Tirreno Adriatico, 6-10 March 2013 [Spoilers]

[oldroadman]

A Tony Martin-powered OPQS take the opening TTT over Movistar, which puts Cav in the lead - Sky some way down, which considering they have both Froome and Wiggins in the squad must be disappointing.

Wiggins not there - in Catalunya later - and Sky a few seconds off OPQS with all the big climbing stages yet to come, plus a mountain TT on the last day. The real decisions will be later in the week.

 

[Radchenister]

Hectic day - caught late footage here just a second ago but only scraped the surface, what was Cav' going on about with the philosophical stuff in the interview - was it a bit of a wind up dig at Sky? Not following this 'I won't be centre' and then rolling over the line up front business - cheeky imp - gotta like him ?!

 

[ColinJ]

what was Cav' going on about with the philosophical stuff in the interview - was it a bit of a wind up dig at Sky?

I think the way he smiled and answered "yes!" when asked if some teams over-analyse the TTT was definitely a little dig at Sky!

 

[Monsieur Remings]

I was thinking more of Contador (the course looks like it will suit him very well) and the general strength of the field, but you never know! Schleck is a bit of an unknown quantity after last year. Evans already looks better than he did throughout the whole of last year, though, so he'll probably be in the mix. And Nibali has the title to defend.

It'll be a good test for Joe Dombrowski too.

BMC looked good in the TTT today. You never know.

As alluded to by others, it's an unbelievably strong line-up and should be a great race. I think the commentators themselves couldn't help remarking how it was a test-run for the TDF and may well be so.

In the short term though, I'm more interested in who is going to fire on all cylinders as opposed checking out the opposition for the TDF ahead...

 

[thom]

Seems a bit wet today...

 

[raindog]

pissing down - terrible, terrible conditions

EDIT
hi thom - crossed posts

 

[Strathlubnaig]

'kin heck, some proper rain over in Italy.

 

[smutchin]

All set up nicely for Cav vs Greipel... so Degenkolb to win?

 

[Noodley]

Demare for the win! Okay, maybe a bit optimistic...

 

[raindog]

let's hope Ferrari keeps out of the bleedin way

 

[Radchenister]

Tense!

Edit: spoken too soon, it stretched out almost immediately after I typed the above .

 

[Strathlubnaig]

pretty strung out for the last km

 

[Strathlubnaig]

Goss for Greenedge. Where was Cavendish then ? Sagan sat up.
edit... Cavendish in 5th, Griepel 7th. Cavendish should keep the leaders jersey, for now.

 

[thom]

Who picked Matt Goss ?!

 

[smutchin]

Goss actually wins a race! Goss!