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Tirrano - Adriatico discussion
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| Smowz |
Posted on 21-08-2011 12:34
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The race of two seas opens up the European Protour season and is usually seen as perfect preparation of the Milan San Remo Monument. A quick look at the past winners though indicates a list of famous punchaers and the parcours of this year's course certainly look to favour this style of rider. Four of the seven stages have selective looking profiles with stages 3,4 and 6 looking really nasty.
Last year we had a fairly lengthy ITT and whilst the test against the clock remians it is much shorter negating its effect seconds there along with time bonuses may well decide the overall.
The sprinters so used to dominating proceedings in the Arabian stage races will likely get two oppurtunites to get going on a group gallop with stage 2 having a couple of testing hills near the end and the traditional finale on the last day.
The startlist has great deal of quality:
Spoiler Vesuvio
1. F. Schleck
2. J. Hoogerland
3. M. Kvasina
4. A. Moschella
5. M. Paterski
6. N. Schinker
7. A. Stauff
8. D. Stundzia
Pearl
11. J. Bakelants
12. M. Cardoso
13. E. Franzoi
14. J. Guarnieri
15. C. Ji
16. G. Nizzolo
17. J. Vastaranta
18. W. Walker
B&O
21. E. Hagen
22. M. Christensen
23. R. Guldhammer
24. D. Klemme
25. M. Reckweg
26. T. Riber-Sellebjerg
27. K. Sobota
Pendleton's
31. P. Gilbert
32. B. Bozic
33. S. Cummings
34. R. Downing
35. R. Margaliot
36. J. McEvoy
37. P. Mertens
38. A. Moletta
Wiggle
41. S. Ponzi
42. L. Bertagnolli
43. D. Caruso
44. C. Grippo
45. P. Locatelli
46. R. Nocentini
47. M. Pavarin
48. T. Zaini
Milka
51. A. Efimkin
52. L. Bret
53. T. De Gendt
54. J. Forero
55. R. Kreuziger
56. A. Malori
57. R. Porte
Sony
61. R. van der Hugenhaben
62. A. Ballan
63. J. Danacik
64. P. Grillo
65. F. Johansson
66. M. Mortensen
67. M. Reihs
Nestlé
71. J. Rodriguez Oliver
72. H. Broco
73. J. Fiedler
74. P. Gretsch
75. D. Kupfernagel
76. S. Lay
77. D. Loosli
78. M. Sibilla
Festina
81. D. Ulissi
82. M. Bernaudeau
83. T. Dees
84. J. Ljungblad
85. R. Navardauskas
86. G. Steurs
87. N. Østergaard
Jack Wolfskin
91. J. Posthuma
92. K. De Kort
93. W. Jallays
94. P. Martens
95. S. Rosseler
96. L. Ten Dam
97. J. Van Emden
98. K. Vandewalle
Webeffect
101. S. Ghisalberti
102. T. Bontenackels
103. R. Bourdouxhe
104. G. Gazvoda
105. A. Mironov
106. C. Schmieg
107. F. Silvestre
108. R. Zingle
Rapha Condor
111. C. Froome
112. J. Bellis
113. T. Grmay
114. P. Kennaugh
115. J. Perrett
116. E. Rowsell
117. T. Teklit
118. A. Tennant
Spyker
121. M. Schreurs
122. F. Bellotti
123. J. Fuglsang
124. A. Geniez
125. B. Kadri
126. N. Scheunemann
Carmeuse
131. G. Levarlet
132. T. Bos
133. T. Gallopin
134. M. Kneisky
135. K. Peeters
136. S. Vandousselaere
UBS
141. M. Albasini
142. D. Champion
143. A. Kristoff
144. M. Richeze
145. G. Signorini
146. S. Zahner
Santander
151. D. López Garcia
152. D. Allonca
153. J. Del Nero
154. A. Galdos
155. O. Guerao
Wikipedia
161. D. Summerhill
162. R. Janse van Rensburg
163. C. Meier
164. D. Pate
165. D. Rollin
166. A. Sebright
167. J. Van Heerden
168. T. Vangheel
Colombia
171. H. Machado
172. J. Arango
173. J. Baños Ballester
174. S. Bennett
175. A. Brea
176. M. Rubiano Chavez
177. C. Sarmiento
Bacardi
181. F. Terciado
182. G. Bagdonas
183. T. Butterfield
184. M. Heijboer
185. S. Mancuso
Warner Bros
191. A. Colom Mas
192. A. Castro Rodriguez
193. G. De Winde
194. J. Flecha
195. A. Giraldo
196. C. Rojas Villegas
197. J. Sergent
198. P. Sibila Romero
Frank Schleck a winner way back in 2007 will do battle against rising stars Bakelandts, Hagen, Ponzi and Ullissi. The Protour also welcomes Gilbert and Efimkin regular high flyers in CTour's hilly stuff they will see what they can do against the very top riders. Rodriguez, Van der Hugenhaben, Posthuma, Scheurs, Ghiselberti and wild card men Bellis/Froome will hold outside podium hopes.
Three or four decent sprinters are here Van Heerden will probably be the favourite of them with Italians Guernieri and Grillo with Rapha's Kennaugh, Santander's Guerao and UBS' Richeze likely challengers.
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| mb2612 |
Posted on 21-08-2011 12:44
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If Guerao picks up a stage that would be a massive win for us.
 [url=www.pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=33182] Team Santander Media Thread[/url]
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| SotD |
Posted on 21-08-2011 13:16
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Wuhuu!!!
Ulissi is in it for me, with a decent team around him, so let's hope he can do better than the predicted 9th place. Perhaps also a couple of good stageresults is possible.
Tim Dees could possibly be a bet for a top 20 for me also, but I don't really care, as long as he will help Ulissi into a safe top 10 
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| mattiasgt |
Posted on 21-08-2011 13:55
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Seeing the strong field here with most of the best hilly riders, it feels like a correct choice sending Trofimov to Paris-Nice instead of letting him defend his title here. A bit suprised that Cunego isn't here though. van der Hugenhaben should be able to get a top 10 and Grillo has a good chance of a stage win.
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| niconico |
Posted on 21-08-2011 14:20
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It's a very good profile for Hagen. The again it's like that every year and yet he always seems to underperform here as far as I recall. Still though Top 5 should be what is expected of him.
Thank god Cunego isn't here!
Actually just caught up on the results from last season where Hagen was bumped from 3rd to 8th in the last stage due to a crash. Maybe that's why I'd forgotten about this.
Edited by niconico on 21-08-2011 14:44
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| Gustavovskiy |
Posted on 21-08-2011 14:40
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The Management-Game Gazzette Issue #4
The PT peloton has completed the season warm-up in the early middle-eastern races. Now it's time to travel to the old continent and get on with the 'proper races'. Tirreno-Adriatco is the first of that kind and will be the first real test of strength to the PT contenders. Wiggle's voice of experience, rjc-43, will provide us his prognosis:
Q. Last year Wiggle really raised the stakes, as a Wildcard, with 2 stage wins and 2 top10s. Do you consider yourselves as one of the GC favourites?
 Considering that Simone Ponzi last year excelled in Tirreno, it was decided that a season goal would be based on him attempting to repeat his excellent form. With the experience gathered from racing at this level via Wildcards last year, I fully believe Ponzi will enter the race as one of the men to beat. Hopefully with the strength in depth of the squad entered here, he won't be lacking in the sprints or hills. He's even worked on his time trialling over the winter to prepare for just this race.
Q. Who do you think can be your main rivals here?
To be honest, other teams have been rather cagey with who is, or isn't, riding here. Although the race is mostly hilly, I have to say I fear a puncheur who can time trial, like a Schumacher or last years winner Trofimov. You can't rule out a Van Garderen type rider, or a Hagen who's a match for Ponzi on the flat, and his better in the short time trial. I'm expecting the more serious puncheur/climbers like Schleck, Bakelants, Valverde and Gesink to turn to Paris-Nice or Catalunya for the early season racing.
Q. Tirreno-Adriatico is always a hard race to predict given its hilly parcours. Where do you think it will be decided, this year?
Stages 3,4 and 6 all look decisive to me. Any action on stage 1 won't be taking tiredness into account, not that it has such as effect in such a short stage race anyway. I seriously doubt the winner overall will pull out more than a minute over the other podium placers, so it may even come down to sprinting for bonus seconds - Garzelli vs. Scarponi style (If my memory serves me right!)
Q. Do you fear that an 'underperformance' here, in home ground, may prove to be decisive in your Overall Team Rankings expectations?
I fear any underperformance will seriously result in Wiggle - San Pellegrino Professional Cycling Team fighting to avoid relegation. With our expectedly unexpected Ignatiev loan, I lost a few hundred points from Paris-Nice and that three dayer which was just perfect for him, so the pressure is now firmly on Ponzi. Popovych will also have to step up to the plate during the season, though it's certainly nice not to have to rely 100% on my sprinters and puncheurs to claim the results. At the end of the day, as a team all we're looking to do is avoid relegation as our younger riders still gain experience, if I can tick off my goals for the season, I believe I'll have accrued enough points to stay up.
Edited by Gustavovskiy on 21-08-2011 14:54
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| roturn |
Posted on 21-08-2011 14:42
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I like all the same answers to the different questions.  |
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 07-12-2025 07:52
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| Gustavovskiy |
Posted on 21-08-2011 14:54
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roturn wrote:
I like all the same answers to the different questions.
Ahah nice to see someone reads these things. Thanks for pointing that out roturn, it's edited now
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| mattiasgt |
Posted on 21-08-2011 17:12
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You can safely say that rjc-43 expected quite a different field here, hehe.
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| CrueTrue |
Posted on 21-08-2011 19:22
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Yet another race for me where any result will do |
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| rjc_43 |
Posted on 21-08-2011 19:24
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mattiasgt wrote:
You can safely say that rjc-43 expected quite a different field here, hehe.
Nonsense! 
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| alexkr00 |
Posted on 21-08-2011 22:21
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Looking at the startlist, Posthuma has a nice chance to take the TT stage home. That would be awesome.
CrueTrue wrote:
Yet another race for me where any result will do
Just one of the few races for me where any result will do
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| alexkr00 |
Posted on 22-08-2011 14:41
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2 riders in the first group is good even though only Posthuma has a chance for a good GC placing.
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| mb2612 |
Posted on 22-08-2011 14:49
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Lopez Garcia still there, but not filling me with confidence.
[url=www.pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=33182] Team Santander Media Thread[/url]
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| p3druh |
Posted on 22-08-2011 15:00
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Well, can't be mad about a stage like a that when Bakelants gave it his all.
Disappointed Vastaranta wasn't able to stay with the first group but no big deal.
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| CountArach |
Posted on 22-08-2011 15:20
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That was great to watch, this should be an awesome race.
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| wackojackohighcliffe |
Posted on 22-08-2011 16:16
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Gilbert 
Great season debut for Phillipe in the Protour.
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| CrueTrue |
Posted on 22-08-2011 17:20
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Schreurs and Fuglsang did well in the opening stage. Maybe a KoM jersey for Fuglsang? |
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| rjc_43 |
Posted on 22-08-2011 19:23
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I'm happy enough with second, but unhappy that Ponzi got blocked in. Silly lad!
Still, pulling out a couple of seconds over Frankie boy can't hurt!
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| Crommy |
Posted on 22-08-2011 21:12
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Been away for a week, but I'm just about in time to say:
GO THEO BOS!!!
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