2012 Speculation (and confirmation) thread - rider schedules and parcours

[Mellow Velo]

Anyone who does the Track World Cup will be able to share in that advantage (wasn't DB saying that they shouldn't have done so, to keep an advantage?).

Indeed, he did. Not at all happy to give away home advantage. GB will obviously have more opportunity to train and practice, however.

In response to Hitch's question - event is from 17th to 19th February 2012. Tickets on sale from next week 17th November or 15th if you are a member of British Cycling. Would have liked to have gone as missed out on Olympic tickets but will be in Portugal - hopefully watching the Tour of the Algarve.

Tickets have been available to Team GB riders for a couple of weeks.
(at least to pre-order)
So, me and my lot are already sorted. Looking forward to it.
Quite fancy watching the ToA in February, though!

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Team Pursuit will be one of the most interesting events of the Games imo. Always great to watch and is a highly competitive event.

The Russians may get in on the act, but with a strengthened team, I can't see past a GB vs. Aus final. You're right, that will be one of the highlights of the games for me.

In addition to the advantage we'll get from training on the track, we'll also have all 4 guys focussed on this event as their main aim for the year, and that includes Super G. Will this be the same for your guys? Won't Green Edge have Bobridge slogging himself all over European roads throughout the spring and summer?

 

[auscyclefan94]

The Russians may get in on the act, but with a strengthened team, I can't see past a GB vs. Aus final. You're right, that will be one of the highlights of the games for me.

In addition to the advantage we'll get from training on the track, we'll also have all 4 guys focussed on this event as their main aim for the year, and that includes Super G. Will this be the same for your guys? Won't Green Edge have Bobridge slogging himself all over European roads throughout the spring and summer?

'Super G' is doing the giro which I think Bobridge and Meyer are doing. The programs will be similar between all riders imo.

Durbridge, Hepburn, Bobridge, Meyer V Thomas, Stannard, ?????????

I think I know who will win.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

'Super G' is doing the giro which I think Bobridge and Meyer are doing. The programs will be similar between all riders imo.

Durbridge, Hepburn, Bobridge, Meyer V Thomas, Stannard, ?????????

I think I know who will win.

Super G will ride the Giro as part of this Team Pursuit preparations and that will likely be his last road action. Your guys might be doing the Giro and then a whole load of other road stuff, at the direction of their trade teams, possibly up to and included the Tour. That was what the question was about.

As for our 4, you can add Ed Clancy. Already a Team Pursuit gold medallist from 2008 and the current WC for Omnium. Kennaugh maybe, but not Stannard.

 

[Ferminal]

Super G will ride the Giro as part of this Team Pursuit preparations and that will likely be his last road action. Your guys might be doing the Giro and then a whole load of other road stuff, at the direction of their trade teams, possibly up to and included the Tour. That was what the question was about.

As for our 4, you can add Ed Clancy. Already a Team Pursuit gold medallist from 2008 and the current WC for Omnium. Kennaugh maybe, but not Stannard.

Was too tired/injured/sick (don't remember) to even compete in the Omnium in Appledorn.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Was too tired/injured/sick (don't remember) to even compete in the Omnium in Appledorn.

I stand corrected. He won in 2010, not this year, although he's talking about even giving it up next year to focus on the pursuit.

 

[Ferminal]

I stand corrected. He won in 2010, not this year, although he's talking about even giving it up next year to focus on the pursuit.

GT for the omnium.

 

[Ferminal]

Not sure if it's been posted elsewhere, but sounds like no Giro for Schleck, or Horner and Klöden for that matter:

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=45045

Popo focusing on the cobbles (I like):

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=45054

 

[Mellow Velo]

All tickets for the London Track WC event were sold out in a matter of hours.
No surprise that they were not cheap either.
Up to £40 (50€/$60) per single session.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Super G will ride the Giro as part of this Team Pursuit preparations and that will likely be his last road action. Your guys might be doing the Giro and then a whole load of other road stuff, at the direction of their trade teams, possibly up to and included the Tour. That was what the question was about.

As for our 4, you can add Ed Clancy. Already a Team Pursuit gold medallist from 2008 and the current WC for Omnium. Kennaugh maybe, but not Stannard.

Erm, I doubt they would be doing any other road stuff as well. Many of the guys who work with the track team are going to be working at GreenEdge. I think they would know how to prepare those guys correctly for the olympics.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Cavendish will NOT be California dreamin', but at his preferred race........the Giro:
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/cavendish-to-race-similar-programme-to-2009

 

[roundabout]

It said in the link that he hopes to ride the Giro with the aim of finishing it like in 2009 but in 2009 he did only 13 stages (1 more than in 2011).

Ok, IIRC in 2009 the last 3 (possibly even 4) stages weren't suitable to Cavendish, but in 2012 there will be a single sprinter stage in week 3 so once again it is likely to be the same 13 stages.

 

[Ferminal]

Evans in Mallorca? That means he's starting a whole month earlier than this year.

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...llorca-Schleck-brothers-also-taking-part.aspx

 

[will10]

It said in the link that he hopes to ride the Giro with the aim of finishing it like in 2009 but in 2009 he did only 13 stages (1 more than in 2011).

Ok, IIRC in 2009 the last 3 (possibly even 4) stages weren't suitable to Cavendish, but in 2012 there will be a single sprinter stage in week 3 so once again it is likely to be the same 13 stages.

I think he's elected to ride the Giro rather than do California and Suisse, which would give him a few too many race days close to the Tour and Olympics.

I expect him to hit the Giro in good shape, battle through, win the sprinter stage in the 3rd week, skip the June races and start the Tour a little off, so he can build up to being in top shape for the 3rd week and carry that through to the Olympics RR.

 

[mc_mountain]

It said in the link that he hopes to ride the Giro with the aim of finishing it like in 2009 but in 2009 he did only 13 stages (1 more than in 2011).

Ok, IIRC in 2009 the last 3 (possibly even 4) stages weren't suitable to Cavendish, but in 2012 there will be a single sprinter stage in week 3 so once again it is likely to be the same 13 stages.

i read it as his aim was to finish in 2009 (even though he didnt) and his aim will be to finish in 2012 (though I suspect he won't), I guess it depends whether he is in with a chance to win the points jersey/has achieved his other early season goals/has won his obligatory GT stage win...

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

i read it as his aim was to finish in 2009 (even though he didnt) and his aim will be to finish in 2012 (though I suspect he won't), I guess it depends whether he is in with a chance to win the points jersey/has achieved his other early season goals/has won his obligatory GT stage win...

Not obligatory, he's broken his run now.

 

[mc_mountain]

Not obligatory, he's broken his run now.

I meant to indicate that he feels obliged to win at least one stage per GT, i think he would be being a little harsh on himself if he put the vuelta down as a failure...

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I meant to indicate that he feels obliged to win at least one stage per GT, i think he would be being a little harsh on himself if he put the vuelta down as a failure...

Killed his attempt at 7 GT's in a row with a stage win. Heartbreaking.

 

[Panda Claws]

I wonder what GVA will do.

I saw an interview with Gilbert on tv recently. (It was his fan day.)

And they asked him about van Avermaet there.

To which Gilbert replied: "Yes, Greg is a very ambitious cyclist but BMC hired me to win the big races. You never know what happens, if the leader feels very bad after 20 km then you could take another option."

Hushovd also said that him and Gilbert working together wouldn't be a problem: "We all know that Gilbert can win Milano-Sanremo on the Poggio but if that doesn't work out then I am still there to win the sprint."


GVA is pretty much told to go screw himself. I wonder how he will ride the classics next year.

 

[Arnout]

Well what did GvA do to become a leader? He failed, mostly. One Paris Tours, thats it. Not enough to justify a leader position, especially when you consider his repeated GT failures.

 

[greenedge]

GVA was driven into the ground after his 08 Vuelta points win. I think he is emerging from that period quite well. He came 3rd at San Sebastien. Sure he didn't animate the race but he wasn't supposed to as he had the best sprint. He came 5th in the WC in 10 even after launching Gilbert on his move. That's some good talent. I quite like him and hopes he can go well at some races next year. Also he can now learn from Hushovd how to transform from a sprinter into a classics threat.

Hushovd i can envisage winning M-SR next year. He has the perfect teammate in Gilbert to draw the sting out of others. GVA would probably be able to assist him in the sprint as he animated things this year. Ballan can also attack. A massive 4 pronged attack with riders who have featured as of late ( Ballan, Gilbert and GVA ) and a rider who can hang on with a group of 20 or so with a great sprint should be sure to animate/ win next years M-SR. If Goss could hang with riders like Cancellara and Nibali Hushovd based on his TDF stage 4/ 8 should be able to.

Evans i think wants to go to the Mallorca Challenge and scare the Shlecks by having good form compared to their start of the season peak. Important physiologically. Big teams as well.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

GVA was driven into the ground after his 08 Vuelta points win. I think he is emerging from that period quite well. He came 3rd at San Sebastien. Sure he didn't animate the race but he wasn't supposed to as he had the best sprint. He came 5th in the WC in 10 even after launching Gilbert on his move. That's some good talent. I quite like him and hopes he can go well at some races next year. Also he can now learn from Hushovd how to transform from a sprinter into a classics threat.

Hushovd i can envisage winning M-SR next year. He has the perfect teammate in Gilbert to draw the sting out of others. GVA would probably be able to assist him in the sprint as he animated things this year. Ballan can also attack. A massive 4 pronged attack with riders who have featured as of late ( Ballan, Gilbert and GVA ) and a rider who can hang on with a group of 20 or so with a great sprint should be sure to animate/ win next years M-SR. If Goss could hang with riders like Cancellara and Nibali Hushovd based on his TDF stage 4/ 8 should be able to.

Evans i think wants to go to the Mallorca Challenge and scare the Shlecks by having good form compared to their start of the season peak. Important physiologically. Big teams as well.

gva is more of a classic threat then a sprinter anyway.
omega pharma 2.0

 

[Libertine Seguros]

According to Beñat Intxausti, the GC of the Vuelta al País Vasco 2012 will likely be settled by Arrate, the ITT, and Ibardin. The Col d'Ibardin lies between Urrugne in France and Bera in Navarra, so it looks like all of the Basque lands will get some love from País Vasco in 2012.

However, Ibardin is not a very difficult climb, which makes me slightly worried if these are supposed to be the decisive stages, as there are so many, so many tougher climbs in the region.

 

[roundabout]

biciciclismo has the 2012 Pais Vasco route

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=45190

 

[auscyclefan94]

gva is more of a classic threat then a sprinter anyway.
omega pharma 2.0

more like lotto 2.0 - I guess that is better than Phonak 2.0