Tour de Romandie

[Zoncolan]

Cunego out!

Damiano Cunego pulls out of Tour de Romandie in order to be 100% for the Giro!
Rabon from Casar and Valverde

 

[Zoncolan]

Prologue results

1 RABON Frantisek TEAM COLUMBIA - HIGH ROAD +03'44"
2 CASAR Sandy FRANÇAISE DES JEUX +02"
3 VALVERDE Alejandro CAISSE D'EPARGNE +03"
4 FARRAR Tyler GARMIN SLIPSTREAM +04"
5 KREUZIGER Roman LIQUIGAS +04"
6 IGLINSKIY Maxim ASTANA +04"
7 VEIKKANEN Jussi FRANÇAISE DES JEUX +04"
8 COPPEL Jerome FRANÇAISE DES JEUX +05"
9 QUINZIATO Maneuol LIQUIGAS +05"
10 FREIRE GOMEZ Oscar RABOBANK +05"

I guess Valverde looks good for the overall now

 

[ingsve]

This swede,Kessiakoff,had a fine Tour de Langkawi in Malaysia,placing 4th overall,and also 4th in the queen stage,which finished atop the famous Genting Highlands climb. Surely,didn't have the strongest opponents in the world,but it's a fine result.
Recently,was 15th in the Tour of the Basque Country,with a top 10 placing on the Santuario de Arrate stage,won by Contador.

I too am interested in what Kessiakoff can do and I'm sure he'll get a plce in the Giro. The problem for him in Romandie is that Fuji-Servetto will lose alot of time in the TTT and on the other stages ther will probably be groups coming in together. So even if he stays near the front on all climbs he'll end behind most of them in the GC.

17th place was good in such a short prologue though for a skinny guy like Kessiakoff...

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

That was a little surprising. Here's the profile for Stage 1:

 

[ingsve]

Apparently stage 1 has been cut in half due to snow in the mountains so they will start the stage after the cat 1 mountain...

 

[Zoncolan]

http://www.sportitalia.com/SIlivefeed.aspx

Gregory Rast (Astana), Lars Ytting Bak (Saxo Bank) and Ricardo Serrano (Fuji-Servetto) have 2'20" on the peloton with 22k to go

 

[Zoncolan]

Kreuziger attacks like an animal with 22k to go!
Nothing came of it.

Rabo and Euskaltel are working hard to bring the escapees back

 

[Zoncolan]

50" with 7k to go. Looks like they'll make it

 

[Mellow Velo]

For some reason, the net feed is delayed. Race finished 15 minutes ago.
Break stays.
Odd bit of riding from Columbia, I thought.

 

[Zoncolan]

For some reason, the net feed is delayed. Race finished 15 minutes ago.
Break stays.
Odd bit of riding from Columbia, I thought.

No idea.
Columbia? I'd thought they would try to bring it back.
Bak was really strong though. Deserved to win, shame Serrano beat him to it.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Bummer they had to cut the Jaunpass, but 87km seemed good enough to create a good race anyway. It's my feeling that we need shorter stages overall in GT's anyway.

The next few stages are relatively flat. Here's the profile for 2:

 

[Zoncolan]

Bummer they had to cut the Jaunpass, but 87km seemed good enough to create a good race anyway. It's my feeling that we need shorter stages overall in GT's anyway.

The next few stages are relatively flat. Here's the profile for 2:

It was a shame. Think Cav will win stage 2? I doubt they'll allow a break to stay away in next stage.

 

[Zoncolan]

live feed

http://www.sportitalia.com/SIlivefeed.aspx

 

[Animal]

Where's the "Couldn't give a stuff because he'll probably be doped" answer.

Time was when I'd be enthusiastic about stage races. They're freakshows.

 

[Zoncolan]

Where's the "Couldn't give a stuff because he'll probably be doped" answer.

Time was when I'd be enthusiastic about stage races. They're freakshows.

So? Are we to stop watching because of it?

 

[Animal]

Feel free.

Just don't then feel disappointed when the smarmy little juan-coeur that "wins" is outed.

 

[Zoncolan]

Feel free.

Just don't then feel disappointed when the smarmy little juan-coeur that "wins" is outed.

Don't worry, I'm under no illusions.
I only get dissapointed when someone proves to be extremely stupid and gets caught for something like CERA.

Back to the race: peloton really blew apart on the Cat1 climb.
Guess who got dropped first? A certain sprinter from down under

 

[Zoncolan]

Whoever said Cadel doesn't attack?
Good move by Lotto, shame they couldn't stay away.
Great sprint by Freire! Not that there were many sprinters there.
Valverde leading him out?! What was that about?

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Cool finish. Are you all watching on Steepthill.tv?

Here's the profile to Stage 3 - another for the sprinters:

 

[Zoncolan]

Ttt

Cool finish. Are you guys all watching on Sporthill.tv?

Here's the profile to Stage 3 - another for the sprinters :

Sportitalia.
It's a TTT, not a road stage

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Good call.

At least a certain Australian sprinter should be able to keep up this time!

 

[Zoncolan]

Rabon back in yellow, Rast dropped by teammates

Like we all figured, Columbia's TT class showed.
I somehow see Valverde taking the next stage and the overall though

 

[Mellow Velo]

If it had been a normal stage, none of the sprinters would have made the finish.
A lot, lot harder parcours than the look on paper. Most teams struggled to get 5 riders to the finish.

FDJ only got three over the top and had to wait.

Rast, unsurprisingly, got pasted.

 

[Zoncolan]

If it had been a normal stage, none of the sprinters would have made the finish.
A lot, lot harder parcours than the look on paper. Most teams struggled to get 5 riders to the finish.

FDJ only got three over the top and had to wait.

Rast, unsurprisingly, got pasted.

Spot on! It did look much flatter on paper. I guess much of the riders and DS's thought the same way