2010 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya

[Jamsque]

When they're close to home are they just more motivated, or does the peloton knowingly give them preference?

Eh, a little from column A, a little from column B.

Seriously, though, I don't think local riders get much if anything in the way of preferential treatment except for occasionally being allowed to ride off the front for a bit if the race is passing through their home town.

 

[theswordsman]

When they're close to home are they just more motivated, or does the peloton knowingly give them preference?

I think it's motivation for the stage win. In longer events you'll see the peloton let a guy go up the road a bit when he's passing by home, knowing that he'll come back again.

I read a press release from Luisle at Biciclismo, and he said today was his one good chance because he knew the roads a bit, but the two leaders have a real advantage now because they're from the area and know the roads like the back of their hands.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Go Michel Kreder
Yes I'm in pure chauvinist mode now. Sorry.

Dissapointing rides by Leipheimer, Klöden, Basso, Menchov and some other 'big names'

 

[blaxland]

Go Michel Kreder
Yes I'm in pure chauvinist mode now. Sorry.

Dissapointing rides by Leipheimer, Klöden, Basso, Menchov and some other 'big names'

Were all Nationalistic about our countrys riders..........but definantley a good ride by Kreder............what kind of rider do you see him becoming?Another talented u25 rider to follow...........

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Classic specialist (hills), hilly tours... Not a real climber I think. Although you knever know how people develop. He has a good sprint as well, which is a big plus.

 

[mortand]

Watch out for the next Liquigas wonder boy...Kristjan Koren. 10th in the opening time trial, 7th in the bunch sprint yesterday, and finished in the 19-man chasing group in the third stage. Even more Liquigas versatility.

 

[Bicicleta]

Xavier Tondo is having a great spring. Good addition for Cervelo.

 

[Publicus]

Dissapointing rides by Leipheimer, Klöden, Basso, Menchov and some other 'big names'

Just watched the highlights/summary and he should be embarrassed. Rodriguez and Tondo didn't even put in a big acceleration. It honestly looked like he (Levi) just didn't want to put in the work to stay with them (Demol said he couldn't stay with Rodriguez's acceleration, but if you see it, you'll know he's just bs-ing).

One other name you forgot was Sastre (lost 19:56). Terrible day.

 

[Angliru]

I think he has withdrawn from the race as well. Crashed on a descent when he was in the break.

It's a conspiracy. His bike was sabotaged for making a certain rider look bad in the infamous "bulge" photo.

Seriously though, Impey seems to have had some bad luck in the past 2 early seasons. Hopefully his injuries aren't too serious.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Xavier Tondo is having a great spring. Good addition for Cervelo.

Will Tondo ride the giro or the tour? Could make a big impact at the giro with a high gc placing. Or cervelo could go with all out support with thor at the tour and tondo can go into breaks with sastre to aim at the giro and la vuelta.

 

[Mellow Velo]

It's a conspiracy. His bike was sabotaged for making a certain rider look bad in the infamous "bulge" photo.

Seriously though, Impey seems to have had some bad luck in the past 2 early seasons. Hopefully his injuries aren't too serious.

Bad luck in the shape of Theo Bos?
First Sagan, now Koren. Picking up Kiserlovski from Fuji, too.
Liquigas must have a production line.

 

[Moondance]

Just watched the highlights/summary and he should be embarrassed. Rodriguez and Tondo didn't even put in a big acceleration. It honestly looked like he (Levi) just didn't want to put in the work to stay with them (Demol said he couldn't stay with Rodriguez's acceleration, but if you see it, you'll know he's just bs-ing).

One other name you forgot was Sastre (lost 19:56). Terrible day.

Well, I don't expect he was riding FTW, it is after all his first race since last year's Tour.

But if he has some serious designs on winning the Giro, he might consider adding another race to his calender, like Romandie maybe, to build up some more form.

 

[craig1985]

What a ride by Nicolas Roche. It wouldn't surprise me if he won a stage at the Tour.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Will Tondo ride the giro or the tour? Could make a big impact at the giro with a high gc placing. Or cervelo could go with all out support with thor at the tour and tondo can go into breaks with sastre to aim at the giro and la vuelta.

I believe he's down to ride the Giro as the right-hand man to Sastre. I don't know if he has the endurance to place highly on the GC of a three-week Grand Tour, he dropped out of the Vuelta last year after two weeks; but he has won the 11-stage Volta a Portugal and can probably stay in contact on GC enough to worry some people if he gets into a break later on.

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

Todays 'live' commentary is up. We have the following five non-starters: Auge (Cofidis), Impey (RadioShack), Pietropolli (Lampre), Saramontins (HTC-Columbia) and Roels (Milram).

 

[ak-zaaf]

Todays 'live' commentary is up. We have the following five non-starters: Auge (Cofidis), Impey (RadioShack), Pietropolli (Lampre), Saramontins (HTC-Columbia) and Roels (Milram).

I put Saramotins in my podiumcafe VDS team because of his performance in de druivenkoers last year.
I figured they would put him on the cobble-squad =/

 

[Anonymous]

Just watched the highlights/summary and he should be embarrassed. Rodriguez and Tondo didn't even put in a big acceleration. It honestly looked like he (Levi) just didn't want to put in the work to stay with them (Demol said he couldn't stay with Rodriguez's acceleration, but if you see it, you'll know he's just bs-ing).

One other name you forgot was Sastre (lost 19:56). Terrible day.

There's more to the Sastre story as Charly Wegelius said yesterday that he was a "gentleman and a scholar. Chapeau."

Anyone have any idea what that story was?

 

[TourOfSardinia]

3rd stage video here

http://www.elsesports.cat/volta

click on l'etapa reina to see 25 min highlight of wednesday's stage 3

 

[theyoungest]

There's more to the Sastre story as Charly Wegelius said yesterday that he was a "gentleman and a scholar. Chapeau."

Anyone have any idea what that story was?

Usually gentlemen and scholars can't ride very fast. Maybe that's it.

 

[Moondance]

What a ride by Nicolas Roche. It wouldn't surprise me if he won a stage at the Tour.

?

Finishing 6th with the same time as Aitor Perez, Ivan Velasco and Josep Jufre is that special?

Don't get me wrong, he's a very good rider, and a Tour stage victory is definitely within his capabilities.... But I fail to see how this is so special.

 

[python]

stage 4 update

ok I’ll do the 1st update.

- 8 escapees are in front with 3.30 gap
- best placed efimkin is the virtual leader on the road
- looking at the profile map, they are about 10k to the main climb of the day - alt de paumeres
- they will do it twice
-if the effing man (efimkin) is on anything close to his last years form, id be worried if I was rodriguez

 

[krebs303]

have to love google translate

"In the first half hour of the race have traveled 51 kilometers"

That's really fast!

original text

"En la primera hora de carrera la media han recorrido 51 kilómetros."

 

[python]

someone on twitter (in dutch) said menchov dropped out with allergies.

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

15:10 Kilometer 152: The advantage of the 8 begins to lower, 2:20.

The escaped ones are: V. Efimkin (AG2R), Dyachenko (Astana), Castroviejo (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Finot (Française DES Jeux), Bellotti (Liquigas), Vaitkus (RadioShack), Lucas Haedo (Saxo Bank) and Goes of Walle (Quick Step).

All well-known riders except for the 'Goes of Walle' chap

 

[python]

15:10 Kilometer 152: The advantage of the 8 begins to lower, 2:20.

The escaped ones are: V. Efimkin (AG2R), Dyachenko (Astana), Castroviejo (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Finot (Française DES Jeux), Bellotti (Liquigas), Vaitkus (RadioShack), Lucas Haedo (Saxo Bank) and Goes of Walle (Quick Step).

All well-known riders except for the 'Goes of Walle' chap

hey i have a better one

think of how a spanish machine translator would mingles a dutch phrase delivered in normal english:

'the last mountain is like bruyneel's chin when lying horizontal. the riders have to travel it twice..'

(check the profile map..)