General News Thread

[maltiv]

Yep, BMC have confirmed it to me that he is along with Taylor Phinney!

I'd imagine that the team for the Giro would be

Ballan
Pinotti
Phinney
Hushovd
Santambrogio
Santaromita
Tschopp
Blythe
Wyss

Hushovd will probably leave the race when they leave Denmark. Like he did in ToC last year, another race he was forced to race against his will.

Didn't expect BMC to act so unprofessional, I thought such behaviour was entitled to teams like Katusha...

 

[theyoungest]

I have no idea, but that might be the plan. Giro-Tour has never worked particularly well for him before. Obviously it makes sense though that he starts the Giro when it it's in Denmark (will probably increase the amount of Norwegian spectators by 30000 or so) but sending him against his will is just ridiculous. A rider like Hushovd should be able to choose his own schedule.

Well, maybe not choose it, but at least know about it

Sounds very American, BTW. "Hey, the Giro starts in Scandinavia, we have someone from Scandinavia on our team!" Not even Breschel will ride the Giro...

 

[auscyclefan94]

Evans talks about adopting child

 

[Zam_Olyas]

http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/1...Cycling+News+&+Race+Results+|+VeloNation.com)

 

[will10]

I think he is capable of winning if AC doesn't ride. But I think Brad will finish 3rd at best.

 

[The Hitch]

Funny how you can have a great field with only Spanish climbers present

If Contador doesn't get banned he'll win Tirreno-Adriatico, Catalunya and Pais Vasco. This is the reason why Riis suggest Contador to start his season in San Luis, to be really sharp by March-April. He'll probably enter some Ardennes classics as well in good shape.

Didn't contador already say he was not doing classics?

 

[issoisso]

Didn't contador already say he was not doing classics?

He already revealed his full calendar until the Tour. I don't remember it exactly, but I remember noticing there were no classics.

That said, his calendar changed in mid-march last season, so it may change again.

 

[Forunculo]

Contador stops after Pais Vasco (early april)

 

[Justin Pain]

Hushovd will probably leave the race when they leave Denmark. Like he did in ToC last year, another race he was forced to race against his will.

Or maybe they have a plan? A good prologue by Thor, finish with the bunch the next 2 stages. Then nail it in the TTT, and you have the man in pink for the next 8 stages.

The same sceneario could happen with Phinney, but now they have 2 opportunities.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

cyclo cross juniors world championship is now live.

 

[The Hitch]

Or maybe they have a plan? A good prologue by Thor, finish with the bunch the next 2 stages. Then nail it in the TTT, and you have the man in pink for the next 8 stages.

The same sceneario could happen with Phinney, but now they have 2 opportunities.

Cav is likely to get at least 20 if not 24 28 or 40 from bonuses. Thor can maybe get 30 in the prologue but do you see bmc beating sky?

 

[auscyclefan94]

Cav is likely to get at least 20 if not 24 28 or 40 from bonuses. Thor can maybe get 30 in the prologue but do you see bmc beating sky?

With my proposed team on the last page I'd say it is possible.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Contador stops after Pais Vasco (early april)

...and picks up again in June, in the Dauphiné.

Edit: Am I just stupid or is that a two month gap? Isn't that a bit long?

 

[craig1985]

I'm surprised BMC isn't doing the Tour of Norway. But I agree, a rider of Hushovd's standing does deserve to have a say in what he races.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I'm surprised BMC isn't doing the Tour of Norway. But I agree, a rider of Hushovd's standing does deserve to have a say in what he races.

Thor said in his interview at the training camp that he would sit down with Lelangue and discuss if he is actually doing the giro or not. His exact schedule is not known after Roubaix so it isn't really a certainty that he is doing il Giro.

 

[maltiv]

Cav is likely to get at least 20 if not 24 28 or 40 from bonuses. Thor can maybe get 30 in the prologue but do you see bmc beating sky?

Sky probably won't send a very good TTT squad to the Giro so it's probably possible. Hushovd, Phinney and Pinotti alone make an extremely good base for a TTT squad. Particularly the likes of Phinney and Hushovd are the most valuable types of riders one can have in a TTT. They are both big guys (which is more important than you'd think - the difference between drafting behind a 80 kg rider and a 50kg rider is huge) who are incredibly strong in prologues and have exceptional bursts of speed.

However, it doesn't seem as if it's certain that Hushovd will go to the Giro just yet, because in the latest interview with Aftenposten he says that the plan is not finalized yet and that he still thinks it will be too hard of a program. Interestingly he also says that the BMC management seemed to think that he had a "too light" program between P-R and TDF, which is why they want him in the Giro. Quite weird that they would think that given how Hushovd has been in his absolute top shape the latest years at the TDF with his usual schedule. The years in which he rode the Giro he hasn't been nearly as strong in the TDF.

 

[craig1985]

How many times has Hushovd actually done the Giro? I know he did in 2007 and he got a stage win with a top class lead out by Julian Dean. You know the year when Boonen was actually a factor in TDF sprints.

 

[Gloin22]

Must be some kind of record fail by cyclingnews with this photo

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-san-luis/stage-5/photos/205198

Was very hard to resist posting this here, sorry

 

[issoisso]

Must be some kind of record fail by cyclingnews with this photo

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-san-luis/stage-5/photos/205198

Was very hard to resist posting this here, sorry

It misspells the name of the rider they think it is, it horrifically misspells the name of the team they think it is, it's very obviously not that rider or that team in the picture.

Wow, that must be some kind of record.

The kicker is that the rider has "CAJA RURAL" written 4 times on him, and he looks NOTHING like Schumacher

Here's a picture of Schumacher for comparison

 

[jens_attacks]

Must be some kind of record fail by cyclingnews with this photo

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-san-luis/stage-5/photos/205198

Was very hard to resist posting this here, sorry

they called him michael schumacher in one.can't take the site seriously though

 

[mortailcoil]

Baboon.

The royal in-bred nature is ever present.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Gesinks program up till the Tour de France:

19-23 feb - Vuelta Andalucia (Ruta del Sol)
26 feb - Clasica Almeria
3-4 mar - Vuelta a Murcia
19-25 mar - Volta Catalunya
2-7 apr - Pais Vasco
15 apr - Amstel Gold
18 apr - Fleche Wallone
22 apr - Liege Bastogne Liege
9-17 jun - Tour de Suisse
30 jun-22 jul - Tour de France

 

[Forunculo]

Gesinks program up till the Tour de France:

19-23 feb - Vuelta Andalucia (Ruta del Sol)
26 feb - Clasica Almeria
3-4 mar - Vuelta a Murcia
19-25 mar - Volta Catalunya
2-7 apr - Pais Vasco
15 apr - Amstel Gold
18 apr - Fleche Wallone
22 apr - Liege Bastogne Liege
9-17 jun - Tour de Suisse
30 jun-22 jul - Tour de France

I don't remember his last year program, what changes?

 

[killswitch]

I don't remember his last year program, what changes?

He did tour of Oman and Tirreno instead of the first four on the list.

 

[Forunculo]

He did tour of Oman and Tirreno instead of the first four on the list.

Too many races at the beginning. Not a good idea to risk a poor performance at TdF with Mollema and company growing