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A Tale of Two
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 20-09-2012 17:36
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Tour de France Champion
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Think of your health  |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 20-09-2012 20:31
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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Vuelta a España - Preview & Prologue
A balanced Vuelta this year, with some time trials (prologue, normal TT and a MTT), a team time trial, a number of hilly riders and some very hard mountain stages. However, the first week is almost entirely flat.
Normally I would expect a top 10, but having seen the start list, I must say I have a chance at the red jersey here. I don't want to be cocky but I believe I'm one of the strongest competitors here, especially in the time trial department. However, the team time trial might come out wrong, since we're here with several neopros and even a trainee.
Start List
Spoiler | Sandy Casar | Ag2r La Mondiale | | | Maxime Bouet | Ag2r La Mondiale | | | Christophe Riblon | Ag2r La Mondiale | | | Antinio Mortari | Ag2r La Mondiale | | | Ben Gastauer | Ag2r La Mondiale | | | Sylvain Georges | Ag2r La Mondiale | | | Amir Zargari | Ag2r La Mondiale | | | Guillaume Bonnafond | Ag2r La Mondiale | | | Florian Vachon | Ag2r La Mondiale | | | Fredrik Kessiakoff | Astana Pro Team | | | Andriy Grivko | Astana Pro Team | | | Andrey Kashechkin | Astana Pro Team | | | Fabio Aru | Astana Pro Team | | | Assan Bazayev | Astana Pro Team | | | Maxim Iglinskiy | Astana Pro Team | | | Egor Silin | Astana Pro Team | | | Valentin Iglinskiy | Astana Pro Team | | | José Vigliani | Astana Pro Team | | | Philippe Gilbert | BMC Racing Team | | | Taylor Phinney | BMC Racing Team | | | Mathias Frank | BMC Racing Team | | | Manuel Quinziato | BMC Racing Team | | | Michael Schär | BMC Racing Team | | | George Hincapie | BMC Racing Team | | | Oscar Gatto | BMC Racing Team | | | Grégory Rast | BMC Racing Team | | | Yannick Eijssen | BMC Racing Team | | | David Arroyo | Caja Rural | | | Jose Antonio De Segovia | Caja Rural | | | Hernâni Brôco | Caja Rural | | | Josue Moyano | Caja Rural | | | Yelko Gómez | Caja Rural | | | Julian Sanchez Pimienta | Caja Rural | | | André Cardoso | Caja Rural | | | David De la Fuente | Caja Rural | | | Fabricio Ferrari | Caja Rural | | | Mathieu Ladagnous | Cofidis, Le Crédit en Ligne | | | Mickael Buffaz | Cofidis, Le Crédit en Ligne | | | José Serpa | Cofidis, Le Crédit en Ligne | | | Damien Monier | Cofidis, Le Crédit en Ligne | | | Romain Zingle | Cofidis, Le Crédit en Ligne | | | Yoann Bagot | Cofidis, Le Crédit en Ligne | | | Anthony Charteau | Cofidis, Le Crédit en Ligne | | | Nico Sijmens | Cofidis, Le Crédit en Ligne | | | Cédric Pineau | Cofidis, Le Crédit en Ligne | | | Juan Jose Oroz | Euskaltel Euskadi | | | Samuel Sánchez | Euskaltel Euskadi | | | Igor Anton | Euskaltel Euskadi | | | Sergio Pardilla | Euskaltel Euskadi | | | José Herrada | Euskaltel Euskadi | | | Egoitz Garcia Etxegibel | Euskaltel Euskadi | | | Mikel Landa | Euskaltel Euskadi | | | Rubén Pérez Moreno | Euskaltel Euskadi | | | Jimmy Casper | Euskaltel Euskadi | | | Thibaut Pinot | FDJ-BigMat | | | Jérémy Roy | FDJ-BigMat | | | Aitor Hernández | FDJ-BigMat | | | Steve Chainel | FDJ-BigMat | | | Yauheni Hutarovich | FDJ-BigMat | | | Anthony Geslin | FDJ-BigMat | | | Arnaud Démare | FDJ-BigMat | | | Francesco Lasca | FDJ-BigMat | | | Omar Fraile | FDJ-BigMat | | | Rick Flens | Garmin - SplitSe | | | David Zabriskie | Garmin - SplitSe | | | Peter Stetina | Garmin - SplitSe | | | Heinrich Haussler | Garmin - SplitSe | | | Tom Danielson | Garmin - SplitSe | | | Thomas Peterson | Garmin - SplitSe | | | Martijn Maaskant | Garmin - SplitSe | | | Jurgen Van Goolen | Garmin - SplitSe | | | Ryder Hesjedal | Garmin - SplitSe | | | Mikhail Ignatiev | Katusha Team | | | Simon Spilak | Katusha Team | | | Joaquin Rodriguez | Katusha Team | | | Eduard Vorganov | Katusha Team | | | Juan Manuel Gárate | Katusha Team | | | Xavier Florencio | Katusha Team | | | Petr Ignatenko | Katusha Team | | | Alexander Porsev | Katusha Team | | | Alberto Losada | Katusha Team | | | Przemyslaw Niemiec | Lampre - Caffeco | | | Diego Ulissi | Lampre - Caffeco | | | Volodymyr Zagorodny | Lampre - Caffeco | | | Stefano Pirazzi | Lampre - Caffeco | | | Damiano Cunego | Lampre - Caffeco | | | Vitaliy Buts | Lampre - Caffeco | | | Simone Campagnaro | Lampre - Caffeco | | | Winner Andrew Anacona | Lampre - Caffeco | | | Matteo Bono | Lampre - Caffeco | | | Peter Sagan | Liquigas-Cannondale | | | Pierre Rolland | Liquigas-Cannondale | | | Dominik Nerz | Liquigas-Cannondale | | | Christopher Butler | Liquigas-Cannondale | | | Cesare Benedetti | Liquigas-Cannondale | | | Sylvester Szmyd | Liquigas-Cannondale | | | Daniele Ratto | Liquigas-Cannondale | | | Cayetano Jose Sarmiento | Liquigas-Cannondale | | | Paolo Longo Borghini | Liquigas-Cannondale | | | Eric Lombaerts | Lotto-Belisol | IanButler | | Francis De Greef | Lotto-Belisol | IanButler | | Gianni Meersman | Lotto-Belisol | IanButler | | Stanley Vasser | Lotto-Belisol | IanButler | | Gert Dockx | Lotto-Belisol | IanButler | | Elijah Roemer | Lotto-Belisol | IanButler | | Vicente Reynès | Lotto-Belisol | IanButler | | Olivier Kaisen | Lotto-Belisol | IanButler | | Frederique Robert | Lotto-Belisol | IanButler | | Juan José Cobo Acebo | Movistar Team | | | Rubén Plaza | Movistar Team | | | Haimar Zubeldia | Movistar Team | | | Thor Hushovd | Movistar Team | | | Garikoitz Bravo | Movistar Team | | | Giovanni Visconti | Movistar Team | | | José Joaquin Rojas Gil | Movistar Team | | | Branislau Samoilau | Movistar Team | | | Nairo Quintana | Movistar Team | | | Nikolas Maes | Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team | | | Iljo Keisse | Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team | | | Simon Geschke | Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team | | | Zdenek Stybar | Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team | | | Kevin De Weert | Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team | | | Gerald Ciolek | Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team | | | Alexandr Kolobnev | Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team | | | Andrew Fenn | Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team | | | Matteo Trentin | Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team | | | Frantisek Rabon | Orica-GreenEDGE | | | Travis Meyer | Orica-GreenEDGE | | | Svein Tuft | Orica-GreenEDGE | | | Simon Clarke | Orica-GreenEDGE | | | Mitchell Docker | Orica-GreenEDGE | | | Robbie McEwen | Orica-GreenEDGE | | | Christian Meier | Orica-GreenEDGE | | | Aidis Kruopis | Orica-GreenEDGE | | | Allan Davis | Orica-GreenEDGE | | | Denis Menchov | Rabobank Cycling Team | | | Sebastian Langeveld | Rabobank Cycling Team | | | Marcus Burghardt | Rabobank Cycling Team | | | Stef Clement | Rabobank Cycling Team | | | Marcel Kittel | Rabobank Cycling Team | | | Michael Matthews | Rabobank Cycling Team | | | Trent Lowe | Rabobank Cycling Team | | | Wim Stroetinga | Rabobank Cycling Team | | | Fabian Wegmann | Rabobank Cycling Team | | | Ben Hermans | Radioshack Nissan Trek | | | Linus Gerdemann | Radioshack Nissan Trek | | | Alejandro Valverde | Radioshack Nissan Trek | | | Jan Bakelants | Radioshack Nissan Trek | | | Daniele Bennati | Radioshack Nissan Trek | | | Stijn Devolder | Radioshack Nissan Trek | | | Chris Horner | Radioshack Nissan Trek | | | Fränk Schleck | Radioshack Nissan Trek | | | Robert Wagner | Radioshack Nissan Trek | | | Geraint Thomas | Sky Pro Cycling | | | Thomas Löfkvist | Sky Pro Cycling | | | Lars Petter Nordhaug | Sky Pro Cycling | | | Michael Rogers | Sky Pro Cycling | | | Christopher Sutton | Sky Pro Cycling | | | Paul Mack | Sky Pro Cycling | | | Jonathan Tiernan-Locke | Sky Pro Cycling | | | Grega Bole | Sky Pro Cycling | | | Graeme Brown | Sky Pro Cycling | | | Piet Rooijakkers | Team Argos-Shimano | | | Jakob Steigmiller | Team Argos-Shimano | | | Robert Kiserlovski | Team Argos-Shimano | | | Albert Timmer | Team Argos-Shimano | | | John Degenkolb | Team Argos-Shimano | | | Dominic Klemme | Team Argos-Shimano | | | Yann Huguet | Team Argos-Shimano | | | Bert De Backer | Team Argos-Shimano | | | Johannes Fröhlinger | Team Argos-Shimano | | | David Tanner | Team Saxo Bank | | | Dries Devenyns | Team Saxo Bank | | | Marcel Sieberg | Team Saxo Bank | | | Michael Mørkøv | Team Saxo Bank | | | Laurence Franssens | Team Saxo Bank | | | David Ekstrand | Team Saxo Bank | | | Kevin Seeldraeyers | Team Saxo Bank | | | Chris Anker Sørensen | Team Saxo Bank | | | Lucas Sebastian Haedo | Team Saxo Bank | | | Rémi Cusin | Team Type 1 - Sanofi | | | Kiel Reijnen | Team Type 1 - Sanofi | | | Julien Antomarchi | Team Type 1 - Sanofi | | | Martijn Verschoor | Team Type 1 - Sanofi | | | Daniele Callegarin | Team Type 1 - Sanofi | | | Alessandro Bazzana | Team Type 1 - Sanofi | | | Babou Arnold | Team Type 1 - Sanofi | | | Nikolai Trussov | Team Type 1 - Sanofi | | | Javier MejÃas Leal | Team Type 1 - Sanofi | | | Nick Nuyens | Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | | | Steven Kruijswijk | Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | | | Johnny Hoogerland | Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | | | Pim Ligthart | Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | | | Rob Ruijgh | Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | | | Kris Boeckmans | Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | | | LÃbero Lorenzo Torres | Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | | | Claudio Cornago | Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | | | Björn Leukemans | Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | |
My biggest threat will definitely be Pierre Rolland, who is a (slightly) better climber than me. I'll have to play my cards right and put some distance between us in the time trials, then.
Prologue
I rode excellently and took the entire hill in the saddle!
I took some risks downhill, and it payed off fine!
Crossing the finish line I held the best provisional time!
Only Gilbert could threaten me now. He surprised and raced 0.3 seconds slower than me! What a close race, but I made it, I'll be wearing RED tomorrow! This is a great start, but we must be realistic, I can't wear this jersey all the way to Madrid. The team time trial at the end of week 1 will snatch this beauty away from me. But I'll definitely try to get it back by Madrid! This could be my first GT win, and that way I'd be much closer to those other two GT's as well!
Result/GC
| 1 | Eric Lombaerts | Lotto-Belisol | 10'00 | IanButler | | 2 | Philippe Gilbert | BMC Racing Team | s.t. | | | 3 | Taylor Phinney | BMC Racing Team | + 5 | | | 4 | Geraint Thomas | Sky Pro Cycling | + 9 | | | 5 | Nick Nuyens | Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | + 10 | | | 6 | Juan Jose Oroz | Euskaltel Euskadi | + 12 | | | 7 | Thomas Löfkvist | Sky Pro Cycling | s.t. | | | 8 | Juan José Cobo Acebo | Movistar Team | s.t. | | | 9 | Fredrik Kessiakoff | Astana Pro Team | + 13 | | | 10 | Samuel Sánchez | Euskaltel Euskadi | s.t. | | | 11 | Denis Menchov | Rabobank Cycling Team | + 15 | | | 12 | Ben Hermans | Radioshack Nissan Trek | s.t. | | | 13 | Mikhail Ignatiev | Katusha Team | s.t. | | | 14 | Frantisek Rabon | Orica-GreenEDGE | + 16 | | | 15 | Rick Flens | Garmin - SplitSe | s.t. | | | 16 | David Zabriskie | Garmin - SplitSe | + 17 | | | 17 | Sandy Casar | Ag2r La Mondiale | s.t. | | | 18 | Mathias Frank | BMC Racing Team | s.t. | | | 19 | Francis De Greef | Lotto-Belisol | s.t. | IanButler | | 20 | Lars Petter Nordhaug | Sky Pro Cycling | + 18 | | | 21 | Steven Kruijswijk | Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team | s.t. | | | 22 | Manuel Quinziato | BMC Racing Team | + 19 | | | 23 | Sebastian Langeveld | Rabobank Cycling Team | s.t. | | | 24 | Piet Rooijakkers | Team Argos-Shimano | s.t. | | | 25 | Linus Gerdemann | Radioshack Nissan Trek | + 20 | | | 28 | Thibaut Pinot | FDJ-BigMat | + 20 | | 63 | Pierre Rolland | Liquigas-Cannondale | + 27 |
Edited by Ian Butler on 20-09-2012 20:33
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| dienblad |
Posted on 20-09-2012 20:32
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Classics Specialist
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Excellent start of the Vuelta!!!
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| Logghje |
Posted on 20-09-2012 20:37
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You didn't put Joaquin Rodriguez, Alejandro Valverde (and Frank Schleck) in bold?  Or are they decreasing? RS-NT does have a quite strong squad here imo! Isn't Jan Bakelants becoming very strong actually, after a few years?
Edit: and Samuel Sanchez!
Edited by Logghje on 20-09-2012 20:38
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| fcancellara |
Posted on 20-09-2012 20:38
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It seems like Stijn's death gave Eric a moral boost 
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| Abelbaba |
Posted on 20-09-2012 20:39
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nice start, hope the TTT will go well. |
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 02:41
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 20-09-2012 20:40
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
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@dienblad: Thanks, best start imaginable
@Logghje: Rodriguez is only 73 mountain and 78 hills now so no threat, Valverde about the same, Schleck is also washed up
Bakelants is pretty strong, but his climbing won't nearly be enough to win, he could ride top 10, though. But the profile is more in favor of TT and mountain than hills. EDIT: Sanchez same problem, weakened
@fcancellara: It seems so, but that's just a coincidence he's just not that early as Stijn was, Stijn was world class on 22 years, while Eric is still growing a lot. But this year he is very strong  And lucky with the start list here
@Abelbaba: Thanks, although I fear for it. Will probably quicksim it, though
Edited by Ian Butler on 20-09-2012 20:42
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| Abelbaba |
Posted on 20-09-2012 20:44
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Ian Butler wrote:
@Abelbaba: Thanks, although I fear for it. Will probably quicksim it, though
how long is it? for erik i hope a short one to minimize the looses.. |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 20-09-2012 20:47
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Tour de France Champion
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TTT is 32km, so it'll come down to a few minutes. I guess about as much as Eric will regain on Rolland in final (also 32km) ITT There's also a MTT but Rolland will perform well there as mountain stat is more important than TT stat there, I believe.
Edited by Ian Butler on 20-09-2012 20:49
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| JuanMotr |
Posted on 20-09-2012 20:51
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Eric a Banana for you man  now send those trainies to work on their time trial  |
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| FreitasPCM |
Posted on 20-09-2012 20:54
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Grand Tour Champion
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Keep that jersey for more 20 days, please.  |
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| rogvi97 |
Posted on 20-09-2012 21:50
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Great start in Spain Ian! Lets win that Vuelta!
Edited by rogvi97 on 20-09-2012 21:52
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| Jakstar22 |
Posted on 20-09-2012 21:58
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Great start in the Vuelta.
Good luck for the flat stages in week 1
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| PCM rulezz |
Posted on 20-09-2012 22:07
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Great start
Winners never quit, quitters never win.
It's difficult not to be happy when you're surrounded by Belgians. - Mark Cavendish
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 20-09-2012 22:50
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Tour de France Champion
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Brilliant start from Eric, he rode a really good time trial |
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| alex valceanu |
Posted on 21-09-2012 07:18
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Great start ! Congratulations !
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| alex valceanu |
Posted on 21-09-2012 07:18
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Great start ! Congratulations !
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 21-09-2012 10:02
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
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@JuanMotr: I won't rest until they're perfect TT riders
@FreitasPCM: That'll be hard (especially with that team), but I'll try
@rogvi97: Thanks, that's the plan!
@Jakstar22: Thank you, normally nothing should go wrong there
@PCM rulezz, sutty68, alex valceanu: Thanks! |
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| Schleck96 |
Posted on 21-09-2012 12:49
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Now that's how you start a GT! |
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| ventoux |
Posted on 21-09-2012 13:09
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Great start!Congratulations!What are Igor Anton stats? |
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