Tour Of Qatar - 2nd to 7th Feb

[Anonymous]

Tour Of Qatar - 7th to 12th Feb

Stage 1 - Sunday 7 February
West Bay Lagoon to West Bay Lagoon 8.2 km Team Time Trial

Stage 2 - Monday 8 February
Camel Race Track to Qatar Foundation 147 km

Stage 3 - Tuesday 9 February
Dukhan to Mesaieed 136.5 km

Stage 4 - Wednesday 10 February
The Pearl to Al Khor Corniche 146.5 km

Stage 5 - Thursday 11 February
Lusail to Madinat Al Shamal 142 km

Stage 6 - Friday 12 February
Al Wakra to Doha Corniche 123.5 km

Edit: and yes, its the 7th to the 12th, a type and sadly you cant edit headers, a major flaw in the forum

 

[Anonymous]

Not as dull as the tour down under but getting their.. lots of very very long straight roads.. only interesting thing is the wind..

As a brit have a feeling team sky are out to kick **** on this one with cav missing. And the late draft of wiggins in seems to hint at strengthening the ttt.

 

[ImmaculateKadence]

Not as dull as the tour down under but getting their.. lots of very very long straight roads.. only interesting thing is the wind..

As a brit have a feeling team sky are out to kick **** on this one with cav missing. And the late draft of wiggins in seems to hint at strengthening the ttt.

Not as dull? Really? Equally as dull if not more, but you're right the wind does make it slightly interesting. It's hard for me to pick a winner (because of the wind's unpredictability), so I'll just go with Sky wanting to make a statement. Greipel spoiled what they were hoping was a coming out party. The were real aggressive in the down under sprints, and I don't expect much different here.

 

[taiwan]

If Cavendish isn't going to ride the Tour of Qatar, who is?

 

[aarnold517]

i want to see cervelo end up going 2-6 in the GC like last year...i had never seen a team have 5 guys in the top 6 of a stage race before that happened last year

 

[Clemson Cycling]

Is there a start list or a website for this thing

 

[taiwan]

Is there a start list or a website for this thing

There's this, but no startlist up. It must be owned by ASO, which I didn't know.

 

[Clemson Cycling]

First real Garmin/Sky battle? Farrar vs Hagen?

Omega Pharma: Gilbert, Cretskens (BEL)
Quickstep: Boonen (BEL)
Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercato: Lodewijck (BEL)
Team Saxo Bank: Cancellara (SUI), JJ.Haedo (ARG)
Saur-Sojasun: Casper (FRA)
AG2R-La Mondiale: Hinault, Mondory (Fra)
Team Milram: Ciolek (GER)
Team Sky: Wiggins (GBR), Boasson Hagen (NOR)
Liquigas-Doimo: Bennati, Chicchi (ITA)
Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team: R.Feillu (FRA)
Cervelo Test Team: Haussler (GER), Hammond (GBR)
Katusha Team: Napolitano, Pozzato (ITA)
BMC Racing Team: Ballan (Ita), Burghardt (GER)
Garmin-Transitions: Farrar (USA)
Team Columbia-HTC: Eisel (AUT)
Trek Livestrong: Phinney (USA)

 

[Anonymous]

Startlist at cycling fever

All thats known so far... the whole thing is a bit crap, no proper routes maps yet or anything.. :/

 

[Anonymous]

so I'll just go with Sky wanting to make a statement. Greipel spoiled what they were hoping was a coming out party. The were real aggressive in the down under sprints, and I don't expect much different here.

Its a seriously strong sky team. Stannard, Thomas, Wiggins, EbH, should be able to TT to hell..

and the leadout train of downing, stannard, thomas, wiggins, flecha, a mixture of pursuiters and sprinters, should rival any with arveson running the show.. I think EbH could seriously dominate

but of course im biased..

 

[afpm90]

Its a seriously strong sky team. Stannard, Thomas, Wiggins, EbH, should be able to TT to hell..

and the leadout train of downing, stannard, thomas, wiggins, flecha, a mixture of pursuiters and sprinters, should rival any with arveson running the show.. I think EbH could seriously dominate

but of course im biased..

I see at least 7 sprinters better than Edvald Boasson Hagen.

 

[stefrees]

First real Garmin/Sky battle? Farrar vs Hagen?

Omega Pharma: Gilbert, Cretskens (BEL)
Quickstep: Boonen (BEL)
Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercato: Lodewijck (BEL)
Team Saxo Bank: Cancellara (SUI), JJ.Haedo (ARG)
Saur-Sojasun: Casper (FRA)
AG2R-La Mondiale: Hinault, Mondory (Fra)
Team Milram: Ciolek (GER)
Team Sky: Wiggins (GBR), Boasson Hagen (NOR)
Liquigas-Doimo: Bennati, Chicchi (ITA)
Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team: R.Feillu (FRA)
Cervelo Test Team: Haussler (GER), Hammond (GBR)
Katusha Team: Napolitano, Pozzato (ITA)
BMC Racing Team: Ballan (Ita), Burghardt (GER)
Garmin-Transitions: Farrar (USA)
Team Columbia-HTC: Eisel (AUT)
Trek Livestrong: Phinney (USA)

some good battles there.

predictions- ttt for sky, a stage each for cervelo test team and also one for farrar, with gilbert/cancellara getting a breakaway stage win also

 

[Christian]

Looking forward to this one!

Young Luxembourgian Ben Gastauer is doing his second race with the pros after Tropicale Amissa Bongo in Gabon and before Tour of Oman. Excited to see how he'll do!

 

[auscyclefan94]

Not as dull as the tour down under but getting their.. lots of very very long straight roads.. only interesting thing is the wind..

As a brit have a feeling team sky are out to kick **** on this one with cav missing. And the late draft of wiggins in seems to hint at strengthening the ttt.

Firstly Dim, before you make stupid comments why don't you get the date in your heading right??

I don't see how Down Under is more dull than qatar. Down Under has hills in it and isn't just desert straight roads. Both races are still better than tour of britain.

The last paragraph makes you sound as biased as me. You may do well in the ttt but who is your sprinter in the event?

 

[taiwan]

Startlist at cycling fever

All thats known so far... the whole thing is a bit crap, no proper routes maps yet or anything.. :/

That's pretty exciting actually. I'll look forward to seeing Boasson Hagen's first race, also Farrar, Ciolek, Boonen, Bennati are all there. Theo Bos (sorry if you're anti-Bos) has a totally flat race Ideal for an ex-trackie (though I suppose they'll more likely work for Haussler), and to top it all off, neither of HTC's top two sprinters are there to sew it all up. (and on a personal note I'll have at least five riders there from my fantasy cycling team )

 

[taiwan]

I see at least 7 sprinters better than Edvald Boasson Hagen.

You may do well in the ttt but who is your sprinter in the event?

but of course im biased..

Tiresome as cheerleading for one team can be sometimes, I don't think I would put more than 5 guys there above Boasson Hagen in a sprint: I don't know about Chicchi or Napolitano. Also, if that's the full Sky squad on cyclingfever, they must be riding for EBH.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Tiresome as cheerleading for one team can be sometimes, I don't think I would put more than 5 guys there above Boasson Hagen in a sprint: I don't know about Chicchi or Napolitano. Also, if that's the full Sky squad on cyclingfever, they must be riding for EBH.

I'll give you some guys who are faster than Boasson hagen in qatar

boonen, j.j haedo, ciolek, bennati, haussler, farrar, eisel, napolitano and chicchi

 

[stefrees]

I'll give you some guys who are faster than Boasson hagen in qatar

boonen, j.j haedo, ciolek, bennati, haussler, farrar, eisel, napolitano and chicchi

possibly only ciolek and farrar are faster than ebh, considering ebh has beaten all the rest before.

 

[taiwan]

I'll give you some guys who are faster than Boasson hagen in qatar

boonen, j.j haedo, ciolek, bennati, haussler, farrar, eisel, napolitano and chicchi

Was Chicchi not at the ENECO Tour? Also suspect Napolitano may not be as fast. Eisel? difficult to tell, because he won't usually have leadership. A couple of others there have intermittent form, although in form they're probably faster.

Another thing is that going by the TDU, Sky are likely to be one of the better organised teams in the sprints which will benefit Boasson Hagen: another reason not to write him off.

 

[auscyclefan94]

possibly only ciolek and farrar are faster than ebh, considering ebh has beaten all the rest before.

I bet those sprinters would beat boasson hagen 8 times out of 10 in a sprint.

 

[Anonymous]

More base miles in good weather then. At least the TdU has nice scenery to look at and colourful Aussies to laugh at while they trundle along waiting for the bunch sprint. Isn't Qatar just desert and camels?

 

[taiwan]

EBH won the Tour of Britain, and the Eneco Tour. Some of those guys were present at those races, like Pozzato, Napolitano, Chicchi. That doesn't prove he wouldn't lose 8 times out of 10 but I don't buy it, really. He also had that sprint in the Tour de Pologne.

 

[auscyclefan94]

EBH won the Tour of Britain, and the Eneco Tour. Some of those guys were present at those races, like Pozzato, Napolitano, Chicchi. That doesn't prove he wouldn't lose 8 times out of 10 but I don't buy it, really. He also had that sprint in the Tour de Pologne.

He can sprint but he won't out sprint many of the other big names I have listed.

 

[taiwan]

Hmmm... also I doubt Columbia would have given him those races if they thought Bernard Eisel was faster. He's not considered a sprinter but he really is quick.

 

[Anonymous]

Firstly Dim, before you make stupid comments why don't you get the date in your heading right??

I don't see how Down Under is more dull than qatar. Down Under has hills in it and isn't just desert straight roads. Both races are still better than tour of britain.

The last paragraph makes you sound as biased as me. You may do well in the ttt but who is your sprinter in the event?

I didnt deny being biased...

Did i get the date wrong.. sorry.. its roughly right..

And whats all this about the tour of britain. I dont claim that the ToB is one of the leading races in the calendar, and i dont particularly get upset when you diss it. Thats your perogative (do they show the ToB in australia?), I would however say that the ToB is more fiercely contested than the Tour Down Under, and as such is probably a better race. at least there is some variation.

I bet those sprinters would beat boasson hagen 8 times out of 10 in a sprint.

so first you said six, now you said two.. any minute you going to be saying EbH is the fastest..

like i say, im biased, but i also have a better knowledge of the lesser riders on the Sky team than i do of the lessar riders on other teams, so therefore i judge that the combination of Wiggins, Thomas, and their track experience, along with Stannard, and Downing (who proved down under how good a lead out he could start) that those for riders will produce a very good leadout for sky and as such its a very strong team and therefore EbH could do very very well.. Same as youre knowledge of australian riders is better than your knowledge of other riders so you are going to comment on that..

Stop getting so antsy...

Anyway, we will find out in a week or so, im sure I will eat my words with as much relish as you will. Its only opinion, stop getting in a paddy