National Championships

[Outsprinted]

Well the National Championships are coming up, and many riders are using these as a preparation for the Tour.
Who do you think will take the jerseys?
Who uses them just for preparation?

Discuss...

 

[Bala Verde]

I haven't really looked at all the national start lists or the profiles of the stages. I mean they do make the difference when it comes to picking a likely winner. Th eonly thing I know is that Sastre isn't entering Spain's national race...

Does anyone have links to the Belgian, Italian, German, Spanish and French races?

Here's the Dutch one and here is a provisional start list.xls

 

[BroDeal]

I'm waiting for all the inevitable crashes in the French road race because the riders won't have radios to warn them to look for obstacles in the road. There may be no french riders left to ride the TdF.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Does anyone have links to the Belgian, Italian, German, Spanish and French races?

Belgian

It's an ardennes race, but it doesn't seem that hard. One climb (1600m, 5% av.) each lap (17 laps).

I say Boonen or Gilbert, with Devolder & Monfort as outsiders. (And maybe Seeldraeyers & Pauwels will still have some of their giro shape)

 

[Bala Verde]

Belgian

It's an ardennes race, but it doesn't seem that hard. One climb (1600m, 5% av.) each lap (17 laps).

I say Boonen or Gilbert, with Devolder & Monfort as outsiders. (And maybe Seeldraeyers & Pauwels will still have some of their giro shape)

Looking at the profile, it's kind of a shame that the 5% ascent comes right after the finish. So it's probably too far away to make a real difference...

 

[laurentiu46]

Well the National Championships are coming up, and many riders are using these as a preparation for the Tour.
Who do you think will take the jerseys?
Who uses them just for preparation?

Discuss...

Alberto Contador-new spanish TT champ.
He should be able to cruise past the likes of Ivan Gutierrez,LL Sanchez and Ruben Plaza.

Meanwhile,the german TT championships will probably be a two-man affair between Columbia boys Bert Grabsch and Tony Martin.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Bits and pieces. I've been searching for the French, but the best I can come up with is this blog.
http://www.cyclisme-roltiss-over.com/article-25856378.html
UK:-
http://www.britishcycling.org.uk/web/site/BC/roa/News2009/20090513_Championship_Week.asp

Italy has a site, but I can't access it, for some reason.
http://www.settimanatricolore2009.it/
San Marino-Imola.

 

[Bala Verde]

In Canatabria (nortern Spain, near pais vasco) the spanish corredores will dispute the road title, between 25-28 June. The Spanish map for the road race is available in pdf here as well as the contrareloj here (.pdf) 47.5k with quite the climbs...

Looks like a pretty tough stage, with quite some nasty little climbs. An Ardennes classics specialist?

 

[Bala Verde]

Bits and pieces. I've been searching for the French, but the best I can come up with is this blog.

Could this.pdf be it?

and for the contre la montre.pdf?

I found them through the offical french cycling fed @ FFC

 

[laurentiu46]

Wow,the spanish road race is really demanding.
I agree,an ardennes specialist is likely to get the win.
Is Sammy Sanchez riding the nationals?
Even if he is,my money is still on Ale Valverde,that uphill finish is just perfect for his final surge of pace.

 

[il_fiammingo]

Belgian

It's an ardennes race, but it doesn't seem that hard. One climb (1600m, 5% av.) each lap (17 laps).

I say Boonen or Gilbert, with Devolder & Monfort as outsiders. (And maybe Seeldraeyers & Pauwels will still have some of their giro shape)

You should add Van Avermaet.

 

[laurentiu46]

The belgian championships will take place in Aywaille,right?
Well,this town hosted a stage in the 2007 Tour of Belgium,won by Robert Gesink. The top belgians that day were Hoste,De Waele and Vanendert.
De Waele also won the queen stage in Fleron this year in his national tour.
So,along with these 6-7 riders you guys named,i would add Bert de Waele as a serious dark horse.

TT? Probably Devolder vs. Rosseler.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

The belgian championships will take place in Aywaille,right?
Well,this town hosted a stage in the 2007 Tour of Belgium,won by Robert Gesink. The top belgians that day were Hoste,De Waele and Vanendert.
De Waele also won the queen stage in Fleron this year in his national tour.
So,along with these 6-7 riders you guys named,i would add Bert de Waele as a serious dark horse.

TT? Probably Devolder vs. Rosseler.

Good point, forgot about him. But i'm afraid the track isn't hard enough for him.
Van Avermaet? Maybe, but he didn't really show anything in TdS...

1: Boonen, Gilbert
2: Devolder, Monfort, De Waele,
3: Pauwels, J Van den broeck, Van Avermaet, Seeldraeyers, Nuyens, Rosseler...

And about the TT: that's the main target of Frank Vandenbroucke this year.

 

[byledobiec]

Vlaanderen and national champs seem to be major objectives for Devolder

 

[Jasper]

Good point, forgot about him. But i'm afraid the track isn't hard enough for him.
Van Avermaet? Maybe, but he didn't really show anything in TdS...

1: Boonen, Gilbert
2: Devolder, Monfort, De Waele,
3: Pauwels, J Van den broeck, Van Avermaet, Seeldraeyers, Nuyens, Rosseler...

Roelandts showed good form in Switzerland, so I think he could be added to the list as well. Although it rarely happens that a rider can prolong his title. I think only Steels did it in recent years? Seeing what both Gilbert and Boonen demonstrated in the Ster Elektrotour, I think they indeed are the two main contenders. Devolder should want to test his legs for the upcoming Tour, but if push comes to shove, he'll probably work for Boonen.

 

[laurentiu46]

I don't know if Jurgen Roelandts is as favourite as the other names above,but you're right,he should be added to the list,at least because he's the defending champ.
Speaking of title defence...if you reffer to Belgium,you're probably right about Steels,but if not,you know Wegmann won the german champs 2 years in a row.
VDB is no match for SD and SR in the time trial. He won't even enter the podium.

 

[39*23t]

i know it's a bit of a strech but do think there will be any video streaming for any of these nc's

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Belgium - Gilbert
Nederland - Gesink (...i hope)

 

[Bala Verde]

i know it's a bit of a strech but do think there will be any video streaming for any of these nc's

I don't know if NCs also generate income the same way classics and tours do. I mean what market other then the domestic market would there be in play. It wouldn't surprise me if they actually are freely available online. Just keep an eye out for the "national" sports channels like nos.nl and sporza.be (france 1-2-3?) on the day of the races.

 

[laurentiu46]

Anybody knows the location for the dutch champs?

 

[Bala Verde]

Anybody knows the location for the dutch champs?

it's posted already. Heerlen/Landgraaf

 

[laurentiu46]

My mistake.
Anyway,this does not seem the hilliest region in Holland,and having a look at the profile,it could come down to a reduced sprint.
It will be difficult for Gesink to win,so my pick is Karsten Kroon.

 

[craig1985]

I'm going for EBH to retain his Norwegian national TT crown and to win the road race as well. Is Thor riding? I know he has bigger fish to fry in July then to worry about his national champs. Take your pick out of the Schleks and Kim Kirchen for the Luxembourg RR and TT title and I think we throw in one of the young Kazahks of Astana to make a name for himself and go after the RR and TT (I'm going for Maxim Iglinsky in the RR). Tomas Vaitkas should retain his Lithuanian RR (or is for Jamaica?) title.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Is Sammy Sanchez riding the nationals?
Even if he is,my money is still on Ale Valverde,that uphill finish is just perfect for his final surge of pace.

Sanchez is focusing his entire season on the Veulta, as the course suits him quiet well. We could see a real Sanchez-Valverde duel there. And the championships may be a precursor, though with Sammy laying low for so long here, I'm guessing he's not near form.

 

[craig1985]

This is the Astana rider's riding in their national champs. Say what you like about the team, at least their website is not too bad:

June 24th Swiss Championship Time Trial (Nyon)
With Steve Morabito

June 25th Slovenian Championship Time Trial (Solkan)
With Jani Brajkovic

June 26th Kazakh Championship Time Trial (Karaganda)
With Alexandr Dyachenko, Maxim Iglinskiy, Roman Kireyev and Andrey Zeits

June 26th Spanish Championship Time Trial (Santander-Cabárceno)
With Alberto Contador

June 28th Kazakh Road Championship (Karaganda)
With Assan Bazayev, Valeriy Dmitriyev, Alexandr Dyachenko, Maxim Iglinskiy,
Roman Kireyev, Berik Kupeshov, Dmitriy Muravyev, Bolat Raimbekov, Sergey
Renev & Andrey Zeits

June 28th Ukraine Road Championship
With Yaroslav Popovych

June 28th Slovenian Road Championship (Mirna Pec)
With Jani Brajkovic

June 28th Swiss Road Championship (Nyon)
With Steve Morabito, Gregory Rast & Michael Schär

Not sure if there is much point holding a Swiss TT Championship since Cancellara is going to win anyway. If he is feeling sporting and wants to let somebody else have a go, then hold it.