02/10 - Milano-Torino (193.5 km)

[Arredondo]

After the worlds, everyone will look at the Tour of Lombardy, which starts on sunday. However, there is another beautiful classic, the oldest race on the cycling calendar! After 4 years of financial difficulties, Milano-Torino got back in 2012, ending on the tough climb of Superga. Alberto Contador won his first classic race in his career, and this year he will defend his title. However he will face strong competition from his fellow countryman Purito Rodriguez, Alejandro Valverde, Daniel Moreno and Italian Domenico Pozzovivo.

In 2012, they decided not to finish the race in the streets of Turin after a descent, but to give the real climbers a edge with the finish on the Superga. This climb is 4.9 km long at a average of 9.4%. The first 2 k are the hardest, with a steepest part of 19%.

Winners of the last 10 editions;

1998: Niki Aebersold
1999: Markus Zberg
2000: not ridden
2001: Mirko Celestino
2002: Michele Bartoli
2003: Mirko Celestino
2004: Marcos Serrano
2005: Fabio Sacchi
2006: Igor Astarloa
2007: Danilo di Luca
2012: Alberto Contador
2013: ?

Big names:

Saxo: Contador, Majka
Astana: Ponzi, Aru
Lampre: Ulissi, Cunego, Durasek
Garmin: Martin, Morton
Radioshack: Bakelants
Movistar: Valverde, Capecchi, Visconti
AG2R: Betancur, Pozzovivo
Katusha: Rodriguez, Moreno, Caruso
Vacansoleil: Marcato
Argos: Preidler
Vini-Fantini: Rabottini, Gatto, Taborre
Androni: Pellizotti, Rubiano, Zililoli
Bardiani: Bongiorno, Pirazzi
Colombia: Atapuma, Duarte
Team NetApp: Huzarski, Mendes
CCC: Rebellin
MTN: Pardilla
IAM: Lovkvist, Tschopp, Reichenbach
Europcar: Rolland, Voeckler
Rusvelo: Firsanov
Ceramica: Rovny

 

[Eshnar]

damn I was just doing the thread... Fortunately I spotted it before doing all the work

 

[LaFlorecita]

This is for Alberto

nah Purito will take it I think

 

[Arredondo]

damn I was just doing the thread... Fortunately I spotted it before doing all the work

The next time i will announced it

 

[willbick]

Open goal for Moreno

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Scarponi didn't fancy this?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Great line up.
Will this be live somewhere?

oh and Ulissi FTW.

 

[Eshnar]

Just noticed - Why is Nibali not here?

 

[Afrank]

Contador, because he badly needs a win. Hoping Colombia rides well also. A good result for Martin would also be nice to see after he DNFed worlds.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Aru and COntador to fight it out.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Contador, because he badly needs a win. Hoping Colombia rides well also. A good result for Martin would also be nice to see after he DNFed worlds.

Last year was just so awesome when Contador first got dropped and then came back and accelerated away from the others purely on raw willpower

 

[EnacheV]

Purito never sleeps

 

[fraserhughes]

Quintana not racing?

Purito for the win. Katasha to make life difficult for Valverde

 

[fraserhughes]

Will this be live somewhere?

I hope so. Nothing on Steephill which is my usual source of feeds. Assume it might be live on rai but I don't speak Italian so can't tell

 

[Race Radio]

Will this be broadcast? Hopefully there will be some streams tomorrow

 

[Hugo87]

Really great field for this emblematic race, hopefully Aru or Betancur will take it.

 

[nuvolablu]

No live coverage

 

[Beech Mtn]

Last year was just so awesome when Contador first got dropped and then came back and accelerated away from the others purely on raw willpower

What a difference a year makes. Would really like to see AC make a good effort tomorrow or soon. It would be awfully good if he could end his year on a high note.

(LaFlo, that avatar I think only ChrisE has had a worse one )

 

[Arredondo]

Will this be broadcast? Hopefully there will be some streams tomorrow

No live broadcast. Rai will broadcast the last hour of the race on Raisport 2 at 20.00-21.00 on the same day.

 

[Christian]

Andy Schleck will ride this and Lombardy. Said a while ago that he hopes to end the season on a good note. Was fine in Colorado but abandoned in Canada, with no explanation given by the team. Little racing due to lack of funding for the team

RSLT team for Milano-Torino:

BAKELANTS Jan
BENNETT George
BUSCHE Matthew
HERMANS Ben
OLIVEIRA Nelson
SCHLECK Andy
ZUBELDIA Haimar

http://sport.rtl.lu/cyclissem/news/473990.html

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Anyone remember niemec fall last year?..lucky escape

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LxNlLMQTvU at 58 secs.

 

[The Hitch]

Hopefully Murito will let this be the win that cheers him up. Me after what happened on Sunday, i would be throwing my toys out of the pram for the next 5 months, but hopefully Murito is made of sterner stuff and will let this be the base on which to build his post season training and then Giro

 

[Parel van het Zuiden]

I expect Rovny to be close. He seems to be in good shape.

 

[Afrank]

Andy Schleck will ride this and Lombardy. Said a while ago that he hopes to end the season on a good note. Was fine in Colorado but abandoned in Canada, with no explanation given by the team. Little racing due to lack of funding for the team

Good to see he will be racing here and at Lombardia, Would be cool to see him pull off a decent performance. Have my doubts that he will do anything though.

 

[Herr Katt]

Mister Löfkvist is always a threat in the fall. Count on him