Cycling 2009

**Bluebeard** · 27/05/2009, 11:14 AM

Halfway through the season, the latest Protour world rankings have Dan Martin in 23rd position, (88 points - 110 behind Heinrich Haussler) and Nicolas Roche in 129th with a solitary point. Lots of racing still to come - I fancy Martin and Roche to both do well in forthcoming Grand Tours for a start, so that should boost them up the ranks a bit. Interestingly enough, Olympic medalist Rebellin is second and Italy's darling Valverde is third, while Tom Boonen (powered by Coke) is 20th, so theoretically, Dan Martin should be 20th

In the European Tour, Niko Eeckhout of the Sean Kelly team is the highest place "Irish" rider at 43rd, unless you want to count Alessandr O'Petacchi of Irish registered LPR Brakes in third. Deignan doesn't appear on the Protour list but turns up here as the highest ranked irish rider at 299th

**Dodge** · 27/05/2009, 11:18 AM

Cervelo aren't a protour team, so I presume the likes of Sastre etc aren't in the protour rankings either. Any links?

EDIT; Just looking at them now on cyclingnews.com and they have Cervelo rider as No 1 in the Pro Tour Rankings, so bang goes that theory. Deignan is also 133 on the Asian tour rankings too

Funny too to see ireland ranked ahead of the US in the nations rankings

**Bluebeard** · 27/05/2009, 12:09 PM

Oopsa, meant to include the link to the rankings on cyclingnews.

The rankings are based on the results within the events based on the tour - the Protour World Rankings only comprise of points picked up from Protour or "World Calendar" races now supposedly, hence Haussler being top and after that it is down to the continental tour. I had thought that the stage race he finished seventh in a few months back was Protour: seemingly not. 299th does seem low though, as I had thought he'd done pretty well over the past few months in a few of the smaller races. The Asian points are for the Tour of Langkwai, I think.

**Dodge** · 27/05/2009, 12:18 PM

Yeah that makes sense. Shame his giro 5th place doesn't count

Another interesting point is that there are only 141 riders ranked in the protour with riders like Armstrong, Leiphemer, Sastre and Menchov not ranked either

**Stuttgart88** · 27/05/2009, 12:27 PM

Isn't the ProTour pretty discredited now? Nobody ever really gave a hoot about it, despite UCI trying to make it a really big thing to aim for.

Or have I got it confused with something else?

**Dodge** · 27/05/2009, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Stuttgart88

Isn't the ProTour pretty discredited now? Nobody ever really gave a hoot about it, despite UCI trying to make it a really big thing to aim for.

Or have I got it confused with something else?

Kind of.

The grand tours and most of the spring classics are no longer part of the ProTour and some of the "fanchising" aspects of it are gone but its still a collection of great races with a prize at the end of it for consistency.

You're right in that despite the UCI pushing it, no one ever really cared about it

EDIT; This UCI pdf indicates that Deignan will gain a point for his 5th place in the Giro

It seems to have totally replaced the protour rankings

**Dodge** · 27/05/2009, 2:54 PM

Won't be Phil's day today

16:49 CEST
A Cervelo rider has gone down. He was at the head of the peloton and his front wheel simply slipped away, and he slid across the road to the the grass. It is Philip Deignan who has left a lot of skin on the asphalt.

**Bluebeard** · 28/05/2009, 1:03 PM

Well, Deignan got back up and is having a good go again today. He's already been in one small break, and now is in a large one of 25 that looks strong enough for the day. I couldn't imagine him winning a bunch sprint, but loopking at the composition of the bunch, you never know how it will pan out certainly, I'd say a good few will drop back before the finish. Fingers crossed for a first Grand Tour stage win for an Irish racer since the Tour in 1992.

Also worthy of note, Jonathon Vaughters seems almost certain Dan Martin will be in the Tour - see the second article here. Deignan looks almost certain to line up too, and if Roche is selected by AG2R, which I would expect, this would be the first time that there have been three Irish cyclists in a Grand Tour, again, since the Tour in 1992.

**Bluebeard** · 28/05/2009, 4:17 PM

Deignan was 21st after. There was some suggestion that he was either feeling the aftermath of yesterday's crash or had another one - apparently he was back with the team car having his fingers bandaged at one point.

**Dodge** · 28/05/2009, 7:10 PM

Roche and martin are both scheduled to ride the Dauphine Libere next week

**Real ale Madrid** · 29/05/2009, 7:14 AM

I hear from the one of the locals over here that Tom Boonen is riding the Dauphine Libere as well - i thought he was banned no?

**Bluebeard** · 29/05/2009, 7:37 AM

Boonen was "Suspended by his team" as it was an out of competition test and cocaine is not considered a performance enhancing drug - it would be a different matter if it were during competition though. ASO, who run the TDF, have announced that he would not be welcomed at the Tour, but he is not actually specifically banned.

Bonnen himself has said that he has a problem. However, despite this announcement, his team, Quickstep, have decided that they need him at the races the Dauphine Lib�re and the Tour, as he is the public darling and particularly good for the sponsors. The team manager has declared that he will fight the ASO to ensure that he races. Dunno who runs the Dauphine, but they don't really have much clout it seems as no-one has gone for a comment from them on the matter.

**Macy** · 29/05/2009, 8:19 AM

Originally Posted by Real ale Madrid

i thought he was banned no?

Cocaine is only considered performance enhancing in competition, as there's no long term effects. This years Tour is back under UCI rules, so Quick Step can make the case for him to ride.

**Dodge** · 03/06/2009, 9:39 AM

Rankings have been updated now with results from Giro (and the rest)

Dan Martin at 33rd. Phil Deignan at 156th. Nicolas Roche at 160th

Ireland 18th in nations ranking.

**pete** · 03/06/2009, 4:02 PM

Any one know anything about the Tour of Luxembourg? I believe it is not in top ranked category but do any big names part? Might take in some of the prologue tonight but fairly clueless about riders...

**Dodge** · 03/06/2009, 4:21 PM

Originally Posted by pete

Any one know anything about the Tour of Luxembourg? I believe it is not in top ranked category but do any big names part? Might take in some of the prologue tonight but fairly clueless about riders...

Some great riders in it Pete.

Andreas Kloden and the Schleck Brothers are properly the best known. Schlecks are fropm Luxembourg too

http://www.aotdl.com/skoda-tour-de-l...l�chargements/

**pete** · 03/06/2009, 9:25 PM

Click

Some guy by the name of Gregory Rast won it. Kolden sixth.

Not a bad small course although I got the direction incorrect when looked at map. Funny to see some guy leave the starting ram at least a second ahead of time - didn't look like he would be penalised. The finishing stretch was like the top section of Patricks Hill in Cork but a bit narrower & on cobble stones.