2011 Tour de Suisse, Stage 9: Schaffhausen ITT, 32.1km

[jobiwan]

After a rather eventful sprint stage, the final battle for the GC begins!

Damiano Cunego has a good buffer over his main rivals, but will it be enough with some proven TT-specialists behind him?
Will he be able to hold off Leipheimer and Fuglsang? EDIT: And the Love Boat?

And of course, how much will Fabian Cancellara win by?

It's been a great Tour so far, one more day awaits!

Top 15 GC:

1 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - ISD 31:01:49
2 Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:36
3 Frank Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek 0:01:41
4 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack 0:01:59
5 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:02:11
6 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Leopard Trek 0:02:38
7 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:03:10
8 Giampaolo Caruso (Ita) Katusha Team 0:03:11
9 Mathias Frank (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:03:20
10 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad 0:03:22
11 Tom Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:04:51
12 Maxime Monfort (Bel) Leopard Trek 0:05:15
13 Jan Bakelants (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:06:47
14 Francis De Greef (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:08:44
15 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Movistar Team 0:09:10

Profile:

 

[Parrulo]

its a fairly hilly parcour. if the descents are somewhat technical. cunego should have no problem keeping bottle away. i am more worried about the love boat tbh <_<

 

[jobiwan]

Took these from Luckyboy's post in another thread.

TDF 2010: Bordeaux - Pauillac ITT (52km)
41. Leipheimer +5'59"
162. Cunego +10'40"

GIRO 2009: Roma ITT (15.5km)
26. Leipheimer +53"
47. Cunego +1'11"

VUELTA 2008: Ciudad Real ITT (42.5km)
1. Leipheimer 50'57"
79. Cunego +3'52"

Take these for whatever they're worth.

 

[jens_attacks]

yes cunego will hold on but i'd rather see levi win this one.

 

[ferryman]

I seem to remember Cunego having a good but unexpected ITT ride to secure the young rider's jersey in the TDF many moons ago so, on that logic, that he can when he needs to, yes Cunego to hold on for the win.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

1. Cunego
2. Leipheimer
3. Kruijswijk or Mollema
4. Kruijswijk or Mollema
5. First rider of failteam Trek

 

[la.margna]

Klöden
Cancellara
Levi
Van Garderen
Larsson??

Let's hope Cunego keeps yellow...

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

An agry Mollema will stomp the opposition

 

[Ruudz0r]

gogo Artem!

 

[killswitch]

IMO

Stage

Cancellara
Larsson
TJVG
Leipheimer
Kloden

GC

Cunego
Leipheimer
Kruijswijk
Mollema
Fuglsang

 

[Michielveedeebee]

An agry Mollema will stomp the opposition

epic paintskillzs you got them

yes cunego will hold on but i'd rather see levi win this one.

You're pro Levi on this forum ?

I too think that Levi will take it though

 

[AntonioRossi]

anyone think grabsch, or bookwalter can get a top 5 or top 10 on the stage?
I would love to see those two guys do well tomorrow

 

[El Pistolero]

Live on Sporza by the way. No ****ty live streams for those in the Benelux.

 

[luckyboy]

Really hoping Cunego can hold on. Think he might be able to looking at the hills there, and the fact he is riding to keep a GC win.

 

[auscyclefan94]

An agry Mollema will stomp the opposition

Maybe even an angry Mollema?

Mathias Frank got a time penalty the other day so that dropped him from 7th to 9th because he changed his bike 3km in to a 223km stage. What a joke!

 

[greenedge]

Cancellara. Bergatoli, Bobridge, Bookwalter, Larsson for the stage as well as TJVG and Levi to be behind Cancellara. I am just wondering how far down Frank will drop and could Andy finish in the top 20 in the stage? Cunego to hold on by 25 seconds to Levi and Kruijswijk to come 3rd 1 minute down.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Cancellara. Bergatoli, Bobridge, Bookwalter, Larsson for the stage as well as TJVG and Levi to be behind Cancellara. I am just wondering how far down Frank will drop and could Andy finish in the top 20 in the stage? Cunego to hold on by 25 seconds to Levi and Kruijswijk to come 3rd 1 minute down.

This is how I see the top 10 turning out to be

Leipheimer
Cunego
Kruiswijk
Schleck
Fuglsang
Mollema
Van Garderen
Ten Dam
Frank
Caruso

 

[Moondance]

I think Cunego should be able to hold.... Levi will gain around 1'20-1'40 and come up just short.

Kruijswijk will lose to Levi but hold v. Schleck the Elder as karmic justice for stage 8. Hope TGBM can gain the 30 secs he needs on Schleck to pass him on the GC as well, but I'm not confident about that.

 

[hfer07]

I'd be so mad if Leech-haimer walks away with the overall race-but looking at the course-that bump might help Cunego a bit, but not the length-32.1 km can work against Il Principe-will see.

Stage Winner? Cancellara without a doubt.

 

[Dedelou]

Really hoping Cunego can hold on. Think he might be able to looking at the hills there, and the fact he is riding to keep a GC win.

Plus 1. He should know what others have done before him and judge his efforts in consequences. Le't not have a fignon/lemond type of ending..

 

[luckyboy]

Couldn't believe it when Carlton Kirkby was talking about the possibility of Frank getting the GC tomorrow

 

[Polish]

An agry Mollema will stomp the opposition

Some riders, like Chris Horner, think gloves are for sissies.

But check out Angry Mollema's setup - no hoods even.
GRRRRR.
This pic was taken by velonews earlier in the race yikes:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/06/bikes-and-tech/spotted-giants-new-prototype-road-frame_179050

 

[craig1985]

Clearly TGM has been going easy on everybody else before going all Eddy Merckx on us at the Tour.

 

[saganftw]

1.canc
2.leipheimer
3.pvelits
4.fuglsang
5.larsson

cunego will keep 1st,LL to take 2nd,fuglsang 3rd

if i die,it was dutch mafia...

 

[Damiano Machiavelli]

It would be a crying shame if the daring do of Cunego was beaten by a convicted cheat and all around boring rider like Levi.