• The Cycling News forum is looking to add some volunteer moderators with Red Rick's recent retirement. If you're interested in helping keep our discussions on track, send a direct message to @SHaines here on the forum, or use the Contact Us form to message the Community Team.

    In the meanwhile, please use the Report option if you see a post that doesn't fit within the forum rules.

    Thanks!

Tour of the Basque Country 2012

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
BillytheKid

BillytheKid

Jun 1, 2011
2,500
0
0
Visit site
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:
 
Libertine Seguros

Libertine Seguros

Feb 20, 2010
31,218
11,005
28,180
Visit site
BillytheKid said:
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.
Click to expand...

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

cineteq

May 20, 2009
8,934
7
17,495
Visit site
This is normally my favorite 1-week stage race. :D
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
profile3v.jpg
 
Libertine Seguros

Libertine Seguros

Feb 20, 2010
31,218
11,005
28,180
Visit site
maltiv said:
No bonus seconds this year either?
Click to expand...

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

BillytheKid

Jun 1, 2011
2,500
0
0
Visit site
Libertine Seguros said:
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?
Click to expand...

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.
 
W

Waterloo Sunrise

Sep 9, 2009
6,483
138
17,680
Visit site
cineteq said:
This is normally my favorite 1-week stage race. :D
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
profile
Click to expand...

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

Libertine Seguros

Feb 20, 2010
31,218
11,005
28,180
Visit site
BillytheKid said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.

Arrate.gif


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.

Col_d_Ibardin_depuis_Bera.jpg
 
BillytheKid

BillytheKid

Jun 1, 2011
2,500
0
0
Visit site
Bavarianrider said:
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.
Click to expand...

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.
 
BillytheKid

BillytheKid

Jun 1, 2011
2,500
0
0
Visit site
Libertine Seguros said:
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.

Arrate.gif


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.

Col_d_Ibardin_depuis_Bera.jpg
Click to expand...

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

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

The Hitch

Jun 14, 2010
34,930
60
22,580
Visit site
Libertine Seguros said:
And that cineteq even considers mentioning Horner as a favourite tells you how terrible the course is.
Click to expand...


Umm what :confused:

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:rolleyes:
 
BillytheKid

BillytheKid

Jun 1, 2011
2,500
0
0
Visit site
The Hitch said:
Umm what :confused:

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:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

But that's Horner MO. Underated.:D
 
Libertine Seguros

Libertine Seguros

Feb 20, 2010
31,218
11,005
28,180
Visit site
The Hitch said:
Umm what :confused:

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:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

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.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom