- Mar 19, 2009
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While awaiting the "real" cycling season start this saturday, let's take a look towards the last early season stage race in the Middle East, Abu Dhabi Tour.
A known recipe, but this year spicing things up with a short time trial, which should prove decisive.
The route:
Stage 1-3 is the sprinters festival. No profiles needed for that (I couldn't find any anyway
Stage 4 is a new implementation, a 12,6 km time trial. According to the overview it doesn't look very technical, so should favor the power time trialers.
Stage 5 is the usual finish at Jebel Hafeet after a long flat drag until the climb itself.
As Abu Dhabi is a World Tour race, the stars are lining up left and right:
Sprinters:
The sprinters will have a blast the first three days, so top guys like Cavendish,Kristoff, Greipel, Ewan, Kittel, Viviani and the Italian "second/third-string Army" Minali, Guardini & Bonifazio along with McLay, Van Poppel and Bauhaus will fancy their chances. Interesting to see Halvorsen back racing after his crash in the TDU criterium as well.
GC contenders:
Our of last years top7 only Mollema isn't lining up this year.
Rui Costa and his UAE team have obviously made the race a big goal, and he knows how to climb Hafeet. Costa probably doesn't like the inclusion of a time trial, but when on form (which he seems to be after Oman) he can hold his ground.
Ilnur Zakarin is racing his first race of the season and is a big question mark. With three easy days to get some racing miles, he oughta be fine when the weekend decides the race.
Tom Dumoulin, who also races for the first time this year, opened his season last year with a solid showing on Jebel Hafeet and should have a field time with this years time trial. Must be the Major favorite (pun intended).
From last years top guys Aru, Majka, Ulissi and Alaphilippe isn't particularly known for their time trial abilities and have to fare very well sunday to get on the podium. Pozzovivio always surprises me, so he might do a fantastic time trial.
Ion Izaguirre must be Tom Dumoulins biggest threat, at least on paper. But how is his form?
Alexandre Geniez has been on fire so far and is a big outsider. The same could be said of Valverde, but he'll likely bag Hafeet easily, so much depends on his time trial. I don't think the route is technical enough for him.
On paper Brent Bookwalter would like the Hafeet climb and time trial. He didn't impress in Volta Comunitat Valenciana though.
Miguel Angel Lopez will lose too much time saturday, but'll be in the mix for a top3 sunday.
EDIT: Totally forgot about Rohan Dennis. He is well-prepared and will most likely win the time trial. Time will tell how much time he'll concede sunday.
Other names worth mentioning: Yates, Ciccone, Formolo, Valls Ferri, Mas, Rolland, Woods, Powless, Castroviejo, Geoghean Hart, Kelderman (actually he might be Dumoulins biggest threat and Brambilla.
A lot of the above mentioned guys start their season with this race, which'll mean big question marks surrounding them.
Provisional startlist at: http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html?detp=view&_ap=startlijst&editie_idd=MjgzNTM=
A known recipe, but this year spicing things up with a short time trial, which should prove decisive.
The route:
Stage 1-3 is the sprinters festival. No profiles needed for that (I couldn't find any anyway
Stage 4 is a new implementation, a 12,6 km time trial. According to the overview it doesn't look very technical, so should favor the power time trialers.
Stage 5 is the usual finish at Jebel Hafeet after a long flat drag until the climb itself.
As Abu Dhabi is a World Tour race, the stars are lining up left and right:
Sprinters:
The sprinters will have a blast the first three days, so top guys like Cavendish,Kristoff, Greipel, Ewan, Kittel, Viviani and the Italian "second/third-string Army" Minali, Guardini & Bonifazio along with McLay, Van Poppel and Bauhaus will fancy their chances. Interesting to see Halvorsen back racing after his crash in the TDU criterium as well.
GC contenders:
Our of last years top7 only Mollema isn't lining up this year.
Rui Costa and his UAE team have obviously made the race a big goal, and he knows how to climb Hafeet. Costa probably doesn't like the inclusion of a time trial, but when on form (which he seems to be after Oman) he can hold his ground.
Ilnur Zakarin is racing his first race of the season and is a big question mark. With three easy days to get some racing miles, he oughta be fine when the weekend decides the race.
Tom Dumoulin, who also races for the first time this year, opened his season last year with a solid showing on Jebel Hafeet and should have a field time with this years time trial. Must be the Major favorite (pun intended).
From last years top guys Aru, Majka, Ulissi and Alaphilippe isn't particularly known for their time trial abilities and have to fare very well sunday to get on the podium. Pozzovivio always surprises me, so he might do a fantastic time trial.
Ion Izaguirre must be Tom Dumoulins biggest threat, at least on paper. But how is his form?
Alexandre Geniez has been on fire so far and is a big outsider. The same could be said of Valverde, but he'll likely bag Hafeet easily, so much depends on his time trial. I don't think the route is technical enough for him.
On paper Brent Bookwalter would like the Hafeet climb and time trial. He didn't impress in Volta Comunitat Valenciana though.
Miguel Angel Lopez will lose too much time saturday, but'll be in the mix for a top3 sunday.
EDIT: Totally forgot about Rohan Dennis. He is well-prepared and will most likely win the time trial. Time will tell how much time he'll concede sunday.
Other names worth mentioning: Yates, Ciccone, Formolo, Valls Ferri, Mas, Rolland, Woods, Powless, Castroviejo, Geoghean Hart, Kelderman (actually he might be Dumoulins biggest threat
and Brambilla.A lot of the above mentioned guys start their season with this race, which'll mean big question marks surrounding them.
Provisional startlist at: http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html?detp=view&_ap=startlijst&editie_idd=MjgzNTM=
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