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

[Libertine Seguros]

5km to go, Herrada still has 40" but lots of attacks in the péloton, almost all from LA-Paredes Rota dos Móveis. Miguel Candil the latest to go.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

1 José Herrada (Caja Rural)
2 Sérgio Ribeiro (Barbot-Siper)
3 Cândido Barbosa (Palmeiras Resort-Prio)

A great solo from 35km out. Ribeiro takes the camisola branca from Cândido too. Two stage wins from speculative long solo digs for Caja Rural, they will be absolutely ecstatic with their showing - easily the biggest-exposure race they've had all year.

 

[Michele]

They are having a strong ride in this race.

 

[craig1985]

I must admit, I've sorted of expected more from Cândido Barbosa in this race, given how much he wins in Portugal. Why is this guy not racing with the big boys on a PT or top UCI Professional Continental team?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The break was allowed to go all the way today. From that break Joaquín Ortega (Barbot) broke away and came in solo, just holding off the late charge from eternal breakaway José João Mendes (LA). Ángel Vicioso led the rest of the break over the line 1'14" later. Cândido Barbosa led the péloton in. The most interesting thing to come from the day was apparently (I didn't see today's stage, I'm going on what a friend is telling me) the rumour that there will be a new Portuguese Continental team next year, which Cândido Barbosa will be team manager for.

To be honest, I feel like it SHOULD be a bad joke.

You wanna know the sponsors? Liberty Seguros.

Anybody else getting déjà vu?

Anyway, here's evidence that it isn't just made-up:
http://www.record.xl.pt/Modalidades/Ciclismo/volta_a_portugal/interior.aspx?content_id=456736

The plan is for the team to be all-Portuguese, probably including a number of people from the current Liberty Seguros amateur team, and to adhere fully to the bio-passport. They plan to have the team in the péloton in 2012 at the absolute latest.

 

[boardhanger]

To be honest, I feel like it SHOULD be a bad joke.

You wanna know the sponsors? Liberty Seguros.

Anybody else getting déjà vu?

Anyway, here's evidence that it isn't just made-up:
http://www.record.xl.pt/Modalidades/Ciclismo/volta_a_portugal/interior.aspx?content_id=456736

The plan is for the team to be all-Portuguese, probably including a number of people from the current Liberty Seguros amateur team, and to adhere fully to the bio-passport. They plan to have the team in the péloton in 2012 at the absolute latest.

Liberty Seguros must really like to sponsor cycling?? Valverde for a comeback??

 

[Parrulo]

i would love if they could get a decent budget, like enough to get them into some protour races like one grand tour+ a couple of classics. it would be great to see an all portuguese team fighting for something. guys like machado, costa paulinho and a few other less know riders like andre cardoso, ricardo mestre, hernani broco, nelson oliveira and vitor rodrigues would make a really decent team with some future prospect team(portuguese wise ofc) it would need a few foreigners, prolly 1 guy that can bring a couple good results in the present and not just guys can may do it in the future and a few portuguese/foreign domestics to add to the ones i mentioned previously.

what do you guys think? could portugal really pull a mostly portuguese competitive team Europe wise?

 

[Mellow Velo]

Money is the key. If the UK can produce Sky off the back of their pool of riders........

Anyhow, I still have 25kms of yesterday to catch up on, before this appears on our screens:



Time to get serious.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

i would love if they could get a decent budget, like enough to get them into some protour races like one grand tour+ a couple of classics. it would be great to see an all portuguese team fighting for something. guys like machado, costa paulinho and a few other less know riders like andre cardoso, ricardo mestre, hernani broco, nelson oliveira and vitor rodrigues would make a really decent team with some future prospect team(portuguese wise ofc) it would need a few foreigners, prolly 1 guy that can bring a couple good results in the present and not just guys can may do it in the future and a few portuguese/foreign domestics to add to the ones i mentioned previously.

what do you guys think? could portugal really pull a mostly portuguese competitive team Europe wise?

They'd probably go ProContinental at the absolute most, and be like Benfica were a couple of years ago - didn't go to too many big races. Maybe get to go to San Sebastián or something like that. Then again, the Portuguese teams sometimes went to the Vuelta years back. I think they'll just be a Continental team at first and compete with their native fellows, as well as at selected races outside - Asturias is usually welcoming to the Portuguese teams, Comunidad de Madrid, some of the Brazilian races, et cetera.

Also, while a pretty big Portuguese team able to compete in larger events would be nice, at the same time if they were able to put the likes of Machado, Costa, Paulinho, André Cardoso, Mestre and Broco together (with Nelson Oliveira to come) in one team, they may totally crush the opposition at the Volta once the likes of Blanco and Bernabéu have retired, which can't be far away since they're both about 35.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Well, MV, don't get too serious too quickly.

The start of today's stage is being delayed. The route is going to have to be changed thanks to the fires, and they're going to have to make adjustments to the profile and negotiate. They will still climb the Alto da Torre, but it looks like they'll be climbing it from the other side, either from Covilhã (21,5km @ 6,4%) or from Manteigas (20,3km @ 6,3%) as opposed to from Seia as planned (28,5km @ 5,1%).

Torre from Covilhã:

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It's now confirmed, they're going from Manteigas, via Piornos. Filipe Cardoso has commented on facebook that this is an easier climb than the original planned climb from Seia. They had hoped to go via Manteigas to Gouveia then cut across to Seia and go around the north of Serra da Estrela (as opposed to the south as originally planned) but the fires around Gouveia put paid to that hope.

 

[Fester]

It really is the "Hell of the South". Fires, incessant climbing and searing heat! And it last nearly 2 weeks...

 

[Ryaguas]

NOOOOO The easier side noooooo... bah... I was really expecting something from this stage...

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Today's attack group includes Oleg Chuzhda, Cândido Barbosa, Constantino Zaballa and Jimmy Engoulvent. Barbot and LA are controlling the péloton. Barbosa is picking up intermediate sprint points cos he can't seem to beat Ribeiro to the line this year. He is virtual camisola branca now though.

 

[Mellow Velo]

I hadn't had a chance to check here, but realised something was up, very quickly. Oh well.

 

[jens_attacks]

wow this race is on fire,lot of smoke out there,can they breath?

 

[Ryaguas]

Candido Barbosa dropped big time... looks really tired... Palmeiras pulling hard in the climb... they don't want attacks especially from CamioOro... right now several riders attacking...

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Santi Pérez, Bruno Pires and Tom Jelte Slagter.

 

[Ryaguas]

Borisov


Bruno Pires
Tom Slater
Santiago Perez


Pelotao... Palmeiras in the front...

 

[Ryaguas]

The 3 chasseurs are almost caught by the pelotao... Palmeiras defending La Camisola Amarella... a lot of smoke in the mountain...

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The smoke is making it very difficult. Palmeiras are strangling the life out of the challengers too, now entering the steeper last few kilometres.

 

[Ryaguas]

Sinkewitz preparing to take-off... Pardilla As Well... lets see how they can handle with the smoke...

 

[Ryaguas]

Madness attacks from everywhere... Bernabeu attacking!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ryaguas]

Blanco on the front!!!!! responding to the attacks!

 

[Ryaguas]

Now is Blanco that is pushing hard... Rui sousa attacks!!! 7th in the GC!