2015 USA Pro Challenge (2.HC), Aug. 17-Aug. 23.

[Bushman]

Re: Re:

Caja Rural continuing their impressive season. Great performance by Carthy and Roson (why isn't he picked for Avenir???). Ready to tear up the Vuelta next.

What level is this race? What level is Avenir?
Maybe he was simply picked for the highest level race because he's just that good.

Of course Caja Rural would have nothing to say if he was part of the Spanish selection.

 

[RedheadDane]

Re: Re:

Caja Rural continuing their impressive season. Great performance by Carthy and Roson (why isn't he picked for Avenir???). Ready to tear up the Vuelta next.

What level is this race? What level is Avenir?
Maybe he was simply picked for the highest level race because he's just that good.

Of course Caja Rural would have nothing to say if he was part of the Spanish selection.

Wouldn't they? I thought a rider's regular team had right of way - so to speak - over national teams.
Or maybe the parties simply need to reach and agreement, and I guess - hope - the rider got something to say in the matter too.

 

[Bushman]

Re: Re:

Caja Rural continuing their impressive season. Great performance by Carthy and Roson (why isn't he picked for Avenir???). Ready to tear up the Vuelta next.

What level is this race? What level is Avenir?
Maybe he was simply picked for the highest level race because he's just that good.

Of course Caja Rural would have nothing to say if he was part of the Spanish selection.

Wouldn't they? I thought a rider's regular team had right of way - so to speak - over national teams.
Or maybe the parties simply need to reach and agreement, and I guess - hope - the rider got something to say in the matter too.

Maybe I was a bit too bold. In theory the team decides but I can't imagine a team denying their rider the opportunity to ride Avenir, which is the most important u23 race apart from WC.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Nice to see Carthy up there, was beginning to worry Caja Rural had done for him

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Nate Brown in the break again today.
Sucker for punishment?

 

[Roude Leiw]

Well, stayed up late yesterday to watch, seems a weak-ish field? So today is the last stage of interest for GC besides the ITT?

 

[webvan]

Yes, very weak field...they could really have used the presence of Horner !

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Folly Davide Fomolo folly
at this altitude

 

[TourOfSardinia]

What a waste of a climb
all back together on the long long descent.

 

[De Snelle Duif]

I love that they call this road a narrow one

 

[May0maniac]

Rohan and Bobridge on the attack!

 

[Jspear]

Reijnen takes the win!

 

[De Snelle Duif]

Dennis is so strong here, I think he will shatter all the competition at the TT

 

[Jspear]

 

[Jspear]

6. Ryan Anderson
7. Dion Smith
8. Toms Skujins
9. Brent Bookwalter
10.Marco Canola

 

[ski]

That was boring - the commentators didn't help.

Is this really a .hc today or a group ride?

 

[Billie]

Re:

Dennis is so strong here, I think he will shatter all the competition at the TT

Yeah very likely. Anybody got a map with the route of the TT? If it's straight roads... he'll obliterate everyone. Won't be pretty

 

[shalgo]

Re:

Dennis is so strong here, I think he will shatter all the competition at the TT

I agree--today he led the group up the climb, chased down attacks near the finish, and still finished second in the sprint.

 

[jaylew]

This race is so much less interesting than the two other major US stage races.

 

[slosada]

Re: Re:

Dennis is so strong here, I think he will shatter all the competition at the TT

Yeah very likely. Anybody got a map with the route of the TT? If it's straight roads... he'll obliterate everyone. Won't be pretty

In the same tourtracker, clicking on the Stages tab, and then stage 5 tab you see the map, a profile and a description. To save you some time: it's 6.8Km flat with only one turn (u turn) at 3.5Km. Then there is a 2.6Km@6.1% climb, and it will finish on a 4.1km descent (from which 1Km is straight and 3 are twisty)

But even with the climb he seems superior to the rest of the field, the way he was today at the front all the time reducing the peloton to just 10 riders was amazing (he then left 30 riders to comeback in the downhill)

 

[Carols]

Re:

This race is so much less interesting than the two other major US stage races.

Hard to disagree and the other two are also lacking. Utah is the best of the lot. What a shame for the USA .

 

[Tank Engine]

Re:

What a waste of a climb
all back together on the long long descent.

Today's stage is better designed. You've got the Independence Pass from the hard side to soften up the riders. BMC will want to control on the climb. Any breakaway that holds on the climb or just form afterwards will have to include strong riders. The last two climbs form a nice one-two. The penultimate climb will split up the race and there will be attacks on the short final climb. On the other hand, one problem with the race is the dominance of BMC.

Yesterday's stage was definitely a waste of a beautiful climb (in racing terms). I don't know the geography of Colorado, maybe they could find a short sharp climb around Aspen. Independence Pass would thin out the peloton (even after the descent) and there would be more attacks, rather than general regroupment. The first part of Independence pass is just too easy to split up the race, especially as there were no serious climbs earlier.

 

[May0maniac]

Re: Re:

What a waste of a climb
all back together on the long long descent.

Today's stage is better designed. You've got the Independence Pass from the hard side to soften up the riders. BMC will want to control on the climb. Any breakaway that holds on the climb or just form afterwards will have to include strong riders. The last two climbs form a nice one-two. The penultimate climb will split up the race and there will be attacks on the short final climb. On the other hand, one problem with the race is the dominance of BMC.

Yesterday's stage was definitely a waste of a beautiful climb (in racing terms). I don't know the geography of Colorado, maybe they could find a short sharp climb around Aspen. Independence Pass would thin out the peloton (even after the descent) and there would be more attacks, rather than general regroupment. The first part of Independence pass is just too easy to split up the race, especially as there were no serious climbs earlier.

There aren't short sharp climbs around aspen, the only thing that you could use after Indipendence Pass is probably Maroon Creek Rd, but it's just 9,8km at 4,1%.
There aren't too many short steep climbs in Colorado, around Idaho Srings you have the Virginia Canyon Rd/Two Brothers Rd combination, 5,3km at 9,6% with a max. gradient of 20%, the 2km in the middle of the climb are unpaved but in good condition and after the climb you have a 4km long deescent until you reach centra city.
Around Boulder you have Magnolia Rd, 6,6km at 9,1%, then it's flat and unpaved. There should be enough space to host a MF, but otherwise you could add 3km of false flat on unpaved roads after the climb and have a finish in Aspen Meadows, but there should be enough space on top of th climb to host a MTF.
The race already has used unpaved roads before, so that shouldn't be a big problem.

 

[Escarabajo]

Re:

This race is so much less interesting than the two other major US stage races.

It is a mystery to me how you cannot come up with a more difficult parcours in Colorado. It has never been difficult. I just don't get it.

 

[Escarabajo]

Now that most stupid mountain pass is the Lookout Mountain. What is the purpose of that mountain? None.