Tour of Qatar(QAT) 07/02-12/02

[drikie]

START LIST:

Pro Tour Teams:

Quick Step: Tom Boonen, Kevin De Weert, Kevin Hulsmans, Matteo Tosatto, Kevin Van Impe, Marco Velo, Andreas Stauff, Maarten Wynants

Team HTC-Columbia: Bernhard Eisel, Lars Yitting Bak, Gert Dockx, Jan Ghyselinck, Mathew Harley Goss, Patrick Gretsch, Adam Hasen, Martin Velits

Team Saxo Bank: Fabian Cancellara, Matti Breschel, Baden Cooke, Juan Jose Haedo, Lucas Sebastian Haedo, Frank Hoj, Dominik Klemme, Stuart O'Grady

Omega Pharma-Lotto: Philippe Gilbert, Wilfried Cretskens, Kenny De Haes, Michiel Eleijzen, Leif Hoste, Sebastian Lang, Staf Scheirlinckx, Greg Van Avermaet

Sky Pro Cycling: Bradley Wiggins, Kurt-Asle Arvesen, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Russel Downing, Juan Antonio Flecha, Geraint Thomas, Lars Petter Nordhaug, Ian Stannard

Garmin-Transitions: Tyler Farrar, Steven Cozza, Murilo Antonio Fischer, Martijn Maaskant, Svein Tuft, Ricardo Van Der Velde, Johan Van Summeren

Team Katusha: Danilo Napolitano, Marco Bandiera, Nikita Eskov, Mikhail Ignatiev, Artem Ovechkin, Filippo Pozzato, Nikolay Trussov, Stijn Vandenbergh

Team Milram: Gerald Ciolek, Wim De Vocht, Roger Kluge, Servais Knaven, Björn Schröder, Roy Sentjens, Niki Terpstra, Peter Wrolich

Liquigas-Doimo: Daniele Bennati, Francesco Chicchi, Davide Cimolai, Daniel Oss, Maciej Paterski, Manuel Quinziato, Ivan Santaromita, Frederik Willems

AG2R-La Mondiale: Julien Bérard, Ben Gastauer, Kristof Goddaert, Sébastien Hinault, Lloyd Mondory, Christophe Riblon, Nicolas Rousseau, Gatis Smukulis

Pro Continental Teams:

Cervélo Test Team: Heinrich Haussler, Davide Apollonio, Theo Bos, Roger Hammond, Jeremie Hunt, Andreas Klier, Gabriel Rasch, Martin Reimer

BMC Racing Team: Alessandro Ballan, Marcus Burghardt, Martin Kohler, Alexander Kristoff, John Murphy, Michael Schär, Jackson Stewart, Simon Zahner

Saur-Sojasun: Jimmy Casper, Cedric Coutouly, Jimmy Engoulvent, Cyril Lemoine, Laurent Mangel, Rony Martias, Romain Matheou, Stéphane Poulhies

Vacansoleil: Romain Feillu, Wouter Mol, Jens Mouris, Matthé Pronk, Rob Ruijgh, Bobbie Traksel, Arnaud Van Groen, Lieuwe Westra

Topsport Vlaanderen: Klaas Lodewyck, Stijn Neirynck, Geert Steurs, Michael Van Staeyen, Steven Van Vooren, Kristof Vandewalle, Sep Vanmarcke, Pieter Vanspeybroeck

Continental Teams:

Trek-Livestrong U23: Taylor Phinney, Cody Campbell, Alex Dowsett, Benjamin King, Benjamin King, Julian Kyer, Jesse Sergent, Justin Williams

[tdf_fan]

Predictions for the opening TTT anyone?

[golevigo]

Predictions for the opening TTT anyone?

hmm... I like Katusha, Saxo, and Garmin, but not necessarily in that order.

[Timo]

I'll go with either Garmin or Sky for the TTT.

[mashjaja]

Stage 1 Results:

1 Sky Pro Cycling Team 0:09:41
2 Garmin-Transitions 0:00:08
3 Team Saxo bank 0:00:13
4 Team HTC - Columbia 0:00:18
5 Quick Step 0:00:20
6 Saur - Sojasun 0:00:21
7 Liquigas - Doimos
8 BMC Racing Team
9 Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team 0:00:22
10 Team Milram 0:00:25
11 Team Katusha 0:00:33
12 Omega Pharma - Lotto
13 Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator Pro Cycling Team
14 AG2R - La mondiale 0:00:37
15 Trek Livestrong U23 0:00:39
16 Cervélo Test Team 0:01:08

[Agent 86]

I was going to say Team Sky!

Well I guess now the other teams really do hate Team Sky , not sure if the rest of you have read that there's rumors that the other teams hate Team Sky because of the way they grabbed riders, especially the ones still under contract. Supposedly the UCI is coming up with some kind of rule for next year to prevent rider thievery or at least the team the rider was on will get some kind of compensation. The more we go on in this sport the more it starting to sound like Salary Cap and other rules like NFL/NBA are going to come into effect for the ProTour. I'm not pointing fingers but before there were certain teams from certain countries this was not a problem... or maybe its just finally infiltrating into the ProTour?

[Agent 86]

Hey I see Goose is on! Any pics Goose? Come-on!

[Timo]

I'll go with either Garmin or Sky for the TTT.

Look who picked the top 2!

Yes that's right! Not above tooting my own horn!


Seems like if they are gonna start playing the salary cap game like NFL or what not that they best put together a strong riders union to represent the cyclists.

[mashjaja]

(CN)
Cervélo TestTeam set the second fastest time in the opening team time trial at the Tour of Qatar but just hours later the entire squad were penalised one-minute for pushing.

The decision by the race jury meant Cervélo officially finished last on the stage, 1:08 behind winners Team Sky and now has very little chance of overall success in the race.

Cervélo opted to ride a double line formation in the team time trial to help then fight the strong winds but it cost them dearly.

The judge following the team, Jinshan Zhao of China, said that mid-way round the 8.2 kilometre course, Heinrich Haussler pushed Gabriel Rasch after taking a turn on the front. Chief judge Enrique Gonzalez Martinez agreed and, in spite of the short distance of the stage, enforced the International Cycling Union (UCI) rule which prescribes a one-minute penalty for pushing.

Haussler and Rasch were also fined 200 Swiss Francs and the team's riders dropped from top-ten overall to positions now outside the top-100 in the overall standings.

Directeur sportif Jens Zemke, Heinrich Haussler and Gabriel Rasch made a desperate plea to the judges to overturn their decision but the judges refused.

"I touched Rasch but I didn't push him. He didn't gain any advantage," Haussler said, dismayed about the decision.

"I'd just done a turn on the front and was moving back, when the wind blew us together, I put my hand out to avoid crashing. It's a crazy decision but the commissares are the boss of the race."

Zemke initially suggested that the Cervélo Test Team might pull out of the race. However, he eventually accepted the penalty.

"It's a very hard decision. Heinrich pushed him for safety reasons, not to get an advantage, but to avoid a crash. Next time maybe they have to crash…" he said.

"We were really happy with second place it was a big success for us to beat teams like Garmin. Now our motivation goes down. We will have to try and show something special to make up for it but it's really hard to win overall when you start in last spot."

The Tour of Qatar continues on Monday with the first 147 kilometre road race stage from the Camel Race Track to the Qatar Foundation near the capital Doha.

[Agent 86]

We need a review of that! Toss out the red flag! Opps wrong sport

[mashjaja]

(CN)
Kurt-Asle Arvesen's Tour of Qatar is over. The Norwegian riding for Team Sky crashed and broke his collarbone only one km into the second stage on Monday.

He went down within the neutralised zone, calling it “ an absurd kind of accident because it happened before the race proper had started.

"We were basically just getting ready to start racing when I let a guy go past me but it then got a bit narrow and I lost control of the bike and crashed to the ground. It's really unfortunate to break your collarbone at any time but especially now as I was just getting ready to start my year."

He broke his other collarbone last year in the 10th stage of the Tour de France. "The only good thing about this is that it is on the other side and hopefully the healing process will be as smooth as last time."

Arvesen's team won the opening team time trial on Sunday, He did not finish with his teammates, but was 90th, 36 seconds down.

Arvesen, who will celebrate his 35th birthday on Tuesday, joined the newly formed British team this year after spending six years with CSC/Saxo Bank.

That's what he gets for leaving my boys!

[Goose]

Hey I see Goose is on! Any pics Goose? Come-on!

Hello Agent 86 what you want to see?

[Canaduh]

^^ Any pics! How is the water bottle collection going this season?

[Goose]

^^ Any pics! How is the water bottle collection going this season?

so far its been slow. think I grab 4 today. I followed the start and finally got passed them and got into position close to the turn downwind. the two guys out front had like a 25+ min lead on the 3 chase groups so when the chase groups came by me they were flat out. (very impressive) I jumped back on the back-end of the caravan and when we were going south back into town. i was driving at 60Kph some times faster behind the team cars, and decided I need to get to the finish line Because they were going so fast.
so I had to pass up quite a few bottles and musette bags. I did run over a SKY bag do I get points for that?

[golevigo]

Sounded like absolute carnage today! Wish I would have attempted to set my alarm to get up and catch a feed.

[Goose]

[Agent 86]

Great shots Goose! Keep um coming. Anything related to the race would be nice.

I can only request some close up of any funky components on the bikes, if they let you get that close. Racing of course!

Then some background shots of those houses, I am curious on their living conditions over there. I've seen your market place pictures which are quite interesting as it was dead

[Goose]

Ok I see what I can do. tomorrows stage has a few climbs (qatar climbs) and lots of oil wells/pipe and stuff. not many little villages along the route.
If you check out my fotos it might be best to click the slideshow feature.

[kimmi]

Thanks x1000 for the photo's Goose!!!

I've read that in addition to Sky's - Kurt-Asle Arvesen's broken collarbone, Garmin's - Steven Cozza also has one!!!

[kimmi]

Stage 2: Camel Race Track - Qatar Foundation 147km

1 Geert Steurs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator 3:31:00
2 Wouter Mol (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
3 Roger Kluge (Ger) Team Milram 0:01:51
4 Heinrich Haussler (Ger) Cervélo TestTeam 0:01:54
5 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma - Lotto 0:01:55
6 Roger Hammond (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam
7 Tom Boonen (Bel) Quick Step
8 Jérémy Hunt (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam
9 Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Katusha
10 Marcus Burghardt (Ger) BMC Racing Team