Tour of Oman. Stage 4

Kudentsov has packed. the big girl.

He has some pretty impressive results from last year:

Kerman Tour
1st Stage 1
1st Stage 2
1st Stage 3
1st Stage 4
1st Stage 5
1st Overall classification

Jelajah Malaysia
1st Stage 1
1st Stage 6
1st Overall classification

Tour de Taiwan
1stStage 2

International Azerbaijan Tour
1st stage 2 (TTT)
1st Overall classification

So he should do well today.

Goss isn't even in my team, I'm just trying to make people feel uneasy about their selections.

Mehdi Sohrabi on the other hand, I put my faith in his hands.

I've put J-Rod in, and Peter Velits. Also Segey Kudentsov, seeing as he's managed a cracking three last places out of nine starts

i see five of the RTS team are off the back already

Also, i think 350m in 10km is quite steep for sprinters and also the 140m in 5km

For all you Goss fans, he's just not on form and has said as much, he's put Cooke in charge of the team for Oman

http://blogs.bettor.com/Baden-Cooke-to-take-the-leadership-role-for-Team...

From Steephill:

February 16 update: The profile for this stage looks harder than it really is; there really isn't much elevation change. It's a lumpy stage not hilly and there should be another (bunch) sprint finish. It could be another win for Peter Sagan. See the stage profile, map and timetable in the race summary table (right). Steve

Yes, finally Goss, do something amazing.

Maybe Goss will finally do something good.

After my first decent score on stage 3 I've put all my eggs in one basket. It's a bloody hilly course today so hopefully there'll be a selection. Dropped my 4 big name sprinters for 4 big AR/climbers in J-Rod, Foogl, Velits, and Jeannesson. So with 2 of those guys at least I'll have to be bloody lucky to have guessed the team leader (I don't follow team website blab any more!).

OK, So deadline has passed,

Replace Marcel Kittel with Andy Schleck
Replace Mark Cavendish with Joaquin Rodriguez
Replace Denis Galimzyanov with Laurens ten Dam
Replace Andre Greipel with David Millar

Millar and Ten Dam for today and Schleck and J-Rod for tomorrow so i can save my 4 transfers to get some sprinters back in

I'm hoping everyone picks Andy Schleck and J Rod, as I haven't, and if they both fail, I'm quids in, or rather points in. . . .

It's an all-rounders day tomorrow. It's not that hilly even. Got in a couple of riders I think will be ok in 4 and 5. Strong sprinters like Sagan and maybe Greipel should do fine. I've kept them both in as I don't expect the GC or points table to change a lot tomorrow. 5 is tricky as difficult to know which of the climbers is on form yet. 6 is short and flat as a pancake at the end so might as well keep a few sprinter DSs in for that. I can't find any good cheap climbing DSs. The only good ones are quite expensive. Bring back the in-form sprinters, we know who they are by now.

That's my thinking for what it's worth.

Ditched a couple of sprinters & replaced with a couple of climbers...

Ah Shoot, forgot to look at profile for tomorrow.

#nopoints #willdobertterinparisnice

Well my thinking is, get rid of my 4 sprinters, most likely get rid of a DS tomorrow, leaving me with 3 transfers for final stage, get 3 sprinters in, with 1 climber left who will be leading GC and or Points so some safe points on the last stage

Replace Marcel Kittel with
Replace Mark Cavendish with
Replace Denis Galimzyanov with
Replace Andre Greipel with

I may regret not switching out some DS but we'll see, i'll fill in the gaps after transfer deadline closes

Transfers saved up - sprinters all sacked. Got to lose Steegmans though to free up some cash. Might regret that. Fortune favours the brave. And Andy Schleck

Right - who's for the chop

Put in J-Rod and kept Steegmans and Hayman plus one or two other less known cyclists

Looks like the perfect day for Chavanel to me.

well ive axed steegmans along with griepel and cav

Bak, Steegmans, Sagan, Nibali, maybe even Rodriguez to stretch his legs for stage 5.

It's a up/down kind of a day but only one big climb and that's near the start. break could possibly stay out if there's noone good in it. probably not a day for the all-out sprinters, more stronger all-rounders with a fast finish. Also it's good practice for the classics so you might see the classics specialists having a proper go

What type of rider does well at the next stage....newbie question I know and possibly fishing but im so far out of the comp at the moment I feel its allowed.

What's up with Goss and Renshaw? Neither of them has lived up to expectations at this point. Goss has done nothing, especially compared to his start to last year.