Eneco Tour (WT) August 6 - 12

[snackattack]

Stage: 1 - 6 August : Waalwijk - Middelburg, 203.90 km
Stage: 2 - 7 August : Sittard TTT, 18.90 km
Stage: 3 - 8 August : Riemst - Genk, 188.00 km ^
Stage: 4 - 9 August : Heers - Bergen op Zoom, 213.30 km
Stage: 5 - 10 August : Hoogerheide - Aalter, 184.60 km
Stage: 6 - 11 August : Ardooie ITT, 17.40 km
Stage: 7 - 12 August : Maldegem - Geraardsbergen, 207.70 km ^

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Velasco will be back for this one?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Alberto Contador Velasco

 

[SetonHallPirate]

Any idea who the wildcard entrants will be?

 

[Viking]

Alberto Contador Velasco

That's right. He won't be racing to win, though. Just getting back into competition.
http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...competition-next-month-in-the-Eneco-Tour.aspx

He's also slated for Clásica de San Sebastián, and I hope he rides it to win.

 

[Forunculo]

Are there some hills?

I think Velasco could try a stage win despite the cobbles

 

[LaFlorecita]

Are there some hills?

I think Velasco could try a stage win despite the cobbles

The last stage finishes on Muur van Geraardsbergen and that is all I know

And yes zam, Velasco will be back.

 

[the asian]

Normally a race I don't care much, because it favours the Time Trialists, but this year i'll be following it due to the Return of The King.

 

[Forunculo]

The last stage finishes on Muur van Geraardsbergen and that is all I know

And yes zam, Velasco will be back.

Ah the kapelmuur, very good then. I don't know how Eneco Tour works (time bonus). But with a good TT he should trolling everyone there

 

[auscyclefan94]

I think it is a very premature to say Alberto will beat everyone at Eneco or even la vuelta. We know the effect time out of the sport has on riders and their ability over 3 weeks.

 

[theyoungest]

I think it is a very premature to say Alberto will beat everyone at Eneco or even la vuelta. We know the effect time out of the sport has on riders and their ability over 3 weeks.

He's only been out for half a year. He'll be okay.

And it's safe to say that behind him there's a big gap in quality. We've seen it again in this year's Tour, no one can make a difference on the climbs. Only Contador can.

 

[Forunculo]

I think it is a very premature to say Alberto will beat everyone at Eneco or even la vuelta. We know the effect time out of the sport has on riders and their ability over 3 weeks.

I was kidding

But he should try the last day as a test

 

[Gloin22]

No way Alberto wins this. Tony will completely destroy him in the TT and Martin is not bad at hills. EBH obviously if comes here should be the fav with the sprints, strong team and TT.

 

[kjetilraknerud]

Contador to showcase his cobble skills and target the Ronde in 2013!

 

[maltiv]

No way Alberto wins this. Tony will completely destroy him in the TT and Martin is not bad at hills. EBH obviously if comes here should be the fav with the sprints, strong team and TT.

I doubt EBH will ride considering how close it is to the olympics. That wouldn't be a good preparation for worlds. But obviously he's the defending champion so he might feel obligated to ride anyway.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

This race has become even more pathetic due to a lack of Ardennes.

I thought with the Muur van Geraardsbergen climb, they'd have one more stage be a selective stage, besides a Limburg and an Ardennes stage, at least, that is what I hoped for. But they did not put in an Ardennes stage, and the Limburg stage has climbs too far from the finish to be selective.

This race would be so much fun if they had a good Ardennes stage, a good Limburg stage and a good cobbled/RVV style stage. Balance it out with a TT that isn't too long. And voila, we have an entertaining week long stage race, for the classics and hilly specialists.

This is just a pathetic joke.

 

[auscyclefan94]

This race has become even more pathetic due to a lack of Ardennes.
.

True, but this **** will be better than the Tour.

 

[LaFlorecita]

No way Alberto wins this. Tony will completely destroy him in the TT and Martin is not bad at hills. EBH obviously if comes here should be the fav with the sprints, strong team and TT.

How is Tony going to completely destroy Alberto in 18 km of TT

Max he could lose is *optimistic fangirl mode on* 30 seconds.

 

[El Pistolero]

Contador won't win, his team isn't strong enough for the TTT. I'm going with Kwiatkowski or Tony Martin if he rides. Kwiatkowski will definitely start.

Even Boonen could win this if he starts. He'll be able to pick up bonus seconds on the many flat stages and his team will do one of the best TTTs. His ITT isn't bad either. The queen stage is a cobbled stage, no one is better at this stuff than a 3 time Ronde van Vlaanderen and 4 time Paris-Roubaix winner.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Contador won't win, his team isn't strong enough for the TTT. I'm going with Kwiatkowski or Tony Martin if he rides. Kwiatkowski will definitely start.

Even Boonen could win this if he starts. He'll be able to pick up bonus seconds on the many flat stages and his team will do one of the best TTTs. His ITT isn't bad either. The queen stage is a cobbled stage, no one is better at this stuff than a 3 time Ronde van Vlaanderen and 4 time Paris-Roubaix winner.

Why don't you just say: Someone from OPQS will win

 

[El Pistolero]

I obviously did?

I also hope Chava is riding, but probably not.

Tony Martin, Kwiatkowski, Matteo Trentin, Tom Boonen, Sylvain Chavanel, Zdenek Stybar, Stijn Vandenbergh and Bert Grabsch/Nikki Terpstra would be a killer team for this race.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I obviously did?

It is much shorter. Less effort.

 

[Sasquatch]

A neo-pro Aussie will win this

 

[sultanofhyd]

How is Tony going to completely destroy Alberto in 18 km of TT

Max he could lose is *optimistic fangirl mode on* 30 seconds.

You say Contador will lose 40 seconds to Froome in a hilly TT but only 30 seconds to Martin on a flat TT!

Did I miss Froome winning the Worlds TT 5 times?

 

[LaFlorecita]

You say Contador will lose 40 seconds to Froome in a hilly TT but only 30 seconds to Martin on a flat TT!

Did I miss Froome winning the Worlds TT 5 times?

Alberto is obviously better in short TTs.

Hilly Prologue > MTT > Prologue > Hilly short TT > short TT > Hilly long TT > long TT > TTT

Imo.

Besides this is 30 seconds over 18 km. Those 40 seconds are over 40 km. And it is MAX, remember, so it could just as well be 10 seconds.