2014 Tour of California May 11-18

[Scott SoCal]

Totally, all great stuff!

Yeah, VdV's delivery isn't fluid or polished yet, and they have breaks where you can tell neither of them knows what to say, but Phil's a pro if nothing else and will help him along.

I like VdV's enthusiasm and insight. Great change of pace from the over-the-top and usually totally confusing comments from Bobke. He can be a lot of fun too, but VdV is looking at it from the "I'm glad I'm not dealing with this hammer-fest today" perspective of the recently retired. He knows these guys as fellow riders and knows who's really doing what.

Yep. It's almost too bad that Stetina was not in the move. If he had been there I think it stays away as Phinney and VanAvamaet ride full gas.

If anyone has ever been in a race with wind like that and watching in desperation as the move rolls away then you know what that's like. VdV knows and I'm sure he was glad to be commenting on it rather than riding in it.

 

[Astana1]

Thought yesterday's stage was great racing. I am usually a Wiggo non fan, but I can pull for this version of him.

Yesterday reminded me of that early TdF stage in 2009 when HTC split the peloton after a wind shift and they stayed away. Good stuff.

 

[red_flanders]

Wind seems to have ceased today. Temps climbing fast. Going to be a hot one in Sacto today.

I think being a big guy I always just love watching the guys with power hurt everyone. That was all I could add to my team back in the day, get on the front and make everyone miserable as long as I could.

Tommeke is a bad man.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Wind seems to have ceased today. Temps climbing fast. Going to be a hot one in Sacto today.

I think being a big guy I always just love watching the guys with power hurt everyone. That was all I could add to my team back in the day, get on the front and make everyone miserable as long as I could.

Tommeke is a bad man.

I wonder why Boonen isn't a top dog in TT like today's one. In theory he should be. Though he has never really showed anything in ITT.

 

[red_flanders]

I wonder why Boonen isn't a top dog in TT like today's one. In theory he should be. Though he has never really showed anything in ITT.

Good question. He's done well on occasion in short ones, my take would be that he generally has no reason to go all out. He's not likely to win and why waste the energy except in races where he can win the overall, which are fairly few and far between.

Yesterday he was just gettin' his Flanders on.

 

[Califootman]

And now for something (not) completely different:

The aperitif to today's Stage 2 of the Amgen Tour of California kicks off in about a half hour, with twenty women cyclists taking to the same course that the men will be riding this afternoon.

Can reigning World ITT Bronze Medalist Carmen Small claim the top podium step in both 2014 AToC women's events by following up her win in yesterday's criterium with a victory in today's time trial? Will her Specialized-lululemon teammate Evelyn Stevens, who barely missed out on the World's ITT podium by finishing four hundredths of a second behind Small, get some measure of revenge today by claiming the victory? Will one of the other women in the field rise to the occasion and be first in the race against the clock? Will cyclingnews provide any coverage beyond an off-hand mention in the men's live feed? These questions and more will be answered shortly via the Tour Tracker.

 

[jens_attacks]

tonight, wiggo will crush them big time i feel,big gaps will appear. the 2014 tour de france team leader emerges

 

[BeachBum]

Cav is fading- not that rapidly but the competition has gotten better. I do agree about the lack of rational behind building the entire Tour team around him since the green jersey is out of his reach this year too & stage wins there are going to get harder to achieve

I agree that Cav is fading, but Omega has other bullets besides Cav-- don't forget that der Panzerwagen won a Tour ITT last year, and Boonen has to be one of the faves for stage 5 (if he does the Tour).

 

[manafana]

i dont think cav is fading as such just the others have caught up he has never had the competition he has now

 

[Catwhoorg]

i dont think cav is fading as such just the others have caught up he has never had the competition he has now

Bit of both. He has lost just a touch of the high end, and the younger guns have come out in force. Doesn't take much swing in a winner takes all situation.

Kittel will dominate races where he wants to for a few years, then he will be knocked off by some new youngster.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Cav can still beat Greipel and the rest when on form, it's just Kittel has now emerged and is showing what Cav did a few years ago when he was almost untouchable.

 

[Tournesol]

I wonder why Boonen isn't a top dog in TT like today's one. In theory he should be. Though he has never really showed anything in ITT.

He considered himself a bit of an ITT guy before turning pro,he also said in 2011 in procycling magazine classics edition that he had been begging Carlo (Bomans-Belgian national cycling coach) for years to let him do the Worlds ITT.

As someone else already said,he knows even if he worked at TTing he'll never match the best so why bother.

 

[CycloAndy]

Bit of both. He has lost just a touch of the high end, and the younger guns have come out in force. Doesn't take much swing in a winner takes all situation.

Kittel will dominate races where he wants to for a few years, then he will be knocked off by some new youngster.

This sums it up!

 

[therhodeo]

Cav and OPQS will still win stages that Kittel and Giant never will. Anyone remember the crosswinds last year?

 

[Tournesol]

Cav and OPQS will still win stages that Kittel and Giant never will. Anyone remember the crosswinds last year?

Definitely,Cavendish is very underestimated in that respect,he's won Tour stages where people maybe looked at the profile and thought "That's too hard for him" and then he's produced a spectacular finish.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Cav's only 3 years older than Kittel, won more grand tour stages than anyone last year and was ill at the Tour with a **** leadout (but still won 2 stages).

 

[elfed68]

Just watched the first stage, shame that echelon break didn't come to fruition.
There were some big guns in that break with Wiggins looking lean and riding with some purpose.

Cav seems to have lost some weight.

Boonen on a bike without any team/sponsor decals.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Mouris currently best time 24:55 (48,1 km/h).

Tracker: http://tourtracker.amgentourofcalifornia.com/

Live pictures in 10 minutes.

 

[roundabout]

Pretty bad split time by Danielson. Could be looking at 2+ minutes to Wiggins after today

 

[whittashau]

Awesome time by James Oram. Only 20 years old and more of a climber, but only 1:26 down.

 

[JRanton]

Rohan Dennis fastest in 24:02

Not many will beat that.

 

[fowlyetti]

Cameras all over the place! Hard to follow times as well

 

[JRanton]

Sergent 2nd fastest, 27 seconds behind Dennis.

 

[GuyIncognito]

i dont think cav is fading as such just the others have caught up he has never had the competition he has now

Yep, pretty much.

While Cavendish is one of the greatest sprinters to ever live, I still remember how 5 years ago the discussion was british posters claiming there was no lull and Cavendish was massively superior, while the majority of others were saying what you just did.

He came in at the right time. Just after Freire, McEwen, Boonen, Petacchi had started to fade at similar times

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Tourtracker down?

Edit - back now.