72 Volta a Portugal Bicicleta- em, 2.1 August 04-15 (Kash in !)

[Ryo Hazuki]

cus a guy with a bad itt never put up a fight to a guy with a good itt in the history of GC competiton . . .

Cardoso is equal to Blanco in the mountains at best so no he won't be a competitor. He can be in the future.

 

[Michele]

Nice ride by Sinkewitz.

 

[craig1985]

The commentators sound surprised that Barbosa was dropped early.....why?

EDIT: So, we'll soon find out if anyone has the legs to take the race to Blanco. Let's hope so. But I doubt it very very much.

Good to see you back from your hiatus.

 

[issoisso]

Good to see you back from your hiatus.

July is over, most "I watch cycling for three weeks out of the year" fanboys are (hopefully) gone, forum is tolerable again

 

[Mellow Velo]

Finally caught up with yesterday's stage. A little disappointing, I thought.
Cardoso riding the whole peloton off Blanco's wheel, doesn't bode well for an unpredictable GC battle.

I agree that the Volta should be a lot "bigger" in terms of UCI ranking and attracting a more PT teams.
I guess the blame sits in Aigle, or maybe it is to do with prize money?

It certainly can't have anything to do with coverage. It should be a sponsor's dream event.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Finally caught up with yesterday's stage. A little disappointing, I thought.
Cardoso riding the whole peloton off Blanco's wheel, doesn't bode well for an unpredictable GC battle.

I agree that the Volta should be a lot "bigger" in terms of UCI ranking and attracting a more PT teams.
I guess the blame sits in Aigle, or maybe it is to do with prize money?

It certainly can't have anything to do with coverage. It should be a sponsor's dream event.

no they asked to be 2.1 themselves so more foreign ct teams can join. pls look futher than your nose is long and don't think that because something has a certain uci rating it means anything. down under is pro tour I believe but I'd rather win portugal or colombia than down under.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It's a very good stepping stone to seeing how riders will cope with the strains of a Grand Tour - 11 days in the searing heat of Portugal in August. Its position in the calendar so soon after the Tour and so shortly before the Vuelta means few big names will turn up to a race so difficult; the local teams plan their year around the race so they often run roughshod over the external competitors. But it is a very professional, well-presented race, difficult and challenging, so that a victory does feel like a real achievement.

 

[Parrulo]

the calender defo needs a shake up so the vuelta and the volta regain the importance they once had.

if you look at the CN site you will see that races like the tour of Denmark get more coverage then the volta. i know the tour of denmark has better teams but i highly doubt it is a better race. i would also bet one of my limbs as fuglsang wouldn't beat the current volta favorites.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Yet another uphill finish for the Volta, today. Only one sprinter stage so far!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yet another uphill finish for the Volta, today. Only one sprinter stage so far!

This is why the Volta is awesome

This is another finish where Ribeiro and Barbosa can get to the top of the climb and duke it out, or a break can get away, or somebody not too threatening in the GC can gain a bit of time as the contenders mark one another, a bit like Eladio Jiménez last year. Someone like Hugo Sabido, Tino Zaballa or Santi Pérez could take a flyer on this one, maybe Vicioso or even Kash? Sinkewitz is also aiming for a stage win at some point, which could be interesting.

Cyclingnews staff, may I ask why on earth this race is so low in the listings on the main page? Below Paris-Corrèze, which finished five days ago, below NE-level MTB events, below 1.2-rated Italian races, US NE criteriums, and a race that hasn't started yet.

Surely the Volta should be up there above most of these, and there with the likes of Burgos and Denmark.

On the other hand, big thumbs up for putting the Route de France coverage in a prominent spot. I appreciate it.

 

[craig1985]

Finally caught up with yesterday's stage. A little disappointing, I thought.
Cardoso riding the whole peloton off Blanco's wheel, doesn't bode well for an unpredictable GC battle.

I agree that the Volta should be a lot "bigger" in terms of UCI ranking and attracting a more PT teams.
I guess the blame sits in Aigle, or maybe it is to do with prize money?

It certainly can't have anything to do with coverage. It should be a sponsor's dream event.

As I said earlier, with RadioShack not invited to the Vuelta, they could of let Machado loose at the Volta instead.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

cn is anglosaksian website. they haven't got as clue about cycling. don't get mad at them. if you don't know history then you don't know future.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

As I said earlier, with RadioShack not invited to the Vuelta, they could of let Machado loose at the Volta instead.

And he could win his fourth young rider's jersey!

I was gutted that Tiago went to RSH but at the same time I figured that since they were ProTour and Lance and co would only focus on California and the Tour, that would leave a lot of major events for the younger guns to go to; they could do either the Giro, the Vuelta or both - after all, Tiago's shown his ability at long stage races with his Volta performances - and other big events.

Now, however, the RSH tie is toxic, damaging and of course they've not had a chance to strut their stuff in a Grand Tour. The riders like Machado and Hermans, who I thought would have all but four weeks of the season to themselves, now I just want them to get out of there.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

yes, radioshack has turned into the albatross that drags everyone down now, especially talent

 

[Fester]

And he could win his fourth young rider's jersey!

I was gutted that Tiago went to RSH but at the same time I figured that since they were ProTour and Lance and co would only focus on California and the Tour, that would leave a lot of major events for the younger guns to go to; they could do either the Giro, the Vuelta or both - after all, Tiago's shown his ability at long stage races with his Volta performances - and other big events.

Now, however, the RSH tie is toxic, damaging and of course they've not had a chance to strut their stuff in a Grand Tour. The riders like Machado and Hermans, who I thought would have all but four weeks of the season to themselves, now I just want them to get out of there.

I thought that RadioShack were trying to reform Tiago into a team worker; probably his real calling since he seems to go well every race. A domestique deluxe. I think he has very little experience in team work, always having been a leader. I think this is what Bruyneel meant by "needs to learn to ride in a bunch" or something to that effect. Maybe being young still, he could evolve into a GC contender, but recently he's been good for top 10 not win.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

the new azevedo

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Paulinho used to be an exciting rider. He attacked a lot, was a climber who loved getting into breaks. Now he's little more than a lower slopes domestique.

Tiago is one of the most attack-minded riders in the péloton. He was a kamikaze who would be constantly off the front. While a bit of Bruyneel's defensiveness was probably required to help him maximise his talent, it's sure made him less exciting, and I fear for him going the same way as Popo, Paulinho and others before him.

 

[Michele]

I thought that RadioShack were trying to reform Tiago into a team worker; probably his real calling since he seems to go well every race. A domestique deluxe. I think he has very little experience in team work, always having been a leader. I think this is what Bruyneel meant by "needs to learn to ride in a bunch" or something to that effect. Maybe being young still, he could evolve into a GC contender, but recently he's been good for top 10 not win.

By checking cqranking, only 2 guys got a better ranking (up to today) than Machado; Horner and Braijikovic (and please notice that both of them rode California and Tour).

 

[Fester]

By checking cqranking, only 2 guys got a better ranking (up to today) than Machado; Horner and Braijikovic (and please notice that both of them rode California and Tour).

Indeed he is the third ranked RadioShack guy.

If you check his 2010 results at cycling archives you will see:

3º General Classification Tour of Algarve
2º General Classification Circuit de la Sarthe
7º General Classification Vuelta a Castilla y Leon
7º General Classification Tour of Romandie
4º General Classification Tour of Austria
10º General Classification Tour of Poland

Which is many top 10's throughout the season but not a win. And as you point out he did not race the Tour, or California. Which are harder races than the above.

His results before tell the same story.

I fully agree that he's super talented. But not a winner. if he embraced his job as a domestique he would be one of the most desired and valuable riders in the peloton. Instead of riding for himself in lesser events and wracking up a list of top 10's.

At best in the Volta he'd get a top 10.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

He was 7th in the Volta last year. Are Romandie and Castilla y León really easier races than California? Difficult to say that they are if we're completely honest. And Austria featured two serious and difficult MTFs (Kitzbüheler Horn and Großglocknerpass), though the quality of the field may not have been stellar. Then again, if we're honest, racing in the mountains against Riccò, Sella and Pardilla is tougher than racing on a gradual incline against Zabriskie, Rogers and Leipheimer.

His Volta results have shown improvement, and with Radioshack he'd have a better line of domestiques than he ever had at Boavista, so he possibly could improve on that 7th, especially as, since he's doing no GTs, he could have prepared specifically for it.

Anyway.

Today's break is:
Bruno Pires (Barbot)
Hugo Sabido (LA)
Célio Sousa (Boavista)
Matteo Rabottini (Lampre)
Ruslan Pidgorniy (ISD)
Emanuele Sella (CarmioOro)
Oleg Chuzhda (Caja Rural)
Perrig Quemeneur (Bouygues)
Vladislav Borisov (Amore e Vita)

Chuzhda is defending his mountains jersey, and he and Sella (and to a lesser extent Borisov) are the clear animators of the race.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Now, Sella and Borisov are a minute ahead of the other escapees, who are 3 minutes ahead of the péloton.

 

[Ryaguas]

That's why I like Sella! "Well I don't have opportunities for La Camisola Amarella? Lets fight for the KOM!" that guy really likes to attack and animate the races!!!!!!!!

 

[Mellow Velo]

One rider and all the team cars stuck the wrong side of a level crossing.
I pity the water carrier.
Sella off in the break for the third time. He's an enthusiastic optimist.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The break was going nowhere, down to 40" lead at the start of the penultimate climb, so Borisov attacked Sella and left him behind.

Juan José Herrada (Caja Rural) and Gustavo Domínguez Lemos (Xaco) have both attacked the péloton on the climb.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Herrada (CJR) frente da corrida

First pursuer Constantino Zaballa (CCL)

Then a group with Pedro Soeiro (CCL), César Fonte (BSP), Gustavo Rodríguez (XAC), Rubén Reig (CJR), Ángel Vicioso (ACA), Márcio Barbosa (LRM) and José João Mendes (LRM).

Pelotão a 1'43"