Tour of California 2012

[Bavarianrider]

Gaps were quiet big on MT. Baldy last year

1 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack 3:33:01
2 Christopher Horner (USA) Team RadioShack
3 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:00:43
4 Thomas Danielson (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:01:01
5 Steve Morabito (Swi) BMC Racing Team 0:01:21
6 Alexander Efimkin (Rus) Team Type 1 - Sanofi Aventis
7 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) HTC-Highroad 0:01:29
8 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:01:39
9 Andy Schleck (Lux) Leopard Trek
10 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo
11 Rafal Majka (Pol) Saxo Bank Sungard 0:02:09
12 Francesco Bellotti (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:02:29
13 Rory Sutherland (Aus) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling 0:02:34
14 Charles Wegelius (GBr) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
15 Daniel Martin (Irl) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:02:49
16 Matthew Busche (USA) Team RadioShack 0:02:56
17 Christian Meier (Can) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling 0:03:10
18 Brian Vandborg (Den) Saxo Bank Sungard
19 Paul Martens (Ger) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:03:15
20 Danny Pate (USA) HTC-Highroad
21 Luis Romero Amaran (Cub) Jamis - Sutter Home 0:03:19
22 Tom Zirbel (USA) Jamis - Sutter Home 0:03:23
23 Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Team Garmin-Cervelo 0:03:49
24 Linus Gerdemann (Ger) Leopard Trek 0:03:56
25 Peter Velits (Svk) HTC-Highroad 0:04:08
26 Rob Britton (Can) Bissell Cycling 0:04:30
27 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:04:34
28 Bartosz Huzarski (Pol) Team NetApp 0:04:48
29 Christopher Baldwin (USA) Bissell Cycling 0:05:19
30 Grischa Niermann (Ger) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:05:37
31 Amaël Moinard (Fra) BMC Racing Team 0:06:25
32 Andrew Talansky (USA) Team Garmin-Cervelo
33 George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team
34 Ian Stannard (GBr) Sky Procycling
35 Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Leopard Trek 0:06:33
36 Phillip Gaimon (USA) Kenda/5-hour Energy Pro Cycling presented by Geargrinder 0:07:39
37 Paul Mach (USA) Bissell Cycling 0:07:52
38 Christopher Jones (USA) UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling 0:08:48
39 Dmitriy Muravyev (Kaz) Team RadioShack
40 Timothy Duggan (USA) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:09:56

 

[Caruut]

GC contenders

Leipheimer, Horner
Busche, Velits, van Garderen, Talynsky,
Danielson
Zabriskie
Whom did i miss out?

Fixed. Only the Americans care.

 

[whittashau]

What happened to Francesco Bellotti? He certainly should have been a decent enough domestique to pick up a team but it doesn't look like he has

 

[search]

What happened to Francesco Bellotti? He certainly should have been a decent enough domestique to pick up a team but it doesn't look like he has

I don't know why you mention this in the Tour of California thread*, but anyway...he has been sacked by Liquigas last year, at first they told him in july that they would renew his contract for 2012 but in the end they didn't and only told him in september when it was too late to find another team. (that's what Bellotti said at least)

*Edit: ah, okay, I remeber, he did quite a good Tour of California in recent years

 

[Michele]

He's now working in his family furniture company.

 

[theyoungest]

Gesink has been training in Cali for a while. Watch out.

It's on the other side of the pond: check.
There are wide open roads: check.
There's no nervousness whatsoever: check.
Nobody in Holland watches: check.

Yes, I think Gesink is a favourite for this race.

 

[El Pistolero]

It's on the other side of the pond: check.
There are wide open roads: check.
There's no nervousness whatsoever: check.
Nobody in Holland watches: check.
No doping tests in California: check.

Yes, I think Gesink is a favourite for this race.

Fixed.

Just kidding

 

[theyoungest]

Maybe his manager Theo de Rooij will assist him

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Maybe his manager Theo de Rooij will assist him

did he make any visits to Vienna recently?

 

[jens_attacks]

now that ryo is out,i have to take his role

so what do you guys think about the colombians?are they gonna be anemic once again?atapuma's ascent on pordoi was pretty extraordinary so maybe a repeat?will they be announced to come prepared because there are no cops or vampires in sweet cali?
i expect anyway papy horner and levi to smoke mt baldy once again.it'd be a chapeau performance no doubt but this time i'd like to see the colombians involved.maybe even nibali and gesink who knows..

 

[Lexman]

There are more articles on cyclingnews about the Tour of California then there are responses to this thread. I think that sums up the level of excitement about the parcours.

there was way earlier a special section on the ToC than of the Giro

 

[Lexman]

Omega sending a really strong team

I'm surprised they didn't take Martin with them...

 

[Lexman]

GC contenders

Leipheimer, Horner, Nibali
Busche, Velits, van Garderen, Talynsky,
Danielson, Gesink, Roche
Zabriskie, Sanchez Leon, Machado,

Whom did i miss out?

How's Leipheimer, one big question ?

Nibali should still have it since LBL, Van Garderen will show that he's ok, Horner maybe? Velits didn't impress recently (never done), hows the form of Danielson...

 

[gerundium]

If Nibali gives a damn about the GC i think he will crush here. His from in the early season, LBL specifically, was really good.

 

[Duartista]

now that ryo is out,i have to take his role

so what do you guys think about the colombians?are they gonna be anemic once again?atapuma's ascent on pordoi was pretty extraordinary so maybe a repeat?will they be announced to come prepared because there are no cops or vampires in sweet cali?
i expect anyway papy horner and levi to smoke mt baldy once again.it'd be a chapeau performance no doubt but this time i'd like to see the colombians involved.maybe even nibali and gesink who knows..

The riders who didn't do Dunkerque have been training in Colombia for a week, so that should help. I think Atapuma and Rodriguez will be good. Who knows with Duarte... Suarez will continue to struggle, he seems in awful shape still, and he rode Dunkerque.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Fixed. Only the Americans care.

+Gesink. He usually cares about everything and especially america. Don't know why though. Maybe because there is less attention from dutch press+followers so he can ride relaxed.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

If Nibali gives a damn about the GC i think he will crush here. His from in the early season, LBL specifically, was really good.

Personally I think Nibali took it easier after LBL for a week since he knew he was not going to the Giro. And now builds up to the Tour de France. So it will be little more than preparation. Unless the sponsor thinks it's important then he might go for it

 

[The Hitch]

there was way earlier a special section on the ToC than of the Giro

Never forget the Cn intro for the 2010 Giro.

4 sentences of which this was one. -
"the stars of last year have opted for the Tour of California instead".

 

[profff]

The riders who didn't do Dunkerque have been training in Colombia for a week, so that should help. I think Atapuma and Rodriguez will be good. Who knows with Duarte... Suarez will continue to struggle, he seems in awful shape still, and he rode Dunkerque.

chaves will not ride
i do not expect anything from suarez i even doubt he will even find a decent condition this year

 

[WindLessBreeze]

It's just 2.HC, folks

I've read lots of opinions, and most of them don't help promote a race which requires a lots of effort: To move several Pro-Tour squads to the other side of the world as the GIRO is being fought; To allow several Pro-Conti and Conti from UCI Tour of the Americas get picked, invited, and not others is always a difficult decision. To allow locals to ride alongside some of the best riders in the world preparing for the TdF.......they've gone a long way, and I only see the benefits. For those of you who just complaint, why don't you improve on it? i.e. contribute, endorse, help. Otherwise, just S.U.

 

[Don Johnson]

I tink the best I have seen was being able to have contact with Boonen and Betini, prior to the PaloAlto/Stanford TT stage. They were riding rollers, warming up and were congenial and friendly, which was nice as there were many children around.
It is also nice to be able to ride up to the summits, and spend time there with the other Cali
Tifosi.

 

[Don Johnson]

Also it was fun to talk to a journalist at Santa Cruz and bet if Sagan would win, which he did in a 3 man break withDave Z. and Leipheimer.. That was the Sagan advent in the ToC, I think 09 or 10.

 

[will10]

Also it was fun to talk to a journalist at Santa Cruz and bet if Sagan would win, which he did in a 3 man break withDave Z. and Leipheimer.. That was the Sagan advent in the ToC, I think 09 or 10.

Must've been 09, shortly after his two stage wins in similar style at Paris Nice

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Must've been 09, shortly after his two stage wins in similar style at Paris Nice

That was 2010.

In 2009 he was still at Dukla Trencin. 2010 was all one big blitz of Saganmania until June - with the TDU, Paris-Nice, Romandie and California.

 

[Caruut]

I've read lots of opinions, and most of them don't help promote a race which requires a lots of effort: To move several Pro-Tour squads to the other side of the world as the GIRO is being fought; To allow several Pro-Conti and Conti from UCI Tour of the Americas get picked, invited, and not others is always a difficult decision. To allow locals to ride alongside some of the best riders in the world preparing for the TdF.......they've gone a long way, and I only see the benefits. For those of you who just complaint, why don't you improve on it? i.e. contribute, endorse, help. Otherwise, just S.U.

Sorry, because I think the Tour of California is little more than a prep race, I should give my money to it? Tour of California gets enough sycophantic promotion for no particular reason at all. A bit confused as to why I should help enhance the reputation of the race - it has a poor rep because it's not a great race, that's their job, not mine.