2014 68th Tour de Romandie, April 29 to May 4 - WT

[JRanton]

Porte couldn't make the front group. Lost 57 seconds.

 

[roundabout]

Why have 9kms of flat? In order to make the stage more boring?

That's where Sion is.

 

[Matdum94]

If he doesn't fall of his bike Froome will win this very easy.

I doubt it, after a terrible TT yesterday and losing 4 seconds to Kwait. With all the remaining stages being sprints like this and a 18km TT, he will only lose more time.

 

[karlboss]

Albasini mentions the climb was climbed slow. He was hoping for faster. Opportunity lost for some.

 

[Arredondo]

I doubt it, after a terrible TT yesterday and losing 4 seconds to Kwait. With all the remaining stages being sprints like this and a 18km TT, he will only lose more time.

Are you serious? Since when Froome is a short prologue specialist? He did it just well there. If he's good, he can drop Kwiat on stage four without any problems.

And Froome is still a better TT'er than Kwia. And he should be fresher.

 

[Pricey_sky]

I doubt it, after a terrible TT yesterday and losing 4 seconds to Kwait. With all the remaining stages being sprints like this and a 18km TT, he will only lose more time.

Froome did not do a terrible TT yesterday, go and research his best results in a short prologue. The longer TT at the end will be much more suited to him.

 

[Fzotrlool]

Yup, these guys gain four seconds:

1 Michael ALBASINI Orica GreenEDGE 2:11:11
2 Jesus HERRADA LOPEZ Movistar Team 0:00:00
3 Ramunas NAVARDAUSKAS Garmin-Sharp 0:00:00
4 Maxim IGLINSKIY Astana Pro Team 0:00:00
5 Andrew TALANSKY Garmin-Sharp 0:00:00
6 Matthias BRANDLE IAM Cycling 0:00:00
7 Rui Alberto COSTA Lampre-Merida 0:00:00
8 Jonathan HIVERT Belkin Pro Cycling Team 0:00:00
9 Bjorn THURAU Team Europcar 0:00:00
10 Thomas VOECKLER Team Europcar 0:00:00
11 Georg PREIDLER Team Giant-Shimano 0:00:00
12 Michal KWIATKOWSKI Omega Pharma-QuickStep 0:00:00
13 Sergey CHERNETSKI Katusha Team 0:00:00
14 Mathias FRANK IAM Cycling 0:00:00

Actually quite happy he didn't win today. It was starting to get creepy.

And good win for Albasini. A true workhorse like him deserves his share of the pie.

 

[Matdum94]

Froome did not do a terrible TT yesterday, go and research his best results in a short prologue. The longer TT at the end will be much more suited to him.

I would say that Kwaitkowski is a very good TTer also, 14 seconds (possibly more) is not enough for Froome to beat him even in his best form.

 

[theyoungest]

We need more riders like Nibs. You knows...guys with balls.

Fair play to Nibali, but he's only been attacking on downhills this season. That's what he used to do because he wasn't good enough as a climber.

It takes real balls (and the risk of blowing up) to attack uphill.

 

[Pricey_sky]

I would say that Kwaitkowski is a very good TTer also, 14 seconds (possibly more) is not enough for Froome to beat him even in his best form.

I think Froome in his best form would beat that 14s but I don't think he is anywhere near at the moment. It will suit him much more than a little prologue though.

 

[ILovecycling]

omg I missed that,what happened?

 

[jens_attacks]

stop with the kiwi discussion about overall here. he will explode just like on lanciano

this is the climb for friday, the last one:

11,5 km@6,8%

froome and nibali maybe ivan too will fly at huge speed over there. plus the penultimate climb is even harder i think.

 

[JRanton]

If he doesn't fall of his bike Froome will win this very easy.

Kwia can match and will probably beat Froome in the final TT so Froome will need to drop him big time on stage 3. Very unlikely given the route.

 

[Matdum94]

stop with the kiwi discussion about overall here. he will explode just like on lanciano

this is the climb for friday, the last one:

11,5 km@6,8%

froome and nibali maybe ivan too will fly at huge speed over there. plus the penultimate climb is even harder i think.

Its' 11.5 miles, 18.5 Km, I often get it mixed up a lot

 

[dicanio_michael]

stop with the kiwi discussion about overall here. he will explode just like on lanciano

this is the climb for friday, the last one:

11,5 km@6,8%

froome and nibali maybe ivan too will fly at huge speed over there. plus the penultimate climb is even harder i think.

I doubt, 6.8% not even too hard for Tony Martin, and Uran should be on form now (He needs to be)

But I'm not sure how tired Kwiato is

 

[jens_attacks]

I doubt, 6.8% not even too hard for Tony Martin, and Uran should be on form now (He needs to be)

But I'm not sure how tired Kwiato is

lol last year the climb in romandie was 5,8% and froomey made a show.

6,8 average means speed of 22-24 km/h average. tony will be dropped on the first kms. again, the penultimate climb is even harder. if proper raced, kiwi and tony martin might be dropped there

 

[Rollthedice]

I doubt, 6.8% not even too hard for Tony Martin, and Uran should be on form now (He needs to be)

But I'm not sure how tired Kwiato is

It's all about the tempo and pace. If the main men step up the speed, guys who can't climb at their level get dropped even if it's not a mountain top finish. The idea is to build a resonable gap and be able to maintain it on the flat last kms. Kwia simply can't climb like Froome or Nibs, for example, and in stage 3 I think there are multiple cat 1 climbs.

 

[BeagRigh]

If Sky and Astana ride hard from the start on Stage 3 I don't see Kwia still being in the leaders jersey at the end.

As an aside I think Nibs will be in the intermediate sprints jersey tomorrow.

 

[Fzotrlool]

Let's take a look at tommorow's race, guys and garls.

Another Astana assault? Maybe Voeckler, Frank or even Costa. In a mass sprint I'd go for Mezgec.

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Exaggerated profile . Easy win for Kittel.

I think Kwiatkowski's running on fumes at the moment. All year he's been right at the front of the peloton, so if he was still in good condition he wouldn't have been near the back for the last 10km today.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Fair play to Nibali, but he's only been attacking on downhills this season. That's what he used to do because he wasn't good enough as a climber.

It takes real balls (and the risk of blowing up) to attack uphill.

Agree, and that made the difference between Nibali winning the stage or not today.

 

[Netserk]

Hmmm, gotta agree with jens I think. It'll be brutal the day after tomorrow.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Anybody know what's up with Lachlan Morton finishing last?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Anybody know what's up with Lachlan Morton finishing last?

Not in form. Perhaps we have to wait for ToC or Colorado.....

 

[BigMac]

Not in form. Perhaps we have to wait for ToC or Colorado.....

Perhaps we'll see him in the break alongside Tejay, Visconti...