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Tour of South Africa Discussion
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| tsmoha |
Posted on 26-07-2015 10:32
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Directeur Sportif
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 Tour of South Africa
The Tour of South Africa may have lost it's HC status (being downgraded to C1 this year), but it's still amongst the biggest races in Africa: all previous three race-winners also do have a connection to this continent, with Jonathan Bellis (2012), Nolan Hoffman (2013) and Hassen Ben Nasser (2014) on the honour roll here. Two of them will be at the start also this time around.
The route has been changed this year, as we now only have six instead of seven stages - including a 35km TTT! Four hilly and one flat (but also challenging) stages should make for some eventful days here. Of course it's hand-made for puncheurs, but the profiles do offer some chances for punchy sprinters maybe.
The Startlist
The Favorites | Puncheurs | HI | SPR | Puncheurs | HI | SPR |  McCarthy | 81 | 63 |  Juul-Jensen | 77 | 66 |  Costa | 80 | 69 |  Kangert | 77 | 62 |  Dowsett | 80 | 66 |  Vakoc | 77 | 70 |  van der Hugenhaben | 80 | 68 |  Hategeka | 77 | 62 |  Klemme | 80 | 66 |  Konovalovas | 76 | 61 |  Ben Nasser | 79 | 70 |  Boom | 75 | 61 | | Monfort | 79 | 64 | Punchy Sprinters | | |  Betancourt | 79 | 67 | McEvoy | 76 | 75 |  Roy | 79 | 64 | Ventoso | 75 | 77 | | Meyer | 78 | 72 |  Geschke | 74 | 76 |  Boily | 78 | 68 | Impey | 73 | 80 | | Craven | 78 | 67 | Gavazzi | 73 | 78 |
Where else to begin than with one of the country's superstars: Impey and defending ToSA-champion Ben Nasser are lining up for one team - Kenya Airways definitely aiming high here. It's hard to predict, whether those punchy sprinters like Impey, McEvoy, Ventoso or Geschke will hang on with the best puncheurs. But if they do on day one, we've already seen such guys flying high in the following stages.
The packed startlist definitely won't make things easier for Impey and co: McCarthy, Costa, Dowsett, van der Hugenhaben and Klemme make for five 80+ puncheurs. With also Ben Nasser obviously aiming high, and guys like Monfort and Betancourt always capable of pulling huge results (Monfort again enjoying a great season so far), there's plenty of power up on those climbs here.
Also a strong finisher like Meyer or an African and everybody's darling like Craven may fancy their chances to shine..
Oh, and let's (not) forget to mention Roy..
The Stage Hunters | TTT-ratings | Rating (1-4) | | Sprinters | HI | SPR | | Aegon – Lavazza | **** | | Bennett | 63 | 79 | | Gazelle | *** | | Kreder | 70 | 78 | | Risa – Ergon | *** | | Hoffman | 68 | 78 | | Team TomTom | *** | | Corti | 63 | 78 | | RBC Pro Cycling | ** | | Mansilla | 71 | 77 | | Project: Africa | ** | | | | | | Prio – Porto | ** | | | | | | Eritel – Sonatrac | ** | | | | | | Bonsucro | * | | | | | | Team Kenya Airway | * | | | | |
The TTT will of course be another key to any GC-success here. Aegon with the most powerful lineup and Boom as their leader, hoping for less selective hilly stages on the first days.. Gazelle, Risa and TomTom looking like the most promising TTT-setups behind Aegon, so that is likely to be a plus for Hugenhaben or Monfort in particular.
With just one (partly hilly) flat stage here, we mostly see those punchy sprinters at the start. Bennett as one of a few exceptions, while we should of course expect someone like Impey, Gavazzi, Ventoso, Kreder and former ToSA-winner Hoffman as the better odds for this particular stage.
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| tastasol |
Posted on 26-07-2015 11:55
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Classics Specialist
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Excited for this race. A couple of finishes that should fit Meyer good, and we're bringing a strong TTT-team. Hopefully a stage win and a top 10 in the GC.
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| roturn |
Posted on 26-07-2015 12:15
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Team Manager
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Please for once some TTT luck. Really could finally win it here.
Then a potential top10 but this is hard. Hopefully breakaway appearances.
Must have been one of those race day filler races actually. |
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| DubbelDekker |
Posted on 26-07-2015 13:54
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Small Tour Specialist
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Love the idea of a puncheur tour with a long TTT. Interesting stuff and it suits my team quite well.
We should definitely finish top 4 in the TTT, which puts Monfort in a strong position to challenge for a GC top 5. If that succeeds, any success by guys like Kangert and Koren is a nice bonus.
Hard to predict who's going to win this one. Looking forward to it. 
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| FroomeDog99 |
Posted on 26-07-2015 15:27
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Grand Tour Specialist
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Brought a really strong team here to try and defend our title. Impey should hopefully grab a couple of stage wins and if he can't hold on Ben Nasser can go for the GC where I hope his sprint stat can give him an edge on the other puncheurs.
Thanks for reporting yet another race tsmoha. |
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| Scorchio |
Posted on 26-07-2015 15:29
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Small Tour Specialist
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Nice preview.
Management has high hopes for this trip to Africa, the TTT might not suit Nutresa's line-up too well, but we have brought a line-up full of puncheurs with Klemme the best overall chance. Hope to be present in breakaways as well as giving Gavazzi his head if reduced bunch sprints occur. Would suit us best if a couple of the hillier parcours break the race up to minimise the central importance of the TTT.
Surprised not a couple of more teams here, but the line-up still has many stars present.
Manager of ISA - Hexacta in the MG |
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| Jesleyh |
Posted on 26-07-2015 15:39
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Tour de France Champion
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More luck this time pretty please.
Start of Hugh's season, so very excited. I do not like the amount of good punchers here though, but our TTT squad should give an edge on most.
Hopefully...
It is about time we're going to score some points.
Sprint stage looks good for us though, hopefully bumpy enough to get rid of Bennett so that Kreder would possibly be the quickest guy.
Also fucking hell tsmoha, you're a machine 
Feyenoord(football) and Kelderman fanboy
PCMdaily Awards: 12x nomination, 9x runner-up, 0x win.
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 06:45
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| ryant |
Posted on 26-07-2015 15:50
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I aim for a top 10 GC here, but I am not hopeful, points will be a bonus as usual
 John St Ledger in Team Bunzl-Centrica and Team U25Red Bull Driver in RFactor
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| The Rider |
Posted on 26-07-2015 16:41
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Hoping for a top 10 from Roy .... Expecting a top 30, just.
Mansilla to feature in some sprints and peppering the breaks is what we are after.
We probably have the least amount of points from breakaways (direct & indirect) this season with just 4, time to make a change.  |
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 26-07-2015 19:10
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Tour de France Champion
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Got to pray for a good result here seeing that its one of my team goals |
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| knockout |
Posted on 26-07-2015 21:18
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Grand Tour Champion
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Tsmoha  Where is the Donate to Reporter button?
During season planning I thought this would look like a good race for Simon Geschke. Currently, I doubt that something like a good race for Geschke even exists. At least his performances this season indicate that.
When I cant expect sth from Geschke then Dzamastagic and the morning breaks are my chance for any results. Perhaps like Smirnovs could try to go for the KoM sprints as well.
Our goal for the TTT is to finish inside the time limit : 65-60-58-57-56-56-56-55. Let's rock!
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| fintas |
Posted on 26-07-2015 23:05
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I want at least one stage victory, less than that will be disappointing As for the GC top20 should be the best that can be achieved
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| Forever the Best |
Posted on 26-07-2015 23:48
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Classics Specialist
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knockout wrote:
Tsmoha Where is the Donate to Reporter button?
During season planning I thought this would look like a good race for Simon Geschke. Currently, I doubt that something like a good race for Geschke even exists. At least his performances this season indicate that.
When I cant expect sth from Geschke then Dzamastagic and the morning breaks are my chance for any results. Perhaps like Smirnovs could try to go for the KoM sprints as well.
Our goal for the TTT is to finish inside the time limit : 65-60-58-57-56-56-56-55. Let's rock! Best TTT squad ever |
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| roturn |
Posted on 27-07-2015 11:45
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Team Manager
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Excellent. Only focussing the TTT and Schädlich gets injured. ;(
Edit: And join the breaks....you can`t match the better puncheurs anyway... |
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| jt1109 |
Posted on 27-07-2015 11:53
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Have an okay TTT squad here with an ideal world it would include Reus but with Boily leading the team I am hopeful of at least a top 10
First stage was a bit weird this race always is though it seems and Boily just being top 40 isn't a great sign for the next few races. |
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| FroomeDog99 |
Posted on 27-07-2015 12:21
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Grand Tour Specialist
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Breakaways winning the first stage... I hope this race isn't dominated by breakaway wins. Anyway, Impey managed to hold on which is a good sign and with a few bonuses he could become a factor in the GC. |
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 27-07-2015 12:33
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Tour de France Champion
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Happy with the start made by Cameron Wurf, hope he keep it up |
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| fintas |
Posted on 27-07-2015 12:37
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Small Tour Specialist
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pcm14 at its best
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| cio93 |
Posted on 27-07-2015 12:54
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World Champion
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A C1 race with such a huge startlist and the first stage already fails to deliver...this might become a waste of race days for many so I'm happy I decided against this (the TTT helped a lot with that decision).
I'm surprised the Gazelle rider was the only one from the break to get dropped, shouldn't it be the other way round?
Hoping for Dowsett for the overall simply because Eritel can't promote
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| knockout |
Posted on 27-07-2015 15:28
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7735
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One gotta love Geschke
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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