Vuelta a España 2011

[just some guy]

I don't think Greg will drop out. He's not getting leadership at the WC anyway, so might as well make the best of your palmares at the Vuelta.

That what I think as well but I was thinking many more would/will drop out

 

[just some guy]

Quick Step for Vuelta a España:

Tom Boonen (BEL) Dario Cataldo (ITA) Sylvain Chavanel (FRA) Marc de Maar (NED) Kevin De Weert (BEL) Nikolas Maes (BEL) Davide Malacarne (ITA) Kevin Seeldraeyers (BEL) Kristof Vandewalle (BEL)

 

[Descender]

JVDB not going for GC, most likely:

http://translate.google.com/transla...n/Vuelta/110816_Van_den_Broeck_Vuelta&act=url

Does that mean he has no expectations and will see how his body reacts or is he pretty much ruling himself out? Google translate is not very good...

 

[MartinGT]

I hope Chavanel is stronger than he was at the Tour, I really enjoyed seeing him early in the season.

 

[LandEscape]

I hope Chavanel is stronger than he was at the Tour, I really enjoyed seeing him early in the season.

Dunno, he had a long season, and just failed at the tour. So it's gonna be hard for him to get another peak at the end of the season.

 

[El Pistolero]

Does that mean he has no expectations and will see how his body reacts or is he pretty much ruling himself out? Google translate is not very good...

Pretty much that yes. Wants to go for a stage win perhaps, he'll take it day by day and also mentioned the Angliru(although he doesn't know the mountain according to him)

He's doing this Vuelta with an eye for the next season. It's important to do 1 GT a season for guys like him.

 

[MartinGT]

Dunno, he had a long season, and just failed at the tour. So it's gonna be hard for him to get another peak at the end of the season.

Yeh

I really like him as a rider. Let hope he ha some gas left for a couple of gutsy attacks

 

[Logic-is-your-friend]

Does that mean he has no expectations and will see how his body reacts or is he pretty much ruling himself out? Google translate is not very good...

No ambition. Taking it day by day, doesn't know the parcours, didn't have the same kind of punctual preparation, which would normally bother him, but this time he will start without ambition and without stress. Main objective is to have 3 weeks of competition in his legs for next year. If he wins a stage, even better, but not an objective. Still has some lower back pains. Vuelta isn't about avenging his TDF crash, he'll prove his worth next year in the tour.

I'm still wondering if he can contain himself when he is actually in a good spot in the GC. The father of his girlfriend (also an ex pro cyclist) said in an interview he should not reveal his true ambition if he were smart. Wondering if that's what he's doing right now, or if we can expect to see him in maybe one or two stages after he dropped to 78th place in the GC.

 

[just some guy]

Not sure if this one has been posted

Geox-TMC team for Vuelta a España: Mauricio Ardila, David Blanco, Matthias Brandle, Juan Josè Cobo, David De La Fuente, Fabio Duarte, Dimitry Kozontchuk, Denis Menchov, Carlos Sastre.

 

[Machu Picchu]

tweets from Klodi:

I don't go for the GC in the Vuelta España ..... the back is better, but not 100% also the condition to win a Gran Tour isn't good enough.

Radio Shack ll have a good team and 2 good leaders.. @janibrajkovic @ Haimar Zubildia... Wee ll see in spain whats possible .....

Has RS confirmed yet? Brajkovic, Zubeldia, Kloden + Machado, Paulinho, Busche, Oliviera, Irizar, Lequatre (I think this was the projected team)

 

[Tuarts]

I'm interested to see what Oliviera can do. Is he a climber?

Zubeldia may be able to put on a good performance depending on how worn out/come down in form he is from the Tour. Remains to be seen if Jani has any at all.

 

[Sylvester]

Oliveira is a time trialist, definitely not a climber.

Brajkovic will be good, I think. Zubeldia will be fourteenth without being noticed, as always.

 

[XlandaluzeX]

Zubeldia = biggest wasted talent in the last decade

 

[Pharazon]

i just realised itv are covering it...

now i don't have to look for a dodgy web stream

 

[ericthesportsman6]

Not sure if this one has been posted

Geox-TMC team for Vuelta a España: Mauricio Ardila, David Blanco, Matthias Brandle, Juan Josè Cobo, David De La Fuente, Fabio Duarte, Dimitry Kozontchuk, Denis Menchov, Carlos Sastre.

Wow. Menchov is going to have great support. Can't wait to see what Duarte can do. Maybe even Cobo can find his best form.

 

[Parrulo]

I'm interested to see what Oliviera can do. Is he a climber?

Zubeldia may be able to put on a good performance depending on how worn out/come down in form he is from the Tour. Remains to be seen if Jani has any at all.

oliveira has the potential to be one of the best time trialist around in a couple of years.

at 1.80 m and 66kg he isn't exactly heavy but he doesn't seem to be able to climb at any decent level. seems like another richie porte to me tbh.

i am more interested to see if machado can use the experience he gained at the giro to get a good result at the vuelta. he can clearly handle the 3 weeks because he got sick at the end of first week of the giro and was getting better by the third week where he climbed like 10 spots overall in the last few mountain stages. he also was top 10 on the last time trial ahead of nibali for example and he hadn't been saving himself on the previous days.

 

[Havetts]

Zubeldia = biggest wasted talent in the last decade

Zubeldia is always so unnoticed and always is in great form in the end of the year, yet nobody notices .

 

[just some guy]

Liquigas-Cannondale for Vuelta: Vincenzo Nibali (ITA), Peter Sagan (SLO), Dominik Nerz (GER), Eros Capecchi, Valerio Agnoli, Damiano Caruso, Francesco Bellotti, Mauro Da Dalto, Alan Marangoni (all ITA)

 

[luckyboy]

What do people think the sprinters will all do (drop out/finish the race)?

Pretty strong field with Cavendish, Farrar, Haussler, Kittel, Petacchi, Bennati, Boonen, Freire..

 

[Anonymous]

Liquigas-Cannondale for Vuelta: Vincenzo Nibali (ITA), Peter Sagan (SLO), Dominik Nerz (GER), Eros Capecchi, Valerio Agnoli, Damiano Caruso, Francesco Bellotti, Mauro Da Dalto, Alan Marangoni (all ITA)

quite a young team.

 

[Jamsque]

How many stages for Sagan?

 

[PedalCastro]

What do people think the sprinters will all do (drop out/finish the race)?

Pretty strong field with Cavendish, Farrar, Haussler, Kittel, Petacchi, Bennati, Boonen, Freire..

Cavendish will take a couple of stages, Farrar maybe one. Freire seems past it to me.. Kittel will be interesting, i'm not sure he can match Farrar or Cav though.. Maybe numerous top fives?

 

[hfer07]

Not sure if this one has been posted

Geox-TMC team for Vuelta a España: Mauricio Ardila, David Blanco, Matthias Brandle, Juan Josè Cobo, David De La Fuente, Fabio Duarte, Dimitry Kozontchuk, Denis Menchov, Carlos Sastre.

I hope my man Duarte will have the OK from the team to go for stage hunting
apart from that- GEox is putting a strong team with Sastre, Menchov & Cobo-but overall I would like to see Sastre coming back to the shape he had during the 09 Giro....

 

[Barrus]

I really have no hopes at all for Geox after their showing at the Giro this year.

Does anyone actually know what role Sagan will play during the giro, will he have the possibility to go for his own chances or will he need to sacrifice himself completely for Neebs?

 

[The Hitch]

Wiggo won't win but if he's still got some of his TdF form he should make top 10.

Good to see some of his fans have sane expectations.

Wiggins can very much top 10, hell he might top 5 or try for kom or win the tt.

But there for a large number of reasons, like you say, he wont win.

Its also likely however that he just wont be able to find form.