Official Thread: Le Tour de l'Ain - La route du Progrès 2009

[Bala Verde]

Official Thread: Le Tour de l'Ain - La route du Progrès 2009

Starting August 9 till August 12, held in the Jura region of France, it will feature 5 stages (2 on Tuesday the 11th). It is rated as a 2.1 race and was won last year by Gerdemann.

The official website is here

The parcours:

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3A (morning)

Stage 3B (afternoon, short 13.5K ITT)

Stage 4

It is said (unconfirmed?) that a Kazach team will participate. It will be interesting to see how the boys of Colombia Es Pasion - Coldeportes will do.

Besides, Belgian champ Boonen has indicated that he will appear at the start of the race, as well as French champ Dimitri Champion. Other confirmed riders are Fabio Duarte, Théo Bos, Jimmy Casper...

 

[benpounder]

It is said (unconfirmed?) that a Kazach team will participate. It will be interesting to see how the boys of Colombia Es Pasion - Coldeportes will do.

Besides, Belgian champ Boonen has indicated that he will appear at the start of the race, as well as French champ Dimitri Champion. Other confirmed riders are Fabio Duarte, Théo Bos, Jimmy Casper...

Thank you Bala for re-introducing actual cycling within these forum walls. It is nice to think of routes away from the shreakings of the various choirs.

First stage looks good for Casper and Bos (When did Bos' suspention end?) not so much for Boonen. Be interesting to know who will have the mountain goats necessary to contend for GC.

 

[craig1985]

Astana is riding, according to their team website. But that is an insanely hard course.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Thank you Bala for re-introducing actual cycling within these forum walls. It is nice to think of routes away from the shreakings of the various choirs.

+100.

Great thread, great race. Looks brutal. And thanks for the links. I try to do a good job of following many races on the calendar that aren't PT races or big names, as there are a lot of great races on the UCI Continental calendar. So this is great to see. If I read that correctly, Stage 4 climbing 1200m up the hard side of the Colombier should be great fun. The Tour should have done this.

 

[issoisso]

Won't be paying attention much to this. Tour of Portugal happens at the same time and I find that one much more interesting. sorry

That said, I expect the time differences in the TT to be quite small.

 

[Bala Verde]

It is nice to think of routes away from the shreakings of the various choirs.

I was thinking that, by starting new threads on actual, and upcoming races, I could overpower the noise made in the racing forum

As Craig, and Alpe also indicated, the route looks quite amazing, and promises action on all fronts. It's in a very hilly/mountaineous region of France (between Lyon and Geneve), near Switzerland and somewhat close to the north of Italy.

It should be interesting to see who else will appear at the start, as riders, usually, are more decisive than the parcours...

Won't be paying attention much to this. Tour of Portugal happens at the same time and I find that one much more interesting. sorry

That said, I expect the time differences in the TT to be quite small.

haha, well I can't wait till you start an "official Tour of Portugal" thread then

 

[TRDean]

As stated in an earlier post...when is the Bos suspension over? Actually, when did it officially start?

Having a tough stage 3A followed up in the afternoon by a TT would lead me to think there may be some tired legs!!

I am tagging Casper for stage 2!!

 

[Bala Verde]

As stated in an earlier post...when is the Bos suspension over? Actually, when did it officially start?

Having a tough stage 3A followed up in the afternoon by a TT would lead me to think there may be some tired legs!!

I am tagging Casper for stage 2!!

Funny, the website mentiones Theo Bos as a confirmed rider. So I thought he got suspended somewhere early July, which means he should be ready to ride again early August. The Tour starts August 9, so in the knick of time you'd say.

UCI statement

After meeting yesterday in Aigle, the Disciplinary Commission of the International Cycling Union imposed a one-month suspension on Mr Theo Bos (NED) after finding that he had breached art. 12.1.005 of the UCI Regulations.

Having examined the report by the President of the Commissaires’ Panel and studied the available TV images following the crash involving riders Theo Bos (NED) and Daryl Impey (RSA) during the final stage of the Presidential Cycling Tour (Tour of Turkey), the UCI decided to refer the matter to its Disciplinary Commission, on the grounds that Theo Bos’ behaviour undermined the image, reputation and interests of cycling and of the UCI. According to article 12.1.005 of the UCI Regulations, such an infraction is subject to a suspension of between one and six months.

Theo Bos’ suspension will begin on 15 August and end on 14 September, 2009

This means he will be participating...His last race before his suspension...

 

[pmcg76]

Didnt Linus Gerderman win this race last year, I personally think races like this are a good introduction to pro racing for younger riders, smaller teams. The field usually consists of mostly French teams, a few pro continental teams with occasional big teams present. In my mind these races are cleaner than in other countries, hence the good introduction for younger pros. You can also get a lot closer to the pros at races like this, I went to the GP Denain last year and it was low key but interesting.

 

[issoisso]

I was thinking that, by starting new threads on actual, and upcoming races, I could overpower the noise made in the racing forum

As Craig, and Alpe also indicated, the route looks quite amazing, and promises action on all fronts. It's in a very hilly/mountaineous region of France (between Lyon and Geneve), near Switzerland and somewhat close to the north of Italy.

It should be interesting to see who else will appear at the start, as riders, usually, are more decisive than the parcours...



haha, well I can't wait till you start an "official Tour of Portugal" thread then

I'm thinking we should probably have a running "Official Continental Tour Races" thread

Sort of a grab-all for races, no matter how small.

 

[Bala Verde]

I'm thinking we should probably have a running "Official Continental Tour Races" thread

Sort of a grab-all for races, no matter how small.

Would make it a lot easier to navigate to all the race threads, instead of having to plough your way through all the _______*


*fill in the blank

So Vinoukorov is racing for Team Kazachstan. Interesting.

 

[TRDean]

Would make it a lot easier to navigate to all the race threads, instead of having to plough your way through all the _______*


*fill in the blank

So Vinoukorov is racing for Team Kazachstan. Interesting.

Is he receiving a salary from them? This is getting pretty interesting.

 

[benpounder]

Does anyone have a link to the start list? I have been unable to find it at all the likely sites.

 

[Bala Verde]

Does anyone have a link to the start list? I have been unable to find it at all the likely sites.

I don't think it's been officially released yet. It starts only the 9th, so it might take a couple of days before the have put it together...

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Will Andrei Kashekin be riding too? He was obviously a doper as well, but he was looking like a good potential future rider from Kazakstan, while Vino was about to fade away. I also think Kashi was probably just doping as told, as he learned, followed; While Vino had to have been one of the most egregious dopers of this era

 

[mistahsinclair]

Would make it a lot easier to navigate to all the race threads, instead of having to plough your way through all the FIELDS?*


*fill in the blank

So Vinoukorov is racing for Team Kazachstan. Interesting.

Vino will at least add some excitement to the racing. He might be a lot of things, but dull to watch isn't one of them!

 

[ThisFrenchGuy]

So I'm confused, this Kazak team, is it the national team or a temporary private shell for Vino and al. to race while the Astana situation get settled?

 

[Bala Verde]

So I'm confused, this Kazak team, is it the national team or a temporary private shell for Vino and al. to race while the Astana situation get settled?

Supposedly it's the national team, just like the 'french national team' is one of the participants. The Tour de L'Avenir, didn't they change their set-up, so that only national teams can participate?

I have read nothing though about why they invite national team(s), ie if it is something out of the ordinary, or that it is a tradition...

Why there are (only) 2 national teams. The French - I mean, it's somewhat understandable for a French organiser to invite 'the French squad' perhaps for youngsters to get some experience, but the Kazach team...

I also don't know when they were invited, a last minute addition (?) or a set-up so as to 'assure' that Vino would be able to ride (if not on AST, then the national team)... And on top of that, would he actually be on the kazach team's roster?

Perhaps time for cyclingnews to do some investigative journalism...

 

[180mmCrank]

I'm in shock a whole thread about racing without anyone threatening to drag people into a woodshed! Maybe some sanity is returning after all.

Bravo!

 

[Bala Verde]

The organisers have updated their rider information, available here in PDF

Notable names are

Vinoukorov - Kazach national squad
Horner - AST
Noval - AST
Nicolas Vogondy - Agritubel
David Moncoutié - Cofidis
Hubert Dupont - AG2R La Mondiale
Jonathan Hivert - Skil-Shimano
Arnaud Coyot - Caisse d'Epargne
Dimitri Champion - Bretagne Schuller (ntl champ France)

youngsters
Fabio Duarte - Colombia es Pasion Coldeportes (Espoir WC)
Pierre Roland - Bbox Bouygues
Cyril Gautier - Bbox Bouygues
Arnold Jeannesson - Caisse
Tejay van Garderen - Rabobank
Michel Kreder - Rabobank

 

[sherer]

this looks like a good race. Anyone know if there is any UK TV coverage of this race looks like it could be good to watch

 

[indurain666]

this looks like a good race. Anyone know if there is any UK TV coverage of this race looks like it could be good to watch

If you can't find a decent TV coverage try online @ justin.

I am looking forward to seeing this race, I want to see the Colombian boys in the mountains.

Keep posting good stuff guys! Hopefully this forum would go back to normal!!

 

[Motion]

Stage 4 very interesting!
Waiting to see Vino's climbing!

 

[Motion]

Strong line-up this year, much better then Denmark:
Moncoutie - COF,
Aerts, - SIL
Dessel, Turpin - ALM
Vogondy, Calzati - AGR
Joly, Coppel, Di Gregorio - FDJ
Boonen - QST
Fofonov, Iglinsky, Vinokourov - KAZ
Horner & Co - AST

 

[lucybears]

Does anyone have a link to the start list? I have been unable to find it at all the likely sites.

http://startlist.cyclingfever.com/startlist.html?_p=startlijst&id=19370