Tour of the Basque Country 2012

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that's an image of the final ~5k (according to my own interpretation of the rutómetro)

those red dots in the bottom illustrate the final climb

as you can see the height increases from 235m to 330m in approximately ~1km (maybe even less)

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

If I go by your beloved more accurate profile, I see a 100 m rise in about a kilometre, which is 10%. You have a different definition of "false flat" than most.


He does? Look at how bad he did last year in Pais Vasco. And in Catalunya he was one of the strongest climbers. To me he looks pretty good, certainly if he keeps up that TT level.

He missed out on the hardest stage to Arrate... he only came back at the very end in the downhill. To me that looked weak.

To compare. Gesink last year had trouble staying with the group, but held on (not return in downhill), he had a lot of criticism on his climbing.
Now Vandenbroeck did possibly worse to the Arrate stage, and he is looking strong?

Kinda strange.

 

[theyoungest]

He missed out on the hardest stage to Arrate... he only came back at the very end in the downhill. To me that looked weak.

To compare. Gesink last year had trouble staying with the group, but held on (not return in downhill), he had a lot of criticism on his climbing.
Now Vandenbroeck did possibly worse to the Arrate stage, and he is looking strong?

Kinda strange.

Your point was that VDB is looking weaker than last year. But last year he was off the back on the Arrate stage, and generally not impressing at all in the early season.

Let's keep the boring VDB-Gesink comparison out of this. Totally different riders.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

No comparison between Gesink and VDB, more a comparison between JvdB in catalunya and JvdB here.
Gesink merely fitted as an example of double standards by you, Theyoungest.

He looked weaker. And I was right, because it turns out JvdB has been bothered by a slight cold. It was better yesterday though, according to himself

 

[jsem94]

that's an image of the final ~5k (according to my own interpretation of the rutómetro)

*snip*

those red dots in the bottom illustrate the final climb

as you can see the height increases from 235m to 330m in approximately ~1km (maybe even less)

Brilliant.

 

[theyoungest]

No comparison between Gesink and VDB, more a comparison between JvdB in catalunya and JvdB here.
Gesink merely fitted as an example of double standards by you, Theyoungest.

He looked weaker. And I was right, because it turns out JvdB has been bothered by a slight cold. It was better yesterday though, according to himself

Once again (can you read?) your point was that VDB is worse than last year. But he doesn't look worse than last year in Pais Vasco, because last year he was dropped on the Arrate stage, not by a few seconds but by a few minutes. Add to that he has a cold, and actually he looks much better.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Last years climbing in general, not last years climbing in pais vasco that was never my point because last year he was terrible here. What did you think???? You simply misinterpret me here.

 

[Euskaltel!]

Loads of people climbing off, it's only rain!

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

they don't want to turn sick and have nothing to defend in itt I guess. that's what you get with this course

 

[theyoungest]

Last years climbing in general, not last years climbing in pais vasco that was never my point because last year he was terrible here. What did you think???? You simply misinterpret me here.

VDB isn't an early season rider, and the fact is he's doing better than ever in the early season. I really don't see how you could argue against that.

He looks to be on track for a great Tour, which as we all know is the only thing he cares about. I'd be more worried about the form of his teammate Vanendert, who has just abandoned, and has his main season target in one week.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

VDB isn't an early season rider, and the fact is he's doing better than ever in the early season. I really don't see how you could argue against that.

He looks to be on track for a great Tour, which as we all know is the only thing he cares about. I'd be more worried about the form of his teammate Vanendert, who has just abandoned, and has his main season target in one week.

I have no idea what's going on with Vanendert. But this definately cna't be normal.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

jelle "one day fly" vanendert. I feel the next van huffel coming up. vanendert is just as much an idiot as devolder and van huffel. just listen to one of their interviews

vanendert is great physical talent though. bigger maybe than jvd even

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Nice break!

Los 16 escapados: Azanza y Gorka Izagirre (Euskaltel-Euskadi), David López (Movistar), Broco (Caja Rural), Voigt (RadioShack), Vorganov y Trofimov (Katusha), Hoogerland (Vacansoleil), Kangert (Astana), Sarmiento (Liquigas), Albasini (GreenEdge), Malori (Lampre), Wegmann (Garmin), Vaugrenard (FDJ), Ulissi (Lampre), De Weert (Omega). 4 minutos de ventaja

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Albasini ftw.

 

[search]

López is just 1:39 down in the gc and that's quite a strong break...

 

[roundabout]

Romandie is a lot more mountainous than in the last years. A long mountainn finish and a 16km TT which incldes a 400m gain mountain. So you can look forward towards this one.

What long mountain finish?

 

[trevim]

Who was the DS that used to make his team chase breaks when they missed it? I wish he would be commanding Saxo Bank today... I mean they don't have any sort of Gc rider, they are supposed to be going for stages and then they miss the break on a day where it's likely it goes all the way.... Well maybe Christensen can keep his mountain lead which wouldn't be bad. Really good actually since I didn't even noticed the guy before this season.

Sorry to the other 15 guys but Broco will murder them on the final. And what's up with Andre Cardoso? He rode Catalunya (not much for him there) and now Basque Country... I think he's probably not used to ride so much in the early season because the portuguese calendar is crap nowadays. I hope he can come back stronger later in the season for the Vuelta

 

[Eyeballs Out]

All the main GC riders have teammates in the break

Interesting to see who will ride on the front of the peloton

 

[Bavarianrider]

What long mountain finish?

Sion

2010 results

1 Alejandro Valverde Belmonte (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 3:36:19
2 Igor Anton Hernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
3 Simon Spilak (Slo) Lampre-Farnese Vini
4 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank
5 Tiago Machado (Por) Team Radioshack 0:00:23
6 John Gadret (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
7 Janez Brajkovic (Slo) Team Radioshack
8 Marcel Wyss (Swi) Cervélo TestTeam
9 Vladimir Karpets (Rus) Team Katusha
10 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia
11 Marco Pinotti (Ita) Team HTC - Columbia
12 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo 0:01:39
13 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne
14 Hubert Dupont (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
15 Jeremy Roy (Fra) Française Des Jeux
16 Jose Luis Rubiera Vigil (Spa) Team Radioshack
17 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Rabobank
18 Christian Vande Velde (USA) Garmin - Transitions
19 Remy Di Gregorio (Fra) Française Des Jeux
20 Eros Capecchi (Ita) Footon-Servetto
21 Mario Aerts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
22 Dario David Cioni (Ita) Sky Professional Cycling Team
23 Richie Porte (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
24 Sandy Casar (Fra) Française Des Jeux
25 Haimar Zubeldia (Spa) Team Radioshack
26 Soler Hernandez (Col) Caisse d'Epargne 0:01:45
27 Morris Possoni (Ita) Sky Professional Cycling Team
28 Fabio Felline (Ita) Footon-Servetto 0:04:11
29 Branislau Samoilau (Blr) Quick Step 0:04:13
30 Christophe Riblon (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
31 Artem Ovechkin (Rus) Team Katusha 0:04:17
32 Marco Marzano (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini 0:04:18
33 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Française Des Jeux
34 Paulinho S M M (Por) Team Radioshack 0:06:03
35 Markus Eibegger (Aut) Footon-Servetto
36 Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
37 Serge Pauwels (Bel) Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:06:41
38 Matthias Brandle (Aut) Footon-Servetto
39 Alexandr Pliuschin (Mda) Team Katusha 0:06:43
40 Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Team Milram
41 Arthur Vichot (Fra) Française Des Jeux
42 Alexandre Moos (Swi) BMC Racing Team
43 Dmitry Kozontchuk (Rus) Rabobank 0:06:45
44 Michael Schaer (Swi) BMC Racing Team
45 Adriano Malori (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini 0:09:14
46 Alexander Efimkin (Rus) AG2R La Mondiale
47 Johannes Froehlinger (Ger) Team Milram
48 Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Française Des Jeux
49 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo 0:09:30
50 Volodymir Gustov (Ukr) Cervélo TestTeam
51 Sylvester Szmyd (Pol) Liquigas-Doimo
52 Ben Swift (GBr) Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:12:00
53 Matthew Busche (USA) Team Radioshack
54 Andre Steensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
55 Mathias Frank (Swi) BMC Racing Team
56 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Team Katusha
57 Cyril Dessel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:13:29
58 Travis Meyer (Aus) Garmin - Transitions
59 Gianpaolo Caruso (Ita) Team Katusha
60 Alexsandr Dyachenko (Kaz) Astana
61 Mauricio Ardila Cano (Col) Rabobank
62 Nicolas Portal (Fra) Sky Professional Cycling Team 0:16:05
63 Oliver Zaugg (Swi) Liquigas-Doimo
64 Aranburu Markel Irizar (Spa) Team Radioshack
65 Inaki Isasi Flores (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
66 Rene Mandri (Est) AG2R La Mondiale
67 Matthias Russ (Ger) Team Milram
68 Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank
69 Francis Mourey (Fra) Française Des Jeux
70 Juan Jose Oroz Ugalde (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi 0:20:00
71 Verdugo Marcotegui (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
72 Alan Perez Lezaun (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
73 Pieter Weening (Ned) Rabobank 0:20:

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Nice break!

Los 16 escapados: Azanza y Gorka Izagirre (Euskaltel-Euskadi), David López (Movistar), Broco (Caja Rural), Voigt (RadioShack), Vorganov y Trofimov (Katusha), Hoogerland (Vacansoleil), Kangert (Astana), Sarmiento (Liquigas), Albasini (GreenEdge), Malori (Lampre), Wegmann (Garmin), Vaugrenard (FDJ), Ulissi (Lampre), De Weert (Omega). 4 minutos de ventaja

surely wrong race - how do you have a break in an ITT?

 

[Gloin22]

surely wrong race - how do you have a break in an ITT?

yymm, tomorrow's the TT stage

 

[Parrulo]

Where do you people think Rui Costa and Kiserlovski are going to end up?

I'm afraid Rui Costa won't go that well. His ITT in Algarve wasn't very good and he said he hasn't done much specific training to that. Perhaps a top15 or lower top10.

indeed rui has focused everything on his training for the ardennes so his itt has been forgotten and is far from what it used to be.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Nice break!

Los 16 escapados: Azanza y Gorka Izagirre (Euskaltel-Euskadi), David López (Movistar), Broco (Caja Rural), Voigt (RadioShack), Vorganov y Trofimov (Katusha), Hoogerland (Vacansoleil), Kangert (Astana), Sarmiento (Liquigas), Albasini (GreenEdge), Malori (Lampre), Wegmann (Garmin), Vaugrenard (FDJ), Ulissi (Lampre), De Weert (Omega). 4 minutos de ventaja

On the GC:

David López 27th @ 55"
Cayetano Sarmiento 28th @ 56"
Eduard Vorganov 30th @ 57"
Hernâni Broco 44th @ 2'20"
Tanel Kangert 47th @ 2'56"
Michael Albasini 54th @ 3'48"
Johnny Hoogerland 62nd @ 4'27"
Yuri Trofimov 69th @ 5'08"
Adriano Malori 82nd @ 7'05"
Diego Ulissi 84th @ 7'26"
Gorka Izagirre 88th @ 8'20"
Kevin de Weert 91st @ 8'58"
Jens Voigt 104th @ 10'36"
Benoît Vaugrenard 116th @ 10'46"
Jorge Azanza 122nd @ 14'46"
Fabian Wegmann 123rd @ 14'47"

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Sion

Sion is a city, and that stage wasn't an MTF. There are several climbs they can use around there, but it won't be an MTF. Some of them are pretty steep though, like Ovronnaz.

The only MTF is the ITT up to Crans Montana.

 

[roundabout]

Sion

That's not a mountain finish.

And a link to the results would have worked.

Also it's a much easier final climb this year.

Nothing like this

http://cyclingcols.com/profiles/OvronnazS.gif (minus the last 2.5km on the profile)