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Tour of California = BORING

post #1 of 22
5/17/12 at 6:58am
Thread Starter 

I am not sure what the organizers are thinking when they come up with these stage routes.  Sure there a lots of climbs, but they all end way to far out from the finish line and are therefore rendered pointless and have no real effect on the outcome of yet another sprint finish.  If you can't have a mountaintop finish, at least don't make it 30 or 40 miles away.

 

My guess is they are more interested in the cash they get from inland cities bidding on finishing spots and have to plan the routes around that.  Good thing there is a real stage race going on this week to watch instead.

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post #2 of 22
5/17/12 at 11:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roadrash View Post
 Good thing there is a real stage race going on this week to watch instead.

 

Ayup.

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post #3 of 22
5/21/12 at 10:27am

I don't know, the Baldy stage was mesmerizing.  I so wanted Horner to hold them off.  Still, it was an incredible ride by Horner, and once caught, he didn't give up.  A third was still an impressive stage performance.

 

Gesnik was incredible.  That was one gut wrenching performance.  He shatterd Zabriski and his determination to win the stage was amazing.

 

Finally, what can you say about Sagan?  5 stage wins, including an amazing trouncing of Boonen yesterday.  I'm looking forward to a showdown with Cavendish in the TdF!

 

Mike

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post #4 of 22
5/21/12 at 10:43am

I thought the finish of the Baldy stage was about as exciting as bike racing gets.  I still cannot believe they did almost 18,000 feet of climbing on that stage and then finished with 5 miles of 17% grade.

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post #5 of 22
5/21/12 at 10:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by habacomike View Post

I don't know, the Baldy stage was mesmerizing.  I so wanted Horner to hold them off.  Still, it was an incredible ride by Horner, and once caught, he didn't give up.  A third was still an impressive stage performance.

 

Gesnik was incredible.  That was one gut wrenching performance.  He shatterd Zabriski and his determination to win the stage was amazing.

 

Finally, what can you say about Sagan?  5 stage wins, including an amazing trouncing of Boonen yesterday.  I'm looking forward to a showdown with Cavendish in the TdF!

 

Mike


Let's not pretend that any of the "sprinters" at TOC are even close to being on Cav's level. I don't see that Sagan is a real challenge to Cav in a true field sprint.

 

I have to say though. I didn't find the TOC boring this year at all. I found Sagan's dominance in the sprints highly entertaining. Gesink was amazing, but I was most impressed with Joe Dombrowski.

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post #6 of 22
5/23/12 at 12:43am

At the end, let's all be thankful the event ended right.

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post #7 of 22
5/23/12 at 10:10am
Thread Starter 

I guess it is just personal preference, but I find field sprints in grand tours a little ho hum, especially when the same person wins them all.  And I don't see the point in having all of that climbing, only to have so much road left after it is over you wind up with  a field sprint anyway.  If that is what you want just have a weeks worth of criteriums, then you can give the fans a real show.

 

I do agree the final stage on Baldy was a lot of fun, that and break aways are what stage racing is all about IMHO.

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post #8 of 22
5/24/12 at 9:08am

So, RR, did you watch today?  Lovely Giro.

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post #9 of 22
5/24/12 at 2:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by ecimmortal View Post


Let's not pretend that any of the "sprinters" at TOC are even close to being on Cav's level. I don't see that Sagan is a real challenge to Cav in a true field sprint.

 

 

The proof will be in the pudding.  Only a few weeks to go.  And let's not forget that Sagan is only 22!

 

Mike

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post #10 of 22
5/25/12 at 12:36am
If you can find it, watch Cav get his butt kicked by a young Italian yesterday. flat out beaten

The ITalians went ape.
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post #11 of 22
5/25/12 at 1:05am
Hey Roadrash,
Yes, we are still in Italy, but board a boat to Corsica in a few hours, then back to Cotignac for a week. good Giro coverage here. They love Taylor Phinney, who went to school in Italy and speaks Italian like any Italian teen
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post #12 of 22
5/25/12 at 4:42am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by cantunamunch View Post

So, RR, did you watch today?  Lovely Giro.

Wed yes, Thursday, not yet.  Basso's tactics on Wed made what should have been a really exciting stage a little dull.  I certainly hope those tactics come back to haunt him.  Rodriquez is really something though.

Quote:
Originally Posted by newfydog View Post

If you can find it, watch Cav get his butt kicked by a young Italian yesterday. flat out beaten
The ITalians went ape.

Glad I taped it.  I originally wasn't going to watch it because I just can't stand to watch him win.  Watching him loose will be a lot more interesting.

Quote:
Originally Posted by newfydog View Post

Hey Roadrash,
Yes, we are still in Italy, but board a boat to Corsica in a few hours, then back to Cotignac for a week. good Giro coverage here. They love Taylor Phinney, who went to school in Italy and speaks Italian like any Italian teen

I was just thinking about sending you a PM yesterday to see if you were finished with the epic trip.  Hope you had a great time.  I am more than ready to head back to Cotignac myself.

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post #13 of 22
5/25/12 at 7:52am

Speaking of the Giro. Do you think Ryder can hang on until Sunday? If he doesn't lose major time in the next 2 stages, then he will stomp Purito in the TT.

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post #14 of 22
5/25/12 at 10:48am
They had tv on the ferry,and I sat next to a Rodreguiz fan. great ryde Ryder!

I think we will hear oh Canada!
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post #15 of 22
5/25/12 at 10:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by newfydog View Post

They had tv on the ferry,and I sat next to a Rodreguiz fan. great ryde Ryder!
I think we will hear oh Canada!


Very nice ride today. Liked that Ryder attacked. Of course the real race will be the recovery race. I think though that Ryder went because he felt like he could and not because he felt like he needed to. That sends a message.

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post #16 of 22
5/25/12 at 1:11pm
Thread Starter 

Great stage.  Ryder looks like he is going to win this thing, but Perito showed some real guts in the last few hundred meters today.


Edited by Roadrash - 5/25/12 at 5:57pm
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post #17 of 22
5/28/12 at 6:16am
Oh Canada! Congrats to all Canadians!

But what happened to my hometown boy was terrible. Still, he managed a 16th. Imagine if that'd happened to Ryder. Still it's good experience, although it may set Taylor Phinney's Olympic ambitions back a bit.

Mike
Edited by habacomike - 5/28/12 at 6:14pm
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post #18 of 22
5/28/12 at 8:54am

Yep, it was a great day for Canadian cycling.  Canada hasn't had a 'contendah' since the days of Steve Bauer and his 4th in the Tour de France GC and Olympic silver, or when Alex Steida became the first North American (Canadian) to wear the yellow jersey at the TDF.  Hopefully this is a sign of great things to come.
 

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post #19 of 22
7/1/12 at 10:43am
Quote:
Originally Posted by ecimmortal View Post


Let's not pretend that any of the "sprinters" at TOC are even close to being on Cav's level. I don't see that Sagan is a real challenge to Cav in a true field sprint.

 

 

OK, today wasn't a Cavandish sprint, but I think you are going to see Sagan is a SPRINTER, not a "sprinter".  He will be a good contender for the points jersey.

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post #20 of 22
7/1/12 at 1:39pm
Thread Starter 

Sagan is the real deal.  More than just a pure sprinter.  He is going to win a lot of races.  And Cav didn't even win the intermediate sprint today.

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post #21 of 22
7/2/12 at 9:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Roadrash View Post

Sagan is the real deal.  More than just a pure sprinter.  He is going to win a lot of races.  And Cav didn't even win the intermediate sprint today.


Ahem

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post #22 of 22
7/2/12 at 12:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by newfydog View Post

 

 you are going to see Sagan is a SPRINTER, not a "sprinter".  He will be a good contender for the points jersey.

Ahem: Who is in the Green Jersey?  The one Cav wore last year?

 

One heck of a smart ride by Cav today though.  He has, however, stopped dissing Greipel.


Edited by newfydog - 7/2/12 at 12:38pm
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