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The Astro League (2016)
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| pcm2009fan |
Posted on 10-01-2013 23:19
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Yeah things just did not go right for him today.
It seems he is cursed to never win a GT in the Diamond League: last year he was 2nd at Giro, 4th at Le Tour, and 3rd at La Vuelta. Now 2nd again here, from the looks of it. |
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 10-01-2013 23:21
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Hi is obviously going to be known as ''The Nearly Man''  |
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| SSJ2Luigi |
Posted on 10-01-2013 23:22
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It's Joop Zoetemelk all over again (even thought that was before my time)
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| pcm2009fan |
Posted on 10-01-2013 23:50
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Hopefully he'll get there eventually. Let's hope for the best at the Vuelta, I think the route I devised suits him quite well from memory.
Meanwhile, Giro d'Italia officials have declined to comment on a peculiar photo released into the media this evening...
Apparently it shows Basso getting a lift from the race director at some point during stage 6. Maybe that explains the 17 minute advantage?
Personally, I think its a fake, cause I was following Basso on the TV cam for most the race. But you never know... |
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 11-01-2013 00:28
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Thats a Great pic  |
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| pcm2009fan |
Posted on 11-01-2013 17:04
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 INTERVIEW
We caught up with the star of yesterday, Ivan Basso, ahead of the final stage around Milan.
[img-r]https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Ivan_Basso_CD_2011.jpg/220px-Ivan_Basso_CD_2011.jpg[/img-r]Q. Ivan, what a race for you. Congratulations on your podium spot and mountains jersey.
A. Thank-you. It really means so much, as I knew it was going to be tough to get a big result out of this Giro with the tough field.
Q. What was going through your head with that incredible solo attack yesterday?
A. I knew that fortune would favour the brave this Giro, especially with as demanding a parcours as yesterday. I had a chat with Vincenzo and Timothy on the first climb, and they were happy for me to go up the road.
Q. Well you certainly did go up the road, by a whole 17 minutes at one point. It looked like you might win the Magalia Rosa, but what happened?
A. Well, I only got that far ahead by going all out on the Galibier. And unfortunately it had to pay off eventually. The last 10km of Isola were total agony, so I was just so happy to raise my arms and take in the moment as I crossed the line, especially since it might be my last chance to do that.
Q. "Your last chance"? Is retirement on the cards for you Ivan?
A. It's possible that this might be my last Giro. Retirement… we'll see, but right now I'm focused on the upcoming races.
Q. Ok, and I assume that you saw the pictures circulating the web last night?
A. Haha, yes!
Q. And how do you respond to these accusations.
A. The picture in question was taken at a small criterium I raced in Lombardy as warm up to the Giro. I had a stomach bug though so I pulled out on one of the first laps. The team-car was up the road with a team-mate, so the race commisseur picked me up and dropped me off at the finish line.
Q. So you've made your way onto the podium fair and square?
A. Sure. It's just some oppurtunistic media outlets pouncing on the latest chance to report some scandal.
Q. Thanks Ivan, have fun out there today!
A. Thanks, I want to go out and honour the mountain jersey and I'm looking forward to the podium celebrations. |
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| SSJ2Luigi |
Posted on 11-01-2013 17:35
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OBJECTION!
There was no criterium in Lombardy before the giro 
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 05-12-2025 21:51
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| pcm2009fan |
Posted on 11-01-2013 17:54
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Hmm I think you're mixing the Real World with the Diamond World 
Or maybe the beans have been spilled  |
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| SSJ2Luigi |
Posted on 11-01-2013 18:01
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I'm sure I'm not mixing anything up
he took the car ride to the Galibier
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| pcm2009fan |
Posted on 11-01-2013 18:39
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...And he's retiring so no-one presses charges against him. It makes sense now |
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| pcm2009fan |
Posted on 11-01-2013 18:45
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FINAL STAGE
Just one day in pink for Quintana, but it's the most important one.
There's an early crash and Valverde is involved. Where are his useless Caisse team-mates this time? 12th placed Frank Schleck also goes down.
Finally Rodriguez appears and sheppards him back.
A group of 10 riders are out front, including 11th place Dominik Nerz, and fellow top 15-ers Kashechkin, Verdugo and Frank.
The peleton is shattered after yesterday, and lets the break take it. Monfort is the most cunning and celebrates the win.
Nerz is the big winner, sneaking from 11th into 9th place today!
Thankfully that's not Basso who has gone down... but it is Timothy Duggan who slips from 10th overall to an unlucky 13th.
Farrar beats Cavendish in a meaningless bunch sprint.
It's a shame for Rodriguez and Frederik Willems who fall victim of another late crash and must abandon the Giro just minutes from the finish line.
Results
| 1 |  Maxime Monfort | COFIDIS | 3h40'49 | | 2 |  Dominik Nerz | LAMPRE | + 34 | | 3 |  Gorka Verdugo | TINKOFF | s.t. | | 4 |  Andrei Kashechkin | ASTANA | s.t. | | 5 |  Richie Porte | DRAPAC | + 1'21 | | 6 |  Pierrick Fédrigo | CERVELO | s.t. | | 7 | Thibaut Pinot | LOTTO | s.t. | | 8 |  Fredrik Kessiakoff | JOKER | s.t. | | 9 |  Winner Anacona | ANDRONI | s.t. | | 10 | Juan José Cobo | SAUNIER | + 3'51 |
Final GC
| 1 | Nairo Quintana | LIBERTY | 30h17'40 | | 2 | Alejandro Valverde | CAISSE | + 1'16 | | 3 |  Ivan Basso | LIQUIGAS | s.t. | | 4 |  Jose Rujano | ANDRONI | + 7'13 | | 5 |  Andy Schleck | CSC | + 7'36 | | 6 | Alexsandr Dyachenko | TINKOFF | + 8'19 | | 7 |  Nicolas Roche | BOUYGUES | + 12'21 | | 8 | Cadel Evans | DRAPAC | + 12'24 | | 9 | Dominik Nerz | LAMPRE | + 17'25 | | 10 | Vincenzo Nibali | LIQUIGAS | + 19'31 | | 11 | Gorka Verdugo | TINKOFF | + 21'10 | | 12 | Andrei Kashechkin | ASTANA | + 21'42 | | 13 |  Timothy Duggan | LIQUIGAS | + 24'37 | | 14 | Fränk Schleck | JOKER | + 25'20 | | 15 | Maxime Monfort | COFIDIS | + 25'29 |
RACE REVIEW
Quintana might not have been everyone's favourite rider at the Giro this year, but the "Wonderkid" rode consistently and managed to wrestle the jersey away from Basso and Valverde up Isola 2000. This marks an incredible leap in progress for the Colombian, improving on a promising 5th place last year.
Second placed Valverde can blame his team-mates and a bad day on stage 6 for losing this Giro. That's two 2nd places in a row at the Giro. Will this man ever win a Grand Tour? The magnificant Ivan the Terrible rounds out the podium thanks to his stunning solo efforts yesterday.
Surprises in the GC include strong rides from Dyachenko and Roche, occupying the 6th and 7th places. Dominik Nerz has shown great determination in the Giro, and finishes ahead of stronger names like Nibali and Duggan in 9th place, even if some might criticise his 'cheap' tactics in Milan.
In the lesser classifications, Valverde takes home the points jersey after his 2 stage wins, Basso the mountains jersey, and Quintana easily took white ahead of Nerz. Speaking of ease, Liquigas destroyed the team classification with over 40 minutes to spare. |
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 11-01-2013 23:04
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Valverde and Basso finish on the same time, nice |
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| pcm2009fan |
Posted on 14-01-2013 11:17
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MAY RANKINGS
Riders
Boom's impressive classics season sees him holding off the Giro stars at the top of the table, with Quintana and Valverde entering at 3rd and 5th respectively. Ivan Basso slips into 8th place, whilst the leader of the table at this point last year, Robert Gesink, is still yet to register on the rankings.
Teams
Liquigas steal back the lead from Rabobank with a strong Giro showing, whilst points collected by Caisse (Sanchez & Valverde) and Androni (Rujano) also move them above the Dutch giants. Quintana has finally dragged Liberty off the bottom, moving 13 places into 6th.
Not going to start the next races till after my exams, so the action will continue at the end of January. |
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| SSJ2Luigi |
Posted on 14-01-2013 13:28
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just wait until Gesink shows up
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| sammyt93 |
Posted on 14-01-2013 14:07
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Timothy Duggan might have done better if he picked the bike up straight away instead of doing gangnam style first.
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| pcm2009fan |
Posted on 19-01-2013 17:16
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Statistics can go shove itself, so I gave up on revision
Stage 1
[img-r]https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-qABgh-h8e-0/UPrKIueoQ9I/AAAAAAAACkI/wfHjksHPHSY/s144/gesink.png[/img-r]The team time trial saw the return of defending Diamond League champ. Robert Gesink. However, both his team and the Caisse team-mates of Alejandro Valverde failed to register a good time and actually lost considerable time. Barloworld had a better day and they put South African champion Songezo Jim into yellow.
Stage 2
[img-l]https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-xRn3c5qYtm0/UPrKU_vaa8I/AAAAAAAACkQ/64q92S-JLfo/s144/duo.png[/img-l]Knowing they had to earn back time, the duo of Gesink and Valverde attacked early, and boy they earned time allright. Perhaps inspired by Basso's Giro exploits, they demolished the field together, before Gesink in turn demolished Valverde, taking the overall classification into his hands by a number of minutes. Menchov was next in, surprisngly followed by Cancellara.
Stage 3
[img-r]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-PxY-5FuhxGA/UPrKYckOeoI/AAAAAAAACkg/2NWuz9kBOw0/s144/arrivee.png[/img-r]Nibali and Andy Schleck tried to duet in similar fashion as yesterday, but the peleton wasn't going to be screwed over twice in a row. Gesink followed an attack from Dyachenko early on the slopes of Verbier, and stayed away till the finish line, effectively sealing yellow. Valverde and Menchov played second fiddle once more, whilst Cancellara paid for his efforts yesterday and slipped out of the top 10.
Stage 4
However, Spartacus was back fighting on the final time-trial, easing his way to the stage victory and a top 10 placing. Menchov rode strongly to take the day's second best time, jumping ahead of Valverde in the rankings, but stood no chance to challenge Gesink's yellow jersey in the manner of last year's TdF.
Let's have a look at the final standings then: (you can blame Robert 'I can do anything' Gesink for the gaps!)
 1 | Robert Gesink | RABOBANK | 13h38'50 |  2 | Denis Menchov | LOTTO | + 6'08 | | 3 | Alejandro Valverde | CAISSE | + 9'57 |  4 | Chris Froome | BARLOWORLD | + 15'49 | | 5 | Nicolas Roche | BOUYGUES | + 16'46 |  6 | Roman Kreuziger | JOKER | + 18'01 | | 7 | Alexsandr Dyachenko | TINKOFF | + 18'35 | | 8 | Damiano Cunego | LAMPRE | + 19'19 |  9 | Songezo Jim | BARLOWORLD | + 19'22 |  10 | Fabian Cancellara | CERVELO | + 20'28 |
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| SSJ2Luigi |
Posted on 19-01-2013 18:18
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 GESINK IS THA KING!
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| pcm2009fan |
Posted on 19-01-2013 19:31
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[img-l]https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1eJ2YcEHDHo/UPruSOazyTI/AAAAAAAACnU/VbjfnlCzbVA/s144/stage%25201.png[/img-l]Here's a new race as we lead up to Le Tour. The 3 undulating, mostly flat bade well for sprinters such as Rabobank's Bos and Kristoff, but the Cycling Gods had other ideas. The peleton were too late to react on stage 1 as a break got clear and were only caught at the finish. Roelandts and Sebastien Chavanel had the most left of the escapees and Roelandts reached the line first to prevail in the battle of the champions.
[img-r]https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-1Fb_MPXc5bo/UPruSecL8LI/AAAAAAAACnY/sv2QOqpk9rY/s144/stage%25202%25202.png[/img-r]Stage 2 fell to the hands of crosswinds, and although the peleton managed to meet up in the closing kilometres, the break had again prevailed amidst the chaos. This time Monfort took the win, and this time with a registered time gap, making him the favourite to hold onto yellow in the final stage. But there was to be a final twist in the tale around the roads of Amsterdam, as a depleted peleton struggled to catch the break once more and this time Mikel Nieve was most capable of seizing the oppurtunity, and ultimately this was enough to take the race victory home for Saunier.
So, a strange race in all, but with the help of an improved status and thus stronger line-up next season, plus a more varied route, it might be given a second chance in the calander in the hope that the teams take it more seriously.
Overall
| 1 | Mikel Nieve | SAUNIER | 8h37'50 |  2 | Manuel Cardoso | LIBERTY | + 45 | | 3 | Maxime Monfort | COFIDIS | + 46 | | 4 | Richie Porte | DRAPAC | + 47 | | 5 | Eros Capecchi | BOUYGUES | + 57 |
Points
Mikel Nieve (Euskaltel)
Mountains
Egor Silin (Astana)
Youth
Winner Anacona (Androni)
Teams
Saunier
Edited by pcm2009fan on 19-01-2013 19:33
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 20-01-2013 13:16
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Gesink looked good in Switzerland |
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| pcm2009fan |
Posted on 20-01-2013 16:14
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Yeah Gesink is pretty scary, he's definitely the favourite for consecutive victories at Le Tour.
Here are the new rankings:
JUNE RANKINGS
Riders
Well I sat and complained about Gesink's no-show in the season so far, and he's hit back out at the critics, entering the rankings up in 6th place. At the very top, Lars Boom must give way to a new leader, Valverde adding points in Switzerland to his Giro tally.
Teams
It's heating up at the top as Gesink shunts Rabobank ahead of Caisse and Androni, and now not far off the lead of Liquigas. The eastern duo of Astana and Tinkoff continue to occupy the relegation spots, but the big movers are Lotto via Menchov (17th to 7th) and Saunier via Nieve (14th to 8th)
Edited by pcm2009fan on 20-01-2013 16:16
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