2013 Volta ao Algarve (14th-17th February), 2.1

[Lupetto]

Etapa 1: Faro - Albufeira, 198,8 km

Etapa 2: Lagoa - Lagoa, 195 km

Etapa 3: Portimão - Alto do Malhão, 193 km

Etapa 4: Castro Marim - Tavira, 34,8 km (Contrarrelógio individual)

Teams

Blanco Pro Cycling (Bos, Kelderman, Kruijswijk)
Euskaltel-Euskadi (Mestre)
Movistar Team (Costa)
Omega Pharma-Quick Step (Cavendish, Martin, Chavanel)
RadioShack-Leopard (Machado, Klöden)
Team Saxo-Tinkoff
Sky (Henao, Uran)
Vacansoleil-DCM (De Gendt, Westra)
Caja Rural
Colombia
Team Katusha (Kolobnev, Menchov)
Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise
UnitedHealthcare
Carmim-Tavira
Efapel-Glassdrive
LA Alumínios-Antarte
Louletano-Dunas Douradas
OFM-Quinta da Lixa
Rádio Popular-Onda
An Post-Chainreaction

 

[gregrowlerson]

Go Klodi!!! A good course for him if he has rediscovered his time trialling legs over the off season

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Gotta give Cav credit. The guy got a bit of catch up to do after '12. A race with 1 or two flat stages? No problem, Cav will come along and clean up.

Anyway, Tony Martin FTW by a distance.

 

[Parrulo]

if martin has his 2011 climbing legs he is by far the too favourite, only way he could lose this is by losing over 2 minutes on malhão.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

if martin has his 2011 climbing legs he is by far the too favourite, only way he could lose this is by losing over 2 minutes on malhão.

do we have any details of the climb?

 

[Parrulo]

iirc malhão is something like 3k at 9%, maybe a bit shorter so it's more a hill then a proper climb.

it's a shame to see this race having so many financial problems every year. if they had some money they could certainly use other better climbs in that area as well.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Cav's doing a crazy amount of early season racing.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

iirc malhão is something like 3k at 9%, maybe a bit shorter so it's more a hill then a proper climb.

it's a shame to see this race having so many financial problems every year. if they had some money they could certainly use other better climbs in that area as well.

I like stage 3, these hills are enough if the riders wants to race. However the balance overall... not good.

 

[Parrulo]

i really don't understand why the hell did they add a full 10km to the itt

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

TAWK to dominate

 

[Dazed and Confused]

i really don't understand why the hell did they add a full 10km to the itt

getting just 30s back in mountains these days seems to be one hell of a task.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

TAWK to dominate

dare I ask?

ahjkshjalhjflkflsFJDSLHFFKlhashjlkHHHFJdsahhfD

 

[theyoungest]

dare I ask?

ahjkshjalhjflkflsFJDSLHFFKlhashjlkHHHFJdsahhfD

The Amazing Wilco Kelderman.

BTW, you asked about Malhao: even last year, when Tony Martin was climbing like a brick for most of the season, he made the top-10 on Malhao. That's how hard that climb is. And judging by the Mallorcan races, his climbing legs are back.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

The Amazing Wilco Kelderman.

BTW, you asked about Malhao: even last year, when Tony Martin was climbing like a brick for most of the season, he made the top-10 on Malhao. That's how hard that climb is. And judging by the Mallorcan races, his climbing legs are back.

Thanks.
stage 3 looks good for some hilly action, but clearly we need a serious climbing stage somewhere to balance the long TT. Hell Bert Grabsch could almost win this GC.

 

[Netserk]

All hail the great Wilco! _O_

 

[Der Effe]

Look at his Wilco's face, it's soft as velvet. I could write a poem about it. No doubt about it he'll win this race but just maybe he'll let some guys pass and go for a top 10 to not ruin their confidence completely. It's still early season.

 

[Netserk]

Look at his Wilco's face, it's soft as velvet. I could write a poem about it. No doubt about it he'll win this race but just maybe he'll let some guys pass and go for a top 10 to not ruin their confidence completely. It's still early season.

Indeed. But who do you think he will gift it to? Tony didn't really have the best season last year, so maybe he will gift it to him, no?

 

[Pentacycle]

Indeed. But who do you think he will gift it to? Tony didn't really have the best season last year, so maybe he will gift it to him, no?

Rui Costa

10char

 

[Dazed and Confused]

All hail the great Wilco! _O_

way too soft for me. This boy can't make it. Where are the scars? Any record of broken bones?

Damn, instead of interval training he will be at the manicure shop.

 

[theyoungest]

way too soft for me. This boy can't make it. Where are the scars? Any record of broken bones?

Damn, instead of interval training he will be at the manicure shop.

He's had his share of broken collar bones/wrist/what have you. But he still dominated the U23 scene. So I guess there is something angelic about him.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

He's had his share of broken collar bones/wrist/what have you. But he still dominated the U23 scene. So I guess there is something angelic about him.

Ok, bring him to some hard terrain and lets see what he can do. Giro?

 

[Der Effe]

Indeed. But who do you think he will gift it to? Tony didn't really have the best season last year, so maybe he will gift it to him, no?

Would be the obvious choice but Wilco works in mysterious ways!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

35km of ITT to offset a 3km climb? Route stinks.

It's like organisers have decided that to counter Zomegnan's craziness and Guillén's overdosing on MTFs they have to make every other race on the calendar totally suck for climbers.

 

[Gloin22]

The route sucks, however hopefully Henao takes his first win at Sky here. Martin to win this easily however.

 

[King Of The Wolds]

Cav's doing a crazy amount of early season racing.

Especially as he's also listed as doing a concurrent race, a couple of thousand miles away.