2011 Volta a Catalunya

[Ryo Hazuki]

Ryo! How is this possible?? The great Quintana was going to crush everyone!

no I said he'd do top ten in the mountains. he will crush everyone within 2 years

 

[theyoungest]

no I said he'd do top ten in the mountains. he will crush everyone within 2 years

When Petacchi outclimbs you, chances are a top-10 in the mountains is too much to ask.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

When Petacchi outclimbs you, chances are a top-10 in the mountains is too much to ask.

well in that case quintana outclimbed menchov and sastre so he will win every gt there is

 

[theyoungest]

well in that case quintana outclimbed menchov and sastre so he will win every gt there is

Menchov got sick + got hit by a car last week. Sastre is an old fart. What's Nairo's excuse?

 

[El Pistolero]

So Contador only has to fear Igor Anton and Cuddles now

 

[theyoungest]

So Contador only has to fear Igor Anton and Cuddles now

I'd fear Basso rather than Cuddles, if I were him.

 

[El Pistolero]

I'd fear Basso rather than Cuddles, if I were him.

Nah, he's an Armstrong product.

 

[Squire]

He was hit by a car in training and had flu last weekend.

Where/when was this reported?

 

[roundabout]

Where/when was this reported?

http://www.geox-tmc.com/index.php?o...nya-with-menchov-and-sastre&Itemid=38&lang=en

 

[Jamsque]

dUran dUran in the top five already! Hot damn.

 

[Raceoftruth]

dUran dUran in the top five already! Hot damn.

Going well! Go uran!

 

[stefrees]

dUran dUran in the top five already! Hot damn.

Shows he's up for it! Looks like sky have finally got a team to support in the hilly races, would like to see possoni get a decent result also.

Going to be interesting to see how dan Martin and nico roche go this week

 

[dolophonic]

It was total carnage on the Sant Grau today.

What happened to Phinney? A lot of guys were hurting ... pain was felt!

 

[dolophonic]

Also, Basso is a Basso product.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I still don'tknow what happened as many climbers dropped and non climbers finished in first group.

 

[dolophonic]

http://www.esport3.cat/directes/especials/#cf

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Before we mock Ryo too much, Darwin Atapuma is 23, was in the front group and was 6th in the Vuelta a Colombia last year...

 

[hfer07]

I only have one question:




Did Soler already fall off his bicycle?

 

[theswordsman]

http://www.esport3.cat/directes/especials/#cf

Thanks! I had their other feed live forever, with nothing, and Biciciclismo rescheduled then gave up on EDP.

BMC has a youtube of Phinney talking about getting dropped.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks! I had their other feed live forever, with nothing, and Biciciclismo rescheduled then gave up on EDP.

BMC has a youtube of Phinney talking about getting dropped.

the working feed was http://www.esport3.cat/directes/esport3/

will be the same all week.

 

[El Pistolero]

Contador: “The team has done an extraordinary job” AUDIO COMMENTS

Alberto Contador finished the first stage of the Volta a Catalunya in 10th place, 28 seconds behind the winner, after the peloton almost completely neutralized a wide gap established by the break of the day. It was a tough stage in which, according to Alberto, Saxo Bank-SunGard “did an extraordinary job, because it was important that the escape not arrive with four or five minutes of advantage.”

Contador described this first stage as “tough and very demanding. We went very fast from the start in order to try to catch the escape and, when it got away, it lasted for a long time and they got a big advantage. The team had to pull together with others, we trimmed off the minutes, but of course we had to work hard, because there was an advantage of almost 15 minutes and the stage was not very long.”

At the finish line, Alberto was among the top placings because, he said, “I was trying to avoid a crash and possible splits.” And finally, tomorrow he expects a calmer day. “Today’s been a very demanding day from the start, and I hope that tomorrow everything will be calmer.”

(Official press release, Alberto Contador press room)

PLAYBOOK:

Stage 1, March 21: Lloret de Mar - Lloret de Mar, 166.9 km

Alberto Contador of Team Saxo Bank-SunGard finished Stage 1 of the centenary edition of the Volta Ciclista a Cataluny today in 10th place, arriving with the pack 28” behind stage winner Gatis Smukulis of HTC Highroad.

Contador’s result after the first day leaves him in a compeitive position for disputing the overall victory. In preliminary results, two other GC favorites were in the top 15: Cadel Evans (7th) and Danilo Di Luca (11th) both finished in the same time as Contador.

Those who were looking for a close fight between Contador and the leaders of the new Geox team—former Tour-winner Carlos Sastre and Vuelta/Giro-winner Denis Menchov—will be disppointed, since the both champions lost 13:17 and saw their chances of overall victory fade before they had blossomed.

Stage 1 began at Lloret de Mar on the coast, then traveled inland, taking in two first-category climbs, the Alt de Sant Hilari and the Alt de Sant Grau. Smukulis, along with Ben Gastauer and Julian Sánchez, had established the escape of the day by kilometer 22.

The group led by 14:30 at kilometer 54, but peloton had already gently tightened the reins by the 76-km mark. Pulled by Saxo Bank-SunGard, Katusha for Di Luca and Lampre in hopes of a sprint win for Petacchi, the gap was wiped away as the pack negotiated the Alt de Sant Grau and final kilometers back to Lloret de Mar. Smukulis hung on for the win.

Saxo Bank-SunGard’s director Dan Frost said, "The stage turned out harder than expected but we had Alberto, Chris, Hernandez and Daniel in the front group of favorites but we had to put in an effort to minimize the gap. It doesn't really matter that the breakaway lasted all the way as it is still on stage three the battle will be fought. Tomorrow's stage is for the sprinters.”

RESULTS: Contador in Stage 1, 10th (28” Smukulis). Contador in GC, 10th (28” Smukulis)

 

[Christian]

Here is the summary on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd1wrpRO-uI

 

[The Sheep]

Here is the summary on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sd1wrpRO-uI

Love the first shot

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

no I said he'd do top ten in the mountains. he will crush everyone within 2 years

whatever you say captain.

Will be interesting to see how colombia go on stage 3.

--
Mollema is poised for victory, this is clear

 

[theyoungest]

Mollema is poised for victory, this is clear

He says on his website: "if I have the legs I had today on the stage to Andorra, I can't complain."