2015 Abu Dhabi Tour, 8-11th October, 2.1

[Flamin]

No thread yet for this great race?!


Stage 1: Qasr Al Sarab – Madinat Zayed (174 km)

___________________________________

Stage 2: Yas Marina Circuit – Yas Mall (129 km)

___________________________________

Stage 3: Al Ain – Jebel Hafeet (142 km)

The climb is 10.8km @ 6,6%.

Stage 4: Yas Marina – Yas Marina (110 km)

__________________________________

20 laps on the Formula 1 circuit of Yas Marina.


Official Startlist

Temperatures around 40°C.

 

[pastronef]

Marcel Kittel ‏@marcelkittel
45°C in the desert today. That's 9°C above body temperature. Just saying... #weatherprotocol

tell that to the Uci, RCS and the Sheiks

 

[Brullnux]

Marcel Kittel ‏@marcelkittel
45°C in the desert today. That's 9°C above body temperature. Just saying... #weatherprotocol

tell that to the Uci, RCS and the Sheiks

Lol RCS don't care about the weather

 

[BigMac]

According to Cookson the only race left on the calendar.

Mohammed Al Murawwi for the win.

 

[jsem94]

Who cares?

 

[BigMac]

Is this travesty supposed to replace Beijing in the future?

 

[SafeBet]

Re:

Is this travesty supposed to replace Beijing in the future?

Beijing wasn't a travesty?

 

[Flamin]

Re:

Who cares?

We all do care, just admit it.

 

[Arredondo]

Chaves to win this bike race, and then we all go home and forget this race actually exist.

Then 2 months watching some old races from the 90's on your PC and cyclocross in your spare time, and when January arrives twisting like a little kid because San Luis and Down Under will come

 

[BigMac]

Re: Re:

Is this travesty supposed to replace Beijing in the future?

Beijing wasn't a travesty?

I was thinking maybe no travesties? From a race where policemen keep people miles away from the roads fearing anti-regime signs being displayed to a parade through the desert and 8-lane city motorways without a glimpse of a cheering fan. Money, money, must be funny.

 

[Taxus4a]

Money, no more, I dont like this prostitution of cycling. cycling has a hearth and a soul.

 

[pastronef]

Imagine next year
Doha world champs road race as late as Oct 16. and after that the Adu Dhabi Tour (they are already there)
looong season

 

[Afrank]

Re:

Chaves to win this bike race, and then we all go home and forget this race actually exist.

Then 2 months watching some old races from the 90's on your PC and cyclocross in your spare time, and when January arrives twisting like a little kid because San Luis and Down Under will come

And one day Chaves finds a trophy that says Abu Dhabi Tour and says "what the f*** is the Abu Dhabi Tour?"

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Re:

Money, no more, I dont like this prostitution of cycling. cycling has a hearth and a soul.

Cycling's turning into Formula 1. Can you put on an interesting race? Who cares, we'll homogenize the calendar even if it means brutally disfiguring historic and storied events or killing them off entirely. Move the races entirely away from the places where the fans are in favour of places with money, who all have exactly the same idea: if we ape some of the things from the races people like, they will like our races. This is more a continuation of McQuaid's globalization drive though, he is the Bernie Ecclestone of cycling.

 

[Arredondo]

Re: Re:

Chaves to win this bike race, and then we all go home and forget this race actually exist.

Then 2 months watching some old races from the 90's on your PC and cyclocross in your spare time, and when January arrives twisting like a little kid because San Luis and Down Under will come

And one day Chaves finds a trophy that says Abu Dhabi Tour and says "what the f*** is the Abu Dhabi Tour?"

I couldn't say it better really!

 

[Pricey_sky]

Well at least there's a MTF and not 4 flat stages, that's the only crumb of comfort.

Nibali the favourite? Aru, Chavez, Valverde, Poels should all do well too.

 

[TomLPC]

Blatter and Eccleston will be there to present the trophy.

Who am I kidding, i'll still watch

 

[skidmark]

I bristle at the suggestion that it's about money. Guys, this is a new race that's trying to start up and deserves its support. For Nibali/Aru/Gilbert/Valverde/Boonen/Kittel/Dumoulin/Sagan to all come out to the desert, far away from their homes, for a first-year 2.1 event is certainly heartwarming and not suspicious. It is definitely a sign that they care about developing cycling in this nation where countless dozens will stand in the heat and watch the riders pass at 50km/h, and not a sign that they were all paid handsomely in some way beyond what their rider contracts pay them. Abu Dhabi definitely gives off the vibe of a place that cares about honouring the traditions of a cycling race and culture, and not a place where the level of discussion was probably 'what should we do next with all our money? I dunno... cycling? I think bike races are a thing... oh good, my assistant looked it up and they are! let's do that!'.

I can't wait until this is a fundamental part of the World Tour calendar, and you are all eating crow for doubting its integrity.

 

[TomLPC]

They should do it during the domestic season and get that postponed, just so everyone can come back nackered or dead and someone absurd like Spurs win the title because they have nobody in the tournament if we are being consistent now, just replace 'domestic season' with 'Giro' and 'Spurs' with 'Stijn Vandenbergh'

 

[Escarabajo]

Travesty?
LOL,
I'll tell you what is a travesty, Colombia not having a World Tour race. Now that is a travesty!
More bicycles per household that you ever see in the US.
We have a local competition with so many races than in itself have Sevilla not needing to go out of the country. LOL big time!

Well, at least we have a Colombian favorite to win this race. We have a decent stage.

 

[IndianCyclist]

Re: Re:

Money, no more, I dont like this prostitution of cycling. cycling has a hearth and a soul.

Cycling's turning into Formula 1. Can you put on an interesting race? Who cares, we'll homogenize the calendar even if it means brutally disfiguring historic and storied events or killing them off entirely. Move the races entirely away from the places where the fans are in favour of places with money, who all have exactly the same idea: if we ape some of the things from the races people like, they will like our races. This is more a continuation of McQuaid's globalization drive though, he is the Bernie Ecclestone of cycling.

The difference is that is Formula 1 the new courses can be designed better whereas in cycling you have to make do with existing landscape which severely limits the parcours. Besides only a limited no of fans in Formula 1 can actually see the race rest watch on TV.

 

[IndianCyclist]

It is clear from the fact that a lot of top riders to be present at such an insignificant race at the end of the season that money is involved. just wish that the riders like Sagan/Kittel stop complaining and get on with what they have been paid for. It is unprofessional. Anybody who can do a wiki search for the ambient temperature would have known that it is hot there.

 

[Lance Armstrong]

This looks like 3 WC races in one race! Anybody who complained about Richmond course this is what we have for the next year.

 

[Jagartrott]

I bristle at the suggestion that it's about money. Guys, this is a new race that's trying to start up and deserves its support. For Nibali/Aru/Gilbert/Valverde/Boonen/Kittel/Dumoulin/Sagan to all come out to the desert, far away from their homes, for a first-year 2.1 event is certainly heartwarming and not suspicious. It is definitely a sign that they care about developing cycling in this nation where countless dozens will stand in the heat and watch the riders pass at 50km/h, and not a sign that they were all paid handsomely in some way beyond what their rider contracts pay them. Abu Dhabi definitely gives off the vibe of a place that cares about honouring the traditions of a cycling race and culture, and not a place where the level of discussion was probably 'what should we do next with all our money? I dunno... cycling? I think bike races are a thing... oh good, my assistant looked it up and they are! let's do that!'.

I can't wait until this is a fundamental part of the World Tour calendar, and you are all eating crow for doubting its integrity.

Quoted for truth.
Think of the possibilities of getting all the sheiks on bikes, and how that could reduce CO2 outputs as they now cycle from the golf course to the ski dome instead of taking the old Bugatti. The cycling world should embrace such opportunities, so that the world may see the great potential hidden in this overheated sandbox.

 

[Billie]

Marcel Kittel ‏@marcelkittel
45°C in the desert today. That's 9°C above body temperature. Just saying... #weatherprotocol

tell that to the Uci, RCS and the Sheiks

the guy gets paid big time to go there. He knew it will be hot there when he accepted the money. He definatly should not complain about the weather