Tirreno-Adriatico 11-17 March 2015 *SPOILERS*

[smutchin]

Thought this one really did deserve its own thread...

Stellar lineup for Tirreno-Adriatico this year...http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/fro...-nibali-confirmed-for-tirreno-adriatico-clash

Two things:
1. Four tenors? Since when?
2. Is Nibali/Astana's participation really confirmed?

Should be a good race either way.

 

[raindog]

massive, isn't it?
Froome, Berto, Quintana, Nibs, Cav, Kittel, Viviani, Sagan and Cancellara all confirmed
nobody left to ride Paris-Nice!

 

[rich p]

It does seem to have superceded Paris_Nice lately.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

As Inner Ring was reminding us earlier this season, there has been a tendency for people in recent years to see these events as 'warm-ups' for the Grand Tours, but they are damn good races in their own right and winning them is important. They also have none of the longeurs and 'filler' stages that sometimes characterise parts of the GTs. In many ways these stages races are my favourites.

 

[Hont]

It does seem to have superceded Paris_Nice lately.

Tirreno is generally reckoned, by all accounts, to be a better warm-up for MSR these days. And that would certainly explain the presence of Nibali, Cav, Viviani, Sagan, Cancellara, Ciolek and some others.

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Froome has dropped out due to illness

https://twitter.com/chrisfroome/status/574858129130782721

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Looking at the start list, Sky have no shortage of GC contenders: Nieve, König, Kennaugh or Poels could step up.

 

[The Couch]

Froome has dropped out due to illness

I can totally relate to Froome right now (not that I know what he has/had). It was absolute splendid weather this weekend, but the flu hit me on Friday evening and I didn't spend a second outside. It has been years since I felt so weak (and without want to eat much), but considering this would happen to a top athlete... not eating or even leaving the couch much for 3 days, I imagine it would impact them for quite some time

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Kittel has also dropped out due to illness.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

They're an unhealthy lot these cyclists

 

[themosquitoking]

Must be all the drugs they keep taking.

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Not that this race is cursed or anything, but the organisers have cancelled the opening team time trial and replaced it with a 5.7km prologue citing extreme weather conditions.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tir...ime-trial-replaced-with-short-individual-test

 

[400bhp]

I can totally relate to Froome right now (not that I know what he has/had). It was absolute splendid weather this weekend, but the flu hit me on Friday evening and I didn't spend a second outside. It has been years since I felt so weak (and without want to eat much), but considering this would happen to a top athlete... not eating or even leaving the couch much for 3 days, I imagine it would impact them for quite some time

Similar here. I had 9 days out because of flu a couple of weeks ago. Never had it so bad. I don't think I moved for 3 days.

 

[The Couch]

...so instead of going for on obvious choice I'll go for Jurgen Van Den Broeck about time he showed some of his old form after a poor 2014..

Wow... giving him a top 5 is already pretty risky (but at least he has done so in the past already)... but him actually winning something?!?
That would be a heck of a prono right here

 

[themosquitoking]

Wow... giving him a top 5 is already pretty risky (but at least he has done so in the past already)... but him actually winning something?!?
That would be a heck of a prono right here

Is that a typo? If not