Tirreno - Adriatico: Stage 1, Marina di Carrara - 16.8km, TTT

[Andy99]

Tirreno-Adriatico 2011: UK TV schedule;

Wednesday March 9, 2-3.30pm, Stage one LIVE, British Eurosport 2
Wednesday March 9, 4.15-5.15pm, Stage one highlights, British Eurosport

Thursday March 10, 2-3.30pm, Stage two LIVE, British Eurosport 2
Thursday March 10, 4.15-5.15pm, Stage two highlights, British Eurosport

Friday March 11, 2-3.30pm, Stage three LIVE, British Eurosport 2
Friday March 11, 4.15-5pm, Stage three highlights, British Eurosport

Saturday March 12, 4.45-5.45pm, Stage four highlights, British Eurosport 2
Saturday March 12, 7-8pm, Stage four highlights, British Eurosport

Sunday March 13, 2-3pm, Stage five LIVE, British Eurosport 2
Sunday March 13, 8.45-9.30pm, Stage five highlights, British Eurosport

Monday March 14, 2-3.30pm, Stage six LIVE, British Eurosport
Monday March 14, 7.15-8.30pm, Stage six highlights, British Eurosport

Tuesday March 15, 2-3.30pm, Stage seven LIVE, British Eurosport
Tuesday March 15, 8.15-9pm, Stage seven highlights, British Eurosport 2


Same throughout Europe, I guess..Looks like viewers in Australia get highlights the following day, straight after the P-N Live coverage...

 

[Moncoutie]

Sky FTW!!!

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

I think Lotto will do good because they have "stolen" some guys from HTC and they are all capable men in a TTT. And Gilbert is a beast.

As for the winner? Liquigas. 10 seconds later: Leopard and HTC.

Gilbert will take 10 minutes in a 1000m attack in one of the stages to come and win the whole thing.

lotto bought sprinter guys like reynes and sieberg that aren't itt guys, hansen is good though

 

[El Pistolero]

lotto bought sprinter guys like reynes and sieberg that aren't itt guys, hansen is good though

It's a TTT, not an ITT.

Those guys on the flat usually do good in a TTT. Especially if they're drilled by HTC.

 

[la.margna]

HTC: Cavendish, Albasini, Eisel, Grabsch, Pinotti, Renshaw, Roulston, Velits... Albasini is probably the worst of an excellent group.

Initially, I was a bit offended that you wrote that Albasini is the worst, considering also his recent ITT in Oman. However, looking at the race profile and then at the other HTC riders, I have to agree with you! Very hard to beat them, it seems to me... But i might be wrong, as sometimes in a TTT it's the T factor and not just the various I's.... Looking forward!

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

It's a TTT, not an ITT.

Those guys on the flat usually do good in a TTT. Especially if they're drilled by HTC.

I know but itt guys make a strong tt, but fine by me I don't expect lotto to be in the top 5 despite gilbert and lang.

 

[whittashau]

Basso, Nibali, Bodnar, Oss and Marangoni...I'm pretty sure Liquigas will take this out.

 

[The Hitch]

So is this the race where we finally see the long awaited Cav vs Greipel battles start, a preview of the main event saturday week, or do we have to wait for San Remo itself for that?

 

[El Pistolero]

So is this the race where we finally see the long awaited Cav vs Greipel battles start, a preview of the main event saturday week, or do we have to wait for San Remo itself for that?

San Remo won't end in a sprint this year.

 

[Lanark]

So is this the race where we finally see the long awaited Cav vs Greipel battles start, a preview of the main event saturday week, or do we have to wait for San Remo itself for that?

Can't wait to see which of the two wins the sprint of the third peloton in Sanremo (!).

 

[ansimi]

HTC and Liquigas should be good. Will any of the teams be really bad? I admit I am amused by a TTT gone terribly wrong and losing contact and yelling at each other when they cross the line

 

[theyoungest]

Basso, Nibali, Bodnar, Oss and Marangoni...I'm pretty sure Liquigas will take this out.

Marangoni... I've never even heard of the guy. Their TTT lineup has suffered a bit with the recent transfers.

 

[Christian]

Actually, Rabobank starts with 2 guys who have beaten Cancellara in a TT this year also.

Yes they were both great performances, but at the same time they were both on regular bikes and one was mountainous. At least the latter can't really be seen as a defeat of Cancellara, albeit a great success of Gesink. In that sense the prologue victory was the more surprising one.

I don't know if LEOPARD TREK will be able to pull off the victory in this one, since it's their first ever TTT. In any case I'm sure Cancellara will be very motivated and they should be able to get a Top 3

 

[El Pistolero]

Yes they were both great performances, but at the same time they were both on regular bikes and one was mountainous. At least the latter can't really be seen as a defeat of Cancellara, albeit a great success of Gesink. In that sense the prologue victory was the more surprising one.

I don't know if LEOPARD TREK will be able to pull off the victory in this one, since it's their first ever TTT. In any case I'm sure Cancellara will be very motivated and they should be able to get a Top 3

The real question is, will Andy be dropped in the TTT?

 

[Havetts]

If they go full out, he might actually get, but that depends on how his TT has improved .

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

San Remo won't end in a sprint this year.

Correct, I Sebastian Langeveld jumps away and wins solo.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Yes they were both great performances, but at the same time they were both on regular bikes and one was mountainous. At least the latter can't really be seen as a defeat of Cancellara, albeit a great success of Gesink. In that sense the prologue victory was the more surprising one.

I don't know if LEOPARD TREK will be able to pull off the victory in this one, since it's their first ever TTT. In any case I'm sure Cancellara will be very motivated and they should be able to get a Top 3

Gesink won, Cancellara finished 5th. So it can't be seen as defeat of Cancellara. I totally follow your logic. (rest can be disregarded)

I know what you are trying to say, yes Gesink won't beat Cancellara in normal circumstances and probably have a very hard time not being butchered. But saying it isn't a defeat of Cancellara is the other end.
Technically it is correct to say it was a defeat of Cancellara. If Cancellara flatted or something I would agree it was not really a defeat. But this, nono.

 

[El Pistolero]

Correct, I Sebastian Langeveld jumps away and wins solo.

Fine by me

As long as it is no sprinter

But I think everyone knows what will happen at the poggio. A Gilbert attack and pozatto following in his wheel.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Gesink won, Cancellara finished 5th. So it can't be seen as defeat of Cancellara. I totally follow your logic. (rest can be disregarded)

I know what you are trying to say, yes Gesink won't beat Cancellara in normal circumstances and probably have a very hard time not being butchered. But saying it isn't a defeat of Cancellara is the other end.
Technically it is correct to say it was a defeat of Cancellara. If Cancellara flatted or something I would agree it was not really a defeat. But this, nono.

It was a defeat of Cancellara, but it clearly wasn't a meaningful one. Not because of the parcours, or the equipment. Because 2 other people beat him. Saying Bob beat Visconti doesn't sound so great, but on the day it was a bigger achievement than beating Fab.

 

[El Pistolero]

Lars Boom defeating Cancellara was because of the many twists in the parcours. He's a cyclocrosser, so he can accelerate fast after practically standing still. That's also why he has the potential to do well at Flanders some day.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Lars Boom defeating Cancellara was because of the many twists in the parcours. He's a cyclocrosser, so he can accelerate fast after practically standing still. That's also why he has the potential to do well at Flanders some day.

If he ever performs after 180km that is. Some riders never can.

I for example, never perform after 50km

 

[Christian]

Gesink won, Cancellara finished 5th. So it can't be seen as defeat of Cancellara. I totally follow your logic. (rest can be disregarded)

Ugh I was trying to put as much Gesink-schmoozing in there as I could so as not to offend you but it obviously wasn't enough.

What I was trying to say is that since The Canc is multiple WC and so on, everytime he doesn't win it is considered a big defeat. I think that seeing the circumstances, it was neither a big defeat nor a big success. It was an OK early season result on a parcours which didn't play to his strengths at the end of a 2 week block of racing.

 

[theyoungest]

It's a miracle Cancellara even occasionally wins time trials. Apparently he can't take corners, and he can't climb

Obviously I was just kidding about the two Rabo guys beating Cancellara. As usual Dekker_T takes the point way too far.

The poor Rabo boys start first tomorrow, and directly after they've finished their time will get crushed by HTC.

 

[Kwibus]

Tirreno organization made a mistake allready. The presentation with all the big riders was without Gesink. How foolish of them.

Cyclingnews.com followed up by mentioning Gesink twice as 1 of the big names in the Tirreno preview and then Cadel continues by saying Gesink is a favourite for the win. Obviously all the other riders might as well go home because this race has allready been won

Honestly I don't see how Gesink will win this. Rabo will lose in the TTT. They should be satisfied with a top10 I guess and there are no MT finishes. Allthough there are some testing stages I find it hard to predict an overall win by one of the pure climbers.

I really hope those long hilly stages will be fun to watch, but besides that I'm not that positive about this race. I hope I'm wrong though.

 

[Four Winds]

HTC going second probably isn't great for them.

Then again in the recent Giro and Vuelta TTTs they went fairly early from memory and it didn't seem to matter. Just means they'll have to go full gas rather than pacing themselves.