2013 Speculation (and confirmation) thread - rider schedules and parcours

[roundabout]

Finally bothered to check out the Romandie route.

http://www.tourderomandie.ch/parcours-41

Terrible as usual although the queen stage is better than last year about the same as 2010. Prologue is the best though.

After 2011 and 2012 I am actually ok with the route. I think it's under 10km from the summit of Croix to Les Diablerets and there is no flat, so I would hope that it's possible that there's a very small group or even a lone winner.

Still, the days of 2006-like routes are probably gone. Maybe there could be something on the stage to Granges, but I am not going to go through the video again.

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Finally bothered to check out the Romandie route.

http://www.tourderomandie.ch/parcours-41

Terrible as usual although the queen stage is better than last year about the same as 2010. Prologue is the best though.

Terribly designed queen stage, even though it's hard by Romandie standards. LOL @ that loop. I'm not against those at all, but this is stupid. Final ascent of Croix is pretty hard, though.

[roundabout]

Romandie is about 1/3 of Switzerland at most, so it's loops ahoy to get the stages long enough.

[Flamin]

Samu Sanchez:

Vuelta a Andalucía
Tirreno
GP Miguel Indurain
País Vasco
Amstel Gold Race/LBL (or both)
Giro

meanwhile Antón and Nieve will ride the tour for sure.

[staubsauger]

Samu Sanchez:

Vuelta a Andalucía
Tirreno
GP Miguel Indurain
País Vasco
Amstel Gold Race/LBL (or both)
Giro

meanwhile Antón and Nieve will ride the tour for sure.

Anton is full focused on the Vuelta. If he will ride the Tour than just to build form I think. He wants to podium at the Vuelta and if the route rumors are truth he may have good chance to do so.

Nieve will ride the Tour for sure. He should be a good candidate for the polka dot jersey. Although that would be not so pretty for Tommy Voeckler.

[Eshnar]

Samu Sanchez:

Vuelta a Andalucía
Tirreno
GP Miguel Indurain
País Vasco
Amstel Gold Race/LBL (or both)
Giro

meanwhile Antón and Nieve will ride the tour for sure.

Damn Tirreno is gonna smash PN this year:D

[Gloin22]

Damn Tirreno is gonna smash PN this year:D

Sometimes best racing is where there are no stars and no clear favourites

More interesting as many riders decide to go for it / attacks etc.

Don't judge the race before it even began, and PN should have a decent route too this year.

That's not too say Tirreno will be bad, otherwise. It'll be great. But PN can be very interesting too, with no real stars there and no clear favourites.

[Eshnar]

But PN can be very interesting too, with no real stars there and no clear favourites.

Valverde I'd say.

[Parrulo]

Valverde I'd say.

this, movistar will send a super strong team for PN as valverde is the clear favourite atm and he must truly want to win PN as it has been escaping him for years.

i also wouldn't be surprised if they took advantage of the weak field to send costa as well and try to place him high to get some good WT points valverde can't get and costa almost surely won't get in TA taking into account the depth of the field.

[The Hitch]

That's not too say Tirreno will be bad, otherwise. It'll be great. But PN can be very interesting too, with no real stars there and no clear favourites.

Source that valverde isn't doing pn?

[greenedge]

Anyone know what Westra is doing? I wouldn't mind for him to do the Giro- it has a long ITT, he went well on Mende so he should handle steep stuff (though the climbs are longer) and he could get a top 10 in a GT, boosting his confidence and leaving the TDF to De Gendt . If worse comes to worst there he can just support Rujano and have another good stage race beforehand.

[trevim]

Source that valverde isn't doing pn?

It's Italy bro
[Edit: Quick read, I thought you meant Tirreno, sorry]

[Ferminal]

Maybe there could be something on the stage to Granges, but I am not going to go through the video again.

Yeh there seems to be a couple of little hills towards the end, like a TdS "sprint" stage. The Payerne stage is ridiculous though.

[Team Riis]

Is there any information about Edvald Boasson Hagen from Team Sky?
Is he going to ride the Ronde and Roubaix for the win?
Because Flecha is away ...

[JRanton]

Is there any information about Edvald Boasson Hagen from Team Sky?
Is he going to ride the Ronde and Roubaix for the win?
Because Flecha is away ...

Well obviously he'll be riding them hoping to win but realistically his and Sky's best chance of a monument win in 2013 is Milan-San Remo.

[The Hitch]

Well obviously he'll be riding them hoping to win but realistically his and Sky's best chance of a monument win in 2013 is Milan-San Remo.

Id say the antioquenos have as good a chance of taking liege or lombardy.

[JRanton]

Id say the antioquenos have as good a chance of taking liege or lombardy.

I was going to say closely followed by the Colombians in those two races although for both of them there are riders who are much bigger favourites for the win (Gilbert/Purito). Milan-San Remo is much more open with no rider who you could say has a very clear margin over EBH for the win.

[Ferminal]

.....

Jonathan Tiernan-Locke?

[JRanton]

.....

Jonathan Tiernan-Locke?

Well, I suppose stranger things have happened in recent times...

[Christian]

TOUR DE SUISSE 2013

Etape 1 – 8 juin : Quinto – Quinto (prologue)
Etape 2 – 9 juin : Quinto – Crans-Montana
Etape 3 – 10 juin : Montreux – Meiringen
Etape 4 – 11 juin : Innertkirchen – Buochs
Etape 5 – 12 juin : Buochs – Leuggern
Etape 6 – 13 juin : Leuggern – Meilen
Etape 7 – 14 juin : Meilen - La Punt
Etape 8 – 15 juin : Zernez - Bad Ragaz
Etape 9 – 16 juin : Bad Ragaz - Flumserberg (ITT)