@Roturn
I look at his "profile", and his status is "Fit to race". I thought it would mean that he is alright If he have an injury, it would be disastrous. Otherwise, it would be quite interesting what Paulinho could do as leader...
@lluuiiggii
I was as shocked as you. But finally, he had luck and no time loss. Sorry for the mistake Of course he took Freires backwheel.
@Pellizotti2
I agree It would be weird to lose the Giro just because of a crash.
@tsmoha
Thanks Maybe, but he had already a +4 day form and it was a good stage finish for him (he has a quite good hill stat 73), and managed to get third. He will need luck if he really want beat Freire.
21. May Tour of California Stage 6: The probably hardest stage in California. Classified as hilly, it should be an open stage with a lot of favourites. The last kilometers are flat, but with a lot of hills before, Farrar and Davis should lose contact today.
Team goals:
- No time loss to Contador, Evans etc., gain time if possible (Armstrong, Klöden, Brajkovic, Popovych, Zubeldia)
Favourites: Cadel Evans, Alexandro Vinokourov, Alberto Contador, Lance Armstrong, Roman Kreuziger My tip: Expect the victory in the australian ITT-Championship, Cadel Evans has no other notable result 2010 (but we have to admit that he was injured between February and April). He have to show today that hes not hit by the "Curse of the rainbow jersey".
lluuiiggii wrote:impey is such a great sprinter that he can get his own wheel!
i kind of followed my own back wheel today as well. damn ice...
@janne
great story, i like reading it. especially nice are those tiny bits of extra information here and then, such as betting on a rabobank rider because the (real life) stage is presented by rabo..
keep up the good work!
@manindemaan
Thank you I had today something similar^^ I reallly do not like that snow
Depart in Palmdale.
Still no breakaway in Millcreek Summit, Christian Knees attacked for getting six points, four and two points goes to Iglinskiy and De La Fuente.
Spoiler
Christian Knees (Milram) 6
Maxim Iglinskiy (Astana) 4
David De la Fuente (Astana) 2
At the CA 2, we have four riders in front (they build the break of the day), including Iker Camaño (Endura Racing), Neil Shirley (Kelly Benefit), Andrew Tennant (Motorpoint) and Tim Johnson (UnitedHealthcare).
Spoiler
Iker Camaño (Endura Racing) 6
Neil Shirley (Kelly Benefit) 4
Andrew Tennant (Motorpoint) 2
Cloudburst. In the peloton, Michele Albasini and Christian Knees accelerated, in fight for 2 KOM-points.
Group Camaño; +49" Knees, Albasini; +1'21" Peloton.
Spoiler
Iker Camaño (Endura Racing) 10
Andrew Tennant (Motorpoint) 8
Neil Shirley (Kelly Benefit) 6
Tim Johnson (UnitedHealthcare) 4
Christian Knees (Milram) 2
Dawson Saddle.
The peloton did not set a really high pace, but the breakaway were never able to build up the gap over 1'30".
Group Camaño; +15" Johnson; +1'02" Peloton.
Blue ridge.
Michele Albasini attacked out of the peloton, and even pass the early group to win the KOM-sprint here. Kristian House followed him and get second.
Albasini, House, Camaño, Shirley, Tennant, Johnson; +31" Peloton.
Spoiler
Michele Albasini (Colombia) 6
Kristian House (Rapha Condor) 4
Iker Camaño (Endura Racing) 2
Iker Camaño (Endura Racing) 6
Neil Shirley (Kelly Benefit) 4
Kristian House (Rapha Condor) 2
CA 138.
House; +33" Shirley, Camaño; +1'26" Peloton.
Spoiler
Kristian House (Rapha Condor) 6
Neil Shirley (Kelly Benefit) 4
Iker Camaño (Endura Racing) 2
Expect the british champion, all attackers are caught. In the peloton, Astana set Tiralongo, De La Fuente and Contador (Kiserlovski from Liquigas joined them, too) in front to make pace, more and more riders can not hold contact.
House; +54" Peloton.
Spoiler
Kristian House (Rapha Condor) 6
Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) 4
Robert Kiserlovski (Liquigas) 2
The last mountain sprint for today in CA 18. House is eliminated, the true race can begin now. 21 rider left in the peloton (4 rider from RadioShack).
Spoiler
Robert Kiserlovski (Liquigas) 6
Alberto Contador (Astana) 4
Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) 2
And a first surprise: Alberto Contador, one of the favorites today, losed contact to the front group! He worked hard for Vinokourov before, thats probably why he already is tired.
29,3 km. 13 rider left in the front: Denis Menchov and Joost Posthuma (Rabobank), Jurgen Van den Broeck (Omega Pharma), Robert Kiserlovski and Roman Kreuziger (Liquigas), Cadel Evans (BMC), Christian Vande Velde and David Zabriskie (Garmin), Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana), Lance Armstrong and Andreas Klöden (RadioShack) and surprisingly Miguel Rubiano (Meridiana Kamen).
Group Armstrong; +42" Popovych, Lloyd; +2'05" Group Contador-Brajkovic.
Alexandre Vinokourov wants to show why his team worked so hard for him: He attacked! But he did not came away this time.
Vinokourov; +13" Group Armstrong; +1'08" Klöden, Posthuma; +2'03" Popovych, Lloyd; +3'30" Group Contador-Brajkovic.
A lot of attacking today, and Armstrong had troubles... Vinokourov here again, followed by Kreuziger.
Vinokourov; +12" Kreuziger, Menchov, Evans, Kiserlovski, Van den Broeck; +31" Armstrong, Zabriskie; +52" Rogers, Rubiano, Vande Velde; +2'14" Klöden, Posthuma; +3'33" Popovych, Lloyd; +5'39" Contador-Brajkovic.
10km to go. Kreuziger and Vino in front. Zabriskie and Armstrong were able to close the gap to Group Evans. Shortly after this screenshot, Robert Kiserlovski attacked on the flat. I did not take this attack serious... But he was able to get away and join Group Vinokourov.
Vinokorov, Kreuziger; +33" Evans, Van den Broeck, Menchov, Kiserlovski, Armstrong, Zabriskie; +1'18" Rubiano, Rogers, Vande Velde; +2'47" Klöden, Posthuma; +4'10" Popovych, Lloyd; +6'17" Group Contador--Brajkovic.
In front, the sprint begin. Vinokourov against Kreuziger...
Kreuziger, Vinokourov; +6" Kiserlovski; +35" Evans, Van den Broeck, Menchov, Armstrong, Zabriskie; +1'54" Rubiano, Rogers, Vande Velde; +3'16" Klöden, Posthuma; +4'35" Popovych, Lloyd; +6'57" Group Contador-Brajkovic
Roman was no opponent for Vino, the Kazak wins the 1 vs. 1 sprint and is todays stage winner! Kreuziger and Kiserlovski finishing with the same time as Vinokourov as 2nd and 3rd.
Cadel Evans, Jurgen Van den Broeck, Lance Armstrong, Denis Menchov and David Zabriskie came in, 45 seconds later.
The big surprise today. Alberto Contador came in with a residue of + 6'45 (But were able to sprint away from Brajkovic and open a gap ). He has to be in a really worse shape...
Big time gaps today. Alberto Contador can already forget the overall win, he will probably support Vino now. It could be better for us (Look at the day form of Klöden or Popo, who knows how they had perform with a better daily form)... But at least, Lance perform well and has still good chances for a Top3 in the overall.
145 rider started, only 125 rider was able to finish in time.
Here the rider which were disqualified:
The time trial should be interesting. The fight between Vino and Roman for the leader jersey. Can Kiserlovski, who is not known as time trialer, hold himself in the Top3? Will Armstrong able to improve his position?
@lluuiiggii He probably will. He looked so strong... No chance for the others, expect Kreuziger.
@baia
I agree... It will be hard, almost everybody of his main opponents (Menchov, Vino, Kreuziger, Evans) is a better time trialer than him.
@tsmoha
Thanks Hopefully Lance can improve his position, just need a bit luck^^
@FreitasPCM
Yeah Vino was impressive. Thank you If I am honest, I do not really believe anymore in a overall victory, but why not a Top3 (knowing that Kiserlovski will lose a lot of time)...
Before the TT in LA, next stage in Italy:
Giro d'Italia Stage 13: Porto Recanti - Cesenatico, 222km Todays stage is dedicated to the great italian climber Marco Pantani. It contains two of his favourite training climbs in Perticara and in Barbotta. Cesenatico, todays stage finish, is the birthplace of "Il Pirata". With flat final 40km, it should be the last chance for the sprinter to take a victory before stage 18 in Brescia.
Team goals:
- Top 10 (Impey)
- Avoid any crashes, no time loss and defend the leader jersey (Leipheimer, Paulinho, Machado)
Favourites: Óscar Freire, Robert Hunter, Francesco Ginanni, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Danilo Napolitano. My tip: I do not know why, but I have the feeling that Freire will not win today. So probably Robert Hunter, who should be motivated to take the points jersey again.
Edited by janne_837 on 11-12-2010 15:14
@beagle
Thank you He has a pretty good shape, 87 (68+19).
Depart in Porto Recanti.
Servigallia.
Only three rider today in the early group, Adam Hansen (Colombia), Dominik Klemme (SaxoBank) and Gerben Löwik (Omega Pharma). That means that there was an interesting fight for the remaining points in the peloton.
Rimini.
Between the first and the second intermediate sprint, Alan Marangoni (Colnago-CSF) attacked and joined the front group. As in Servigallia, Freire wins the sprint in the pack.
Liquigas, Rabobank and Sky make the pace today (we have not to, because the most dangerous rider in the front group was Löwik, who was already an half hour behind Levi).
The first of the two mountain sprints today, in Perticara. The pack already bring down the gap to 4'30".
Spoiler
Dominik Klemme (SaxoBank) 5
Alan Marangoni (Colnago-CSF) 3
Adam Hansen (Colombia) 1
The second and last mountain sprint for today, in Barbotto. In the peloton, more and more rider loses contact with the group, tributed to the high pace which Liquigas, Rabobank and Sky set.
Spoiler
Alan Marangoni (Colnago-CSF) 5
Dominik Klemme (SaxoBank) 3
Adam Hansen (Colombia) 1
No, it is not a team time trial today. But Jakob Fuglsang was bad positioned in the pack and droped, and expect Klemme, who is in the breakaway, all SaxoBank rider let themself fall back to Jakob to pull him back.
Group Löwik; +2'32" Peloton; +5'25" SAXOBANK
Last accelerations in the group at the front, but we can already say that their efforts stay unrewarded.
Group Löwik; +58" Peloton; 3'25" Gruppo Fuglsang.
With 20km left, the breakaway is passed. We have a peloton with 146 rider, 2'28" behind him Gruppo Fuglsang.
5km to go.
Peloton; +2'55" Grppo Fuglsang.
2300m to the finish. At the left side Grega Bole, who is now the sprint leader for Lampre, as unwanted lead-out for Impey, Boasson Hagen, Freire, Francesco Failli and Francesco Ginanni (already out of the pic). At the right we see the Garmin rider Murilo Fischer as lead-out for Robert Hunter.
900m left. We had bad luck today: Impey was hanging on too long on Boles backwheel, and Freire and the other sprinter accelerated out of Daryls slipstream. Impey tried to counter, but already passed the right moment and was blocked.
The profiteur of this situation: Robert Hunter! Fischer was a good lead-out, so the southafrican has already a big gap and is probably not to beat anymore.
It was close, but at least, Robert Hunter was able to hold himself in first position and take his third stage win in Italy! Daniele Bennati, who has a quite bad Giro until today, is able to take his first podium place. Impey, who has, as descripted, bad luck, finished 7th.
Well, maybe the last time that we see us in front here. Tomorrow the stage to Asolo, which leads over the Monte Grappa. And if we perform like in the last mountain stages...
Points:
1
Óscar Freire
Rabobank
141
2
Robert Hunter
Garmin - Transitions
139
3
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Sky Professional Cycling Team
118
4
Francesco Ginanni
Androni Giocattoli - Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni
107
5
Francesco Failli
Acqua & Sapone - D'Angelo & Antenucci
81
Thanks to the intermeditate sprints, Óscar can collect enough points to defend his lead here. And with only one sprint stage left, he has a good chance to win here now. (The best of the mountain specialists, which will collect the points in the next days, in this ranking is Ivan Basso with 30 points. Already a big gap)
Our slovenian stage race specialist Janez Brajkovic develops well! He shows us that he deserved the promised leadership for the Vuelta a Espana 2010.
+ 1 Mountain
+ 2 Stamina
+ 1 Resistance
+ 2 Recovery
Tour of California Stage 7: Los Angeles - Los Angeles, 33,7km ITT A few hills, but most of the distance today is flat, so the puncheur do not have any advantages today.
Team goals:
- Show old TT-strength and gain as much time as possible on your main opponents (Armstrong)
- Top 10 (Klöden, Brajkovic)
Favourites: Cadel Evans, Denis Menchov, Roman Kreuziger, Christian Vande Velde, Alexandre Vinokourov My tip: Roman Kreuziger was strong yesterday and should be motivated to win and take the overall lead.
Bad luck with Impey, but, hey, again a Top-10 in sprint. 7th is still a nice result, i think Good luck for the time-trial in California. I agree, that Kreuziger is a good bet, but i believe in Lance, too And of course, Klödi!
@tsmoha
Yeah I think the seventh is ok. But he already has 5 Top10-places (6 with the TT), and only one Top3... He still has a chance to improve his achievements here in Italy, at the 18th stage to Brescia.
Thanks But I already can announce that it was not a really successfull time trial for us...
@baia
I think you mean Machado Thank you
The first good time was set by Christopher Baldwin (UnitedHealthcare) - 48'20"
Janez Brajkovic (RadioShack) was weaker then expected - only a 47'27".
WTF? After a weak performance yesterday, I do not expect Alberto Contador so amazing today. He take the new besttime - 45'18"
Yaroslav Popovych (RadioShack) did well today - 47'39"
Andreas Klöden and Joost Posthuma (forget to take screenshots of them) finished between Popovych and Vande Velde. Klöden stayed under his expectations, only a 46'35", while Joost Posthuma seems to be in the shape of his live - 46'11".
Christian Vande Velde was one of the favourites today - Well, no opponent for Contador, but nonetheless a good time - 46'19".
Miguel Rubiano (Meridiana, background) - 48'42".
Michael Rogers (Colombia) - 47'00"
Australian ITT Champ Cadel Evans BMC), probably the top favourite for today, can not fulfill his expectations - 46'39"
A bad day for Jurgen Van den Broeck (Lotto) - 48'09"
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) was strong, he almost passed VdB - 46'16"
Here he is - Lance Armstrong. In former times, ITTs were his speciality but since his comeback, he never reached his old niveau. Maybe today?
No. He came in with a 46'49"...
David Zabriskie (Garmin) - 45'52".
While Robert Kiserlovski just try to limit the damage - 48'37", Roman Kreuziger (both Liquigas) was on the hunt for the leader jersey - and failed. Only a 46'28"for the czech. Will it reach to beat Vino?
No. Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) confirms his great shape with a 46'04".
Not a good ITT indeed...maybe you are right,maybe Lance must do just like that amazing rider from Team Dark Dog...
My bad...yes i mean Machado ..was thinking in Paulinho at the moment..
Would be great, if Lance could do it like Duarte! The last stage is definitely a stage to try attacks. And Lance is still good as 6th, I believe in (at least) podium!
Nice sprint... Good to see Levi catching the group without losing time.
If he have an injury, it would be disastrous. Otherwise, it would be quite interesting what Paulinho could do as leader...
Of course he took Freires backwheel.
). He has to be in a really worse shape...
