The big one: Tour of Poland, Aug 1st -7th

[Mellow Velo]

Doesn't look like a climber's race to me. The great Bauke Mollema might need to get up the road in a serious break, if he is going to single-handedly lift the Netherlands above German army.
No KOM until stage 4. Stage 5's shark's teeth are in reality, molars.
10km of a climb, but only 300 vms, so 3-4%.
Stage 6 should hurt the legs as its long but again, they aren't major climbs.
A couple look around the 6% mark.
Traditionally won by a classics rider, this edition looks no exception.

 

[theyoungest]

A little calculation learns that the final 4 k of stage 5 is at about 8.5%, which is quite a serious climb, actually. But the rest of this "queen stage" does indeed feature 3-4% climbs, if you take the average (and we're not provided with more).

But 4 k of climbing is, of course, enough for the Falcon of the Flatlands to crush the opposition

 

[The Hitch]

No KOM until stage 4.

You might be right on the other points (though as i said, the mountains are good enough to incorporate some very good climbs if they wanted to)

But on the first stage podium they gave a king of a mountains jersey to one of the guys who was in the break. (he was native so got the loudest cheer of course).

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Doesn't look like a climber's race to me. The great Bauke Mollema might need to get up the road in a serious break, if he is going to single-handedly lift the Netherlands above German army.
No KOM until stage 4. Stage 5's shark's teeth are in reality, molars.
10km of a climb, but only 300 vms, so 3-4%.
Stage 6 should hurt the legs as its long but again, they aren't major climbs.
A couple look around the 6% mark.
Traditionally won by a classics rider, this edition looks no exception.

You are calculating the avg %, same mistake as I made a few years back.
History learns these climbs are not long gentle slopes of 3/4% or 6%, but irregular climbs with steeper parts.
Ofcourse they won't be peloton murdering mountain stages. But there should be a good selection

 

[Mellow Velo]

What, like Big Bear was, you mean?
Anyhow, we'll see. I can't make out the stage 6 profile, it's too small.
I hope ty has pegged it correctly at 8.5% for the finish.

Good news from another grandish tour that has been light on climbing in recent editions:
http://biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=29064

3 "end ups", with one for TD.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I never hyped up Big Bear or expected anything of that stage

I'm just saying, Polish mountains aren't like that. If you expect a smooth gradual climb, you could be far off. Even in the 15 man sprint last year there were actually 9% sections in the climbs that supposed to be 3% average.
That's because those climbs included flat sections and even a slight downhill, but the profile doesn't show that.

 

[roundabout]

Indeed, these aren't very detailed profiles. If google is right and i picked the right road then that 10 k @ 3% climb on stage 5 is not really that long and has a 4 k section @ 6% and gets steeper near the top (last 2k @ 8%) .

 

[auscyclefan94]

Only six though...

Which makes it - I think -

10 GERMANY GER 349
11 NETHERLANDS NED 317
12 FRANCE FRA 311

Come on Deutschland! But they should watch out as bauke Mollema is sitting in a very unassuming spot in 40th place overall.

Greipel.

And Davis shjould be #1 in general.

Good for him.

They will have to get in a new jersey for him as they don't have any XXXL's

 

[mowie133]

woo hoo!!! team astanas new team leader in yellow might get abit of respect now

 

[Ferminal]

I thought Davis had it when Greipel was a long way back.

Good win though, at least he doesn't make it look as easy as Cav.

 

[Ryaguas]

I thought Davis had it when Greipel was a long way back.

Good win though, at least he doesn't make it look as easy as Cav.

I thought the same...! Davis is having a good jump but he doesn't has a good final kick... Greipel came from nowhere and take the stage... Well for Davis 3rd on Sunday, 2nd yesterday, so today 1st!!!! well I hope so... He has a good form and is doing great...

 

[Ferminal]

I thought the same...! Davis is having a good jump but he doesn't has a good final kick... Greipel came from nowhere and take the stage... Well for Davis 3rd on Sunday, 2nd yesterday, so today 1st!!!! well I hope so... He has a good form and is doing great...

About time, I assume he's riding the Vuelta so maybe he will get his win there.

 

[auscyclefan94]

I thought Davis had it when Greipel was a long way back.

Good win though, at least he doesn't make it look as easy as Cav.

Yes but he could imo. He seems to get cut away from his leadout train a fair bit but on the up side stays out of the wind until the last moment and still wins.

They have an average field in tour of poland but the podium girls are of a very high class!

Are they all like this over there?

 

[Barrus]

Are they all like this over there?

Ah, my friend you should come over to Europe. Only beautiful women, much better than those Australian floozies

Anyway, today probably won't be a sprint, right?

 

[auscyclefan94]

Ah, my friend you should come over to Europe. Only beautiful women, much better than those Australian floozies

Anyway, today probably won't be a sprint, right?

I wouldn't go that far...


I see it being very attacking in the final circuits. I see a Sagan or possibly Ballan attacking and winning as I think the sprinters may find the continual rolling climbs a bit too hard.

 

[Bagaskara]

So, Sagan and Ballan is the main contenders.

can somebody mention the outsiders?

I think Nocentini is also in the start list isn't he??

 

[auscyclefan94]

So, Sagan and Ballan is the main contenders.

can somebody mention the outsiders?

I think Nocentini is also in the start list isn't he??

There are others but I think these two are the main candidates ftw imo.

 

[The Hitch]

So, Sagan and Ballan is the main contenders.

can somebody mention the outsiders?

I think Nocentini is also in the start list isn't he??

There are others but I think these two are the main candidates ftw imo.

wtf. They are different types of riders. Ballan can win a stage race and has proven it. Sagan might be able to win stage races, but i think this will have too many hills for him. I know he won hilly stages in toc but they were soft peddaling there. He came second in a tough romandie stage, but wasnt able to keep that up for the whole tour. He has proven that he is good enough to win stages before, and has surprised us before but it would take yet another step up in class for this 20 year old, to win a stage race this time round.

 

[theyoungest]

wtf. They are different types of riders. Ballan can win a stage race and has proven it. Sagan might be able to win stage races, but i think this will have too many hills for him. I know he won hilly stages in toc but they were soft peddaling there. He came second in a tough romandie stage, but wasnt able to keep that up for the whole tour. He has proven that he is good enough to win stages before, and has surprised us before but it would take yet another step up in class for this 20 year old, to win a stage race this time round.

I guess he's talking about today's stage? (and forgetting that it's 2% inclines we're talking about here, even Napolitano could survive)

 

[The Hitch]

I guess he's talking about today's stage? (and forgetting that it's 2% inclines we're talking about here, even Napolitano could survive)

But Ballan is even less a possibility for todays stage than Sagan is for the overall. Its a sprinters / breakaway stage, and Ballan isnt a possibility in either, so i assumed they must be talking about the overall.

 

[tgsgirl]

I guess he's talking about today's stage? (and forgetting that it's 2% inclines we're talking about here, even Napolitano could survive)

Eh, 2% might be a bit much for Danilo

 

[auscyclefan94]

Only 2%! Those profiles make them look a lot more than that!

 

[theyoungest]

Only 2%! Those profiles make them look a lot more than that!

Rule no. 1: never trust a Polish profile.

 

[Ferminal]

As bad as the Turks...

At least they use the Giro's style, just **** scale.

 

[saganftw]

feed:
http://www.fromsport.com/v-0/2/78/v-27806.html

enjoy awful pronunciation of polish names and some racing too