Tour de Romandie 2012

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

Stage races this year have mostly been not that good.

Will make the giro that much better

 

[will10]

The climb in the TT is the second half of this, from Mollens

TT finishes considerably higher than it starts, no real descent after the climb, it's a tough one. Can't see Wiggins not winning stage + GC though.

 

[Connor Pass]

Top 10 fromtoday anyone?

1. Luis León Sánchez (Rabobank) 3:58:29
2. Gianni Meersman (Lotto-Belisol) m.t.
3. Paolo Tiralongo (Astana) m.t.
3. Andrew Talansky (Garmin-Barracuda) m.t.
5. Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) m.t.
6. Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R) m.t.
7. Maciej Paterski (Liquigas-Cannondale) m.t.
8. GiampaolO Caruso (Katusha) m.t.
9. Gorka Verdugo (Euskaltel-Euskadi) m.t.
10. Fabrice Jeandesboz (Saur-Sojasun) m.t.

 

[Bala Verde]

If Rabobank went for Mollema, than Mollema would have been leader now.

He rode the fastest sprint. If he started in LL Sanchez position he'd finish 5 bikelengths ahead and Mollema would be the leaderi n the GC

I didn't understand why Mollema wasn't covering Lls' wheel. He almost came in third which would have gotten him some extra bonus seconds. His sprint was pretty fast.

Rab still with 4 in the top 10 Mollema, LLS, clement and kelderman?

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

The climb in the TT is the second half of this, from Mollens

TT finishes considerably higher than it starts, no real descent after the climb, it's a tough one. Can't see Wiggins not winning stage + GC though.

Wiggo might not lead at the half way point but yeh he takes this and gc no problem

 

[Mellow Velo]

Boy, that big uphill finish certainly blew the GC apart.
Once again, Romandie is all about the cuckoo clock.

 

[Bala Verde]

Not great at all.

Another one for LLS? 14k descent and the. 10k to the finish?

 

[roundabout]

I would say that the toughest climb is to Veysonnaz. Even if the part to Basse-Nendaz is considered a separate climb. 1000 meters in 17km (with 2 km downhill in the middle, 6km at 8% for the last part)

I hope tomorrow will be at least interesting, but again, 5km of unnecessary flat and almost 50km from Veysonnaz to the end make me more skeptical.

 

[Bala Verde]

Boy, that big uphill finish certainly blew the GC apart.
Once again, Romandie is all about the cuckoo clock.

Today it was clockwork orange...

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

btw there was a little corner in the last 50m. Sanchez actually held his own line. Meersman wanted to sprint straight ahead in that corner. Sanchez did nothing wrong

 

[Azabael]

Like I said, it's going to be about the time trial. Luckely there is a climb in the time trial, which gives the climbers that can time trial decently still a chance.

I think Wiggins will win, if he can at least hold the form he has right now. The remainder of the top 5 will be interesting, though. I still think Clement will be there.

 

[dirkvijf]

Great job by Rabo and Lulu today...

but man, TGBM sprinting was on another level!

 

[El Pistolero]

And this is why stage races should never give as much points as a Monument victory. There's less actual racing in these stage races than in a one day race.

 

[will10]

Like I said, it's going to be about the time trial. Luckely there is a climb in the time trial, which gives the climbers that can time trial decently still a chance.

I think Wiggins will win, if he can at least hold the form he has right now. The remainder of the top 5 will be interesting, though. I still think Clement will be there.

If Clement survives tomorrow I think he could do a top 5

 

[hrotha]

btw there was a little corner in the last 50m. Sanchez actually held his own line. Meersman wanted to sprint straight ahead in that corner. Sanchez did nothing wrong

I'd say that's highly debatable. I don't think I would have DQ'ed him if I was the commissar, but I wouldn't be surprised if the actual commissars did it.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

And this is why stage races should never give as much points as a Monument victory. There's less actual racing in these stage races than in a one day race.

even the ENECO Tour has more selection than this years TDR

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Rabobank trying to secure a wiggins victory.

Does Sky have Rabo on the payroll?

LOL.....

Rabobank really like to chase down breaks.

I guess everyone here is implying the inevitable rabofail

always nice to collect those

 

[maltiv]

Starting to think that this is the kind of races EBH should go to. Considering guys like Tiralongo are on the podium on the sprint stages, and the final "selection" consists of about 100 riders, more or less every stage of this race would be perfect for him and with little to no competition.

It's like Eneco tour, except that here there's not even 1 semi-hard stage...

 

[Azabael]

And this is why stage races should never give as much points as a Monument victory. There's less actual racing in these stage races than in a one day race.

I agree with that when we talk about the Eneco Tour, for instance. Which is just about delivering a good time trial and coming along with the 'elite' group of about 20 in one or two limburg/ardennes stages. However, stage races like Tirreno do require the maximum of a rider over multiple days and is way more selective, thus deserving those points, in my view.

Take a look at this:
http://www.uci.ch/Modules/BUILTIN/g...bjTypeCode=FILE&type=FILE&id=NDk5MDY&LangId=1

They have the idea right. But in my opinion they just have to swap a few races or even add some categories.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

always nice to collect those

why?? you are such a hypocrite in other forums you are b*tching about rabo but here you always defend them. you saw with your own eyes how the f'd up the sprint and lulu was lucky to come up on top.

 

[Mellow Velo]

even the ENECO Tour has more selection than this years TDR

73 men on the same time. What a joke.
Was a time, not very long ago, that the Saturday
stage would see them tackling multiple climbs and finishing
up 1500 metres over something around the +7% mark.

Instead, we get a watered down replica of a poor TDF run
off a mountain stage.

 

[Azabael]

why?? you are such a hypocrite in other forums you are b*tching about rabo but here you always defend them. you saw with your own eyes how the f'd up the sprint and lulu was lucky to come up on top.

Error detected. Too many assumptions put into two sentences.

 

[Frosty]

With there only having been a few stages, hopefully someone will have lots of fresh team mates and be determined to drop as many tters as possible on the climbs tomorrow to give themselves a chance of finishing higher up. Maybe a couple of teams could join forces. Not saying its going to happen or that its going to work but it would make for more interesting racing.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

TDR 3a tappa @ivanbasso race data. KM 159 3h 58 Wmedi 220 Fcm 144 fcmax 195 KJ 3165

 

[Azabael]

With there only having been a few stages, hopefully someone will have lots of fresh team mates and be determined to drop as many tters as possible on the climbs tomorrow to give themselves a chance of finishing higher up. Maybe a couple of teams could join forces. Not saying its going to happen or that its going to work but it would make for more interesting racing.

Though I'm afraid most players up in the GC have a good TT in their legs. Maybe Kiryienka will try something, thus Movistar. Not because he has an aweful TT, but because he can. Or maybe.. Madrazo?!