2016, 70th Tour de Romandie, April 26th - May 1st, WT

[liamito]

Re:

if the weather stays like this, we can be happy if we don't end up with four stages for Albasini

Weather should slightly improve, at least the precipitation will be less I think. No doubt it will remain cold.

 

[PremierAndrew]

Re:

Dont think Froome will finish in the top-5. While he will be decent, Quintana '15 Romandie me thinks. Super peak for Le Tour inc le Froomedawg

1. TJ
2. Quinco
3. Pinot
4. Izagirre
5. Jungels

Dawg actually takes this race seriously though

 

[TMP402]

Re: Re:

Dont think Froome will finish in the top-5. While he will be decent, Quintana '15 Romandie me thinks. Super peak for Le Tour inc le Froomedawg

1. TJ
2. Quinco
3. Pinot
4. Izagirre
5. Jungels

Dawg actually takes this race seriously though

He'll be joint record most times winner if he wins, too.

 

[Põhja Konn]

Zakarin will be one of the strongest, if not the strongest rider in the race. How deep he is prepared to go in Romandie with Giro looming on the horizon, probably determines where he ends up overall.

 

[Tonton]

Re: Re:

Tonton you fool, its not only TJ over Pinot, its TJ over everyone, stop acting like a spoiled Contador-fan
I have no clue to why my top-5 looks like that, Im feeling lucky and stranger things have happened.

Fair enough. Viva Las Vegas, then . After all who would have bet on Zakarin last year? I really hope that attacks take place in the two mountain stages, although the gradients aren't that extreme, or steep for long. It could end up tasteless until the last kilometer. I hope not. Although if it's boring to death and Tibopino wins, I'll rate it a 10 . I might even start a thread: "Pinot is the New Eddy" or something like that .

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Tom D. will want to prove he can top Wout Poels for best Limburgian cyclist

 

[TMP402]

Tom D. will want to prove he can top Wout Poels for best Limburgian cyclist

Is there an important regional rivalry non-Dutchies should be aware of?

 

[Sasquatch]

Watch out for Tom Bohli. He will be a serious threat in both TTs. Especially the prologue. He is one of the favorites or in fact THE favorite IMO. Many people will be surprised by his strength as he makes his first big appearance in a World Tour Time Trial.

And why the hell is Eurosport not showing this but showing the tour of turkey instead....

Bohli will do well, I agree, but I'd say Jungels for the prologue. Think LLS, Dumoulin and Kwiatkowski will be close too. Looks technical.

The climb makes it too hard for Kittel, who would otherwise be another favourite over this distance.

Course for tomorrow could still be changed or even cancelled.

I'd say it will be shortened without the hill! So maybe make it 1.5km long, or even 1km long. No point canceling it, just shorten it or change the route around so it doesn't incorporate the hill!

 

[Pantani_lives]

1. Froome
2. Porte
3. Van Garderen
4. Zakarin
5. Dumoulin
6. Quintana
7. Costa
8. Spilak
9. Albasini
10. Frank

I'm wondering how Richie Porte will perform against his former leader. The good news for him: this race only lasts one week!

 

[Lil_Tommy_V]

Still no word on Prologue or potential route amendments yet?

 

[del1962]

Spilak not Zakarin wears number 1

 

[TomekA]

Still no word on Prologue or potential route amendments yet?

No information that the route will be changed so probably everything is according to plan.

Weather for today, it looks...interesting: https://twitter.com/ammattipyoraily/status/724820892669333506


And official starting times: http://www.tourderomandie.ch/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/prologue-min.pdf

 

[GP Blanco]

Tom D. will want to prove he can top Wout Poels for best Limburgian cyclist

Is there an important regional rivalry non-Dutchies should be aware of?

Poels is from the northern part of the province and Dumoulin from the southern part.

 

[May0maniac]

Rein Taaramäe could surprise people, you never know what to expect from him.

 

[Põhja Konn]

Re:

Rein Taaramäe could surprise people, you never know what to expect from him.

He did two long high mountain training camps in Sierra Nevada, one before and the other after Volta Catalunya. LBL was the first race back for him. He is riding the Romandie just to get the race rhytm back before the Giro. Maybe he will show something later in the week, but I doubt he is a involved in the GC fight in Romandie.

If everything goes well (and that is a big if), he should be very good in the Giro. His entire season thus far is geared towards it, and he will be the leader of the team together with Zakarin.

 

[DBotero]

Spilak or Zakarin to win this race for Katusha.Froome vs Porte will be interesting as Froome should be now in decent shape.

 

[May0maniac]

Re: Re:

Rein Taaramäe could surprise people, you never know what to expect from him.

He did two long high mountain training camps in Sierra Nevada, one before and the other after Volta Catalunya. LBL was the first race back for him. He is riding the Romandie just to get the race rhytm back before the Giro. Maybe he will show something later in the week, but I doubt he is a involved in the GC fight in Romandie.

If everything goes well (and that is a big if), he should be very good in the Giro. His entire season thus far is geared towards it, and he will be the leader of the team together with Zakarin.

Thanks, I didn't know about the two Sierra Nevada training camps.
Yeah, he should be good at the Giro.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Tom D. will want to prove he can top Wout Poels for best Limburgian cyclist

Is there an important regional rivalry non-Dutchies should be aware of?

They are from the same region, and last few years obviously Dumoulin kept winning the regional sportsman/cyclist of the year prizes. Now he has to step it up if he wants to top winning LBL plus there is Max Verstappen in Formula 1 not making it easier, also from Limburg

 

[TomekA]

Snow, this doesn't look good

 

[Taxus4a]

Still no word on Prologue or potential route amendments yet?

No information that the route will be changed so probably everything is according to plan.

Weather for today, it looks...interesting: https://twitter.com/ammattipyoraily/status/724820892669333506


And official starting times: http://www.tourderomandie.ch/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/prologue-min.pdf

Oh my good... I am more amazed by the wind that the snow... 50 Km/h average is even dangerous

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Spilak to win then

 

[May0maniac]

The weather could play a huge role in the prologue, there could be big differences between the early starters like Zakarin and the last riders.

 

[TomekA]

Reports on twitter that CPA delegate and riders representative for extreme weather conditions protocol is David Chassot who is...brother of race organiser Richard Chassot. So i think only earthquake could be the reason of cancelling the stage.

 

[TMP402]

Re:

Reports on twitter that CPA delegate and riders representative for extreme weather conditions protocol is David Chassot who is...brother of race organiser Richard Chassot. So i think only earthquake could be the reason of cancelling the stage.

Wow.

 

[Sasquatch]

Re:

Reports on twitter that CPA delegate and riders representative for extreme weather conditions protocol is David Chassot who is...brother of race organiser Richard Chassot. So i think only earthquake could be the reason of cancelling the stage.

That's what we like to see.

No way will riders going for the TDF/Giro will risk themselves today. So don't expect to see the big names win this race overall. Considering snow and rain on the mountain stages too, the big names won't be taking unnecessary risks.