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Brixia Tour Discussion Thread
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| ember |
Posted on 07-05-2012 14:14
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While the sprinters and time trialists are in Denmark, the climbers and stage racers have found their way to Italy. Brixia Tour is a 5 days long stage race, and there's quite a line up this year. A couple of teams have high goals on the overall standings here, meaning several of the worlds best climbers and stage racers will be determined to get the better of the others.
And there's no wonder why a couple of teams have made this race a season goal. It's a profile that should favour the very best climbers, who can rely on a good team performance on the opening team time trial. The team time trial shouldn't be decisive though, as there are 2 though mountain stages to come. Stage 2 and stage 4 will be all about the climbers, as the riders will face some serious climbing. Stage 4 finishes with a longer climb, while the finishing kilometers on stage 2 is steeper. Most of the best continental climbers are here, let's have a closer look at them!
 Pozzovivo
is arguably the biggest favourite for this race. He won another tough, Italian stage race in a convincing way, as no one was able to threaten him in Brixia Tour. He also won Tour of Slovenia, after taking the Queen stage with more than a minute. He should be eager to win another huge stage race on home soil.
 Alarcon
is another strong rider for this race. He disappointed in the mentioned Tour of Slovenia, where he had no chance at all against Pozzovivo. But he bounced back in Int. Osterreich Rundfahrt, where he won the decisive stage to Grossglockner, and also the overall. He will hope to outclimb everyone else on the two tough stages, question is if he's able to do just that.
 Rujano
can definitely not be underestimated. He's hoping to get back on the winning track that gave him overall victory in Vuelta Castilla y Leon, Brixia Tour could be his race. He's a superb climber, and he has a decent team for the team time trial. He came close in Tour of Slovenia, being the best behind Pozzovivo. He'll definitely look for the better of Pozzovivo here, taking that much wanted win, both for himself and his team, who hopes this is the race where they can establish themselves as a team that's going to promote.
 Van Den Broeck
is another great climber. And he also knows how to handle the time trial bike, meaning he'll be intstrumental for his own bid for the overall win on the opening team time trial. He had some bad luck in Int. Osterreich Rundfahrt, both crashing and puncturing, but nonetheless he grabbed a stage win on the individual time trial. He's looking for salvation here in Brixia, question is if these explosive climbs suit him. I guess the whole world of cycling thinks he deserves a win now, after his bad luck in Austria, but that doesn't mean they won't fight against him.
 Caruso
will also be eager to get a huge win here in Brixia. He's the Italian champion, and he's on home soil. You can't expect him to win, but you can expect him to be up there. And the crowd will be crazy for him, hoping to see the Italian champion take a stage win or two, and then change his jersey with the yellow leader jersey.
 Duarte
 Krasnoperov
 Anton
 Stetina
 Lloret
must all be considered outsiders for this race, and that says much about the quality amongst the climbers! They're brilliant climbers, but pre-race, they're not more than outsiders for the win here in Italy. Their best chance might be an early attack on the mountain stages, catching the biggest favourites off-guard.
 Cerne
 Saab
can't hope for much overall glory, but they've decent prospects for stage win(s). Nicácio, Eltink and Bjelkmark are all solid climbers, who could surprise others from a breakaway, but they shouldn't be strong enough to climb side-by-side to the best climbers. They also got decent sprinters for the two flat stages. Biondo could do well for Cerne, and Chicchi could do well for Saab. They'll at least try to grab a stage win, as that's probably their best chance for glory here in Brixia.
Startlist
Spoiler Vespa
1. D. Pozzovivo
2. L. Ascani
3. A. Balloni
4. M. Cattaneo
5. D. Garbelli
6. O. Gatto
7. R. Traficante
Aker Solutions
11. J. Alarcon
12. J. Agudelo
13. G. Larsson
14. L. Nordhaug
15. J. Rojas Gil
16. W. Vasquez
17. J. Zrimsek
Pokerstars
21. J. Rujano
22. D. Boucher
23. J. Degenkolb
24. C. Kern
25. H. Raabe
26. N. Terpstra
27. J. Van Goolen
Ferrari
31. G. Caruso
32. E. Capecchi
33. M. Maisto
34. M. Osella
35. D. Pietropolli
36. M. Pozzo
37. P. Sgrigna
Pirelli
41. J. Van den Broeck
42. D. Di Nucci
43. A. DÃaz Corrales
44. S. Masciarelli
45. F. Montaña
46. A. Saldarriaga
47. I. Santaromita
Venchi
51. F. Duarte
52. V. Agnoli
53. M. Bodnar
54. C. Corioni
55. M. Gonzalez Salas
56. P. Haugard
57. L. Sestili
CSC
61. I. Antón
62. I. Kovalev
63. B. Lima
64. R. Maksimov
65. E. Parra Bustamante
66. C. Sastre
67. C. Verona
Export
71. M. Krasnoperov
72. A. Bajadali
73. M. Karagobek
74. F. Montenegro
75. V. Orozco
76. C. Van Ooijen
77. T. Ziegler
Bianchi
81. M. Lloret
82. J. AramendÃa
83. R. Dennis
84. J. Hochmann
85. A. Matzbacher
86. P. Mazur
87. H. Schwab
Cal Giant
91. P. Stetina
92. T. Brandt
93. B. Colex
94. A. Jeannesson
95. T. Peterson
96. K. Reijnen
97. B. Sinner
Cerne
101. P. Nicácio
102. M. Biondo
103. R. Martins
104. N. Oliveira
105. R. Reis
106. B. Silva
107. E. Viviani
Saab
111. T. Eltink
112. J. Bjelkmark
113. F. Chicchi
114. U. Galiev
115. G. Likhaya
116. E. Salgueiro
117. M. Westling
Edited by ember on 07-05-2012 16:01
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| beagle |
Posted on 07-05-2012 14:41
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Rujano won Leon in Spain, if I´m not mistaken. Anyway, it´d be nice to see that Alarcon IS NOT better cyclist 
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| Pellizotti2 |
Posted on 07-05-2012 14:45
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I'd like a podium, but I guess a Top 5 is more realistic to expect.
Hope nationality bonus gives Caruso a nice boost.
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 07-05-2012 15:57
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So much competition Anton doesn't even make the preview  A top 10-15 surely isn't to much to ask for.
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| ember |
Posted on 07-05-2012 15:58
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Mresuperstar wrote:
So much competition Anton doesn't even make the preview A top 10-15 surely isn't to much to ask for.
Oh, I forgot him. Was meant to be in the group of outsiders. Sorry, I'll put up a couple of words of him now.
@beagle: Yeah, you're absolutely right, another mistake from me  |
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 07-05-2012 16:03
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ember wrote:
Mresuperstar wrote:
So much competition Anton doesn't even make the preview A top 10-15 surely isn't to much to ask for.
Oh, I forgot him. Was meant to be in the group of outsiders. Sorry, I'll put up a couple of words of him now.
Can't forget about Maksimov for the flat stages either (Maybe he will decide to make it to the finish for a change  )
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| ANFreeman |
Posted on 07-05-2012 16:33
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I'd like to see VDB take the win after having some bad luck, but the field is a really high quality here, so it's hard to predict. Should be good stuff.
Good preview, too, Ember.
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Posted on 24-11-2024 03:44
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| Pellizotti2 |
Posted on 07-05-2012 19:05
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A time loss was expected, so no big worries about that. 25 seconds isn't a lot in the mountains anyway. Hope for a top day on stage two.
I'll definitely bring in a couple of timetriallists next season.
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| jph27 |
Posted on 07-05-2012 19:07
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Great report, and great result for Venchi. Can Duarte hang on tomorrow? |
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| Smowz |
Posted on 07-05-2012 19:38
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Didn't we just leave this party in Austria 
The Italians will be favourites you fancy, though Rujano and Alarcon can be outstanding on their day. It looks a complicated little entry into this climb - these things seem to favour the rider who attacks early.
Or alternatively as this is the first of two climbing stages it may favour a move mid stage. I am rooting for Caruso.
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 07-05-2012 19:56
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Very happy with the team effort in the TTT
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| fenian_1234 |
Posted on 07-05-2012 20:05
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A shame we weren't off last I think.
Hopefully, Pozzo can get the upper hand on the coming climbs. |
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| viking90 |
Posted on 07-05-2012 21:45
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Nice loosing so much on that TTT, we are going for breakaways  |
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| CountArach |
Posted on 08-05-2012 13:40
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Big win for VDB there!
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| Pellizotti2 |
Posted on 08-05-2012 15:02
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Not bad at all. Losing only 15 seconds to those far superior climbers is a very good performance from Caruso. With another good day on day four, a Top 5 should definitely be within reach. That'd make it a good race.
Oh, and congrats to Pirelli!
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| rycadinho |
Posted on 08-05-2012 16:13
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Fantastic win after a not so good TTT - My goal seems possible to complete!
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| Sykkel_Freak |
Posted on 08-05-2012 16:21
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Not so good stage after a fantastic TTT - My goal seems impossible to complete!
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| jack888 |
Posted on 08-05-2012 17:01
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Hopefully we get away in the break on stage 4. Only real chance of points here lol. |
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| Levi4life |
Posted on 08-05-2012 17:51
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I'm hoping for a bit better than that in the stages to come.
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| fenian_1234 |
Posted on 08-05-2012 18:40
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When is getting into the race lead a poor showing?
When your leader puts in an attack on the flat before the final climb, attacks again and pulls out 1'30 on the chasers and then soft pedals his way up the climb so he loses the advantage...
Stage of a decent amount of weirdness.
Still, Pozzovivo should be set to be hard to beat. The nationality bonus and leaders jersey bonus should give him a real edge on the next climb.
Please now don't let someone in a break win this race. |
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