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Tour of Romandie Discussion
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| tsmoha |
Posted on 30-07-2015 17:26
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Directeur Sportif
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 Tour of Romandie
The Tour of Romandie is yet another world famous stage race being removed from the ProTour-calendar, now held as a HC-event for the first time in it's ninth year now. With former race-winners like Spilak, Andy Schleck, Gesink, Dekker, Pluchkin or Brajkovic, there's no question this race belongs to the premium stage racers.
This, however, must not be the case this year though: of course we should expect only strong stage racers to fight for the GC, but it's an interesting mix of stage profiles:
Kicking off with a prologue and two (tricky) flat stages, the three key stages on the final three days will surely make for a difficult prediction here: a hilly stage finishes with a short climb, while the only mountain stage doesn't. How much will better climbers gain there? Also the concluding timetrial is hilly.
The Startlist
The Favorites | Climbers | MO | HI | TT | Puncheurs | MO | HI | TT |  Berhane | 80 | 75 | 65 |  Sanchez Gil | 77 | 79 | 75 |  Nerz | 80 | 72 | 73 |  Kwiatkowski | 77 | 78 | 70 |  Krasnoperov | 80 | 68 | 73 |  Boily | 76 | 78 | 70 |  Valls | 79 | 75 | 72 | Efimkin | 71 | 78 | 66 |  Talansky | 79 | 75 | 72 |  Boswell | 70 | 78 | 67 |  Antón | 79 | 74 | 71 | Landa | 69 | 78 | 57 | | Samwel | 79 | 70 | 61 |  Zardini | 76 | 77 | 67 |  Moschella | 79 | 69 | 69 |  Kangert | 75 | 77 | 77 |  Cataldo | 78 | 75 | 69 | Chaves | 74 | 77 | 68 |  Aru | 78 | 74 | 64 | Prevar | 71 | 77 | 62 |  Panayotov | 78 | 72 | 68 | Bibby | 77 | 76 | 77 | | Pedraza | 78 | 71 | 70 | Cobo | 75 | 76 | 69 | | Nepomnyachsniy | 77 | 74 | 77 | Lloyd | 73 | 76 | 64 | | Teklehaimanot | 77 | 74 | 74 |  Tvetcov | 76 | 75 | 74 |
When we divide the GC-favorites into the "more of a climber" and "more of a puncheur" categories, it's still pretty obivous, that it's Sanchez Gil, who should be rated the top-favorite here. One of the most complete allrounders here, he should really benefit from the two hilly key stages.
Of course other allrounders like Kangert, Bibby or Nepomnyachsniy could well be amongst the most dangerous contenders here. Much will depend on how selective the key road stages will be.
Kwiatkowski (enjoying a stellar season already), Boily and a few more puncheurs will surely try to make the first hilly parcours as hard as possible. While better climbers like Berhane, Nerz, Valls or Talansky have to ride a fast mountain stage. As said before: it's a pretty open race and hard to make a pick here.
The Stage Hunters | Chronomen | HI | TT | PRL | Sprinter | HI | SPR | ACC |  Fiedler | 68 | 83 | 82 | Haussler | 70 | 80 | 76 |  Van Winden | 63 | 80 | 80 | Groenewegen | 65 | 80 | 79 | | Bookwalter | 72 | 79 | 79 | Rowe | 62 | 80 | 70 |  Robert | 60 | 79 | 79 | Drapac | 53 | 80 | 79 |  Dempster | 64 | 79 | 79 | Demare | 74 | 79 | 79 | | Stannard | 55 | 79 | 79 | Docker | 68 | 79 | 77 | | Koren | 74 | 78 | 78 |  Petit | 65 | 79 | 78 | | Dumoulin | 68 | 78 | 78 | Vingerling | 61 | 79 | 79 | | Flens | 63 | 78 | 78 | Kreder | 70 | 78 | 80 | | Gretsch | 62 | 77 | 79 | Avila | 66 | 78 | 77 | | | | | Keough | 64 | 78 | 75 | | | | | Fonseca | 61 | 78 | 77 | | | | |  Reimer | 75 | 77 | 80 |
Definitely easier to pick a favorite for the prologue: Fiedler as the one, who has to deliver on first day. Van Winden and a few more chronomen as possible threats.. if those guys will be of any significance for the concluding ITT, we may expect Bookwalter or Koren amongst the most promising there.
Not exactly a world-class field of sprinters here, but still some well known names of course: given the rather challenging profiles for those two flat stages, we may expect Haussler, Demare or Kreder to have a slight advantage over some faster, but less complete sprinters like Groenewegen, Rowe and definitely Drapac. Also Reimer may fancy his chances, especially for stage three.
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 30-07-2015 17:32
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Team Manager
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Went for a win goal as it is a great course for Bibby.
Then gambled by including Berhane.
Let's see how badly this goes 
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| cio93 |
Posted on 30-07-2015 17:36
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World Champion
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Wait. This is a HC race, right? Where are all the climbers? 
I don't think a lot will happen on the stage 5 downhill so for now I'm inclined to treat that like a MTF in terms of gaps between the climbers and "puncheurs".
Stage 4 shouldn't give big time gaps if the game treats all leaders right, so I think Nerz has a good chance at a great result here with no pure climber being a better TTer than him.
Demare comes off great form in Philly, and these flat stages suit him well. I have theoretical pieces for a leadout in Arndt, Bercz and Weber, but maybe finding a train for a weak HI sprinter that can be overtaken in the last k might be a better strategy.
In terms of opposition, please no LLS/Kwiatek win...I like you guys, but you're not supposed to score THAT well
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Posted on 24-11-2024 04:33
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| jt1109 |
Posted on 30-07-2015 17:38
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A few TT riders then just everyone to look after Boily if his early season form continues I hope for a top 10 but the mountain stage could be hard at least a downhill finish with his high Downhill stat |
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| fjhoekie |
Posted on 30-07-2015 17:42
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Grand Tour Specialist
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This'll go very wrong very soon if the game thinks Krasnoperov should be my leader. It'll go even more wrong when Efimkin/Prevar would somehow get in the GC lead and have Nepo for them...
If Nepo is my leader, and gaps will be small, I can see a very nice result coming, otherwise my season is really done, and I would miss another goal as I set a top 5 goal here, which looks pretty possible to achieve 
Manager of Team Popo4Ever p/b Morshynska in the PCM.Daily Man-Game |
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| FroomeDog99 |
Posted on 30-07-2015 17:44
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This race suits Kwiatkowski very well. His TT may be low but I'm hoping his high prologue and hill skills will help him get results in those. Combined with no MTF and a tough hilly stage a good result should be plausible. A top 5 here would be very welcome. |
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| DubbelDekker |
Posted on 30-07-2015 18:19
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This is a cool race. Hard to predict which discipline (MO, HI or TT) will be the most important, so all-rounders LLS, Bibby & Kwiat are my pre-race favourites. But there's a large group of riders right behind them who become serious contenders if they manage to hang on in the stage that is their only weakness.
Kangert is one of those guys. If somehow his 75 MO is enough to not lose a lot of time in the mountain stage, he could reach the podium for sure. But it's more likely that he will, so my aim is a top 7.
Koren is in great form, but I expect this mountain stage to be too much for even him to handle.
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| fintas |
Posted on 30-07-2015 19:14
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I have to be honest, all my hopes to do something relevant in this race fall on Fiedler...
The strategy is simple, win the initial prologue and try to keep the yellow until the stage4. I do not know to what extent Fiedler will be able to shine at the finalTT.
Haussler has been disappointing so far, and here is perhaps the best opportunity to prove that he still knows how to win. Stage3 It seems to be too difficult for the pure sprinters and perhaps the best opportunity
As for the GC do not expect anything special from the team, Gerdemann is our best man but still is miles from the competition...
LLS for the win
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| dev4ever |
Posted on 30-07-2015 19:43
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Second PCT race for Anton this season and the first of very few races this season where he will lead the team, hopefully he will do better than he did as co-captain at catalynia.
I definetely need to get mountain stage to work as an actual mountain stage and not a mass sprint as some of the stages ending after a downhill do. Best outcome would be if its a 5-man group of the strongest climbers who gets away and gets like a minute on the rest.
The hilly stage will hopefully not differ much and he will follow the front moves, if all this go into plan he might end up in a top 5. But most likely LLS or Kwiat is gonna end up victories as they always do. A top 10 would be welcome here.
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| viking90 |
Posted on 30-07-2015 19:50
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Grand Tour Specialist
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Hmm, guess we aimed for stage win/s here either Reimer could do something great or hoping for a breakaway to last! |
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| sammyt93 |
Posted on 30-07-2015 19:53
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Classics Specialist
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Our sponsor goal of a top 10 is going to be next to impossible to reach, hopefully the team can do something during this one as it's on home soil so we really want to impress our sponsor even if we can't hit their goal due to being outgunned.
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| knockout |
Posted on 30-07-2015 20:25
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Grand Tour Champion
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Looked forward to this race for quite some tome already. Sending LLS was an absolute no-brainer and i sure hope that he can continue as he did in the previous stage races.
I hope that he can get a good GC position already prior to the mountain stage. This is needed to limit the losses on stage 4.
My guess for the overall is Kwiatek but this should be a wide open race with many potential race winners.
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| ryant |
Posted on 30-07-2015 20:29
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Small Tour Specialist
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You know its bad when your climber is on the 'more of a puncher' list 
We do bring Rowe and Stannard here so we wont score a zero pointer here, I hope, podiums could happen in the TTs and stage 2 expecially. I really have to hope the mountain AI is bad or else we wont see Tvetcov near the top 10, but we can always hope
Good luck as always!
 John St Ledger in Team Bunzl-Centrica and Team U25Red Bull Driver in RFactor
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| Forever the Best |
Posted on 30-07-2015 20:43
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Should be a great and race.Also the winners list is great as well. |
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| roturn |
Posted on 30-07-2015 21:11
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Team Manager
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Groenewegen could finally deliver here I hope. Too much pressure though I guess. No chance for him then...
Aru/Olivier proved well in Tachira. With a bit of time trialing they won`t be as good. But I hope for some aggressive riding and breakaway appearances.
Villella/Thurau/Pauwels/Clement should always be good breakaway riders. Dumoulin with good form in TT I hope. |
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| Smowz |
Posted on 30-07-2015 21:37
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Team Leader
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This is a pretty knife edge sort of race. The kind that can actually make a season really if one gets it right.
Riders like Bibby, Kangert and LLS stand out as sort of winners on each terrain. Then again there are all sorts of dangerous floaters in there who could ruin things for the balanced rider.
Bibby should have Berhane riding for him and this should help on stage 5 - but will every play to that tune?
'Kiddy' Fiedler must win opener I'd say is the only bet I could place on this one!
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| Margh Norway |
Posted on 31-07-2015 02:09
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Sprinter
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Hooray for the diligent reporters! Almost four weeks off racing were less than two in real life. Amazing job!
The break gave us the opportunity to be well-prepared for the second part of our season and our home race in particular. As we are targeting the KOM-jersey only a few starting spots were left for our Swiss team members, though Remo Schuler is encouraged to join the breaks a do the job by himself.
Next anticipated is Pierre Paolo Penasa's first appearance in a stage race this season. Is he able to compete in the young rider classification?
No matter what Dario Cataldo will do his thing. There's already so much trust in his skills down at the Züri Headquarters.
Looking forward to the racing and our first clash with the guys at Swisscom.
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| Miguel98 |
Posted on 31-07-2015 08:25
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This is then the best chance of either Moschella and Pedraza to score a good result. They better do it. |
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| Miguel98 |
Posted on 31-07-2015 10:16
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TT's in this game are so fuckin random.  |
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| fjhoekie |
Posted on 31-07-2015 10:17
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Grand Tour Specialist
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Nepomnyachsniy best of the real GC contenders
Rest of the team pretty weak, as expected
Manager of Team Popo4Ever p/b Morshynska in the PCM.Daily Man-Game |
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