Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel 2014 (2.1), Feb 13 - 16

[Dazed and Confused]

Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel 2014 (2.1), Feb 13 - 16

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3a

Stage 3b (TT)

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Stage 4

Startlist: http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html?detp=view&_ap=startlijst&editie_idd=MjUyNzE=

Including guys like: Chavanel, Rolland, Peraud, Betancur, The Nose, Jungels, Zoidl, Phinney, Degenkolb, Pellizotti, Pirazzi, Lulu.

Official website: http://www.letourmed.fr/

A nice piece of marketing material about the race: http://www.letourmed.fr/plans-bd_1.pdf

Some interesting past winners:

2013 LÖFKVIST Thomas
2012 TIERNAN-LOCKE Jonathan
2011 MONCOUTIE David
2010 NOCENTINI Rinaldo
2009 SANCHEZ GIL Luis Leon
2008 BOTCHAROV Alexandre
2007 GUTIERREZ PALACIOS José Ivan
2006 DESSEL Cyril
2005 VOIGT Jens
2004 JAKSCHE Jörg

Pictures from last year:

Now if we can just get French television to broadcast this live, it would be perfect.

2 minute race promo video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZeY-jsmpZ20

 

[Wallenquist]

It's perfect for LL Sanchez.

 

[Flamin]

Duarte to resurrect on Mont Faron. You heard it here first.

 

[jens_attacks]

i have to go with ludvigsson, mr. 500 watts
rebellin should be better here and strike big time in ruta del sol

 

[Christian]

I will go watch stages 3a and 3b and hopefully take some pictures that I can post later. I am quite looking forward to it, they go up the climb to Les Baux de Provence both in the morning stage and in the TT. These are quite steep and winding roads, and also the descend is very tricky, on a very narrow road. I think it is safe to call this a "mini" mountain ITT, certainly no one will be using a TT bike. They even start on a hill.

Should be fun!

 

[manafana]

I will go watch stages 3a and 3b and hopefully take some pictures that I can post later. I am quite looking forward to it, they go up the climb to Les Baux de Provence both in the morning stage and in the TT. These are quite steep and winding roads, and also the descend is very tricky, on a very narrow road. I think it is safe to call this a "mini" mountain ITT, certainly no one will be using a TT bike. They even start on a hill.

Should be fun!

looking forward to the pics, a sign European racing is back when they hit the med

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Lofkvist will not start.
Too bad, always likes to see a defense.

But I see this man lined up:

Too early after the collarbone break? Last stage action maybe.

 

[Pentacycle]

This is your future TourMed winner:

 

[janraaskalt]

This is your future TourMed winner

What year?

 

[Pentacycle]

What year?

No idea. This year's TT suits him though, and he was in decent shape in l'Étoile.

 

[postmanhat]

Team Raleigh have just unveiled their utterly spanky, classic 'new' kit, ahead of their participation in this race

Has apparently been going down well with the locals in their South of France training camp

Have further cemented their ties with the city of Derby, as the local mascot ( a Ram), will now appear on their team cars and jerseys. John Vicars of Derby County Football has recently been announced as a patron, to go with the previous appointment of Bernard Hinault.

Great for British cycling to see such ambition. Would be wonderful if they didn't finish last in this race

 

[jens_attacks]

well older people seem to remember it from the 70s . don't see any youngster in the audience

ti raleigh, a team htc colombia of its times...

 

[Lupetto]

well older people seem to remember it from the 70s . don't see any youngster in the audience

ti raleigh, a team htc colombia of its times...

HTC never won Le Tour.

 

[jens_attacks]

only because hinault's knees were abused with too much stuff

c'mon raleigh and htc were alike. plus htc managed to get 3rd in vuelta with peter velits

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Stage starts at 10:45 today and is scheduled to finish 16:17 - 17:21 (CET).

Directvelo provides the timely updates: http://direct.directvelo.com/live-course/1861/tour-mediterraneen-etape-1-.html

The Raleigh guys will need to hang onto the peloton today, at least until late on the stage otherwise one could go OTL.

(Nice kit, well made btw)

I see the Norwegians getting more metal at the end today.

 

[Christian]

Échappée consisting of


Juan Pablo Valencia (Colombia), Vegard Stake Laengen (Bretagne-Séché Environnement), Pierre Gouault (BigMat-Auber 93), Fernando Grijalba (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) and Julien Bérard (AG2R La Mondiale)

has 8'45 min advantage over the Giant-BMC-Trek led peloton

 

[Sykhrzon]

I'd go for Peraud. He was so close last year, beaten by less than a minute. And he won the mountain stage.

 

[Sykhrzon]

How steep is the last two hills? Should be fitting for the attackers. Lulu anyone?

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

How steep is the last two hills? Should be fitting for the attackers. Lulu anyone?

if you'd bother to check the heights and distances you'd know those aren't even climbs :facepalm:

 

[Dazed and Confused]

How steep is the last two hills? Should be fitting for the attackers. Lulu anyone?

My guess is 4%, enough for an attack, but the race gotta be hard along the way to make such a move work. Right now its a low pace training ride. Soft break going after a few kms etc.

God of Thunder for me.

 

[Sykhrzon]

if you'd bother to check the heights and distances you'd know those aren't even climbs :facepalm:

small ramps can do more damage than you think.. at least for the sprinters

 

[Sykhrzon]

My guess is 4%, enough for an attack, but the race gotta be hard along the way to make such a move work. Right now its a low pace training ride. Soft break going after a few kms etc.

God of Thunder for me.

That is a good bet. Maybe Chavanel will test his legs today.

 

[Roude Leiw]

Hutarovitch, Hushovd, Napolitano, Degenkolb, Siskevicius (spelling?) seem better bets than Chavanel if they soft-pedal until the last "hills".

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

small ramps can do more damage than you think.. at least for the sprinters

it;'s like 3 km at 3%. how is that going to hurt sprinters