Volta Ciclista a Catalunya 21/03/2016 - 27/03/2016 -Contains Spoilers

MPFGLB

Bit late I know but better late than never

This race includes a very mountainous parcour and has one of the best line ups of GC riders outside the Tour de France

Stage 1 & Stage 2 are for sprinters / punctures
Stages 3 & 4 (esp 4) are for the GC men and climbers
Stage 5 & 6 are sprinters / punctures
Stage 7 is the circuit of Barcelona including several climbs of Montjuic

But every stage has lots of climbing

https://twitter.com/ammattipyoraily/status/704665476018872321

https://twitter.com/ammattipyoraily/status/704666319707348992


Riders in attendances include : Contador, Froome, Quintana, Aru, TJ van Garderen, Porte, Thomas,Uran, Purito, Zakarin Bardet Pozzovivo, Chaves, Dumoulin, Gesink

In fact its easier to say who is not at the race : mainly Nibali & Valverde

Dan Martin leads for EQS and is looking for a good result
Nicolas Roche is riding for SKY (Froome , Thomas) and looked very strong today in a late attack

Nico's diary is in the Irish Independent starting tomorrow

odyssey06

Nico tends to do well in Spain...

MPFGLB

odyssey06 wrote: »

Nico tends to do well in Spain...

He was 5th in this race in 2010 ...benefiting as does Dan Martin (who has a great record in this race including a win in 2013) from the lack of TT

But riding for Froome, Thomas & Poels affords few chances for Nico but good to see him take what he can building good form for the Ardennes


Diary : http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/nicolas-roche-i-was-hoping-to-get-a-bigger-gap-but-the-bunch-had-the-upper-hand-34560470.html

MPFGLB

odyssey06 wrote: »

Nico tends to do well in Spain...

He lives there, its his home race and he is married to a Catalan woman ...according to Carlton KIrby :eek::rolleyes:

That is why Kirby drives me insane ...he makes stuff up..
He was talking about Uran recently and gave this long monologue about what Uranis like and what kind of person he is , ie quiet & shy and what he feels about racing, etc .....but you knew it was all made up
Kirby was talking as if he was Uran's bessie mate...he talks as if he can read the mind of the riders boht off and on the bike...and he is mostly talking from London and hasn't a clue

That plus his propensity to say " So and So is in the house " .....there are no houses !!!....they are out doors on bikes ....ggggrrrrrrrrrr

MPFGLB

Well that stage was abit of a bored fest ...hope tomorrow is better

MPFGLB

Big show down tomorrow

Will it be Froome, Contador, Aru, Quintana , Porte, Bardet, Thomas, Uran, Chaves, Purito, etc

I think Dan Martin could do it ....

Melodeon

Dan traditionally goes well in the early part of the year, so I'm hopeful.

MPFGLB

Diary : http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/nicolas-roche-diary-i-squeezed-through-a-gap-but-none-of-the-lads-could-follow-34564503.html

MPFGLB

MPFGLB wrote: »

Big show down tomorrow

Will it be Froome, Contador, Aru, Quintana , Porte, Bardet, Thomas, Uran, Chaves, Purito, etc

I think Dan Martin could do it ....

Told you he would do it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Manufan123

What a win in great comapany.

cunavalos

cunavalos

And the overall

Dcully

Seems my record failed Don't have time to sit through tonights rerun, hardly any highlights up anywhere yet?

MPFGLB

Dcully wrote: »

Seems my record failed Don't have time to sit through tonights rerun, hardly any highlights up anywhere yet?

http://cyclinghub.tv/post.php?id=1415

What record failed

MPFGLB

Well everyone over at Cylingnews forum & on twitter think Dan cannot win GC

But see what he did on tomorrows climb in 2013 ...he can do it again

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D4OnHqKTJY

Dcully

MPFGLB wrote: »

http://cyclinghub.tv/post.php?id=1415

What record failed

recording :P

Thanks a lot by the way watching now

Pudsy33

What a performance. I really think he was one of the favourites today, the finish really suited someone with a bit of explosiveness. Tomorrow will be a different kettle of fish though, and he might be left to rue a lack of team mates. Even still though it's a fantastic achievement and makes for an exciting year of racing ahead

MPFGLB

I know tomorrow looks daunting but when I said what he done in 2013 I mean how well he climbed (in a breakaway) but still way out alone and held off the peloton

He can do it ..Contdor has to win to be sure but Dan can sit on his wheel
No teammates is an issue ...but look at SKY ...all the team mates in the world today and it didnt make the difference

pelevin

Great win by Dan. Barring mishap Liege could well be a toss-up between him & Valverde his year. Hopefully he can really contest/win the overall here though at a guess with Etixx being so focused on the one-day races, this is exactly the kind of results they were hoping for from Dan, i.e. stage wins, rather than particularly concerned with GC hopes. Though of course being in the mix for GC wins are a very pleasant bonus.

Bit of a downer atmosphere round the Sky table tonight I'd have maybe thought having had the numbers controlling things but ultimately coming nowhere - not that it'd be any real surprise to see Froome bounce back tomorrow. Good to see though every now & then such strength in depth with all its power to negate put to the sword - like Contador beating the Astana hordes in last year's Giro.

happytramp

Is it just me or is Dan looking a lot more beefed up than usual?

MPFGLB

happytramp wrote: »

Is it just me or is Dan looking a lot more beefed up than usual?

He is ...I noticed it too...Look at him compared to 2013 Vuelta Catalunya win

Maybe its a good thing to help prevent all those sicknesses he gets ..

retalivity

Watched the highlights there, great show by dan.

Did carlton get elocution lessons over the winter? Everyone is in the house/at home/not at home/engaging the incline-field-competition-bike-gear-turn??

More insufferable than ever

manwithaplan

I wish he'd stop calling Geraint Thomas 'G'. 'G' can only be 'in the house' if 'G' is a gentleman who plays records and 'the house' is a meeting place for those who like to dance.

And well done to 'D' also, who is most definitely 'the man'.

Macy0161

All the main players were in the house. Ffs carlton!

De Bhál

happytramp wrote: »

Is it just me or is Dan looking a lot more beefed up than usual?

I noticed that too last night, I was thinking he looked less like a rasher than usual.

MPFGLB

Diary : http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/cycling/nicolas-roche-diary-i-was-so-happy-to-hear-that-dan-had-won-34568138.html

bazermc

My dad totally ruined the stage on me yesterday, I was on the phone to him before I had a chance to watch the stage.

Dad: did you see the cycling today?
Me: no have it recorded and will watch it after my dinner
Dad; oh yes you should defo watch it, i wont tell you the result but you should defo watch it..................

I concluded from my conversation that either Dan or Nico won the stage......and I guessed it was Dan and low and behold..................

Remind me stop to ringing my dad until I have watched the days cycling

MPFGLB

The race has stared and by all account it is very fast and the peloton has split
With Geraint Thomas in the 2nd group on the road....early days but not looking great for Thomas

MPFGLB

Peloton back together


10 man break gone including Swift & Meersman for EQS

dastardly00

Latest update?

Pudsy33

dastardly00 wrote: »

Latest update?

Eritti away on his own. Followed by 4 escapees including Plaza. They've got about 6 mins. Swift and Poels ahead of the peloton by 40 secs or so. Poels is a danger as he's only 30secs back.

MPFGLB

dastardly00 wrote: »

Latest update?

Sorry I stopped cos I thought no one was reading

MPFGLB

Well good ride by Dan Martin

He is definitely in with a big shout for the podium and even the overall if he can win another stage ...big ask but doable

Pudsy33

The big climbing is done, and the rest of the days certainly suit the punchy so he has a shot. It'll be very hard though.

Pudsy33

Carlos Verona is my new hero

Inquitus

No uphill finishes left, the best hope for Dan is the final stage, he's tried on this before, has a nice Puncy climb of Montjuïc but the descent and flat stretch to the finish makes it hard to get an attack to stick. Here's hoping, but he's in fine form for the spring classics to come, with the world's best classic's team to work off.

MPFGLB

I expect some more Irish action today near the end of the race ...some frisky racing

Pudsy33

Dan took 3 seconds at the intermediate sprint apparently

Inquitus

Pudsy33 wrote: »

Dan took 3 seconds at the intermediate sprint apparently

Meersman led him out, and they beat Contador to the top 2 spots of the 3 boneeefiicayshuns!

Pudsy33

Inquitus wrote: »

Meersman led him out, and they beat Contador to the top 2 spots of the 3 boneeefiicayshuns!

Only 3 or 4 behind Dickie Doors now

MPFGLB

Dan will fight to the end ...could pass DoorsvanDick and even Quintana

Contador may be harder to shake

funnights74

Great day to be off work, Catalunya on Eurosport 1 and e3 on Eurosport 2, heaven

MPFGLB

Please do not spoil E3 as I am taping that one

So have another thread ..thanks

MPFGLB

Pudsy33 wrote: »

Carlos Verona is my new hero

Verona, Bouet Meersman ...all done a very good job for Dan so far...much better organised than Cannondale

MPFGLB

Dan Martin has just won another 3 seconds in the the first intermediate sprint ....he is going great

He is now just one second behnid Richie Porte and off the podium


I reckon he will get on the podium but he could still win this ....

MPFGLB

There is alot of wind out there

Wonder if there will be echelons


Break down to about 1.5 minutes but peloton eases up again..ct and mouse game to begin

dastardly00

So Stage 7 tomorrow is the final stage.



The traditional finish circuit of Montjuic doesn't normally lead to time gaps between the main GC guys. So I can't see Quintana losing his GC lead.

There are two intermediate sprints: 8.3km and 52.8 km (with 3,2, and 1 bonus seconds available at each sprint). Dan will have his work cut out in order to make it on to the podium...... the start of the stage is going to be interesting anyway

FYI: If two riders finish on the same time in GC, their final positions are determined by their placings on each stage. Dan is currently '74 places' ahead of Richie Porte by my reckoning (see table below). So if Dan picked up one bonus second at the intermediate sprint, he should leap frog Porte on to the podium.

Stage | Dan Martin | Richie Porte
1 | 17th | 57th
2 | 21st | 48th
3 | 1st | 5th
4 | 10th | 3rd
5 | 12th | 23rd
6 | 44th | 43rd

Pudsy33

So is one second enough for Dan? His first place and decent place in the sprint yesterday should have him up on Porte? I think Dan has a good shot to win tomorrow anyway, better then the rest of the climbers.

dastardly00

Pudsy33 wrote: »

So is one second enough for Dan? His first place and decent place in the sprint yesterday should have him up on Porte?

Yeah I think so (see my edited post above).

MPFGLB

Can see Dan Martin on the podium with just the intermediate sprints but it means no breakaway allowed to go early and maybe after 53km ...but it took 100km on Frinday for a breakaway to go

Questions is can he win the stage and have a gap to others of > 2 seconds > 4 seconds with 2 puncheurs behind him..also possible

Difficult but not impossible .....

If he doesn't win the stage it will be interesting to see who does...Gilbert surely will follow all sprints to help Porte, Meersman & Allaphilippe to help Dan...and will not be in contention

OGE and Simon Gerrans have looked second hand

Good opportunity for a rider not in the mix

MPFGLB

And just as I wrote Dan Martin grabbed one second on 1st intermediate sprint

So he is now on the podium