Minor Stage Races 2016 **may contain SPOILERS**

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Looks as if the organisers of the Tour of Dubai forgot to tell everyone who lives there that it was on.

 

[Spinney]

Just asking - are these races minor enough so that no comments in here will be spoilers for anyone watching later? If so, fine - if not, let me know and I'll add spoilers to the title.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Just asking - are these races minor enough so that no comments in here will be spoilers for anyone watching later? If so, fine - if not, let me know and I'll add spoilers to the title.

Spoilers added to title please

Done!

Splendid!

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Echelons at Besseges.

 

[rich p]

Kittel is back but Cav didn't look too shabby yesterday, considering he had no lead out and had to come from a fair way back.

 

[rich p]

And Poels wins the ITT in the Valencia Volta, and beats Kiryenka into third. I didn't know he was any good at TTs

 

[Crackle]

And Poels wins the ITT in the Valencia Volta, and beats Kiryenka into third. I didn't know he was any good at TTs

Me neither. I think that's the first TT he's won. I thought he was more of a climber, looking at his stats though, he's got good all round ability, probably why Sky took him.

 

[rich p]

A decent start to the year by Sky. Kennaugh and Froome win in Oz and Poels taking the GC in Valencia.
Cav wins stage 1 in the idyllic Qatar. Dimension Data account is up and running.

 

[Hont]

Cav wins stage 1 in the idyllic Qatar. Dimension Data account is up and running.

Helped by the absence of Sky and Etixx-QS (presumably off now being fitted for quick-release shoes). Cav may have to start valuing "shoot small races" a bit more these days.

 

[rich p]

Helped by the absence of Sky and Etixx-QS (presumably off now being fitted for quick-release shoes). Cav may have to start valuing "shoot small races" a bit more these days.

True but I think he still has ambitions in the bigger races. I, personally, wish that he wasn't bothering with the 'shoot' Olympics and had another bash at Greipel and Kittel etc. He didn't look far off the pace last week despite having a less than ideal train and tactical positioning.
I'm sounding like a fanboi

 

[rich p]

Last 15km of the ToQ. You may want to FF to the last km...

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-U7N9OnzX4

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Although it's not a stage race, it is minor. Gilbert wins in Murcia ahead of a few dopers
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/vuelta-ciclista-a-la-regin-de-murcia-2016/results/

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Peloton stopped in Almeria due to a sandstorm

 

[Strathlubnaig]

Spartacus takes a fine TT win in the Algarve, Nibbles wins on the Oman mountain stage, like old times.

 

[fimm]

I thought it was good to see Thibaut Pinot challenging Nibali on the Green Mountain stage. Nibali showed him who was boss in the end, though.