Volta ao Algarve discussion
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Smowz |
Posted on 10-09-2011 09:59
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The European stage racing season continues with the first to contain a time trial at the Volta ao Algarve.
As you'd expect much attention will be focused on that last day 16km individual test but earlier stages could prove decisive with a hilly stage two and a lumpy stage three with a steep finish. The startlist contains all your favourite testers including last years CTour clock stopping monster Ignatiev now riding for T.CS Bank Rosneft.
His main TT challengers this year appear to be Boom(Rotheus), Reus(VolksWagen), Larsson(Aker Solutions) and Koren(CalBerry). But with earlier hilly stages decent punchaers must not be discounted Roux(Aker Solutions), Weening and Visconti (both Unicredit) will challenge, but the biggest danger on the climbs will surely be Cerne's LL Sanchez Gil.
There may well be a couple of sprints this year with stages 1 and 4 looking fairly flat, JJ Haedo (CalBerry) looks the stand out sprinter, though Trusov, Marinangeli and Loddo could challenge.
The startlist in full:
Spoiler Cerne
1. L. Sanchez Gil
2. L. Coutinho
3. N. Oliveira
4. B. Pires
5. M. Portela
6. A. Vital
7. E. Viviani
Tinkoff
11. M. Ignatiev
12. P. Brutt
13. A. Khatuntsev
14. V. Kiryenka
15. A. Ovechkin
16. N. Trusov
17. K. Yatsevich
Team VW
21. K. Reus
22. W. Anacona
23. G. Brenes
24. W. Li
25. A. Loddo
26. G. Preidler
27. R. Zabel
Rothaus
31. L. Boom
32. J. Ariesen
33. B. Hermans
34. T. Koep
35. A. Krieger
36. A. Kunitski
37. M. Landa
Aker Solutions
41. G. Larsson
42. H. Duenas Nevado
43. J. Le Bon
44. L. Nordhaug
45. A. Roux
46. J. Rovira
47. E. Viennet
Cal Giant
51. K. Koren
52. A. Ablenado
53. J. Haedo
54. B. King
55. K. Reijnen
56. J. Simon
57. T. Tolleson
Venchi
61. F. Pellizotti
62. M. Bodnar
63. M. Gonzalez Salas
64. P. Haugard
65. S. Marinangeli
66. P. Sagan
67. L. Sestili
UniCredit
71. P. Weening
72. W. Bonnet
73. M. Brändle
74. J. Grau
75. A. Signego
76. B. Vandborg
77. G. Visconti
Pokerstars
81. S. Clement
82. G. Atkins
83. S. Dumoulin
84. M. Maaskant
85. H. Raabe
86. J. Van Goolen
87. J. Vermote
Bpost
91. M. Elijzen
92. F. De Greef
93. F. Frison
94. S. Poulhiès
95. R. Stenuit
96. T. Stubbe
97. W. Van Den Eynde
Focus
101. F. Morizot
102. M. Andersen
103. B. Jungels
104. A. Nechita
105. S. Robert
106. T. Skujins
107. T. Thill
Edited by Smowz on 10-09-2011 10:07
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roturn |
Posted on 10-09-2011 10:03
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Damn. That`s a startlist. Hope Boom can beat the other big timetrial/puncheur riders. I expected 5 of them, now we have also Sanchez or Kirjienka here. Doesn`t make it easier.
Will surely be an interesting race. Especially if the stronger climbers can gain enough time in the hills, which will be too much for a short ITT.
Unfortunately I "forgot" to send a sprinter here, probably more the fact that I have too many young riders, that need lots of days.
Btw.: I know my team wasn`t too successful yet, but I hoped the Portuguese newspaper would at least spell the name correct.
Edited by roturn on 10-09-2011 10:06
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Sykkel_Freak |
Posted on 10-09-2011 10:07
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Maybe a stupid decision to send Pellizotti here, but i'm interested in seeing how he handles the 3rd stage, which will be his best shot at a good placement.
Also hoping for a podium finish by Marinangeli here.
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ember |
Posted on 10-09-2011 10:11
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On paper, this should be a fight between Ignatiev and LL Sanchez. I guess I have to hope that the combination of Roux on the hills and Larsson for the TT gives them problems, hopefully I can sneak away a top 5 overall, that would be great.
And I definitely regret not sending Haedo here, at least my planning for next season can only be better than the planning for this season! |
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Heine |
Posted on 10-09-2011 10:28
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Ignatiev will win this, aslong as Reus gets a podium I'm happy
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roturn |
Posted on 10-09-2011 10:30
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Fun Facts
- Belgium, Spain and France with the biggest amount of riders (8) | - Portugal with 5 riders from Team Cerne | - Weakest rider: Andrei Nechita (Focus/63,60) | - Strongest rider: Mikhail Ignatiev (T.CS Bank/78,60) | - Average average: 70,580 | - Highest salary: Mikhail Ignatiev (T.CS Bank/€ 600.000) | - Average wage: 117.627€ | - Youngest rider: Rick Zabel (Volkswagen/19) | - Oldest rider: Franco Pellizotti (Venchi/34) | - Average age: 25,909 | - Youngest team: Focused Cycling (22,571) | - Oldest team: Unicredit (29,143) | - 21 loanies, 3 of Spyker and Santander, Focused riding with 4 | - 3 National Road Champions: Nechita (Focus/ROM), Tolleson (California/USA), Kiryenka (T.CS/BLR) | - 6 National ITT Champions: Nechita (Focus/ROM), Kiryenka (T.CS/BLR), Ignatiev (T.CS/RUS), Li (Volkswagen/CHN), Raabe (Pokerstars/CRC), Vandborg (UniCredit/DEN) |
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CountArach |
Posted on 10-09-2011 10:49
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I had hoped that Elijzen would be better placed in this race for a top 10. Already I'm doubting it :/
Hopefully a top 5 in the TT could be on the cards.
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beagle |
Posted on 10-09-2011 11:12
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I was hoping for two TOP10 places overall here, I´m not such optimist after reading start list anymore...should be great race though!
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Posted on 24-11-2024 01:32
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mb2612 |
Posted on 10-09-2011 12:08
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I half expect Ignatiev to be in yellow going into the time trial, he would have to be unlucky to loose this one.
[url=www.pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=33182] Team Santander Media Thread[/url]
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Gustavovskiy |
Posted on 10-09-2011 16:05
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I honestly don't know what to expect here. If the hilly stages don't provide enough action, I agree that this will be Ignatiev's race to lose. My bet obviously is that it won't happen that way and that LLS will be able to create a gap before the final TT which won't be easy.
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Heine |
Posted on 11-09-2011 08:19
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Now that were some really sucky sprinting from Loddo
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CountArach |
Posted on 11-09-2011 08:49
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An acceptable result from Poulhies.
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Sykkel_Freak |
Posted on 11-09-2011 08:50
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Wow, that was close! I'm pretty happy with a podium finish already.
Marinangeli has showed some good sprinting abilities, but I still miss some better positioning, allthough it wasn't to bad on this stage.
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ember |
Posted on 11-09-2011 09:49
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All guys safely home, that's a good thing
I'm excited to see what happens on the hills, maybe a breakaway? Stage 2 doesn't look very hard, Marinangeli should have no problems following the peloton. Hopefully we can feature in the breakaway, I somehow feel it's going to be successive |
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roturn |
Posted on 11-09-2011 09:58
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Great stage for Rothaus without a sprinter.
Koep godlike, just why isn`t he wearing the KoM jersey tomorrow. Same amount and better GC placing would normally mean KoM, isn`t it?
But I like to give it to Brändle and wear the Youth shirt then.
Plus Hermans sprinting into the points once again is great and Koep 3rd in the overall.
Lots of small pointers that came absolutely unexpected.
But most important that Ignatiev and also Bonnet got no seconds. |
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fenian_1234 |
Posted on 11-09-2011 10:47
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I wonder if we are set for Ignatiev riding for Trusov over the next few stages??? |
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Smowz |
Posted on 11-09-2011 13:13
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Heine wrote:
Now that were some really sucky sprinting from Loddo
It was actually a bit lumpy at the end, which seemed to burn out the California Giant Berry Farms team and I guess sapped the hill phobic Loddo. He seemed to be in the perfect place, he just faded badly in the last 1500 metres.
Marinangeli is doing a great job, he finished like a rocket there I thought he was going to nab Trusov!
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roturn |
Posted on 11-09-2011 14:16
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As long as Boom isn`t waiting for Koep.
But actually I don`t expect him to wait for Trusov. There is at least a bit of realism in the game and it will recognize that Trusov has no overall chance. If he would be stronger, than maybe. |
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ember |
Posted on 11-09-2011 17:35
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ember wrote:Hopefully we can feature in the breakaway, I somehow feel it's going to be successive
Well done Rovira! Just a shame he had to be at the front when the sprint started, but a great ride from him. Excellent at grabbing bonifications aswell, moving him to third overall.
Hopefully we can make good use of the fact that we have 5 riders in top 30 overall now, giving us a lot of opportunities for the Queen stage. And hopefully Roux and Larsson can keep up with the front group, especially the latter, and not trying to defend Rovira's overall position, he will loose it anyway on the TT.
And a shame about Ignatiev, that's not the way you want to loose the opportunity to win the race. Oleg has to hope that Kiryenka steps up for the leader role now. |
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roturn |
Posted on 11-09-2011 17:39
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I feel really sorry for Ignatiev. I actually wanted a fair battle of the strongest.
Not happy with my team, who did the pace after the crash.
3 riders with decent time trial and puncheur skills in first group is looking good for me.
Also thanks for all the Koep information during the stage. He did actually pretty well with just 5min back in one of the first groups looking on all the later groups.
Hermans always sprints in the top10 against good sprinters and then in a sprint without them he isn`t really sprinting better.
Now I have to hope that Boom is set as leader and not waiting for Hermans tomorrow.
Edited by roturn on 11-09-2011 17:40
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