Tour de Pologne 2.WT 31/07 - 06/08

[Kwibus]

Marcel Kittel is not a pure sprinter either. He's much more versatile than that:
http://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=19455
http://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=19318
http://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=15259
http://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=8689 (check out the guy who came in just ahead of him)

He also has a very good TT and he isn't as useless on a hill as Guardini, but not as good as Matthews or Degenkolb. Atleast not that I've seen so far.

He's doing great this year though. Really nice for Skil as well.

 

[roundabout]

Marcel Kittel is not a pure sprinter either. He's much more versatile than that:
http://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=19455
http://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=19318
http://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=15259
http://cqranking.com/men/asp/gen/race.asp?raceid=8689 (check out the guy who came in just ahead of him)

Even though it's not quite the same, the last result made me think about a very slight possibility of Kittel going to the Worlds this year. But I'd guess that it's too early. London will be the right place to debut on the big stage.

 

[Tank Engine]

Wasn't it Marcato who had his finest hour on this exact same stage last year?

Think you right there. But, generally he does have that habit of placing and rarely winning.

 

[Tank Engine]

Some people are clearly watching this race for the first time now.

As long as I can remember the Tour of Pologne has the same build up every year.
3 flat stages finishing on circuits
1 intermediate stage which usually ends in a group sprint
2 hard stages with climbing involved
1 final flat stage, sometimes replaced by 1 climbing time trial.

It's always been like that since the race became Pro (now World) Tour, this year no different

That's pretty much it. But the way I remember it they tended to do 4 or 5 laps, not 8.

 

[Fuxior]

heres photo from todays stage, http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...4090313504.176927.353899548504&type=1&theater

the question under is: " Highest speed in todays stage was 78,2, who do you think was the cyclist"

answer is pretty easy.


To answer posts about how boring TdP is - unfortunately it looks like that every year. LangTeam (organiser) wants more people to watch that live on stages, thats why they make circuits everytime. I really really hate them too, especially because they are not in "good-looking" areas. Only town that looks amazing in TV is the last one, Kraków. The rest is just the same all the time. I know I could make much better TdP route than this one, but well - its not gonna ever happen

 

[theyoungest]

heres photo from todays stage, http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?f...4090313504.176927.353899548504&type=1&theater

the question under is: " Highest speed in todays stage was 78,2, who do you think was the cyclist"

answer is pretty easy.


To answer posts about how boring TdP is - unfortunately it looks like that every year. LangTeam (organiser) wants more people to watch that live on stages, thats why they make circuits everytime. I really really hate them too, especially because they are not in "good-looking" areas. Only town that looks amazing in TV is the last one, Kraków. The rest is just the same all the time. I know I could make much better TdP route than this one, but well - its not gonna ever happen

I assume the purpose of organizing a race like this is partly to let the television audience around the world see how beautiful your country is, and that's not really working, with these awful circuits through depressing Eastern Bloc-type neighbourhoods. It sort of confirms certain preoccupations people might have about Poland, when indeed a city like Krakow, for instance, really is beautiful.

 

[Nielsa]

I've never been there but I know two guys from Norway who went to watch TdP live last year, and they thought it was a great race to watch live.

 

[virenque216]

I also dislike the circuits in the towns. It would be nice if they would visit Slovakian part of Tatra mountains as well, the climbs are longer and more tougher.
The scenery is stunning too.
Since Sagan and Velits are doing great, it would attract a lot of fans out.

 

[Anonymous]

When will tv coverage start today?

 

[Jamsque]

Actual stage today! Exciting times.

 

[auscyclefan94]

This would of been a good stage for Ballan to have a dig...shame he is injured. Hopefully Mauro can do it for him.


At least today we will have a different winner.

 

[El Pistolero]

This would of been a good stage for Ballan to have a dig...shame he is injured. Hopefully Mauro can do it for him.


At least today we will have a different winner.

We can't destroy the GVA and Cuddles show. Only they can win at BMC

 

[Kwibus]

This would of been a good stage for Ballan to have a dig...shame he is injured. Hopefully Mauro can do it for him.


At least today we will have a different winner.

Didn't Grega Bole win this stage last year?

 

[theyoungest]

Didn't Grega Bole win this stage last year?

No, Lorenzetto stole the victory.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Didn't Grega Bole win this stage last year?

The profile looks quite hilly at the finish and moutainous in the middle part. I'd be surprised if Bole would win on such a course but you could be right.

We can't destroy the GVA and Cuddles show. Only they can win at BMC

Hehe, well at least BMC isn't been called a one man squad anymore. They can be called a two many squad with GVA and Evans taking 8 of their 10 wins for the season.

 

[El Pistolero]

Now Greg just needs to win something at the Vuelta. What's he doing as prep race anyway? Probably something ****ty as Eneco(where he'll get second behind Gilbert on the Ardennes stage)

 

[theyoungest]

The profile looks quite hilly at the finish and moutainous in the middle part. I'd be surprised if Bole would win on such a course but you could be right.

Why would you be surprised? He nearly won the stage, and he got 2nd on GC. He's a good climber, you know.

 

[hrotha]

Bole was 2nd in the GC last year, so yeah.

 

[El Pistolero]

Why would you be surprised? He nearly won the stage, and he got 2nd on GC. He's a good climber, you know.

I would be surprised if Sagan didn't win.

When does his contract end by the way? If there's someone who QS need to buy it's him(Stybar, Martin Velits, Peter Velits and Sagan. Would be quite the super Belgian-Czechoslovakian-French team with some useless Italians as domestiques.)

 

[auscyclefan94]

oops, my bad! I think i may of mistaken Bole and Furlan with each other.

 

[theyoungest]

I would be surprised if Sagan didn't win.

This is about last year. When, BTW, Sagan was dropped on this stage.

 

[hrotha]

Why would you be surprised? He nearly won the stage, and he got 2nd on GC. He's a good climber, you know.

That was last year. This year he isn't very good at anything

 

[roundabout]

This is about last year. When, BTW, Sagan was dropped on this stage.

Yeah, but Sagan was sick.

 

[Kwibus]

That was last year. This year he isn't very good at anything

Indeed. He's been nearly invisible this year. If he didn't wear his national jersey I wouldn't have noticed him in the TdF as well.

 

[search]

Yeah, but Sagan was sick.

until now he had that so called "stomach problems" in every race he didn't fulfill the expectations - mainly on hilly finish courses or on races ridden very hard right from the start.

he is still very young and there is lot of room for improvements, so we will have to wait how he'll develop, but I think that sickness was more equivalent to a lack of abilities to cope with situations like that.