With a great mountain stage finishing in La Punt and a long demanding time - trial in the last stage it's clear where the race will be won. There are plenty of chances for the sprinters to bring something home but the breakaways are very likely to succeed as well.
Neither of past four winners will be riding in this year's Tour de Suisse, but there are a lot of good climbers that can also ride a very strong time - trial, Pluchkin, Phinney and Uran being just a few names from a very impressive list of favorites to take the GC.
Rogers, Phinney and Cancellara are the leading time - trialists present here, with two opportunities to grab a stage win, while Granjel Cabrera is leading the sprinters list. On paper, at least, Avelino, Vanderbiest and Castaneda are his main rivals.
Marzano has to really be on top of his game here to get into the top 10 of the GC. But in the sprints I hope that Granjel Cabrera can does just as well as in Ireland and get some podiums.
Good start from Castaño here. He might be able to get a top 10 but the field here is very strong...
I have a very strong overall team, but my leaders aren't good enough to make an impact. Castaño, Ardila and Madrazo could all be in for top 20 though with my swiss climber also capable of doing a decent result here at home... Will be interesting to see the difficulty of that one mountainstage with all these quality riders.
That stage should have been a great opportunity for Granjel Cabrera, but I guess with cya-logic a non-sprinter would have won anyway in a bunch sprint.
I'm delighted with Pires' performance. The KoM jersey is a very interesting achievment given the squad I sent here. I just can't stop wondering if it would have been a good decision bringing Nicácio to Switzerland, maybe a top15 would be reachable...
Anyway this is going straight to Phinney's pocket unless something magical happens
Bah give me some slack will you! First Contador in the Vuelta and now Ardila here... I have a shared captaincy role, I guess that is just my luck, but god damn I haven't been too lucky lately... Everything since the Giro have been downhill...
Those crashes - disaster for Lafarge really who will be desperate for a big result if they are going to avoid the dreaded prospect of relegation.
Not great for B & O or Festina either, though at least for Festina that should solve the team captaincy issue. One minute 30 I suppose does not destroy the race both Menchov and Pliushckin should still be thinking of top 10.... unless either are injured of course!
Only one more real flat stage to come then the real fun starts!
Ardila tried to make the race his. Can't ask for anymore more. Well done. Hopefully he isn't injured, and then can provide a solid helpers role in the mountains... I'm a bit sad that Morabito seems injured though. He could've made an impact aswell.
