Paris-Nice

[Susan Westemeyer]

Just to confirm, we will sticky a new thread for each stage on the day. Makes it easier.

Susan

 

[Moondance]

Rabo DS Nico Verhoeven:

So how do you explain Xavier Tondo mixing it up with Contador and Leipheimer, and even beating the likes of LL Sanchez, Kreuziger, Millar etc.? Tondo was one of the first to leave BTW...

Regardless it takes nothing away from Boom's win. If any win gets 'devalued' by changing conditions than sports like Alpine skiing are pretty much obsolete.

 

[katkotom]

Nice win by Boom, but alos a very good ride by Sagan chapeau sir.

Peter just keeps rolling

 

[Publicus]

Rabo DS Nico Verhoeven:

So according to Nico the weather conditions were exactly the same for the duration of the prologue? That would be a first...

 

[Publicus]

So how do you explain Xavier Tondo mixing it up with Contador and Leipheimer, and even beating the likes of LL Sanchez, Kreuziger, Millar etc.? Tondo was one of the first to leave BTW...

Regardless it takes nothing away from Boom's win. If any win gets 'devalued' by changing conditions than sports like Alpine skiing are pretty much obsolete.

Which shouldn't be stressed enough. Great win by Boom. He wasn't responsible for the conditions (whether they changed or not).

 

[theswordsman]

Steegmans, the team was caught in the middle of a whirlwind in the first descent of the prologue. The wind picked him up while he went 75 km / h. The principal to join us in the car, Dirk Demol said, "Gert crashed on the descent of the first of two ascents, right on the fastest part where everyone was more than 70 km / h. There was a openness, perhaps 20 meters between a house and a hedge. I saw the wind came, the leaves and tree branches flying through the air and a second later Gert was also raised in the air. He fell again and again, many times. It was a terrible accident. I have never seen anything like this in my life. The ambulance took 12 minutes to arrive and I could not do anything. Gert was yelling all the time. He seemed to have broken more than one thing. This is a very bad news for him. It would have been our leader in the Classic. "

I think the earlier story on biciclismo used the word tornado or something similar, but the stuff in bold sounds scary as hell.

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=23619

 

[issoisso]

So how do you explain Xavier Tondo mixing it up with Contador and Leipheimer, and even beating the likes of LL Sanchez, Kreuziger, Millar etc.? Tondo was one of the first to leave BTW...

Regardless it takes nothing away from Boom's win. If any win gets 'devalued' by changing conditions than sports like Alpine skiing are pretty much obsolete.

How is Tondo's result abnormal?

 

[Moondance]

How is Tondo's result abnormal?

It's exceptionally good. As, to a lesser extent, are Sagan's and Boom's placings. All rode early. Might be explained by a heavier headwind.

 

[Anonymous]

So according to Nico the weather conditions were exactly the same for the duration of the prologue? That would be a first...

the road to nice

from scott sunderlands twitter.

 

[Ninety5rpm]

Great to see Jens Voigt fully recovered from last year's crash in the Tour, and then some. Wow. Looks like Levi is in great shape too.

2009:


1 Alberto Contador (Spa) Astana 11.05 (50.346 km/h)
2 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream 0.07
3 Luis-Leon Sanchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0.09
4 Tony Martin (Ger) Team Columbia - Highroad 0.11
5 David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream 0.14
6 Joost Posthuma (Ned) Rabobank 0.18
7 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step 0.19
8 Antonio Colom (Spa) Team Katusha
9 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha 0.21
10 Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Cofidis 0.22
11 Kévin Van Impe (Bel) Quick Step 0.25
12 Cyril Lemoine (Fra) Skil-Shimano
13 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank 0.27
14 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Team Columbia - Highroad 0.29
15 Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram 0.30
16 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam
17 Sergio Paulinho (Por) Astana 0.31
18 Maciej Bodnar (Pol) Liquigas
19 Cadel Evans (Aus) Silence-Lotto
20 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Team Saxo Bank
21 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana


2010:

1 Lars Boom (Ned) Rabobank 0:10:56
2 Jens Voigt (Ger) Team Saxo Bank 0:00:03
3 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack 0:00:06
4 Alberto Contador (Spa) Astana
5 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas - Doimo 0:00:10
6 Xavier Tondo (Spa) Cervélo Test Team
7 David Millar (GBr) Garmin - Transitions 0:00:11
8 Luis-Leon Sanchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0:00:12
9 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Liquigas - Doimo 0:00:13
10 Samuel Sanchez (Spa) Euskatltel - Euskadi 0:00:15
11 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Team RadioShack 0:00:16
12 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana
13 Laurent Mangel (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:00:17
14 Rémi Pauriol (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne 0:00:19
15 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:00:20
16 Christopher Horner (USA) Team RadioShack
17 Svein Tuft (Can) Garmin - Transitions
18 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 0:00:22
19 Joaquim Rodriguez (Spa) Team Katusha
20 Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) Omega Pharma - Lotto 0:00:23

 

[Andy99]

Great Photo of Boom on CN main page

Same photo and similar ones of Contador, Millar and Gerrans here..

http://www.teamsky.com/gallery/0,27401,17548_6008775,00.html#photo=1

 

[Andy99]

skysports.com

 

[taiwan]

Hey look, Giant have changed the stem on their TT bike.

 

[taiwan]

Hey look, Giant have changed the stem on their TT bike.

 

[Boleyn]

Well, just turned on Versus coverage with Sherwin and Roll, and they "updated" us before they went to racing - and the Leader is.... Lars Boom. Guess we won't see the winner's performance. %#!@&^# Versus!!

They've only had 5 %#!@&^# hours to edit their coverage.

 

[blaxland]

He's really going to beat Contador and valverde. Mike knows jack shyte about cycling. Mike thought evans should go to lampre because his wife spoke italian. Gerro is a classics rider and I don't see how he's going to stay with some of those favourites on some of france's big alpine passes. gerro should of done tirenno as the route would favour him and I would give him a good chance to do a high overall.

+1 agree.And these are the guys we have to put up with in australia..........Gerro top 10?maybe................if things go his way..........Does anyone think Wiggo can podium?

 

[luckyboy]

+1 agree.And these are the guys we have to put up with in australia..........Gerro top 10?maybe................if things go his way..........Does anyone think Wiggo can podium?

You're talking about the Tour?

 

[theyoungest]

Well, just turned on Versus coverage with Sherwin and Roll, and they "updated" us before they went to racing - and the Leader is.... Lars Boom. Guess we won't see the winner's performance. %#!@&^# Versus!!

They've only had 5 %#!@&^# hours to edit their coverage.

Don't be too hard on them... the live coverage hadn't started yet when Boom rode. The only available footage is of him finishing.

 

[auscyclefan94]

the road to nice

from scott sunderlands twitter.

1 guy I was kinda impressed with on a prologue course like that...
28 Gregory Henderson (NZl) Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:00:28

Beat valverde!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

1 guy I was kinda impressed with on a prologue course like that...
28 Gregory Henderson (NZl) Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:00:28

Beat valverde!

Yea, normally in a prologue, sprinters beating GC men isn't something to be excited or impressed by, but on that one today that's a mighty impressive showing from the Kiwi.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Yea, normally in a prologue, sprinters beating GC men isn't something to be excited or impressed by, but on that one today that's a mighty impressive showing from the Kiwi.

It is a momentus occasion Libertine...

WE FINALLY AGREE ON SOMETHING!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

It is a momentus occasion Libertine...

WE FINALLY AGREE ON SOMETHING!

I've only managed 50 posts before agreeing with you, that's pretty good going for me

 

[karlboss]

the bulbous headstems are gone due to a rule change this year. That no 2 elements combined can be more than 3:1.

 

[theswordsman]

Has anyone heard any more about the Shivs the guys are riding at Paris-Nice? After seeing this tweet I don't know if the bikes changed or if the UCI backed off.

Jakob_fuglsang

soon time to eat again..just had a small spin on my new UCI-until-May-legal Shiv 2..sweet machine! btw its freezing cold here in F but sunny

 

[karlboss]

Has anyone heard any more about the Shivs the guys are riding at Paris-Nice? After seeing this tweet I don't know if the bikes changed or if the UCI backed off.

changed the bikes, the gussetts are gone. Check the pictures of Contador in the prologue. Haven't heard, but I'm guessing they have temporary approval, and in May they'll be approved.