2011 Volta a Catalunya

[Libertine Seguros]

No TT, not even the abridged version of the past years

horrible profiles

1 meaningful GC stage

Edit: here's Pais Vasco

http://vueltapaisvasco.diariovasco.com/

one of the better 1 -week stage race courses IMO

All it needed was the Alto de Aia and it was golden.

 

[Anonymous]

No TT, not even the abridged version of the past years

I actually like the fact there is no TT. time trials have too much impact on short stage races. 9/10 the winning time trialler wins the overall.

 

[ansimi]

The startlist is looking exciting! We get to see Menchov and Sastre in the stacked Geox, Anton, Contador, Soler, a Columbian team. Yay for climbers!

Then I noticed with J-Rod out, his new teammate Di Luca is listed as #1 - that just doesn't seem right. Shouldn't it go to somebody who actually rode last year?

 

[Christian]

LEOPARD TREK announced:

Brice Feillu
Bruno Pires
Giacomo Nizzolo
Linus Gerdemann
Martin Pedersen
Oliver Zaugg
Stefan Denifl
Will Clarke

http://www.leopardtrek.lu/calendar/volta-ciclista-catalunya

Pires now replaced by Rohregger

 

[El Pistolero]

The startlist is looking exciting! We get to see Menchov and Sastre in the stacked Geox, Anton, Contador, Soler, a Columbian team. Yay for climbers!

Then I noticed with J-Rod out, his new teammate Di Luca is listed as #1 - that just doesn't seem right. Shouldn't it go to somebody who actually rode last year?

No, Purito is out, so number Uno should go to the leader of the team. Which is Di Luca.

 

[Kvinto]

Ya, we have the great field of climbers, they'll have the third stage, stage #1 can be selective as well, but it's rather for classic riders... stage 5 looks more like for a breakaway... and stages #2,4,6,7 designed for sprinters (if I'm not mistaken Alt de Can Massana is out of the stage 6) but what is the sprinting field? According to current startlist: PETACCHI Alessandro, ROJAS GIL Jose Joaquin, DEAN Julian, DUMOULIN Samuel, GALDOS ALONSO Aitor, NIZZOLO Giacomo, PIETROPOLLI Daniele, APPOLLONIO Davide, CARDOSO Manuel Antonio Leal... I'm not impressed Maybe I have to include guys like N.Roche or M.Creder to this list, they can sprint in this company as well

 

[Libertine Seguros]

You do realise that that's a stronger sprinting field than Catalunya had last year? Daniel Moreno was getting up in the top 10 in the bunch sprints last year.

This is why the Volta a Catalunya is amazing.

 

[Kvinto]

The last year's edition was different, more for a hilly classic riders I guess. I like this race but it's a bit strange for me that top sprinters ignore it.
EDIT: anyway I don't say it's bad

 

[maltiv]

Uran for the overall. He was coming into great shape in Paris-Nice.

 

[Kvinto]

I think the main favourites are: Contador, Basso, Menchov, Tondo, Uran, Mollema, Brajkovic and Scarponi. Rein Taaramae is also in a startlist but he wanted to skip Catalunya this year (in the end of this article).
Dont know what to expect of Di Luca, Anton and D.Martin.
The last time Di Luca rode well on the long climbs he was banned
I don't know what is the current form of Igor Anton, whether on not he targets this? Anyway he won the Vuelta stage on the Vallnord last year
D.Martin was great in 2009 edition, but he said about Pais Vasco and the Ardennes week as the first this year's targets, though he said it before the Catalunya route was announced

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Uran for the overall. He was coming into great shape in Paris-Nice.

Would love that result.

 

[LukeSchmid]

Uran for the overall. He was coming into great shape in Paris-Nice.

It would be great to see him win, very exciting but I doubt he can do it. To many big guns such as Contador who are going to be very hard for him to beat.

 

[luckyboy]

Nah, Quintana + co gonna **** thing up.

 

[LukeSchmid]

I think the main favourites are: Contador, Basso, Menchov, Tondo, Uran, Mollema, Brajkovic and Scarponi. Rein Taaramae is also in a startlist but he wanted to skip Catalunya this year (in the end of this article).
Dont know what to expect of Di Luca, Anton and D.Martin.
The last time Di Luca rode well on the long climbs he was banned
I don't know what is the current form of Igor Anton, whether on not he targets this? Anyway he won the Vuelta stage on the Vallnord last year
D.Martin was great in 2009 edition, but he said about Pais Vasco and the Ardennes week as the first this year's targets, though he said it before the Catalunya route was announced

I think Evans is racing, if he is, he is surely as good a chance if not better than some of those you list.

 

[El Pistolero]

1. Alberto Contador

I just don't see anyone beating him in the mountains.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I think Evans is racing, if he is, he is surely as good a chance if not better than some of those you list.

He hasn't done much proper climbing, so I am not sure how well he will be going in this event.

 

[theswordsman]

I think Evans is racing, if he is, he is surely as good a chance if not better than some of those you list.

Evans says the climbs are too steep for him, and better suited to pure climbers.

I pick Contador if he has good legs on Stage 3, but am anxious to see him battle Basso and Liquigas in a one week event. It's a shame Purito is out.

 

[El Pistolero]

Lol, just looked and Menchov's last victory was the Giro d'Italia.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Evans says the climbs are too steep for him, and better suited to pure climbers.

I pick Contador if he has good legs on Stage 3, but am anxious to see him battle Basso and Liquigas in a one week event. It's a shame Purito is out.

Cadel Evans:"It's a different style of racing in Spain," the former world champion said. "It'll be more for the pure climbers. I'm going good on the short climbs, but these are longer and steeper

So at the moment he is going good on the short steep climbs but not the longer climbs

 

[El Pistolero]

His second place at Monte Zoncolan tells something else...

Sure, not nearly the best, but better than most who call themselves climbers.

 

[Jamsque]

1. Alberto Contador

I just don't see anyone beating him in the mountains.

This, for reals.

 

[icefire]

Here's a vid of what the finish in stage 3 is like

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTtrUjWvAJE

Wrong climb. This is it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bzP-aFxmrg

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Would love that result.

then he would have to beat nairo quintana

he is the only cep rider I think that can win here because most of them this is going to be their first race of the year... but quintana seems in excellent shape.

 

[El Pistolero]

Wrong climb. This is it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bzP-aFxmrg

Thank you. Is Igor riding at Catalunya as well?

 

[luckyboy]

then he would have to beat nairo quintana

he is the only cep rider I think that can win here because most of them this is going to be their first race of the year... but quintana seems in excellent shape.

What has Quintana done this year? Only heard about the Clasica de Combita in February.

Chalapud did well in that too.

Really looking forward to see how these guys do in Europe.