Volta a Catalunya 2012: Stage 2, Girona - Girona (161 km)

[Lupetto]

Map & Timetable

Top Ten
1 Michael Albasini (Swi) GreenEdge Cycling Team 3:20:04
2 Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Saur - Sojasun 0:42
3 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Cofidis, Le Credit en Ligne 1:14
4 Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 1:32
5 Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R La Mondiale
6 Roger Kluge (Ger) Project 1t4i
7 Allan Davis (Aus) GreenEdge Cycling Team
8 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
9 Davide Appollonio (Ita) Sky Procycling
10 Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Pro Team Astana

General Montaña: Michael Albasini (Swi) GreenEdge Cycling Team
General Intermedios: Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
Gral Catalanes: Jordi Simon (Spa) Andalucia

 

[hoerpi]

What is the final descent like? Is it a tough one with a lot of hairpins or an easier one? Probably someone to win from a breakaway anyway...

 

[jens_attacks]

valverde or uran ftw

 

[Lexman]

No idea to be honest who could win this tomorrow, leftovers from a breakaway, a small group with the designed leaders who broke lose from th bunch with Valverde winning the sprint?

Will Albasini be able to keep his jersey?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Lol, on the first profile that last mountain looks like 10km at 10%

and then you see the actual profile and it's only above 7% for 3kms, and then only 5/4%

Probably a 30 men sprint with Valverde winning

 

[Libertine Seguros]

No idea to be honest who could win this tomorrow, leftovers from a breakaway, a small group with the designed leaders who broke lose from th bunch with Valverde winning the sprint?

Will Albasini be able to keep his jersey?

Should be. Albasini's a pretty underrated climber. He was top 10 of Flèche Wallonne a couple of years ago. In fact, if he conserves his energy well he could win the whole thing from here, if Port-Ainé isn't raced too aggressively.

 

[Lexman]

Should be. Albasini's a pretty underrated climber. He was top 10 of Flèche Wallonne a couple of years ago. In fact, if he conserves his energy well he could win the whole thing from here, if Port-Ainé isn't raced too aggressively.

Port Ainé is the third stage right with the only mountain top finish?

I wonder if Jurgen VDB will test himself this week

 

[theyoungest]

Should be. Albasini's a pretty underrated climber. He was top 10 of Flèche Wallonne a couple of years ago. In fact, if he conserves his energy well he could win the whole thing from here, if Port-Ainé isn't raced too aggressively.

The Mur de Huy has nothing to do with these climbs. They will have to be raced very conservatively for him to lose less than 2 minutes (of course being in the leader's jersey might make him push harder than he would otherwise)

 

[jens_attacks]

albasini definitely can stay in the top 10 maybe even top 5.very strong ride today, i knew it

 

[pmcg76]

What is the final descent like? Is it a tough one with a lot of hairpins or an easier one? Probably someone to win from a breakaway anyway...

The descent is not steep and there is a few flat sections and even an incline of about a km long halfway down. The road itself is not that wide especially near the top and whilst there is no brutal hairpins, if they go full bore it could be tricky for some. I dont think there will be a full bunch together like today at the finish. If people really go for it on the climb, it will make for an interesting descent.

As someone else pointed out, this is really only a 5km climb with average of about 7%. It gets easier near the top but the surface is quite rough, much rougher than the way down.

 

[will10]

Back in his Caisse d'Epargne days this would've been one for LL Sanchez. As it is I'll plump for Uran.

 

[taiwan]

...Will Albasini be able to keep his jersey?

5k at 6% average, mitigated by the descent? I reckon so. There are obviously some strong climbers there though, so I think he'll lose time. Not a lot of mountain support for Albasini either (meaning none).

FTW: Valverde, Cunego, Samu, Casar or Uran.

 

[Havetts]

Still wondering to see how far Gesink is.. hopefully tomorrow will show

 

[theyoungest]

Certainly not a Gesink stage, this.

 

[Havetts]

Because of the descent? Possibly, the climb doesnt seem too explosive if its a 5 km climb at 6%. More just wondering how strong he is on the mountain.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

On Rabosport there is a new interview where he says he is confident of reaching top form in the ardennes

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

why would he want to eb in top form for teh ardennes??

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

because he still thinks he can do very well there obviously

 

[hfer07]

In a perfect situation- I'd like to see LuLu, Samu, Casar or Cunego give a serious go after the last climb...

 

[PCutter]

Climb isn't steep enough and too far from the end for the big climbers to bother, they'll keep the powder dry till the Wednesday MTF stage. Albasini will hold the jersey and the win will go to one of the sprinters (Appollonio, Davis etc)

 

[Lexman]

Still wondering to see how far Gesink is.. hopefully tomorrow will show

you might be right that most of the beter climbers will sprae themselves for tomorrow.

VDB says that after some training periods he's lacking race thythm but he'll see how far he stands after the wednesday stage

http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/wielrennen/120319_Van_den_Broeck_Catalonie

 

[DominicDecoco]

Climb isn't steep enough and too far from the end for the big climbers to bother, they'll keep the powder dry till the Wednesday MTF stage. Albasini will hold the jersey and the win will go to one of the sprinters (Appollonio, Davis etc)

Definitely not.

 

[PedalCastro]

Nico Roche for a top 10 finish today. Valverde takes the stage

 

[TeoSheva]

Jordi Simón (Andalucía), Julián Sánchez (Caja Rural) and Cyril Bessy (Saur-Sojasun) with 2:00

 

[wirral]

Jordi Simón (Andalucía), Julián Sánchez (Caja Rural) and Cyril Bessy (Saur-Sojasun) with 2:00

Advantage out to 4' 30" and through the first of the two intermediate sprints already.