Who will win the Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco?

[Arredondo]

AC was better on the hilly TT in TdF, but he is probably not gonna gain the amount of seconds that Valverde will gain in bonus seconds (I assume there are bonus seconds) on AC before that stage. Valverde and AC are equally big favourites the way I see it.

Yeah, you're right. AC can win the TT, or Valverde (in a very good day). The way Valverde rides this season however, i'm not counting out he can win a flat TT against Martin and Cancellara

 

[roundabout]

AC was better on the hilly TT in TdF, but he is probably not gonna gain the amount of seconds that Valverde will gain in bonus seconds (I assume there are bonus seconds) on AC before that stage. Valverde and AC are equally big favourites the way I see it.

I have not checked the rules for this year, but there have been no bonus seconds in the Tour of the Basque Country for as long as I can remember.

 

[LaFlorecita]

I scanned through the roadbook, no mention of bonus seconds but then again the only mention of the classifications is about what you get for winning them

 

[Kokoso]

I see Peter Kennaugh has leadership roll for Sky, would be good if he could finish in top ten

Won't that be Nieve?

 

[Tornado Tom]

Contador
Valverde
Peraud
Van Garderen
Rui Costa
Kreuziger
Hesjedal
Spilak
Schleck F.
Kennaugh

 

[CycloAndy]

Won't that be Nieve?

The Sky website suggests Kennaugh but would be interesting if the have dual leadership and let the road decide. The rest of the squad all could be in with a shout of making the Giro team.

 

[Jack_89]

i'm sure only about one thing , bonus or not i don't see Valverde drop and gain seconds on AC in any stage.

Only in TT he can beat AC but it will not easy

 

[durtyfat]

Hesjedal is also participating at that race. He finished 15th at Volta a Catalunya. He should be more in shape in Vuelta Cicilista al Pais Vasco. I see him in the top10, and maybe top5.

 

[theyoungest]

Hesjedal is also participating at that race. He finished 15th at Volta a Catalunya. He should be more in shape in Vuelta Cicilista al Pais Vasco. I see him in the top10, and maybe top5.

He's quite a poor time trialist though, which is usually decisive in Pais Vasco.

 

[durtyfat]

He's quite a poor time trialist though, which is usually decisive in Pais Vasco.

Are you serious? He was a time trialist before he became a GC rider. He is better than Contador in ITT.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

He's quite a poor time trialist though, which is usually decisive in Pais Vasco.

Are you serious? He was a time trialist before he became a GC rider. He is better than Contador in ITT.

Hesjedal and Contador have faced off in ITTs 11 times in their careers. Contador has beaten Hesjedal in 11 of these.

Though it must be said in terms of the GC determining position of the ITT, an ITT in the Euskal Herriko Itzulia tends to be a bit less "normal" in terms of results. Last year's TT had Castroviejo +1'36, Malori +1'53, yet Quintana +17. 2012's Oñati route had Martin and Pinotti beaten by Sánchez and Mollema, and Purito 6th yet Rogers 35th.

 

[durtyfat]

Well, im talking about the Contador today. =.= Since 2010, Hesjedal became stronger and he didn't race a ITT throughly alot. If Hesjedal and Contador do now an ITT in the last stage of a GT to win it, im sure Hesjedal will finish ahead him. Sorry for my english.

 

[VeloHuman]

He's quite a poor time trialist though, which is usually decisive in Pais Vasco.

1. Ask Purito about Ryder Hesjedal's time trialing abilities. See what he thinks.

2. This is a very hilly ITT.

 

[Parrulo]

Oh the good old "hesjedal can itt" hype, it never gets old

 

[Hugo87]

1. Ask Purito about Ryder Hesjedal's time trialing abilities. See what he thinks.

2. This is a very hilly ITT.

Hesjedal ITT results at Pais Vasco:

2012

52 HESJEDAL Ryder Team Garmin - Barracuda 1:55

2011

23 HESJEDAL Ryder Team Garmin - Cervélo 1:52

2010

18 HESJEDAL Ryder Team Garmin - Transitions 1:21

2009

50 HESJEDAL Ryder Team Garmin - Slipstream 3:36

When someone says that Hesjedal is better than Contador in ITT specially in this kind of hilly profile, something isn't right.

 

[VeloHuman]

Hesjedal ITT results at Pais Vasco:

2012

52 HESJEDAL Ryder Team Garmin - Barracuda 1:55

2011

23 HESJEDAL Ryder Team Garmin - Cervélo 1:52

2010

18 HESJEDAL Ryder Team Garmin - Transitions 1:21

2009

50 HESJEDAL Ryder Team Garmin - Slipstream 3:36

When someone says that Hesjedal is better than Contador in ITT specially in this kind of hilly profile, something isn't right.

I didn't say he was better than Contador. Someone else said that. My comment quoted and was in reply to someone saying he was a bad TTist, which is plain false.

 

[Hugo87]

I didn't say he was better than Contador. Someone else said that. My comment quoted and was in reply to someone saying he was a bad TTist, which is plain false.

Yes, I know that wasn't you.

He isn't a bad TTist, but isn't a good one too, it's a mediocre one that sporadically does a good ITT, I think we can agree on that.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

1. Ask Purito about Ryder Hesjedal's time trialing abilities. See what he thinks.

2. This is a very hilly ITT.

Purito doesn't know what time trialling abilities are, how is he supposed to have an opinion on the subject?

Winning a race from Purito in the TT is not exactly a ringing endorsement of one's ITT prowess either. Basso could do it. In the right kind of form, Igor Antón could probably have done it a couple of years ago.

Ryder Hesjedal is not a bad TTer, but he's not an especially noteworthy one to warrant the praise that his TT gets. There's a reason the 2009 Tour TTT saw Hesjedal desperately clawing to the back of the Vandevelde-Zabriskie-Wiggins-Millar quartet and he didn't do a single pull in the last 15k of that TTT - because the other four are noticeably better TT riders than him.

Still, hopefully he's in better form than 2013. Last year he missed the top 20 in four stages then climbed off on the Beasain stage, an early sign that his Giro defence was not quite going to plan.

 

[durtyfat]

Don't forget that Hesjedal was a mountain biker. He can do really well in a hilly ITT. Maybe Contador is a better ITT than Hesjedal in the hilly stages, but in a flat ITT, im sure Hesjedal is strongest than him.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Don't forget that Hesjedal was a mountain biker. He can do really well in a hilly ITT. Maybe Contador is a better ITT than Hesjedal in the hilly stages, but in a flat ITT, im sure Hesjedal is strongest than him.

This is the the TT this year:

Looks hilly to me.

 

[Kwibus]

Don't forget that Hesjedal was a mountain biker. He can do really well in a hilly ITT. Maybe Contador is a better ITT than Hesjedal in the hilly stages, but in a flat ITT, im sure Hesjedal is strongest than him.

Im sure he ain't.

 

[durtyfat]

Im sure he ain't.

Give me proofs that he ain't! Unless you are talking about the Contador of 2009, it's another story. He finished more than 2min over Froome at the Tour 2013 in the ITT at Mont Saint-Michel, behind Valverde, who is not a good ITT.

 

[Jelantik]

I read somewhere Betancur is having knee issues.
Anyway must take a closer look at the parcours before voting.

it's true. His participation might be in jeopardy. But he himself wanted to race PV for his classic campaign. So hopefully he recovers in time.

 

[eliacodogno]

Don't forget that Hesjedal was a mountain biker. He can do really well in a hilly ITT. Maybe Contador is a better ITT than Hesjedal in the hilly stages, but in a flat ITT, im sure Hesjedal is strongest than him.

I think that Hesjedal is overrated in ITT stages. He subverted the virdict of Giro 2012 in the last ITT but the opponent was Purito....

According to me Contador can do better, even if every race is a different story

For the race my favourite is Valverde, ever seen so strong as this season

 

[ILovecycling]

it's true. His participation might be in jeopardy. But he himself wanted to race PV for his classic campaign. So hopefully he recovers in time.

do you have a source about Betancur illness please?