2013 Speculation (and confirmation) thread - rider schedules and parcours

[TheArt]

Why not Tour of Oman for Gesink?

Also i would assume Mollema would lead at the Vuelta, unless if they do not consider him to be a GT contender.

They will be good next year: Vanmarcke and Boom for the cobbles, Mollema and Slagter for Ardennes and Bos and Renshaw for sprints and a sound plan for the GC riders.

They also have Nordhaug for the Ardennes. And yes, Mollema is a GT contender. He will be their main man for the TDF and probably for the Vuelta.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Why not Tour of Oman for Gesink?

Also i would assume Mollema would lead at the Vuelta, unless if they do not consider him to be a GT contender.

They will be good next year: Vanmarcke and Boom for the cobbles, Mollema and Slagter for Ardennes and Bos and Renshaw for sprints and a sound plan for the GC riders.

Mollema will lead the team at the Tour. He'll be their #1 guy for the Tour, actually. I don't think he has it in him, though. Seems more of a Vuelta guy like Valverde, except not of the same level.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Tour of Romandie route is being announce or unveiled on Twitter right now it seems.

 

[theyoungest]

Mollema will lead the team at the Tour. He'll be their #1 guy for the Tour, actually. I don't think he has it in him, though. Seems more of a Vuelta guy like Valverde, except not of the same level.

You don't think he has what in him? He's done two Tours, in one of which he got sick and in the other he crashed hard. I have no idea what his potential in the Tour is.

 

[auscyclefan94]

There will be a final time trial around Geneva and a supposedly quite decent Mountain stage to the Diablerets ski resort that will feature in the Tour of Romandie. I think there is also a 7.5km prologue.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

You don't think he has what in him? He's done two Tours, in one of which he got sick and in the other he crashed hard. I have no idea what his potential in the Tour is.

His track record in other races isn't particularly impressive as far as "real" climbing (Angliru being the most relevant example as he had the form of his life) and flat time trialing are concerned. He doesn't stand out as a climber and can't compensate that with a killer flat time trial like several other guys can.

 

[theyoungest]

His track record in other races isn't particularly impressive as far as "real" climbing (Angliru being the most relevant example as he had the form of his life) and flat time trialing are concerned. He doesn't stand out as a climber and can't compensate that with a killer flat time trial like several other guys can.

Angliru... yeah there's your typical Tour de France style climb.

In that Vuelta he managed to hang on to the Wiggo/Froome train, for most of the course. Look at how many riders managed to do that in the past TDF.

 

[Red Rick]

Gesink aiming for the Giro.............. The Mayans were right, strange things are happening

 

[The Hitch]

Angliru... yeah there's your typical Tour de France style climb.

In that Vuelta he managed to hang on to the Wiggo/Froome train, for most of the course. Look at how many riders managed to do that in the past TDF.

Talking about dutch riders really throws you off your game. Im not claiming Mollema cant perform at the Tour de France btw but you cant seriously think the Sky train at the Vuelta was anything like what they ended up doing at the Tour?

Gesink aiming for the Giro.............. The Mayans were right, strange things are happening

lol

 

[roundabout]

There will be a final time trial around Geneva and a supposedly quite decent Mountain stage to the Diablerets ski resort that will feature in the Tour of Romandie. I think there is also a 7.5km prologue.

Morgins and Croix (!) on the stage to Les Diablerets. Cool.

Now it will snow on this stage.

Also a partly uphill prologue.

 

[will10]

Raboblanco have finally seen the light and sending a top team to the Giro.

 

[theyoungest]

Talking about dutch riders really throws you off your game. Im not claiming Mollema cant perform at the Tour de France btw but you cant seriously think the Sky train at the Vuelta was anything like what they ended up doing at the Tour?

Responding to Dutchies, that's what removes all reason from your posts.

Mollema isn't exactly my fav rider, but if he reaches his Vuelta 2011 level I think a Tour top-10 isn't out of the question. BTW why should Froome have been lightyears better this year than he was in that Vuelta?

 

[The Hitch]

Responding to Dutchies, that's what removes all reason from your posts.

Why, what was wrong with my post? I challenged your assertion that the Sky train that was flying away from Nibali at the Tour was the same beast that couldnt handle Menchov and Cobo at the Vuelta.

Why is that such an unreasanoble side to take?

Mollema isn't exactly my fav rider, but if he reaches his Vuelta 2011 level I think a Tour top-10 isn't out of the question.

Why you telling me this? I made no comment on Mollemas abilities.

BTW why should Froome have been lightyears better this year than he was in that Vuelt

the "Wiggo/Froome train" - your wording, was better in the 2012 Tour because
A they had Rogers and Porte, on the form of their lives
B they had Wiggins on the form of his life preparing his whole season for the race
C Wiggins was not coming back from a collarbone injury
and D Froome had been preparing his season for the race. In 2011, he, if we are to believe him, had come in expecting to be of a little help on the low slopes of mountains

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Angliru... yeah there's your typical Tour de France style climb.

In that Vuelta he managed to hang on to the Wiggo/Froome train, for most of the course. Look at how many riders managed to do that in the past TDF.

Angliru is definitely a "climber's climb," as atypical as it is. It's hard for its entire length, but still pretty irregular in terms of gradients, and plenty long. It's a relevant performance to me to gauge where someone stands as a climber. To me that's relevant for a typical TDF, which does have hard climbs close to the finish line.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Pinot's program for 2013:

Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise, Tour Méditerranéen, Tour du Haut-Var, Boucles du Sud-Ardèche, Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco, Tour de Romandie, Bayern Rundfahrt, Tour de Suisse (Schweiz) or Critérium du Dauphiné, Tour de France.

So I guess we'll see Pinot vs Quintana in Catalunya, Pais Vasco and perhaps Dauphiné besides the Tour.

 

[the asian]

Pinot's program for 2013:


So I guess we'll see Pinot vs Quintana in Catalunya, Pais Vasco and perhaps Dauphiné besides the Tour.

A Preview of the great battles to come in the future

That's a good program for Pinot.

 

[maltiv]

Nordhaug's schedule:

Mallorca Challange or Tour of Qatar
Strade Bianche
Tirrieno-Adriatico
Baskerland rundt
Amstel Gold Race
Fleche Wallonne
Liège-Bastogne-Liège
GlavaTour/Tour of California
Sveits rundt/Criterium du Dauphiné
Tour de France

The article says Qatar but I think it should be Oman? I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that Blanco weren't invited to Qatar, also it would make no sense to send a climber like Nordhaug there! Anyway, good to see that he most likely gets to start his first TDF, but it remains to be seen if he can maintain the form he had at Sky...

 

[theyoungest]

Qatar is just about getting kilometres in the legs... who except Boonen does that race really suit?

But yeah, they're not invited, so that means he'll be riding Mallorca. And apparently they'll do Strade Bianche for the first time. That's a race that should suit Nordhaug, I think. BTW I don't know whether it's smart to let him ride the Tour as his first GT.

 

[maltiv]

Qatar is just about getting kilometres in the legs... who except Boonen does that race really suit?

But yeah, they're not invited, so that means he'll be riding Mallorca. And apparently they'll do Strade Bianche for the first time. That's a race that should suit Nordhaug, I think.

True, but in my opinion Qatar is too risky for small climbers. Very nervous racing and lots of crashes. Definitely not worth the risk.

Strade Bianche should suit him perfectly with his MTB background. I remember he was very ambitious for the strade stage in the Giro 2011 but punctured out of the lead group with around 20k to go I think.

 

[theyoungest]

True, but in my opinion Qatar is too risky for small climbers. Very nervous racing and lots of crashes. Definitely not worth the risk.

Strade Bianche should suit him perfectly with his MTB background. I remember he was very ambitious for the strade stage in the Giro 2011 but punctured out of the lead group with around 20k to go I think.

He rode the Giro? Missed that.

 

[maltiv]

He rode the Giro? Missed that.

Yes, in 2011, before he was particularly good. He was sick through the entire race though, and was on antibiotics. Still, he was reasonably visible in 2 breakaways, one in which he countered an attack by Betancourt and blew up 2 minutes later

 

[theyoungest]

Yes, in 2011, before he was particularly good. He was sick through the entire race though, and was on antibiotics. Still, he was reasonably visible in 2 breakaways, one in which he countered an attack by Betancourt and blew up 2 minutes later

Lol, "before he was particularly good". Bobby Julich really triggered something in him, ey...

 

[maltiv]

Lol, "before he was particularly good". Bobby Julich really triggered something in him, ey...

Yes, but well, it's not like he was Froome-bad...at least he was top 10 in MTF's in Murcia, Poland, Criterium International etc. He clearly improved in 2012, but not to a degree that's unheard of by a 3. year pro. Much of his spring results were only possible due to rain which stopped his allergies, like in Basque country where it rained on every decisive stage, unlike 2011 when he had serious allergy problems (still finished a reasonable 21th in GC though). In Criterium International he went from finishing 7th on the MTF in 2011 to finishing 4th in 2012, so not much difference. The rain saved him in the Ardennes as well.

 

[Pentacycle]

Yes, but well, it's not like he was Froome-bad...at least he was top 10 in MTF's in Murcia, Poland, Criterium International etc. He clearly improved in 2012, but not to a degree that's unheard of by a 3. year pro. Much of his spring results were only possible due to rain which stopped his allergies, like in Basque country where it rained on every decisive stage, unlike 2011 when he had serious allergy problems (still finished a reasonable 21th in GC though). In Criterium International he went from finishing 7th on the MTF in 2011 to finishing 4th in 2012, so not much difference. The rain saved him in the Ardennes as well.

So, if the weather this spring is sunny and 20 degrees C like in 2011, we'll probably see the first Blancofail in cycling history. Or has he already had therapy for these allergies, like Dan Martin's had?

 

[El Pistolero]

Qatar is just about getting kilometres in the legs... who except Boonen does that race really suit?

But yeah, they're not invited, so that means he'll be riding Mallorca. And apparently they'll do Strade Bianche for the first time. That's a race that should suit Nordhaug, I think. BTW I don't know whether it's smart to let him ride the Tour as his first GT.

I thought the Dutch were "masters of the echelons"?

Admittedly, not your words, but those of DT. Anyway, I've never heard of a race or race conditions that only suits one single rider.