For The Love Of Port

So here are the results of the opening day's TTT. Looks like Team Columbia/highroad made good on their threat to kick some major arse over Garmin/slipstream and put Cavendish into the Pink. The next few days will be fun for sure. I'm sure Cavendish and his team will be doing their all to outsprint the others and hold onto the Pink.

1 Team Columbia - Highroad 21.50 (56.33 km/h)
2 Garmin - Slipstream 0.06
3 Astana 0.13
4 LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini 0.22
5 ISD 0.27
6 Team Katusha 0.35
7 Rabobank 0.38
8 Liquigas 0.40
9 Lampre - NGC 0.42
10 Team Milram 0.49
11 Cervelo TestTeam
12 Barloworld 0.54
13 Team Saxo Bank 0.55
14 Caisse d'Epargne 0.58
15 Bbox Bouygues Telecom 1.01
16 Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 1.06
17 Quick Step 1.14
18 Xacobeo Galicia 1.19
19 Acqua & Sapone - Caffe Mokambo 1.21
20 Silence - Lotto 1.22
21 Ag2R La Mondiale 1.35
22 Fuji - Servetto 1.37

Should have added...
Stage 1:
Lido di Venezia (TTT), 20.5km

If my poor math is right, Columbia/Highroad averaged about 34 MPH to win it.

Astana looks to be in pretty good shape to me. My guess is that Columbia - Highroad will actually try to protect the pink jersey for Cavendish, which in effect will be an admission that they don't think they can win and so want as much early publicity as they can muster. Wednesday and Thursday will be the big test!

And your math is good: 56 kph ~= 34 mph. Which if I ever reach those kinds of speeds it's because I'm near the bottom of a long, steep hill!

Yeah I really don't think Highroad can win the overall since they're expending so much work for the sprinters stages. Looks like Cavendish was a bit disappointed he didn't win....no one remembers second :twisted:

My pick is Levi Leipheimer. This is going to be his year to win a grand tour.

Levi's in a pretty good spot right now just 44 seconds back. Lance is only 31 seconds back but is allegedly working for Levi at the Giro and so will probably fall back on Wednesday and Thursday in the mountains as he pulls Levi along. In theory. Lance may very well outrun Levi even if attempting to pull him along!

Glenn E. wrote:Levi's in a pretty good spot right now just 44 seconds back. Lance is only 31 seconds back but is allegedly working for Levi at the Giro and so will probably fall back on Wednesday and Thursday in the mountains as he pulls Levi along. In theory. Lance may very well outrun Levi even if attempting to pull him along!

I doubt Lance is going to be to hang on through the toughest mountain stages. He'll be the last one leading Levi, but in the end, I think this is Levi's race to lose (in terms of Astana).

Bike racing is bike racing and anything can happen from the absurd to the horrific. I can imagine just about any headline when it comes to bike racing.

I'd love to see Simoni return to his former glory have Simoni and Levi battling it out!

Been a bot delinquent in posting...

Stage 5 - Wednesday, May 13: San Martino Di Castrozza - Alpe di Siusi, 125 km
Denis Menchov (Rabobank) put in a powerful surge inside the final kilometer to win stage five at Alpe di Siusi.

Time bonuses moved Di Luca into the race lead ahead of Lövkvist by just 5 seconds.

General classification after stage 5

1 Danilo Di Luca (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini 16.20.44
2 Thomas Lövkvist (Swe) Team Columbia - Highroad 0.05
3 Michael Rogers (Aus) Team Columbia - Highroad 0.36
4 Levi Leipheimer (USA) Astana 0.43
5 Denis Menchov (Rus) Rabobank 0.50
6 Ivan Basso (Ita) Liquigas 1.06
7 Carlos Sastre (Spa) Cervelo Test Team 1.16
8 Christopher Horner (USA) Astana 1.17
9 Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Liquigas 1.27
10 David Arroyo (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 1.41
11 Gilberto Simoni (Ita) Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli 2.01
12 Yaroslav Popovych (Ukr) Astana 2.30
13 Tadej Valjavec (Slo) AG2R La Mondiale 2.36
14 Laurens Ten Dam (Ned) Rabobank 2.41
15 Kevin Seeldrayers (Bel) Quick Step 2.49
16 Félix Cardenas (Col) Barloworld 2.55
17 Joaquin Rodriguez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 3.01
18 Thomas Rohregger (Aut) Team Milram 3.15
19 Marzio Bruseghin (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C. 3.16
20 Gabriele Bosisio (Ita) LPR Brakes - Farnese Vini 3.21
21 Damiano Cunego (Ita) Lampre - N.G.C. 3.29
22 Lance Armstrong (USA) Astana 3.34
23 Kanstantsin Siutsou (Blr) Team Columbia - Highroad 3.35
24 Fredrik Kessiakoff (Swe) Fuji-Servetto 3.51
25 Bradley Wiggins (GBr) Garmin - Slipstream 3.58
26 Mauricio Soler (Col) Barloworld

Stage 6 - Thursday, May 14: Bressanone/Brixen - Mayrhofen (Aut), 248km

Michele Scarponi (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli) won the stage after being in a break of five that started a mere 55 kilometers in to the race. That means they spent almost 200 km off the front, a daunting task for sure.

Danilo Di Luca (LPR Brakes-Farnese Vini) maintained his general classification lead over the young Swede Thomas Lövkvist (Team Columbia-Highroad).

Andy Velebil wrote:Michele Scarponi (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli) won the stage after being in a break of five that started a mere 55 kilometers in to the race. That means they spent almost 200 km off the front, a daunting task for sure.

That's an impressive break!

Looks like Lance really is working for Levi as he's fallen back a bit. That's probably a good thing in the end, because it might mean that they're setting Lance up for a shot at the Tour de France.

I'm mildly surprised that Chris Horner is hanging in there so well.

Glenn E. wrote:

Andy Velebil wrote:Michele Scarponi (Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni-Androni Giocattoli) won the stage after being in a break of five that started a mere 55 kilometers in to the race. That means they spent almost 200 km off the front, a daunting task for sure.

That's an impressive break!

Looks like Lance really is working for Levi as he's fallen back a bit. That's probably a good thing in the end, because it might mean that they're setting Lance up for a shot at the Tour de France.

I'm mildly surprised that Chris Horner is hanging in there so well.

Indeed a great break away! Reminds me of racing in the 80's!

I do not think Lance, or anyone else will be able to keep up with Contador in the mountains and Astana really see's its future with Contador. He is too good and will have Lance gasping for air! Obviously, the strongest guy with a chance is who they will support, but my money is on a rested Contador whose whole year is based on TdF.

racing is much more exciting again since the crackdown on doping.

Andy Velebil wrote:racing is much more exciting again since the crackdown on doping.

Really? I see little change since Pantani's day in terms of excitement. Banning radios to one per team would make racing much more exciting.

the races are much more wide-open now. In the last 10-15 years it was always a handful of guys dominating every day. Now we're seeing many of the lesser known names getting into the lime light by impressive rides. And also seeing weaknesses in the top riders again. That was something rarely seen by the mid to late 90's.

Andy Velebil wrote:the races are much more wide-open now. In the last 10-15 years it was always a handful of guys dominating every day. Now we're seeing many of the lesser known names getting into the lime light by impressive rides. And also seeing weaknesses in the top riders again. That was something rarely seen by the mid to late 90's.

Ya, I see your point. I kinda like the same old guys winning every race. Up the Col du Galibier in 53 x 15 gears...

Moses Botbol wrote:
Ya, I see your point. I kinda like the same old guys winning every race. Up the Col du Galibier in 53 x 15 gears...

Yeah, no kidding!!

Stage 9 - Sunday, May 17: Milano Show 100, 165km

Major drama going on right now. The riders are protesting the dangerous stage and were riding it at a leasurly 33km/hr pace. On one of the laps they stopped short of the finish line to verbally protest.

We now have a translation of Di Luca's remarks. He said "We are going on. We wanted to stop and say thanks for your presence, but we don't feel the need to risk it anymore. The circuit is not adapted to our security."

The riders decided that the city circuit course through Milan, with its tight corners and cobbled roads, was simply too dangerous. Organisers decided, apparently before the stage, that it would be neutralized. That means, no changes in GC – basically nothing except for a stage win. The riders are protesting by riding as slowly as they can and riding in a bunch. They stopped at one point and Di Luca made a statement on the situation, apologizing to the crowd.

Lets see how the finish ends....

Well the sprinters decided it was time to put some speed in the last 2 laps and Mark Cavendish took the win. At least they all got a good recovery ride in today

Andy Velebil wrote:and were riding it at a leasurly 33km/hr pace.

I'm always amazed at the speeds these guys can maintain... 33 kph is pretty much a flat-out sprint for me, and I'd be lucky to be able to maintain that for a mile on flat ground. And for them it is "leisurely" and a rest day. :wall:

Glenn E. wrote:

Andy Velebil wrote:and were riding it at a leasurly 33km/hr pace.

I'm always amazed at the speeds these guys can maintain... 33 kph is pretty much a flat-out sprint for me, and I'd be lucky to be able to maintain that for a mile on flat ground. And for them it is "leisurely" and a rest day. :wall:

Yeah for a competitive cycling race, especially for pros on this short of a course, that's really slow. But in a large pack it's even easier if you're not in the front. Drafting at this speed in a large group is like barily having to pedal.