Clasica de Almeria (1.1), 15.02.2015

[Dazed and Confused]

From Murcia to Almeria. This is the second classic of the weekend in Spain. Very nice lead up to the Spanish stage race later in the week.

Cav
Bole
Bardet
JCP
Farrar
Chava
Gatto
Vanbilsen
Trofimov
etc
Startlist: http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html?detp=view&_ap=startlijst&editie_idd=MjYzMzg=

Official website: http://clasicadealmeria.net/2015/

 

[Gloin22]

If Movistar soften Cav's legs in first part of the race Lobato vs Cav could be good battle for win here.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

yep or even better lets have some of the top roleurs and TT'ers to set the pace early and try for a serious break.

Chava, Sargent, Vandewalle. some Russians etc. Others can tag along and put the sprinter teams under pressure early.

Or everybody will wait for the last climb and we will probably have a bunch sprint.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

yep or even better lets have some of the top roleurs and TT'ers to set the pace early and try for a serious break.

Chava, Sargent, Vandewalle. some Russians etc. Others can tag along and put the sprinter teams under pressure early.

Or everybody will wait for the last climb and we will probably have a bunch sprint.

Realistically, for many years this has either been won by a sprinter who can do hills or a straight up bunch sprinter. If it's raced hard, the first type, if isn't, the latter. You can get rid of a Cavendish or at least take the sprint out of his legs, but you can't get rid of a Lobato on this course. The last categorised climb is 70k out and the last uncategorised one of any note is 50k out.

Last year it was raced hard, so it ended up with Bennett, Lobato and Rojas contesting the sprint.

 

[Jspear]

Cav just might survive...he ain't no Kittel when it comes to the mountains. I get that the terrain could take some of his top speed away, but I think with his lead out train he could still win. They seemed pretty tight the last stage of Dubai.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Cav just might survive...he ain't no Kittel when it comes to the mountains. I get that the terrain could take some of his top speed away, but I think with his lead out train he could still win. They seemed pretty tight the last stage of Dubai.

He certainly can win it. Editions that weren't raced hard have been won by Bos and Renshaw. It really comes down to whether Movistar (or some other team) stick it to him in the first two thirds of the race. If they don't, he will probably win. If they do, he might still win but it will be a lot harder.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Realistically, for many years this has either been won by a sprinter who can do hills or a straight up bunch sprinter. If it's raced hard, the first type, if isn't, the latter. You can get rid of a Cavendish or at least take the sprint out of his legs, but you can't get rid of a Lobato on this course. The last categorised climb is 70k out and the last uncategorised one of any note is 50k out.

Last year it was raced hard, so it ended up with Bennett, Lobato and Rojas contesting the sprint.

Last year the race operated with teams of 8. Its now 7. Could make a little difference, but only if the pace is really high from km zero I think. Otherwise I will end as you suggested most likely.

Not sure about coverage (video). Anybody with info?

 

[Dr. Juice]

Cav vs Lobato. If Lobato is placed well he'll win this. He has an insane acceleration IMO. Surely it will be a close battle if both are placed well.

 

[pablohidalgo7]

I will be in the finish line, hoping for a lobato victory.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Beside my interest in who wins etc, I like to see these guys trying to beat the coverage level we got from Murcia...

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

Beside my interest in who wins etc, I like to see these guys trying to beat the coverage level we got from Murcia...

It's getting really boring... what did you expect from a 1.1 race that has been in financial troubles for years? Murcia has a decent website, they had a ticker and Twitter was full of race updates. Full top 15 results were available minutes after the finish. That's more than from other 1.1 and even some HC races. What did you expect??

 

[Dazed and Confused]

It's getting really boring... what did you expect from a 1.1 race that has been in financial troubles for years? Murcia has a decent website, they had a ticker and Twitter was full of race updates. Full top 15 results were available minutes after the finish. That's more than from other 1.1 and even some HC races. What did you expect??

The only thing we can agree upon seems to be that many races have really poor coverage (or at least poorer than Murcia). I expect much more from .1 and above races.

To answer my own question, Almeria seems to be doing a better job. From related twitter tags etc.

Link: https://twitter.com/Clasica_Almeria

 

[Hugo87]

Cavendish wins again!

 

[TMP401]

Cavendish wins

 

[Hugo Koblet]

1. Cavendish
2. Lobato
3. Renshaw
4. Agnoli
5. Theuns

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Looked like a very comfortable one from the photo - obviously a weak field, but nice to see he can still win with clear air.

 

[Dr. Juice]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=903089823076743

Not much to see though. Easy victory.

He seems hungry to bounce back this year.

 

[pablohidalgo7]

very easy for cavendish, I was on the finish line. He wins with at least 2 or 3 metres ahead of lobato who only passed renshaw in the last 25 metres.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=903089823076743

Not much to see though. Easy victory.

He seems hungry to bounce back this year.

Apparently there was a crash with 2km to go which delayed some riders and perhaps disrupted plans.

But a win is a win.

 

[Dr. Juice]

I catched on some spanish forum that Lobato again started his sprint like 10 miles back.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Second two years in a row for Lobato. Perhaps he will turn it into a kind of tradition.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Second two years in a row for Lobato. Perhaps he will turn it into a kind of tradition.

It is a long standing team tradition. That or 4th.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

It is a long standing team tradition. That or 4th.

There comes a time in every Movistar rider's life when he has to decide which of the two holy paths to follow. That of Valverde and second place. Or that of Rojas and fourth.

 

[whittashau]

Agnoli 4th? how the heck did that happen

 

[hrotha]

Just like with De Greef, people are missing the point of Rojas. It's not about being up there without winning; it's about being 4th whether you're up against Cavendish, Kittel and Greipel, or against Dumoulin, Bole and Lasca.

Lobato loses to faster sprinters and wins against slower ones. That's sooo not what Rojas does.