2014 Tirreno Adriatico, Stage 1: Donoratico - San Vincenzo 16.9km (TTT)

[Parrulo]

And so it begins, arguably the best stage race of the year!!

Profile:

Route Map:

Unbeatable war machines to crush the field and leave half the teams out of the time limit

 

[EnacheV]

1. OPQS
2. Movistar
3. Sky

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I do like a short TTT.

Orica will take this:

121.MEYER Cameron
122.IMPEY Daryl
123.SANTAROMITA Ivan
124.MOURIS Jens
125.DURBRIDGE Luke
126.HEPBURN Michael
127.CLARKE Simon
128.TUFT Svein

Then the Steppers.

 

[MatParker117]

Sky have a near perfect hit rate when it comes to TTT's involving Bradley Wiggins so because of that I'll back them to take this stage.

 

[Jspear]

Sky, OPQS, Moviestar, and Orica will most likely be the top 4. Order them however you like. I'm just hoping Tinkoff will limit their loses.

 

[happytramp]

Yep Orica. They'll have good form early in the season due to the importance the team put on the tour down under. That's my theory anyway.

 

[Leonardus]

Some impressive TTT squads lined up. Guess OPQS and Movistar have 1 or 2 weak links so Orica or Sky to take this one.

 

[CycloAndy]

OGE have Durbridge, Hepburn and Meyer. Movistar have Malori, Dowsett and Castroviejo. Sky have Wiggins, Cataldo and Porte and OPQS have Martin. Should be close!

 

[happytramp]

Is there a start time list yet?

 

[Pippo_San]

Another OPQS win would be overkill. Going with Sky this time, and the bold Knight!!!

 

[Afrank]

I'm liking OPQS's team here. Tony and Kwiat are beasts of time trial riders. Trentin a solid workhorse. Cav, Petacchi, and Renshaw being sprinters can do a good job in TTT's.

Then Sky have got some tough hardmen in stannard and Eisel, and some strong TTers in Wiggins, Porte, Kennaugh, Cataldo, Siutsou.

Orica also seem to be bringing their A squad for TTT's with TTers such as Tuft, Durbridge, Hepburn, and Meyer. And some strong doms in Mouris and Impey.

Think it's going to be a close one between these three.
GC wise looking at the teams that have contenders for overall think it will be Porte-Kwiat/Uran>Contador>Quintana

 

[hfer07]

OPQS is the obvious choice- plus they will put my man Uran leading the GC - then is SKY and Orica- but looking at the start list - I'm putting also BMC there....

BTW- Is Trek riding for Arredondo-cuz the riders selected for this race don't quite fit the profile for it tho...

 

[greenedge]

I do like a short TTT.

Orica will take this:

121.MEYER Cameron
122.IMPEY Daryl
123.SANTAROMITA Ivan
124.MOURIS Jens
125.DURBRIDGE Luke
126.HEPBURN Michael
127.CLARKE Simon
128.TUFT Svein

Here's OGE's link http://www.greenedgecycling.com/news/three-key-objectives-for-orica-greenedge-at-tirreno-adriatico (race preview/ their goals).

It basically talks about how they're going to target the TTT a lot- I feel they've got a good chance but then other teams are quite strong too. I think Sky will win

 

[The Hitch]

OGE have Durbridge, Hepburn and Meyer. Movistar have Malori, Dowsett and Castroviejo. Sky have Wiggins, Cataldo and Porte and OPQS have Martin. Should be close!

That OPQS joke would work better if Martin hadn't just lost a tt to a guy who will be lining up with him on the startline.

 

[The Hitch]

I'm liking OPQS's team here. Tony and Kwiat are beasts of time trial riders. Trentin a solid workhorse. Cav, Petacchi, and Renshaw being sprinters can do a good job in TTT's.

Cav and Renshaw can more than do a good job. In a tt of this length their abilities are very valuable.

Then Sky have got some tough hardmen in stannard and Eisel, and some strong TTers in Wiggins, Porte, Kennaugh, Cataldo, Siutsou.

Is Kennaugh a strong tter? I don't remember anything on that front.
That's not to say a few July's from now he won't be smashing everyone in the tts, but thus far, I don't remember him showing anything special there to rank him with the other guys you listed.

 

[Roude Leiw]

Steppers against Orica, Sky looks good on paper, but Sir Wiggo did not show anything besides a belly this year and Richie + Sioutsou won't be enough.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

ini kamoze for the win

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRMVL_kji40

 

[Hugo Koblet]

When do they realise that TTT's suck? Anyway, Orica for the win.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

ini kamoze for the win

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRMVL_kji40

The hotsteppers, lol.

 

[Netserk]

How many teams will Quick Step catch?

 

[LaFlorecita]

Good Tinkoff-Saxo TTT team

Roche, Kreuziger, Contador, Tosatto, Bennati, Boaro, Mørkøv and Paulinho

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Like i said Paulinho doesn't score too many, that's his problem.

 

[greenedge]

When do they realise that TTT's suck? Anyway, Orica for the win.

Is Kennaugh a strong tter? I don't remember anything on that front.
That's not to say a few July's from now he won't be smashing everyone in the tts, but thus far, I don't remember him showing anything special there to rank him with the other guys you listed.

British track programme...

I think in a race like the TDF they do (Euskatel in 2011 suffered a lot) but in the Giro/ Vuelta there are more than enough mountains to rectify the lost time. I quite like the TTT (the longer ones on the roads- WC TTT are better though)- there's great teamwork evident/ the speeds reached are cool.

 

[theyoungest]

I think Greenedge has the strongest team for this, no real weak points in their team or it has to be Santaromita. Every other favourite team mixes really strong TTists with some really weak ones (Sky have Nieve, OPQS have Poels, etc.)

Kennaugh indeed has never done anything in a TT, but he's British, he's a track rider, and he's on Sky, so we can automatically assume that he's a future world champion TTist.

 

[Grupetto1]

Is Kennaugh a strong tter? I don't remember anything on that front.
That's not to say a few July's from now he won't be smashing everyone in the tts, but thus far, I don't remember him showing anything special there to rank him with the other guys you listed.

His tt-ings a bit of an enigma for me. Obviously he was smashing the team pursuit, but has no real results in terms of individual time trialing which could be down to his size(?).