Canadian Classics and GP Wallonie discussion
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Smowz |
Posted on 13-02-2011 09:43
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The fall classics season is upon us and we have the new Canadian Classics and the important Belgian hill top finish in Walloon.
In Quebec, Canada that most European of North American provinces the oddity being that they all speak French (well at least their version of it) and the racing will have a definate European feel.
GP Quebec
First in Quebec city, we have a race which should definately suit the punchaers:
We have 15 circiuts around the pretty walled city with probably the toughest section in the last two kilmetres. The startlist then
Spoiler Pendleton's
1. P.Gilbert
2. S.Duret
3. A.Moinard
4. A.Moletta
5. J.Rovira
6. E.Vorganov
7. F.Willems
Vespa
11. F.Ginanni
12. L.Ascani
13. A.Balloni
14. V.Bastaens
15. G.Bosisio
16. A.Proni
17. M.Scanlon
Wiggle
21. S.Ponzi
22. D.Caruso
23. D.Cataldo
24. T.Diggle
25. C.Grippo
26. R.Nocentini
27. M.Pavarin
LEGO
31. M.Monfort
32. J.Allain
33. D.Claeys
34. J.Libert
35. F.Rabon
36. A.Stauff
37. T.Zaini
UBS
41. A.Roux
42. M.Albasini
43. S.Barrio
44. I.Bogdan
45. J.Le Bon
46. J.Mora
47. C.Sinelobov
Cillit Bang
51. H.Ben Nasser
52. J.Coenen
53. M.De Maar
54. M.Eichler
55. D.Kopp
56. L.Lefèvre
57. H.Ma
IKEA
61. A.Flügel
62. N.Brolin
63. D.Kupfernagel
64. J.Ljungblad
65. L.Lundberg
66. P.Sagan
67. A.Stillfors
EL AL
71. S.Calzati
72. R.Bahati
73. S.Chavanel
74. C.Dionne
75. M.Friedman
76. S.Raisin
77. D.Rollin
Bbox
81. T.Voeckler
82. M.Astarloza
83. L.Didier
84. J.Mayo
85. J.Polito
86. D.Veilleux
87. Y.Wei
Falcon
91. M.Wyss
92. N.Aistrup
93. T.Eltink
94. J.Guarnieri
95. J.Hoogerland
96. G.Tzortzakis
97. C.Wegelius
Milka
101. B.Leukemans
102. R.Grychenko
103. O.Hirschlein
104. L.Howard
105. Y.Nepomnyachsniy
106. A.Nepomnyachsniy
107. R.Porte
Mercedes
111. S.Nydam
112. E.Baumann
113. J.Bol
114. A.Brea
115. S.Cozza
116. W.Frischkorn
117. J.Haedo
reveals favourites such as Gilbert, Ginanni, the Wiggle, UBS and LEGO hilly crews. Cillit Bang seem to be taking the late season seriously as well with Ben Nasser.
The French speakers in the Bbox and El Al squad should not be ruled out and it will be interesting to see how Flugal can do for Ikea with them very much now on the defensive.
No Efimkin for Milka or Pozzato for Mercedes and they will be hoping for a shock result here.
GP Montreal
Meanwhile in the biggest city of Quebec, Montreal:
We see another fairly tricky circuit race, the difference being here that there is just one climb really at the start of the 13km route. The Mont Royale is crested and then it is mainly downhill into downtown Montreal so the expectation is probably for a a sprint.
The teams that have been sent here (and cya logic) seem to suggest so:
Spoiler UniCredit
1. D.Napolitano
2. M.Brändle
3. F.Gavazzi
4. J.Mazet
5. D.Teklehaimanot
6. B.Van Poppel
7. B.Vandborg
Quiksilver
11. A.Davis
12. C.Betancourt
13. Y.Bru Pascal
14. H.Godfrey
15. G.Nizzolo
16. S.Scheirlinckx
17. B.Selander
Santander
21. F.Ventoso
22. J.Del Nero
23. A.Durán
24. A.Galdos
25. J.Gallego Martin
26. O.Guerao
27. R.Serrano
Petronas
31. L.Croket
32. I.Abakoumov
33. G.Bole
34. R.Feillu
35. W.Jallays
36. K.Lalouette
37. R.Scholz
Falcon
41. F.Chicchi
42. N.Alonso Castillo
43. J.Guarnieri
44. M.Pajari
45. C.Stevenson
46. J.Sørensen
47. G.Tzortzakis
Mercedes
51. J.Haedo
52. A.Brea
53. S.Cozza
54. W.Frischkorn
55. P.Ghyllebert
56. B.Sinner
57. T.Tolleson
Milka
61. M.Vanderaerden
62. L.Howard
63. I.Keisse
64. Y.Nepomnyachsniy
65. A.Nepomnyachsniy
66. R.Porte
67. K.Szczawinski
UBS
71. R.Förster
72. I.Bogdan
73. J.Kenny
74. A.Kristoff
75. C.Müller
76. C.Sinelobov
77. D.Thorsen
IKEA
81. D.Kupfernagel
82. N.Brolin
83. A.Flügel
84. J.Ljungblad
85. L.Lundberg
86. P.Sagan
87. A.Stillfors
EL AL
91. M.Friedman
92. R.Bahati
93. C.Dionne
94. D.Dviri
95. D.Eliad
96. S.Raisin
97. D.Rollin
Slightly less teams here at this less predictable classic then Quebec and we should see some pretty open racing. Favourites would have to be Davis (Quiksilver) and Napolitano (Unicredit), both riders have very fast sprints and can survive the climb you would have thought.
Ventuso, Haedo, Vanderaerden and Crocket should come under some consideration as well, whilst Chicchi, Guarnieri, Freidman and Forster may find the climb too tough. Ikea have sent a squad here for climbing, possibly miscalculating the difficulty of this one.
GP de Wallonie
On the same day in Belgium we find our beloved punchaers, led of course in their home country by Gilbert and Monfort.
A is a nasty little hilly race finishing in the Citadelle de Namur, itself a 2.5km climb averaging 5.4%. In addition there are four other tough leg breakers in the last 45km including the 13%, 800m ramp of the Tienne aux Pierres the penultimate difficulty.
So Gilbert and Monfort are the two big home favourites who else is here?
Spoiler Pendleton's
1. P.Gilbert
2. S.Duret
3. A.Moinard
4. A.Moletta
5. J.Rovira
6. E.Vorganov
7. F.Willems
Vespa
11. F.Ginanni
12. G.Bosisio
13. D.Garbelli
14. A.Pagoto
15. A.Passalacqua
16. A.Proni
17. M.Quinziato
Mercedes
21. F.Pozzato
22. J.Bol
23. B.Colex
24. B.Jacques-Maynes
25. S.Nydam
26. L.Pasamontes
27. E.Weiss
Milka
31. A.Efimkin
32. T.Dall'Antonia
33. R.Grychenko
34. B.Jarc
35. B.Leukemans
36. A.Malori
37. Z.Stybar
LEGO
41. M.Monfort
42. D.Claeys
43. J.Jaksche
44. J.Libert
45. F.Rabon
46. K.Vantornout
47. T.Zaini
UBS
51. A.Roux
52. M.Albasini
53. S.Barrio
54. J.Le Bon
55. J.Mora
56. G.Signorini
57. D.Vorontsov
Cillit Bang
61. H.Ben Nasser
62. J.Coenen
63. M.De Maar
64. M.Eichler
65. D.Kopp
66. L.Tommersen
67. M.Zenagui
Tinkoff
71. A.Kolobnev
72. A.Arekejev
73. J.Marycz
74. I.Rovny
75. B.Shpilevski
76. Y.Sobal
77. V.Valinin
Wiggle
81. D.Caruso
82. D.Cataldo
83. T.Diggle
84. C.Grippo
85. R.Nocentini
86. M.Pavarin
87. J.Tiernan-Locke
Bbox
91. T.Voeckler
92. J.Mayo
93. S.Paulinho
94. J.Polito
95. H.Roulston
96. D.Veilleux
97. Y.Wei
Bacardi
101. M.Perget
102. T.Danculovic
103. J.El Fares
104. C.Hervé
105. A.Passeron
106. F.Reda
107. E.Sokolov
Well Ginanni and Pozzato represent Italy, no Ricco or Ponzi though with Bacardi and Wiggle sending slightly weaker (well weak for Wiggle) squads. Efimkin is here for promotion chasing Milka, and Roux/Alabsini for UBS likewise hoping for a good result with promotion in mind.
Ben Nasser is always dangerous, you cannot rule out Bbox's Tommy Voeckler and Tinkoff's Kolobnev is in fine form after winning in his 'near to home' race in Croatia!
These races will take place following stage eight of the Tour of America.
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fenian_1234 |
Posted on 13-02-2011 12:15
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Well, I'm ready for a 7th and 12th for Ginanni in Quebec and Wallonia. |
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Christer |
Posted on 13-02-2011 12:51
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Voeckler on the attack? I really hope so...
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wackojackohighcliffe |
Posted on 13-02-2011 15:53
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Come on Gilbert. |
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Roman |
Posted on 13-02-2011 16:12
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A moment of the shine for Leukemans and Vanderaerden is right now! And for Alex certainly too..
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Smowz |
Posted on 13-02-2011 22:35
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fenian_1234 wrote:
Well, I'm ready for a 7th and 12th for Ginanni in Quebec and Wallonia.
As usual you were too optomistic with the first hilly classic fenian
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SportingNonsense |
Posted on 13-02-2011 22:39
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Big win for El Al but also a big blow to Wiggle's hopes of catching IKEA. Pretty disastrous for them to be outperformed by IKEA in their 'home' hilly terrain.
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fenian_1234 |
Posted on 13-02-2011 22:41
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The only thing that can explain something like that is random fitness being on.
However, being who you are, I'm fairly sure you had it turned off and Vespa's mediocre run continues.... |
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Deadpool |
Posted on 13-02-2011 22:51
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That totally didn't happen because Ji won that Crit race, right Smowz?
Anyway, great performance from both Chavanel and Calzati. With a much weaker squad for the second race I'm expecting a far worse result. |
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Roman |
Posted on 13-02-2011 22:51
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Total waste of 2 race days. I really don't know why I enter to this two Canadian races.. GP Montreal will be a big disaster too..
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mb2612 |
Posted on 13-02-2011 23:01
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Ventoso, step up to the plate
[url=www.pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=33182] Team Santander Media Thread[/url]
Please assume I am joking unless otherwise stated
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rjc_43 |
Posted on 13-02-2011 23:10
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Like, just, what the fuck?
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Levi4life |
Posted on 13-02-2011 23:19
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Why I didn't send Pasamontes is beyond me. Talk about a cock up.
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Smowz |
Posted on 14-02-2011 06:26
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The Quebec race was a very well designed circuit graphically. I have been to Quebec city before and other than the cafes all having German signs - it really did feel as if one was in Quebec.
As far as the the racing was concerned - one of the issues that some of the favourites had was the only places to make really effective attacks were in the home straight or on the straight way before the home stretch. A lot of ups and downs meant that some riders would attack for a short stretch then we had the downhill - me stop attack now scenario.
My point is that it was as much one for the rouler as much as it was for the pure hilly man.
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wackojackohighcliffe |
Posted on 14-02-2011 16:58
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I'll take that. |
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mb2612 |
Posted on 14-02-2011 20:09
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6th and 7th is ok, but Ventoso is much stronger than Szczawinski
in every way, he really should have been able to follow his attack
[url=www.pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=33182] Team Santander Media Thread[/url]
Please assume I am joking unless otherwise stated
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Smowz |
Posted on 14-02-2011 20:20
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In case anyone is wondering - I will bring the Gp de Wallonie to you tomorrow evening.
I have to agree with you mb about Ventuso - whose suckage reminds me a lot of some of the Vespa underachievers. He is probably most responsible for Santander not being higher.
The Canadian classics were very enjoyable ones to race - really well designed routes.
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rjc_43 |
Posted on 14-02-2011 20:44
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And Ikea again take a result when they really shouldn't have. |
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wackojackohighcliffe |
Posted on 14-02-2011 20:47
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Shoulda kept Scz but there you go, can't have all the luck.
Now Gilbert is the big favourite for Wallonie - how much effect does the nationality bonus have? |
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SportingNonsense |
Posted on 14-02-2011 20:52
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wackojackohighcliffe wrote:
Shoulda kept Scz but there you go, can't have all the luck.
Now Gilbert is the big favourite for Wallonie - how much effect does the nationality bonus have?
Big favourite in a hilly race? he'll probably fail ala Ginanni
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