75ª Volta a Portugal 7-18 August 2013 (2.1)

[Libertine Seguros]

Could that be a valid reason why a lot of Portuguese riders don't go abroad? Besides Costa, Machado and a few others riding a international calender, it seems that the majority of Portuguese riders is stuck in Portugal. Or is this simply due to the low levels of qualities/abilities/talent etc.?

Certainly in the past the better salaries at home would be a key factor for those who would only likely be stepping up to the bigger national scenes (i.e. not going to World Tour type level), and also attracted many Spanish riders, especially those from Galicia. The bigger problem, however, is that the Portuguese scene has suffered chronically from doping problems. This has led to the inherent mistrust among top level talent scouts of riders who have come up through the Portuguese system, unless they got out of it at a very early age. Certainly the Portuguese presence on developmental teams like Ceramica Flaminia-Fondriest and Leopard Trek will help rehab that, giving riders a chance to escape from Portugal. Probably the worst thing that happened to Portuguese cycling in recent years was Operación Puerto. That could be argued to have ruined a generation of Portuguese riders. When Puerto hit, all of a sudden some pretty talented (doping) names who were personae non grata in the pro péloton would either find themselves unwanted and having to take rides at third tier teams (in which case, many of them found their way to Portugal because of the better salaries than in Spanish domestic teams) or find their teams unwanted at most of the biggest events and find the Volta one of the biggest races they could still do. And all of those Portuguese riders who may have come to lead their national teams at their biggest races, were suddenly finding themselves riding as domestiques for the likes of Blanco, Bernabéu, Santi Pérez and Eladio Jiménez, all of whom were advancing in age too. Now they're all retiring, and the Portuguese rider that the Portuguese people had heard of - Cândido - is retired, and now the only big name Portuguese riders aren't even racing in Portugal anymore.

 

[BigMac]

If it was on purpose, then the reaction of Brandão is kind of fake. Brandão namely says to be furious and confused about the move Sousa made and Efapel is planning a team meeting to sort it out.

http://relvado.sapo.pt/diversos/volta-portugal-confusao-interna-na-efapel-470418

Danail analysis says it all. Besides, Brandão knew the climb and he knew the finish would be high on top, the road he ''chose'' to follow and drag Danail with him, would eventually lead them downhill. He should be mad at the entire team, not only Sousa, because Efapel pushed quite hard on the way up, taking several seconds from him. He'd rather see his team mate take the win over Danail tho.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

sousa simply tryign to take as much time as he can. he can win the volta, not brandao. he shouldn't complain

 

[BigMac]

Meanwhile on Vivelo's Bikes facebook:

Joni Brandão, Yours mentors Carlos / Geral Fullsport / and Ruben and full Efapel team, see you soon .... in the the courts, in Union Cycliste Internationale and etc. !!! — in Viana do Castelo

 

[BigMac]

 

[Michele]

In the video you see Brandao looking straight, not checking back if there's any guy, so I donno how you guys say that it was a move made on porpouse like if he knew what was happening behind him.

 

[DanSilan]

In the video you see Brandao looking straight, not checking back if there's any guy, so I donno how you guys say that it was a move made on porpouse like if he knew what was happening behind him.

Whether it was on purpose or not, it is clearly visible according to me that Brandão doesn't leave much space for Petrov to sprint in a fair way. In fact, Brandão tried to smash Petrov into the fences which is unacceptable.

 

[Jux1893]

Whether it was on purpose or not, it is clearly visible according to me that Brandão doesn't leave much space for Petrov to sprint in a fair way. In fact, Brandão tried to smash Petrov into the fences which is unacceptable.

I think it was a "fair" mistake. He was completely out of it after seeing his own team chasing him on the stage. If not for Rui Sousa he would have won it.

I agreed he should be penalised as he prevented Petrov from winning, but for a 23 year old to be kicked out of the Volta would be, IMO, too much.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

those efapel jerseys btw are BEAUTIFUL!

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I think it was a "fair" mistake. He was completely out of it after seeing his own team chasing him on the stage. If not for Rui Sousa he would have won it.

I agreed he should be penalised as he prevented Petrov from winning, but for a 23 year old to be kicked out of the Volta would be, IMO, too much.

what the **** does age have to do with that.

 

[BigMac]

But there were people right on the way he was heading...... and the race barriers continued upwards the street, no the way he went. Besides, the way he went would lead them down, and he knew the finish was high on top, as he knew that was the race cars route.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

So what is suitable resolution of the situation? Give Petrov back the 23 seconds that he lost on the stage? Let Sousa keep the win but not award bonus seconds for that stage?

 

[TourOfSardinia]

GPM 2
1. Kritskiy KAT (4)
2. Bysrom OHR (2)
3. Verhelst COF (1)

Huerl completes the break at ~1min

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Hmmm, today's finishing circuit seems like it's going to be hilly, nothing big enough to categorise, but quite a few corners and rises up and down, we'll see if this might be one where a late attacker can foil the sprint.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

9km to go, and it's Pelotão Compacto over some cobbles. Efapel controlling the front of the bunch to ensure nobody gets away, also shedding a few from the bunch, including the likes of Fabio Silvestre. Micael Isidoro from Louletano the only attempt to get away thus far, quickly swamped by Efapel. Lots of riders going out the back now. Should probably have been a cat.4. There's not really been much opportunity to attack and it hasn't been steep at all, but with an aggressive pace quite a few have felt the heat of this one. Sérgio Sousa now on the front of the bunch, which places him sadly firmly at the bottom of the list of Efapel's contenders. He's third on my list of preferences, after Arkaitz and Hernâni, but way ahead of Rui and Nuno. 3km to go and now the attacks start. Danail Petrov once more on the move, trying to get on the wheel of a Radio Popular Onda rider going away solo. Daniel Silva it is trying to get away, and he could be dangerous, they've let him get a bit of a gap now, inside 2k to go!

Last km, big crash in the bunch! Silva caught with 200 to go, and a very difficult to calculate sprint that got very messy, won by Délio Fernández of OFM-Quinta da Lixa ahead of his teammate and fellow Spaniard Alejandro Marque. Fabien Schmidt of Sojasun was 3rd, ahead of Manuel Cardoso and Edgar Pinto. Seemed like the OFM guys were trying to hand the victory to one another, very strange.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

http://www.rtp.pt/play/direto/rtp1

 

[Kazistuta]

What's up with these Portugese riders "stealing" wins from their teammates?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Looks like Marque attacked with about 300 to go with a Ceramica Flaminia-Fondriest rider in his wheel (Matteo Fedi turns out to have been the man), and the sprint was being opened up behind him, Délio was trying to ease up to let Marque take the sprint, however realised that Schmidt may pass him so took the win himself.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

What's up with these Portugese riders "stealing" wins from their teammates?

Délio Fernández and Alejandro Marque are both Spanish.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

marque is their leader bu fernandez is doing an incredible season. I dare say a little suspicious season, but I don't know enough about that.

however the crash ruins everything. there were some nice gaps and now they all get 3 km to go time I'm afraid

 

[Kazistuta]

Délio Fernández and Alejandro Marque are both Spanish.

Oops, sorry...automatically assumed that the Portugese teams were filled with domestic riders

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Délio you might remember from his Xacobeo days. Marque's spent his whole career in Portugal, so he's quite easy to forget isn't Portuguese. Délio's certainly on his best season to date so far, but we should remember he was 11th in the Volta in 2011 - however he does look like he's developed some kind of sprint because he never showed that kind of sprinting power before.

 

[DanSilan]

Seeing another dysfunctional move at the finish today and bearing in mind the Efapel issue yesterday, I am wondering about team orders. I don't want to argue that pre-arranged or fixed team orders are always the key to success (like Guerra who worked for Barbosa a few years ago, which was really odd). But still.

According to the start list Rui Sousa is supposed to lead the team, but Broco and Duran and maybe even Sergio Sousa come close concerning taking leadership for GC. And what about OFM: Delio Fernandez, Marques as well as Eduard Prades can pull it off. Although Radio Popular isn't as strong as Efapel and OFM, at least it is clear who is in charge for GC.

 

[DanSilan]

those efapel jerseys btw are BEAUTIFUL!

Reminds me of the ONCE-Eroski and Mercatone Uno shirts if in case Beloki / Pantani would have caught the yellow jersey in the Tour. I suppose Efapel does it for the same reason because last year David Blanco's leader jersey was not that distinctive.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Seeing another dysfunctional move at the finish today and bearing in mind the Efapel issue yesterday, I am wondering about team orders. I don't want to argue that pre-arranged or fixed team orders are always the key to success (like Guerra who worked for Barbosa a few years ago, which was really odd). But still.

According to the start list Rui Sousa is supposed to lead the team, but Broco and Duran and maybe even Sergio Sousa come close concerning taking leadership for GC. And what about OFM: Delio Fernandez, Marques as well as Eduard Prades can pull it off. Although Radio Popular isn't as strong as Efapel and OFM, at least it is clear who is in charge for GC.

Don't forget Nuno Ribeiro for Efapel too, his name is looking ominous in the upper echelons of GC too. Sérgio Sousa could have a case to make for having some kind of GC ambitions, but he was on the front of the bunch in the closing stages today so that makes me think he's out. I really hope they aren't working for Rui Sousa, because I don't know what would be more depressing, a team as strong as that working for what I don't think is a winning strategy, or if banking everything on Rui Sousa really WAS a winning strategy. The road will decide, and it will probably decide on tomorrow's stage.

You do get super powerful teams at the Volta sometimes, depending on where the money's gone in the domestic scene. Palmeiras Resort around 2009-10 with Barbosa bossing sprints and Mestre, Cardoso and Nelson Vitorino leading Blanco up the hills spring to mind, as does their follow-up, the 2011 Tavira team. Liberty Seguros having the hydraheaded team in 2008 and 2009 with Nuno Ribeiro, Rui Sousa, Rubén Plaza, Héctor Guerra, Koldo Gil and the Nozal brothers (plus Manuel Cardoso winning sprints) is also memorable as it meant that they could get away with two or even three top names not getting form correctly. And of course LA-MSS from 2007-8 with Tondó, Cabreira, Ángel Vicioso, Tino Zaballa and Pedro Cardoso. Efapel just happen to be the stacked ones at present, but with the Carmim team ailing but getting a big cash injection courtesy of Banco BIC mid-season I wouldn't be surprised if they get a better side together for next year.