Tour of Beijing - 5th October to 9th October

[Tank Engine]

Lars Boom a clown! Like it. Actually watching Froome catching Bookwater for a minute made it worth while to watch.. Enjoyed that.

Tony Martin is the quarry now and we will find out what he's made of.

On this parcours, if Tony is the quarry then it will be like a bunch of domestic cats stalking an elephant. Watch out Tony, if there are sprint bonuses you might get a light scratch on the back of your leg.

Shame about Samu. The Sky guys did well .

 

[Arnout]

The whole of Euskaltel got diarrhea Especially Samu was in bad shape it seems, he had to vomit too.

 

[Anonymous]

On this parcours, if Tony is the quarry then it will be like a bunch of domestic cats stalking an elephant. Watch out Tony, if there are sprint bonuses you might get a light scratch on the back of your leg.

there arent any sprint bonus's, and therein lies the problem.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Martin went by Samu so fast, he almost blew him off his bike.
Seeing the last post, maybe it wasn't so pleasant, downwind....

 

[boomcie]

Love this race.

Insert classic use of the word not.

 

[Rechtschreibfehler]

Stage 3 will be pretty good I think. Many teams want points and they have no reason not to attack. I think the orange army will go nuts. Tony Martin has been dropped on easier parcours...

And he also hasn't been dropped on much harder parcours.

I have to say that I love that they didn't use the stupid TT-bikes.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

The only hope for some entertainment out of this race is for some of the good climbers to go nuts on stage 3, and attack more wildly than the parcours really merits.

Ag2r look like a reasonable bet to do that, with Peraud in 9th and Roche in 14th. Roche being just six seconds behind Peraud is a good TT performance by his standards and presumably indicates that he has some form and/or is under pressure to do something. Riblon isn't much further back either. Ag2r need the points, have sent something approximating their strongest team, and don't seem to have got Euskaltel's dose of illness. I don't think there's any chance of them dropping Martin on this dismal parcours, but they'll probably give it a go.

Froome might also have a pop. He's only 26 seconds behind Martin and, on Vuelta form, is a vastly better climber.

 

[Bavarianrider]

And he also hasn't been dropped on much harder parcours.

Actually he hasn't been dropped on climbs like this in a long long time.
Furthermore Tony is in the shape of his life.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Actually he hasn't been dropped on climbs like this in a long long time.
Furthermore Tony is in the shape of his life.

Shape of his life or not, if there were serious climbs, a whole bunch of guys at this race would drop him like a stone. But there aren't serious climbs, so the race is probably already over.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Shape of his life or not, if there were serious climbs, a whole bunch of guys at this race would drop him like a stone. But there aren't serious climbs, so the race is probably already over.

Well if there was a HC climb in Paris-Roubaix Contdor could win it. But there isn't.
The road is the same for everyone. The strongest man wins, as easy as that.
It's funny how this board tries to discredit Tonys victory before he has even won it.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

It's funny how this board tries to discredit Tonys victory before he has even won it.

I'm not trying to discredit his win. This is a race which, if it goes according to the parcours, consists of a TT and some irrelevant bonus parade days. The TT is over and the best TTer won it. Therefore the race is likely over and Martin deserves the win.

I think it's a complete waste of everyone's time to have so many races which consist of a TT and some irrelevant sprint stages, mind you, but Martin didn't design the parcours or foist it on the World Tour.

 

[jens_attacks]

what a lame race.
i watched the short replay though and saw that froome changed his black sunglasses

wtf?why??

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Martin wins the stage and the GC, in biggest shock since Pope Benedict declared his Catholicism.

Martin won Paris-Nice. It was the worst Paris-Nice course in years, but it was still tougher than this. Martin can do medium mountains pretty well, unless there's about a thousand of them like in País Vasco, and Martin is in form. The climbs aren't really long enough to drop him by setting a tough tempo, nor are they steep enough to drop him with an explosive attack.

Great Britain can fill the GC thanks to their being good at shortish ITTs, and not being sick. Chris Froome is absolutely hilarious and will win Paris-Roubaix next year.

 

[Anonymous]

I'm not trying to discredit his win. This is a race which, if it goes according to the parcours, consists of a TT and some irrelevant bonus parade days. The TT is over and the best TTer won it. Therefore the race is likely over and Martin deserves the win.

Whats more ridiculous is:

Tour of Beijing winner - 100pts
Dauphine winner - 100pts
Paris Nice winner - 100pts
Tirreno ADriatico winner - 100pts
Tour de France 3rd place - 120pts
Giro d'Italia 3rd overall - 100pts
Vuelta Espana - 3rd overall - 100pts
Paris Roubaix, Flanders, Milan San Remo, LBL, Lombardia - 100pts

So Beijing as prestigious as Roubaix, Flanders and winning the Dauphine, actually, effectively the Tour of Beijing Time Trial is worth 100pts

 

[DirtyWorks]

Whats more ridiculous is:

Tour of Beijing winner - 100pts
Dauphine winner - 100pts
Paris Nice winner - 100pts
Tirreno ADriatico winner - 100pts
Tour de France 3rd place - 120pts
Giro d'Italia 3rd overall - 100pts
Vuelta Espana - 3rd overall - 100pts
Paris Roubaix, Flanders, Milan San Remo, LBL, Lombardia - 100pts

So Beijing as prestigious as Roubaix, Flanders and winning the Dauphine, actually, effectively the Tour of Beijing Time Trial is worth 100pts

Check the clinic thread about Pat Mcquaid. He threatened the Team sponsors with economic harm in the fertile Chinese market and revoking Team licenses if they did not show up to race in China. Pat and Alain would have you believe GCP is just another race organizer.

Anyone see the doping control personnel? Usually they are in the scrum with the press at the finish. As fundamentally flawed as the UCI is, I can't bring myself to watch this event. It is far worse than the Olympics.

 

[sublimit]

Martin wins the stage and the GC, in biggest shock since Pope Benedict declared his Catholicism.

Martin won Paris-Nice. It was the worst Paris-Nice course in years, but it was still tougher than this. Martin can do medium mountains pretty well, unless there's about a thousand of them like in País Vasco, and Martin is in form. The climbs aren't really long enough to drop him by setting a tough tempo, nor are they steep enough to drop him with an explosive attack.

Great Britain can fill the GC thanks to their being good at shortish ITTs, and not being sick. Chris Froome is absolutely hilarious and will win Paris-Roubaix next year.

Froome has improved but he was sick last year, like parasites or worms eating his blood cells or something. He's always been classy but yes it is surprising with the improvement but Cobo winning the Vuellta was more surprising in my eyes.
Who wants predictable racing anyway? Some of the Belgians possibly but its great to see some up and coming riders breaking things up.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Froome has improved but he was sick last year, like parasites or worms eating his blood cells or something. He's always been classy but yes it is surprising with the improvement but Cobo winning the Vuellta was more surprising in my eyes.
Who wants predictable racing anyway? Some of the Belgians possibly but its great to see some up and coming riders breaking things up.

He's not "always been classy". He's always had some potential but not delivered on any of it, for whatever reason. If you wanted to point back to results of his that showed GT promise before September you were looking back to a 31st in a Tour stage in 2008. And now he can suddenly out-TT Wiggins and Cancellara over 50k, outclimb everybody but a guy who has shown equally suspicious sudden improvement (and of course Cobo only won the Vuelta on time bonuses, Froome completed the course fastest) and pace a péloton at high speed, never letting any escape gain time for 100km.

Weirdly, his TT results have always been better the longer the TT gets, however.

I'm just expecting cobbles to be the next thing to add to the list of "things Chris Froome was mediocre at until September 2011".

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

He's always been classy but yes it is surprising with the improvement but Cobo winning the Vuellta was more surprising in my eyes.

Cobo has been competitive on mountain stages before. Froome had never finished in the top 30 of a GT mountain stage in his life. Both were enormous surprises, but Froome was by any measure the bigger one.

I like to see new riders mixing things up a bit too. But I like to see them show some evidence of talent in the years they spent on the circuit before suddenly smashing the big boys. Otherwise I get a bit twitchy.

 

[bicing]

http://www.oddschecker.com/other-sports/cycling/tour-of-beijing/winner

If it's a sure thing then we might as well start printing money with the bookmakers.

Tony Martin 8/13

If you put 100 bucks you profit 61! Who's with me?!

 

[Bavarianrider]

http://www.oddschecker.com/other-sports/cycling/tour-of-beijing/winner

If it's a sure thing then we might as well start printing money with the bookmakers.

Tony Martin 8/13

If you put 100 bucks you profit 61! Who's with me?!

Thanks!
Just made the bet

 

[Bavarianrider]

Whats more ridiculous is:

Tour of Beijing winner - 100pts
Dauphine winner - 100pts
Paris Nice winner - 100pts
Tirreno ADriatico winner - 100pts
Tour de France 3rd place - 120pts
Giro d'Italia 3rd overall - 100pts
Vuelta Espana - 3rd overall - 100pts
Paris Roubaix, Flanders, Milan San Remo, LBL, Lombardia - 100pts

So Beijing as prestigious as Roubaix, Flanders and winning the Dauphine, actually, effectively the Tour of Beijing Time Trial is worth 100pts

Nice, this emans Tony will end up well in the world rankings

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Whats more ridiculous is:

Tour of Beijing winner - 100pts
Dauphine winner - 100pts
Paris Nice winner - 100pts
Tirreno ADriatico winner - 100pts
Tour de France 3rd place - 120pts
Giro d'Italia 3rd overall - 100pts
Vuelta Espana - 3rd overall - 100pts
Paris Roubaix, Flanders, Milan San Remo, LBL, Lombardia - 100pts

So Beijing as prestigious as Roubaix, Flanders and winning the Dauphine, actually, effectively the Tour of Beijing Time Trial is worth 100pts

Stop complaining and start the campaign for post cut off results (i.e. this and the Vuelta) to be included in the following year's UCI rankings for world championship purposes.

 

[jens_attacks]

http://www.oddschecker.com/other-sports/cycling/tour-of-beijing/winner

If it's a sure thing then we might as well start printing money with the bookmakers.

Tony Martin 8/13

If you put 100 bucks you profit 61! Who's with me?!

gotta remember you that froome is in this race and he said "this race isn't over" with the alien scary voice.
he can make something special to pisz off his biggest fan,libertine

 

[maltiv]

He's not "always been classy". He's always had some potential but not delivered on any of it, for whatever reason. If you wanted to point back to results of his that showed GT promise before September you were looking back to a 31st in a Tour stage in 2008. And now he can suddenly out-TT Wiggins and Cancellara over 50k, outclimb everybody but a guy who has shown equally suspicious sudden improvement (and of course Cobo only won the Vuelta on time bonuses, Froome completed the course fastest) and pace a péloton at high speed, never letting any escape gain time for 100km.

Weirdly, his TT results have always been better the longer the TT gets, however.

I'm just expecting cobbles to be the next thing to add to the list of "things Chris Froome was mediocre at until September 2011".

He was 11th (4 seconds from top 5) in the 7,1 km Tour de Suisse prologue this year. Given that he does better the longer an ITT is I don't find this result particularly surprising. Also, the competition is probably higher in TdS. So I think you're quite off on this one, although I agree with everything else.

 

[maltiv]

The climbs are no more difficult than black mountain in ToB and Martin flew up there. biggest climb is 10km @5% perfect for Tony Martin one would think in form hes been in

In TDF stage 16, Hushovd and EBH took 20 seconds on Tony Martin on 8,5 km at 4,9%. If they can take 20 seconds then I'm sure there has to be someone in this race who can take more and put some pressure on him.