It was the TV station Versus in the US. Same channel that shows Le TourQuote:
Originally Posted by Macy
In the roads defence (which sounds weird BTW), some of the best races in Belgium are over similar terrain.
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It was the TV station Versus in the US. Same channel that shows Le TourQuote:
Originally Posted by Macy
In the roads defence (which sounds weird BTW), some of the best races in Belgium are over similar terrain.
Jaysus
Roche 5th in Vuelta stage today (sprint)
Deignan 8th in Germany stage today
Roche was 9th yesterday - he's now up to 14:). He seems to be having a great Vuelta. Fingers crossed for a good showing int the time trial today to keep him up the table.
EDIT: Roche departs on his TT at 15h32, Irish time.
Roche finished 65th in the TT, 3.22 down. Drops to 33rd down 3.16.
Deignan was 46th in the Deutshland tour, and is 26th at 7.01 minutes.
Thats not a bad TT from Roche. Only 3.22 on some very fast lads. Contador had a great TT and looks to be the favourite for me. I'd love Roche to get a stage win. Reminds me of a Stuart O'Grady type "sprinter". if he gets to tht level, he'll be doing very well
Contador did very well alright - can't see Leipheimer enjoying that lead over the hills.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
I'd love to see Roche nick a win too - it will give him a great boost going into next year with AG2R, it would set him up nicely for a good shot at the Tour and a high rating in the team.
Deignan finished in 25th overall and 8th in the Yound Riders category in the Deutschland Tour on Saturday, then 25th in the Vattenfalls Cyclassic the yesterday.
Meanwhile Nicolas Roche was an excellent 18th in yesterday's stage of the Vuelta, and 18th overall, just 9 minutes down. He is showing some excellent form, and I really do think he's going to grab a stage win in it this year - I just don't know when.
That 18th place is easily Roche's best performance in the mountains. Seriously good. He's still eligible for the young riders isn't he? Must be high up in the young riders classification (if there is one?)
Hopefully he hasn't knocked the speed out of himself
I don't think thay've a Young Riders in the Vuelta this year - not where I've been checking anyway. Currently, he's the fourth highest placed under 25 yo anyway, after Hernandez (6th), Gesink (9) and Cornu (14), just under 7m down on Hernandez.
Still a lot of racing left.
yeah, didn't see one in cyclingnews (today) but hadn't really looked too deep into it.
Roche currently in 20th place in GC
Dan martin was 4th in today's 3rd stage of the Tour of Britain, He's now 8th overall in GC
The An Post Sean Kelly team leads the team standings with 2 2riders (no Irish) in the top 10
Yeah, Dan Martin did well yesterday in a stage that blew the race apart. ITV4 coverage is brutal though, but presumably the good cycling production teams are at the Vuelta.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/othe...ng/7605378.stm
Sorry to cut across topic but there may be a bit of a comeback from a certain L. Armstrong. Interesting...
What channel showing the Tour of Britain macy? Seen a bit on Sky SPorts news last night but don' think they're showing itQuote:
Originally Posted by Macy
Pauro, Lance ahs his own thread. its big enough to have its own one IMO (although I'll merge into this one when it dies down)
ITV4 - highlights at 8pm. The bloke who does the BBC commentary for cycling is the main commentator, who in fairness isn't the worst, but the camera work is terrible and the editing and production poor. About the only saving grace is Ned Boulting really. Tour of Ireland coverage way better.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Actually ITV probably have the highlights on line, but whether you can access them from an Irish ip is a different thing/
Don't have ITV4. If Martin wins a stage, I'm sure I'll get to see it
No probs Dodge, wasnt sure where it was....Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Roche 16th today in the bunch, stays 20th overall. Tomorrow is a last good chance for a break away or uphill sprint finish before two nasty end of stage hills over Friday and Saturday
Martin had a go off the front yesterday, but got pulled back. Finished in the front group though, along with the yellow jersey. Today will probably be quiet enough with tomorrow a hard enough stage that I'd be expecting him to attack on. Columbia again btw with the stage win.
Seems like Columbia is winning every stage on every (non grand) tour at the moment. Dominated ireland, dominated Germany, Cavendish winning in the US...
Roche lost 3m23 yeaterday finishing 57th. He slips to 23rd overall 12m37 down.
Rest day today. Nothing that would particularly suit Roche until Tuesday or Wednesday. Hopefully he'll make it through the next couple of days in the mountains without too much agony, and snatch a win then.
Did you see the highlights? very strange day. A split in the pack happened out of nowhere really. Valverde was in the 2nd bunch and Astana and Euskadel powered on, almost team time trailling it to the finish. valverde was left on his own as his team couldn't keep up with him and the gap just kept growing and growingQuote:
Originally Posted by Bluebeard
Didn't see the highlights, but was it as good as when Astana (albeit a different version) did for Moreau last year? Valverde seemed to be having a bit of go, saying he went back for a rain jacket and then got caught the wrong side of the split...
No, wasn't anything underhand IMO. There was a break away and Astana and Euskadel's tempo just sort of pulled them away. Obviously those towards the back weren't expecting it to hapepn like that. Caisse d'Epargne had absolutely no help and it took a while for them to realise what was going on
Maybe being harsh on him tbh, but you'd think have enough cop on to stay near the front and send someone else back. That's what the domestiques are for ffs.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
I'd have to agree, based on what I heard - didn't see the highlights. Going to the back for a cape when you are in the running for the race - silly, and probably why a lot of people think that he'll never win a Grand Tour. Then going on a counter-attack by himself without the support of the team. And Caisse d'Espargne have some quality cyclists.Quote:
Originally Posted by Macy
I think that the directeur sportif has got to take some of the blame. Back in the Tour, Pereiro was off on a potentially great escape, and then got called back to help Valverde, who lost a load of time that day. Poor work from the management then as now.
Dan Martin up to 3rd in the Tour Of Britain tonight, 14 seconds behind leader Geoffroy Lequatre (Agritubel) and 8 behind Steve Cummings (Barloworld). Scotland tomorrow - a couple of decent climbs. A good break tomorrow could be the winning of it, as Sunday's stage is almost the perfect bunch sprint set up finish in a city that a certain young man could consider the nearest one to home, should he have been in the race.
BTW on the Valverde thing, Team mate Oscar Pereiro's comment;
"A man of his category and experience should not lose the Vuelta on a stage like this. Once again, a stage race slips through his fingers because of a crappy mistake,"
Former tour winner relegated to super super domestique. I wonder when his contract is up...Quote:
Originally Posted by Dodge
Roche was 16th yesterday and still 17th in the Vuelta - today and tomorrow are his last realistic chances to win a stage, I reckon.
Phil Deignan is 110th in the tour of Poland, but a grand total of 28 seconds back - not a particularly suitable tour for him though.
Big break in the Vuelta today, Roche the highest placed in it and it's likely to stay away. Unfortunately Bettini and Van Aermaet are also in the break, but Roche does at least have a team mate, and currently, with the break over 8 m clear, Roche has broken into the top 12!
Came home from work early today - caught the last 5 mins of the stage on local TV - Roche was only just edged out on the line into second by the Spanaird Imanol Erivti. Great performance from him. Up to about 12th overall i think!
Just heard - was called out at the precisely wrong moment. I heard it was the tiniest of margins. Hopefully he might go one better tomorrow and win one, though I'd say the likes of Gerolsteiner in particular, and also Cofidis will be marking him tight tomorrow to preserve their 9th and 10th place.Quote:
Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid
EDIT: Just got the GC for the day - he's 13th - 51s off 11th place, 1m 42 off 10th. It's unlikely he'll be let get that back, sadly.
However, he's also up to 11th on the points table 4 points behind Mosquera in 10th and 6 behind Rodriguez and Zabel in 8th - if Bettini retires tomorrow for the extra couple of day's prep for the World's as he was expected to do today, and Roche has another good day tomorrow, he could shoot well into the top 10 there!
13th would be an amazing result for a young pro in a grand tour.
Don't want to sound overly nostalgic but I have to say that after watching highlights of yesterday's stage, it was like a throw back to ‘the good ol’ days’. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Daniel Martins arrival on the scene has coincided with Roche’s improvement. Hopefully the two of them can drive each other on in the years to come a la Kelly & Stephen. He’s definitely got a classic win in him in the next couple of years.
Roche finished 13th in the end, only 6 or 7 seconds down on 12th. His team mate Seba Hinault has said that Roche is a man for the grand tours. He's moving to AG2R next season too, and based on what we saw in the Tour Du Limosin and the Vuelta, it seems as though they work well together.
Deignan has signed for the new Cevelo Test Team with Lloyd & Freeman from An Post, following Hushovd and Sastre, and a few other notables. So, Roche will not be hooking up with his fellow Irishman at AG2R after all.
Good move for Deignan. Sastre signing with them probably guarantees a tour spot for the team. Roche's magnificent performance in the Vuelta will probably make him an automatic starter for Ag2r too.
The World Championship team has been selected. Dan martin goes in the u23 event as he'd have a chance at medalling (although the course isn't very hilly). The elite RR team is Deignan, Roche and Roger Aiken.
Neben (US) wins the Women's Time Trial World Championship. Best placed Irish was Olivia Dillon at 39th.
Of course, Neben's great World Championships win will be overshadowed by the same someone who had to spoil Contador's Vuelta moment...
In a brutal week for cycling, good news for Dan Martin with Garmin becoming a ProTour team. With the likelihood that Phil Deignan's (and more importantly Carlos Sastre's) new team also receiving Pro Tour status, it will mean 3 Irish cyclists with protour status next year.
Brutal week for cycling? Another positive week for cycling I thought.