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

[theyoungest]

No, 2.9km race with a bunch of 90 and 180 degree corners is just a waste of a day.

Tony did perform. Nobody could excpect the diesel to make the Top 10 on sauch a tarck.

It's different from a 40 k pan flat time trial, but not necessarily less exciting or entertaining to watch.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Why is that a waste of a day? It's a lot better than just another bunch sprint, with a long ITT later on there is no point in having a long prologue, a short, technical prologue is a pretty good way to start a short stage race IMO.

Any race day where Tony Martin doesn't win is a waisted race day. Like duh.

 

[Christian]

TheCanc already scoping out the competition:

Looks like i get older just watch it ... Have you seen already the first 3 rider on the prologue on tour de romandie.U25 years,

 

[Bavarianrider]

Why is that a waste of a day? It's a lot better than just another bunch sprint, with a long ITT later on there is no point in having a long prologue, a short, technical prologue is a pretty good way to start a short stage race IMO.

Well it has little to do with road cycling and the competitive value is very low. The big guns don't risk too much and s second tier rider who's willing to take the biggest risks in the corners wins it.

 

[El Pistolero]

Lars Boom should've been in this race (or is he?)

 

[nvpacchi]

Well it has little to do with road cycling and the competitive value is very low. The big guns don't risk too much and s second tier rider who's willing to take the biggest risks in the corners wins it.

I guess it does have something to do with road cycling considering the winner was able to outduel two former track studs.

Awesome win by Castroviejo!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

I never thought I'd see the day. It is a good day. And an MTF - albeit not a particularly testing one - tomorrow!

Take that, big money anglophile teams with your boring TT specialists and sprinters! All the money and trackies in the world can't beat the might of Euskaltel!!!

What a strange world we live in.

 

[theyoungest]

Well it has little to do with road cycling and the competitive value is very low. The big guns don't risk too much and s second tier rider who's willing to take the biggest risks in the corners wins it.

Having a good corner technique and taking risks indeed aren't necessary for riding a good time trial...

 

[Angliru]

It does. It's an archaic word (from Latin "castrum"). Although maybe -burg would be a better translation, it's more of a fortified town rather than a castle (Jonathan Oldenburg!)

Anyway, glad for Castroviejo. I'm slightly surprised because I thought it'd take him a bit longer to be at this level, but it's not like he's come out of nowhere. Also good to see Phinney up there despite his injuries.

Someone in the forum called this win or at least mentioned Castroviejo as someone to look out for. I'll have to check to see who it was.

 

[Angliru]

No, 2.9km race with a bunch of 90 and 180 degree corners is just a waste of a day.

Tony did perform. Nobody could excpect the diesel to make the Top 10 on sauch a tarck.

I'm certain Castroviejo and Euskaltel Euskadi think otherwise. I haven't seen it yet but your description makes it sound interesting and challenging. Helluva lot more than a straight out and back ITT.

 

[The Sheep]

Having a good corner technique and taking risks indeed aren't necessary for riding a good time trial...

Time trials should be done on rollers

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Tony Martin didn't win?

Or perhaps he's just upset that no less than two Euskaltel riders finished ahead of him?

More on topic: I actually think that a 3.5 km prologue is a great and entertaining way of starting a one week race.

 

[Jamsque]

Well THAT was unexpected.

 

[roundabout]

Someone in the forum called this win or at least mentioned Castroviejo as someone to look out for. I'll have to check to see who it was.

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?p=496686&highlight=castroviejo#post496686

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?p=374903&highlight=castroviejo#post374903

 

[maltiv]

Well looks like Castroviejo finally lived up to his greatness on PCM (he has 82 in prologue in my career). Also good to see Euskaltel getting another win.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Is there anything more horrid in this world than the Spanish TT Champ jersey?

Seriously, Lulu's is slightly better than what Bertie used to have, but not by much.

I liked the Caisse d'Epargne Spanish jerseys. They looked like they were on fire.

 

[taiwan]

3.5km of awesomeness!

i.e. not very much.

 

[Jamsque]

Sky's official report makes a lot of excuses about very gusty wind.

 

[indurain666]

Wow, I saw a bit of it, it was a pretty wicked prologue!

Great win by Castroviejo, I would have never expected him to win prologue.

Was the course 3.5 or 2.9 km? The cyclingnews article mentions both.

I think it is the latest as 3:40 on 3.5 km is 57 kph!!! No way they went that fast that on a technical course with some cobbles

 

[indurain666]

3.5km of awesomeness!

i.e. not very much.

but a lot of better than 30 km with Schleck boys racing for second

 

[Raceoftruth]

Just had a look at tomorrows stage. Should be difficult enough to eliminate a few, but would expect a sizable number to arrive together. Who will be in the lead after tommorow? Cant see phinney staying up there, what about the current leader?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Just had a look at tomorrows stage. Should be difficult enough to eliminate a few, but would expect a sizable number to arrive together. Who will be in the lead after tommorow? Cant see phinney staying up there, what about the current leader?

19th in Tirreno-Adriatico, 24th in the Tour de Suisse last year. 2nd in the Circuito Montáñes in 2009 (behind van Garderen but ahead of Pardilla and Sicard), 5th in the Santuario del Acebo stage of the 2008 Vuelta a Asturias (the infamous LA-MSS race).

He's decent uphill. They may drop him but they'll need to make the race hard.

 

[hfer07]

not to diminish what Castroviejo achieved today, but what is the rational behind beating your opponent by 27 hundredths of a second on a 3.5 Km course??

 

[Angliru]

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?p=496686&highlight=castroviejo#post496686

http://forum.cyclingnews.com/showthread.php?p=374903&highlight=castroviejo#post374903

Thanks for saving me the legwork.

Good calls by Hrotha and nvpacci!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

not to diminish what Castroviejo achieved today, but what is the rational behind beating your opponent by 27 hundredths of a second on a 3.5 Km course??

I... don't understand? What do you mean what's the rationale behind it?

Do you mean why they calculated it to such a small degree (the answer being, obviously, it's such a short race that fractions of a second come into it)?

Also, the fractions of seconds are kept from all TTs to find out who wins in the case of shared time, and avoid the problem of handing out leader's jerseys based on position in the péloton when time is shared, like at País Vasco or Tirreno '10.