurs | Hl | ACC |  Guillén | 81 | 82 | Diggle | 77 | 66 | | Fonseca | 78 | 77 | Hategeka | 77 | 70 | | Galimzyanov | 77 | 74 | Nzeke | 76 | 68 | | Sabatini | 77 | 74 | Zeits | 76 | 69 | | Uugunbayar | 77 | 75 | Tiernan-Locke | 76 | 54 | | Bouglas | 76 | 75 | Passalacqua | 76 | 74 | | Bole | 76 | 74 | Efimkin | 76 | 54 | | Canola | 75 | 76 |  Othman | 76 | 69 | | Park | 75 | 76 |  Schurter | 75 | 71 |  Demoitie | 75 | 74 | Lloyd | 75 | 69 | | Murray | 75 | 77 | Ilias | 75 | 68 | | | | Hugentobler | 75 | 76 | | | | Rocchetti | 75 | 64 | | | | Mancuso | 75 | 73 | | | | Bru | 75 | 70 |
Guillén is often inconsistent, but is easily the best sprinter here, so he has a good shot at a stage and a day in the leader’s jersey. Fonseca is the fastest of the rest, Uugunbayar, Sabatini and Galimzyanov aren’t that much slower either though.
Of the puncheurs for stage 3, the duo of Diggle and Nzeke are convincing, but they’ll be up against Hategeka, Zeits, Tiernan-Locke, Passalacqua and Othman so plenty of options there, it might even go to one of the more versatile GC riders.
Startlist:
Edited by trekbmc on 09-10-2016 19:57
"What done is, is one." - Benji Naesen
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 09-10-2016 19:46
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Hoping for a good result from Salinas, with a good team around him (our puncheur train  ) podium is the aim but it will be very tough in this field. Knowing my luck Diggle will be 8th and Nzeke 16th but stage 3 - we have to win it. Lol at the Efimkin mix-up: I wish he was 76
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."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT]  Xero Racing
5x  x5
2x  x2
2x  x2 |
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 09-10-2016 21:09
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It's show time for Garby right now. Perhaps it was a mistake to send Lundberg and Oste Macdonald to Langkawi but if it was then it's a mistake I will have to live with. Hopefully Landa/Ebsen/Schoffmann will be enough of a mountain train to keep things in check for Garby, and De Maar, Bochman and Veilleux are here to shelter him and pace on the hilly stage.
Really hoping for a big result here. We may be the favorite here but we definitely aren't by far. Though we have the mtn advantage, hill and acceleration will be crucial and we lack both. Nevertheless I really want to at least take home a podium here and another white jersey. Garby should feature for stage wins as well. If Sabatini could feature on the flat stage, that would be great too. I hadn't even thought of that.
Overall this is a very crucial race for us. I'm excited for it but also really nervous because if crashes or crazy AI ruin this race for us, there might not be a way back to the promotion battle.
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| the_hoyle |
Posted on 09-10-2016 21:33
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Grand Tour Champion
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Really glad I am not here with strength of the startlist! De la Cruz with the win for me
.: Manager of :.
.: My Awards :.
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| sammyt93 |
Posted on 09-10-2016 22:45
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We've come here solely for the Hilly stage but with stronger options there we might end up leaving empty handed which would be a shame. Hopefully Hugentobler's Acceleration will count on that one as he seems to have the best kick out of the contenders for it.
Looking at the startlist I'm glad we sent the GC team to our home race instead even if that hasn't gone according to plan they've managed to find a way to please the sponsors regardless.
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 09-10-2016 23:13
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go Anton, use your acceleration at the right time 
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 10-10-2016 19:16
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GREGA BOLE!
what a fantastic victory, but this one belongs to Luka Pibernik, what an effort
But now the exact effect appeared that I feared in the Middle East and prevented me from sending Bole there...will a leaders jersey on Bole block Anton?
for today we don't care about this question though and celebrate our victory!
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 10-10-2016 19:23
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Tour de France Champion
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What the hell has been with PCM and these freaking weird sprints where one train literally gaps the res tof the peloton easily. it's been happening over and over now. I just don't understand it.
Typical stupidness of my team where Sabatini wins a stupid intermediate sprint but then doesn't even feature in the final. No matter. All eyes are on Garby now. That's what matters.
Edited by baseballlover312 on 10-10-2016 19:28
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| DaveTwoBob |
Posted on 10-10-2016 19:27
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While the cats away the Kraftwerk mice are out to play
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 02:32
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 10-10-2016 19:32
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another interesting thing: Krasnoperov with no time loss - maybe he might do something on Stage 2, just maybe...
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| jph27 |
Posted on 10-10-2016 19:36
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Croatia14 wrote:
another interesting thing: Krasnoperov with no time loss - maybe he might do something on Stage 2, just maybe...
Flat stages aren't the issue with Krasnoperov. The lack of Acceleration as well as other backup stats are the issue - plus the fact that he has 68HIL |
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| Croatia14 |
Posted on 10-10-2016 19:51
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hmmm it was on his only appearance so far though 
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| sammyt93 |
Posted on 10-10-2016 19:55
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Hugentobler sneaked the KOM jersey out of today which after seeing the startlist is already better than I expected from the race.
He then lost some time which might also allow him some freedom to continue attacking and picking up points on further stages or maybe enough to stop him being marked if he tries something on the Hilly stage later on.
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 10-10-2016 20:34
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Despite our rivalry, go Grega Bole Diggle in the top 20 and Salinas top 25 means they're safe and alert for the next three stages - good to have that one out of the way with no casualties tbh
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."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
5x x5
2x x2
2x x2 |
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 11-10-2016 19:33
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Tour de France Champion
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Well that was... well I'm not quite sure what that was to be honest. I was expecting a little bit more of a... maybe a mountain stage? I don't know. Strange day for De Maar to finally come to life after failing all year in important races.
Well no time losses I guess. I can only hope tomorrow's stage is equally as unselective, so that Garby can go for it on stage 4.
Oh yeah, and I have the KOM jersey now. What was that stage though? Really?
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| jaxika |
Posted on 11-10-2016 19:36
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Wow. Two wins in a day. I never experienced this before. Thanks  |
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 11-10-2016 21:30
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World Champion
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Nice day out for Davison, seems it's all down to stage 4.
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."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
5x x5
2x x2
2x x2 |
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| sammyt93 |
Posted on 12-10-2016 01:13
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3634
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Hugentobler had a go at defending his jersey but unfortunately he came up just short. I'm hoping he either goes for the stage win or tries to take back the KOM jersey but judging by him only coming second in the mountain sprints he might need to rest for a day before trying again on stage 4.
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 12-10-2016 20:21
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World Champion
Posts: 11392
Joined: 17-12-2014
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Tom Diggle you spoon  We really need to have a chat:
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."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
5x x5
2x x2
2x x2 |
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| ember |
Posted on 12-10-2016 20:56
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Team Leader
Posts: 6849
Joined: 27-03-2008
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Quite remarkable how passive the racing has been so far. Cool to see Antón boss it like that though, and with the win, there's no doubt he's ahead of schedule considering the overall win here, leading before the final mountain stage.
Hopefully the riders have saved all the fireworks for the final stage, which on paper looks epic. And with no downhill finish, it really is up to the riders to provide some eintertainment.
Thank you for the reports so far, trekbmc. Looking forward for the final stage! |
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