2010 Vuelta al Pais Vasco

[issoisso]

Proving that Dekker Tifosi IS the Kiss of Death champion.

Quick, let's hipnotize him into being a Contador fan.

86 Simon Gerrans (Aus) Sky Professional Cycling Team
87 Thomas Löfkvist (Swe) Sky Professional Cycling Team
88 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team
89 Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Française Des Jeux
90 Kjell Carlström (Fin) Sky Professional Cycling Team
91 Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) Française Des Jeux
92 Davide Vigano (Ita) Sky Professional Cycling Team
93 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank
94 Nicolas Portal (Fra) Sky Professional Cycling Team

Uhh...what the hell were team sky even doing? Weird. I guess they were just chilling.

My question is more along the lines of

Uhh....what the hell is Rabobank's Giro GC hope doing?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Mollema did hundreds kilometers of work in the previous stages for Freire and Gesink.

He is completely spent

 

[Bala Verde]

Quick, let's hipnotize him into being a Contador fan.



My question is more along the lines of

Uhh....what the hell is Rabobank's Giro GC hope doing?

Let's just say he is not yet where he needs to be in terms of fitness.

I wonder if he even gets ready in time to perform well in said Giro.

 

[cycledan]

Interesting time trial tomorrow

I am really hoping Horner smokes Valverde in the time trial tomorrow and takes the overall GC. Horner is probably the better time trialer and he is a good climber so I don't think the hills will work against him. I guess it comes down to whoever is fresher.

It is hard to believe that one of the other riders could pass Valverde and Horner but many riders are clumped around 30-60 second back. Some need only a little over 1 second per km which is not a lot. Could someone like Gesink take back that much time?

Can't wait.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Why is Horner such an awesome TT rider according to all of you all of a sudden?

Even in the Tour de France of 2007, where he finished 15th in the GC, he was not good in the TT. F.ex, he was slower than time trialling monster, Michael Boogerd

And in the Romandie 07, also in top form, he finished 7th, almost a minute behind Dekker and Savoldelli.

His best results in TT's are in very short prologue's.
This TT is 17km..

 

[issoisso]

Weather prediction for tomorrow:

85% chance of Valverde
15% chance of Horner

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Or maybe Sanchez will suprise all and dominate.

 

[Arnout]

Or maybe Sanchez will suprise all and dominate.

He's in great form and this time trial suits him. But he won't ride for the classement.

I'm curious how Intxausti (and Peraud, for that matter) will do after putting in a decent effort in the TT in le Criterium International.

 

[theyoungest]

Gesink tweets:

Even een half uurtje gereden op de rollen. Schade: 4hechtingen in de elleboog en een flinke schaafwond op de heup. Blijkbaar lag er olie...

Hopen op een goede nachtrust en dan morgen knallen in de tijdrit!

Did half an hour on the rollers. Damage: 4 stitches in my elbow and a big sratch on my hip. Apparently there was oil on the road...

Hope for a good night's sleep and then kicking ass tomorrow in the time trial!

 

[luckyboy]

Pretty good stage today

David Harmon talking about Txurruka's descending Really like Euska's squad. Hope whatever Horner's on does him good tomorrow against piti.

 

[Beech Mtn]

He's more Fränk Schleck 2.0.

Good news BTW, he fell on the descent, rather than the climb. Same spot as Txurruka. Now that's the proper place to fall.

Gesink tweeted that they think there was oil on the road at that spot

edit-
I see you saw Gesink's tweet too. Wonder if anybody else crashed in that same area.

 

[issoisso]

Or maybe Sanchez will suprise all and dominate.

To clarify: I mean the GC, not the stage.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

There are more differences

Evans has more stamina and a much better sprint.
Gesink is arguably the slightly better climber right now and will likely be a much better climber with time.

better climber yes - but better faller, not yet proven!

 

[theyoungest]

better climber yes - but better faller, not yet proven!

I'd say he has proven he's quite a good faller

 

[Frosty]

Gesink tweeted that they think there was oil on the road at that spot

edit-
I see you saw Gesink's tweet too. Wonder if anybody else crashed in that same area.

I think the earlier text in dutch

'weggleed en even later nog een aantal andere renners'

says that others did fall there too (cant remember who posted it)

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Pretty good stage today

David Harmon talking about Txurruka's descending Really like Euska's squad. Hope whatever Horner's on does him good tomorrow against piti.

Txurruka is a pretty good descender. Not exactly a Sánchez (Samu or Luísle) but a damn sight better than a Schleck or Soler. I thought the enthusiasm got the better of him, being out there on his own needing as much time as possible to have any chance of his first career win, and he took unnecessary risks and went in too fast, but if there's oil on the road, then that would explain it as well.

 

[Polish]

Horner wants the Hat

Horner wants The Hat:

"A specialist, such as Bradley Wiggins (Sky) or Dave Zabriskie (Garmin-Transitions), might pop for the stage win, but the overall seems fated to a battle between Horner and Valverde.

Valverde is no slouch against the clock, especially on a hilly course similar to what he won in the 2009 Dauphiné Libéré.

Horner has one extra motivation that could make all the difference: the trademark txepela Basque beret awarded to the winner.

“I want one of those hats!” Horner said with a laugh. “I might never wear it again, but I want to wear it tomorrow.”

Read more: http://velonews.competitor.com/2010...t-showdown-with-valverde_111133#ixzz0ke5HrjyX

 

[auscyclefan94]

Gesink tweets:

Did half an hour on the rollers. Damage: 4 stitches in my elbow and a big sratch on my hip. Apparently there was oil on the road...

Hope for a good night's sleep and then kicking ass tomorrow in the time trial!

The guy shouldn't be riding in spain. He has crashed there at least twice off the top off my head!

 

[auscyclefan94]

There are more differences

Evans has more stamina and a much better sprint.
Gesink is arguably the slightly better climber right now and will likely be a much better climber with time.

No no, Gesink isn't a total A-hole.

(Think Rainbows, Think Rainbows!)

 

[auscyclefan94]

By that time Mollema will have won the Giro and Dekker's comeback will have resulted in 9 monuments and 3 TDF victories...

A victory for dutch doping *cough* cycling!

WTF? Another terribly spotted Eurosport ad break!

Well that is not as bad as getting an ad break 5km's out from the finish on the verbier stage.

 

[flicker]

Just to be on the positive side go Chris Horner. Ride like the wind tomarrow.

 

[Ferminal]

Been wondering the same thing about Wiggins, where the F is he? IF he can't climb in the Basque with Horner, Sammy Sanchez and Valverde what makes him think he'll compete with Contador.

If Gesink is Cuddles 2.0, Wiggins is Armstrong 2.0 "All about July".

 

[Francois the Postman]

(Think Rainbows, Think Rainbows!)

Last laughs are always best

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Vintage Gesink right there.

His palmares would be really something else had he managed to stay on his bike on a number of occasions.

 

[BroDeal]

Vintage Gesink right there.

His palmares would be really something else had he managed to stay on his bike on a number of occasions.

If Alex Zulle, Tyler Hamilton, Dennis Menchov, and Gesink were all racing against each other, who would crash the fewest number of times?