Tour de Suisse 9-17/6/2012

[taiwan]

Startlist (cyclingfever.com)

Route Map

Stage 1 Profile

Stage 2 Profile

 

[taiwan]

Stage 3 Profile

Stage 4 Profile

Stage 5 Profile

Stage 6 Profile

 

[taiwan]

Stage 7 Profile

Stage 8 Profile

Stage 9 Profile

 

[taiwan]

Would have written a blurb but just wanted a thread and could hardly be a$$ed to do this much.

I will say, though, that Sagan has stages 3-6 + 9, probably.

Actually not 9.

 

[Havetts]

Great race. Not much contenders, but it'll be fun nonetheless and a lot better parcours than the Dauphine.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

The rocking cat reminds me of CAS.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Chachi. Infinitely better than the Dauphiné.

Not really convinced Verbier is a 'HC' climb, but OK. Maybe if they did the Col du Lein first it would be.

How about Arosa? The only profile I can find is this, so I can't really see the HC given that they're already giving out points at about the 9km mark, so it's HC for about 15km of false flat then some climbing at 6,5%? However the profile on the stage looks to be steeper then flatten out for a bit, so I wonder if there's a different way of doing that last bit, or a steep extension on the end? The climbbybike profile looks far more consistent and unthreatening than the race profile.

 

[taiwan]

Here's a podium: Gesink-Kreuziger-Cunego.

Can Valverde perform here? It's his Tour prep, but he hasn't raced since April.

 

[Wigwan]

Does Cunego ride this year? If so, he might have a chance since the TT seems quite hilly.

Otherwise who are the favorites? Valverde? Is Bottle there to wheel suck is way up the mountains?

 

[cineteq]

Here's a podium: Gesink-Kreuziger-Cunego.

Can Valverde perform here? It's his Tour prep, but he hasn't raced since April.

Looking forward to a strong performance from Valverde. He should go hard here, in case he doesn't win the Tour.

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Chachi. Infinitely better than the Dauphiné.

Not really convinced Verbier is a 'HC' climb, but OK. Maybe if they did the Col du Lein first it would be.

How about Arosa? The only profile I can find is this, so I can't really see the HC given that they're already giving out points at about the 9km mark, so it's HC for about 15km of false flat then some climbing at 6,5%? However the profile on the stage looks to be steeper then flatten out for a bit, so I wonder if there's a different way of doing that last bit, or a steep extension on the end? The climbbybike profile looks far more consistent and unthreatening than the race profile.

Arosa has been used at least once before - 2005, Horner won

Agreed, the final climb is not really HC

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Robert Gesink will win.

 

[plooton]

Great race. Not much contenders, but it'll be fun nonetheless and a lot better parcours than the Dauphine.

I'd say a great deal of GCs:

LEIPHEIMER Levi; VELITS Peter; KOLOBNEV Alexandr; SPILAK Simon; GUSEV Vladimir; OSS Daniel; LÖFKVIST Thomas; KREUZIGER Roman; KESSIAKOFF Fredrik; KISERLOVSKI Robert; DANIELSON Tom; DEKKER Thomas; ALBASINI Michael; CUNEGO Damiano; FRANK Mathias; KOHLER Martin; TSCHOPP Johann; CANCELLARA Fabian; FUGLSANG Jakob; KLÖDEN Andreas; MONFORT Maxime; SCHLECK Frank; HOOGERLAND Johnny; LAGUTIN Sergey; ANTON HERNANDEZ Igor; ASTARLOZA CHAURREAU Mikel; IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI Gorka; NIEVE ITURALDE Mikel; PEREZ MORENO Ruben; VALVERDE BELMONTE Alejandro; GUTIERREZ PALACIOS José Ivan;HERRADA LOPEZ Jesús; KARPETS Vladimir; BRUSEGHIN Marzio; ROJAS GIL Jose Joaquin; GESINK Robert; BRESCHEL Matti; KRUIJSWIJK Steven; MOLLEMA Bauke; GADRET John; MINARD Sébastien; ROCHE Nicholas; PINEAU Cedric; ROY Jérémy; NUYENS Nick; GUSTOV Volodymir; SØRENSEN Chris Anker; EFIMKIN Alexander

 

[Kazistuta]

Half of the above mentioned names are not close to being GC contenders for a race like this - fx are Breschel, Oss, Rojas & Kolobnev great riders, but nowhere near capable to get a overall top30 finish in TDS.

What names like Minard, Pineau, Kohler, Lagutin, Perez & Gustov is doing on your list beats me......

The GC should be decided between the likes of Gesink, Kreuziger, Cunego, Poels & Valverde.

Big question marks are Leipheimer, Nordhaug, Kessiakoff & Mollema.

Really looking forward to this race, should bode for some great racing!

 

[taiwan]

...Just noticed that Nieve's riding as well as Anton. Should be good for a stage win or a good overall placing after the Giro.

 

[theyoungest]

Half of the above mentioned names are not close to being GC contenders for a race like this - fx are Breschel, Oss, Rojas & Kolobnev great riders, but nowhere near capable to get a overall top30 finish in TDS.

What names like Minard, Pineau, Kohler, Lagutin, Perez & Gustov is doing on your list beats me......

The GC should be decided between the likes of Gesink, Kreuziger, Cunego, Poels & Valverde.

Big question marks are Leipheimer, Nordhaug, Kessiakoff & Mollema.

Really looking forward to this race, should bode for some great racing!

Fränk Schleck, as a former winner, deserves a mention. So does your countryman Fuglsang, if there's no total mayhem on the climbs.

I think Kreuziger can win this, with a big bonus of form from the Giro. I don't know about Gesink, he is currently still on altitude training so I doubt he'll be good in the first few stages (and the one to Verbier is pretty important).

 

[taiwan]

Arosa has been used at least once before - 2005, Horner won

Agreed, the final climb is not really HC

Horner followed a move made by a neo-pro on Fassa Bartolo: Vincenzo Nibali. After debating the division of labour in the escape ("I said many things" - Horner), CH attacked him FTW.

 

[dlwssonic]

hmm
Hope frank schleck can do well again.

 

[el_angliru]

How about Arosa? The only profile I can find is this, so I can't really see the HC given that they're already giving out points at about the 9km mark, so it's HC for about 15km of false flat then some climbing at 6,5%? However the profile on the stage looks to be steeper then flatten out for a bit, so I wonder if there's a different way of doing that last bit, or a steep extension on the end? The climbbybike profile looks far more consistent and unthreatening than the race profile.

The clibbybike profile is deceptive because the last 4½ km are treated as one section. In reality, those 4½ kms are 1½ km almost flat, and 3 kms at 10 %. The profile of the last part of this year's stage 8 looks like this (very approximately, but still pretty accurate according to the altitudes in the time schedule):

 

[Eshnar]

Stage 2 Profile

Y NO Col Du Lein before Verber?
Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

 

[Bubban]

Chachi. Infinitely better than the Dauphiné.

Not really convinced Verbier is a 'HC' climb, but OK. Maybe if they did the Col du Lein first it would be.

How about Arosa? The only profile I can find is this, so I can't really see the HC given that they're already giving out points at about the 9km mark, so it's HC for about 15km of false flat then some climbing at 6,5%? However the profile on the stage looks to be steeper then flatten out for a bit, so I wonder if there's a different way of doing that last bit, or a steep extension on the end? The climbbybike profile looks far more consistent and unthreatening than the race profile.

http://www.cyclingcols.com/profiles/Arosa.gif

 

[roundabout]

Does Cunego ever take a break? It will be past 60 days of racing after TdS.

 

[Ferminal]

Y NO Col Du Lein before Verber?
Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Wouldn't want to make the race harder than that one in July!

The final stage would have been nicer if the finishing loop were reversed. 13km @ 8.5% then 8km downhill to the finish.

 

[Eshnar]

Wouldn't want to make the race harder than that one in July!

So sad...

 

[will10]

Gesink is the favourite for GC IMO. Sagan will mop up at least 2, more like 4 stage wins.

Is Anton actually starting? Recovered from his collarbone bust?