2013 Tour of Oman (11th-16th February), 2.HC

[Miburo]

that's what I'm expecting

He could be doing great there, he's pretty awesome.

 

[Afrank]

Styby is targeting Het Nieuwsbald , and looks to be in great form. He could be the surprise weapon for OPQS this season.

I like the sound of that. Will he be doing the other cobbled races? Maybe get a spot on their Flanders and Roubaix team?

 

[airstream]

Hey, Contador hater, just be patient till July, when the legend will attack and crush the alien impostor.

In short, even in defeat you see only positive signs right?

Crush? at the expense of what?

 

[Miburo]

In short, even in defeat you see only positive signs right?

Crush? at the expense of what?

So based on Oman you say Froome will defeat Contador in the tour, right?

Just asking a question.

 

[trevim]

Styby is targeting Het Nieuwsbald , and looks to be in great form. He could be the surprise weapon for OPQS this season.

He seems to have a quite share of talent although isn't he more suited to reduced bunch sprints and hills rather than pure cobblestones?

 

[airstream]

So based on Oman you say Froome will defeat Contador in the tour, right?

Just asking a question.

No, but you should understand me too. Let's imagine Contador could have won on the Green Mountain and taken 30 sec over the field. Could people have started making up excuses for Froome and Nibali? For Evans??! It is even funny to think about that. No, because most of the forum would have considered such an outcome an absolutely natural of things. THOUGH, excuses, sensations, revelations etc etc etc work for everyone not only for Contador.

We were discussing this yesterday. You was saying you gave Contador overwhelming credit for the win because he won 7 GTs. I suppose you was implying that he is by far the best climber.

IMO, Rodriguez is getting a serious factor. If he keeps his form up on this level (though, we have more and more evidence to consider that he is equal to best of the best climbers nowadays), he can become a contender for the podium easily. Rodriguez who we observe for the last half-year will lose penny at hilly TT. TT to Mont-Saint-Michelle сan be ridden passably because of extreme motivation as well.

 

[the asian]

He seems to have a quite share of talent although isn't he more suited to reduced bunch sprints and hills rather than pure cobblestones?

He's a good bike handler so should have no problem with the cobbles.

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...assics-we-are-the-best-team-in-the-World.aspx

(interview with Styby on 29th)

I like the sound of that. Will he be doing the other cobbled races? Maybe get a spot on their Flanders and Roubaix team?

The new Ronde parcours should suit him well, I certainly expect him to ride both races, but as a dom though.

that's what I'm expecting

I'm regretting not picking him for the CQ team. i had him last year.

 

[Orbit501]

Sorry to digress a moment from the Contador vs Froome debate. A very worthy discussion considering the past 2 days of superb racing they've treated us to - but what are everyone's thoughts on tomorrows stage please?

Carbon copy of Stage One? Or are those tiny bumps just enough to rule Kittel out? I'm guessing not as he'll have targeted this stage at the start along with stage one, but curious to know what others think.

 

[HiCadence]

Sorry to digress a moment from the Contador vs Froome debate. A very worthy discussion considering the past 2 days of superb racing they've treated us to - but what are everyone's thoughts on tomorrows stage please?

Carbon copy of Stage One? Or are those tiny bumps just enough to rule Kittel out? I'm guessing not as he'll have targeted this stage at the start along with stage one, but curious to know what others think.

I'm calling it!

Kittel to have a 'Mechanical' before the bumps and Degenkolb to take over for an impressive win with Sagan out of the picture.

 

[Afrank]

Final Km's, that bump looks like it won't amount to anything, I think Kittel will survive barring he doesn't mechanical or crash. Sagan, Goss, Bouhanni, ect. to be the other competitors in the sprint.

 

[Orbit501]

I'm calling it!

Kittel to have a 'Mechanical' before the bumps and Degenkolb to take over for an impressive win with Sagan out of the picture.

That's a bold call given Degenkolb's form so far here. Mind you, I thought similar about J Rod and you weren't wrong on that one.

 

[HiCadence]

Final Km's, that bump looks like it won't amount to anything, I think Kittel will survive barring he doesn't mechanical or crash. Sagan, Goss, Bouhanni, ect. to be the other competitors in the sprint.

Sagan withdrew today with a throat infection so he won't be a factor

 

[LaFlorecita]

Final Km's, that bump looks like it won't amount to anything, I think Kittel will survive barring he doesn't mechanical or crash. Sagan, Goss, Bouhanni, ect. to be the other competitors in the sprint.

Sagan isn't in the race anymore and that hill is 500m@10%

 

[Afrank]

Sagan withdrew today with a throat infection so he won't be a factor

Sagan isn't in the race anymore and that hill is 500m@10%

Oh, thanks, didn't know that. Too bad.

 

[HiCadence]

That's a bold call given Degenkolb's form so far here. Mind you, I thought similar about J Rod and you weren't wrong on that one.

If he wins i'm going to declare myself psychic!

 

[Orbit501]

Final Km's, that bump looks like it won't amount to anything, I think Kittel will survive barring he doesn't mechanical or crash. Sagan, Goss, Bouhanni, ect. to be the other competitors in the sprint.

Sagan will be lucky to be in the mix here

At home nursing a sore throat.

 

[SafeBet]

It's Bouhanni time to shine.

 

[Orbit501]

...that hill is 500m@10%

Didn't realise that. That potentially changes things. Where did you find that info?

 

[Orbit501]

It's Bouhanni time to shine.

Agreed. He's in fine form.

 

[wwabbit]

Slightly better highlights of stage 5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W1dVcrciEY or http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BieXRXFgvCU
Shows Contador's attack up the 3rd climb, Froome and Rodriguez cracking Evans on the way up to reach Contador, and parts of the final sprint

 

[BRCYC11]

I don't have any precise estimation of the climb, but here is what Sports Director, Marc Reef, from Team Argos-Shimano says:

“We have looked at the final lap tomorrow and there is a climb 3.5 km from the finish, so it won’t be easy, but we will work on our plan later today. We definitely want to give it a try for tomorrow.”

So I guess their plan id Degenkolb...

 

[HiCadence]

It's Bouhanni time to shine.

I also wouldn't mind seeing/reading Bouhanni cross the line first

 

[LaFlorecita]

Didn't realise that. That potentially changes things. Where did you find that info?

Saw it in this thread but on the profile you can see it's 500m and it's a 50 m vertical gain or close to that so 10%.

Btw I just saw highlights and I must say Alberto looked pretty strong. Also he had a higher speed in the sprint, he could've won if the line had been 10 meters further away.

 

[Orbit501]

I don't have any precise estimation of the climb, but here is what Sports Director, Marc Reef, from Team Argos-Shimano says:

“We have looked at the final lap tomorrow and there is a climb 3.5 km from the finish, so it won’t be easy, but we will work on our plan later today. We definitely want to give it a try for tomorrow.”

So I guess their plan id Degenkolb...

They also have to go over it twice from what I can now understand too? The more I discover, the more I think it's not for Kittel after all.

 

[Orbit501]

Saw it in this thread but on the profile you can see it's 500m and it's a 50 m vertical gain or close to that so 10%.

That makes sense. Thanks.

For some reason I had it mind at the start of this race that stages 1 & 6 were Kittel type stages. I'm not so sure tomorrow is for him after all now.