Tour of Austria!! Spoiler

[rich p]

It must seem like a strange event to be riding when the rest of the cycling world is salivating over what looks like a classic TdF but no doubt there is still a lot of ambition on display.
Seeldrayers won the first stage but notably for Sky watchers, Joe Dombrowski was 3rd and is looking like he's the real deal at least in the hills.
Notable also for poor old JTL losing 8 minutes on a stage that he might have considered winning a year ago.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-austria-2013/stage-1/results

 

[rich p]

See what I mean? All those poor buggers flogging their guts out in deepest darkest Austria and nobody even bothers to reply on my thread!!!!!!

 

[thom]

Sorry @rich p, it is hard to get excited about this one - any links to an overview of the race ?
I see they are going up Kitzbuhler Horn on stage 2 - I once skied down it. I say skied down but the top was basically sheets of blue ice that I try as I did, my best efforts to slide down sideways ended up with me on my bruised arse about 30 m later. Still the half way stop for "refreshment" is well placed to nurse oneself medicinally. It's a shame this is in the shadow of the tour as Austrian hospitality is pretty great.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

[pity post mode] OK already, I've had a quick look. [/pity post mode]

 

[rich p]

I'm not bothered at all but slightly amused at the thought of the TdF discards racing in the shadows.

 

[The Couch]

I was only aware of this race because of the fact that a Belgian won

p.s. I guess yesterday was a good day for us
p.p.s. Seeldrayers (similar to Bakelants) was pretty decent in the National RR (but he went in the attack way too early, which costed him in the end), which makes me wonder what Devolder would have been able to do, if he would have been given the chance to ride (somewhere)

 

[The Couch]

Blimey...
Again??

(Now instead op proud, I am starting to be suspicious .... being a rider with Astana...)

 

[rich p]

Blimey...
Again??

(Now instead op proud, I am starting to be suspicious .... being a rider with Astana...)

I hope not. I think he's performed as a plucky loser enough times this year for me to give him the benefit of the doubt against this weakish opposition.

 

[Speicher]

I once walked up the Kitzbuhler Horn from Aurach. It is a long way up, and I only just managed to reach the top before the chairlift shut for the day.

 

[The Couch]

Surely today it's not going to end with Seeldrayers crossing the finish line first

I would think Ciolek, Hushovs or Meersman if it comes to a sprint.
(So we can still make it 3 for 3 from a Belgian point of view )

 

[thom]

BMC seem to have won today's stage:

 

[rich p]

I Thort his winning days were over but clearly still a cycling God

 

[montage]

It seems to have been a while coming!

 

[rich p]

Matthias Frank wins but Seeldrayers still in yellow(?)
Ian Boswell of Sky is doing pretty well in 13th after a difficult first pro season

 

[The Couch]

Looking at the profiles and the summaries (I have read) about this one, it seems this is actually a pretty interesting and good Tour.
(Seems much more interesting than this year's Tour de Suisse)

Just a bit of a shame that they don't have another time in the calendar to put this one
No offence to Seeldrayers, but would love to see the Colombians (Quintana, Betancurt, Henao, Uran) and Spanish (Moreno, Purito , Costa) have a whack at this (actually to start with "I would love to see" is already hard at this point, since they aren't many images/video's around either)