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Tour of Bulgaria Discussion
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| tsmoha |
Posted on 27-10-2014 12:07
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Directeur Sportif
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 Tour of Bulgaria
The inaugaral edition of the Tour of Bulgaria offers an interesting mix of flat, hilly and one mountain stage(s). To call this one an easy predictable race is like calling Beyoncé an easy to win woman.
The GC-contenders need to climb both short and long climbs well, but there are some key factors worth being mentioned:
1) The two hilly stages are held prior to the concluding mountain stages. None of those features finish-climb, so it will be interesting to see, how selective they will be.
2) Downhill... may be key here, as the two toughest stages feature descending roads close to the finish lines.
3) Climber or puncheur? Will stronger climbers be still in the mix for the GC on that final day? And will stronger puncheurs survive the final climb "Beklemento" (19km length, 5.3% averaged slopes) without any notable gaps?
The Startlist
The Favorites
| Climbers | | | Puncheurs | | | | Rider | MO | HI | Rider | MO | HI |  Kashechkin | 79 | 74 |  Dowsett | 65 | 80 |  Cataldo | 78 | 75 |  Skujins | 69 | 79 |  Marzano | 78 | 73 | Anza | 66 | 75 |  Panayotov | 78 | 72 | Hermans | 64 | 75 |  Topchanyuk | 77 | 73 |  Nardin | 62 | 73 |  Navarro | 77 | 72 |  Trentin | 59 | 74 |  Nieve | 76 | 73 | | | | | Soler | 76 | 74 | Allrounders | | | | Eltink | 75 | 71 |  Cobo | 76 | 77 | | Naibo | 75 | 70 | Weening | 73 | 76 |  Devolder | 75 | 72 | Acevedo | 71 | 76 | | Kononenko | 74 | 72 |  Popkov | 71 | 75 |  Choi | 74 | 70 | Ghisalberti | 73 | 74 | | Scarponi | 73 | 73 | Galindo | 72 | 74 |
As said in the introduction and as to be seen in the startlist: it's quite a gamble, wether to bring a pure climber, pure puncheur or (the obvious choice) an allrounder here.
Cobo looks like a real threat for the overall win, as he's amongst the best puncheurs and climbers here. He won't fear those two hilly stages as much as some mountain goats will do.
Dowsett and Skujins top the list of pure puncheurs, who will aim to take the yellow prior to the mountain stage. And then hope for a less selective race on that final climb.
Kashechkin, Cataldo, Marzano and local hero Panayotov lead of a bunch of strong climbers, who all should be capable to survive those hills, too. Even though they may suffer against such premium puncheurs like Dowsett, so they have to stay in contention and then play their strengths well on the final day.
The Sprinters
| Ulanowski |  Gavazzi |  Guillen | Keough | | Drujon | Breschel | | Park | Anton Martin | | Andriato | Van Poppel | | Grosu | |
Three stages made for those fast men: Ulanowski and Guillen as the best sprinters, even though some tricky short climbs may be a factor. So also well climbing sprinters like Breschel or Grosu will fancy their chances, maybe even for that first hilly stage on third day.
Drujon, Park, Andriato, Gavazzi and Keough may be the further favorites for bunch sprints.
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 27-10-2014 12:16
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
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A 100% Bulgarian team for the first ever Tour of Bulgaria. Our Bulgarians should be visible in breakaways and Panayotov will be fighting hard in the GC. Grashev is having a strong season and hopefully he can be of great use here. Hristov brings the NC jersey, whilst Cholakov, Robov and Stoenchev represent the nations cycling future. We have this as a Win goal but expectations are measured, we'll take a Podium finish and a stage win 
Отиди Boeing-България Колоездене!
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| Mhaley45 |
Posted on 27-10-2014 12:20
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Protected Rider
Posts: 1036
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With the Mountain stage AMEX saw little use for sending a serious GC contending team. Instead we choose to send a collection of skills in hopes 1 or 2 of them could make a splash.
Matti Breschel has reasonable hilly skills and has the stamina and sprinting ability to be a threat on a couple stages. Jake Keough a 3rd tier sprinter just might earn a couple of points and an all-arounder like Stijin Devolder could be in the top 20.
We also sent Jan Dieteren who has won a race out of a breakaway already this season can he slip away again.
The reality is we have a few low denomination chips to play this game with, so please don't call our bets.
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Team Manager of AMEX - Navigon
Editor of the Cobbler
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| Alakagom |
Posted on 27-10-2014 12:21
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World Champion
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Looking forward to see this race unfold. Should be quite interesting.
Seeing the starlist looks like best MO climbers went to Eritrea, which isn't surprising but thought there would be one or two more big names here.
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| fintas |
Posted on 27-10-2014 12:24
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Small Tour Specialist
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Like to have seen some other names in that startlist.. Still should be a very interesting race
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 27-10-2014 12:26
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Tour de France Champion
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Eddie Stobart need to put in a good display to try and salvage there season |
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| fjhoekie |
Posted on 27-10-2014 12:26
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4476
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No MTF? I must've been drunk...
Anyway, I like Topchanyuk's chances for a decent result here, and if the mountain stage isn't too selective Vorganov, or even Nikolaev could do well...
Manager of Team Popo4Ever p/b Morshynska in the PCM.Daily Man-Game |
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| Avin Wargunnson |
Posted on 27-10-2014 12:55
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World Champion
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Nice preview Tsmoha, i am always so glad to see you are reporting the race i am in! 
I like what i see in terms of super climbers staying at home, so maybe our pretty weak lineup gamble cannot be so bad as i thought.
Popkov and Ghisalberti could try to fight for top10/15 and Grosu is here for stages 1,2,4 and possibly 3 together with Popkov, it will be interesting to see how AI will handle my team priorities.
I dont expect wonders, but i think the wheel of fortune could spin to our side at least one time in the seaon. So many lucky break winners this year, we could use one too.
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-11-2024 03:41
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 27-10-2014 13:59
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Hmm, Cobo actually has a shot at winning this. 
That said, in 3 season CSC-Orbea has yet to win a race overall. So I doubt that changes after this race, but you never know.
Thanks for doing all these races lately tsmoha!
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| roturn |
Posted on 27-10-2014 14:03
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Mresuperstar wrote:
Hmm, Cobo actually has a shot at winning this.
That said, in 3 season CSC-Orbea has yet to win a race overall. So I doubt that changes after this race, but you never know.
Thanks for doing all these races lately tsmoha!
Shit. Just realized I experience the same...
2 classic wins only each season but no stage race yet.
I doubt I will change it this year though.  |
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| Bjartne |
Posted on 27-10-2014 14:05
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Classics Specialist
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Didn't even know I was in this race. Should be interresting |
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| fintas |
Posted on 27-10-2014 14:08
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2602
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roturn wrote:
Mresuperstar wrote:
Hmm, Cobo actually has a shot at winning this.
That said, in 3 season CSC-Orbea has yet to win a race overall. So I doubt that changes after this race, but you never know.
Thanks for doing all these races lately tsmoha!
Shit. Just realized I experience the same...
2 classic wins only each season but no stage race yet.
I doubt I will change it this year though.
I'm exactly the same position as you. Except I'm still only in the second season of ManGame
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| fjhoekie |
Posted on 27-10-2014 14:19
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4476
Joined: 25-07-2010
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My team hasn't won any GCs as well... Lots of stages, green jerseys and classics tho...
If I remember correctly Fonte in the tour of Bretagne may have been my best GC result.
Manager of Team Popo4Ever p/b Morshynska in the PCM.Daily Man-Game |
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| DubbelDekker |
Posted on 27-10-2014 14:31
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2633
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Didn't expect Weening to actually be one of the best puncheurs here. Very hard to predict what is going to happen, but a top 10 should be possible.
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| cio93 |
Posted on 27-10-2014 14:36
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World Champion
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Alakagom wrote:
Looking forward to see this race unfold. Should be quite interesting.
Seeing the starlist looks like best MO climbers went to Eritrea, which isn't surprising but thought there would be one or two more big names here.
I just keep seeing poor decisions in hindsight...though it's not like both races are the same lenght so this was not a 50/50 decision.
I really don't see the pure puncheurs playing any role here.
Cobo indeed looks like a decent bet, but I don't think the hill advantage over the 78+ climbers is enough.
Preferably, keep Panayotov and Topchanyuk from winning please, PCM.
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 27-10-2014 14:39
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Tour de France Champion
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cio93 wrote:
Preferably, keep Panayotov and Topchanyuk from winning please, PCM.
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| cio93 |
Posted on 27-10-2014 14:45
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World Champion
Posts: 10845
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TheManxMissile wrote:
cio93 wrote:
Preferably, keep Panayotov and Topchanyuk from winning please, PCM.
Life, man. Just life. And Barney because Barney.
Also, look at Eneco and stop fucking complaining.
Edited by cio93 on 27-10-2014 16:57
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| ggDonovan |
Posted on 27-10-2014 15:44
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Breakaway Specialist
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I see Cobo for this one. He's one of the best on the hills and the long descent in the MO stage can penalize the pure climbers.
From our point of view... I don't expect much from Nieve... I hope Gonzalo can repeat the Oman, Trentino and Corsica performances with well timed BA.
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| Smowz |
Posted on 27-10-2014 16:07
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Team Leader
Posts: 6479
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roturn wrote:
Mresuperstar wrote:
Hmm, Cobo actually has a shot at winning this.
That said, in 3 season CSC-Orbea has yet to win a race overall. So I doubt that changes after this race, but you never know.
Thanks for doing all these races lately tsmoha!
Shit. Just realized I experience the same...
2 classic wins only each season but no stage race yet.
I doubt I will change it this year though.
I win my first stage race tour down under with arashiro, since then very little though you need a mega star and/or a lot of luck I think. Prefer consistent grinding out if results
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 27-10-2014 17:31
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Team Manager
Posts: 33046
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The aim is for Dowsett to win one of the hill stages. I dont seriously expect any final GC positon, but who knows with PCM.
This would have been a really good race for Berhane, but I obviously had to send him to Eritrea instead.
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![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
