Tour of the Basque Country 2012

[Ryo Hazuki]

Nordhaug: "We were going to set up the sprint for Appolonio when an insanely steep wall suddenly appeared. We had no idea that climb was going to be there!"

Seriously, Sky? There were people on this forum talking about it all day, and Sky, a team which focus on "marginal gains", didn't know it was coming. Luckily it didn't matter too much as they were all positioned nicely because they were ready to set up Appo for the sprint

god. idiots. how unprofessional is that. that's why they were behind on that climb as well when it started

 

[theyoungest]

Not really, they were among the 10 first riders at the foot of the climb. Sometimes other riders are simply better than Henao, Ryo.

 

[Armchair Cyclist]

Rodriguez can only climb, so naturally he's going to be up there in GTs and the hillier one day races where a climber has the advantage as well.

He can't time trial: he's absolutely horrible in it. He'll never win a GT or a stage race with a time trial in it(and every stage race should have some time trial kms...).

He can't descent.

So remind us how much time he lost to the world's second best descender, allegedly, in the drop from that last hill today...

 

[The Hitch]

Libertine Seguros is a girl?

I used to be convinced it was a guy, for a number of reasons, but atm it could be either way.

Its a young person, so it would cheer me up greatly to have it confirmed that someone with so much knowledge of the sport is a girl but theres no certainty about it.

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Dang hope Purito can hang on to the podium with that course.

he sucks in downhils and corners and it will rain tomorrow....

 

[jsem94]

Libertine Seguros is a girl?

Wow. I'm shocked too.

 

[taiwan]

he sucks in downhils and corners and it will rain tomorrow....

That's the first time I've heard anyone say that TBH, and I haven't noticed it myself.

 

[search]

I missed that post. I took this from another board where I saw this picture

the second part is not 100% accurate anyway. Like today, they are using some paths you cannot find on google maps and it was too much work to figure it out exactly with that crappy roadbook. So don't rely on the steepness of the last climb, I just posted it because Ryo asked how twisty it was. But it gives you an idea what you have to expect.

 

[Havetts]

Libertine Seguros is a girl?

Nobody knows, one of the major mysteries of the cycling forums

 

[greenedge]

Congrats to JROD, Samu and Kiserlovski ( long break was impressive ). I am also pleased that Kiryienka went well ( finally ).

 

[El Pistolero]

Libertine Seguros is a girl?

Yeah, I read that somewhere.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Libertine Seguros is a girl?

I thought he said he was a guy?

 

[Trofinios]

Curious about what JVDB can do today. Remember that he was just 29 seconds behind Wiggins in the TT stage at Algarve, and that stage was 26k long and pretty flat.

My podium prediction

1. Sanchez
2. Martin
3. JVDB

On a purely flat course I would give Martin decent chance, but Sanchez shouldn't lose 47 seconds on todays course.

 

[jens_attacks]

I thought he said he was a guy?

the extreme following of women peloton enigma is solved now

i hope the time trial will be a showdown,martin will win if he's in monster form.i'd like though samu to finally win pais vasco.

 

[dlwssonic]

the extreme following of women peloton enigma is solved now

i hope the time trial will be a showdown,martin will win if he's in monster form.i'd like though samu to finally win pais vasco.

Haha so true!!!

 

[dlwssonic]

Pinotti to get second behind the monster tony martin who will win by 20 seconds.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Good morning everyone
Seems like a good day to make history. Go for it Tony!

 

[LaFlorecita]

What about Kiserlovski? Could he finish on the podium?

 

[Lupetto]

Good morning everyone
Seems like a good day to make history. Go for it Tony!

You seem to be more confident than Tony.

Vor dem abschließenden Zeitfahren der Baskenland-Rundfahrt hat sich bei mir etwas Ernüchterung eingestellt. Nach der Streckenbesichtigung bin ich mir gar nicht so sicher, ob es sich lohnt mit einem Zeitfahrrad an den Start zu gehen. Der erste Teil ist wie ein Bergzeitfahren mit zwei Anstiegen und sehr gefährlichen, engen Abfahrten. Beachtlich, dass die Streckenführung so genehmigt worden ist. Wenn es regnet, wird das kein großer Spaß. Gestern habe ich noch ein bisschen Zeit verloren, weil ich vier Kilometer vor dem Ziel die Spitzengruppe nicht halten konnte und auf der technischen Abfahrt zum Ziel nicht alles riskiert habe. In einem normalen Zeitfahren nehme ich den spanischen Bergflöhen 56 Sekunden ab, die ich nun Rückstand habe. Bei diesem Kurs muss ich abwarten, wie sich das Rennen entwickelt. Heute Nachmittag wissen wir mehr.

 

[Bavarianrider]

You seem to be more confident than Tony.

Ouch
Hadn't read that yet

 

[search]

What about Kiserlovski? Could he finish on the podium?

no, he has to be lucky to do a Top 10

 

[maltiv]

Looking at the GC, we could end up with almost an entire top 10 where almost none of them have done anything in this race so far. Prominent guys like Rodriguez, Kiservlovski, Nordhaug and Henao could fall out of the top 10, while guys like Peraud, Rui Costa, Mick Rogers and Thomas Danielson (I didn't even know he was racing) could finish in the top 10.

Oh well, as long as Samu wins I'll be happy.

 

[Bavarianrider]

Looking at the GC, we could end up with almost an entire top 10 where almost none of them have done anything in this race so far. Prominent guys like Rodriguez, Kiservlovski, Nordhaug and Henao could fall out of the top 10, while guys like Peraud, Rui Costa, Mick Rogers and Thomas Danielson (I didn't even know he was racing) could finish in the top 10.

Oh well, as long as Samu wins I'll be happy.

Let's see. We'll have to wait how this one turns really out. Tight know it seems that on a parcours like that, someone like Jay Rod might actually do better then a TT specialist

 

[Trofinios]

The course doesn't seem ideal for pure a time-trialier, so I doubt Rogers, who is 2 minutes behind J-Rod, will reach a top 10 position for GC. Horner is in 10th position now, 44 seconds behind.

 

[will10]

no, he has to be lucky to do a Top 10

Well luckily the parcours isn't a typical TT.