Official thread: Tour de Suisse

[BroDeal]

We need a thread for this.

The competition looks good.

Vande Velde is coming back from injury. Both Schlecks are there. Dekker heading Silence-Lotto. Kloden heading Astana. Karpets heading Katusha. Maybe Cancellara will show some form this season. Voeckler will be in every other break. And, of course, Kreuziger.

 

[Kazistuta]

I'm personally very interested in seing how Kim Kirchen does. If he's finally found his form again this TDS seems tailor made for him if there's time bonuses at the end. Besides him and Kreuziger, Klöden and Cancellara is my favourites for the race. It doesn't seem like there's too many hard climbs close enough to the finish to do any real damage, so it might be a TT'er with consistent climbing abilities that'll take home this one.

 

[craig1985]

Is it me or do I find it odd that Robbie MeEwen's name is on the start list?

 

[Mellow Velo]

A better than average course too, if those slightly dodgy profile maps are to be believed.
Not many huge Alps, but more in the way of hills where they should be.
Very little in the way of true flat stages.

Don't know what, if any net feeds will be available. I'm sure something will turn up, but the Swiss are rather over-protective (geo) of their race.

Late kick off too. Most coverage starts around 17-00CET.

 

[Chramko]

Kreuziger has Contadoresque attitude towards TdS, he considers it only a preparation for the TdF. Last year he came to win it.

This race course seems harder than the one from the previous edition, so Kloden may well be a safe bet, considering he always does well here and will only have domestic duties at TdF. The Schlecks also seem on fire though.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

I don't know...
without a real hard day in the alps, it's not quiete the same thing anymore it used to be...

Still, I'm looking forward to it very much indeed.
Tony Martin said he wanted to see how good he could do on the climbs, that'ss be interesting for example.
Also there are a lot of guy's whoms form, atleast to me, is totally unknown.

Cancellara,Kirchen,Kreuziger,Ballan,Karpets and so on.

 

[Anonymous]

We need a thread for this.

The competition looks good.

Vande Velde is coming back from injury. Both Schlecks are there. Dekker heading Silence-Lotto. Kloden heading Astana. Karpets heading Katusha. Maybe Cancellara will show some form this season. Voeckler will be in every other break. And, of course, Kreuziger.

Hey, don't forget Tommy D.........

 

[franciep10]

I agree this could be a big race for kloden as it seems suited to his abilities, it also depends on what the schlecks want to do here.

 

[lucybears]

Is it me or do I find it odd that Robbie MeEwen's name is on the start list?

Robbie McEwen said he will miss the Tour de France after breaking his shinbone in in a tumultuous finale of the second stage of the Tour of Belgium. Doctors inserted two screws to repair the leg but the recovery period would rule out participation in the Tour, which begins on 4 July

 

[Zoncolan]

Live coverage

http://www.justin.tv/cabe_

 

[ak-zaaf]

wow


the bear is back

/edit: this thread should be sticky ;p

 

[Mellow Velo]

The Swiss are blocking all live feeds, but once again, Sport Italia have a feed running about 20 minutes late.
Cancellara still to finish:-
http://www.sportitalia.com/SI24live.aspx

 

[ak-zaaf]

The Swiss are blocking all live feeds, but once again, Sport Italia have a feed running about 20 minutes late.
Cancellara still to finish:-
http://www.sportitalia.com/SI24live.aspx

sorry for spoiling it a bit ;x

 

[knorensnor]

after what canc did today, I am very curious if he is capable of controlling the damage in the mountains, because there are no hard up hill finishes. I believe Kloden is ending in top 3 again; but I would love to see a battle in the mountains between A.Schleck and Kreuziger, after last year's battle for the white jersey in de TDF. the stages have really weird profiles, there's nog one really flat stage. I think we will see al lot af breakaways...

 

[luckyboy]

Have you got a link to the stage profiles please?

 

[Anonymous]

114 Christian Vandevelde (USA) Garmin - Slipstream 1.06

 

[elapid]

Have you got a link to the stage profiles please?

CN have it on their website: Major Races column, 73rd Tour de Suisse

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2009/jun09/suisse09/?id=stages

 

[luckyboy]

Oh right, thanks

 

[jaylew]

That's what you call an asswhippin'. When that guy's on, he's incredible to watch. Completely different style from Grabsch.

This will be an interesting one to watch as a bunch of riders will be riding themselves into or out of a Tour spot on their teams.

 

[ingsve]

I think we will see al lot af breakaways...

There are alot of top sprinters in the race so alot of teams probably want to control the flatter stages for bunch sprints.

 

[Jasper]

I'm curious to see if Bennati can resurface again. He barely raced this season, and in the Tour he'll be up against a bunch of fully motivated riders who have a lot of hard racing in their legs: Freire, Cavendish, Haussler, Boonen, Farrar. Not sure if he's already up to that level.

 

[jaylew]

Sticky please!

 

[lookkg386]

Over 50km/h if you don't mind Mr Cancellara!!!

 

[The GCW]

Christian Vandevelde ???

The home page race link gives results but doesn't give a report for the 1st stage...

What happened to Christian Vandevelde?

114th place, 1:06 down is not good.

Slipstream's web doesn't say anything either...

???

 

[ak-zaaf]

The home page race link gives results but doesn't give a report for the 1st stage...

What happened to Christian Vandevelde?

114th place, 1:06 down is not good.

Slipstream's web doesn't say anything either...

???

considering his injuries fromn the giro, this is a pretty good result.
he's not gonna have fun in suisse if he's racing to get in shape for the tour de france.


/edit: translated from sportweek.nl:

Christian Vande Velde (photo) made his comeback in the Tour of Switzerland, which starts June 13. The American is still recovering from a broken pelvis and several broken ribs that he suffered May 11 after a fall in the third stage during the Giro d'Italia.

"From the beginning I said that I was very motivated to quickly recover," said the rider from Garmin to Cycling News. "Admittedly, at times the pain was almost unbearable, but I can not wait to drive in Switzerland. I can hopefully get in shape for the Tour de France. "