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Tour of Romandie discussion thread
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| Smowz |
Posted on 14-01-2012 18:32
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Bridging the gap between the Ardennes and the Giro, the Tour of Romandie brings us away from the classics and well and truly into stage racing. The next three months sees all three grand tours take place as well as three further stage races (California, Tour de Suisse and the Dauphine).
It is no wonder then that we have a collection of the very best stage racers here to test their legs over the six stages that should steadily build towards and exciting climax in Switzerland. The first four stages sees two time trials, the first a short prologue before a second more testing 23km hilly encounter on stage four. Stages 2 and 3 are hilly affairs, but the classification riders will take more not of the last two stages in the race. Neither are true mountain top finishes but selections should be possible in what could be a highly tactical race.
The riders here then:
 Robert Gesink comes off a so-so Ardennes campaign that was rescued by teammate Sylvain Chavanel's stunning Fleche Wallonie upset. The Dutchman's season has been planned to avoid the Grand Tour's which is perhaps based on his excellent victory in this race last season. Certainly found the hilly TT at the Tour of the Basque country to his liking and performed well in the short three stager down in Murcia. Was a runner up at the Paris Nice race which also based itself around a mid race time trial. Must be short odds for a podium here.
 Simon Spilak
Slovenia's finest is yet to find the big Tour de France winning form of last year and his struggling team look hopelessly out of their depth in most races. Still showed in this year Paris Nice by making the podium that Spilak has that canny ability to be in the decisive move. This race may well be decided by this in the final two stages, in fact the last stage looks right down Spilak's alley.
 Thomas Dekker
After the woeful Ardennes campaign in which Patrik Sinkewitz did not break the top ten once - Team Spyker Cars desperately need Thomas Dekker to step up to the plate. Missed the early season stage races, fairly low key at Murcia could do with some encouragement here before the expected Tour de France campaign.
 Aleksandr Pluchkin
Two GC successes in early season has raised expectations to sky high for Pluchkin and after B and O's underperformer Edvald Boasson Hagen had a better Ardennes run, they will be enthuastic about the chances for Pluichkin here. Has that stage race winning know how must be a contender here.
 Taylor Phinney
World TT champion could not match his former teammate in Murcia, but will surely be better off in a race like this. The question's as to whether Phinney can win a Grand Tour could be partially answered here. Phinney is surely one of the best stage racing TTers, but can the youngster live with the very best on the climbs here in Europe?
 Alberto Contador
Contador's lacks to Time trial ability of the other contendors but is very dangerous as you would expect on the climbs. Early on this race will be about damage limitation then you suspect Berti should explode into life on the mountains. The lack of a MTF probably counts against the Spanish rider though. Vuelta contender may be happy with a top 5 here.
 Rigoberto Úran
You have to mention Vesuvio really, who had to endure a patient wait for success in the hilly classics, before Frank Schleck delivered at La Doyenne. Uran had a fantastic tour de France last year and ran Pluchkin ridiculously close in Oman at the start of the year. Does get himself in good positions partly due to good support from teammates, may just find himself crowded out of the top positions here... but who knows has punched high before.
Other outside podium shouts include  Vladimir Karpets who will be looking to use the incredable cobbled triumphs of teammate Boonan to springboard a good stage race run, fresh faced  Andrei Amador,  Rein Taaramäe and  Peter Velits get to gauge their strength against the best.
Meanwhile Santander through  David Arroyo are gearing up towards the Vuelta. As Bacardi whose best hope here is  Martijn Keizer are surely gearing up for the Giro.
Plenty of climbing talents on show here, Saab Scania make up the numbers as the wildcards.
Startlist
Spoiler Jack Wolfskin
1. R. Gesink
2. X. Florencio
3. B. Giling
4. W. Jallays
5. W. Poels
6. L. Ten Dam
7. J. Van Emden
8. H. Zubeldia
B&O
11. A. Pluchkin
12. A. Grivko
13. R. Guldhammer
14. M. Hacecký
15. A. Rasmussen
16. M. Reckweg
17. J. Sagan
18. K. Sobota
Spyker
21. T. Dekker
22. S. Cohnen
23. J. Fuglsang
24. A. Geniez
25. J. Pecharroman
26. M. Reimer
27. D. Teklehaimanot
28. A. Vichot
Wikipedia
31. T. Phinney
32. D. Atapuma
33. B. Bookwalter
34. R. Janse van Rensburg
35. T. Pinot
36. A. Sebright
37. M. Sprick
38. J. Van Heerden
Warner Bros
41. S. Spilak
42. A. Castro Rodriguez
43. G. Coletta
44. K. Hulsmans
45. J. Redondo
46. P. Sibila Romero
47. R. Van Houts
48. M. Van der Pluijm
Festina
51. A. Contador
52. T. Dees
53. D. Drapac
54. A. Lavoine
55. J. Ljungblad
56. R. RodrÃguez Segarra
57. J. Serpa
58. P. Voss
UBS
61. A. Amador
62. M. Albasini
63. T. Frei
64. C. Riblon
65. G. Signorini
66. C. Sinelobov
67. J. Tschopp
68. O. Zaugg
Vesuvio
71. R. Úran
72. M. Ford
73. M. Iglinski
74. M. Kvasina
75. D. Medvedev
76. D. Mehr-Wenige
77. A. Moschella
78. N. Schinker
Nestlé
81. V. Karpets
82. D. Di Luca
83. J. Fiedler
84. P. Fédrigo
85. N. Hoffman
86. D. Loosli
87. H. Mottin
88. D. Vitoria
Carmeuse
91. R. Taaramäe
92. JF. Camier
93. B. Curfs
94. R. Di Gregorio
95. M. Kneisky
96. J. Libert
97. J. Suaza
98. S. Vandousselaere
Bacardi
101. M. Keizer
102. M. Burghardt
103. T. Butterfield
104. D. Grabovski
105. M. Heijboer
106. M. Mugerli
107. S. Pardilla
108. M. Perget
Santander
111. D. Arroyo
112. F. Echarri
113. E. Gonzalo
114. O. Guerao
115. A. Hernández Gutierrez
116. D. López Garcia
117. P. Merino Criado
118. D. Ortega
Pearl
121. P. Velits
122. C. Ji
123. S. Joseph
124. T. Kangert
125. T. Leezer
126. G. Nizzolo
127. M. Richeze
128. B. Samoilev
Wiggle
131. T. Kritskiy
132. L. Bertagnolli
133. I. Bibby
134. T. Costagli
135. A. Kunshin
136. R. Nocentini
137. D. Ratto
138. P. Scarponi
Pendleton's
141. D. Martin
142. T. Copeland
143. P. Deignan
144. T. Faiers
145. J. Ji
146. T. Kennaugh
147. F. Mourey
148. D. Zabriskie
Colombia
151. M. Rogers
152. A. Ardila Cano
153. S. Bennett
154. L. Duque
155. S. Ivars
156. S. Joly
157. H. Machado
158. W. RodrÃguez Parra
Sony
161. W. Pedraza
162. S. Anza
163. L. Fernández Oliveira
164. K. Fouquet
165. F. Johansson
166. B. Kohl
167. A. Wetterhall
168. M. Öste-Macdonald
Saab
171. T. Lövkvist
172. N. Aistrup
173. J. Bjelkmark
174. N. Brolin
175. T. Eltink
176. T. Hushovd
177. E. Salgueiro
178. M. Wyss
Milka
181. T. Rohregger
182. M. Bouet
183. L. Bret
184. A. Delaplace
185. A. Efimkin
186. A. Honkisz
187. L. Howard
188. M. Vysna
Webeffect
191. S. Ghisalberti
192. T. Bontenackels
193. I. Camaño
194. T. Danielson
195. A. Mironov
196. V. Rodrigues
197. C. Schmieg
198. F. Silvestre
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| wackojackohighcliffe |
Posted on 14-01-2012 18:38
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Worried we may not be able to compete here...
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| roturn |
Posted on 14-01-2012 18:43
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Really don`t like this Romandie course.
Hope the riders will prove me wrong and make some action in the boring stages. 
Great presentation, Smowz.
Edited by roturn on 14-01-2012 18:43
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| alexkr00 |
Posted on 14-01-2012 18:44
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No big mountain finishes could be an advantage for Gesink. Hopefully he will be able to repeat last year's performance, but a podium spot will also be good.
Edited by alexkr00 on 14-01-2012 18:44
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| Roman |
Posted on 14-01-2012 19:01
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I really hate this course. Rohregger/Efimkin combo as my leaders is the answer, but I don't expect much.
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| mattiasgt |
Posted on 14-01-2012 19:24
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Got Pedraza and Kohl here. Gonna be interesting to see if they can do anything. It quite a tough field.
(Previously) Manager of Koenigsegg
Koenigsegg: ( Media)
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| rjc_43 |
Posted on 14-01-2012 20:35
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Looking for another top 15 with Kritskiy, and a top 25 with Bibby. Didn't really have very much in terms of my squad who would realistically perform well here other than those two.
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| CrueTrue |
Posted on 14-01-2012 20:37
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I have to get some results soon - otherwise, it's hello Continental Tour. |
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| rjc_43 |
Posted on 14-01-2012 20:40
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You were always on for a season of gambling, whether it was this season or next
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 14-01-2012 21:00
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CrueTrue wrote:
I have to get some results soon - otherwise, it's hello Continental Tour.
Youre doomed. Youre relying on Dekker, and he's bound to crash in the Tour - he always does!
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| Kami |
Posted on 14-01-2012 21:05
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Classics Specialist
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Keizer would have had the potential to get a good result, or so i thought. But judging from Tour of Oman, he doesn't perform well in hilly time-trials. Seems the game doesn't really take in account mountain stats on the hilly TT's. Hoping for a top 10 nontheless.
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| ember |
Posted on 14-01-2012 21:30
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Great preview, Smowz! 
I'm looking forward to the race, those "boring-looking" profiles often turn out pretty good in PCM, I'll hope for some great racing on the last 2 stages at least. |
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| fenian_1234 |
Posted on 14-01-2012 21:51
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In my dreams Rogers will take the leaders jersey on Stage 1 and keep it all the way to the final stage when he'll lose it on the final climb.  |
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| niconico |
Posted on 14-01-2012 22:52
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Very solid team backing Pluchkin here. But dear me this field is STRONG! Let's see if Pluchkin can go 3 out of 3
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| Kami |
Posted on 15-01-2012 11:25
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Not bad from Keizer, let's hope he can hang on in the mountains.
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| mb2612 |
Posted on 15-01-2012 11:25
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I guess the aim is a top ten here, and I'll pretty much just need the mountain stages to be decisive.
 [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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| fenian_1234 |
Posted on 15-01-2012 11:50
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Shame Rogers couldn't have done better there. We need all the points we can get. |
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| rjc_43 |
Posted on 15-01-2012 14:22
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Kritskiy and Bibby on target.
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| alexkr00 |
Posted on 15-01-2012 14:32
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10 seconds is a bit too much there for Gesink. But from those faster than him, only Phinney is a danger for the GC.
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| SotD |
Posted on 15-01-2012 15:24
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Ah woe is me! Look at the competition here... A top 5 would be sensationable from Contador. Must be my hopes here. Also Tim Dees on a good form, could break into the top 20. The mountainous stages is key here for Alberto to stand a chance. He really needs to offer himself the opportunity to fail miserably, in order to get a good result here.
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