Once again there was a leak of the route details ! Time will come when the savvy journos will not fly into the “ Presentation ” unless they have made important appointments for face to face interviews with the Racers that cannot be done on the phone !
Whilst the amount of Mountain top finishes do not unduly trouble me , I cannot see how I can hitch hike from Barcelona to the North west corner in a day ! It took me all of two days to make it from Innsbruck to Grenada in 2010 and I was in the same vehicle from near Albi in Italy to Grenada for 30+ hours ! That was on motorway most of the journey . Across Spain is somewhat more difficult to get a lift if recollections are correct .
No doubt the racers will be relieved of this task by flying but their support vehicles will no doubt exit Andorra and the team cars will convoy with Police Escort ! The caravan attached to the Vuelta is small compared to the TDF so their non appearance in Barcelona will be no surprise .
Southern Spain usually has warm to hot weather but I recall some fear some storms on the north coast and I wouldn’t bet on Barcelona not having a down pour also !
The route of the 2012 Vuelta a España:
Stage 1, August 18: Pamplona team time trial, 16.2km
Stage 2, August 19: Pamplona-Viana, 180km
Stage 3, August 20: Oion-Arrate (Eibar), 153km
Stage 4, August 21: Barakaldo-Valdezcaray, 155km
Stage 5, August 22: Logroño-Logroño, 172km
Stage 6, August 23: Tarazona-El Fuerte del Rapitán (Jaca), 174km
Stage 7, August 24: Jaca-Motorland (Alcañiz), 160km
Stage 8, August 25: Lleida- Coll de la Gallina (Andorra), 175km
Stage 9, August 26. Andorra-Barcelona, 194km
August 27: Rest day
Stage 10, August 28: Ponteareas-Sanxenxo, 166km
Stage 11, August 29: Cambados-Pontevedra time trial, 40km
Stage 12, August 30: Vilagarcía-Mirador de Ezaro (La Coruña), 184.6km
Stage 13, August 31: Santiago de Compostela-Ferrol, 172.7km
Stage 14, September 1: Palas do Rei-Los Ancares, 152km
Stage 15, September 2: La Robla-Lagos de Covadonga, 186.7km
Stage 16, September 3: Gijón (Villa de Jovellanos)-Cuitu Negro, 185km
September 4: Rest day
Stage 17, September 5: Santander-Fuente Dé, 177km
Stage 18, September 6: Aguilar de Campoo-Valladolid, 186.4km
Stage 19, September 7: Peñafiel-La Lastrilla, 169km
Stage 20, September 8: Palazuelo del Eresma-Bola del Mundo, 169.5km
Stage 21, September 9: Cercedilla-Madrid, 111.9km
Miguel Indurain has already commented that “ With so many tough mountain stages, I would have been stuffed from the start,”
Miguel noted the lack of “ Time Trial Ops” which was his forte :
“This kind of route is exactly what the fans want, and the climbing specialists will have a great chance to win the race,"
The stage distances have been shortened but he thinks :
“they’ve maintained the level of difficulty of the stages.”
This will be a rather novel Vuelta , with the finish in Madrid which is the southernmost point of this Grand Tour edition
“It’s going to be different, because it’s all in the north, and it’ll be quite a nervous race because there are a lot of summit finishes,”
Source :http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/indurain-i-would-have-struggled-on-2012-vuelta-a-espana-route
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Sunday, January 8, 2012
AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS 2012
Not hard to visualise what took place these last few days , thanks to the commentary from CyclingNews.com :
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/mars-cycling-australia-road-national-championships-2012/elite-womens-road-race/results
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/mars-cycling-australia-road-national-championships-2012/elite-mens-road-race/live-report
ONE OF THESE YEARS I will get to see these efforts live . In past years I have driven through these areas but never cycled them so that will be an interesting experience to enjoy .
Really pleased to see that Simon Gerrans has taken this year’s title since I have seen him win some really important races in Europe and he has always flown the Aussie Flag high regardless of the results from his efforts ! Totally professional racer that I have always enjoyed chatting with over the years .
Mattie Lloyd coming in second for GreenEdge has started his season on a good note and will help him to forget the rubbishy treatment he had to get over during 2011 . Looking forward to seeing him collect a few podiums during this season , hopefully some of them they will come in the Grand Tours which I hope to see live and thus enjoy greeting him after he crosses the finish line .
Richie Porte rounding out the Podium is no surprise as so many people will be looking forward to the day when he wins a Grand Tour , remember well his valiant defence of the Maglia Rosa some seasons back already ! Here’s hoping that 2012 will be another spectacular year for him !
During the year “ Vince ” , the guy that did a post about me , rode parts of the Tour de France for the second time . Latest email regales some of the Championship events and since he reads these posts I will be happy to have him “ ADD ” his experiences as a live observer here in the near future ! Up to you Vince !
Women’s Championships were perhaps more important from my point of view since so many NEW names came to my notice ! The depth of talent available is no surprise and I am looking forward to seeing their victories during the period leading up to London 2012 ! Amanda , Tiffany and Rachel are all new names to me , but I hope that the Tour de Romandie will have a Women’s Time Trial once more this year and thus I will enjoy seeing them in action . World Championship and Olympic Medals are the result of years of hard work and good team work but regrettably it is the luck on the day that decides who gets into the record books ! Team tactics can be very important and Oenone Woods sacrificed her chances of a medal in the Athens 2004 Olympics to ensure Sara Carrigan won the Gold . Coming in fourth she was unlucky to miss the podium but had the satisfaction of knowing that Oz had the gold as a result of distracting the other racers , who were certain that she was the person to mark .
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/mars-cycling-australia-road-national-championships-2012/elite-womens-road-race/results
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/mars-cycling-australia-road-national-championships-2012/elite-mens-road-race/live-report
ONE OF THESE YEARS I will get to see these efforts live . In past years I have driven through these areas but never cycled them so that will be an interesting experience to enjoy .
Really pleased to see that Simon Gerrans has taken this year’s title since I have seen him win some really important races in Europe and he has always flown the Aussie Flag high regardless of the results from his efforts ! Totally professional racer that I have always enjoyed chatting with over the years .
Mattie Lloyd coming in second for GreenEdge has started his season on a good note and will help him to forget the rubbishy treatment he had to get over during 2011 . Looking forward to seeing him collect a few podiums during this season , hopefully some of them they will come in the Grand Tours which I hope to see live and thus enjoy greeting him after he crosses the finish line .
Richie Porte rounding out the Podium is no surprise as so many people will be looking forward to the day when he wins a Grand Tour , remember well his valiant defence of the Maglia Rosa some seasons back already ! Here’s hoping that 2012 will be another spectacular year for him !
During the year “ Vince ” , the guy that did a post about me , rode parts of the Tour de France for the second time . Latest email regales some of the Championship events and since he reads these posts I will be happy to have him “ ADD ” his experiences as a live observer here in the near future ! Up to you Vince !
Women’s Championships were perhaps more important from my point of view since so many NEW names came to my notice ! The depth of talent available is no surprise and I am looking forward to seeing their victories during the period leading up to London 2012 ! Amanda , Tiffany and Rachel are all new names to me , but I hope that the Tour de Romandie will have a Women’s Time Trial once more this year and thus I will enjoy seeing them in action . World Championship and Olympic Medals are the result of years of hard work and good team work but regrettably it is the luck on the day that decides who gets into the record books ! Team tactics can be very important and Oenone Woods sacrificed her chances of a medal in the Athens 2004 Olympics to ensure Sara Carrigan won the Gold . Coming in fourth she was unlucky to miss the podium but had the satisfaction of knowing that Oz had the gold as a result of distracting the other racers , who were certain that she was the person to mark .
Saturday, December 24, 2011
MARK CAVENDISH MBE
2011 is all but over but there is still time for more plaudits to arrive at Mark’s door ! After all the achievements of 2011 what can he do in 2012 that will move the “ goal Posts ” further ?
Winning the Green Jersey of the Tour de France would be enough for most Cycle Racers but he has put in the work and thus conquered the Road Race World Championship and then took the victory at the Olympic Road Race trial event !
After the announcement of the demise of HTC high road Team most of the racers signed on with other teams but Mark bided his time and thus created a suspense filled with speculation on which team would win the race for his signature . Previous commitments to sponsors would have been part of the reason for the delayed announcement but the eventual decision in favour of “ Sky ” has been greeted with favour by his new team mates . Quite rightly they have recognised the “ added value ” that he brings to the team . Some people are able to motivate others to raise their sights and Mark is one of those individuals .
Normally the person wearing the World Champions Jersey has a quiet year and many speculate that it is a “ poisoned chalice ” but Cadel Evans was able to win one of Cycling’s Monuments whilst wearing the Jersey so it is conceivable that Mark will also raise the bar during the coming season . During his time with High Road Mark was advised by Eric Zabel amongst others and he appears to be the type who absorbs all the info fed to him and puts it to good use . Losing some of his former leadout train will not be of any great consequence as he has demonstrated his ability to do a “ Robbie Mc Ewan ” on more than one occasion including a lone winning sprint in this past Tour de France .
Missing out on medalling in the 2008 Beijing Olympic will only motivate him to greater efforts in the 2012 London Olympic Games . Should he be successful there it is quite possible that he will get the “ Royal Nod ” and be invited to Buck House once again to adjust his credentials . I am sure Peta would enjoy being Lady Peta !
Recently he has become quite the Media Star cleaning up all the “ Sporting Awards ” in which he has been proposed . Cycling and Bike Racing in recent times has become very much the “ In Sport ” thanks to his efforts and those of Sir Chris Hoy and Brad Wiggins . There is a wealth of talent in the British Cycling Team now and we should not overlook the talents of the likes of Geraint Thomas and others who will compete strongly for any of the places available for London 2012 !
2011 as been a great year for Mark and as he enjoys the festive season no doubt he will be reflecting on his great good fortune and seeking the inspiration to raise the stakes and make 2012 even more successful .
I for one would wish to be at ALL the events that he will be competing in as the wealth of talent out there will produce some memorable clashes of the Titans in 2012 !
Winning the Green Jersey of the Tour de France would be enough for most Cycle Racers but he has put in the work and thus conquered the Road Race World Championship and then took the victory at the Olympic Road Race trial event !
After the announcement of the demise of HTC high road Team most of the racers signed on with other teams but Mark bided his time and thus created a suspense filled with speculation on which team would win the race for his signature . Previous commitments to sponsors would have been part of the reason for the delayed announcement but the eventual decision in favour of “ Sky ” has been greeted with favour by his new team mates . Quite rightly they have recognised the “ added value ” that he brings to the team . Some people are able to motivate others to raise their sights and Mark is one of those individuals .
Normally the person wearing the World Champions Jersey has a quiet year and many speculate that it is a “ poisoned chalice ” but Cadel Evans was able to win one of Cycling’s Monuments whilst wearing the Jersey so it is conceivable that Mark will also raise the bar during the coming season . During his time with High Road Mark was advised by Eric Zabel amongst others and he appears to be the type who absorbs all the info fed to him and puts it to good use . Losing some of his former leadout train will not be of any great consequence as he has demonstrated his ability to do a “ Robbie Mc Ewan ” on more than one occasion including a lone winning sprint in this past Tour de France .
Missing out on medalling in the 2008 Beijing Olympic will only motivate him to greater efforts in the 2012 London Olympic Games . Should he be successful there it is quite possible that he will get the “ Royal Nod ” and be invited to Buck House once again to adjust his credentials . I am sure Peta would enjoy being Lady Peta !
Recently he has become quite the Media Star cleaning up all the “ Sporting Awards ” in which he has been proposed . Cycling and Bike Racing in recent times has become very much the “ In Sport ” thanks to his efforts and those of Sir Chris Hoy and Brad Wiggins . There is a wealth of talent in the British Cycling Team now and we should not overlook the talents of the likes of Geraint Thomas and others who will compete strongly for any of the places available for London 2012 !
2011 as been a great year for Mark and as he enjoys the festive season no doubt he will be reflecting on his great good fortune and seeking the inspiration to raise the stakes and make 2012 even more successful .
I for one would wish to be at ALL the events that he will be competing in as the wealth of talent out there will produce some memorable clashes of the Titans in 2012 !
Saturday, December 17, 2011
TOUR de ROMANDIE 2012
The Tour de Romandie 2012 will for the first time in my 12 visits cross into France with the third day starting there and continuing on to finish at Moutiers which the Tour de France has passed through on occasions . Whilst I can picture in my mind’s eye the start and finish towns I am wondering which climbs are en route ? Having cycled around Moutiers in training rides I am also mindful of passing through there when those clowns dressed as “ Kelme Racers ” butted into that Tour de France as it climbed to Courcheval nearly a decade ago , that sunny Sunday I climbed to the 1km mark before the Gendarmerie turned me back and so I arrived in Seez in time to watch the whole “ Soap Opera ” on the TV .
Below is a summary of the 2012 event lifted from Cycling News :
“ The 2012 Tour de Romandie starts with a prologue in Lausanne and ends nearly 700 kilometres later with a time trial in Crans-Montana. In between, the peloton will take on 13 ranked climbs in western Switzerland.
The race opens on April 24 with a 3.34 km prologue in Lausanne. Stage 1 the next day runs 184.5 km from Morges, on the shore of Lake Geneva, to La Chaux-de-Fonds. There are two Category 2 climbs and a Category 3 climb along the way, and the stage ends with a 67.7km loop course.
Stage two features for the first time a start in Montbéliard, France, and has a tricky end with a false flat 149km later in Moutier. The stage also has three Category 2 and 3 climbs. The third stage also throws in only Category 2 and 3 ranked mountains, as it goes 157.6 km from La Neuveville to Charmey.
The queen stage comes on the fourth stage, 184 km from Bulle to Sion. After crossing three category 1 and one category 2 climbs, the peloton will again face a circuit course at the finish.
The race ends with what it calls a “very difficult” time trial of 16.24 km around Crans-Montana. It features a climb halfway through which “will probably hurt the legs and be decisive” in determining the final overall winner.
All 18 WorldTour teams will be at the race, with a wildcard invitation going to “ Europcar” . A 20th team may be invited later. ”
The “ difficult ” ITT can’t be any tougher than the one that Lance won some years back when it started in Sion and finished on the summit village of Crans Montana Resort . I recall riding on the pavement alongside Lance as he spun the cranks to victory , even the short distance that I rode at a high tempo wasn’t enough to hold his pace as he climbed that steep pitched mountain so I don’t envy the racers the task this time around . Should it be warm then those racing will be glad that it is the final day !
Below is a summary of the 2012 event lifted from Cycling News :
“ The 2012 Tour de Romandie starts with a prologue in Lausanne and ends nearly 700 kilometres later with a time trial in Crans-Montana. In between, the peloton will take on 13 ranked climbs in western Switzerland.
The race opens on April 24 with a 3.34 km prologue in Lausanne. Stage 1 the next day runs 184.5 km from Morges, on the shore of Lake Geneva, to La Chaux-de-Fonds. There are two Category 2 climbs and a Category 3 climb along the way, and the stage ends with a 67.7km loop course.
Stage two features for the first time a start in Montbéliard, France, and has a tricky end with a false flat 149km later in Moutier. The stage also has three Category 2 and 3 climbs. The third stage also throws in only Category 2 and 3 ranked mountains, as it goes 157.6 km from La Neuveville to Charmey.
The queen stage comes on the fourth stage, 184 km from Bulle to Sion. After crossing three category 1 and one category 2 climbs, the peloton will again face a circuit course at the finish.
The race ends with what it calls a “very difficult” time trial of 16.24 km around Crans-Montana. It features a climb halfway through which “will probably hurt the legs and be decisive” in determining the final overall winner.
All 18 WorldTour teams will be at the race, with a wildcard invitation going to “ Europcar” . A 20th team may be invited later. ”
The “ difficult ” ITT can’t be any tougher than the one that Lance won some years back when it started in Sion and finished on the summit village of Crans Montana Resort . I recall riding on the pavement alongside Lance as he spun the cranks to victory , even the short distance that I rode at a high tempo wasn’t enough to hold his pace as he climbed that steep pitched mountain so I don’t envy the racers the task this time around . Should it be warm then those racing will be glad that it is the final day !
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