VeloHuman

Tag: WorldTour

  • Giro d’Italia 2016: Stage 7 Preview

    Giro d’Italia 2016: Stage 7 Preview

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    Stage 7: Sulmona › Foligno – 211km

    The Giro’s 7th stage looks like another day that will test the sprinters’ limits—though my first inclination is that there will be several fast men who survive the parcours to contest the finale. The profile continues just two categorized climbs, and the first comes very early in the stage.

    The Cat. 4 crested 41 kilometers from the finish, however, looks harder than your normal Cat. 4. By the time the peloton reaches the top, they’ll have been climbing for about 17km at a gradient of around 3%. That’s not a particularly steep ascent, but it’s a long time to be going upward. It might be too much for some of the purer sprinters. It could also motivate a few attacks, which will, in turn, be more likely to go the distance if sprinters get dropped.

    The finish is an interesting one, adding a further wrinkle to this story. There are four technical corners inside the final 1.5km: a hard right, two hard lefts, and then a right hook. It’s not a finish for the faint of heart.

    I still see the most likely outcome as a field sprint, but this could be a nice chance for the quick men who haven’t quite been able to pull it off so far. Marcel Kittel and André Greipel will be the big favorites if they’re there in the last 500 meters, with the edge going to Kittel in a head to head—but that late climb might be a bit much for Kittel, and Greipel has never been the best in tricky finales, which at least makes it worth bringing up a few other names.

    Giacomo Nizzolo can handle a lumpier day and he thrives in technical finishing circuits. This will definitely be a day he has on his mind. Arnaud Démare shouldn’t be troubled by the profile, and he has looked very strong so far in this race. Sacha Modolo could be in the mix as well.

    Elia Viviani and Caleb Ewan are the other obvious sprint names that could factor in Stage 7.

    And if the sprinters don’t make it to the line? Sonny Colbrelli, Diego Ulissi, Adam Hansen, and his teammate (and Stage 6 winner) Tim Wellens will likely be on the lookout for a chance to nab the stage.

    VeloHuman Stage 7 Favorites

    1. Marcel Kittel | 2. André Greipel | 3. Giacomo Nizzolo

  • Giro d’Italia 2016: Stage 6 Preview

    Giro d’Italia 2016: Stage 6 Preview

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    Stage 6: Ponte › Roccaraso – 157km

    The Giro may have opened with three relatively easy to predict stages, but Thursday’s Stage 6 marks the third straight tough one. Only 157 kilometers in length, the stage nevertheless involves a whole lot of climbing—while only officially including two Cat. 2 climbs.

    As the profile indicates, however, both categorized ascents are each part of longer stretches of uphill roads that will wear down the peloton. The climb to the finish is officially just under 18km at a little over 4%. The long, low-gradient climb (coming after several other long uphill stretches on the stages) won’t win anyone the Giro d’Italia, but it will drop the sprinters. With fewer teams around trying to keep the stage together for a bunch kick, but nothing so steep as to force a GC showdown, this could be a great opportunity for the long-range attackers. On the other hand, if the pink jersey contenders do contest the victory as a group, this looks like a prime opportunity for Alejandro Valverde, who can outgun the rest of his rivals at the finish line. His speed is well-documented, and it makes him the man to beat among the GC hopefuls.

    Diego Ulissi should be excited about this stage as well. He already has one win in the bag. Stage 6 is another great opportunity for the Italian with a fast finish.

    Climbing stars Mikel Landa, Esteban Chaves, Ilnur Zakarin, and Vincenzo Nibali are all candidates to get involved at the finish as well, but it might be too easy of a day for them to really shine. As such, I like Tom Dumoulin‘s chances a bit better. He has a faster finish than many realize. So does Rigoberto Urán.

    If this stage does come down to a long-distance move, watch out for Valverde’s Movistar teammate Giovanni Visconti, who thrives on stages like this. Gianluca Brambilla, Stefano Pirazzi, Alessandro De Marchi, Tim Wellens, and even Damiano Cunego are other potential protagonists from afar.

    VeloHuman Stage 6 Favorites

    1. Alejandro Valverde | 2. Diego Ulissi | 3. Giovanni Visconti

  • Giro d’Italia 2016 Preview

    Giro d’Italia 2016 Preview

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    I had the privilege of previewing this year’s Giro d’Italia for VeloNews. Route, contenders, outsiders, it’s all there…

    Check it out here.

    And just in case you’re the type who only reads these previews for the Top 10 GC faves, here’s how I see it playing out:

    VeloHuman Top 10 Overall Favorites

    Winner: Vincenzo Nibali
    Podium: Mikel Landa, Alejandro Valverde
    Other Top Contenders: Rafal Majka, Rigoberto Urán, Esteban Chaves, Domenico Pozzovivo, Jakob Fuglsang, Ilnur Zakarin, Tom Dumoulin

    Of course, don’t miss the Recon Ride podcast, chock full of analysis and interviews to boot!

    Photo by ENGIE Italia (CC).

  • The Recon Ride Podcast: Giro d’Italia 2016, Part I

    The Recon Ride Podcast: Giro d’Italia 2016, Part I

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    Episode 42: Giro d’Italia 2016 Show, Part I

    Grand Tour cycling is upon us! The Recon previews the Giro d’Italia, covering the overall parcours and contenders, and taking a closer look at the first nine stages of the race.

    [powerpress]

    Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano look ahead to the first Grand Tour of the season, the Giro d’Italia, with particular focus on the first several stages. Astana’s Jakob Fuglsang and Trek-Segafredo’s Giacomo Nizzolo lend a hand with previewing the action.

    Photo by ENGIE Italia (CC).

  • Tour de Romandie 2016 Preview

    Tour de Romandie 2016 Preview

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    The Spring Classics are in the books, which means it’s time for the Tour de Romandie to kick of several months of big-time stage races. The cycling world has been focused on flatter Northern Europe for the last few weeks, but the Swiss Alps should provide the stage racing GC riders with plenty of opportunities to strut their stuff.

    The Route

    The race opens with a very short prologue Tuesday before a mostly flat Stage 1. Stage 2 is likely to have some GC impact with two late climbs, though riders may keep their powder dry for the two all-important stages to come.

    Stage 3 is a 15km time trial that does have a bit of a climb in it, while Stage 4 will pit the peloton against three Cat. 1 climbs (and two Cat. 3s). The 70th Tour de Romandie concludes with a likely sprinters’ stage in Geneva.

    The Overall Contenders

    Several former champions are making the start in Romandie this week. Team Sky brings a powerhouse squad led by two-time race winner Chris Froome, whose all-around talent makes him an obvious favorite. Geraint Thomas and Michal Kwiatkowski are also versatile riders whose ability to time trial and climb could put them into contention.

    Katusha boasts two former winners in Simon Spilak and last year’s victor Ilnur Zakarin. Both riders thrive in one-weekers, and Spilak in particular has a long history of being very successful racing in Switzerland.

    BMC’s one-two punch of Tejay van Garderen and Richie Porte seems almost certain to be in the mix. Porte landed a few Top 10s in the race in the past even when riding in a support role at Sky—given more room to roam, his one-week prowess and excellent TT abilities make him a very dangerous rider.

    Nairo Quintana will love the mountainous Stage 4 and can’t be counted out as an overall contender. The time trial mileage is a bit of a question mark for the Colombian however, who may not be 100% motivated at this point in the season anyway. If he is, he’s a threat. If he’s not, Ion Izagirre may be the guy for Movistar.

    Thibaut Pinot has turned into a strong time trialist, which will come in handy here. He had a good race in 2015, winning a stage. Cannondale’s three-pronged attack of Rigoberto Urán, Andrew Talansky, and Pierre Rolland could make things interesting. Rui Costa, like Spilak, always races well in Switzerland and has a knack for one-week affairs. He’s coming off a decent run at the Ardennes, which would suggest that the form is there.

    Tom Dumoulin, Rafal Majka, Wilco Kelderman, Ryder Hesjedal, Mathias Frank, Miguel Ángel López, Romain Bardet, Bauke Mollema, and Simon Yates are other potential GC protagonists to keep an eye on.

    The Stagehunters

    Five-time Romandie stage-winner Michael Albasini is an obvious candidate to pick up more victories this year, especially coming off a great week in the Ardennes. Marcel Kittel will be the heavy favorite for any bunch sprints, with Ben Swift and Moreno Hofland as potential outsiders.

    VeloHuman Top 10 GC Favorites

    Winner: Richie Porte
    Podium: Chris Froome, Simon Spilak
    Other Top Contenders: Nairo Quintana, Thibaut Pinot, Ilnur Zakarin, Rigoberto Urán, Rui Costa, Tejay van Garderen, Geraint Thomas

    Photo by Georges Ménager (CC).

  • The Recon Ride Podcast: Tour de Romandie 2016

    The Recon Ride Podcast: Tour de Romandie 2016

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    Episode 41: Tour de Romandie 2016 Pre-race Show

    The Spring Classics are done and dusted and the peloton is gearing up for the Grand Tours. The Tour de Romandie offers some of cycling’s top stage racing stars a chance to showcase their skills in the Alps.

    [powerpress]

    Dane Cash and Cosmo Catalano have all the pre-race angles covered ahead of Switzerland’s Tour de Romandie, which usually boasts an impressive startlist and spectacular mountain scenery. This year is no exception.

    Photo by Georges Ménager (CC).