- May 15, 2011
- 45,171
- 617
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- Aug 6, 2010
- 6,884
- 6,216
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It has been a strange tame race/route this year, although it's not greatly unbalanced since only a little more than half the ITT is flat. In addition to that it is nice to see a decent length ITT in any stage race....very rare to see these days!
I remember Klodi's win in 2011 - of course - with that dominating display against the clock. But as LS suggested, it wasn't an unbalanced route. The first two stages had some serious steep stuff and Andreas still managed to keep pace with Purito.
I remember Klodi's win in 2011 - of course - with that dominating display against the clock. But as LS suggested, it wasn't an unbalanced route. The first two stages had some serious steep stuff and Andreas still managed to keep pace with Purito.
- Feb 20, 2010
- 33,066
- 15,280
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Re:
Some years in the Itzulia they have really tough routes, then only a 15km time trial that doesn't balance the parcours at all. 2007 is the perfect example; there was no Arrate because it was before the Euskal Bizikleta merger, but they had a puncheur finish in Urretxu on stage 1, a cat.2 uphill finish at Cuevas de Pozalágua on stage 2, the traditional pseudo-flat stage to Vitória-Gasteiz on stage 3, a finish to Lekunberri over Azpirotz (same as the stage Kiryienka won in 2011) on stage 4 then a brute to Oiartzun on stage 5 with Jaizkibel and Erlaitz in the last 40km and a repecho into the town. That route would have cried out for a 25-30km TT like today's but instead it was only 14km.
If they'd had a 25-30km TT then, it could have been perhaps the greatest Itzulia route ever. Gaps were inevitable from the beginning, but no summit finish was sufficient to be decisive. The hardest climb of the whole race was on stage 5, but wasn't a summit finish so you had to do some work afterward. There was only one pseudo-sprint, and that was the Zaldiarán stage and, being on stage 3, there was already some GC damage done.
The problem is, there is more than enough terrain available in Euskal Herria to balance out a 30km time trial. They just didn't use it this year. The amount of time trial necessary fluctuates with the route. The Dauphiné is another culprit, cutting down TT mileage in recent years when the terrain available to the route means they can - and indeed did - produce 40-50km ITTs and still balance the route because of the available mountain stages.gregrowlerson said:
Some years in the Itzulia they have really tough routes, then only a 15km time trial that doesn't balance the parcours at all. 2007 is the perfect example; there was no Arrate because it was before the Euskal Bizikleta merger, but they had a puncheur finish in Urretxu on stage 1, a cat.2 uphill finish at Cuevas de Pozalágua on stage 2, the traditional pseudo-flat stage to Vitória-Gasteiz on stage 3, a finish to Lekunberri over Azpirotz (same as the stage Kiryienka won in 2011) on stage 4 then a brute to Oiartzun on stage 5 with Jaizkibel and Erlaitz in the last 40km and a repecho into the town. That route would have cried out for a 25-30km TT like today's but instead it was only 14km.
If they'd had a 25-30km TT then, it could have been perhaps the greatest Itzulia route ever. Gaps were inevitable from the beginning, but no summit finish was sufficient to be decisive. The hardest climb of the whole race was on stage 5, but wasn't a summit finish so you had to do some work afterward. There was only one pseudo-sprint, and that was the Zaldiarán stage and, being on stage 3, there was already some GC damage done.
Re:
Yes it certainly won't hurt Valverde at all and he already has a healthy rivalry with Contador.
WheelofGear said:
Yes it certainly won't hurt Valverde at all and he already has a healthy rivalry with Contador.
- Feb 16, 2010
- 15,339
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- May 15, 2011
- 45,171
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- Jun 27, 2013
- 5,217
- 9
- 17,495
- Jun 27, 2013
- 5,217
- 9
- 17,495
- Aug 16, 2013
- 7,620
- 2
- 0
Re: Re:
Matthews is one of the most talented riders in the bunch. The way he climbed at L'Avenir in 2010 was insane!
Valv.Piti said:Okay, more than just 3-4 riders.Valv.Piti said:
Matthews is a good rider, I wish he'd take matter into his own hands a bit more at times, clearly more talented than Gerro when he is able to pull something like this off.
Matthews is one of the most talented riders in the bunch. The way he climbed at L'Avenir in 2010 was insane!
- May 15, 2011
- 45,171
- 617
- 24,680
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