Cycling 2010

[Bluebeard]

First Races of the Season:

Philip Deignan: Tour of Murcia (3-7 March) / ???? Tour of Catalonia maybe?
Dan Martin: Tour Méditerranéen (10-14 Feb) / Tour du Haut Var (20-21 Feb)
Nicolas Roche: Etoile de Bessèges (3-7 Feb) / Tour Méditerranéen (10-14 Feb)

Nick Roche was the best placed AG2R rider yesterday at a very acceptable 23rd for his first day back in the office.

Any of the twitteratti got an idea of their major targets for the year?

[Dodge]

Deignan's the only one who's stated any aims so far (to make Le Tour team). Apparently all 3 are racing the Vuelta Catalunya (or whatever its called). Deignan also riding Tour of California and Dauphine.


Here's some twitter links

http://twitter.com/PhilipDeignan
http://twitter.com/cervelotestteam

http://twitter.com/nicholasroche

Dan Martin doesn't have one but Garmin do
http://twitter.com/TGTProCycling
http://twitter.com/Vaughters

Other handy Irish cycling links
http://twitter.com/SSbike (Shane Stokes)
http://twitter.com/BikePure
http://twitter.com/AnPost_Cycling

[Bluebeard]

In the current absence of that brilliant little button, "Thanks".

Roche was 34th today, 28th overall now, 20s back.

I forgot to mention that the Kelly team is performing well. Belgian Nico "Rambo" Eeckhout was second yesterday, third today, third overall on 10s. The rest of the team are doing ok. The Irish lads are on the same time as Roche.

107 Connor Mc Convey
117 Paidi O'Brien

[Dodge]

Dan Martin was on a solo break today in the Tour du med. He was caught in the final kilometre. Roche rodes the same race

[Dodge]

Martin wears the KOM jersey (first of many this year hopefully)

[Bluebeard]

Great start to his year, looks like it only took him a day to find his pedalling feet!

[Bluebeard]

Some impressive weekend results from an Irish perspective.

Mark Cassidy and newly declared Matt Brammeier both finished in the top 20 in the Beverbeek Classic on Saturday. Nick Roche took third in the GP Dell'Insurbria-Lugano against some quality riders. Still only warm up races, but there are a few good results starting to show. Phil Deignan starts his season this week.

[Dodge]

Deignan rode yesterday. Can't remeber which race though

[Bluebeard]

Roche third in today's shortened stage in Paris Nice. He started the break that won the race in the last 3 or 4 km. Exciting end to the stage today.

[Dodge]

He was 6th 2 days ago too. Good to see him active

Wonder did dan martin crash again?

[Bluebeard]

Dan MArtin was 54th, and safely in the main bunch that werre 6s behind. He remains 46th at 1m11 behind. Young Roche moves up to 21st @44s.

[Dodge]

http://twitpic.com/17r1c9

Great pic of Roche o n the attack

[Dodge]

Watched a bit of Paris Nice today. Contador just rode off the front of the peleton. Didn't look like he gave any great pucsh, just was too strong for everyone. Amazing to watch realy

ROche had a decent day. Now up to 15th overall

[Bluebeard]

Roche another decent day, finished 8th, was the most likely to catch Sagan before the line up to about a KM to go. Not yet up to top 10 yet, but it is looking like a strong possibility.

Contador is a monster alright, and mad hungry to win it after last year's disappointment. Sagan has really been the revelation rider this season so far, but Roche's continuous development at Paris Nice is impressive.

[Dodge]

Watched the end of it. Ag2R worked hard to split the peleton. Commentator kept talking about them setting it up for Roche to win stage but Kelly had to keep pointing out that Roche was actually drivig the split.

From Roche's twitter;


Felt strong today, 8th on stage and now 13th on GC. My team were really really good today did a lot of work for me, thanks guys!!

[Bluebeard]

That would explain that then - I only caught the last KM and a half. The Russian commentary I am getting over the internet is more excited than informative.

[Bluebeard]

McCann is doing well in the Tour of Taiwan - won the first stage and has held yellow through yesterday, 11s clear at the mo. A crit, a hillocky circuit and what looks like a transitional type stage remain.

[Grey Boy]

David McCann won the Tour de Taiwan. Well deserved too.

[Bluebeard]

Just back from a couple of days away and delighted to hear that. Was there anything on RTÉ about it? It's not a huge race over here, but significant enough in the Asian Calendar.

[Dodge]

Not really. I think I heard one mention of it on the radio. Usual pieces by Shane Stokes in the Irish Times and Tommy Whatsits in the Indo.

Phil Deignan and Nic Roche in this week's Vlta Catalunya. Shame Dan Martin is missing the race in which he finishes 2nd last year.

Also the Giro teams will be announced today. The head of organising committee has said that Radioshack won't be invited, to which they sid "well we didn't want an invite". Armstrong doing his usual petty tweets

[Bluebeard]

Not surprising from Mr Armstrong. Cadel Evans must be starting to warm into being a contender for it now - I suspect that we mightn't see BMC in France, and Evans must be thinking that this is his real shot at it.

Roche was 6s down in today's TT, coming in 9th I think. Philly D was way down at 31s, though he would only have seen it as a warm up at best for a bit of a stretch in the hills.

[Dodge]

Roche finished 3rd in yesterday's stage in Catalunya, finishing 5th overall. That will earn him a fair amout of World Ranking Points. Dan martin finished 12th on the hard stage in the Criterium International (ahead of the likes of Contador and Armstrong) and 14th overall.

Roche is absolutely flying but I think he needs that big win soon, otherwise he might start to get too frustrated

[Dodge]

Roche now on 55 World ranking points (in 23rd position). Those points rank Ireland in 12th and they're also the only point earned by any Ag2R riders too (they're in 22nd, just ahead of radioshack!)

[Dodge]

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/448658/martin-looks-forward-to-basque-country.html

Martin looks forward to the Basque Country (with typical Brit reference to his birthplace…)

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-organiser-announces-22-teams-for-2010-race?cid=OTC-RSS&attr=news_headlines

Tour de France Wild Cards; Garmin-Transitions, Team RadioShack, BMC Racing Team, Team Sky, Katusha, and Cervelo TestTeam.

Those who qualified under the old agreement; Team Milram, Quick Step, Omega Pharma-Lotto, Team Saxo Bank, Caisse d'Epargne, Euskaltel-Euskadi, Footon-Servetto, HTC-Columbia, AG2R La Mondiale, Bbox Bouygues Telecom, Cofidis, Francaise des Jeux, Lampre-Farnese, Liquigas-Doimo, Astana, and Rabobank.
Means no big name misses out and chances of 3 irishmen in the peleton too

[Billsthoughts]

Puesto Dorsal Nombre País Equipo Tiempo
1º 167 HORNER, Christopher USA RSH 23:27:30
2º 11 VALVERDE, Alejandro ESP GCE a 7
3º 4 INTXAUSTI, Beñat ESP EUS a 58
4º 61 RODRIGUEZ, Joaquin ESP KAT a 1:06
5º 126 PERAUD, Jean-Christophe FRA OLO a 1:10
6º 46 PINOTTI, Marco ITA THR a 1:18
7º 151 CASAR, Sandy FRA FDJ a 1:47
8º 1 SÁNCHEZ, Samuel ESP EUS a 1:58
9º 32 GESINK, Robert NED RAB a 1:59
10º 96 DEVENYNS, Dries BEL QST a 2:27
11º 121 VAN DEN BROECK, Jurgen BEL OLO a 2:37
12º 132 HESJEDAL, Ryder CAN GRM a 2:41
13º 164 ZUBELDIA, Haimar ESP RSH a 2:43
14º 111 SCHLECK, Andy LUX SAX a 2:58
15º 134 MARTIN, Daniel IRL GRM a 3:30

[Mr A]

David McCann wins Tour of Phillipines, as well as last stage, green jersey and polka dot jersey.

http://www.rte.ie/sport/cycling/2010/0421/mccannd.html

[Dodge]

http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest/451739/daniel-martin-set-to-ride-giro-d-italia.html

Martin set to ride Giro.

[Stuttgart88]

I saw Nic Roche well up the field in one of the spring classics on Eurosport recently, I think it wqas Liege-Bastogne-Liege. He seems to have started the season well.

Evans has been riding well. He killed Contador in the hill finish at Fleche Wallon, retaining the title I think. Is Evans in a new team this year? Can't tell from his rainbow jersey.

[Dodge]

Yeah, Evans with BMC. Seems to have freed himself up. I think Contador went too early, otherwise the race was his. Like Evans though so no complaints

Liege on the other hand sickened me. A podium with Vino and Valverde. ugh!!

[Stuttgart88]

Yeah, I heard Vino was roundly booed.

Is BMC a new team, or an old team renamed? I see Hincapie is with them too. Unusual to have a bike manufacturer as a lead sponsor, Cervelo I suppose being another.

Whilst Evans looks like he's carrying good form, does he have a strong enough team this year? He was pretty much all alone the last couple of years (Silence-Lotto?).

I'll be away for this year's Tour. I suspect ITV will have it on ITV Player though.

[Dodge]

BMC has been around for a couple of years but they've significantly upped their budget. I don't think Evans has enough to win le Tour.

[Stuttgart88]

I read that Roche came third in yesterday's (or Tuesday's) stage in the Tour of Romandie.

[Stuttgart88]

I don't think Evans has enough to win le Tour.No, but I'd like to see him keep Armstrong and Wiggins off the podium.

[Dodge]

I'd love him to win it, but the team is set up for classics. He's made previous podums on his own though.

No Deignan or Roche in Giro. Indicates both are contendors for le Tour. No announcement from Garmin yet

[TheBoss]

Dan Martin is competing in the Giro, starts tomorrow(later today), he goes off at around 15:15.

[Dodge]

Mad stuff in the Giro today. A group of 56 riders (!) has 15 minutes on the peleton. Leading group has Sastre, Wiggins and they look likely to be back in the shake up. Dan Martin is in it too

Peleton has Vino and Evans and most of the other GC contendors.

Incredible stuff

[Dodge]

That break stayed 13 minutes ahead. Sastre or his teammate Tondo look to be favourites now. Crazy day

In other news Landis finally admits it (http://sports.espn.go.com/oly/cycling/news/story?id=5203604&campaign=rss&source=twitter&ex_cid=Twitter_espn_5203604)

[Macy]

Mad day in the Giro alright. I don't know what to make of Landis. Even if he is genuinely coming clean(?), the length of time he's taken means he can be written off as trying to take down everyone now he's run out of options.

[Dodge]

Well maybe if he can provide the photo that Vaughters said he had years ago, he can wipe the slate clean (Google the IM chat between vaughters and Frankie Andreu for full text of that conversation)

[Dodge]

Incredible scenes in the giro today. Massive crowds on a ridiculously tough mountain

Dan Martin finished 9th in probably the best ride of his life

[Macy]

Dan Martin finished 9th in probably the best ride of his life
A great result, given who he was up with. Top 10 on a stage like that is some achievement. I had been a bit disappointed to see him in and around the bus, but I guess that's more to do with my expectations not with managing his career!

[Stuttgart88]

Mechanical doping. Discuss.

http://cozybeehive.blogspot.com/2010/05/did-cancellara-use-illegal-motor-power.html

Plenty of media references too.

[Stuttgart88]

Spectacular crash at end of today's Tour of Switzerland, Cavendish deviating offline in a sprint and getting taken out at high speed.

Any Irish been racing recently?

[Stuttgart88]

Update on Roche in this Indo interview:

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/columnists/vincent-hogan/vincent-hogan-it-will-never-happen-that-everybody-is-clean-people-cheat-in-every-walk-of-life-2220696.html

[Dodge]

Spectacular crash at end of today's Tour of Switzerland, Cavendish deviating offline in a sprint and getting taken out at high speed.
He was totally at fault. No doubt British cycling media will come to his aid again...


Any Irish been racing recently?

martin taking time off since Giro. Roche and Deignan both doing tour de suisse on the back of injuries. Roche was 9/th or 10h on a hilly stage yesterday and made a bold bid to win it. Deignan's form has been poor and although he was named in Cervelo's final 12 for the Tour, he thinks he won't make it with this form.

Great to see Roche pre-selected (as he was last selected last year)

[outspoken]

Unreal crash yesterday not a cycling fan but seen the crash on SSN and it was spectacular

[Macy]

Martin isn't doing the Tour, unless Garmin are desperate. Disappointing to hear that about Diegnan. It'll be interesting to see Roche does - he's talking alot about the GC (not necessarily the Tour GC) these days.

[Mr A]

Le Tour starts today- interesting piece by Roche here: http://www.independent.ie/sport/other-sports/if-travelling-to-the-tour-come-and-say-hello-ill-be-in-green-white-and-orange-shoes-2244773.html

[Mr A]

Roche in 11th. So far so good although he's had a few spills. He's doing a daily piece in the Indo, which is cool.

Sounds lie the stages have been mental to date.

[Stuttgart88]

He's doing well given how mental the race has been so far. Is he a contender for the best young rider category, or is he too old?