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Tour of Oman

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roundabout

roundabout

Jun 7, 2010
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PROFIL.gif


Edit: that's 6k @ 10% with the final 2 @ 13%

Also 4 stages for the sprinters and a hilly TT

http://www.letour.fr/2011/TOO/COURSE/us/le_parcours.html
 
ingsve

ingsve

Mar 12, 2009
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jens_attacks said:
that's a beast of a climb especially so early in the season.i'm wondering who will win this tour,vino perhaps?
Click to expand...

I know EBH was meant to go for GC in Oman but I don't know if they were aware of the climb at the time. I guess we might find out if EBH can climb or not...
 
Libertine Seguros

Libertine Seguros

Feb 20, 2010
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TeamSkyFans said:
so the original 10% climb wasnt a bad gestimate.
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Nope, just that they weren't going to go up as far as you or I thought. I'm interested as to which road they're taking up. The original map suggested they looped around Birkat al-Mawz.

The road I was looking at started at Birkat al-Mawz, and then forked right over a long and windy, wide road cresting the mountain between Sayq and Hashat, in which case the logical finishing point is as I noted at ca. 1400m. If you don't fork right and stay straight on, the road is narrower, and at one point I lose it on the map but then pick it up again, and it looks like you can turn left for a very steep ascent on terrible quality roads or stay on it for a little bit longer before it disappears completely at ca. 1200m, so I think that may be the route they're using. There's a village at ca. 800m that I guess they'll use to keep the race caravan at.

There are a couple of roads further West that go up, but none of them seem to have viable finishes at the right kind of altitude that I can see, but I'm happy to be proven wrong.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
Libertine Seguros said:
Nope, just that they weren't going to go up as far as you or I thought. I'm interested as to which road they're taking up. The original map suggested they looped around Birkat al-Mawz.

The road I was looking at started at Birkat al-Mawz, and then forked right over a long and windy, wide road cresting the mountain between Sayq and Hashat, in which case the logical finishing point is as I noted at ca. 1400m. If you don't fork right and stay straight on, the road is narrower, and at one point I lose it on the map but then pick it up again, and it looks like you can turn left for a very steep ascent on terrible quality roads or stay on it for a little bit longer before it disappears completely at ca. 1200m, so I think that may be the route they're using. There's a village at ca. 800m that I guess they'll use to keep the race caravan at.

There are a couple of roads further West that go up, but none of them seem to have viable finishes at the right kind of altitude that I can see, but I'm happy to be proven wrong.
Click to expand...

thats the way I went with my route, which is why i was confused when peopel said the road was really good, and on my view it was barely atrack.
 
Sum_of_Marc

Sum_of_Marc

May 15, 2009
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So while last year it was basically Qatar with an ITT, this year it becomes more like Langkawi with an ITT. Should be interesting, given that the field here will be stronger than the fields Langkawi gets
 
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maltiv

Oct 23, 2009
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ingsve said:
I know EBH was meant to go for GC in Oman but I don't know if they were aware of the climb at the time. I guess we might find out if EBH can climb or not...
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Hills yes, mountains like this, no way.

I think Fuglsang said he might be riding here so I guess he will be amongst the favourites, haven't really heard about any other good climbers planning to ride, but I guess they might change their mind when they see the profile.
 
ingsve

ingsve

Mar 12, 2009
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maltiv said:
Hills yes, mountains like this, no way.

I think Fuglsang said he might be riding here so I guess he will be amongst the favourites, haven't really heard about any other good climbers planning to ride, but I guess they might change their mind when they see the profile.
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Ya, I don't think EBH can handle things like this either but it will be interesting to see if he tries. It's not like Sky has anyone else that is scheduled to ride that could do well there except perhaps Arvesen at the top of his career. Perhaps they will shuffle the teams around a bit and send at least one rider that's a pure climber to the race. Or they could send Wiggins who will be at Qatar the week before but who is scheduled to be replaced for Oman.
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
ingsve said:
Ya, I don't think EBH can handle things like this either but it will be interesting to see if he tries. It's not like Sky has anyone else that is scheduled to ride that could do well there except perhaps Arvesen at the top of his career. Perhaps they will shuffle the teams around a bit and send at least one rider that's a pure climber to the race. Or they could send Wiggins who will be at Qatar the week before but who is scheduled to be replaced for Oman.
Click to expand...

Thing is, its only one stage. Most teams will probably send there original squads, chase stage wins, and leave it to see what happens on the climbing stage. It could be one of those stages that just comes down to a small group 20,30 riders sprinting it out.

My guess would be a complete nobody from a random team ends up winning the stage and the overall.

As a note, Sky havnt put Knees's race schedule up yet.
 
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euanli

May 20, 2010
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Wiggins won't be at the Tour of Oman. He will be at the Manchester World Cup riding in the Team Pursuit. (which is why I think he is a shout of Qatar)
 
ingsve

ingsve

Mar 12, 2009
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TeamSkyFans said:
As a note, Sky havnt put Knees's race schedule up yet.
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Ya, that's true. That means there can still be shuffles I guess. Another problem with sending climbers there is that it ends on the same day as two other stage races start so riders scheduled for those races won't be available.
 
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Reverend_T_Preedy

Feb 12, 2010
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roundabout said:
And here's the climb itself :D

PROFILKMS.gif
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That climb looks fantastic! Should make for a good early season blast. Be interesting to see if the TTers can hang on for long enough to limit their losses to win the overall. I can see one of the smaller teams sending a decent climber and go all out for this.
 
T

theyoungest

Jan 11, 2010
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Could be an interesting battle between guys who have to limit their losses on the climb (EBH, Cancellara, Meyer) and guys who have to the same in the time trial (Rodriguez, Gesink). Vino, Blanco, and Fuglsang are decent at both, Menchov as well of course, but with him it's always the question if he has the form.

edit: and now Monfort has switched to the Tour of Oman, he'll be team leader there, so no Fuglsang or Cancellara for GC.
 
ingsve

ingsve

Mar 12, 2009
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I wonder if CamMeyer will have an advantage of having ridden TDU or perhaps some of the riders that are doing Qatar the week before can be equally well warmed up. Going straight to Oman without any prior racing might not be hte best preparation however.
 
T

theyoungest

Jan 11, 2010
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ingsve said:
I wonder if CamMeyer will have an advantage of having ridden TDU or perhaps some of the riders that are doing Qatar the week before can be equally well warmed up. Going straight to Oman without any prior racing might not be hte best preparation however.
Click to expand...
I don't think any of the real climbers are doing Qatar, so no real advantage there. It might help guys like Meyer to limit their losses though, that's true.
 
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