Vuelta Andalucia 2012. feb 19th - feb 23th(2.1 UCI Europe Tour)

[Zam_Olyas]

Didn't oscarito also win stage 3 last year?

 

[Vitapen]

Bennati has changes his way of ending 2nd or 3rd with places 7th-8th places.

I also wonder wtf Vacansoleil did with 4 riders in the top10.... Maybe they should decide to appoint one rider to go for the win and let the others do a leadout.

It's their usual tactic. The're often take 2nd, 3rd and 5th positions in one race, but not the 1st.

 

[Vitapen]

Didn't oscarito also win stage 3 last year?

Yes, he did.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

It's their usual tactic. The're often take 2nd, 3rd and 5th positions in one race, but not the 1st.

They probably did as best as they could. It's not their fault that Freire is faster...

 

[Michele]

Bennati has changes his way of ending 2nd or 3rd with places 7th-8th places.

I also wonder wtf Vacansoleil did with 4 riders in the top10.... Maybe they should decide to appoint one rider to go for the win and let the others do a leadout.

Marcato thanked Carrara and Lagutin for the leadout but not mentioning Lighart or Van Hummel.

 

[hoerpi]

How is the descent before the small uphill finish tomorrow? Is it possible for someone like Sanchez to win? If not I think actually Fränk might win tomorrow.

 

[taiwan]

Bennati has changes his way of ending 2nd or 3rd with places 7th-8th places.

I also wonder wtf Vacansoleil did with 4 riders in the top10.... Maybe they should decide to appoint one rider to go for the win and let the others do a leadout.

I'd be sort of disappointed if they turned the team from a band of versatile opportunists into a straight train for KRVH.

 

[El Pistolero]

Vacansoleil is not a team lol.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

ofcourse not, has any of Hilarisch van der Schuerens team ever been a unit?

Look at the random crap he had together at unibet. Larsson and Rujano, random Belgians, Dutch, Lithuanians etc

 

[Kwibus]

Marcato thanked Carrara and Lagutin for the leadout but not mentioning Lighart or Van Hummel.

1 Óscar Freire (Spa) Katusha Team 3:41:55
2 Daniel Schorn (Aut) Team NetApp
3 Michael Matthews (Aus) Rabobank Cycling Team
4 Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
5 Simon Geschke (Ger) Project 1t4i
6 Pim Ligthart (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
7 Stephane Poulhies (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
8 Daniele Bennati (Ita) RadioShack-Nissan
9 Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis, Le Credit En Ligne
10 Sergey Lagutin (Uzb) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team

Apparently van Hummel wasn't there at all. Would've be suprising with a small climb with 5k to go.

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

Great ride by Schorn. Brändle moves to 8th overall as well. NetApp slowly getting into Giro form.

 

[will10]

How is the descent before the small uphill finish tomorrow? Is it possible for someone like Sanchez to win? If not I think actually Fränk might win tomorrow.

Tomorrow's finish is too punchy for Frank I think. Could be another one for Freire to be honest but I'll go for Marcato.

 

[More Strides than Rides]

1800m at 8%, and then that steeper part at 12% maybe? Just eying it out.

Doesn't sound too punchy in itself for the likes of the high mountain men like Frank, Sanchez or Menchov. But, there are guys better tuned to sprint from a mile out.

 

[taiwan]

Vacansoleil is not a team lol.

Better than Sky or HTC sending 5 chronomen and 4 sprinters to a race zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

 

[Duartista]

1800m at 8%, and then that steeper part at 12% maybe? Just eying it out.

Doesn't sound too punchy in itself for the likes of the high mountain men like Frank, Sanchez or Menchov. But, there are guys better tuned to sprint from a mile out.

Last time they finished there this was the top 10:

1 Sergio Pardilla Bellón
2 Jurgen Van Den Broeck
3 Damiano Cunego
4 Manuel Vazquez Hueso
5 Bauke Mollema
6 Michael Rogers
7 Javier Moreno Bazan
8 Daniel Moreno Fernández
9 Jelle Vanendert
10 Thomas Lövkvist

So you would expect Valverde to win again.

 

[greenedge]

Nice win by Freire.

Good work by Matthews as well ( who looked challenging/ can hopefully improve, even on last year )

Unless someone drops Valverde on the climb he should win the overall and probably the stage as well.

He looks to be in good form ( ominous for Gilbert and in my view is emerging as his biggest challenger ).

 

[theyoungest]

Last time they finished there this was the top 10:

1 Sergio Pardilla Bellón
2 Jurgen Van Den Broeck
3 Damiano Cunego
4 Manuel Vazquez Hueso
5 Bauke Mollema
6 Michael Rogers
7 Javier Moreno Bazan
8 Daniel Moreno Fernández
9 Jelle Vanendert
10 Thomas Lövkvist

So you would expect Valverde to win again.

That was a proper climb, this time they finish in the village itself. More of an uphill sprint. Won't change the outcome though: Valverde FTW.

PS pick the name out of that top-10 who was caught for clinic issues just a month later.

 

[Thibaut Pinot]

Robert Gesink also thinks Valverde is the favorite today. His team leader, Frans Maassen, however thinks this is a stage for Freire/Matthews. Perhaps the answer lies in the middle.

 

[theyoungest]

Ah, Frans Maassen... now we can say with absolute certainty that it won't be a stage for Freire or Matthews.

 

[Spine Concept]

Ah, Frans Maassen... now we can say with absolute certainty that it won't be a stage for Freire or Matthews.

Lol. Beat me to it.

 

[python]

Here is a brief video of Freire`s win:

http://www.sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozone/MG_sportnieuws/MG_wielrennen/1.1227712

As for tomorrow i can see him getting another win.

isn't almost a 2k climb ( i estimated 6.5% average) too much for any sprinter, even the one like freire ?

thanks for the s3 finish..., is there a link to stage 2 finish ?

 

[Havetts]

Wow Alejandro smoked em..

 

[Thibaut Pinot]

Lol, Van Hummel managed to get himself in the breakaway and after a couple of minutes he has already lost contact with the group. Poor Kenny.

 

[Sophistic]

1.8@7.7...it doesnt get more valverdish

 

[classicomano]

His team leader, Frans Maassen, however thinks this is a stage for Freire/Matthews.

Yes we know how Frans loves to play out Freire on the Cauberg.