XDS Astana team

[rxgqgxnyfz]

I think based on today Inglinsky deserves a leadership role for the WC RR course.

Limburg is gonna be hilly, right?
* checks the site
Wow, it's basically another hilly classic. Things are looking good.

 

[karlboss]

Limburg is gonna be hilly, right?
* checks the site
Wow, it's basically another hilly classic. Things are looking good.

Some say (including Bettini) it's very close to being another Amstel.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

The worlds road race this year will be very good.

 

[karlboss]

The worlds road race this year will be very good.

I think so too, Amstel can be a little boring if too many teams are willing to ride negatively, hence the Cauberg sprint. However the worlds are worth a little more and that should provide a little more incentive to attack.

 

[Fetisoff]

Limburg is gonna be hilly, right?
* checks the site
Wow, it's basically another hilly classic. Things are looking good.

Hopefully Kolobnev will build up shape by then. This way him and Max will give all the haters something to do again - talking about "how one sold the race to another".

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vinokourov-maxim-iglinskiys-won-liege-bastogne-liege-the-vino-way

Vino way indeed

 

[Kvinto]

"I called Maxim yesterday morning before the start," Vino added. "I had noticed that he had good legs at Amstel Gold Race and Fleche Wallonne. ... He rode to perfection. He did it the Vino way! I told him to wait for the Roche-aux-Faucons and go with [Joaquim] Rodriguez. When he did it, I was confident that he'd finish on the podium. He dropped Rodriguez on St-Nicolas and turned the turbo on to catch [Vincenzo] Nibali."

Vino, the genius of anticipation

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

"I called Maxim yesterday morning before the start," Vino added. "I had noticed that he had good legs at Amstel Gold Race and Fleche Wallonne. ... He rode to perfection. He did it the Vino way! I told him to wait for the Roche-aux-Faucons and go with [Joaquim] Rodriguez. When he did it, I was confident that he'd finish on the podium. He dropped Rodriguez on St-Nicolas and turned the turbo on to catch [Vincenzo] Nibali."

Vino, the genius of anticipation

Vino can see into the future, didn't you know that?

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

After this victory, he can step up to another level. He'll go back to Kazakhstan tomorrow and take some rest prior to training for the Tour de France and why not the Olympic Games

Ugh! What is this with fixation on GTs? Iglinsky is a good classics rider but trying to turn him into GT guy may ruin everything.
And Olympic Games? The point? The race is flat!

 

[greenedge]

I think so too, Amstel can be a little boring if too many teams are willing to ride negatively, hence the Cauberg sprint. However the worlds are worth a little more and that should provide a little more incentive to attack.

Yeah i do as well. All the teams relying on a sprinter will not want people going on the Cauberg whilst others will want to solo in to the finish.

That and the Spanish FFA ( Freire, Valverde, JROD, Alberto, Samu ).

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

Don't really have anything to contribute, just wanted to note how aligned our avatars got in the last posts. ;p

 

[El Pistolero]

Yeah i do as well. All the teams relying on a sprinter will not want people going on the Cauberg whilst others will want to solo in to the finish.

That and the Spanish FFA ( Freire, Valverde, JROD, Alberto, Samu ).

Gilbert, Boonen, Vanendert, Greg van Avermaet, Nick Nuyens and Bjorn Leukemans are a much more lethal combination on a course like this. After all, it's not like the Spanish ever won AGR.

Remember, these hills are fairly short and the race has never really suited Samuel Sanchez and Valverde. Let alone Bertie.

 

[Stilletto]

What happened to francesco masciarelli??? Injured ??

 

[hfer07]

Ugh! What is this with fixation on GTs? Iglinsky is a good classics rider but trying to turn him into GT guy may ruin everything.
And Olympic Games? The point? The race is flat!

Agree-the Olympic Parcours isn't the best for him-& I think Vino wants Igli just to have him along for the Tour. He "must" be the rightful leader for the World's...

 

[greenedge]

Gilbert, Boonen, Vanendert, Greg van Avermaet, Nick Nuyens and Bjorn Leukemans are a much more lethal combination on a course like this. After all, it's not like the Spanish ever won AGR.

Remember, these hills are fairly short and the race has never really suited Samuel Sanchez and Valverde. Let alone Bertie.

They still have quite a big chance and i would rate all 5 of those Spanish riders higher than all but Boonen/ Gilbert.

 

[BillytheKid]

Astana should keep at it. Show up with four five dangerous guys, race unselfessly and go at their opponents like s%# through a goose.

 

[Kokoso]

Kreuziger had a hunger knock in the last Trentino stage, that's why he lost. It was only preparation for Giro, result is not so important.
Yesterday decent time in prologue indicates that his TT is not that bad as it could seem after Tirreno (where had only few racing days in his legs).
I think heš definitely going for podium at Giro.

 

[rxgqgxnyfz]

I think he's definitely going for podium at Giro.

Damn right he's going -- after years of saying it aloud
Will he be able to get it -- is another question :/

Oh, just checked Giro line-up -- Dyachenko is going to Giro too! That's great cause judging by his Tourkey performance he has a great mountain form now.

 

[Kokoso]

Damn right he's going -- after years of saying it aloud
Will he be able to get it -- is another question :/

After what years? He has done Giro once. So that means it may be ONE year he has said that, am I right?
I think he definitely is able to get podium spot, but yeah - there are lot of other favourites for podium and he'll sure need a luck also - I mean as anyone else. For me he's amongst the biggest favourites this year. Last year he was fifth. He's getting better step by step year by year, is relatively consistent plus route suits him more this year.

 

[Angliru]

My apologies to Astana and their fans. They certainly showed great strength as a team throughout the Ardennes.

Why are you apologizing?

 

[will10]

Why are you apologizing?

Because as an attempt to divert attention from BMC's poor spring, ACF assured us before the Ardennes that it was in fact Astana who were having the worst spring.

 

[El Pistolero]

They still have quite a big chance and i would rate all 5 of those Spanish riders higher than all but Boonen/ Gilbert.

They aren't. Vanendert did much better than most of these Spaniards combined last 2 years. It's not because they have big names that they all of a sudden will improve on the hills of Limburg.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

They aren't. Vanendert did much better than most of these Spaniards combined last 2 years. It's not because they have big names that they all of a sudden will improve on the hills of Limburg.

Yes belgium are the absolute fav. Gilbert, gva or vanendert will be the champion.

 

[Vino attacks everyone]

Why are you apologizing?

because he was ingorant when it came to how awesome team Astana was before the ardennes

 

[step23]

La Tropicale Amissa Bongo (Africa), Stage 2

1. Nikita Umerbekov (Astana Continental)
2. Thomas Voeckler (Europcar)
3. Meron Russon (MTN Qhubeka)