73ª Volta a Portugal 2.1 04/08 - 15/08

[Parrulo]

so ya lets start this one early this year.

the course has been presented to a certain point. no profiles yet but we know where the stages start and end.

4 August: Prologue Fafe
5 August: 1.ª Trofa - Oliveira do Bairro
6 August: 2.ª Ol. Azeméis - Sr.ª da Assunção
7 August: 3.ª V. Castelo - Sr.ª da Graça
8 August: 4.ª Lamego - Gouveia
9 August: 5.ª Oliveira do Hospital - Viseu
10 August: Rest Day
11 August: 6.ª Aveiro - Castelo Branco
12 August: 7.ª Sabugal - Guarda (ITT)
13 August: 8.ª Seia - Torre
14 August: 9.ª Covilhã - Sertã
15 August: 10.ª Sintra (?) - Lisboa

so this gives us 5 stages for sprinters with stage 1,5,9 and 10) 1 prologue, 1 itt that can almost be considered a MTT. and 4 MTF.

Sr.ª da Assunção- 6,6 km at 5,9 %

Sr.ª da Graça- 8 km at 7,5 %( this stage will prolly also have the monte do viso that is 8,6 km at 6,7 %)

Gouveia- i will assume this stage will be climb to penhas douradas (16,8 km at 3,9 %) followed immediately by gouveia(5,1 km at 4,3%)

Torre- the torre can be approached by 3 sides but hopefully this year they will either go from the covilha side or the seia side which are the harder ones. the seia side is 33k long with sections up to 17% so i hope they go from there

once again the alto the são macário was ignored which is a freaking bloody shame as it is roughly 9,4 kms at 9% ending on gravel roads iirc.

anyway it seems like the organization made a course tailor made for andre cardoso and hernani broco to fight it out btw the 2 of them. with chance for a couple of new guys to show up and maybe a foreigner or 2 to also put up a fight.

one other question must be asked tho. who will be this year's big name that will come to the volta thinking he will win it easy only to get dropped on every mountain or to cry like a baby because the race is too hard (like gibo did )

 

[Anonymous]

i hope we get to see live net stream

 

[Parrulo]

i hope we get to see live net stream

i fairly sure there are plenty of live streams and iirc the race is streamed live on rtp1's(tv channel and one of the main sponsors) site

now this thread needs libertine to put some of input of his own. with his opinion on the course and what may happen

 

[roundabout]

I don't know why, but to me it seems that the race almost always finishes in same places. TdF level boring.

Sr.ª da Graça
Torre
Gouveia
Sr.ª da Assunção is Santo Tirso, right?

If so, boring.

 

[jens_attacks]

the teams invited?christina watches would be good.

 

[Magnus]

the teams invited?christina watches would be good.

CWO is doing Tour of Denmark 3rd-7th of August.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

4 August: Prologue Fafe
5 August: 1.ª Trofa - Oliveira do Bairro

Assume this will be flat.

6 August: 2.ª Ol. Azeméis - Sr.ª da Assunção

Basically retreading the previous stage in the opposite direction? Certainly feasible that they could go east to São Pedro do Sul and climb Macário (or most of it anyway, not the dead end finale), down to Arouca and then to Santo Tirso, but it would be a looooong way from the finish.

7 August: 3.ª V. Castelo - Sr.ª da Graça

In addition to Monte do Viso, I wouldn't be surprised to see them copy last year's finale with the Alto Campanhó that Broco's group attacked on last year (13,3km @ 5,5%).

8 August: 4.ª Lamego - Gouveia

Nice to see the Gouveia climb back, missed that last year. I expect Penhas Douradas then a couple of loops of Gouveia, this seems to be the pattern. I'd like them to do Piornos, then descend to Manteigas before Penhas Douradas, just to put a bit more in the legs before the climb, as it's not overly steep.

9 August: 5.ª Oliveira do Hospital - Viseu

Presumably flat, though they could include something like the Alto do Caramulo (13,2km @ 4,5%) to make it a bit more selective.

10 August: Rest Day
11 August: 6.ª Aveiro - Castelo Branco

This will be a flat finish but quite possibly some hills in it halfway through.

12 August: 7.ª Sabugal - Guarda (ITT)

Most routes into Guarda include having to go uphill given its location as the highest city in Portugal, so I expect this to be a very interesting ITT since it will be mostly a flat power TT but then with a tricky climb up to the finish.

13 August: 8.ª Seia - Torre

Starting in Seia?! Are they just going to loop round or are they going to repeat climbs, like doing the other side of Penhas Douradas, then Teixeira, Carrazedo and Torre?

14 August: 9.ª Covilhã - Sertã
15 August: 10.ª Sintra (?) - Lisboa

Looks like a very tame ending. They used to finish with a mountain stage and an ITT on the final weekend, now it seems all the GC action is sorted by stage 8 leaving the weekend with two sprints. Unimpressed by that. I also note that the route is even more northern than usual!

Torre- the torre can be approached by 3 sides but hopefully this year they will either go from the covilha side or the seia side which are the harder ones. the seia side is 33k long with sections up to 17% so i hope they go from there

I'm presuming they'll do the usual if they go from Seia, which is to climb the Alto do Carrazedo first (10,0km @ 6,1%) which descends into Seia itself, making the climb of Torre slightly shorter (28,5km as opposed to the full 31,3km) but linking it to a tougher earlier climb.

one other question must be asked tho. who will be this year's big name that will come to the volta thinking he will win it easy only to get dropped on every mountain or to cry like a baby because the race is too hard (like gibo did )

Davide Rebellin. Though Rebellin won't think he will win it easy. Cunego or Scarponi might show up since Lampre have a strong sponsor interest in Portugal.

once again the alto the são macário was ignored which is a freaking bloody shame as it is roughly 9,4 kms at 9% ending on gravel roads iirc.

I don't know why, but to me it seems that the race almost always finishes in same places. TdF level boring.

Sr.ª da Graça
Torre
Gouveia
Sr.ª da Assunção is Santo Tirso, right?

If so, boring.

That is Santo Tirso, yes. It is a major frustration that the Volta's organisers have got rather lazy with their route design. Torre is pretty much a given since it dwarves every other climb in the country. There was some debate a while ago about whether we were going to lose Monte Farinha/Sr.ª da Graça because of funding, but to tell the truth there are other climbs that could easily be used; the thing with those climbs is, however, that they have everything in place at the top.

I mean, not only do you have São Macário is mentioned by Parrulo before (and me a few times before on the forum as well)
(9,2km @ 9,1%)

But there's also things like the Alto da Santa Helena (which has been used in other races before and by its toughest route reaches 7,5km @ 8,0%) - this is near Lamego so could perhaps go just after Mondim de Basto.

Montemuro is also another choice. There are a lot of routes to climb this, mostly starting from various towns around Castro Daire. 14,4km @ 6,5% is hardly to be sniffed at, which I think might be the toughest route up there.

Also, I know that the Volta doesn't use the south of the country (or even the middle) much, but it might be nice, if they're going to continue to waste our time with these Lisbon sprint finishes, to have the penultimate stage go up the Alto Montejunto - 9,2km @ 6,2% with ramps of up to 15%. You can't really link it to much but you can make some tough-looking up-and-down stages around the region, as shown by the GP Torres Vedras-Trofeu Joaquim Agostinho.

 

[craig1985]

Libertine I'm impressed with your encyclopedic knowledge of all the terrain in Portugal. PIncluding those in Poland, Germany, Spain etc.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

will rabo conti ride again?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

it's really ashame almost no portugese teams are competing. the startlist seem to get smaller every year
how about geox and radioshack?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Half of GEOX will be in Burgos most likely but hopefully the other half will be in Portugal. Radioshack probably have bigger fish to fry (they have to enter Poland for a start, so there will be fewer riders available before we get to the various other August races).

I think a not unreasonable startlist would be:

Lampre-ISD

Andalucía-Caja Granada
Caja Rural
De Rosa-Ceramica Flaminia
Europcar
Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli
Geox-TMC
Saur-Sojasun
Team NetApp

Barbot-Efapel
LA-Antarte
Onda-Boavista
Tavira-Prio

Chipotle Development Team
KTM-Murcía
La Pomme Marseillaise
Miche-Guerciotti
Rabobank Continental

Portugal National Team

That gives us 19 teams for whom I can see reason to do the Volta. 16 started last year so a few of these will probably not make the startline. Saur-Sojasun in particular I feel will probably use much of their resources at the Tour and in the August French races, but as they had such success at the race last year I included them.

 

[Moondance]

If Rabo CT is going to be present I sense a win for Wilco Kelderman

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

If Rabo CT is going to be present I sense a win for Wilco Kelderman

kelderman for sure won;t ride even if they did participate I think

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

kelderman for sure won;t ride even if they did participate I think

slagter did last year, he was invisible for the most part, but then he did a good tour l'avenir.

I'm not sure he would either tho.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Ahhh, the Volta is back for another year. Can David Blanco crush the competition again to another victory?

Libertine I'm impressed with your encyclopedic knowledge of all the terrain in Portugal. PIncluding those in Poland, Germany, Spain etc.

Aren't you a suck up?

 

[craig1985]

Half of GEOX will be in Burgos most likely but hopefully the other half will be in Portugal. Radioshack probably have bigger fish to fry (they have to enter Poland for a start, so there will be fewer riders available before we get to the various other August races).

I think a not unreasonable startlist would be:

Lampre-ISD

Andalucía-Caja Granada
Caja Rural
De Rosa-Ceramica Flaminia
Europcar
Farnese Vini-Neri Sottoli
Geox-TMC
Saur-Sojasun
Team NetApp

Barbot-Efapel
LA-Antarte
Onda-Boavista
Tavira-Prio

Chipotle Development Team
KTM-Murcía
La Pomme Marseillaise
Miche-Guerciotti
Rabobank Continental

Portugal National Team

That gives us 19 teams for whom I can see reason to do the Volta. 16 started last year so a few of these will probably not make the startline. Saur-Sojasun in particular I feel will probably use much of their resources at the Tour and in the August French races, but as they had such success at the race last year I included them.

And the Eneco Tour, plus the all important Tour of Utah so Levi can beat up on all the US domestic teams.

http://www.livestrong.com/teamradioshack/events/2011/august/

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

slagter did last year, he was invisible for the most part, but then he did a good tour l'avenir.

I'm not sure he would either tho.

yeah but slagter was 22 an final year u23, kelderman is 20

 

[theyoungest]

yeah but slagter was 22 an final year u23, kelderman is 20

Slagter was 21, he's from 1989. Without great form he still got 20th or something, the race is not that immensely hard. Hell, even Vermeltfoort finished the Volta (in dead last )

 

[lucybears]

Davide Rebellin. Though Rebellin won't think he will win it easy. Cunego or Scarponi might show up since Lampre have a strong sponsor interest in Portugal.

Davide Rebellin si è dichiarato molto soddisfatto del risultato ottenuto alla Route du Sud: "L'avevo già disputato nel 1997! Sono passati un sacco di anni. La condizione era buona, e doveva esserlo, perché è una gara molto difficile, molto difficile. Sono felice del mio risultato".

Il corridore della Miche-Guerciotti a 39 anni non si pone limiti e punta diritto alle semiclassiche italiane: "Farò tutte le semi-classiche italiane di agosto".

 

[trevim]

The route has been presented today.

Prologue: Fafe (2.2km)

Stage 1: Trofa - Oliveira do Bairro (187.7km)
Expected to end in a bunch sprint.

Stage 2: Oliveira de Azeméis - Sra. da Assunção (184.4km)
First mountain top finish (6.3km @ 6.2%) in a stage with 6 categorized climbs.

Stage 3: Viana do Castelo - Sra. da Graça (151km)
Another MTF (8.4km @ 7.5%).

Stage 4: Lamego - Gouveia (182.3km)
Uphill finish. Where is Candido Barbosa? (7.6km @ 2.9%)

Stage 5: Oliveira do Hospital - Viseu (150.3km)
Sprinter's stage.

Rest day

Stage 6: Aveiro - Castelo Branco (215.9km)
Sprinters should rule the longest stage.

Stage 7: Sabugal - Guarda (35.3km - ITT)
Should be interesting. It's not a pure mountain time trial bur it ends in the highest city in Portugal, above 100m which will make it hard enough I guess.

Stage 8: Seia - Torre (182.8km)
A proper mountain stage. From Seia to Alto do Teixeira (3rd category), Penhas da Saúde (1st category 13km @ 7.4%), Penhas Douradas (2nd category 10 km @ 6%) and the final ascent to Torre from Seia (28.4km @ 5%).

Stage 9: Covilhã - Sertã (182.3km)
I guess this may be a lumpy stage suited to a breakaway.

Stage 10: Sintra - Lisboa (152.6km)
Well if need to put in a few sprinters stages why not this one?



Teams:
LA-Antarte
Barbot-Efapel
Tavira-Prio
Onda-Boavista
La Pomme
Katusha (continental)
Chipotle
Farnesi
Acqua e Sapone
Caja Rural
Portuguese National Team
Geox (?)


More or less the same route of the previous years. I guess we should all be happy the race still exists

André Cardoso or Ricardo Mestre to win this and go to a proper team where they can ride the big races!

 

[Parrulo]

André Cardoso or Ricardo Mestre to win this and go to a proper team where they can ride the big races!

impressive how you managed to beat me to this when i have been checking the volta site everyday for the past month XD

anyway hopefully that part will happen biggest favourite for me is andre cardoso tho. he already was the second best climber last year as a domestic so . . . . but lets not forget broco, sousa and a couple other guys.

also this year they are climbing the torre from seia!!!!! awesome

a shame the amount of economical problems the volta is facing

p.s. no lampre nor rabo this year?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

are those all the teams? I was pretty sure miche would ride

still nice for acqua en sapone, good opportunity for sarmiento and betancourt

 

[trevim]

are those all the teams? I was pretty sure miche would ride

still nice for acqua en sapone, good opportunity for sarmiento and betancourt

http://www.record.xl.pt/Modalidades/Ciclismo/interior.aspx?content_id=706912

This is where I saw the teams in the race. By the sound of the new it seems that it's not final yet so maybe Rabobank-Continental and Miche will be in too. We'll see, in the next days there should be a final startlist.

 

[Parrulo]

portuguese eurosport guys said lampre would be ridding

 

[trevim]

impressive how you managed to beat me to this when i have been checking the volta site everyday for the past month XD

anyway hopefully that part will happen biggest favourite for me is andre cardoso tho. he already was the second best climber last year as a domestic so . . . . but lets not forget broco, sousa and a couple other guys.

also this year they are climbing the torre from seia!!!!! awesome

a shame the amount of economical problems the volta is facing

p.s. no lampre nor rabo this year?

http://www.record.xl.pt/Modalidades/Ciclismo/interior.aspx?content_id=706912

Lampre is in. Maybe Niemiec to destroy the mountains
Rabobank isn't in this list but maybe the list isn't final yet. I hope Rabobank-Continental is in, they always seem to put some show. And Geox, the race is suited to many of their riders.

Yeah the economic problems are the big reason (I guess) for the lack of some new places to go. São Macário would be awsome, kind of a Giro stage!
Maybe João Cabreira has a chance too. I'll be cheering for Cardoso and Rui Sousa to win again on the Serra da Estrela.