Tuesday 26th April: Tour of Romandie - Prologue: Martigny, 3.5km

[theyoungest]

Seriously, what's the purpose of such a 3.5k joke race?
I mean that's only a waste of a race day. a 3.5k Prolog is pathetic, especially in a 5 day race.

This race has had a very short prologue for years now. Just a means of introducing the riders, really. Most of them have done LBL just two days ago, so I don't think they mind having such a short day of work.

 

[Anonymous]

Swift for the overall?

How about some realistic goals like a clean sweep of the podium?

Seriously though, look at the start list, look at the route. Odds of disappointment are quite high.

Wiggins may podium, Thomas may finish top-15 and Swift may survive the hills to sprint for wins. To almost expect one of them to get a podium is a bit OTT.

What hills. The only one worth mentioning is the end of stage 1. 400m climb in 10k. wow. The parcours is dull as dishwater and will be decided by the final TT.

Anyone could win it, but Sky should be aiming for the podium considering the strength they have and the form certain riders are in.

The race on the whole promises to be dull as dishwater

 

[Moondance]

What hills. The only one worth mentioning is the end of stage 1. 400m climb in 10k. wow. The parcours is dull as dishwater and will be decided by the final TT.

Anyone could win it, but Sky should be aiming for the podium considering the strength they have and the form certain riders are in.

The race on the whole promises to be dull as dishwater

Indeed.

Sadly Romandie used to be a great race, would go there often, following it for numerous days.

Shoot, I'm in Romandie right now (Geneva) and there's no way I'm getting off my azz to go see this race. I might make an exception for the finish of stage 6, but only because it's practically in front of my parents' front door.

 

[roundabout]

What hills. The only one worth mentioning is the end of stage 1. 400m climb in 10k. wow. The parcours is dull as dishwater and will be decided by the final TT.

Anyone could win it, but Sky should be aiming for the podium considering the strength they have and the form certain riders are in.

The race on the whole promises to be dull as dishwater

Even if you're unimpressed by the parcours (so am I by the way, however stages 1 and 2 are tougher than they look) there are some very good riders starting who should not be underrated.

Wiggins is the most reasonable bet for a podium, but to me it won't be a shock if he fails to achieve that

 

[superconfex]

Millar can take this prologue

 

[Ferminal]

Rosseler..

 

[Mellow Velo]

Romandie has favoured a bike throwing competition to open the race for a number of years.
However, I am at a loss to explain how or why the remaining parcours have become diluted, to this extent.
Even last year had a couple of decent climbs, which is a couple more than we have in 2011.
Have the organizers received some sort of request, I wonder.
Maybe their aim is to become part of a 2-week ENECO Tour?

 

[hfer07]

Seriously, what's the purpose of such a 3.5k joke race?
I mean that's only a waste of a race day. a 3.5k Prolog is pathetic, especially in a 5 day race.

100 % agreed

 

[taiwan]

Dang, I keep thinking there's a race to follow tommorrow. Ah well, at least I'll be able to get other things done.

 

[sublimit]

I haven't studied the startlist that closely but probably Tony Martin to kick Shack **** in the ITT's

Martin for the Overall and Swift to win the road stages.

 

[palmerq]

Rabon for the win... although I am not sure how good rabon is at technical courses or how technical this course is but he is good at short time trials so I bet on him.

 

[skippy]

Can anyone tell me if the Women's ITT will run this year before the men ?

Pass years Womens' race was a real treat as it was catch up time with the Aussie girls and Jeannie .

Lausanne was always a great ITT course BUT the saturday profile doesn't look too hard .

Never bothered to arrive for the Tuesday night episode as a long way to go for a brief glimpse of the passing parade even when Brad Mc Gee was the star .

Another reduction of my batting average !

 

[greenedge]

Think it will be Phinney, Meyer and GT who win prolouge in that order.
Rest of the contenders are; Rosseler, Brajkovic, all of Garmin, all the sky contenders, Bennati, Porte, L. Roberts?, L L Sanchez, Ciolek, Kreuziger, Vino, Gasparotto, Basso, Gerdermann, Spilak?, Karpets?, Grabsch, Gretsch, Martin, Menchov, Cadel, Peraud and maybe Perget. Pity Lars Boom is not here he would win this short prologue and overall.

Some of those dudes in there are not overall contenders but dudes who might win 1st stage

 

[jaylew]

Bennati
Pinotti
Phinney

In some order

 

[auscyclefan94]

I dont think Meyer is racing. I would expect Wiggins to be top 10 but I think Geraint will do better than him. Swift might put in a decent ride as well.
Sky should be seriously targetting this one. No real serious climbs, and several riders who should prologue well. Swift, Thomas or Wiggins for the overall depending on how they finish in the prologue. Likely that Sky have said whoever does the best prologue is team leader. (Cioni is also in good form and can put a decent prologue up, as can Kennaugh). the race really is perfect for them. Anything less than a podium come the end would be dissapointing.

http://twitter.com/#!/cammeyercyclist/status/62546868164501504
http://twitter.com/#!/cammeyercyclist/status/62171711252078592

Riders to note and their times
C. Meyer 16:13
A. Vinokourov 16:19
T. Martin 16:33
W. Mol 17:19
A. Talansky 17:31
D. Zabriske 17:51
L. Roberts 18:04
G. Thomas 18:08
T. Phinney 18:09
J. Bobridge 18:11
F. Rabon 18:13
D. Menchov 18:17
L. Westra 18:23
I. Basso 18:31
R. Porte 18:33
B. Wiggins 18:41
C. Evans 18:43
D. Bennati 18:45
D. Millar 18:47
LL. Sanchez 18:49
M. Pinotti 18:51
J. Brajkovic 18:53
S. Spilak 18:55

 

[hrotha]

I don't understand why some people are saying a 3.5 km prologue is a waste. It's just a different kind of prologue which suits the sprinters and explosive riders better. Nothing wrong with that.

 

[Sasquatch]

Millar takes this!

 

[Sasquatch]

1. David Millar
2. Daniele Bennati
3. Dave Zabriskie
4. Geraint Thomas
5. Frantisek Rabon

If Bobridge is up to scratch and Meyer, then Garmin could have 4 in the top 5.

 

[wirral]

I can't think of many TT's as short as this off-hand. There was one at the Tour of Qatar, I think. Cav fell off if I remember correctly.

 

[will10]

Cav won a 1.2km prologue at Crystal Palace a couple of years ago at the Tour of Britain Then there was the 1km prologue at the Giro in 2005(?).

 

[theyoungest]

Or we could simply go back to last year's Romandie for a prologue as short as this.

 

[Jamsque]

3.5km SHOULD (should) be the perfect distance for track pursuit riders so I expect to see good times from most of Meyer, Phinney, Thomas, Wiggins et al.

 

[theyoungest]

3.5km SHOULD (should) be the perfect distance for track pursuit riders so I expect to see good times from most of Meyer, Phinney, Thomas, Wiggins et al.

Except that this prologue is more about technique and not so much about power.

 

[movingtarget]

Millar, Wiggins and some of the sprinters.........too short for most of the potential winners of the overall. The ENECO Tour may have a rival for dull viewing.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Cav won a 1.2km prologue at Crystal Palace a couple of years ago at the Tour of Britain Then there was the 1km prologue at the Giro in 2005(?).

Yep. I think Brad McGee won it .