|
Classique du Grand-Duché Discussion
|
| cio93 |
Posted on 25-06-2015 10:36
|
World Champion
Posts: 10845
Joined: 29-10-2007
PCM$: 500.00
|
One of the most anticipated parts of the season is the three-way spring clash between Tirreno-Adriatico, Paris-Nice and Grand-Duché, so here we are in Luxembourg, completing that trio of races.
A course that very much reminds of the Ardennes classics in about two months time awaits the riders here, with little to no place for respite afte the first hour and a half of racing.
The last 50 kilometres feature two comparably brutal hills that will start to shape the race before either an uphill sprint or a triumphant solo victory in Diekirch (not to be confused with Dunkerque, France!).
The aforementioned clashes mean only Cunego returns from the list of former winners, with 2011 and 2014 winner Trofimov as well as 2012 winner Frank Schleck being in France at the moment.
With the other two races already underway, the startlist might not surprise many anymore, but let's still take a quick look at an overview of the favourites and their respective hill and stamina stats.
| Rider | HIL | STA |  | Jan Bakelants | 84 | 81 |  | Francesco Ginanni | 83 | 78 |  | Dimitri Claeys | 83 | 74 |  | Simone Ponzi | 83 | 77 |  | Tejay Van Garderen | 82 | 78 |  | Ben Gastauer | 82 | 78 |  | Damiano Cunego | 81 | 77 |  | Maurice Schreurs | 81 | 76 |  | Cyril Gautier | 80 | 76 |  | Pello Bilbao | 79 | 77 |  | Carlos Betancourt | 79 | 72 |  | Luis Leon Sanchez Gil | 79 | 78 |  | Philippe Gilbert | 79 | 79 |  | Mohamed Anuar Aziz | 79 | 76 |
The standout rider certainly is Bakelants with a superior combination of both stats.
As so often, he's lacking a bit of team support though, but Bouygues is actually one of only 9 teams with a full 8-rider lineup here.
Many others have to do with 6, so it'll be interesting to see if that influences the racing in some way.
The next tier of favourites is made up of Ginanni, Claeys and Ponzi, with Claeys having a slight stamina disadvantage that the others hope to capitalize on.
Nevertheless, all three can easily win this race on a decent day.
Tejay Van Garderen surprised by taking a podium in the season opener, and he definitely wants to repeat that success to keep Movistar in with a shot of staying up, while the obvious fan favourite Gastauer finally gets to lead the Vesuvio squad in his home race.
The little prince returns for what might well be the last time as a competitive rider in this division, and we all know why he can never be ruled out when it comes to prediciting possible winners of such a race, while Schreurs has yet to prove why his manager invests rather heavily into him.
It might very well start to make sense after this race though.
Further down the line we get a sizeable group of outsiders, with standout riders Betancourt and Sanchez Gil as wildcard team captains, and Gautier as well as Gilbert who will try to cope with the massive pressure on their shoulders in their attempts to save their teams from the general consensus of relegation.
|
| |
|
|
| tsmoha |
Posted on 25-06-2015 10:47
|
Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11819
Joined: 19-07-2010
PCM$: 300.00
|
Dunno why, but I think TvG will take this. Allthough it would be nice to see Ponzi taking line honours, as he was pretty strong here last season.
No expectations for Oz, so I will just hope for Visconti to at least position himself somewhere at the front of the dropped group(s) and add a few points in the Top-20 range. A breakaway appearance would be nice, too. Haig or Choi maybe.
|
| |
|
|
| Alakagom |
Posted on 25-06-2015 10:51
|
World Champion
Posts: 10891
Joined: 19-11-2010
PCM$: 200.00
|
Top 15 the target, Top 50 the reality.
|
| |
|
|
| OlegTinkov |
Posted on 25-06-2015 11:09
|
Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2666
Joined: 31-12-2007
PCM$: 450.00
|
Lot of pressure on Bakelants to deliver, but I think an Italian will win this (Ponzi, Ginanni or Cunego).
|
| |
|
|
| Crommy |
Posted on 25-06-2015 11:17
|
World Champion
Posts: 10018
Joined: 29-11-2006
PCM$: 200.00
|
Anything but a win here will be seen as a failure
|
| |
|
|
| SotD |
Posted on 25-06-2015 11:18
|
World Champion
Posts: 12187
Joined: 29-11-2006
PCM$: 2980.00
|
No Real ambition here with Spilak and Ricco present elsewhere.
We have just 6 riders here so I guess we will be hurting in the end, but still I hope that Koretzky and Pichon can fight for top 20-25. In the ideal World we send Tom David in the BotD aswell.
|
| |
|
|
| Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-11-2024 03:11
|
Bot Agent
Posts: Countless
Joined: 23.11.09
|
|
| IP: None |
|
|
| tsmoha |
Posted on 25-06-2015 11:26
|
Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11819
Joined: 19-07-2010
PCM$: 300.00
|
Crommy wrote:
Anything but a win here will be seen as a failure
This is the race, where he crashed in the past two years, isn't it?
Not trying to jinx it, just do remember something like that (too tired to look it up now) 
|
| |
|
|
| Heine |
Posted on 25-06-2015 11:29
|
Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4116
Joined: 08-04-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
I hope for a top 5 from Claeys here, but his Stamina might be his downfall.
This is Bakelants race to loose, his thoughest competitors (Hagen/Trofimonster) is elsewhere and he need to capitalize. Hard to look past someone like TVG though . He can win any hilly race
|
| |
|
|
| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 25-06-2015 11:53
|
Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8057
Joined: 22-06-2009
PCM$: 650.00
|
These one-day hilly races are going to be our saving grace if TVG can continue to deliver. Gotta get a handful of points now so we have a nice cushion when the GTs start up.
|
| |
|
|
| jph27 |
Posted on 25-06-2015 12:03
|
Team Leader
Posts: 7339
Joined: 20-03-2010
PCM$: 900.00
|
Gautier ought to be in the top 10 here. But after Badaling, nothing would surprise me  |
| |
|
|
| knockout |
Posted on 25-06-2015 12:08
|
Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7735
Joined: 21-12-2010
PCM$: 400.00
|
This is a wildcard race so I don't expect much. A top ten seems possible but we'll see and let us surprise.
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
| |
|
|
| wackojackohighcliffe |
Posted on 25-06-2015 12:53
|
Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7681
Joined: 19-02-2008
PCM$: 200.00
|
Hoping for a top 10 from Gilbert and to have Lutsenko backing up well for a good points haul. Wondering why I sent Edmondson elsewhere though.
|
| |
|
|
| ember |
Posted on 26-06-2015 09:20
|
Team Leader
Posts: 6849
Joined: 27-03-2008
PCM$: 700.00
|
A very impressive startlist here. Must admit I thought many more of those puncheurs would go to Paris-Nice, and that was why I sent Guldhammer here, to fight for a possible top 10. But with such a startlist, a top 30 will be difficult, I guess. Definitely a mistake from me in the race planning.
I must hope we join the breakaway and then take it from there. A top 20 with someone like Bystrøm due to being caught late would be the best we can hope for, I think. That's definitely not something I can expect though, and I can't really be disappointed if we're not competitive at all here.
Bakelants the obvious favourite, and I think he got this. I fancy Ponzi to be his main rival, and he might want to gap the Italian before the sprint, where not many, if any, of the best puncheurs are able to beat him.
Nice preview, cio93, I'm looking forward to the report. |
| |
|
|
| Sykkel_Freak |
Posted on 26-06-2015 10:28
|
Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2073
Joined: 11-07-2010
PCM$: 200.00
|
No big expectations here. A top 20 would be good from De Bie.
Bakelants to win it, I think.
|
| |
|
|
| Smowz |
Posted on 26-06-2015 10:43
|
Team Leader
Posts: 6479
Joined: 09-04-2009
PCM$: 200.00
|
Yes I think a few were scared of Paris Nice having a hills that would be mountains and this seemed a safer bet for their punchy men. Add to that the liklihood of breakaways on the hilly stage stuff.
Still hoping for someone from my cruddy lot to get in a break - if they do then who knows 
|
| |
|
|
| Roman |
Posted on 26-06-2015 13:44
|
Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4386
Joined: 29-05-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
Looks like a good decision to not to send Sagan here, great line-up is present here. Hopefully König will be able to do better here than a peloton finish, but I may hope for something unreal. Oh and Ponzi is my bet for the win.
|
| |
|
|
| Kami |
Posted on 26-06-2015 17:30
|
Classics Specialist
Posts: 3485
Joined: 19-06-2009
PCM$: 200.00
|
I wonder what Bilbao will be able to do here. He has a decent finishing sprint, but he will most likely not be good enough to follow the best. Fingers crossed for a good race for us.
My bets on Cunego.
|
| |
|
|
| valverde321 |
Posted on 26-06-2015 19:20
|
World Champion
Posts: 12986
Joined: 20-05-2009
PCM$: 530.00
|
Hoping for a Top 5, I think Cunego's performances this season will make or break my year so Im hoping he does well.
I think every other favourite other than Cunego takes it for some reason #notajinx
|
| |
|
|
| Forever the Best |
Posted on 26-06-2015 19:40
|
Classics Specialist
Posts: 3803
Joined: 27-06-2014
PCM$: 400.00
|
Didn't bet so I am hoping Cunego would take it |
| |
|
|
| CrueTrue |
Posted on 26-06-2015 19:48
|
Tour de France Champion
Posts: 29989
Joined: 20-10-2006
PCM$: 200.00
|
As said in the preview, it's about time Schreurs proves his worth. Allez |
| |
|
