2013 Tour of Qatar (3rd-8th February), 2.HC

[Netserk]

They're called Omega Pharma - Quickstep. Any idea on the business strategies for either of these companies for 2013?

Boonen is by far the biggest star on the team. He will only ride the tour if he wants to.

 

[UncleTupelo]

No wind forecast. How do BMC & Sky go about wrestling the overall from OPQS & Cav?

 

[ingsve]

I just looked at the GC after stage 4 and realized that it mainly reflects the results of the TTT with BMC holding 2nd-6th place and Sky holding 7th-11th. If that is roughly how the final GC will look then that is a awefully negative review of this race. Simply put; Don't have a TTT if you don't have any other challenging stages that can spread the field!

 

[BlenJones2]

How do BMC & Sky go about wrestling the overall from OPQS & Cav?

Hope for a mistake or early accident?

Both teams could attack with riders going off the front as soon as one gets reeled in, but the leadouts from all teams in the last 5k have been rapid so far and they wouldnt stand much chance of staying away

 

[manafana]

Right Stage 5 bets are up with ladbrokes offering some great prices.


stage 4 went as expected really which is good

yeah agreed ttt was rubbish idea, only stage 1 offered chance of spilts due to big winds which are now gone.

 

[wirral]

I think Hutarovich punctured with 5km to go yesterday so did not feature in the sprint, manafana.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I agree with your last 3 sentences. However, if Cav wants Boonen and Chavanel as part of his preferred train though, they'll be with him in July, however painful it might be for you to accept the thought of Boonen leading out Cav to victory. You don't sign the best sprinter in history and then not build the team around him for the biggest race of the year, unless you've got a shot at yellow.

It would be truly awful to see Boonen reduced to lead out man for Cavendish on ****ty flat stages.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Fabian cancellara ‏@f_cancellara
No wind at all on the starting area..... Looks like @opqscyclingteam will pull and defent the hohle day. #thanksBoys pic.twitter.com/C2tBDRZC

 

[will10]

I just looked at the GC after stage 4 and realized that it mainly reflects the results of the TTT with BMC holding 2nd-6th place and Sky holding 7th-11th. If that is roughly how the final GC will look then that is a awefully negative review of this race. Simply put; Don't have a TTT if you don't have any other challenging stages that can spread the field!

This is a highly unusual edition, normally there is at the very least one stage where the bunch is torn to shreds in the wind. BMC et al must be regretting not putting Cav to the sword on stage 1 (hindsight is always 20-20).

 

[greenedge]

I am really hoping for BMC to attack but if Cav survives/ wins i will say it is deserved. However if the race is hard he might not win the sprint so that leaves Markus, EBH, Guardini and Kroupis in my view- of course with the option of Cav.

I haven't been able to enjoy the race as much this year as there was no Eurosport coverage and i could not be bothered to look at the streams so much.

 

[wirral]

Go with the Aljazeera stream if you change your mind. Very high quality and you can listen to Arabic words like Marrrak Cavendeesh. I recommend.

 

[manafana]

I think Hutarovich punctured with 5km to go yesterday so did not feature in the sprint, manafana.

thanks virral, always hard to know isnt it, but he had another day were he didnt make finish.

 

[wheelie1977]

Although I love the sport and love Mark Cavendish, quite frankly I think an under 12 rider has more cop on than the average sprinter !

The past 2 stages won by Cavendish outlined the fact that some of the riders just had not done a recon of the previous year's finales. Today will be the same, no doubt.

Cavendish said he drew on his experience from 2012 when the wind was coming from the right and he knew that the finish was to the left. In my articles on my own blog , I even knew that the finish would be sloping to the left so why were every other sprinter bar the Manxman sprinting from the right giving ample room but more importantly, wind protection to the fastest sprinter in the peleton?!

My hair was nearly out of my head by the tactics and the only rider who can really come out of this with credit is young Barry Markus who is coming from the track and is showing the potential to be top class a la Van Poppel from yesteryear. The intelligence cannot be taught, in my opinion.

Side note, BMC, what are they doing? Headless chickens. I'd twittered and tweeted that BMC's best form of defence was to man mark Cavendish in the sprint. On Stage 3 they formed their own inadequate lead out train which was subsumed by a faster moving peleton. On Stage 4, the same even though the world's fastest man, and former stage winner, was the danger man. Stay close to him and you're assured of bonus seconds from a higher placing.

With 2 kilometres to go, despite being brushed back through the pack and wide and then back in again, Adam Blythe found himself on Mark Cavendish's wheel, possibly the luckiest piece of bike manoevering this week. 3rd place Blythe on 4th place former World Champion and previous day's winner Cavendish!

What follows is typical Cavendish but can also be looked at as typical "every other sprinter". Some jostling, some elbows, brakes, Cavendish knows instinctively to go right, maintain speed and goes onto win. Blythe goes left, loses position, finishes 14th. Given that Cavendish went right but still managed to end up winning 5 riders breadth wise on the left hand side, this is just top class intelligence by the Manx man.

Ok end of my Man love for the day. Words cannot express how good a rider I think Cav is but for everyone else, just pay attention to him. He's the only man to follow. Ever!

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Man, just got to see the results from yesterday; Cavendish seems to have found his place at Omega Pharma, and congrats to Markus for bein 2nd again.

Also, what is Viviani doing? He's more than good enough of a sprinter to be up there, he was also strong in the echelon stage, so he should be in good fom.

 

[wirral]

thanks virral, always hard to know isnt it, but he had another day were he didnt make finish.

Yes, his best showing was 11th on stage 1.

 

[jens_attacks]

Go with the Aljazeera stream if you change your mind. Very high quality and you can listen to Arabic words like Marrrak Cavendeesh. I recommend.

you mean cavenditch

but i paid attention and they pronounce the rider's names 100x better than phil and paul or perico will ever do
also the serious man in the studio seems full of cycling knowledge, is he an ex-rider?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Although I love the sport and love Mark Cavendish, quite frankly I think an under 12 rider has more cop on than the average sprinter !

The past 2 stages won by Cavendish outlined the fact that some of the riders just had not done a recon of the previous year's finales. Today will be the same, no doubt.

snipped...

Sounds like you should forward the CV to some of the teams.

And no, I don't think recon of stages in Qatar is on the menu for most teams.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

And heading towards his second GC of his career, I think.

Would that make him more successful then Andy Schleck when it comes to stage racing?

 

[cineteq]

you mean cavenditch

but i paid attention and they pronounce the rider's names 100x better than phil and paul or perico will ever do

LOL I was going to say that!!!They pronounce the French names very well though.

Sounds like you should forward the CV to some of the teams.

And no, I don't think recon of stages in Qatar is on the menu for most teams.

Can wait for the Gorilla, Sagan, Guardini and Ferrari to put Cav where he belongs.

 

[wirral]

Would that make him more successful then Andy Schleck when it comes to stage racing?

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?t=19916

Ah, you belong over here.

 

[wheelie1977]

Sounds like you should forward the CV to some of the teams.

And no, I don't think recon of stages in Qatar is on the menu for most teams.

it didn't even need to be on the menu!

Kruopis in all his wisdom went right and he was 2nd in the same stage last season beaten by,

drum roll.....

Cavendish going left and jumping first !

Basic memory fault!

 

[wheelie1977]

LOL I was going to say that!!!They pronounce the French names very well though.

Can wait for the Gorilla, Sagan, Guardini and Ferrari to put Cav where he belongs.

Their anchor has a savage 3 o clock shadow every day at, well 3 o clock. Perfectly groomed and timed it appears.

 

[spalco]

Would that make him more successful then Andy Schleck when it comes to stage racing?

No, they would just be even then, Andy won the "Flèche du Sud" in 2004 and the Tour in 2010.

[honestly can't believe he hasn't won more, not even the Tour of Luxemburg or something, his palamares are really **** considering his potential]

Can wait for the Gorilla, Sagan, Guardini and Ferrari to put Cav where he belongs.

Right, on top of the podium.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

it didn't even need to be on the menu!

Kruopis in all his wisdom went right and he was 2nd in the same stage last season beaten by,

drum roll.....

Cavendish going left and jumping first !

Basic memory fault!

ok, but recall Cav's job is to win every single bunch sprint, year in and year out. Kruopis is all over the map.

 

[Don't be late Pedro]

[honestly can't believe he hasn't won more, not even the Tour of Luxemburg or something, his palamares are really **** considering his potential]

That's the shame of it really. If they ever made a film about him it would be

Wasted potential:The Andy Schleck Story.