a weekly double-shot of road racing Wednesday 21st August 2013

rapha.ccissue 21

is c annondale ’s bl ac k kit #prost y le?

17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25SATURDAY

— Eneco Tour S6SUNDAY

— Eneco Tour S7MONDAY

— USPCC S1TUESDAY

— USPCC S2WEDNESDAY

— USPCC S3THURSDAY

— USPCC S4FRIDAY

— USPCC S5SATURDAY

— USPCC S6— Tour of Spain S1

SUNDAY

— USPCC S7— Tour of Spain S2

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CÁCERESCÁCERES

ALMENDRALEJOALMENDRALEJO

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LEGANÉSLEGANÉS

JEREZ DEJEREZ DELA FRONTERALA FRONTERA

LAGOS DELAGOS DESANABRIASANABRIA

SOBERSOBER

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MIRADOR DEL LOBEIRAMIRADOR DEL LOBEIRA

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OVIEDO ALTO OVIEDO ALTO DEL NARANCODEL NARANCO PEÑA CABARGAPEÑA CABARGA

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CALAHORRACALAHORRACALAHORRA

SALLENT DE GALLEGOSALLENT DE GALLEGO

PEYRAGUDESPEYRAGUDES

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ANDORRAANDORRA BAGÁBAGÁ

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MAELLAMAELLATARRAGONATARRAGONA

ANDORRAANDORRACOLLADA DE GALLINACOLLADA DE GALLINA

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VILANOVEVILANOVEDE AROUSADE AROUSA

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MONTEMONTEDE GROBADE GROBA

MONTEDA GROBA

tour of spain race type: Grand Tour | distance: 3,319km | region: Spain

Climber’s Jerseye King of the Moun-tains jersey has polkadots – but unlike NairoQuintana’s from France,these dots are blue.

Leader’s Jerseye Spanish leader’sjersey is now red, butit has been variouscolours, includingwhite and orange.

maillots

Points JerseyUsually won by asprinter, the pointsjersey in the Tour ofSpain is a reassuringlyrecognisable green.

All-Roundere white ‘combina-tion’ jersey rewardsnot the best youngrider but the best all-rounder instead.

tour of spain preview

A Eulogy for Euskaltel?is Sunday, the Tour of Spain departs from Galiciaon a three-week Iberian odyssey. e dark horse of thethree Grand Tours, it has thrills and spills to match itscounterparts in Italy and France and last season treatedspectators to arguably the most thrilling Grand Tourof 2012.is year it again plays to the national esteem forclimbers, by offering no fewer than 11 summit finishesalong the route, including one in Peyragudes, the skistation on the French side of the border. ere is alsothe fearsome Angliru (12.5km at 10% average, withramps of 24%) at the end of the penultimate stage,which will keep the gc fight lively right up to the tra-ditional run in to Madrid.Alberto Contador is not riding this year so will notdefend his title, and Chris Froome and Nairo Quin-tana are absent, so the race is open. at said, Giro-winner Vincenzo Nibali is supported by a heavyweightAstana line-up, and Joaquim Rodríguez and Alejan-dro Valverde will reprise their battle for the top. TeamSky’s Colombians, Sergio Henao and RigobertoUrán, meanwhile, may be given a run for their moneyby their compatriot Carlos Betancur of ag2r.One certainty, however, is that this will be Euskaltel-Euskadí’s final Grand Tour. e Basque team has failedto find a new sponsor, putting an end to a proud 19years of supporting pro cycling in the Basque region.Let’s hope the ‘carrots’ put on a good show.

STAGE 1 | August 24thAugust 24th | Vilanova de Arousa – Sanxenxo, 27.4km TTTNo hills, but this team time trial will make an initialselection. Let’s hope nobody falls off the startingbarge into the Ria de Arousa.

STAGE 2 | August 25thAugust 25th Pontevedra – Monte da Groba, 177.7kmA largely flat stage, the one cat-3 climb is the race’sfirst summit finish. e 10km finale averages 6.2%.

STAGE 3 | August 26thAugust 26th | Vigo –�Mirador de Lobeira, 184.8kmA winding stage through the green Galician country-side. Expect some bursts from the peloton on thefinal climb.

STAGE 4 | August 27thAugust 27th | Lalín – Fisterra, 189kmA challenging, lumpy parcours will take the riders toFisterra, the ‘end of the world’. Another small hill tofinish.

STAGE 5 | August 28thAugust 28th | Sober –� Lago de Sanabria, 174.3kmA day uphill into the Zamora province. However, thetwo categorised climbs aren’t near the end, so it’ll fin-ish in a bunch gallop.

a weekly double-shot of road racing Wednesday 21st August 2013

is c annondale ’s bl ac k kit # prost y le?

usa pro challenge

Sagan Turns on the StylePeter Sagan (Cannondale) took the opening stage ofthis year’s usa Pro Challenge in typical fashion – withthat burst of top-end speed that we have come to ex-pect, easily rounding Greg Van Avermaet (bmc Rac-ing) to wheelie over the line. Team Sky’s neo-pro, Joe Dombrowski, survived a nosebleed and came in 18th, in the bunch, with Josh Ed-mondson the next best-placed rider in 35th. Super-super-super domestique Chris Froome dropped offwith 15 miles of the 66-mile (106km), three-lap circuitrace to go, to save his legs for the next stage.On Tuesday, as Doppio went to press, the race beganits journey up to its highest point. e altitude willnot be much of a factor for hometown hero Tejay vanGarderen (bmc), who put himself in an ideal positionby finishing 5th on Monday’s stage. However, for thosewho do not live in Colorado, Independence Pass isgoing to be a deciding factor in the race to the finish.After the 12,095ft (3,687m) road between Aspen andBreckenridge we’ll know which riders will be con-tenders and who will simply be spending the rest ofthe week on vacation in the Rockies.

STAGE 2 | August 20th Aspen – Breckenridge, 126.1 milese famous battleground of Independence Pass is thehighest point reached in any pro bike race. e finalobstacle will be the 15% grades of Moonstone Rd.

STAGE 3 | August 21stBreckenridge – Steamboat Springs, 105.9 milesAfter leaving Breckenridge, Swan Mountain Rd maybe the place for breakaways before the main climb ofRabbit Ears Pass, though a bunch sprint is likely.

STAGE 4 | August 22ndSteamboat Springs – Beaver Creek, 102.9 milese Queen Stage of the race. e new climb of Bach-elor’s Gulch may not be the longest but the relentless18% makes it quite possibly the toughest.

STAGE 5 | August 23rdVail, 10-mile TTCompetition will be fierce on a tt course that can betraced back to the Coors Classic. e gentle grades ofthe first half give way to a steady climb for the lastthree miles.

STAGE 6 | August 24thLoveland – Fort Collins, 115.2 milesWindswept plains before Big ompson Canyon andon to Devil’s Gulch, the race’s last King of the Moun-tains summit, then some rolling terrain to the finish.

STAGE 7 | August 25thDenver, 72.4-mile circuit raceere isn’t a bad spot from which to watch the break-aways and the speeding peloton on this new Denvercircuit. is final stage belongs to the sprinters.

weekendweather

LondonAfter Friday’sheatwave it willcool down toaround 22C, witha chance of show-ers. Rapha Gilet,Rain Jacket.

San FranciscoCooling down inthe Bay area, 67f,though it will staymostly sunny.Merino ArmWarmers, Rapha Cap.

OsakaStorms and heavyrain all weekend.Sit this one outwith coffee at theCycle Club per-haps. Pro TeamRace Cape.

SydneySunday promises afull day of sunshineand balmy tempera-tures. Trade TeamJersey and Cap.

SanxenxoSunny and 24c.Like Goldilocks’porridge: not toohot, not too cold.Pro Team Jersey, ProTeam Bib Shorts.