Volta a Catalunya....

['Dale]

I am riding the "fun ride" with some friends on Saturday and then watching the Pros on Sunday.

 

What's the distance for the pre-race ride?

 

Sounds cool!

[gummibear]

135 km and they have taken "die Muur"out this year.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

That's a car covered by the snow.

 

 

Ag, modern pro's, bunch of woosies, twenty years ago they would have raced the stage in short sleeves and considered it an easy day.

['Dale]

Ag, modern pro's, bunch of woosies, twenty years ago they would have raced the stage in short sleeves and considered it an easy day.

 

Tongue in cheek and also true, GOG...

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Tongue in cheek and also true, GOG...

 

 

Yup, just heard Wiggins, Schleck, Valverde, Richie Porte all abandoned due to the weather. This makes it look very secure for Green Edge now as Albasini is in good shape.

 

Seems Julian dean had a bad crash and broke his femur badly, people suggesting its probably the end of his career. Jakob Fuglsang also out from a crash.

 

Bit of carnage out there it seems.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Happy to see Cunego (the little prince) is still in the race, you dont get rid of him that easy and Lampre are chasing down every break with determination, maybe Cunego thinks he can take the stage, the climb suits him, 550m altitude over 8kms so about a 5% average gradient with a few bits at 10%, hope so, I would love to see him take the stage and maybe even the leaders jersey.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Well, it turned out to be quite an exciting stage today, on the final climb Szmyd from Liquigas flew out of the bunch and only Leipheimer went with although he didnt help at all.

 

Eventually a small bunch formed containing Leipheimer, Sammy Sanchez, Szmyd, Uran, Menchov and Moncoutie and got 13 seconds on the main bunch of about 20 riders containing Cunego, Albasini and some other favorites, but they got pulled back in the final kilometer and it turned into a bunch sprint which Roberto Uran won by a whisker from Menchov, who, actually looked to be getting some nice form.

 

Nice stage which I enjoyed watching.

Edited March 22, 2012 by GrumpyOldGuy

[kosmonooit]

Talking of Liquigas, Ivan Basso gave up yesterday as well: 2nd tour in a row, questions are being asked.....

['Dale]

I read Greenedge is gonna fight to win this race.

 

They already took "Tour Down Under" and several other stages, not to mention the recent triumph at Milan-San Remo.

 

This is good for cycling!

['Dale]

I think the time has come for him to call it a day.

 

Basso hasn't finished a race all year. 0/4.

 

With this race, he was involved in that crash where Dean from Greenedge bounced off a car and bounced back into the peloton which led to Basso hurting an old injury from a few weeks ago.

 

Strategically, his building towards the Giro is seriously dented now.

[GrumpyOldGuy]

Basso's probably in the twilight of his career and needs to start looking at a supporting role, Nibali is I would imagine the unofficial team leader now.

 

Szmyd is a superb climber as well and I recon the two of them (Nibali / Szmyd) in the Giro would be a formidable team, I still think Nib's trying to win the tour is a mistake, I dont think he is there just yet, I understand it holds a bit more prestige in the cycling world, but in my opinion a win in any of the other two grand tour's is still better than a top 10 in the TDF.

['Dale]

Somewhere else, rainbow stripe jersey wearer Cav crashes (again) out of the Dwars door Vlaanderen whilst slipping on a bottle tossed by a "d*ckhead rider"...

No major injury, just bruised shoulder.

 

That's his 3rd fall this year.

['Dale]

Basso's probably in the twilight of his career and needs to start looking at a supporting role, Nibali is I would imagine the unofficial team leader now.

 

Szmyd is a superb climber as well and I recon the two of them (Nibali / Szmyd) in the Giro would be a formidable team, I still think Nib's trying to win the tour is a mistake, I dont think he is there just yet, I understand it holds a bit more prestige in the cycling world, but in my opinion a win in any of the other two grand tour's is still better than a top 10 in the TDF.

 

He has a Tour of Spain victory on his bedpost. It was a fine win in a tough field a few years ago.

He is showing good form in the key areas - TT and climbing.

'Berto is out until August and prob will return to kick azzz in the Vuelta.

If he doesn't roll in le Tour, who else can represent Liquigas?

 

It's time, me think, to attempt and fetch the yellow, GOG.

Edited March 23, 2012 by danseuse

[nickc]

He has a Tour of Spain victory on his bedpost. It was a fine win in a tough field a few years ago.

He is showing good form in the key areas - TT and climbing.

'Berto is out until August and prob will return to kick azzz in the Vuelta.

If he doesn't roll in le Tour, who else can represent Liquigas?

 

It's time, me think, to attempt and fetch the yellow, GOG.

 

There was talk a while ago about Pellizotti being in talks to return to leaky gas, would he not be a possible replacement for Basso?

['Dale]

Where in the world is BMC?

 

[GrumpyOldGuy]

He has a Tour of Spain victory on his bedpost. It was a fine win in a tough field a few years ago.

He is showing good form in the key areas - TT and climbing.

'Berto is out until August and prob will return to kick azzz in the Vuelta.

If he doesn't roll in le Tour, who else can represent Liquigas?

 

It's time, me think, to attempt and fetch the yellow, GOG.

 

Thats a good point, but maybe change tactics and go for stages with Sagan at the Tour, I'll need to scratch my chin on that one a bit. I still think Nibs can take the Giro, Basso cant, that's for sure, its 6 odd weeks away, a Giro win...........well very prestigious in my book.