Tour Mediterranen

[Nicosix]

Tomorrow starts the Tour Mediterraneen, a stage race in Provence which ends on Sunday with the Mont Faron, Moncoutié's favorite climb.

Provisional startlist :
Tour Méditerranéen

Stage profiles :
First stage
2nd Stage
3rd stage
4th stage

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Moncoutie is probably the favorite for this one I guess. However, FDJ could take it all with Hutarovich arguably being the strongest sprinter there and Pinot could take the overall.

 

[jens_attacks]

garzelli is coming from an altitude training in spain.garza FTW!

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Poels ftw

Mont Faron is pretty steep, and we all saw what Poels does with steep gradients in last Vuelta.

 

[theyoungest]

Poels ftw

Mont Faron is pretty steep, and we all saw what Poels does with steep gradients in last Vuelta.

You could also just look up the results of last year's Tour Mediterraneen...

Toms Skujins will crush them all.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Poels has improved since last year's Tour de Med though, he won't lose to Moncoutie on Mont Faron now.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Wow, I actually didn't realise that Faron is that steep. In that case I think Poels is way too good now for Moncoutie to follow him (if Poels goes for it, that is). Martin is definitely another one who could win.

 

[theyoungest]

Poels has improved since last year's Tour de Med though, he won't lose to Moncoutie on Mont Faron now.

Don't underestimate Moncoutie. He's very talented, just doesn't bother very often. But he's married to Mont Faron.

And he still crushed Poels in the Tour de l'Ain in August, BTW.

 

[ferryman]

I see Dan Martin is listed for Garmin. Maybe just early season training but if not surely will be in with a shout.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Wasn't Poels using tour l'ain as a prep race for the Vuelta though?

Well, especially early in the season against a highly motivated Moncoutie, and against a Martin, Poels victory might not be as sure as I thought, but it still seems, seeing how his explosiveness almost rivaled Rodriguez' in the Vuelta and he got second only to Cobo on Angliru, like Poels is the biggest favourite.

Anyways, whoever wins on Mont Faron and the GC, it won't be an easy victory, in a field with Poels, Martin, Moncoutie, Rolland, Pinot....

 

[theyoungest]

I think Poels had great form in l'Ain, it was basically his Tour form. And he wore the leader's jersey. Moncoutie just beat him fair and square (as did Pinot, BTW).

 

[greenedge]

Moncoutie, Martin, Poels and Rolland are the favourites for me. Poels looks able to contend, Moncoutie loves the climb, Rolland had good form at Etoile on the climbs and Dan Martin went well last year to suggest he could do well here. Pinot looked to be in bad form ( or something that caused him to quit ) at Etoile so that is why i am not considering him.

Moncoutie also was probably using l'Ain to prepare for the Vuelta where he got his KOM goal and a stage win. In that sense his Vuelta could be considered better than Poels' ( though Poels' was more of a breakthrough )

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

I think fair to say poels has more room for improvement then moncoutie tho

anyway poels doesn't mention tour of med on the website

http://www.woutpoels.nl/

Volta ao Algarve is first on his calender.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

The site of Vacansoleil lists him in their Tour de Med lineup

http://www.vacansoleildcm.com/wedstrijd/?id=2970

 

[Duartista]

Agree with all the favourites mentioned. Possible outsiders could be Quintana and Bardet. Bardet did well in Marseille, no idea about Quintana's form though. It will also be interesting to see how Valls goes.

Masciarelli could do well if he has any form too.

Pinot looked to be in bad form ( or something that caused him to quit ) at Etoile so that is why i am not considering him.

Apparently it was planned that he would withdraw early. The stage before he pulled out he was doing loads of work for FDJ.

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

Masciarelli could do well if he has any form too.

If you're about Francesco, he was replaced (along with Ponzi):

Formation ASTANA pour le Tour Mediterranéen (9 au 13 Fevrier)

Egor SILIN
Valentin IGLINSKI
Maxim IGLINSKI
Francesco GAVAZZI
Jacopo GUARNIERI
Borut BOZIC
Serguey RENEV
Assan BAZAYEV

 

[will10]

Silin to win on Mont Faron, you heard it here first.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

So anywhere to follow this? a ticker?

 

[Ruudz0r]

So anywhere to follow this? a ticker?

Probably via directvelo but it start tomorrow not today.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Thanks

I must be tripping though or something, I thought it started 8th of February all this time

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Pinot is going to win. You heard it here first

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Listing the best climbers in the field (Martin, Poels, etc etc) doesn't really help too much at this time of the year. It's a complete lottery which of them will turn up with any kind of form.

A lot of the French riders will have a handful of race days under their belts, not that the consistently abbreviated Etoile will have been all that useful to them.

 

[will10]

Pinot is going to win. You heard it here first

Nope, post #2

 

[The Hitch]

Looking at Mont Faron i think Dan Martin could do well there.

Funnily enough I remember last year the day before Mont Faron JV was on here and I asked him if Martin would be in the TDF squad and he said he didnt know but he hoped Martin would win on Mont Farron that day.

 

[theyoungest]

Funnily enough I remember last year the day before Mont Faron JV was on here and I asked him if Martin would be in the TDF squad and he said he didnt know but he hoped Martin would win on Mont Farron that day.

I remember Dan was pretty strong the day before. He's a bit inconsistent like that, certainly in the first half of the season.