Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey 2011

[ISDfan]

This looked like the same finish where Visconti (was it him?) won last year.

Yes it was Visconti , he won Stage 3 last year , and there was one difference last year brakeway has survived untill the finish , at the finish line Visconti was faster then Simon Spilak (Lampre) and Rein Taramaee (Cofidis) . And after that he won stage 4 too .

 

[Boardslide]

As for greipel I don't think he is looking good at all.

Is it possible that his massive weight loss is now starting to affect him. Personally I think he lost too much too quickly.

 

[Jamsque]

Is it possible that his massive weight loss is now starting to affect him. Personally I think he lost too much too quickly.

Did he really lose that much? I don't think he looks significantly less gorilla-like this year.

 

[L'arriviste]

Did he really lose that much? I don't think he looks significantly less gorilla-like this year.

 

[will10]

Nah, he's just further away in the bottom picture.

 

[Jamsque]

Eh, maybe he's shed a few pounds I guess, but I doubt it's enough to significantly reduce his power output.

His real test will be at the Tour, but I'm not at all surprised that he is failing to dominate the small races like he did last year, he doesn't have the kind of support he got at HTC.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Zzzzzznnnnoooozzzzker is going to overrun on Eurosport again.
If you to see the miserable Turkish weather, you need to go dutch:
http://sports-livez.com/channel/ch-30.php

 

[roundabout]

According to the race twitter this might actually be a good stage with Beletti out of the race and the second group on the road down to less than 40 riders.

Go Pinot.

 

[hughmoore]

Eh, maybe he's shed a few pounds I guess, but I doubt it's enough to significantly reduce his power output.

His real test will be at the Tour, but I'm not at all surprised that he is failing to dominate the small races like he did last year, he doesn't have the kind of support he got at HTC.

My friends and I were surprised at his size difference this year at the TDU compared to last year, a massive overall change to his physique imho.

We were thinking he had slimmed down maybe to get over the hills in the TDF in search of green jersey.


Hugh

 

[Mellow Velo]

Yes.
The peloton over 30 minutes back.
Bit of a shock.
Eurosport arrives.............finally.

 

[Jamsque]

Wow, what happened? Is the race leader in the 30 minute group?

 

[Christomir]

I didn't get the chance to see the stage. Which Bulgarian was it?

If it was Danail Petrov, then you do him a disservice, he's a very good rider.

If it wasn't Danail Petrov, then I apologise for this irrelevant interruption, do carry on.

Yes, actually it was Danail Andonov Petrov indeed who attacked (though unsuccessfully) and thus set a slightly faster pace for the peloton on that climb. And I know he is a very decent rider, so yeah, I guess I was doing him disservice by being a bit sarcastic there... I'm just bitter that we don't have many more (if any at all) good and successful professional riders.

 

[Jamsque]

So here is the situation:

Peterson (Garmin), Wurf (Liquigas), Zeits (Astana), Fouchard (Cofidis), Mourey and Pinot (FDJ) and Bertogliati (TT1) are in the lead

Group of 35/40 riders at around one minute

Rest of the pack at thirty minutes.

Belletti has pulled out.

 

[palmerq]

petacchi is in the chasing group again, he really wants to win a stage :S he might do it, it will be awkward though

 

[Jamsque]

Winner today probably takes the GC then?

 

[roundabout]

petacchi is in the chasing group again, he really wants to win a stage :S he might do it, it will be awkward though

It's not the biggest race on the planet, but I wonder if Petacchi is regretting his little stunt on stage one now.

 

[Christomir]

Winner today probably takes the GC then?

It's not the biggest race on the planet, but I wonder if Petacchi is regretting his little stunt on stage one now.

LOL, then if he wins today and does well in the remaining sprint finishes, isn't it possible that he wins the GC and justifies my prediction of a sprinter winning it?

 

[Jamsque]

Svein Tuft off the front!

 

[palmerq]

Svein Tuft is going to win, he's been inspired by the canucks last night... 1 minute 20 km to go, lampre must be tired again.

 

[Jamsque]

Two leaders have 1'08" and the chase behind is not organised. Lampre are the only people who really look motivated.

 

[roundabout]

So have the rest been caught apart from the front 2?

 

[palmerq]

I think so, looks like astana are chasing now aswell :S I think tuft will do it though

 

[hrotha]

Maybe you guys haven't noticed but Tuft isn't alone.

 

[Jamsque]

Maybe you guys haven't noticed but Tuft isn't alone.

I know, I'm just excited to see Tuft racing well after leaving Garmin and then the whole Pegasus debacle.

The gap hasn't come down at all in the past 10 km, but Kirby says the raod kicks up from here. I can't see this coming back.

 

[palmerq]

Maybe you guys haven't noticed but Tuft isn't alone.

Tuft is doing it for canada though