2014 Speculation (and confirmation) thread - rider schedules and parcours

[fauniera]

Bananito Betancur

San Luis
GP Marseillaise
Tour Mediteraneen
GP Camaiore
Strade Bianche
Paris-Nice
Milano - San Remo
Criterium International
Vuelta al Pais Vasco
Amstel Gold Race
Fleche Wallonne
Liege-Bastogne-Liege
Tour de Romandie
Tour de Suisse
Tour de France

Not sure if Romandie is such a good idea after the heavy spring program.

 

[Ferminal]

That's 69 race days to the end of the Tour.

I guess after his terrible performances post-Giro they figure they may as well make the most out of him pre-GT.

 

[jens_attacks]

that is way too much imo

 

[Pentacycle]

Not even Vacansoleil riders had this many race days.

 

[Wallenquist]

Valverde:

Mallorca
Andalucia
Almeria & Murcia
Roma Maxima & Strade Bianche
Catalunya (not confirmed)
Vasco
Ardennes
Dauphine
Tour
CSS
Vuelta
Worlds


Pretty much the same as this year. No Romandy, Vasco instead (good choice)

 

[Parrulo]

Really light first half of the season compared to previous years if he doesn't ride Catalunya.

 

[Netserk]

Really light first half of the season compared to previous years if he doesn't ride Catalunya.

He has to be fresh, so he can get silver at the home worlds.

 

[trevim]

Valverde:

Mallorca
Andalucia
Almeria & Murcia
Roma Maxima & Strade Bianche
Catalunya (not confirmed)
Vasco
Ardennes
Dauphine
Tour
CSS
Vuelta
Worlds


Pretty much the same as this year. No Romandy, Vasco instead (good choice)

It's so strange to see Valverde riding in Italy...

 

[GP Blanco]

Bauke Mollema:

Ruta del Sol
Tirreno Adriatico
Milano San Remo
Pais Vasco
Amstel Gold Race
Fleche Wallonne
Liege Bastogne Liege
Tour of Norway
Tour of Swiss
Tour de France

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Also a specific peak for TA/MSR for Mollema.

Should be interesting. He'll end top 10 everywhere without anyone noticing

 

[pastronef]

José Been ‏@TourDeJose 9h

SKY already lines up TDF team: Froome, Wiggins, Porte, Kiryienka, Siutsou, Henao, Nieve, Kennaugh & Stannard/Thomas (via @biciciclismoweb)

NO EISEL?

he was so fvcked for not riding this year

 

[maltiv]

José Been ‏@TourDeJose 9h

SKY already lines up TDF team: Froome, Wiggins, Porte, Kiryienka, Siutsou, Henao, Nieve, Kennaugh & Stannard/Thomas (via @biciciclismoweb)

NO EISEL?

he was so fvcked for not riding this year

I'd say the omission of EBH is more surprising...

To be honest that team doesn't look very realistic to me, unless Sky's plan is to be very vulnerable in the side winds and extremely vulnerable on the cobbles.

 

[Wallenquist]

I would replace one of these three: Nieve, Henao, Porte for one of these three: Eisel, Stannard, Hagen.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I'd say the omission of EBH is more surprising...

To be honest that team doesn't look very realistic to me, unless Sky's plan is to be very vulnerable in the side winds and extremely vulnerable on the cobbles.

The plan might change depending on Sir Wiggo's P-R campaign imo.

Still it would appear Sky plans to put several riders on the podium.

 

[Gloin22]

I would replace one of these three: Nieve, Henao, Porte for one of these three: Eisel, Stannard, Hagen.

No, they are all going.

Replace Wiggins/ Siutsou with Stannard/Eisel/ EBH is more realistic.

 

[Ferminal]

I'd say the omission of EBH is more surprising...

To be honest that team doesn't look very realistic to me, unless Sky's plan is to be very vulnerable in the side winds and extremely vulnerable on the cobbles.

Yeh weird team. Not like there are any off the charts mountain stages that you need 8 climbers for. You'd think at least two of Stannard/Eisel/Thomas/EBH would be selected, although Wiggins probably goes as a rouleur. Kiryienka and Siutsou are multi-dimensional but still... You need Henao there as cover for Porte so you have your one "superdom" on the final climb, plus a couple of guys who can do the long pulls before (and basically only one stage which isn't littered with flat/false flat). A rider like Nieve seems surplus to requirement, or may suggest less than complete confidence in Froome's climbing

 

[Ferminal]

Stage racing season begins two weeks early in 2014, would have been laughed at if six months ago said you were looking forward to Andalucia.

Prólogo: Almería - Almería 7.3km
Etapa 1: Vélez Málaga - Jaén 186.8km
Etapa 2: La Guardia de Jaén - Cabra 197.1km
Etapa 3: Sanlúcar La Mayor - Sevilla 182.7km
Etapa 4: Ubrique - Fuengirola 159.8km

(Final 7.2km @ 6.65%)

 

[JRanton]

I would replace one of these three: Nieve, Henao, Porte for one of these three: Eisel, Stannard, Hagen.

Yup. I'd be surprised if Porte ends up riding the Tour.

 

[JRanton]

Yeh weird team. Not like there are any off the charts mountain stages that you need 8 climbers for. You'd think at least two of Stannard/Eisel/Thomas/EBH would be selected, although Wiggins probably goes as a rouleur. Kiryienka and Siutsou are multi-dimensional but still... You need Henao there as cover for Porte so you have your one "superdom" on the final climb, plus a couple of guys who can do the long pulls before (and basically only one stage which isn't littered with flat/false flat). A rider like Nieve seems surplus to requirement, or may suggest less than complete confidence in Froome's climbing

Nieve will be needed because Porte will be ****ed after the Giro.

 

[theyoungest]

I'd say the omission of EBH is more surprising...

To be honest that team doesn't look very realistic to me, unless Sky's plan is to be very vulnerable in the side winds and extremely vulnerable on the cobbles.

You keep on saying EBH isn't a cobbles rider... yet Sky should bring him to the Tour to make them less vulnerable on the cobbles

I agree with you, BTW. They saw last year that Froome's one weakness is crosswinds and technical riding. So they provide him with just one domestique for that kind of thing

 

[maltiv]

You keep on saying EBH isn't a cobbles rider... yet Sky should bring him to the Tour to make them less vulnerable on the cobbles

I agree with you, BTW. They saw last year that Froome's one weakness is crosswinds and technical riding. So they provide him with just one domestique for that kind of thing

That's not what I said though, I just said that the mentioned team is weak on cobbles and in sidewind, not that simply adding EBH would fix those two problems. However, EBH would certainly strengthen the team in those aspects if he replaces Sivtsov for example.

EBH not riding the TDF would be great news if that meant he was going to the Giro, unfortunately he prefers topping his form for Tour of Norway

 

[LugHugger]

I'd say the omission of EBH is more surprising...

To be honest that team doesn't look very realistic to me, unless Sky's plan is to be very vulnerable in the side winds and extremely vulnerable on the cobbles.

How on earth is a team with Wiggins, Kiryienka and Stannard/Thomas vulnerable to side winds/cobbles?

 

[theyoungest]

How on earth is a team with Wiggins, Kiryienka and Stannard/Thomas vulnerable to side winds/cobbles?

Riding Paris-Roubaix once does not a cobbles rider make.

That's not what I said though, I just said that the mentioned team is weak on cobbles and in sidewind, not that simply adding EBH would fix those two problems. However, EBH would certainly strengthen the team in those aspects if he replaces Sivtsov for example.

EBH not riding the TDF would be great news if that meant he was going to the Giro, unfortunately he prefers topping his form for Tour of Norway

Another EBH vs. Mollema poorly timed form showdown

 

[maltiv]

How on earth is a team with Wiggins, Kiryienka and Stannard/Thomas vulnerable to side winds/cobbles?

Wiggins has ridden P-R once, and while he was pretty good, he's not exactly Cancellara. Also, if it's even slightly wet he's out of the equation. Kiryienka has never even started a cobbled classic so not sure what you're on about there. Thomas is good, sure, but if he crashes (which nowadays is more or less a certainty) there's not much left.

 

[MatParker117]

You keep on saying EBH isn't a cobbles rider... yet Sky should bring him to the Tour to make them less vulnerable on the cobbles

I agree with you, BTW. They saw last year that Froome's one weakness is crosswinds and technical riding. So they provide him with just one domestique for that kind of thing

He followed Pete Kennaugh well down descents at the tour and Suitsou, Kiryenka, Porte & Wiggins are more than capable of setting the pace if Saxo try it again. Thomas was in the sprint for the win in the last tour stage with cobbles as well.