Klodi doing Vuelta
Comments
-
Nice to see somebody coming in, not dropping out.
You would think it should please Astana fans. This year, the star riders will ride two GT's not the usual one; that's six weeks of their heroes on a bike, not three..
I'm glad to see one squad treating this race with the prestige it deserves.
Besides, with Efimkin added to Menchov and especially Evans on the drop out list, there'd be little to post a "funny" about.
Boonan is leaving the ENECO Tour, today, to prepare for his only three weeker of the year.....
.....Hope mum's hidden his stash. :oops: 8)"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Check out the results for Clasica a los Puertos
Bertie and Levi all set.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
Yes, maybe and no (according to cyclingstartlists.com)0
-
Should make for an awsome Vuelta.
Although, it might have been nicer to have allowed him a shot at the ToD, as leader. I think it might have helped repair relations with the home Fed.
He will now have to work for Bertie, as he did in the GIro. Fortunately Bertie does appear to appreciate his uber-domestique.0 -
Awsome? awsomely bad and no, I'm not being anti-Astana. Only die hard Astana fans could get excited by this list over left overs:-SecretSqirrel wrote:Should make for an awsome Vuelta.
http://www.cyclingstartlists.com/2008/0 ... Vuelta.htm
Other than Bruyneel's big guns, we have a smattering of Spanish quality and World Champion warmer uppers. The rest must be guys who fancy 3 weeks in the sun, but can't afford a beach holiday. :roll:"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:
Other than Bruyneel's big guns, we have a smattering of Spanish quality and World Champion warmer uppers. The rest must be guys who fancy 3 weeks in the sun, but can't afford a beach holiday. :roll:
Sure but that's the Vuelta. At least the 3 Spanish guys could put on a race.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:SecretSqirrel wrote:Awsome? awsomely bad and no, I'm not being anti-Astana. Only die hard Astana fans could get excited by this list over left overs:-
http://www.cyclingstartlists.com/2008/0 ... Vuelta.htm
Other than Bruyneel's big guns, we have a smattering of Spanish quality and World Champion warmer uppers. The rest must be guys who fancy 3 weeks in the sun, but can't afford a beach holiday. :roll:
Wish this site had a cuckoo clock icon......
And a big sigh icon......
And a yawn icon......0 -
iainf72 wrote:Blazing Saddles wrote:
Other than Bruyneel's big guns, we have a smattering of Spanish quality and World Champion warmer uppers. The rest must be guys who fancy 3 weeks in the sun, but can't afford a beach holiday. :roll:
Sure but that's the Vuelta. At least the 3 Spanish guys could put on a race.
Well, I hope Sastre, Valverde and possibly Anton and Gesink, can add to the competition. Who knows, maybe even Cunego could find some form in Spain, but is that expecting too much?
Still, if a couple of these are below par, or get injured during the race, there's not many ready to step up to the mark, from the remaining field.
It's disappointing that, once again, the best of the rest will be riding as prep for the WC's.
Contrary to what SS has uncharitably posted above, I'm extremely grateful for Astana's presence, in such strength. I thought I'd made this point so clear, it would be impossible to misconstrue.
It's just a pity to see a GC misused or ignored by many of the other squads."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Sorry Blaze, you subtle use of irony in previous posts appears to have wrong footed me here.
See.... the Sqirrel can do charity.0 -
Ta. I can do serious, too!SecretSqirrel wrote:Sorry Blaze, you subtle use of irony in previous posts appears to have wrong footed me here.
See.... the Sqirrel can do charity.
Just imagine the race without the likes of Contador, LL and Klodi.
I can't understand what Sammy Sanchez has done this year.
Nothing before the Tour and now not defending his podium of last year.
I'm actually missing Cadel Evans!!!! :shock:"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
"Blazing wrote:I can't understand what Sammy Sanchez has done this year.
Nothing before the Tour and now not defending his podium of last year.
Preparing for the Worlds by going to Poland. The Italian course should suit him I'd expect.
But choosing Poland over 2 weeks of the Vuelta...Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
Where the Veulta is in the calendar it's always going to have the potential to be used as a warm up for the worlds, which is a shame when it's meant to be a grand tour. But hey, it could be an exciting race, Sastre may have new found confidence and will want to show that he wasn't just a shoe in for Contador.
However, I do think it's a shame that Menchov is not defending his title, especially considering the disappointing result in the Tour, OK he did a lot of work for his 4th, but still...You live and learn. At any rate, you live0 -
Jez mon wrote:
However, I do think it's a shame that Menchov is not defending his title, especially considering the disappointing result in the Tour, OK he did a lot of work for his 4th, but still...
He also top 10'd (I think) in the Giro so it's a bit much expecting him to do the Vuelta too.Fckin' Quintana … that creep can roll, man.0 -
Jez mon wrote:Where the Veulta is in the calendar it's always going to have the potential to be used as a warm up for the worlds, which is a shame when it's meant to be a grand tour. But hey, it could be an exciting race, Sastre may have new found confidence and will want to show that he wasn't just a shoe in for Contador.
However, I do think it's a shame that Menchov is not defending his title, especially considering the disappointing result in the Tour, OK he did a lot of work for his 4th, but still...
Imposible to Menchov ride La Vuelta, he had been 4th in Giro and Tour and he isn´t Marino Lejarreta (that rode the 3 GT in a good level in the 80´s)If you like Flandes, Roubaix or Eroica, you would like GP Canal de Castilla, www.gpcanaldecastilla.com0 -
Fair enough, I'd forgotten his good ride in the Giro, it was a rather unspectacular 4th, as opposed to his 4th in the Tour. Even Eddy Merckx didn't ride 3GTs in a season (don't know for sure but can't find any information that says he did!! and he certainly didn't win 3 in one season)You live and learn. At any rate, you live0
-
The riders make the race, very simple, no matter who are attending.
As for calling this years Vuelta boring, I disagree, we have all the top sprinters (except Cav), and this years 2 GT winners lining up. Only Giro had similar line up.
But I'm an Astana fanboy, so nothing matters what I say....... :roll:0 -
edit.
oopsie, just noticed the double post.... :oops:
sorry about that.0 -
Arkibal wrote:The riders make the race, very simple, no matter who are attending.
As for calling this years Vuelta boring, I disagree, we have all the top sprinters (except Cav), and this years 2 GT winners lining up. Only Giro had similar line up.
But I'm an Astana fanboy, so nothing matters what I say....... :roll:
Not even when you say it twice.
Just a point. First, the quality of the field may effect the quality of competition. However, it is possible for a relatively unfavoured field, to produce an exciting race.
No none said the race will be boring, let alone that it is boring, before it starts.
Simply that the quality in depth of the field, is disappointing.
Some of the sprinters will leave for the Worlds. Besides, if you'd watched the ENECO Tour, you'd be desperate for a good battle in the mountains, too."Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Arkibal wrote:The riders make the race, very simple, no matter who are attending.
As for calling this years Vuelta boring, I disagree, we have all the top sprinters (except Cav), and this years 2 GT winners lining up. Only Giro had similar line up.
But I'm an Astana fanboy, so nothing matters what I say....... :roll:
Agree Arkibal
I think it is a good line-up, and it should be an interesting race. Astana and CSC are sending the headliners, but not full team firepower, so there is a possibility that there is not going to be team dominance as in the TdF.
As far as I can tell Astana has not anounced the roster for the D-Tour, I'm guessing they are going to sent a good team with Iglinsky and Bassayev etc there, that should also be a good race also.0 -
iainf72 wrote:Preparing for the Worlds by going to Poland. The Italian course should suit him I'd expect.
But choosing Poland over 2 weeks of the Vuelta...
You would have thought, as Olympic champion, he would have wanted to celebrate in Spain.
Poland?? Half a dozen endless, flat stages, followed by climb that hill over and over again. So, one hilly circuit race makes perfect prep for the Worlds?
It's time to move something. I'd put the WC's back in August, a fortnight after the Tour.
That way, you'd know that the Vuelta field might be rubbish, but they'd be their rubbish, for the duration. :oops: "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
SecretSqirrel wrote:As far as I can tell Astana has not anounced the roster for the D-Tour, I'm guessing they are going to sent a good team with Iglinsky and Bassayev etc there, that should also be a good race also.
ASTANA
11 BRAJKOVIC Janez
12 HASELBACHER René
13 IGLINSKY Maxim
14 MIZUROV Andrey
15 NAVARRO GARCIA Daniel
16 RAST Grégory
17 SCHÄR Michael
18 YAKOVLEV Serguei"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:It's time to move something. I'd put the WC's back in August, a fortnight after the Tour.
That way, you'd know that the Vuelta field might be rubbish, but they'd be their rubbish, for the duration.
I was thinking that the calendar needed moving around a bit. But however much you shuffle stuff around, the Veulta is always going to be the least prestigious grand tour. Part of me thinks that the sport no longer needs three Grand Tours in central Europe. If cycling does expand with an American 3 week tour, then space is needed. I know that's sacrilege but it's true.You live and learn. At any rate, you live0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:SecretSqirrel wrote:As far as I can tell Astana has not anounced the roster for the D-Tour, I'm guessing they are going to sent a good team with Iglinsky and Bassayev etc there, that should also be a good race also.
ASTANA
11 BRAJKOVIC Janez
12 HASELBACHER René
13 IGLINSKY Maxim
14 MIZUROV Andrey
15 NAVARRO GARCIA Daniel
16 RAST Grégory
17 SCHÄR Michael
18 YAKOVLEV Serguei
Cheers Blaze, perhaps you should tell Astana's website
0 -
I hope it's right. Cycling Starlists have the T of G as all being confirmed. Ironically, old SD get to ride this uber clean tour, but are booted from La Vuelta.
Here's the link.
http://www.cyclingstartlists.com/2008/0 ... chland.htm
Tell the Astana website! :shock: No way, Jose.
I'll bet there are a few around here just waiting to call me a FB. :oops:"Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.0 -
Blazing Saddles wrote:I hope it's right. Cycling Starlists have the T of G as all being confirmed. Ironically, old SD get to ride this uber clean tour, but are booted from La Vuelta.
Any tour that has Jens Voigt sailing up mountains is clean in my book.It's a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit when the gorilla is tired.0 -
I am not sure why as I have no specific reasoning for it, but I have a feeling this might be the best Vuelta for a while.
Whether you believe in them of not, the first two major grand tours of the season have been spectacular and exciting with drama all along the route.
I hope that we see the same despite what is usually the least interesting parcours of the tour season.
Will Astana be dominant? probably so, but I would hope the others will attack them from the off to try and distance Contador before he can take a grip on the race.
I am looking forward to it.0
