Tour of Switzerland -**Spoiler tags must be used - see sticky for rules**

MPFG

The Tour de Suisse started today with an opening time trial prologue. It is an eight day stage race and Ireland have both Dan Martin and Nicolas Roche participating

I expect good things from both....Dan says his form is good and he should do well in the mountains...Nico is a bit off with extra weight but also could do well - (he was 10th last year)

Nico rode well in TT but Dan nearly came off into a field and is a bit off on GC...The top riders on the stage were all those who went early in the day before the wind came up and hampered some the favourites for GC....However Ryder Hesjedal and Peter Velits had the good sense to go ealry and have stole a march on other GC contenders like Van Garderen , Kreuziger , Rui Costa, etc

luapenak

Is this on tv? Can't see it on the Eurosport schedule today or tomorrow

MPFG

its on Al Jazeera TV...

MPFG

Good ridign by Dan Martin today ...attacking and helping Ryder no end...he looks so strong and entertaining to watch...

Dr. Bre

maybe eurosport will start showing it from tomorow now the tennis is over and the dauphine is done

dastardly00

Nico Roche's diary in the Indo:

I got into a nice position near the front of the peloton ahead of the climb. About 3km from the bottom, however, somebody's discarded race cap got stuck in my back wheel, locking up my rear cassette and leaving me freewheeling out the back door.As the peloton rode off into the sunset, I stopped at the side of the road and tore the cap out of my wheel as team-mates Michael Morkov and Matteo Tossatto waited patiently to pace me back to the peloton.

D3PO

dastardly00 wrote: »

Nico Roche's diary in the Indo:

surely he would have been better served grabbing either morkov or tosattos bike. I feel Nico is very tactically poor from reading his column.

TinyExplosions

D3PO wrote: »

surely he would have been better served grabbing either morkov or tosattos bike. I feel Nico is very tactically poor from reading his column.

Both Morkov and Tosatto are taller than Nico, so it could be that their bikes aren't suitable (only a couple inches in it, but they could have very different setups)

ednwireland

dastardly00 wrote: »

Nico Roche's diary in the Indo:

loved this

I feel I need a bit of heat to get myself race fit and get down to my racing weight but the weather has been brutal in Europe this year with snow on most of our training camps leading up to this race. People sending me photos of their barbecues back in Ireland doesn't make it any easier. Now, a couple of hours after the stage, it's only just stopped raining. Maybe I should have ridden the Sean Nolan Grand Prix in Navan today instead

Henlars67

can't believe there's no coverage of this. is there even highlights anywhere?

retalivity

there are ways and means...im at my desk in canada and i had it on earlier.

Race spoiler:

Looks like hesjedal crashed and is out of the race...gives dan a huge chance for the rest of the week now

Captain Havoc

Please note, do not link illegal streams here.

dastardly00

13km left..... four leaders: Kreuziger, Sagan, Rui Costa and Frank.

A group of chasers are 29 seconds back. Dan Martin is leading that chase.

Nico Roche put in a lot of work earlier on the final climb to whittle down the peloton.

retalivity

wtf is sagan doing there....some man for the mountains

dastardly00

Dan Martin finished 7th @ 46" behind Sagan. He's now 7th in GC, 1'23" behind Frank.

dastardly00

Random stat: Today was Sagan's 50th UCI win and his 7th Tour de Suisse stage win.

buffalo

Dammit! I did that thing where I came home and turned on the coverage, only to be too late for the finish, and instead get the results on screen. Impossible not to read at least the first name.

riparooo

Watched it on Al Jazerra in English. Go to steephill.tv and there are links to various online streams

Dr. Bre

watched yesterdays stage on youtube today. miserable weather as usual

happytramp

Martin still looks to be in very good form. Wonder what his role will be now that ryder's out.

MPFG

happytramp wrote: »

Martin still looks to be in very good form. Wonder what his role will be now that ryder's out.

In tour de Suisse he's leader....As for the Tour de France Ryder isn't too bad it seems so he will probably be leader with Talansky in the Tour

buffalo

Nico: http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/nicolas-roche-were-getting-the-bus-back-tomorrow-im-probably-going-soft-but-i-cant-wait-29334643.html

MPFG

buffalo wrote: »

Nico: http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/nicolas-roche-were-getting-the-bus-back-tomorrow-im-probably-going-soft-but-i-cant-wait-29334643.html

I hope Nico goes into that hurt locaker a few more times until he improves or otherwise his season wont be much to write home abut

godtabh

How did he do today?

Inquitus

godtabh wrote: »

How did he do today?

He beat sagan in the sprint

MPFG

godtabh wrote: »

How did he do today?

There wasa bunch sprint finish ....all home together ....so no change on GC

buffalo

Just spotted today's Nico: http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/i-didnt-drop-back-some-crazier-guys-overtook-me-29337997.html

Great description of the sprint finish.

MPFG

buffalo wrote: »

Just spotted today's Nico: http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/i-didnt-drop-back-some-crazier-guys-overtook-me-29337997.html

Great description of the sprint finish.

Thanks a million Buffalo:)

AIR-AUSSIE

Frank soon set a steady tempo at the head of the peloton, with sprinter Peter Sagan's Liquigas squad

Guess Nico didn't get the memo that they're Cannondale now?

MPFG

AIR-AUSSIE wrote: »

Guess Nico didn't get the memo that they're Cannondale now?

He is a bit confused alright because he is saying the TT is on Friday ...its on Sunday!...He is going to find it hard to get up those mountains on a TT bike and skin suit ..Must be all the coffee....Operation for Ulcers at his age....:eek:

godtabh

buffalo wrote: »

Just spotted today's Nico: http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/i-didnt-drop-back-some-crazier-guys-overtook-me-29337997.html

Great description of the sprint finish.

Did they only just publish that? I've been looking for it most of the day under the cycling section

buffalo

godtabh wrote: »

Did they only just publish that? I've been looking for it most of the day under the cycling section

I've been away from the computer for a lot of the day, only saw it whenever I posted it. They've been quite tardy in the past with their online publishing.

Browndog82

Can someone tell me where I can watch the previous stages of the Tour de Suisse....Cant see them on the Al jazeera website .... Interested to see Nico in his super domestique role!

MPFG

Browndog82 wrote: »

Can someone tell me where I can watch the previous stages of the Tour de Suisse....Cant see them on the Al jazeera website .... Interested to see Nico in his super domestique role!

Try here - link below video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73pq-bGGuTA&NR=1&feature=endscreen

dastardly00

godtabh wrote: »

Did they only just publish that? I've been looking for it most of the day under the cycling section

Yeah I checked this morning and there was no sign of it.
Maybe Nico/ghost writer only wrote it this morning

godtabh

Published early today

Indo

MPFG

Grégory Rast, Radioshak won today after the breakaway stayed away...no change on GC, etc Tomorrow is the big one ...Expect to see Dan Martin go for it and try a grab yellow. I am sure Garmin, who are very wily will have some tatics up their sleeves. One of the key men that will have to try and stop him will be his cousin.... I expect this will be an exciting stage and a hard day for all

dastardly00

Thanks for the updates MPFG

MPFG

dastardly00 wrote: »

Thanks for the updates MPFG

You are welcome Dastardly....but I am just a novice in comparison to yourself (its like I'm Nico to your Bertie) in the update and stage setting boards.ie posts

BTW I thought you were on an hiatus before taking over leadership duties for the Tour !

godtabh

Indo update

riparooo

Big day today! Hopefully Dan and Nico can produce some magic and bag some vital UCI points to get Ireland into top 10 and nine riders for the Worlds.

Henlars67

Scarponi is a good bet for today's stage at 16/1, was 22/1.

He's well down on GC so they won't be too worried about him.

Worth a punt on him having the legs.

Craig06

Scarponi has crashed twice so far so I don't know if he'll be in great form. Dan is definitely one to watch today though.

DDC1990

Dan Martin in the group of 6 ahead of the Yellow Jersey with 10km to go.
Orrrr not. Just dropped by that group after an attack by Pinot

DDC1990

FFS The Inflatable 2km to go thing, collapsed across the track and stopped the riders dead.

Thats a joke at this level of competition.

MPFG

That Carlton Kiby does my head in especially the way he keeps saying Michele Scarponi in an over the top exagerated poor Italian accent ....why ??

Darkglasses

I really am the only person who likes Kirby's whimsy amn't I.

MPFG

Darkglasses wrote: »

I really am the only person who likes Kirby's whimsy amn't I.

'amn't I' ....love it ...don't get to hear that in London much
As for Mr Kirby ....I'd say you are the only one

Though Nico did a very good job on the climb....nearly got to the top before blowing and at a very high pace....But as Magnus Backstedt pointed out that his bigger muscle frame is not built for high altitude climbing in comparison to the others as more muscle equals less oxygen

godtabh

MPFG wrote: »

'amn't I' ....love it ...don't get to hear that in London much
As for Mr Kirby ....I'd say you are the only one

Though Nico did a very good job on the climb....nearly got to the top before blowing and at a very high pace....But as Magnus Backstedt pointed out that his bigger muscle frame is not built for high altitude climbing in comparison to the others as more muscle equals less oxygen

That's an interesting fact. Must be the reason I struggle up hills!

MPFG

godtabh wrote: »

That's an interesting fact. Must be the reason I struggle up hills!

I maybe should have worded it better....The more muscle you have the more oxygen the muscles requires and if at high altitude the oxygen is thinner, then there is less for your muscles in comparison to your slimline competitors

Science fact today : Researchers at University of Liverpool ( I think) have discovered how seals can hold their breath for up to 30 minutes in water....they have a special protein in their blood that carries more oxygen for longer periods in their muscles.....Queue further enhancing in sport based on that protein

riparooo

Tommorow stage looks very suitable for Martin - it has a short steep cat 3 climb just at the end where he could launch a breakaway. Good to see him compete so well on this race after a fairly long break.