2011 Volta a Catalunya

[El Pistolero]

Probably because they're all more knackered because of the higher pace on the flat?

Or because they're not the biggest talented cycling nation? I think that goes to Spain.

Anyway, 17th stage race victory for Alberto Contador. When is Andy getting his first one? Or second if you count Fleche du sud

 

[hrotha]

Or because they're not the biggest talented cycling nation? I think that goes to Spain.

Anyway, 17th stage race victory for Alberto Contador. When is Andy getting his first one? Or second if you count Fleche du sud

You underestimate how tired an as yet unadapted light climber can get in the flat. This talk about "most talented cycling nation" is kind of silly, but your reasoning is still wrong.

 

[Publicus]

I hope the race organizers re-examine this route for next year. It was lacking (to put it mildly).

 

[El Pistolero]

You underestimate how tired an as yet unadapted light climber can get in the flat. This talk about "most talented cycling nation" is kind of silly, but your reasoning is still wrong.

Andy and Contador are lightweights as well.

I'm not talking about Nairo Quintana, Duarte or Uren here, they're still young and inexperienced in European races and in my opinion Quintana did fantastic this Catalunya. But the likes of Soler and Rujano still get dropped easily when the big shots decide to attack. You can't use the "inexperienced" excuse here. They're inconsistent, Soler has 0 bike handling skills and just can't be trusted.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Andy and Contador are lightweights as well.

I'm not talking about Nairo Quintana, Duarte or Uren here, they're still young and inexperienced in European races and in my opinion Quintana did fantastic this Catalunya. But the likes of Soler and Rujano still get dropped easily when the big shots decide to attack. You can't use the "inexperienced" excuse here. They're inconsistent, Soler has 0 bike handling skills and just can't be trusted.

soler indeed, but rujano no, rujano never crashes and doesn't drop anywhere except some flat downhills where he could lose sometime solo cuz of his weight but in someone's wheel he doesn't drop in downhil either.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

1º 202 DUMOULIN, Samuel FRA COFIDIS Le Credit en 2:33:55
2º 142 URAN, Rigoberto COL SKY PROCYCLING mt.
3º 113 DEHAES, Kenny BEL OMEGA PHARMA-LOTTO mt.
4º 37 ROJAS, Jose J ESP MOVISTAR TEAM mt.
5º 168 CARDOSO, Manuel POR TEAM RADIOSHACK mt.
6º 217 GALDOS, Aitor ESP CAJA RURAL mt.
7º 174 GOLAS, Michal POL VACANSOLEIL-DCM mt.
8º 85 KADRI, Blel FRA AG2R LA MONDIALE mt.
9º 167 ROVNY, Ivan RUS TEAM RADIOSHACK mt.
10º 135 SEELDRAEYERS, Kevin BEL QUICKSTEP Cycling Te mt.

very strong uran in the sprints!! I'm so glad he used to be incredibly fast in colombia and sky apart from his itt seem to have him train this as well

 

[hrotha]

Oh Rojas

 

[theswordsman]

I think the guys who rode the race would say that it was tough enough - Contador did. There were climbs along the way, the early pace was tough because it took forever for break groups to get sorted.

I haven't seen the figures lately, but at one point, their unemployment rate was 20%. I imagine that even though there's no live TV, start and finish villages still pay for the privilege? It might be a case of finding places willing to kick in money and building stages to connect them. This is a time when races are taking the year off, or cutting days. I wouldn't be too tough on the organizers, especially when most of what we know is from text updates only. It can only be so exciting when there's a sentence or two every five or ten minutes.

Chapeau Contador!

 

[hrotha]

Well, I wouldn't expect Contador or anyone else to come out and say "Yeah, this race sucked, it's actually a blemish in my career." It's true the organizers were extremely short on money (wouldn't surprise me if there was no Volta in 2012) so they were limited in what kind of parcours they could design, as they needed to end the stages in towns that paid for it. But many of those towns have hills reasonably close, or even within the towns themselves. No excuse.

 

[Ildabaoth]

Then why do all these Colombians get dropped in European mountains?

Why do 55 kg climbers, who train in high mountains since young and are used to low oxigen concentration get dropped by cyclists 20 kg heavier than them. That, my friend, doesn't belong to the Professional Road Racing forum.

 

[luckyboy]

Wasn't this the first race of the season for most of them?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Wasn't this the first race of the season for most of them?

for all of them except quintana who had 5 racing days. and with that rode excellent volta, won mountains jersye rode strong andorra stage and waayyy outperformed most pt squads and especially the other pct squads they were up against. will be good to see their next races and even better une-epm coming to europe in 2 weeks.

 

[luckyboy]

UNE-EPM are coming over?

This is their schedule - http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showpost.php?p=438288&postcount=54
Their site doesn't have anything on the calendar past March though. And that Dauphiné invite isn't certain is it?

 

[El Pistolero]

Why do 55 kg climbers, who train in high mountains since young and are used to low oxigen concentration get dropped by cyclists 20 kg heavier than them. That, my friend, doesn't belong to the Professional Road Racing forum.

Oh come on, they aren't any lighter than Contador, Andy Schleck, Rasmussen(just listing him because he was obsessed with his weight), Igor Anton, etc

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Oh come on, they aren't any lighter than Contador, Andy Schleck, Rasmussen(just listing him because he was obsessed with his weight), Igor Anton, etc

quintana is 52 kg and contador is 62 kg

 

[El Pistolero]

quintana is 52 kg and contador is 62 kg

Then you shouldn't be surprised they can't climb anymore when it matters. But if you want to think the only reason why they're getting dropped is because they're riding clean and the others aren't then feel free to think that. To me it's obvious they don't have any energy anymore when the climbs start if they're border lining anorexia.

No way Contador is 62kg after 2 weeks of a GT by the way.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I;m not saying that at all. contador is clean and so are the colombians that is why they are now getting on top. they have won 2 consecutive baby giro;s and dominated and won last years tour aveir, they are coming and only a blind man can't see it and the reason they are coming is because cycling is clean again.

contador is 62 kg and maybe after 3 weeks 60 kg, look he is officially listed eveyrwhere as 62 kg but they must be wrong and you are right

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

I;m not saying that at all. contador is clean and so are the colombians that is why they are now getting on top.

I have a bridge to sell you. However, it's on sale in the Clinic forum, where this kind of foolishness belongs.

 

[Descender]

Well, I wouldn't expect Contador or anyone else to come out and say "Yeah, this race sucked, it's actually a blemish in my career." It's true the organizers were extremely short on money (wouldn't surprise me if there was no Volta in 2012) so they were limited in what kind of parcours they could design, as they needed to end the stages in towns that paid for it. But many of those towns have hills reasonably close, or even within the towns themselves. No excuse.

True. With the same starts and finishes they could have designed a much better parcours.