Fotoreporter Sirotti
Interesting cycling items from across the Internet, February 14, 2011
Fotoreporter Sirotti
Here’s this week’s Monday Musette:
1. Lesson #378: Never discount (as I did Friday) David Moncoutié on Mont Faron in the Tour Mediterranéan. Luckily for me, The Inner Ring had my back, correctly adding the Frenchman to the list of favorites to take the final stage and the overall.
As for the rest, Daniel Martin failed to impress, coming home over a minute down. Instead, young American Andrew Talansky led the way for Garmin-Cervelo with fourth-place on the day and the overall. Saxo Bank’s Nick Nuyens finished 26th, a mediocre result for many, but a good sign for the Belgian as he attempts to rebound in time for this year’s classics.
What performances stood out to you on the first summit finish of 2011?
2. And speaking of The Inner Ring, you need to update your bookmarks and Twitter feeds as Matt’s revamped his already stellar site. Make the necessary corrections now or forever miss out on one of the most talented guys in the biz.
3. Moving forward, two races begin this week with spring classic implications: the Tour of Oman and the Volta ao Algarve, both races with challenging courses and talented start lists.
The second edition of the Tour of Oman starts Tuesday with a flat stage certain to suit the talents of World Champion Thor Hushovd, two-time Qatar stage-winner Heinrich Haussler, Mark Cavendish, Theo Bos, Tom Boonen, and the Italian prodigy, Andrea Guardini. The race’s hilly parcours should also give classics stars such as Juan Antonio Flecha, Leif Hoste, Pippo Pozzato, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Lars Boom, Greg Van Avermaet, and Matthew Goss a chance to tune their fitness, while the summit finish to Green Mountain on Stage 4 will likely offer Joaquin Rodriguez, Jakob Fuglsang, and Robert Gesink a chance to test their climbing legs.
By the end of the 6-day event, look for a true all-rounder to take the overall title. Alexandre Vinokourov’s an attractive option as is Fuglsang. And while Edvald Boasson Hagen’s a popular pick to take the win, I think the course is a bit too hard for him—even with an 18.5-kilometer time trial on the penultimate day. In the end, were I a betting man, I’d take HTC’s Marco Pinotti. He can climb better than all but a handful of the men participating and he can time trial better than the rest of the climbers. Look for the Italian to give HTC its second Arabian victory of the season.
4. On Wednesday, the Volta ao Algarve begins in Portugal. Algarve is another race featuring several men peaking for the April—first and foremost among them, Omega Pharma-Lotto’s Philippe Gilbert. Lotto was left-off the list for Qatar and Oman after the team wouldn’t commit to sending superstars Gilbert and Andre Greipel to the Gulf. Now both riders will take the start in Portugal Wednesday—a last minute change for the Belgian as he’s looking for some extra speed before the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad.
Algarve’s course closely resembles that of Oman, with a summit finish followed by a 17.2-kilometer undulating time trial to end the 5-day event. A true GC-contender should emerge to take the victory (Alberto Contador won the race last year).
The current start list features several intriguing GC options including Roman Kreuziger in his Astana debut, Rabobank’s Luis Leon Sanchez and Bauke Mollema, HTC-High Road’s Peter Velits and Tony Martin, Garmin’s Tom Danielson and Ryder Hesjedal, and Ag2r’s Nicolas Roche.
But the biggest question surrounding the start of Algarve centers upon whether or not Saxo Bank’s Alberto Contador will be cleared to take the start (it was revealed today that the rider could be cleared of any medical wrongdoing as early as tomorrow). If he rides, one can imagine he’ll have a bit of extra motivation to take a repeat win.
On flatter days, Garmin’s Tyler Farrar will look to continue winning sprints while Saxo’s JJ Haedo, Astana’s Allan Davis, Rabobank’s Michael Matthews, Quick Step’s Gerald Ciolek, Vacansoleil’s Borut Borzic, Sky’s Greg Henderson, Ag2r’s Lloyd Mondory, and Lotto’s Greipel will do their best to defeat him. As for classics men such as Gilbert, Garmin’s Martijn Maaskant, Quick Step’s Sylvain Chavanel, and Vacansoleil’s Bjorn Leukemans, the goal for Algarve is to stay out of trouble while building form throughout the race’s five undulating stages. Crashes at last year’s race ruined more than one rider’s spring as rainy weather and a squirrelly field sent many to the asphalt.
As for my overall picks, I think Radio Shack puts two men on the final podium again, with Tiago Machado getting the better of Andreas Kloden. If he’s racing, Alberto Contador will likely get the best of both of them—otherwise it’s Machado all the way.
5. In other news, the preliminary start list for this year’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad has been released with few surprises aside from the omissions of last year’s second and third-place finishers Heinrich Haussler and Tyler Farrar. There is still plenty of time for changes, but leaving two of Garmin-Cervelo’s talented men at home has to raise questions. While bringing Farrar and Hushovd together might be overkill, Haussler’s a breakaway threat that keeps other teams honest thereby easing the pressure on Thor and the rest of the squad to chase. It’s a bit of a surprising move if you ask me.
6. And last but not least a word about our 2011.5 kit. After seeing the press generated by Geox-TMC’s game of “will they or won’t theyâ€, we’ve decided to delay things a bit. (In all seriousness, we’re switching suppliers and waiting for word from a few more co-sponsors.)  As soon as we have more information, we’ll let you know—especially if you gave us your email address via our pre-order survey.
That’s it for today’s (somewhat delayed) Monday Musette. Thanks for reading and keep those comments coming!
Fotoreporter Sirotti
Each year, Pavé previews the upcoming road season with a countdown of the top-20 teams in the sport. Here’s #10.
#10 – Euskaltel-Euskadi
With Grand Tour contenders Igor Anton and Samuel Sanchez leading the way, Euskaltel comes into 2011 hoping to find success similar to that of Liquigas last season.
Anton was one the most consistent stage racers of 2010, finishing well in Catalunya, Castilla y Lyon, Romandie, Burgos, and the Vuelta—where he won two summit finishes and was leading the race before crashing and breaking his collarbone. Along the way, Anton also finished fourth and sixth in Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege respectively—if the races fit his 2011 program, he’ll be a top contender in the Ardennes as well.
Anton will be 28 in March, an age when many Grand Tour champions begin to emerge. He’ll lead Euskaltel at the Giro d’Italia—and he’s racing to win, not just for a top-5 results. And while there will be several other contenders looking to conquer the Giro’s difficult parcours, Anton can take heart from the knowledge that he was stronger than Vincenzo Nibali (the early top-favorite for the 2011 Giro) during the first half of last year’s Vuelta. In other words: Italy, you’ve been warned. After the Giro, Anton will likely rest, perhaps before another try at winning his home tour. Don’t be surprised if the Spaniard equals Nibali’s Grand Tour run of 2010—a third-place finish in the Giro and a win in the Vuelta are easily within his grasp.
As for Samuel Sanchez, he spent the majority of his time in 2010 focusing on the Tour de France, efforts that were largely rewarded with a fourth-place finish in Paris. Luckily for Sanchez, two of the three men who finished in front of him in 2010 (Alberto Contador and Denis Menchov) are unlikely to ride this year’s edition. As for his prospects, the Tour’s mountainous course suits the Olympic Champion; but Stage 2’s team time trial does not. As part of his build-up, Sanchez is likely to win several races throughout the first part of the season—assuming his and Anton’s programs don’t conflict. Paris-Nice, Pais Vasco, and the Ardennes are likely early targets.
As for the rest of the team, men like Koldo Fernandez, Gorka Izagirre, Mikel Nieve, and Ruben Plaza will do their best to take the odd win while supporting their captains—if and when those opportunities present themselves.
Man of the Hour: Igor Anton looked as if he were on his way to winning the 2010 Vuelta had a crash not ended his race prematurely—while he was leading it. This year, he’ll get his first shot at redemption in the Giro d’Italia, in a race that suits him and against an opponent he knows well.
On the Hot Seat: Samuel Sanchez is one of the most talented riders in the world, but should he fail to contend at this year’s Tour—or if Anton manages to win the Giro or Vuelta—his team might encourage him to shift his focus for 2012.
Up-and-Comer: Romain Sicard was Euskaltel’s high-profile signing at the end of the 2009 season. His best 2010 performance came when he finished second in Stage 4 at the Dauphiné and 11th overall. He’ll get his first shot at a Grand Tour when he contests the Vuelta at the end of the summer.
Best Pick-Up: Mikel Landa finished fifth at the Tour de l’Avenir and 18th at Worlds in 2010.  He’s the best of Euskaltel’s small group of signings.
Biggest Loss: Like many Basques, Benat Intxausti can climb. But like only the best, he can also time trial, making him a future stage race contender.  He finished tenth in the Criterium International, second in Pais Vasco, and third in Asturias thanks to top-5 ITT rides in all three events. Movistar’s lucky to have him.
That’s it for #10—share your comments below.
Interesting cycling items from across the Internet, February 11, 2011
Fotoreporter Sirotti
The 2011 Tour Méditerranéen wraps-up this weekend with two stages along the sea that gives the race its name. Saturday’s 155-kilometer trip from La Londe Les Maures to Biot presents two climbs early in the day, but they’re not enough to prevent Romain Feillu from taking his third stage and perhaps adding a few bonus seconds to his lead. Other challengers for the victory include FDJ’s Yauheni Hutarovich, Sky’s Davide Appollonio, and Cofidis’ FDJ’s Remi Pauriol.
The real action comes Sunday with the race’s traditional queen stage ending atop Mont Faron. The Med Tour has experimented with the placement of this stage in the past before settling on keeping the 5-kilometer, 10-12%-grade climb as the last five kilometers of the race. Last year, Francesco Mascarelli won the stage while Alejandro Valverde took the overall (before being retroactively DQ’ed).
Rinaldo Nocentini took last year’s honors following Valverde’s DQ; he returns this year perfectly positioned to win the race outright. The Italian sits a mere 20-seconds behind Feillu, an easy gap to overcome on Faron’s steep, narrow slopes. Europcar’s Thomas Voeckler is another interesting overall candidate with a 13-second cushion over Nocentini thanks to his Stage 1 victory.
But while Nocentini and Voeckler are attractive options, my money’s on Garmin-Cervelo’s Daniel Martin. The Irishman finished 2010 in the form of his life—he sits 20-seconds behind Feillu as well and is possibly the strongest climber in the race. Look for him to claim his first race of 2011 on Sunday, continuing Garmin’s impressive start to the season.
Other men to watch include Cofidis’ Leonardo Duque, Garmin’s Michel Kreder, Vacansoleil’s Wouter Poels, Europcar’s Pierre Rolland, and FDJ’s Thibaut Pinot.
So who’s your pick for Sunday atop Mont Faron? Share your comments below.
Fotoreporter Sirotti
Each year, Pavé previews the upcoming road season with a countdown of the top-20 teams in the sport. Today we pick things up with #11.
#11 – Team Sky
In 2010, Sky wanted to win the Tour—and we all know how that went. In 2011, they just want to win—as much as possible. And while it’s easy to forgive the team for over-hyping itself heading into last season, the pressure’s on to show there’s more to the team just money and mouths.
We’ll get our first indicator of Sky’s fortunes at this year’s cobbled classics where Juan Antonio Flecha and a healthy Edvald Boasson Hagen will lead the way. Flecha won the Omloop in 2010 and B-H won Ghent-Wevelgem in 2009. While another win in these events would be a welcome sight, Flanders and Roubaix are bigger targets. For some reason or another, I see this being Flecha’s year in Roubaix. While Garmin, Leopard, Quick Step, and BMC stare at one another, I think he sneaks away for the win. Just a hunch.
As for B-H, he’s not done there. The Norwegian had a disappointing 2010 compared to his 2009 exploits—but he still won several races and finished the year ranker higher than you would have expected. At only 23, it’s still hard to say where the kid’s real talents lay—classics, time trials, short stages races, or all of the above? For now, he’ll win whenever and whatever what he can, hopefully adding a Tour stage to his burgeoning résumé.
In the Ardennes, Simon Gerrans and Rigoberto Uran will likely lead the squad, while the rest gear-up for the season’s first Grand Tour. Thomas Lokvist and Michael Rogers will also get chances to win shorter stage races before working with Wiggo to try and pull a result in the Tour. If the team learns from its 2010 mistakes, they’ll put in a better performance.
Overall, there’s really not a weak rider on the roster, and with an average age of less than 29, the future looks bright. Adding talented role players such as Jeremy Hunt, Christian Knees, and Davide Appollonio also means Sky’s imports far surpass their exports.
In the end, Sky might want to stop looking to Garmin and start looking at HTC as its model of success. HTC’s spent the past several years winning every race it can, putting its sponsors in the limelight on an almost daily basis. As a result they have become one of the world’s two or three best teams despite winning only one Monument and placing only one rider on the podium of a Grand Tour. A little shift in its game plan, and Sky could easily reap similar rewards.
Man of the Hour: The other day I compared Bjorn Leukemans to Peter Van Petegem right before he won his first cobbled Monument, claiming he needed a breakthrough win—such as the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad—to set him on his way. In hindsight, maybe those thoughts were best reserved for Juan Antonio Flecha—after all, he won last year’s Omloop before finishing third at Roubaix (his third trip to the podium). If De Peet’s trajectory is an accurate predictor, Flecha’s due.
On the Hot Seat: Wiggins and Gerrans did a lot of talking before moving to Sky. Unfrotuantely, they did little in 2010 to justify the team’s investment. Sky would look foolish to let go of Wiggo after only two seasons—but Gerrans? I’m not so sure.
Up-and-Comer: Geraint Thomas enjoyed an impressive 2010, wearing the points jersey in the Dauphiné before winning the British National Championship. At the Tour, he finished fifth in the Prologue and second on the cobbled stage to Arenberg, results that gave him the white jersey as best young rider for a few days. But the result that most impressed me was the Welshman’s overall finish in the Dauphiné: 21st. Could this trackie/sprinter/former junior Roubaix-winner/future classics star have a little bit of GC potential in his legs? At 24, there’s lots of time to find out.
Best Pick-Up: Rigoberto Uran just turned 24—and this will be his fourth season as a European professional. His 2010 résumé is the kind with a bite louder than its bark. Few results stand out, but several hint at the Colombian’s potential: 12th at Lombardy, 9th at Piemonte, three top-10’s in Vuelta summit finishes, 7th overall at the Tour de Suisse. Sky’s on to something good here.
Biggest Loss: None of note—Sky lost only 3 riders this past off-season. One to retirement (Portal), one to Leopard Trek (Vigano), and one to obscurity (Calzati).
Your thoughts on Sky? Share them below.