2010 Team-By-Team Season Review: #6

What We Said:

Katusha takes #10 by a hair over Omega Pharma-Lotto, due to the depth of talent on its roster.  But talent has never been Katusha’s problem—fulfilling it’s potential has.  The signings of Kolobnev, Kirchen, and Rodriguez bolster an already impressive squad, while the healthy return of Robbie McEwen should add wins as well.  If this squad performs as impressively as it looks on paper, it will be a very good year for the Russian super-team.  We’ll get our first indication of Katusha’s prospects this weekend at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.

Remember last spring when everyone spoke about how Filippo Pozzato...Continue Reading

2010 Vuelta – Winners & Losers

The season’s third and final grand tour came down to the wire, ending what might have been one of the most competitive grand tour seasons in recent memory.  Before we all turn our attention to Worlds and the fall classics, here’s a rundown of the race’s winners and losers.

Winners:

Vincenzo Nibali

Nibali iced the cake on a fantastic season for himself and Liquigas. His Vuelta win and his podium finish at the Giro this year, during which he rode for Ivan Basso, indicate more good results to come. The small things about his performance suggest a fine Grand Tour rider: the effective...Continue Reading

Weekend Preview – The Vuelta Heads for the Hills

The Vuelta d’Espana continues this weekend with two difficult stages in the regions of Alicante and Valencia.  Saturday’s 190-kilometer Stage 8 includes five categorized climbs on the way from Villena to Xorret del Cati—the toughest of which (the Cat. 1 Alto Xorret del Cati) summits a mere 4 kilometers from the finish.  While not particularly long, the climb is steep and comes after what should be a long, hot day in the saddle featuring constant attacks and tempo changes.

Omega Pharma-Lotto’s Philippe Gilbert isn’t a lock to lose his red leader’s jersey, but he’ll face tough challenges from several men with...Continue Reading

2010 Tour de France – Stage 17 Wrap-Up

In the end, today’s stage was perhaps a bit anti-climatic, as first Andy Schleck and then Alberto Contador proved unable to shake the other on the Tourmalet.  Clearly, these two are the cream of this year’s Tour de France crop—and considering how only 8 seconds separetes them, we’re on the verge of one of the closest Tour finishes in recent memory.

Perhaps what’s most promising though, is the fact that the gap between these two champions has narrowed since last year’s race.  Should Schleck prove able to improve his time trialing, it’s easy to see him finishing on the top step...Continue Reading