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2012 USA Pro Cycling Challenge, Stage 3, Gunnision to Aspen, 207 kms.

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M

Mellow Velo

Mar 11, 2009
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Zinoviev Letter said:
Although most of the good racing has been a result of Garmin riding like lunatics.
Click to expand...

At the risk of upsetting Deagol, I'll say it again.
Clearly, this is Garmin's pre race tactic because the parcour does not lend itself to late attacks.
Long straight roads (50 miles) of 1-2% gradient are impossible to get away on.
Attritional yes, but it's a stretch to call it climbing.
There was 8kms of real climbing, but with BMC still riding a strong tempo.
After that, 30kms of downhill/flat.
Result? No attacks.
Why? No chance to take enough time to stay away.

Anyhow, chapeau to Garmin for trying to light it up.
Success yesterday, but with VDV now in the leader's jersey,
will they be forced to pull the peloton, at the expense of multiple
riders heading off in the break, or face the wrath of Chris Horner?
 
CobbleStoner

CobbleStoner

Jun 11, 2011
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9000ft said:
Utah is a great race, but it doesn't have near the financial backing of the USPCC.
Click to expand...
even more reason that it should be better, but it isn't. it is 4th, behind ToC, Utah, and Gila River.
Red Zinger/Coors Classic had no problem with great routes and good racing.
they really should combine it with Utah & Gila and give ToC a run for their money, all races would benefit
bernie_longo.jpg
 
9

9000ft

Feb 4, 2010
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CobbleStoner said:
even more reason that it should be better, but it isn't. it is 4th, behind ToC, Utah, and Gila River.
Red Zinger/Coors Classic had no problem with great routes and good racing.
they really should combine it with Utah & Gila and give ToC a run for their money, all races would benefit
bernie_longo.jpg
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's certainly possible. TOU started as a regional race and to an extent, still is. The promoters haven't had to worry about getting national level sponsors and financial backing required to attract pro tour level teams and ranking. There's nothing wrong with that.

The promoters of the USPCC started out the process thinking big which means catering to sponsors. Sponsors care about things like national and international TV coverage, not so much how a course stands up to the scrutiny of the relatively small number of self described "real" cycling fans (who never seem to be satisfied with anything).

As I said, give it time. Right now there are sponsors and towns who want to ante up to be part of the race. A town needs to put together a support package worth a LOT of $ to be in the race and for that to be worth it there has to be a lot of exposure. As that level rises, there will be more surplus and the possibility of more stages and more interesting routes.
 
BillytheKid

BillytheKid

Jun 1, 2011
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Mellow Velo said:
At the risk of upsetting Deagol, I'll say it again.
Clearly, this is Garmin's pre race tactic because the parcour does not lend itself to late attacks.
Long straight roads (50 miles) of 1-2% gradient are impossible to get away on.
Attritional yes, but it's a stretch to call it climbing.
There was 8kms of real climbing, but with BMC still riding a strong tempo.
After that, 30kms of downhill/flat.
Result? No attacks.
Why? No chance to take enough time to stay away.

Anyhow, chapeau to Garmin for trying to light it up.
Success yesterday, but with VDV now in the leader's jersey,
will they be forced to pull the peloton, at the expense of multiple
riders heading off in the break, or face the wrath of Chris Horner?
Click to expand...

Today's Stage starts with a 30 kms climb at 4%, but is really a mix of false flat and steeper sectors. If you watched the finish yesterday you would have notice some goood speed over top despite a headwind and obviously some good variation all the way down. The lack of good profiles is frustrating, but Stage 4 will be the long and harder way back over Independence Pass.:D
 
D

Deagol

May 7, 2009
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I thought stage 3 was great at times and a little frustrating near the end, but that's just my bias (was hoping for more of a gap). People have made good points about the race (ie establishment) and these are the same points that we made last year. I am expecting today's stage to Beaver Creek to play out somewhat like Satge 2, but with larger gaps. It's a neat downhill from Tennesee Pass to Minturn, but maybe not steep. Perhaps it will favor the peloton over a break? I am guessing the initial climb up the west side of Independence pass will create a split and people will try for KOM points at the top. Not sure if things will come back together on the downhill (I'm guessing that a descent sized group should be able to stay away since the distance of the overall stage is not very long).

edit: and thanks again to Billy the Kid for starting these threads
 
T

twisted pairs

Aug 15, 2012
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I knew I wasn't seeing things. Lack of effort on the part of RSN and BMC was ****ed because of it.


------------------------------------------------------
"I think they forgot that the women's race is later in the week," Sayers said, referring to the women's criterium that actually ran in downtown Aspen Wednesday before the men raced into town for their finish. "I don't understand why they're not going for stage wins. I don't expect anybody to help my team, but I don't understand why, when you have six riders in the front group, that you won't even pull, and then you start attacking to get the stage win.

"I mean you have six riders," Sayers continued. "You can't win if you don't bring the leader back, so bring the leader back and then attack. But hey, they do their race, I do my race. It's upsetting, but they do their race, and I do my race."

Mathias Frank, who Sayers tapped as the hero of the race for BMC because of his yeoman's work on the front for van Garderen, also felt the frustration of getting little to no help during the chase of the breakaway and eventually of a solo Danielson.

"I wasn't really surprised," he said. "The way it's been going these past three days is everyone against everyone. I expected RadioShack to ride; it would be in their interest. But they didn't ride the first day, they didn't ride yesterday, so why should they ride today?"

Ochowicz also had a few choice words for RadioShack-Nissan, questioning why they didn't try for a stage win when they had a handful of riders in the front group coming off the category 1 climb of Independence Pass and the long descent into Aspen.

"At that point, if I didn't think I could win this [overall] race, that was a great [stage] to win," Ochowicz said. "It was easy to win. You had the group coming down the hill, and there were teams with three, four, five riders. All you had to do was chase a little bit and you would catch Danielson. You had a chance to win the stage. You gave it up."

When he was told that RadioShack-Nissan team director Alain Gallopin said after stage 2 that is was BMC's job to control the race, pure and simple, Ochowicz replied succinctly.

"That's fine," he said. "That's good for him."
 
BillytheKid

BillytheKid

Jun 1, 2011
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twisted pairs said:
I knew I wasn't seeing things. Lack of effort on the part of RSN and BMC was ****ed because of it.


------------------------------------------------------
"I think they forgot that the women's race is later in the week," Sayers said, referring to the women's criterium that actually ran in downtown Aspen Wednesday before the men raced into town for their finish. "I don't understand why they're not going for stage wins. I don't expect anybody to help my team, but I don't understand why, when you have six riders in the front group, that you won't even pull, and then you start attacking to get the stage win.

"I mean you have six riders," Sayers continued. "You can't win if you don't bring the leader back, so bring the leader back and then attack. But hey, they do their race, I do my race. It's upsetting, but they do their race, and I do my race."[/B


Mathias Frank, who Sayers tapped as the hero of the race for BMC because of his yeoman's work on the front for van Garderen, also felt the frustration of getting little to no help during the chase of the breakaway and eventually of a solo Danielson.

"I wasn't really surprised," he said. "The way it's been going these past three days is everyone against everyone. I expected RadioShack to ride; it would be in their interest. But they didn't ride the first day, they didn't ride yesterday, so why should they ride today?"[/B
Ochowicz also had a few choice words for RadioShack-Nissan, questioning why they didn't try for a stage win when they had a handful of riders in the front group coming off the category 1 climb of Independence Pass and the long descent into Aspen.

"At that point, if I didn't think I could win this [overall] race, that was a great [stage] to win," Ochowicz said. "It was easy to win. You had the group coming down the hill, and there were teams with three, four, five riders. All you had to do was chase a little bit and you would catch Danielson. You had a chance to win the stage. You gave it up."

When he was told that RadioShack-Nissan team director Alain Gallopin said after stage 2 that is was BMC's job to control the race, pure and simple, Ochowicz replied succinctly.

"That's fine," he said. "That's good for him."
Click to expand...


Look at BMC's roster and how little they did on Stage 2. Sayers wants help after doing the same stuff to RSNT? This is Garmin's home turf. Tommy D is fresh and has been back at altitude for a good while. RSNT were not the only passengers on the bus yesterday. BMC has Cadel Evans here! Fact is, know one helped. A case of the looky loos, but balme it all RSNT if you must. Fuglsang should be showing his stuff here, but that's right, he's already riding for next season and Astana.

RSNT got the better end of the deal with Kieserlovski.:D

Horner is right. They're not really that strong. He's fading, but Busche, Klöden or Fuglsang should really be the ones to latch onto a break today.
 
9

9000ft

Feb 4, 2010
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Deagol said:
I thought stage 3 was great at times and a little frustrating near the end, but that's just my bias (was hoping for more of a gap). People have made good points about the race (ie establishment) and these are the same points that we made last year. I am expecting today's stage to Beaver Creek to play out somewhat like Satge 2, but with larger gaps. It's a neat downhill from Tennessee Pass to Minturn, but maybe not steep. Perhaps it will favor the peloton over a break? I am guessing the initial climb up the west side of Independence pass will create a split and people will try for KOM points at the top. Not sure if things will come back together on the downhill (I'm guessing that a descent sized group should be able to stay away since the distance of the overall stage is not very long).

edit: and thanks again to Billy the Kid for starting these threads
Click to expand...

It's not all downhill from Tennesee Pass to Minturn. They have to go over Battle Mountain, then it's a somewhat curvaceous descent to Minturn. It's not a huge climb going north (much more vert climbing out of Minturn) but it might keep the entire peloton from regrouping before the final climb to Beaver Creek.
 
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