Riders out of Form

[Agent 86]

Well the season is upon us and we still haven't heard much from a few of the high ranking riders.

[Agent 86]

Paris-Nice

Sure the race is still on but the following riders are still under the radar:

Frank Schleck Saxo Bank
Woulter Weylandt Quick Step
Oscar Pereiro Astana
Tony Martin Columbia
Andre Greipel Columbia
Heinrich Haussler Cervelo
Jurgen Van den Broeck OmegaPharm Lotto
Sandy Casar FDJ
Levi Leipheimer RadioShack
Christain Vande Velde Garmin
Serguei Ivanov Katusha
Romain Feillu Vacansoleil

I know the season is young and all but they are the higher tier riders and we usually see them higher up.

[Agent 86]

Tirreno-Adriatico:

Stephano Garzelli Aqua & Sapone
Alexandre Vinokourov Astana
Allan Davis Astana
George Hincapie BMC
Alessandro Ballan BMC
Tyler Farrar Garmin, I know he's come close but close isn't up to expectations, right? Not even top 3.
Giovanni Visconti ISD
Vincenzo Nibali Liquigas
Franco Pellizotti Liquigas
Leif Hoste OmegaPharma
Oscar Freire Rabobank
Robert Gesink Rabobank
Edvald Boasson Hagen Sky
Juan Antonio Flecha Sky
Mark Cavendish Columbia
Filippo Pozzato Katusha
Robbie McEwen Katusha
Fabian Wegmann Milram
Fabian Cancellara Saxo Bank
Andy Schleck Saxo Bank


I know, no major climbing stage here yet but still I gotta call them as I see them, they're not their yet. And no excuses, no they're saving it for the Tour or this or that, they need to at least be there. I'm sure the GC boys will pop up on the climbing stages, hopefully. More later.

[mashjaja]

I gotta agree--my saxo boys are suckin'

[golevigo]

Well, I think there are some excuses. Cavendish started his training late because of a dental procedure. Hushovd because of sickness. Andy Schleck because of a bad knee. And you gotta remember, goals change. Last year, Tony Martin is trying to make a name for himself, and establish himself on his loaded team. Now as a star and protected man, he can pick his goals and go for them and them only. Maybe the Ardennes, Romandie, Suisse, and the Tour. Why carry top form now?

You gotta think that if Cap'n Chaos were coming around, he'd be RAILING Farrar for his 0 wins so far. And for not being able to come around Bernie Eisel in the sprint yesterday. I don't know what's going on there.

I think order will be restored to the universe in the next month or so. MSR will have the usuals at the front. Quick Step and Cervelo will control Flanders / Roubaix with BMC and Fabi trying to mix it up.

And how can Flecha be a rider "off form"? Yeah, he hasn't done anything at one race, TA, but he won his first classic ever. This isn't a bad thing.

[dvora]

And let's not overlook the fact that Vino made a nice little breakaway today in T-A, except he wasn't confused about where he placed when he crossed the line...

Vaugrenard looked like one very confused Frenchman when he gave the typical "I won! I won!" fist pump at the finish line." Michele Scarponi had already won the race, apparently unseen and unheard by Vaugrenard.

Otherwise, I think that this may be the year of the "young guns"... after today's 4th stage in Tirreno-Adriatico, how many "unknown" names do you see on this GC list? I'll spare you the times and distances... you can look them up... just look at the names of the riders and their teams... GC places 1-24 are within 59 sec of each other, #25 is 1:06 back.

TIRRENO-ADRIATICO - Stage 4 - SAN GEMINI - CHIETI - General Classification
1. SCARPONI Michele ITA ANDRONI GIOC. - DIQUIGIOVANNI
2. VAUGRENARD Benoit FRA FRANÇAISE DES JEUX
3. BERTAGNOLLI Leonardo ITA AND ANDRONI GIOC. - DIQUIGIOVANNI
4. GARZELLI Stefano ITA ASA ACQUA & SAPONE
5. URAN URAN Rigoberto G COL GCE CAISSE D'EPARGNE
6. EVANS Cadel AUS BMC BMC RACING TEAM
7. IGLINSKIY Maxim KAZ AST ASTANA
8. GESINK Robert G NED RAB RABOBANK
9. ROGERS Michael AUS THR TEAM HTC - COLUMBIA
10. POZZOVIVO Domenico ITA CSF COLNAGO - CSF INOX
11. NIBALI Vincenzo ITA LIQ LIQUIGAS - DOIMO
12. KIRYIENKA Vasil BLR GCE CAISSE D'EPARGNE
13. LASTRAS GARCIA Pablo ESP GCE CAISSE D'EPARGNE
14. MARTENS Paul GER RAB RABOBANK
15. GAVAZZI Francesco ITA LAM LAMPRE - FARNESE VINI
16. VAN AVERMAET Greg G BEL OLO OMEGA PHARMA - LOTTO
17. MORI Manuele ITA LAM LAMPRE - FARNESE VINI
18. FOTHEN Markus GER MRM TEAM MILRAM
19. OROZ UGALDE Juan Jose ESP EUS EUSKALTEL - EUSKADI
20. SERPA PEREZ Jose Rodolfo COL AND ANDRONI GIOC. - DIQUIGIOVANNI
21. FLECHA GIANNONI Juan Ant ESP SKY SKY PROFESSIONAL CYCLING T
22. CANUTI Federico G ITA CSF COLNAGO - CSF INOX
23. SPILAK Simon G SLO LAM LAMPRE - FARNESE VINI
24. STORTONI Simone G ITA CSF COLNAGO - CSF INOX
25. GERDEMANN Linus GER MRM TEAM MILRAM

I don't think it's an issue of so-and-so not being in form, I think that it's an issue of aging, pure and simple.

[golevigo]

I'll disagree slightly, Dvora. GC at Tirreno Adriatico is the weirdest, most unpredictable thing you will see all season. And you shouldn't put any stock into it at all. I think it was cyclingnews who said that people rarely remember who won the race. That's because it's a sprinter's race - a tuneup for Milan Sanremo... with a few hills mixed in. Lately, Scarponi has mastered it, and he's not a GC threat at any other race.