Tour of Beijing start list...

[SetonHallPirate]

http://live.matsport.fr/

Somebody better change the flag for rider 194 before somebody on either side of the Demilitarized Zone gets some ideas...

 

[the asian]

Dan Martin FTW.

 

[happytramp]

Is it possible this might not be rubbish this year? Martin/Porte battle could be interesting.

 

[TeoSheva]

The world champion FTW

 

[fraserhughes]

Dan Martin FTW.

+1 his form is obviously good at the moment.

Sagan should be there - he could win 4 stages, as it is Michael Matthews to win at least 2...

 

[fraserhughes]

The world champion FTW

Think the MTF might be too hard for him to stay in contention. I could see him deliberately losing some time then going for a stage win - Movistar will certainly want him visible in the WC jersey before he sods off to Lampre!

 

[TeoSheva]

Think the MTF might be too hard for him to stay in contention. I could see him deliberately losing some time then going for a stage win - Movistar will certainly want him visible in the WC jersey before he sods off to Lampre!

I do not have any detailed profile of the MTF but it seems to be a climb of 12km at 5.6% average.. it definitely not too hard for Rui Costa. And even if it's hard, he can stay with the best climber attending the race (no JRO, no Nibali, no Valverde... )

 

[search]

The world champion FTW

yeh, three in a row

 

[fraserhughes]

I do not have any detailed profile of the MTF but it seems to be a climb of 12km at 5.6% average.. it definitely not too hard for Rui Costa. And even if it's hard, he can stay with the best climber attending the race (no JRO, no Nibali, no Valverde... )

Only profile I could find is for the whole stage:

I still think Dan Martin and Porte will be able to outclimb Costa over that sort of distance but we shall see ... happy to be proved wrong

yeh, three in a row

I see what you did there but there's no TT...

 

[search]

there was no tt last year as well

but the climb on stage 4 will propably be too hard for Tony this year, that's true

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Is it possible this might not be rubbish this year? Martin/Porte battle could be interesting.

Its doubtful Porte will be a factor considering how he has performed since TdF.

Riblon or Gesink FTW.

 

[theyoungest]

It's outside of Europe, and they predict sunny weather.

So Bobby G FTW.