2015, 69th Tour de Romandie: April 28 to May 3 (WT)

[BigMac]

Tour de Romandie is back, with an interesting parcours.

Startlist: http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Tour_de_Romandie_2015_Stage_1_Juraparc-startlist

Stage 1: Vallée de Joux › Juraparc, TTT (19.2km)

Stage 2: Apples › Saint-Imier (166.1k)

Stage 3: Moutier › Porrentruy (173.2k)

Stage 4: La Neuveville › Fribourg (169.8k)

Stage 5: Fribourg › Champex-Lac (166.1k)

Stage 6: Lausanne › Lausanne, ITT (17.3k)

Are we to have a Froome, Špilak, Costa déjà vu from last two years... Only rider who wasn't here last year and who may spoil the party is Quintana. Bet.

(Probably) to be broadcast by Sky Sports with (international) commentary (feed) by Rob Hatch and Magnus Bäckstedt

 

[BigMac]

Can a mod correct the year in the title, thanks.

Edit: I seem to have been able to do it?

 

[MatParker117]

If Froome has his racing legs he'll win.

 

[DBotero]

Re: 2015, 69th Tour de Romandie: April 28 to May 5 (WT)

Froome vs Spilak reloaded.If Froome is not in great shape,this time Spilak will get it.Rui Costa should complete the podium.Froome lost brother Zakarin might have a word here too.

 

[Velolover2]

Froome easily. I don't think Quintana is where he should be.

The fight for second place is more interesting. Valls, Costa, Fuglsang, Spilak, Bardet, Poels, Pinot, Uran.

 

[SkyTears]

i'm curious how Froome shows up, i think he is finished as GT contender but you can never know...

 

[classicomano]

Hope my man Gesink can do a miraculous top 10 here.

 

[SeriousSam]

Froome will either dominate this race or be nowhere near the best, no middle ground. Quintana will be bad. Nibali, if he even rides the race, will be bad too.

 

[gunara]

Re:

Froome will either dominate this race or be nowhere near the best, no middle ground. Quintana will be bad. Nibali, if he even rides the race, will be bad too.

What does middle ground Froome look like anyway? The three Vueltas?

 

[Velolover2]

Re: Re:

Froome will either dominate this race or be nowhere near the best, no middle ground. Quintana will be bad. Nibali, if he even rides the race, will be bad too.

What does middle ground Froome look like anyway? The three Vueltas?

He was zigzagging between super good and somewhat bad in all 3 Vueltas depending on the stage. Middle-ground Froome doesn't exist.

 

[Pricey_sky]

I suppose it revolves around if Froome is in Catalunya shape or Andalucía shape. He said he had a good training block in Tenerife so should be ok but then he doesn't tend to come out of crashes very well so his spill in FW last week was not good news. Spilak will surely podium and it will be interesting how the likes of Uran, Bardet and Pinot do here. A stage win for Simon Yates would be nice too!

 

[Sasquatch]

Uran to win and to show that he is on track to be Contador's main challenger in the Giro.

 

[jens_attacks]

Zakarin vs froome
Gonna be epic!

 

[dicanio_michael]

Re:

Uran to win and to show that he is on track to be Contador's main challenger in the Giro.

With the number of second places EQS has, Uran has a good chance to score another one for them

 

[SafeBet]

Bardet looked excellent yesterday in LBL. He could challenge for the podium.

 

[boringboy]

Froome for the win, I think Fuglsang could do well as well, maybe top 5?

 

[rick james]

Does anyone know what team sky are bringing to this race?

 

[Asero831]

Spilak skipped Ardennes for this?

 

[search]

Re:

Does anyone know what team sky are bringing to this race?

FROOME Christopher
KENNAUGH Peter
POELS Wouter
ROCHE Nicolas
* ROWE Luke
STANNARD Ian
THOMAS Geraint
VIVIANI Elia

...is the team they registered. Not sure if it's final though.

 

[Bushman]

I think Fuglsang will do really well here. Potentially top 3.

 

[SkyTears]

Looked at weather predictions, atrocious

I don't bet but if i would i put some money on Spilak

 

[Carols]

Re:

Looked at weather predictions, atrocious

I don't bet but if i would i put some money on Spilak

Wow I surely wouldn't bet on Froome if it is bad weather, especially at short odds. I don't know who I think will win now.

 

[grizzlee]

Nico Roche might be a dark horse here, He was one of the leaders for LBL. One of the sky ds said that after training in Teide for the last while he is flying, 2013 Vuelta form.( Cant find the link now though). Though im not sure how the crash at LBL is gonna effect him. Probably will all depend on how good Froome is. It will be all in for Froome if he is on form, if not Roche might be a good plan B with Poels (if he has recovered in time from his crash at Fleche too).

 

[Pippo_San]

It's Birdsong time to shine!!! Chu-chu!!!

 

[Jagartrott]

Re:

Looked at weather predictions, atrocious

I don't bet but if i would i put some money on Spilak

It's not good, but also not atrocious:
http://www.meteosuisse.admin.ch/home.html?tab=overview