Ruta Del Sol - 18th - 22nd Feb

MPFG

Thought I'd start a thread for this race starting on Wednesday 18th Feb in Spain...Its a GC contenders stage race over 5 days (6 stages in total) and sees the first clash of the top GC guys Contador & Froome in 2015

Also in the field as team principls are JVD Brocek, Bauke Mollema,Romain Bardet, JC Peraud, Wilco Keldeman, Laurens Ten Dams, Daniel Navarro, Pierre Rolland, etc

Quintana was due to ride but has pulled out and is reported as still recovering from a crash at Columbian nationals

The overall results will depend on form this time of the year ...with Contador reporting from Sicily recently that he couldn't follow Majka on a climb and Froome saying Poels was faster than him on the mountains in S Africia ....but I imagine as both these guys are so competetive that they won't want the other to win and there could be an element of talking down their chances or bluffing, etc

This is Nicolas Roche's first outing with SKY where he is listed as road capatin (?) ....most probably as preparation for this role in the Tour....He seems to be riding nearly every race with Froome this year while Richie Porte is on another track

http://www.stickybottle.com/latest-news/roche-now-im-a-bit-older-i-need-to-prepare-more-but-im-ready-to-go/

The hardest stage of this race is on Saturday 21st and finishes with the climb to Alto e Allanadas




This I believe is the climb used in stage 10 of 2103 Vuleta a Espana and we know how that turned out ( I could be wrong though as don't speak Spanish)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49UzTWuY77c

This race is covered on Eurosport this week ...with some stages listed to be shown live and others shown as highlights (?) starting with live cycling at 3.30pm on Wed 18th February . The race starts with a short TT prolog and then a road race on the same day.

Darkglasses

Reminder that this starts tomorrow, here is a preview - http://www.c-cycling.com/sites/Ruta_del_Sol_2015_Preview.html

MPFG

I fogot to add Matt Brammeier to my list above ..DoH!! :eek::eek::eek:

Matt is listed as number 1 for Team MTN Qhubecka for this race

Maybe some of the undulating stages will suit him

Taxuser1

Darkglasses wrote: »

Reminder that this starts tomorrow, here is a preview - http://www.c-cycling.com/sites/Ruta_del_Sol_2015_Preview.html

cannot abide this lad's previews and he himself. so full of his own self importance.

one of the better preview sites http://cyclingquotes.com/news/

dastardly00

Thanks MPFG for setting up and previewing these races

MPFG

Bloody hell...both Irish riders caught in crashes on first flat short stage 1a....both reported as ok ...lots of GC guys lost time ...though not Contador/Froome ...or Bardet ...only 27 didn't lose time inc Kennaugh, Nieve , Basso, Valgren and a some sprinters but most GC leads did

MPFG

there were 2 crashes in stage 1a...Here they are : http://cyclinghub.tv/post.php?id=295

neris

roads look rubbish. very bumpy

MPFG

TT won by Moreno....Contador 4th and Froome 10th , 8 seconds behind Bertie..SKY will need to attack in mountains on Friday & Saturday...

lennymc

they were a couple of nasty looking crashes alright.

MPFG

So Karsten Kroon was pretty forthcoming on Ducth TV yesterday on Nico Roche ..Said Roche had a big problem with his weight and was constantly hungry...Tinkov gave him a hard time and that was the reason he left TCS as he didn't like Oleg who pressurised him..He did say that Nico would turn down desertt at the dinner table but then go to his room and eat mars bars :eek:

Wonder how Sagan will react to Tinkov pressure ..obviously Contador is a tougher cookie and able to take it ...

Also heard some Danish report second hand that Riis wanted ot keep Roche but was exasperated with him

Kroon did say he thought Roche would do better at SKY becasue they are more presciptive with diet and control things more

P.S. The 2013 Vuelta , stage 10 is tomorrow Friday while Saturday's stage looks even harder

lennymc

MPFG wrote: »

that Nico would turn down desertt at the dinner table but then go to his room and eat mars bars :eek:

A mars a day helps you work, rest and play.

neris

Not live on eurosport today

Brian?

neris wrote: »

Not live on eurosport today

Saw no coverage of yesterday myself. Recorded the highlights on Eurosport HD, but I don't have a HD package. Well done Brian.

neris

saw the TT yesterday but todays highlights are on later.

godtabh

MPFG wrote: »

So Karsten Kroon was pretty forthcoming on Ducth TV yesterday on Nico Roche ..Said Roche had a big problem with his weight and was constantly hungry...Tinkov gave him a hard time and that was the reason he left TCS as he didn't like Oleg who pressurised him..He did say that Nico would turn down desertt at the dinner table but then go to his room and eat mars bars :eek:

Wonder how Sagan will react to Tinkov pressure ..obviously Contador is a tougher cookie and able to take it ...

Also heard some Danish report second hand that Riis wanted ot keep Roche but was exasperated with him

Kroon did say he thought Roche would do better at SKY becasue they are more presciptive with diet and control things more

P.S. The 2013 Vuelta , stage 10 is tomorrow Friday while Saturday's stage looks even harder

This is the same lad who eat pasta plain for years?

nak

MPFG wrote: »

Wonder how Sagan will react to Tinkov pressure ..obviously Contador is a tougher cookie and able to take it

They won't be under the same pressure as they have a lots of wins under their belt. Contador couldn't get much thinner if he tried.

neris

is anyone else watching highlights online and feed dropping all the time?

Brian?

godtabh wrote: »

This is the same lad who eat pasta plain for years?

It wasn't plain, it had olive oil as well .

I read an interview with Nico last year, his dietary habits are fairly old school. The Tinkoff-Saxo nutritionist had him on a high fat, high protein diet for a while and he described it as "crap" and a bit of a fad, he went back to eating the way he always did. I'm sure Riis was none too happy about that. He's hired the best nutritionists, chefs and fitness trainers money can get and Nico does his own thing. I can't imagine Brailsford will put up with that at Sky.

I like Nico, he has a huge heart and is a great team player but he doesn't seem willing to make the sacrifices one needs to be a really successful pro. Sky could change that in fairness, marginal gains are really all he needs to start winning.

MPFG

Sagan has no wins under his belt so far this year ...and if you are watching Oman he is not wining there ...There is no way Oleg is happy with that after paying him $3.5 million...But if he puts pressure on him it could be counter productive

As for Nico and diet I am guessing he is an emotional eater...he tries and has lost weight at times like before Vuelta 2013 but when things are not going well he reverts to eating to cheer himself up...I remember in one of his blogs where he got locked out of his flat as the down stairs neighbour locked the outside gate ....He was furious and he said his girlfriend came round with a pizza to cheer him up !!!

Yes I also thought it strange that he didn't work with Saxo nutrionists as they have best diet and Riis pays to employ them

nak

It is early season, I don't think we can discredit Sagan or anyone else for that matter yet.

Tinkoff Saxo certainly have a good chef, I would happily eat their food.

godtabh

His protein shake rant was priceless!

I saw Froome has moved up to third. Probably off the pace slightly as Bertie will be targeting the Giro. My money (if I was a meeting man) would be on him

Darkglasses

godtabh wrote: »

His protein shake rant was priceless!

I saw Froome has moved up to third. Probably off the pace slightly as Bertie will be targeting the Giro. My money (if I was a meeting man) would be on him

What's the protein shake rant? One of his newspaper columns?

godtabh

Darkglasses wrote: »

What's the protein shake rant? One of his newspaper columns?

He was told to take a post protein shake drink after training. Said he put a lot of weight on as a result. Stopped taking it. His rant was basically he was told to do one thing by the team but wanted to do his own thing

MPFG

Gosh I am not writing Sagan off ...he is very talented ...just saying Tinkov could give him a hard time which may not work with him

But I see Sean Yates rested him today in Oman which was a wise move ...

Brian?

Mountains today?

Brian?

godtabh wrote: »

He was told to take a post protein shake drink after training. Said he put a lot of weight on as a result. Stopped taking it. His rant was basically he was told to do one thing by the team but wanted to do his own thing

Fairly childish.

MPFG

Brian? wrote: »

Mountains today?

Yes...the stge that Chris Hornerwon in the 2013 Vuelta

wirelessdude01

Remember reading about the high protein diet thing at the time. Nico said he was doing far more training that he had ever done yet his weight wasn't going down so he decided it had to be the diet that the team had him on. Said that once he went back to his 'normal racing diet' that he was back to his racing weight within 6 weeks.

To be honest myself I think Nico just doesn't look after himself enough during the off season. Was at a Q&A last autumn with Sean Kelly and he more or less said the same thing. That Nico doesn't woor hard enough during the winter and as such usually is playing catch-up for the first 3 months of the racing year. Said it would be interesting to see how he reacted/took to the sky methods as they were fairly structured and rigid.

MPFG

wirelessdude01 wrote: »

Remember reading about the high protein diet thing at the time. Nico said he was doing far more training that he had ever done yet his weight wasn't going down so he decided it had to be the diet that the team had him on. Said that once he went back to his 'normal racing diet' that he was back to his racing weight within 6 weeks.

To be honest myself I think Nico just doesn't look after himself enough during the off season. Was at a Q&A last autumn with Sean Kelly and he more or less said the same thing. That Nico doesn't woor hard enough during the winter and as such usually is playing catch-up for the first 3 months of the racing year. Said it would be interesting to see how he reacted/took to the sky methods as they were fairly structured and rigid.

Its a pity and he is only fooling himself.....Leopold Konig is the same height as Nico and is 8KG lighter.....How can you compete against that on the mountains...If Roche were just 4kgs lighter he's have more than a chance....

That is why he always says it is the end of year he is most competetive and it takes have ridden the Tour for him to be up there ...He needs these races to get fit & lose weight imo.....

The few times (excluding the Vuelta 2013) that he was thinner he seemed to be thinner without looking strong as if he didn't eat ...Sam Bennett said during the Tour of Britain that Nico was on a diet during the race??...Surely not the time to be dieting as you need energy

Anyways I hope he gets his act together at SKY and I feel if he does we could still see the best from him

Darkglasses

Just starting the final 5 or 6 km now, Contador looking in fine form, Froome missing

Darkglasses

Contador attacked early from a group including Kennaugh and Bardet, and made it stick to create a lead of 30 seconds. Froome, who was AWOL at the start of the climb, rode at his own pace and caught the Kennaugh group with about 5km to go, and cruised right past but could not catch Contador. Contador's early form clearly well ahead of Froome. Great effort by Bardet too. Great viewing

dastardly00

I think both Contador and Froome will be happy with their performances today. Everybody else.... not so much. Froome finished one minute ahead of the next rider home.

Darkglasses

dastardly00 wrote: »

I think both Contador and Froome will be happy with their performances today. Everybody else.... not so much. Froome finished one minute ahead of the next rider home.

I only tuned in for the last 6/7 km, I was a little surprised there was no sign of Mollema or anybody else from Trek. They sent a really good team in fairness.

drogdub

dastardly00 wrote: »

I think both Contador and Froome will be happy with their performances today. Everybody else.... not so much. Froome finished one minute ahead of the next rider home.

Kennaugh and Basso should be hap py with their days work

MPFG

Darkglasses wrote: »

I only tuned in for the last 6/7 km, I was a little surprised there was no sign of Mollema or anybody else from Trek. They sent a really good team in fairness.

Mollema didn't start as sick....Alot of riders clearly off the pace....very early shock ot the system...Bertie is flying ...fromthe bottomof the climb....wonder how times compare to Horner

MPFG

Contador today 3 km, 9.71 %, 702 m)
Alberto Contador: 23:41, 18.32 Kph, VAM 1778 m/h, 5.99 W/kg [DrF]

Climb in 2013
Horner 23:25
Nibali 24:13
Valverde, Basso, Purito, Pinot 24:27
Roche 24:35
Anton, Pozzovivo 24:50
Majka 25:17

Horner fastest of all !!!!

REBELSAFC

MPFG wrote: »

Contador today 3 km, 9.71 %, 702 m)
Alberto Contador: 23:41, 18.32 Kph, VAM 1778 m/h, 5.99 W/kg [DrF]

Climb in 2013
Horner 23:25
Nibali 24:13
Valverde, Basso, Purito, Pinot 24:27
Roche 24:35
Anton, Pozzovivo 24:50
Majka 25:17

Horner fastest of all !!!!

But he had experience on his side!!

dastardly00

drogdub wrote: »

Kennaugh and Basso should be hap py with their days work

Sorry, I was referring to the other GC guys

neris

just watched the replay on eurosport. contador seems alot more fluid and at ease on the bike then froome but was wondering about froomes TDF win 2 years ago. Did Froome have an easier field to beat in that race then last years race or even vuelta? Not trying to write off froome as a rider

MPFG

neris wrote: »

just watched the replay on eurosport. contador seems alot more fluid and at ease on the bike then froome but was wondering about froomes TDF win 2 years ago. Did Froome have an easier field to beat in that race then last years race or even vuelta?

2013 Tour field was much the same as Vuelta 2014 ...except maybe Quintana .. The differnce was form ...Froome was flying in 2013 but didn't recover like Contador from tour crash in 2014 .....Contador looked very strong today but Froome & Sky are targetting later goals and so may not be in form yet ....lots of top riders today e.g JC Peraud or JVD Broek finished way down...these guys are not clearly in form as both have finsihed very high up in the Tour . Also a 5 day stage race is very differnt to a 3 week Tour

Brian?

neris wrote: »

just watched the replay on eurosport. contador seems alot more fluid and at ease on the bike then froome but was wondering about froomes TDF win 2 years ago. Did Froome have an easier field to beat in that race then last years race or even vuelta? Not trying to write off froome as a rider

Nope, field was decent. Froome was in exceptional condition and Contador was below par. Hopefully we'll see both at their peaks in Le Tour this year.

dastardly00

What do people think of Nico's performance so far? Or any thoughts on his role for this race?

He's finished either last or second last in terms of the Team Sky classification each day. I know Froome and Kennaugh are the protected GC riders, but I would have expected Nico to be finishing 3rd or 4th within Sky. I know it's Nico's first race of the season, but it's the same for Mikel Nieve. And Kiryienka, Siutsou, and Zandio just have three Spanish one-day races under their belts in 2015.

Brian?

Contador looked very good, without being unbelievable. I think signing Basso was a great move, he has the perfect Diesel engine to ride tempo and either launch Contador or prevent attacks.

Basso, Majka and Kreuziger is a serious support line up.

MPFG

dastardly00 wrote: »

What do people think of Nico's performance so far? Or any thoughts on his role for this race?

You could look at it and say looks a bit disappointing esp in comparison to other SKY riders but its hard to draw any conclusions given he had lost 4 minutes in 1st day he probably didn't kill himself on the climb and he probably did alot of work earlier ..like bottles esp as so many of team mates in top 10 ...also he form is prob way down as per usual at this time of year ..Lots of other riders form not great

As for TCS I think they looked stronger yesterday but it was the tactics they were best at having drove into the climb and dropped everyone.....SKY DS lossses are TCS gains....

MPFG

Absolutely fantastic racing today by SKY to put Chris Froome back in the lead .and put Contador on the back foo ..it aint over till its over ...Nico did a very strong ride ...so maybe form is coming

dastardly00

Last 10km of today's stage with Carlton Kirby and Matt Stevens commentating.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmba3jK8BvM

lennymc

cracking racing today. love them or loathe them, froome v contador makes for a great battle

StevieGriff

lennymc wrote: »

cracking racing today. love them or loathe them, froome v contador makes for a great battle

Absolutely. And some cracking commentary from Kirby and Matt Stevens!

Borderfox

Is that the guy off GCN?

MPFG

Borderfox wrote: »

Is that the guy off GCN?

Yes...former UK road race champion