Tour de Langkawi

[Gloin22]

Rolland, Monsalve, Verona, Team Androni

I think you're being bit optimistic with his chances here quite a lot.

 

[LaFlorecita]

Rolland, Monsalve, Verona, Team Androni

Damn Morton and Brambilla could've done so well

 

[the asian]

I think you're being bit optimistic with his chances here quite a lot.

Not tipping him for a win, but he could do a top 10. There isn't much competition .

 

[Gloin22]

Not tipping him for a win, but he could do a top 10. There isn't much competition .

However some of those Asian riders will be peaking for this race hence in ubber form to Europeans. Would be very surprised if Verona makes Top 10, however if he does, kudos to him!

 

[the asian]

Went through the start list.

GC Contenders

Kash-Astana
Stetina- Garmin
Weening- OGE
Rolland-Europcar
Nino Corredor-RTS
Tomas Gil/Jackson Rodriguez- Androni ( Androni r saying they are not here for GC and only for stage wins, but u can't rule them out)
Monsalve- Vini

So it's reasonable to expect a top 10 from verona. Don't know too much about the riders from UHC but there will be only one or two other GC contenders the max.

 

[the asian]

However some of those Asian riders will be peaking for this race hence in ubber form to Europeans. Would be very surprised if Verona makes Top 10, however if he does, kudos to him!

Level of Asian cycling is pretty weak. Morton did a top 10 as a 19 yr old in 2011.

Hossein Asgari might be Asia's best chance.

 

[theyoungest]

If that Verona kid is really as good as OPQS says he is, it's bound to come out somewhere, so why not in Langkawi. Marc Goos on Blanco is a climber as well, in this field he could maybe make the top-10.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Ah, so a walkover for the kazakh machine then

Its going to be annihilation. Better to hand over the leaders jersey to Kash immediately on arrival to avoid humiliation all around.

 

[Jakob747]

Julian David Arredondo should go well. Hopefully he gets the nod over F. Baliani within Team Nippo!

 

[markene2]

Its going to be annihilation. Better to hand over the leaders jersey to Kash immediately on arrival to avoid humiliation all around.

Even though it's sarcasm, we all know Kash wont do ****

but i can always hope.

 

[will10]

Level of Asian cycling is pretty weak. Morton did a top 10 as a 19 yr old in 2011.

Hossein Asgari might be Asia's best chance.

And yet you have to go back many years to find a Langkawi edition where there wasn't at least one guy in the top 10 on GC riding for a small Asian or Oceania Conti team.

Same as we saw in San Luis - this is the biggest pond some small fish get to swim in. There'll be some surprises.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Even though it's sarcasm, we all know Kash wont do ****

but i can always hope.

Have never seen him perform as good as he did in australia in this time of the year before. even pre ban he started the season off bad

 

[wirral]

I'll be heading to stage 2 (starting in Kedah heading south). I wanted to get some more stages in but real life intervenes as it often does. Actually I wanted to follow the whole race but .... ah next year.

 

[jaylew]

yep, a good chance to work on the lead out. Koldo from Garmin used to be able to do some sprints iirc.

He seems to have gotten lost a bit at Garmin. Went from being the #1 sprinter at EE to being 4th-5th in the pecking order now. I bet they work for Van Hoff on the sprint stages.

For some reason you almost never get the big name climbers at this race. They're at Oman and Argentina but never Malaysia. Not enough hilly stages?

I think there will be a surprise winner. Sprint stages will be interesting with just 2nd and 3rd tier guys there. Chicchi, Bos, Guardini, Van Hoff, Coquard, Kroupis...

 

[jaylew]

For some reason you almost never get the big name climbers at this race. They're at Oman and Argentina but never Malaysia. Not enough hilly stages?

I think there will be a surprise winner. Sprint stages will be interesting with just 2nd and 3rd tier guys there. Chicchi, Bos, Guardini, Van Hoff, Coquard, Kroupis...

 

[wirral]

I am pretty sure Malaysia cannot match the appearance money and prize money the oil-rich Arabs can offer. It is a lot farther to fly from Europe and a 10-day stage race over some very serious mountains in conditions of heat, humidity and tropical downpours are not a good preparation for the Grand Tours. Also it is an HC event so no World Tour points.

There are 5 major reasons why the big names don't come.

 

[Michele]

Level of Asian cycling is pretty weak. Morton did a top 10 as a 19 yr old in 2011.

Hossein Asgari might be Asia's best chance.

For GC, yes, but for stage wins they have a few decent riders.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

He seems to have gotten lost a bit at Garmin. Went from being the #1 sprinter at EE to being 4th-5th in the pecking order now. I bet they work for Van Hoff on the sprint stages.

Perhaps Koldo should consider going back to Eus.
Ain't a lot of internal sprinter competition on the team.

 

[markene2]

Have never seen him perform as good as he did in australia in this time of the year before. even pre ban he started the season off bad

Well, Kash looks slim, and Kirsipuu told us that Kashechkin will be the leader in Langkawi instead of Dyachenko based on his early form.

Let's hope i did not jinx this now.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Well, Kash looks slim, and Kirsipuu told us that Kashechkin will be the leader in Langkawi instead of Dyachenko based on his early form.

Let's hope i did not jinx this now.

2013 = 2006

I can feel it

 

[Squire]

Pardilla for the overall

 

[hfer07]

Rolland is going to smoke 'em out....maybe the Astana crew will give him some minor resistance, but overall is his race to lose.

 

[theyoungest]

Pardilla for the overall

I didn't even notice him on the startlist, apparently he rides for MTN now. Yeah, he's probably the best climber there, unless Rolland brings his July form.

 

[jens_attacks]

rolland said somewhere in january that he will take it easy. i really can't see him firing already,until liege maybe

kash is my favourite to win this bike race

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

rolland said somewhere in january that he will take it easy. i really can't see him firing already,until liege maybe

kash is my favourite to win this bike race

Yea, this is the start of the the kazakh domination in the cycling season of 2013