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

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Anyone who can make it through the mountain stages of Langkawi will dominate this local crit.

 

[Parrulo]

Anyone who can make it through the mountain stages of Langkawi will dominate this local crit.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

In other news though, I will be very interested to see how Daniel Diaz does.

not a very good year with vc la pomme, although he is more suited for races in spain I think. I wonder if he's still going to geox next year

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Guardini has come for some cheap CQ points, god bless him. It's going to be Langkawi all over again.

yeah he can maybe win 2 stages here

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Anyone who can make it through the mountain stages of Langkawi will dominate this local crit.

Langkawi is totally flat but for those two finishes?

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Langkawi is totally flat but for those two finishes?

I was not being super cereal.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I was not being super cereal.

Well, no, given that you called Portugal a local crit, and while its star is pretty damn dim in relation to where it was, it's still a hard hard race, even if the startlist is less than stellar.

But the most obvious Guardini stage happens to be after the Torre stage and god almighty that's an awful final weekend.

 

[theyoungest]

Well, no, given that you called Portugal a local crit, and while its star is pretty damn dim in relation to where it was, it's still a hard hard race, even if the startlist is less than stellar.

But the most obvious Guardini stage happens to be after the Torre stage and god almighty that's an awful final weekend.

You tend to overrate the toughness of the Volta a Portugal a little... Coen Vermeltfoort survived it last year, as an espoir, and let me tell you: that guy can't climb.

edit: and look at the incredible mark last year's winner David Blanco has made on the WorldTour so far.

 

[canyonball]

edit: and look at the incredible mark last year's winner David Blanco has made on the WorldTour so far.

I see picking an example out of the lot can be used as an argument on his own. Can I pick Xavier Tondo, then? He did pretty good at World Tour.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I see picking an example out of the lot can be used as an argument on his own. Can I pick Xavier Tondo, then? He did pretty good at World Tour.

or ezequel mosquera.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

You tend to overrate the toughness of the Volta a Portugal a little... Coen Vermeltfoort survived it last year, as an espoir, and let me tell you: that guy can't climb.

edit: and look at the incredible mark last year's winner David Blanco has made on the WorldTour so far.

Coen Vermeltfoort can't climb, but he can climb better than Andrea "dropped by Kenny van Hummel on the monstrous uphills of the Presidential Tour of Turkey, where Alessandro Petacchi won the queen stage" Guardini.

The Volta a Portugal is really hard. Not necessarily because of the severity of the climbs, Torre aside (that IS hard), or the blinding pace, but because of the heat and the length. It is thundering through Portugal in mid August and it is HOT. The Portuguese péloton is getting progressively weaker, so they aren't lording it over anybody who shows up from outside so much anymore, but still they build their entire season around this.

David Blanco is 36 years old and riding for a team where he's 3rd priority at best. He hasn't been stellar this year, but he's on the comedown. Rubén Plaza went from 4th in 2009 to 12 in the Tour de France in 2010, and as has already been noted Xavier Tondó did pretty well upon stepping up from Portugal. Puerto has been a killer for Portuguese cycling; the upper echelons of Portuguese races have become stuffed with Spanish riders not welcome anywhere else, and it's stifled fresh national talent from coming through. A lot of these riders have finally been allowed to let sleeping dogs lie this year - but now they're over the hill and, having more than the one race to really build for, they haven't really adapted well. Then again, Tiago Machado won the best young riders' jersey 3 times and has made a pretty good fist of the upper leagues so far too.

 

[trevim]

Acqua&Sapone out of the race. Turns out to be unsurprising because they must have their hands full with Burgos coming in and the Italian calendar.

Organization is expected to announce a replacement.....

Source: http://www.record.xl.pt/Modalidades/Ciclismo/interior.aspx?content_id=710107

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yea, when the teams were announced and they didn't have their numbers sorted I was thinking they'd pull out. Just not really feasible for them since they always ride Burgos. Same reason CCC Polsat aren't there with Mendes - with 8 at their home race, it was always going to be a stretch to find 9 to race in Portugal (of course Mendes is starting in Poland now, since he's one of their best riders) too.

I don't think the replacement, if it comes, will likely be of the same standard though. Possibly the best hopes - Christina Watches and Miche - will be busy (though Miche might just about be able to scramble a team together). Maybe D'Angelo i Antenucci. But they'll have the same problem - can they really afford to send 9 people to Portugal with Italian national calendar races in August? Maybe given the short timespan the organisation will happily let them submit a 7- or 8-man roster? Maybe they can bring Orgullo Paísa with Sevilla, since he's not exactly had trouble getting on the Portugal startlist before? Also, I note no KTM-Murcía on the Burgos startlist due to their Greek licence, but they've got a number of Spanish riders (even despite the major culling in May due to funding issues). Maybe since they're being vetoed from entry at the American August races, Realcyclist.com could show up with Mancebo - that would be an interesting addition.

I'm sure Geox have some offcuts they aren't sending to Burgos or lining up in the Vuelta too. That might cause some chaos for the organisers if they suddenly rock up with the defending champ though, numbers will need re-allocating!

 

[trevim]

Yea, when the teams were announced and they didn't have their numbers sorted I was thinking they'd pull out. Just not really feasible for them since they always ride Burgos. Same reason CCC Polsat aren't there with Mendes - with 8 at their home race, it was always going to be a stretch to find 9 to race in Portugal (of course Mendes is starting in Poland now, since he's one of their best riders) too.

I don't think the replacement, if it comes, will likely be of the same standard though. Possibly the best hopes - Christina Watches and Miche - will be busy (though Miche might just about be able to scramble a team together). Maybe D'Angelo i Antenucci. But they'll have the same problem - can they really afford to send 9 people to Portugal with Italian national calendar races in August? Maybe given the short timespan the organisation will happily let them submit a 7- or 8-man roster? Maybe they can bring Orgullo Paísa with Sevilla, since he's not exactly had trouble getting on the Portugal startlist before? Also, I note no KTM-Murcía on the Burgos startlist due to their Greek licence, but they've got a number of Spanish riders (even despite the major culling in May due to funding issues). Maybe since they're being vetoed from entry at the American August races, Realcyclist.com could show up with Mancebo - that would be an interesting addition.

I'm sure Geox have some offcuts they aren't sending to Burgos or lining up in the Vuelta too. That might cause some chaos for the organisers if they suddenly rock up with the defending champ though, numbers will need re-allocating!

Yeah Geox would be great. The brand has some exposure in Portugal so why not? Even with a very secondary team they would be better than most of the teams present...

 

[Mellow Velo]

Acqua&Sapone out of the race. Turns out to be unsurprising because they must have their hands full with Burgos coming in and the Italian calendar.

Organization is expected to announce a replacement.....

Source: http://www.record.xl.pt/Modalidades/Ciclismo/interior.aspx?content_id=710107

I was going to post that the startlist was shaping up to be the poorest, in terms of foreign participation, that I can remember.
Were La Pomme Marseille the best French team they could come up with, or have the French given the race the cold shoulder, after the "jury" shafting they got, last year?

13 teams; a number of dubious quality, racing one of the longest stage races outside of a Grand Tour.............

Much as I love this race, I have to say I'm pretty disappointed, even before it starts.

 

[roundabout]

Antomarchi is a good rider. Will be interesting to see how he does.

 

[Parrulo]

i think most of this years problem come from the lack of funds the volta is having.

the race director was on television last week pretty much begging for money. a very sad sight. from what he said the volta needs 5mil per year to be on the road with decent conditions and i don't think they had that kind of money this year.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Last year they got Saur cos Saur didn't do the Tour. Bouygues/Europcar is the one that's disappointing to be missing out on, but yes, the Simon DQ last year was pathetic and an embarrassment to the Volta on a scale not seen since Héctor Guerra dragged Cândido Barbosa's worthless hide up the Alto da Torre to finish 3rd less than a minute behind Jiménez and Tondó, and ahead of the likes of Óscar Sevilla, David Bernabéu, David Blanco, Nuno Ribeiro, José Pecharromán and Domenico Pozzovivo.

The loss of teams to the race is understandable. With the points system in place, how would you rather pick up your ranking points from a 2.1 race? Two days in France at Paris-Corrèze, then freeing you up to do another short stage race or some one day races where you can pick up more points? Or 11 days in sweltering heat in Portugal in a much harder race, inevitably getting stomped by the local teams?

 

[roundabout]

Last year they got Saur cos Saur didn't do the Tour. Bouygues/Europcar is the one that's disappointing to be missing out on, but yes, the Simon DQ last year was pathetic and an embarrassment to the Volta on a scale not seen since Héctor Guerra dragged Cândido Barbosa's worthless hide up the Alto da Torre to finish 3rd less than a minute behind Jiménez and Tondó, and ahead of the likes of Óscar Sevilla, David Bernabéu, David Blanco, Nuno Ribeiro, José Pecharromán and Domenico Pozzovivo.

The loss of teams to the race is understandable. With the points system in place, how would you rather pick up your ranking points from a 2.1 race? Two days in France at Paris-Corrèze, then freeing you up to do another short stage race or some one day races where you can pick up more points? Or 11 days in sweltering heat in Portugal in a much harder race, inevitably getting stomped by the local teams?

Considering the people mentioned it might not have been such an embarrassment. But I digress.

To get back to the present as painful as it may seem I wonder if an option of shortening the race by a day or two can be considered.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It should be considered, and then rejected out of hand since we've already shortened it too much already.

 

[roundabout]

I didn't say permanently. The length and difficulty make this race distinct but losing a day or two might give some breathing space for the organization.

Or alternatively and again it may not be well received, try to look for a less cramped space in the calender instead of overlapping with Poland/Denmark/Burgos/Paris-Correze/Eneco/Tour de l'Ain/possibly even Utah now/G.P. Camaiore and having the Trittico Lombardo begin 1 day after Volta finishes.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Yea, but each "temporary" shortening in the past has not been reversed. Plus, though it may put many off, the length and difficulty does actually draw some in - before they made it to the ProTour Slipstream would always rock into town because it was good preparation for GT racing, hence why Rabo Continental and Chipotle Development have shown up the last two years too.

I think saving money by having a couple of circuit races around hilly towns like Guarda and Gouveia instead of 150-200km stages through multiple municipalities might be a less painful solution. And making the final weekend good for TV audiences rather than two flat stages.

And perhaps going back to the old 'TT on the final day' format from pre-2010 enabling them to use somewhere other than Lisbon, since shutting down part of the capital for the day won't be cheap.

 

[roundabout]

Very good suggestions. Better than losing any days of racing. *Thumbs up.*

 

[Parrulo]

imo the best solution would be to hire ari gold so he could enter the uci and do this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMdmWjtDRPE&feature=related
then he could give the volta the proper UCI ranking it deserves

 

[Sem Travões]

I confess I miss the old Voltas a Portugal in 3 weeks that really had stages from south to north of the country, with those more than 200km stages with 40ºC in Alentejo, but I reckon that's impossible in these UCI days.
I think we're having a few very few Portuguese riders, a sign of the times indeed.
Cycling is the most popular sport in Portugal apart from football of course, so I guess we deserved a bit better but with professional riders with an average pay of 1500 euros, it's hard to find new athlets for road cycling, apart from some guys taken from MTB