Volta Catalunya 2012

[Dekker_Tifosi]

machado will get another top 10 placing and make silly tactical decisions all week long to entertain us a bit. thats my prediction

Aside from Machado I hope that Quintana gets a free role

 

[auscyclefan94]

BMC have a very strong roster for this race!

21 HUSHOVD Thor NOR
22 VAN GARDEREN Tejay USA
23 KOHLER Martin SUI
24 MORABITO Steve SUI
25 FRANK Mathias SUI
26 SANTAMBROGIO Mauro ITA
27 SANTAROMITA Ivan ITA
28 TSCHOPP Johann SUI


...But May Collapse.

Very strong startlist!

 

[Havetts]

Hushovd to ride Catalunya, hmm. Surely that wasnt his first choice, right?

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Cobbles rider who lost his sprint 2 years ago, overhyped American and a bunch of not quite men.

Looks pretty weak to me, even without factoring in the general strength of BMC.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Cobbles rider who lost his sprint 2 years ago, overhyped American and a bunch of not quite men.

Looks pretty weak to me, even without factoring in the general strength of BMC.

Wlecome to the typical negativity and hate from Waterloo Sunrise. I don't think I have everheard you say a nice thing about BMC. It is actually a strong team if you did your research.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Probably not, but then he has raced it several times back when it was in May, used to be his first race back after Classics season. In late March though, I'm surprised to see him down to ride. Surely he'll DNS or DNF to Port-Ainé?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I hope Frank rides for himself but that's probably too much to hope for

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Wlecome to the typical negativity and hate from Waterloo Sunrise. I don't think I have everheard you say a nice thing about BMC. It is actually a strong team if you did your research.

If you even read my post, you'd notice I said it is a strong team.

But the subset of the team selected for this race is not strong.

Either relative to the overall team, or in a vacuum.

Slow enough for you yet?

 

[theyoungest]

ACF, take a look at the other rosters and see that BMC's is actually one of the weakest line ups in the race. That's just a fact.

Van Garderen has shown form, but without a TT this race is actually not all that suited to him.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

In other positive BMC news, I just spotted Blythe got a nice result today. Well done him. Will have to get some video to understand how Chicchi beat Kittel, and why he didn't do it when he was in my CQ team last year.

 

[hrotha]

If you even read my post, you'd notice I said it is a strong team.

But the subset of the team selected for this race is not strong.

Either relative to the overall team, or in a vacuum.

Slow enough for you yet?

Dunno, doesn't look particularly weak to me. Van Garderen can contend for a top 5, and they're bringing pretty much everything they have for stage races, except for Evans and Pinotti.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Dunno, doesn't look particularly weak to me. Van Garderen can contend for a top 5, and they're bringing pretty much everything they have for stage races, except for Evans and Pinotti.

Not sure what you mean by contend in this context, because we both know he will not be in the first 5 people on stage 3 unless it is a massive disappointment. Top 10 would be faintly surprising.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

There is no ITT in Catalunya right?

Because it indeed seems pretty impossible to me for Van Garderen to reach top 5 in this field. I mean in Paris Nice he barely scraped it and that was including 2 time trials and good stage for him with the echelons. In the only serious 'mountain' stage he was beaten by 10 men

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

BMC have a very strong roster for this race!

21 HUSHOVD Thor NOR
22 VAN GARDEREN Tejay USA
23 KOHLER Martin SUI
24 MORABITO Steve SUI
25 FRANK Mathias SUI
26 SANTAMBROGIO Mauro ITA
27 SANTAROMITA Ivan ITA
28 TSCHOPP Johann SUI


...But May Collapse.

Very strong startlist!

how in the blue hell is that a strong team for catalunya? can name 10 teams that are better

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

Wlecome to the typical negativity and hate from Waterloo Sunrise. I don't think I have everheard you say a nice thing about BMC. It is actually a strong team if you did your research.

I've done more research then you will in your entire life and here is a newsflash. the team sucks. yes I said it right there. can't wait to see tjvg fail again up a steep climb

 

[Dazed and Confused]

how in the blue hell is that a strong team for catalunya? can name 10 teams that are better

Agree, BMC will always look pretty weak in serious hilly stage races when Evans doesn't turn up (GC wise).

 

[will10]

BMC have a very strong roster for this race!

21 HUSHOVD Thor NOR
22 VAN GARDEREN Tejay USA
23 KOHLER Martin SUI
24 MORABITO Steve SUI
25 FRANK Mathias SUI
26 SANTAMBROGIO Mauro ITA
27 SANTAROMITA Ivan ITA
28 TSCHOPP Johann SUI


...But May Collapse.

Very strong startlist!

BMC have a very strong roster? Do they really? I see a 2nd tier sprinter in Hushovd, Van Garderen who would be a contender for top 5 with a TT but suspect he'll be outside the top 10 on this parcours. Then you have 6 domestiques, I'll grant you that half of them could (and have) won stages in WT races from breakaways, but I'm not so sure it's a "very strong" team as you so put it.

 

[hrotha]

Not sure what you mean by contend in this context, because we both know he will not be in the first 5 people on stage 3 unless it is a massive disappointment. Top 10 would be faintly surprising.

I was assuming there was an ITT because I had forgotten the Volta is a joke. Sorry.

 

[auscyclefan94]

how in the blue hell is that a strong team for catalunya? can name 10 teams that are better

I've done more research then you will in your entire life and here is a newsflash. the team sucks. yes I said it right there. can't wait to see tjvg fail again up a steep climb

I'd say there are about 8 teams that on paper that are better than BMC but to say Hushovd is a 2nd tier sprinter is not really fair nor correct. Considering some of the profiles of these stages he certainly could win a stage or two. Not even you could deny that Ryo hazuki. With some of the other climbers in the team they could get some decent results here. TJVG cops are very tough time on here because supposedly 'everybody overhypes him' when the only people I hear over hype him are Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen. To say the BMC roster sucks is a far too stronger word to use but you seem to be the expert in hyperbolic comments. btw, some of you may want to notice the sentence after I posted the roster which was actually mocking the roster and BMC, my favourite team.

Also, the snide research comment was unnecessary. It was also different to my comment to Waterloo Sunrise because I think his comments were flawed about saying BMC were not a strong team.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

BMC have a very strong roster for this race!

21 HUSHOVD Thor NOR
22 VAN GARDEREN Tejay USA
23 KOHLER Martin SUI
24 MORABITO Steve SUI
25 FRANK Mathias SUI
26 SANTAMBROGIO Mauro ITA
27 SANTAROMITA Ivan ITA
28 TSCHOPP Johann SUI


...But May Collapse.

Very strong startlist!

wow the others teams must be scared.

 

[Moviefan1203]

I was assuming there was an ITT because I had forgotten the Volta is a joke. Sorry.

You're right. It is a joke without a TT. Come on Tejay!!! Win anyway!

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

I'd say there are about 8 teams that on paper that are better than BMC but to say Hushovd is a 2nd tier sprinter is not really fair nor correct. Considering some of the profiles of these stages he certainly could win a stage or two. Not even you could deny that Ryo hazuki. With some of the other climbers in the team they could get some decent results here. TJVG cops are very tough time on here because supposedly 'everybody overhypes him' when the only people I hear over hype him are Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen. To say the BMC roster sucks is a far too stronger word to use but you seem to be the expert in hyperbolic comments. btw, some of you may want to notice the sentence after I posted the roster which was actually mocking the roster and BMC, my favourite team.

Also, the snide research comment was unnecessary. It was also different to my comment to Waterloo Sunrise because I think his comments were flawed about saying BMC were not a strong team.

Sigh.

I specifically said BMC are a strong team, please learn to read.

Agreed on Hushovd - at this stage of his career he's 4th tier as a sprinter, at best. Certainly not a top 15 guy.

 

[movingtarget]

I'd say there are about 8 teams that on paper that are better than BMC but to say Hushovd is a 2nd tier sprinter is not really fair nor correct. Considering some of the profiles of these stages he certainly could win a stage or two. Not even you could deny that Ryo hazuki. With some of the other climbers in the team they could get some decent results here. TJVG cops are very tough time on here because supposedly 'everybody overhypes him' when the only people I hear over hype him are Phil Liggett and Paul Sherwen. To say the BMC roster sucks is a far too stronger word to use but you seem to be the expert in hyperbolic comments. btw, some of you may want to notice the sentence after I posted the roster which was actually mocking the roster and BMC, my favourite team.

Also, the snide research comment was unnecessary. It was also different to my comment to Waterloo Sunrise because I think his comments were flawed about saying BMC were not a strong team.

BMC could hope for a stage victory in this race but not much more. Hushovd as he displayed in the TDF last year is more of an opportunist these days. He is not the bunch sprinter he used to be but he is smart enough to realise it and take opportunities when they are available. I think TVG is a work in progress.

 

[Gloin22]

Sigh.

I specifically said BMC are a strong team, please learn to read.

Agreed on Hushovd - at this stage of his career he's 4th tier as a sprinter, at best. Certainly not a top 15 guy.

TBh in that field of sprinters I think he could win at least one stage. But normally he's few level below top sprinters. BMC definitely has a chance on Top 10, doubt Top 5, still a solid team.

 

[maltiv]

Hushovd to ride Catalunya, hmm. Surely that wasnt his first choice, right?

It was. He wants some extra racing before RVV and P-R. He misses out on G-W and E3, but he has already won G-W once and it's much more important to get into perfect shape before PR.