Tour of Murcia - 4th to 6th March

[Anonymous]

Stage 1
San Pedro del Pinatar - Alhama de Murcia 178,7km

Stage 2
Estrella de Levante (Murcia) - Centro de Interpretación de Sierra Espuña 183,2 km

Stage 3
Murcia - Murcia 12,4km Individual time trial.

[Startlist][Official Site][Previous Winners][Weather

Daily roundup videos here

Last years top 3
Rabon (HTC-Columbia), 2nd Menchov (Rabobank) +38s, 3rd Wiggins (Sky) +53s

No live coverage, text tickers daily at Biciciclismo. Evening highlights.

 

[Havetts]

Shame Samuel Sanchez isnt riding this race, 2 descent finishes look like he could take it.

 

[Escarabajo]

...

Thanks for the info Dim.

Soler and Duarte are in. Good. Something to look for.

 

[taiwan]

Stage 2
Estrella de Levante (Murcia) - Centro de Interpretación de Sierra Espuña 183,2 km

I'm sorry, but that profile is insane. Look at the horizontal scale. WTF is that about?

Also, it's in March, but that's not hard to work out.

Rinaldo would have owned this. By own i mean come 2nd.

Well played, Sir.

 

[The Hitch]

You really scared me with the "4th to 6th February" Dim.

I thought "how the f*** did i miss this race".

Then i saw your post was today. Whew, a relief.

Might just could this be streamed somewhere.

After Sat and Sunday im jonesing for some races which i can watch live and enjoy the banter of the forum.

Edit: No AGR

Rinaldo would have owned this. By own i mean come 2nd. Maybe Duarte can get some luck this time.

Good to see Anton start his season, and Menchov, Sastre and the Great one here as well.

 

[Anonymous]

You really scared me with the "4th to 6th February" Dim. .

Blonde moment, have requested correction.

Dissapointed the race has been shortened to 3 stages this year, could effect it a fair bit. Not sure the 12km time trial will have much impact, but if someone can hang in in the mountains a time triallist could win it.

Im optimistically hoping Dowsett can hang on for grim death, catch up with the lead group on the descents and then win the TT.

I think it will probably be a battle between Menchov and Contador. Its certainly a very good startlist. Good few days racing to watch prior to paris-nice.

As far as I know (and in line with last year) no live coverage at all, but the organisation did put out really good 20 minute long highlights packages last year.

 

[taiwan]

What did you think of Thomas' performance in Sardinia?

 

[Martin318is]

Date updated to be the future not the past.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Good to see Anton start his season, and Menchov, Sastre and the Great one here as well.

I don't see any Txurruka.

Unless you were referring to The Amazing Madrazo.

 

[jaylew]

So, whoever has the best TT of the guys who stay with the lead group over the climbs?

Menchov, Contador, Vande Velde? How's Duarte's TT? He seems to have good form.

 

[taiwan]

Any bonifications

Any bonifications?

 

[Escarabajo]

So, whoever has the best TT of the guys who stay with the lead group over the climbs?

Menchov, Contador, Vande Velde? How's Duarte's TT? He seems to have good form.

As good as Soler's.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

So, whoever has the best TT of the guys who stay with the lead group over the climbs?

Menchov, Contador, Vande Velde? How's Duarte's TT? He seems to have good form.

Maybe Tommy D.?

 

[jaylew]

As good as Soler's.

Really? Ugh. For some reason I thought he might be decent.

 

[Ryaguas]

The Great One will rip the field apart... but Menchov has won this race before... but He hasn't raced...

My pick... will be... mmmmmmmm Contador... unexpected right??

 

[Jakob747]

Really? Ugh. For some reason I thought he might be decent.

F. Duarte is much much better against the clock than Soler, there is no comparison really. He stayed within half a minute of Santiago Botero over 44 kilometers, at least years South American Games (he took bronze) in Medellín. He was only 7 seconds away from the silver medalist Matias Medici. He beat Carlos Oyarzun (14th at last year’s I.T.T.Worlds) handily.

And that’s just an example.

If anyone in the Duarte family TT’s like Soler, it’s his little-brother Alvaro.

 

[Escarabajo]

F. Duarte is much much better against the clock than Soler, there is no comparison really. He stayed within half a minute of Santiago Botero over 44 kilometers, at least years South American Games (he took bronze) in Medellín. He was only 7 seconds away from the silver medalist Matias Medici. He beat Carlos Oyarzun (14th at last year’s I.T.T.Worlds) handily.

And that’s just an example.

If anyone in the Duarte family TT’s like Soler, it’s his little-brother Alvaro.

Well, he needs to improve in the short ones in Europe:

Vuelta a Andalucia
Full Results
1 Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:09:28
2 Markel Irizar Aranburu (Spa) Team RadioShack
3 Jurgen Van Den Broeck (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:00:01
4 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Team RadioShack 0:00:02
5 Jerome Coppel (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:00:03
6 Paul Poux (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:00:07
7 Luis Pasamontes Rodriguez (Spa) Movistar Team 0:00:08
8 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Sky Procycling
9 Rigoberto Uran Uran (Col) Sky Procycling 0:00:09
10 Ivan Rovny (Rus) Team RadioShack 0:00:10
...
78 Fabio Andres Duarte Arevalo (Col) Geox-TMC 0:00:41

He was in good shape for this race and yet he lost 41 seconds in 6.8 km.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

You really scared me with the "4th to 6th February" Dim.

I thought "how the f*** did i miss this race".

Then i saw your post was today. Whew, a relief.

Might just could this be streamed somewhere.

After Sat and Sunday im jonesing for some races which i can watch live and enjoy the banter of the forum.

Edit: No AGR

Rinaldo would have owned this. By own i mean come 2nd. Maybe Duarte can get some luck this time.

Good to see Anton start his season, and Menchov, Sastre and the Great one here as well.

pretty sure anton raced already this season in france. But hopefully we will see him up there this time.

 

[ingsve]

Geox can really put out a decent line up when they put all eggs in one race:

1 MENCHOV Denis Russia
2 SASTRE CANDIL Carlos Spain
3 BLANCO RODRIGUEZ David Spain
4 COBO ACEBO Juan Jose Spain
5 DUARTE AREVALO Fabio Andres Colombia
6 DURÁN AROCA Arkaitz Spain
7 VALLS FERRI Rafael Spain

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

duarte's itt is fine although it has become worse past few years but in potential he is a top itt rider no doubt. but like uran in recent years he has neglected it a bit.

1 Rein Taaramae (Est) Estonian National Team 29.13
2 Jérôme Coppel (Fra) French National Team A 0.04
3 Rui Costa (Por) Portuguese National Team 0.11
4 Andreï Amador (CRc) Mixed Team
5 Dmitry Kosyakov (Rus) Russian National Team 0.20
6 Simon Geschke (Ger) German National Team 0.22
7 Fabio Duarte (Col) Mixed Team 0.25
8 Sergej Fuchs (Ger) German National Team 0.30
9 Jan Bakelants (Bel) Belgian National Team 0.34
10 Kristjan Koren (Slo) Slovenian National Team 0.42
11 Patrick Gretsch (Ger) German National Team 0.47
12 Alexey Kunshin (Rus) Russian National Team 0.54
13 Marcel Wyss (Swi) Swiss National Team
14 Maxime Bouet (Fra) French National Team B 0.56
15 Stefano Borchi (Ita) Italian National Team 0.58
16 Jarlinson Pantano (Col) Mixed Team 1.02
17 Peter Stetina (USA) US National Team 1.06
18 Anthony Roux (Fra) French National Team A 1.11
19 Damiano Caruso (Ita) Italian National Team 1.13
20 Tejay Vangaderen (USA) US National Team 1.14

flat itt of 22 km in tour avenir 2008

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

F. Duarte is much much better against the clock than Soler, there is no comparison really. He stayed within half a minute of Santiago Botero over 44 kilometers, at least years South American Games (he took bronze) in Medellín. He was only 7 seconds away from the silver medalist Matias Medici. He beat Carlos Oyarzun (14th at last year’s I.T.T.Worlds) handily.

And that’s just an example.

If anyone in the Duarte family TT’s like Soler, it’s his little-brother Alvaro.

you are a an expert I see. alvaro duarte arevalo

you are complelet right. although solers itt is actually pretty good.

 

[theyoungest]

Well, he needs to improve in the short ones in Europe:



He was in good shape for this race and yet he lost 41 seconds in 6.8 km.

That Ruta del Sol prologue was a bit unusual. More riders who are usually able to do an okay TT failed on that course, with a cobbled climb.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

The Great One will rip the field apart... but Menchov has won this race before... but He hasn't raced...

My pick... will be... mmmmmmmm Contador... unexpected right??

Never.

Geox can really put out a decent line up when they put all eggs in one race:

1 MENCHOV Denis Russia
2 SASTRE CANDIL Carlos Spain
3 BLANCO RODRIGUEZ David Spain
4 COBO ACEBO Juan Jose Spain
5 DUARTE AREVALO Fabio Andres Colombia
6 DURÁN AROCA Arkaitz Spain
7 VALLS FERRI Rafael Spain

Most will likely have AC and Menchov as their first two picks.... duh. Not a lot of thoroughbreds in the start list of this race. But maybe Sastre could be there. Maybe VdV. My dark, dark (almost black hole) horse is Tommy D.

 

[El Pistolero]

Contador has ridden this race 2 times before, never won.

Just sayin'

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Hmm, the hill on the 1st stage is not what it seems, 1,9% average over 15km

Even Bos must survive that