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Ardennes classics
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| mb2612 |
Posted on 23-09-2010 22:20
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Sorry for the wall of text
The Ardennes Preview
The Ardennes classics, 3 races, 100 hills, 1000’s of points, 1 week, Kilograms of honour but only 3 winners (probably)
Anyway, here are the teams who will be in action
Teams
Auber 93 – Look
Startlist
| Amstel Gold Race | La Fleche Wallone | Liege - Bastogne - Liege | | Sinkewitz | Sinkewitz | Sinkewitz | | Mehr-Wenige | Mehr-Wenige | Mehr-Wenige | | Boom | Boom | Boom | | Kern | Coppel | Kern | | Langeveld | Langeveld | Langeveld | | Le Mével | Reus | Le Mével | | Maes | Maes | Maes | | Brouzes | Brouzes | Brouzes |
Sinkewitz is the undisputed leader, and will be aiming for 3 top ten placings, with dreams of sneaking a top 5 if he gets lucky, some solid support from Mehr-Wenige and Boom, but they will leave him solo well before the finish
Café de Colombia
Startlist
| Amstel Gold Race | La Fleche Wallone | Liege - Bastogne - Liege | | Valverde | Valverde | Valverde | | Summerhill | Summerhill | Summerhill | | Joly | Joly | Joly | | Pereiro Sio | Pereiro Sio | Pereiro Sio | | Ardila Cano | Ardila Cano | Ardila Cano | | Knees | Knees | Knees | | Deignan | Deignan | Deignan | | Machado | Machado | Machado |
Valverde is back, and after dominating the Continental tour last year he’s ready to take on the best in the world, and he’ll do so with the rainbow jersey on his back. That said, he only got 12th place in
Liege last year so he will be out to prove that weak competition hasn’t made him go soft. Support is non-existent so flying solo is the order of the day, and I think he will struggle to live up to the hype.
Carmeuse Cyclisme
Startlist
| Amstel Gold Race | La Fleche Wallone | Liege - Bastogne - Liege | | Brandt | Brandt | Brandt | | Casar | Casar | Casar | | Di Gregorio | Di Gregorio | Di Gregorio | | Aulas | Aulas | Aulas | | Lhotellerie | Lhotellerie | Lhotellerie | | Jacobs | Jacobs | Jacobs | | Camier | Kneisky | Cancellara | | Fenn | Fenn | Fenn |
Move along, nothing to see here. Except, maybe, Cancellara might just spring a surprise in L-B-L. I wouldn’t bet on it, but I wouldn’t bet against it either.
Domina Vacanze
Startlist
| Amstel Gold Race | La Fleche Wallone | Liege - Bastogne - Liege | | Vanendert | Vanendert | Vanendert | | Eibegger | Eibegger | Eibegger | | Naibo | Naibo | Naibo | | Pauriol | Pauriol | Pauriol | | Schröder | Schröder | Schröder | | Deroo | Deroo | Deroo | | Frei | Frei | Frei | | Speirs | Speirs | Speirs |
Vanendert punched well above his weight last year and will be looking to do so again, however I feel he should be happy with one top ten, especially given the lack of serious support.
Energie-Diesel
Startlist
| Amstel Gold Race | La Fleche Wallone | Liege - Bastogne - Liege | | Sanchez Gil | Sanchez Gil | Sanchez Gil | | Zaballa | Zaballa | Zaballa | | Soler | Soler | Soler | | Vicioso | Vicioso | Vicioso | | Colom Mas | Colom Mas | Colom Mas | | Pires | Cardoso | Vital | | Cunha | Cunha | Cunha | | Rojas Gil | Rojas Gil | Rojas Gil |
Only one top ten in three races was a disappointment for Sanchez Gil and I expect him to perform much better, he has solid support, and is a strong all round rider, I expect him to be around the top ten in all three races
Festina - Corona
Startlist
| Amstel Gold Race | La Fleche Wallone | Liege - Bastogne - Liege | | Sánchez Gonzalez | Sánchez Gonzalez | Sánchez Gonzalez | | Ulissi | Ulissi | Ulissi | | Denifl | Denifl | Denifl | | Morabito | Morabito | Morabito | | Dees | Dees | Dees | | Kvist | Kvist | Madrazo | | Vingerling | Schädlich | Kvist | | Li | Vingerling | Vingerling |
Here we have 2 leaders, both of whom look good for top 5 finishes, and who will be expecting to reach two podiums between them, I suspect this will too much, however expect to see a Festina shirt in the front at all times.
Jack Wolfskin
Startlist
| Amstel Gold Race | La Fleche Wallone | Liege - Bastogne - Liege | | Gesink | Gesink | Gesink | | van der Hugenhaben | van der Hugenhaben | Ten Dam | | Ten Dam | Ten Dam | Martens | | Giling | Martens | Kreder | | Rabou | Vaugrenard | Giling | | De Kort | Kreder | Sys | | Poels | Giling | Poels | | Van Emden | Sys | Cooper |
Gesink, will be looking to Amstel Gold to give his home fans something to cheer about, and while 9th last year may not be something to write home about, 3 9th places will give a nice points haul for Jack Wolfskin
La Gazzetta dello Sport
Startlist
| Amstel Gold Race | La Fleche Wallone | Liege - Bastogne - Liege | | De la Fuente | Cunego | Cunego | | Dowsett | De la Fuente | De la Fuente | | Bono | Dowsett | Dowsett | | Santambrogio | Bono | Bono | | Mugerli | Santambrogio | Santambrogio | | Wielinga | Mugerli | Mugerli | | Maisto | Wielinga | Wielinga | | Possoni | Maisto | Maisto |
No Di Luca, No Cunego for Amstel, this isn’t the La Gazzetta we say last year, however Cunego claims to have worked hard on his Hilly riding over the winter break, and he will be 2nd favourite in both the races he rides in
Lafarge
Startlist
| Amstel Gold Race | La Fleche Wallone | Liege - Bastogne - Liege | | Gautier | Gautier | Gautier | | Jeannesson | Jeannesson | Jeannesson | | Rangel | Rangel | Rangel | | Minard | Minard | Minard | | Van Zandbeek | Van Zandbeek | Van Zandbeek | | Bret | Bret | Bret | | Korzh | Korzh | Korzh | | Peeters | Peeters | Peeters |
Gautier will try but his best result last year was 39th, expect to see Lafarge in the breakaways.
Lipton Ice Tea
Startlist
| Amstel Gold Race | La Fleche Wallone | Liege - Bastogne - Liege | | Di Maggio | Di Maggio | Di Maggio | | Ghisalberti | Ghisalberti | Ghisalberti | | Arroyo | Arroyo | Kashechkin | | Ratiy | Ratiy | Arroyo | | Stundzia | Stundzia | Ratiy | | Brizuela | Brizuela | Stundzia | | Petrie-Armstrong | Petrie-Armstrong | Brizuela | | Bontenackels | Bontenackels | Rowe |
Lipton pull out all the stops here, however they lack a clear leader, and while this could be handy if the race breaks up with a long way to go, I suspect the riders will get in each other’s way and Lipton will not appear at the business end of the race.
Pearl Adidas
Startlist
| Amstel Gold Race | La Fleche Wallone | Liege - Bastogne - Liege | | Bakelants | Bakelants | Bakelants | | Weening | Weening | Weening | | Walker | Walker | Walker | | Leezer | Leezer | Leezer | | Vitoria | Vitoria | Vitoria | | De Haes | De Haes | De Haes | | Mondory | Mondory | Mondory | | Joseph | Joseph | Joseph |
Bakelants will have been looking forwards to this all year and after 2 top 20’s while working for Gesink watch as the pupil becomes the master and he beats Gesink in at least two of the classics on his way to a podium place. The scary thing is, he still has room for improvement.
Philips - TDC
Startlist
| Amstel Gold Race | La Fleche Wallone | Liege - Bastogne - Liege | | Rodriguez Oliver | Rodriguez Oliver | Rodriguez Oliver | | Schreurs | Schreurs | Schreurs | | Bellotti | Bellotti | Bellotti | | Pecharroman | Pecharroman | Pecharroman | | Reimer | Fuglsang | Reimer | | Fuglsang | Cohnen | Fuglsang | | Cohnen | MartÃnez de Esteban | Cohnen | | Mørkøv | Mørkøv | Lund |
Every year from now on the going will get harder for Rodriguez Oliver and if he matches last year’s 5-10-13 he should be very pleased with himself
Sony Ericsson
Startlist
| Amstel Gold Race | La Fleche Wallone | Liege - Bastogne - Liege | | Trofimov | Trofimov | Trofimov | | Anza | Anza | Anza | | Mori | Mori | Mori | | Marzano | Marzano | Marzano | | Muravjev | Muravjev | Muravjev | | Fernández Oliveira | Fernández Oliveira | Fernández Oliveira | | Pauwels | Danacik | Danacik | | Reihs | Reihs | Pauwels |
Can Sony’s amazing start to the season continue? No. Will it last until Romandie? Possibly. Trofimov has beaten all comers so far and after not riding last year, expect him to get a podium, although the top step of the podium might be just that, a step too far.
Team B&O
Startlist
| Amstel Gold Race | La Fleche Wallone | Liege - Bastogne - Liege | | Hagen | Hagen | Hagen | | Klemme | Klemme | Klemme | | Kruijswijk | Grivko | Grivko | | Steensen | Kruijswijk | Kruijswijk | | Hacecký | Steensen | Steensen | | Sagan | Sagan | Mestre | | Christensen | Stenersen | Sagan | | Drucker | Hegreberg | Hegreberg |
Hagen will win one of these Classics, he sprints well, climbs well and with a solid team behind him I expect him to go all the way this year.
Team Nespresso
Startlist
| Amstel Gold Race | La Fleche Wallone | Liege - Bastogne - Liege | | Di Luca | Di Luca | Di Luca | | Fédrigo | Fédrigo | Fédrigo | | Portal | Steurs | Portal | | Mendes | Portal | Mendes | | Traficante | Mendes | Schär | | Maillet | Hoffman | Traficante | | Durán | Traficante | Maillet | | Mottin | Maillet | Mottin |
Di Luca may not be the force he once was, but last year he podiumed so expect solid performances, with perhaps a top ten or two just to tide Nespresso over
Team Starbucks-Radioshack
Startlist
| Amstel Gold Race | La Fleche Wallone | Liege - Bastogne - Liege | | Visconti | Visconti | Visconti | | Kiserlovski | Koren | Amador | | Koren | Ospina | Koren | | Ospina | Lowe | Ospina | | Lowe | Ciccarese | Lowe | | Ciccarese | Jaramillo | Ciccarese | | Jaramillo | Fajt | Jaramillo | | Fajt | Bacquet | Fajt |
Visconti may not have ridden last year, and he may not perform well this year, but he has a nice team, so should a break make it, Starbucks will be the team with the best chance of benefiting from it.
Vesuvio-Accumalux
Startlist
| Amstel Gold Race | La Fleche Wallone | Liege - Bastogne - Liege | | Schleck | Schleck | Schleck | | Iglinski | Iglinski | Iglinski | | Gastauer | Gastauer | Gastauer | | Einsle | Einsle | Einsle | | Kvasina | Kvasina | Kvasina | | Kelly | Kelly | Kelly | | Faiers | Cabreira | Merino Criado | | Hopman | Faiers | Galimzyanov |
Number 1. Schleck is favourite for the Ardennes, one person beat him in three races last year and while he probably won’t have that form again, I expect him to win 1 of these races, possibly 2 if he gets lucky, anything less than that would be a massive disappointment for him. That said, his armour has a chink in the form of his team mates, and so if he gets pressured early he may find himself out of options.
Warner Brothers
Startlist
| Amstel Gold Race | La Fleche Wallone | Liege - Bastogne - Liege | | Spilak | Spilak | Spilak | | Talabardon | Talabardon | Barredo | | De Ketele | De Ketele | Talabardon | | Facci | Facci | De Ketele | | Perez Fernandez | Perez Fernandez | Facci | | Van Houts | Van Houts | Perez Fernandez | | Castro Rodriguez | Castro Rodriguez | Castro Rodriguez | | Giraldo | Giraldo | Giraldo |
He may not have ridden last year, but Spilak is at home on these hills, and will push for a top 5 in one race, although will probably have a bad race where he fails to make an impression
Wikipedia
Startlist
| Amstel Gold Race | La Fleche Wallone | Liege - Bastogne - Liege | | Van Garderen | Van Garderen | Van Garderen | | Burghardt | Burghardt | Busche | | Busche | Busche | Ivars | | Eastman | Eastman | Eastman | | Brandt | Brandt | Mai | | Eeckhout | Eeckhout | Brandt | | Broers | Broers | Eeckhout | | Sebright | Sebright | Broers |
Van Garderen has no team mates, no experience but he does have talent, expect to see him at the front of the races, battling it out in the sprints for the secondary riders.
Wild Cards
Amstel has Bacardi, with Ricco and Kirchen both strong, expect them to get a top 5 placing and don’t be surprised if Bacardi win the team classification
Fleche has LEGO and between Monfort and Claeys, they will also be spoilers to the big teams, although they won’t get the podium which Bacardi will be looking for
L-B-L has Ponzi, who will be battling it out with Bakelants to find out who will dominate in the years to come, while Ginanni will also be there, also expecting to fit right in, although both of their stamina will probably let them down this year. I see them fading as the race goes on.
The races
In this section there will be a brief run down of the races as well as a prediction about which riders will do better in this race than the others
Amstel Gold
The most hilly of the three, also, due to the final 30km, the easiest one to spring a surprise, expect riders like Hagen, Ulissi and Sanchez Gil to do well here due to their strength on the flat just before the finish.
Fleche Wallone
The shortest and least hilly of the three, riders who will be stronger here include Sanchez Gonzalez, Bakelants and Vanendert.
Liege-Bastonge-Liege
The longest, most difficult and most prestigious of the classics expect this to be where Schleck, Valverde and Cunego really shine.
 [url=www.pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=33182] Team Santander Media Thread[/url]
Please assume I am joking unless otherwise stated |
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| rjc_43 |
Posted on 23-09-2010 22:41
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Some very nice previews of the teams there. Nice layout too. My favourite races coming up - I'm looking forward to 'em 
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 23-09-2010 22:43
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Based on his season so far, maybe Schleck will get a couple of Top 10s
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| p3druh |
Posted on 23-09-2010 23:04
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Nice preview
Bakelants for 3 Top-10s or else he gets shipped off to another team! 
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| niconico |
Posted on 24-09-2010 00:03
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SportingNonsense wrote:
Based on his season so far, maybe Schleck will get a couple of Top 10s
Based on his season so far, maybe Hagen will make it to the finish in one of these races.
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| Heine |
Posted on 24-09-2010 06:20
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pessimists :-p
Trofimov will win all three :-p Yeah, I'm turning into a Sony-fanboy here :-p It just seems like the "safe" bet 
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| untal |
Posted on 24-09-2010 14:19
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Time to shine, Di Luca. |
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| mattiasgt |
Posted on 24-09-2010 16:00
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O yes, got a Top 10 goal in Liege. Trofimov better not fail in that one.
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| Kami |
Posted on 24-09-2010 16:51
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Looking forward to my first PT race. A podium would be very nice, although i have my doubts about it.
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| fenian_1234 |
Posted on 24-09-2010 18:24
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mb2612 wrote:Support is non-existent so flying solo is the order of the day, and I think he will struggle to live up to the hype.
Aaah....you've rumbled my hilly tactic. |
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| mb2612 |
Posted on 25-09-2010 13:04
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Stupid LBL crashing on finish, anyway, Rather than leave you waiting I just wanted to explain that Amstel Gold will only come after Euskal Bizikleta is finished
[url=www.pcmdaily.com/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=33182] Team Santander Media Thread[/url]
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| p3druh |
Posted on 06-10-2010 09:10
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AGR will be probably Bakelants best chance for the win.
Bring it on
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| p3druh |
Posted on 06-10-2010 20:43
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And Bakelants got 2nd.
Good enough
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 06-10-2010 20:49
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Predictably pathetic
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| alexkr00 |
Posted on 06-10-2010 21:05
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8th is pretty good for Gesink even though this one was his best chance to get a top 5 from the Ardennes because of the national bonus.
Edited by alexkr00 on 06-10-2010 21:07
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| CrueTrue |
Posted on 06-10-2010 21:08
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Congrats to B&O - they decided the race early on and went on to win it.
I had hoped for a better result, but then again, Rodriguez isn't exactly the best hilly rider around. |
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| rjc_43 |
Posted on 06-10-2010 21:42
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Good enough. After these races I have no hope of gaining points other than through breaks and finishing races 
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| Kami |
Posted on 06-10-2010 22:24
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Very disappointing, attacking way to late.
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| fenian_1234 |
Posted on 06-10-2010 22:34
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Not bad for Valverde - hope he can do better in the other races here though. |
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| mattiasgt |
Posted on 06-10-2010 23:42
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Really thought the podium was set for Trofimov when he caught Spilak, but fourth is good anyway. Anza attacking when already at the limit, genious.
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