Tour of the Basque Country 2012

[BillytheKid]

Following the Rhonde, this week is Pais Vasco. This is a climbfest and a nice switch-up in the week between Flanders and Paris Roubaix.

Despite almost facing financial demise, the field is among the best in years.
Maybe even the best stage race so far this year.

RSN will be lead by defending champion Andres Klöden and runner up Chris Horner, but will also include Frank Schleck and Maxime Monfort and Jens Voigt.

Horner will complete a Yankee trio racing with fellow country men Matthew Busche and Ben King for the first time since they aided him in winning the Tour of California last year.

The powerful RSN team is no shoo in however.

Rosters: http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html?detp=view&_ap=startlijst&editie_idd=MjI5MDY=

Predictions and discussion are welcome:

Stage 3 and 4 will offer decisive moutain top finishies:

http://www.steephill.tv/players/pro...v.com/2012/vuelta-al-pais-vasco/profile-3.png

http://www.steephill.tv/players/pro...v.com/2012/vuelta-al-pais-vasco/profile-3.png

The final 18.9K ITT is realtively flat.

6 stages: http://www.steephill.tv/vuelta-al-pais-vasco/

Sorry only links:

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Profiles please.

 

[Gloin22]

No wiggins in this race. Rogers and Nordhaug should be on your favourite list though from recent performances.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

No wiggins in this race. Rogers and Nordhaug should be on your favourite list though from recent performances.

No Froome either.

Not going to check the rest of the list, but its hard to trust after that.

Real starters here -

http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html?detp=view&_ap=startlijst&editie_idd=MjI5MDY=

Profiles on Steephill as usual.

 

[Gloin22]

No Froome either.

Not going to check the rest of the list, but its hard to trust after that.

Real starters here -

http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html?detp=view&_ap=startlijst&editie_idd=MjI5MDY=

Profiles on Steephill as usual.

Froome wasn't assigned to this race as he's not doing Ardennes. His next race is Romandie.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Froome wasn't assigned to this race as he's not doing Ardennes. His next race is Romandie.

...yes, I know...

The OP has him on his start list, and I was pointing out he isn't racing.

 

[BillytheKid]

Thanks for the update: Steephill is the source. If they have it wrong, then it is so. Do you care to discuss the race?

 

[BillytheKid]

No Froome either.

Not going to check the rest of the list, but its hard to trust after that.

Real starters here -

http://www.cyclingfever.com/editie.html?detp=view&_ap=startlijst&editie_idd=MjI5MDY=

Profiles on Steephill as usual.

Ok thanks. No Nibali or Sagan either, other.... Sloppy of Steephill to not have updated so close to the race date. Lesson learned.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Following the Rhonde, this week is Pais Vasco. This is a climbfest and a nice switch-up in the week between Flanders and Paris Roubaix.

Not this year, I'm afraid. This is the worst País Vasco route I've ever seen, by some way.

Predictions? Seven or eight people on the same time going into the final ITT, unless Arrate is raced much better than last year (which was already a softer-than-usual parcours, but is several times better than this one).

Ibardin as an MTF, I mean, seriously. What were they thinking?

 

[cineteq]

This is normally my favorite 1-week stage race.
But this year the parcours is suspect, and there are not many big names

Favorites (IMHO)
***** Leipheimer, Van den Broeck, S. Sanchez
****T. Martin, Horner
*** Gesink, Mollema, Danielson, Klöden, Scarponi
** Cunego, J. Rodriguez, Nocentini, D. Martin
* Peraud, Poels

Missing: Nibali, Evans, Wiggins, Valverde

Stage 3

 

[maltiv]

No bonus seconds this year either?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

No bonus seconds this year either?

There haven't been bonus seconds for a few years here. Hence why last year Klöden and J-Rod kept trading the jersey based on placings.

And that cineteq even considers mentioning Horner as a favourite tells you how terrible the course is.

This is País Vasco. They must have worked really, really hard to find such a flat course.

 

[BillytheKid]

Not this year, I'm afraid. This is the worst País Vasco route I've ever seen, by some way.

Predictions? Seven or eight people on the same time going into the final ITT, unless Arrate is raced much better than last year (which was already a softer-than-usual parcours, but is several times better than this one).

Ibardin as an MTF, I mean, seriously. What were they thinking?

Entirely possible. Disappointed in the Sky roster change, but not surprising after a hard fought Paris Nice. The mountain top finishes of stage three and four could be more selective for the over all, but I am not sure of the overall grade of the finishing climbs.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

This is normally my favorite 1-week stage race.
But this year the parcours is suspect, and there are not many big names

Favorites (IMHO)
***** Leipheimer, Van den Broeck, S. Sanchez
****T. Martin, Horner
*** Gesink, Mollema, Danielson, Klöden, Scarponi
** Cunego, J. Rodriguez, Nocentini, D. Martin
* Peraud, Poels

Missing: Nibali, Evans, Wiggins, Valverde

Stage 3

I expect Rodgers to finish ahead of a few of those names.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Can't wait till this one starts.
The route looks pretty good to me. 2 tough mountain finishes.
Hope Tony will go for the GC. Maybe Top 10 if he is in shape again.

 

[The Hitch]

No wiggins in this race. Rogers and Nordhaug should be on your favourite list though from recent performances.

If Samu is carrying over his Catalunya form that should be way too much for these 2.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Entirely possible. Disappointed in the Sky roster change, but not surprising after a hard fought Paris Nice. The mountain top finishes of stage three and four could be more selective for the over all, but I am not sure of the overall grade of the finishing climbs.

Stage 3's finish is the Alto de Arrate. Same as the queen stage every year since 2008 when the Euskal Herriko Itzulia and Euskal Bizikleta merged. 7,2km @ 6,9%, of which the toughest part is the 3km in the middle at over 9%. Nevertheless, it was raced very timidly (and fast) last year, with several riders coming in together. 2010's race was better, with Sánchez just beating the trio of Horner, Valverde and Gesink.

Stage 4's finish is Ibardin, on the border between Navarre and Iparralde (French Basque country). It averages less than 5% and apart from a small stretch of 8,6% about a kilometre out, it's not going to split the bunch too much, given that it's a shortish stage, and the run-in to it is rolling, with no categorised climbs for some way before it.

 

[BillytheKid]

Can't wait till this one starts.
The route looks pretty good to me. 2 tough mountain finishes.
Hope Tony will go for the GC. Maybe Top 10 if he is in shape again.

Martin's form should be coming up. This should be interesting: Matin vs. Leipheimer as Martin was not going so great at PN. I am surprised that Leipheimer's doing this race.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Martin's form should be coming up. This should be interesting: Matin vs. Leipheimer as Martin was not going so great at PN. I am surprised that Leipheimer's doing this race.

Hope so. Arrate seems like a very difficult climb though. Tony realy needs to be in a reasonable shape to limit his time los there.

 

[BillytheKid]

Stage 3's finish is the Alto de Arrate. Same as the queen stage every year since 2008 when the Euskal Herriko Itzulia and Euskal Bizikleta merged. 7,2km @ 6,9%, of which the toughest part is the 3km in the middle at over 9%. Nevertheless, it was raced very timidly (and fast) last year, with several riders coming in together. 2010's race was better, with Sánchez just beating the trio of Horner, Valverde and Gesink.

Stage 4's finish is Ibardin, on the border between Navarre and Iparralde (French Basque country). It averages less than 5% and apart from a small stretch of 8,6% about a kilometre out, it's not going to split the bunch too much, given that it's a shortish stage, and the run-in to it is rolling, with no categorised climbs for some way before it.

OK. Really bad. Your right. Thanks for the info.

Leipheimer, Klöden, Van den Broeck and Martin in any given order for the podium.

 

[El Pistolero]

Gilbert won't start here like has been rumored before.

 

[The Hitch]

And that cineteq even considers mentioning Horner as a favourite tells you how terrible the course is.

Umm what

I know English speaking riders winning is a very painful feeling for you so maybe you have conveniently forgotten, but Horner won, fair and square, on the hilly course you love so much 2 years ago and came 2nd last year.

Yeah, he is mentioned as a favourite is because the course is so crap

 

[cineteq]

And that cineteq even considers mentioning Horner as a favourite tells you how terrible the course is.

You must be confused with T. Martin, right?

PS: I wonder if you'll ever say: "This course is great!", regardless of the race?

 

[BillytheKid]

Umm what

I know English speaking riders winning is a very painful feeling for you so maybe you conveniantly forgotten, but Horner won, fair and square, on the hilly course you love so much 2 years ago and came 2nd last year.

Yeah, he is mentioned as a favourite is because the course is so crap

But that's Horner MO. Underated.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Umm what

I know English speaking riders winning is a very painful feeling for you so maybe you have conveniently forgotten, but Horner won, fair and square, on the hilly course you love so much 2 years ago and came 2nd last year.

Yeah, he is mentioned as a favourite is because the course is so crap

Oops, you're right, I was meaning Martin, looking at cineteq's **** contenders, typed the wrong name.

Horner being a contender is not a problem at all. The guy is a proper climber and a good TTer and though I was disappointed he won it in 2010, he deserved it as he was one of the prime animators, and those moves he didn't start he followed.

The likes of Martin and Rogers being mentioned are what galls me.