USA pro cycling challenge

Picked a team, but not overly happy with it....

I had fun picking mine - although Sutherland has disappeared from the startlist on Cycling Fever since yesterday...

Lack of stars should mean a lot of people have very similar top 4's, so a lot will come down to the DS selection - go for breakaway points or pick the guys that could challenge for top 6? Or just pick a random Columbian I've never heard of and see what happens...

If Tyler Farrar doesn't win the final sprint in Denver he should really find a new role. Chicchi, Rodriguez and Keough are the only true sprinters in the field besides him (as far as I can tell). I mean, maybe Hincapie and Phinney... I dunno, Tyler, it's time to win a stage.

Denver is an ITT i believe...

I wouldnt even put Rodriguez as a true sprinter, Colli and Bazzanza from TT1 can also sprint,

Just gone and picked my team as i'm away on hols on sat so needed to get it done.

There is the usual stars to choose from and it would be easy just to load up on 5 stars such as Schleck, Nibali etc but i think someone from one of the lesser known teams might spring a surprise.

I retract my comments

OK, so there are basically no for sure sprints, so I suppose that is why there are no for sure sprinters

Here are my thoughts about the second incarnation of this race. The first was really bad. I mean, just not exciting racing and the coverage was awful because the picture kept breaking up with the mountains/altitude/whatever.

This year's course looks loads better (as for the coverage we'll see). This seems like a perfect race to do purist because so many of the stages look very similar. Stages 2, 4 and 6 all have hilltop/mini-mountain finishes after a lot of climbing. Stage 3 is two giant mountains (it really is too bad that they seem set on finishing in destination towns and not at any of these passes, because a final climb up Cottonwood or Independence would be sweet). Then there is stage 1 and 5 which might be sprints--or not--but they won't have huge GC ramification. Actually, the hardest stage to predict will probably be stage 1. Then there's an ITT in Denver for stage 7 (not a sprint... yes, I should have known that).

It seems to me the favorites should be Leipheimer (just had a fantastic Tour of Utah, undone only by an awful TTT where he lost over 2 minutes), van Garderen, Nibali, Evans, Fuglsang (dunno what kind of shape he'll come in) and Tschopp (just dominated the Tour of Utah). The only reason Tschopp may not win is he may be riding for van Garderen.

Other lesser names to watch: Joe Dombrowski (will probably dominate a couple climbs, though he's much better suited to the big, long ones. Watch for him on stage 6); and Lucas Euser (dropped Horner, Danielson, Vande Velde, and company on the final big climb in Utah).

KOM will be some guy from the Columbian team (I honestly don't know who any of them are), or some combination of Louder, Salas, Jacques-Maynes, or Venell.

If there are sprints (stage 5... maybe stage 1) and Farrar doesn't win (because he doesn't win this year... ever), then probably Freddie Rodriguez, Chicchi, Keough, Caruso or Hincapie are the guys to beat, though Phinney could steal one too.

Of course, Horner will finish top 5 somehow (in spite of losing a minute on a 9.5 mile TT), and Tom Danielson will be a big disappointment (though at least two separated shoulders from the TdF are a good excuse). Also Andy Schleck and Kloden will be in every day's shots falling off the pace.

That pretty much covers it. I just hope we get actual coverage this year and not just Paul and Phil chatting in a commentary box about a race that's going on off in the distance.

You mean to say you've never heard of Darwin Atapuma!

I take it back. I do remember Infantino Abreu, and apparently he finished 6th in the GC in last year's race, so I'd go with him

Schleck's pulled out....no real surprise there

Picking a team is a huge challenge. I want to pick 5 BMC guys and I only want three stars

Yeah its a pain in the neck, only 13 stars and I only want 2 of them

I've gone for 2 stars each from BMC and OPQ, one DS who could win stages, and 4 breakaway guys from the little American teams, at least for today and tomorrow. Still might leave it as purist, I'll decide on Weds...

Im not sure how that first stage is gonna pan out so ive took a risk....i may as well just name my team

Farrar
Peter Velits
Tejay
Fuglsang

Jaques-maynes
Moser
Phinney
Rodriguez
Bazzana

if it isnt a proper sprint i think the finish is flat enough that it will be a sprint of GC guys which is why ive gone with velits, fuglsang, moser, phinney...and it was a toss up between Bazzana and colli, im pretty sure one of them will be up there in the top 10, just which 1?

I went all-American and have like 20+ points to spare. Couldn't stomach having Farrar on my team... in fact I can't really stomach the thought of having him in the race at all. It's usually pretty likely he'll spazz out and take down a bunch of legitimate riders.

Agreed today will be one for the all-rounders - sprint from a group of 40-50. I fancy Sutherland but still waiting to see if he's racing (he had dropped off the startlists but is now back on again).

Absolute classic

I think he's a Colorado resident so he'll probably ride around waving to his celeb friends as he takes down half the peleton like a goddam bowling ball

I'm going to start with

VanGarderen
Danielson
Nibali
P.Velits
Tschopp
Kangert
Duggan
VanDeVelde
Euser

I've gone for...
Peter V
Sutherland
Tejay and Cadel
Moser
Kyer, Salas, Boily and Lewis

Thought it might be fun to go for breakaway points - its good when it works! (no Jacques-Maynes tho, hmm...) My season's record for the premium comps is ToC 24th, TdS 1st, TdP 108th, Eneco 16th, so I'm due a comedown...

ok so ive decided getting rid of farrar is a good plan...although if he wins now i will not be happy

7 Americans, 2 Italians.

large breakaway with some big names.Hincappie, Voigt, Duggan,Danielson and so on 20 or so!
4 riders have pulled out-chicchi, Bell, Carlsen and Avis!

Interesting start - a 22-man break formed, and have 3:30 with 55 miles to go. Nibali and Danielson were in the break, and have just gone away on their own...
Boily, Chicchi, Carlsen, Avis and Zach Bell have already abandoned the race. Looks like the whole race is live on the "Radioshack Tour Tracker" via the tour website.

Now that we are underway, I can show my Purist team roster:

van Garderen
Leipheimer
Danielson
Horner
Rodriguez
Phinney
Vande Velde
Duggan
Louder

At least Nibali is doing something

Tejay van Garderen (BMC)
Vicenzo Nibali (LIQ)
Levi Leipheimer (OPQ)
Chris Horner (RSN)
Robert Kiserlovski (AST)
Martin Velits (OPQ)
David Zabriskie (GRM)
Fabio Aru (AST)
Paolo Longho (LIQ)

I've gone
TJ
Levi
Brako
Farrar

Tschopp
Drombowski
Duggan
Chicchi(now climbed off )
Rodriguez

Not holding much hope this race, might actually leave it for my 1st purist!

For anyone waiting for it to come on Eurosport

Its live here

http://radioshacktourtracker.usaprocyclingchallenge.com/

Working in the UK and not just for America this year

What a fantastic tracker, all the info you could possibly want. Forget Eurosport, I'll stick with this.

I didn't think Farrar was there

That tracker is great, so was the commentary team until they switched off the American's

Oh ok, he was there

Farrar wins

Rubbish for me, 5th and 17th with no-one in the break! Interesting stage tho...

Farrar
Bazzana
Caruso
Rodriguez
Sutherland
Mannion
Reijnen
Candelario
Horner
Castiblanco
Schar
Frank
Colorado
Friedman
Infantino
Anthony
Tejay V G
Leipheimer
Vande Velde
Voigt

I don't know any of the break scoring, but I have 9th, 17th and 18th +5 and maybe some break points from Nibali and Zabriskie

at least sutherland should be there in stages when Farrar is not but everyone should have put him in after what i said earlier

Oh at least i called Bazzana being up there, so still ended up with 2,4,5, might have to axe fuglsang/velits though

Phinney, Evans and Basso have only just come in! so Phinney for the axe till sunday then

Evans and Phinney 13 minutes back

Zabriske just came in now, so must be about 17 minutes back

Nah Zabriskie was just over 15 minutes down. No bloody wonder. I don't expect him to be racing tomorrow.

Anyone still watching on the tracker? All the guys getting their jersey's

It just showed Zabriskie emptying his guts all over the road

Stetina gets the most active

Farrar leads everything apart from the KoM Danielson has that and someone from the Livestrong team has the young riders

Yup i was watching, very decent coverage

I think I'll be watching on the tracker from now on. Good coverage, even though I'm not a fan of the commentary team.

Click on any of the menu options like standings or teams and you can still listen to the race live. VERY good website. Why cant other races sort thing out?

Great coverage. Awesome app!
1,4,17,18 plus Gc and sprint looking at 89 depending on breakaway points!?

Yeah, brilliant Tracker app. Glad to see it working here and for free.

Had Danielson, Nibali and Beltran in the break. Horner was my highest finisher. But my team is built for tomorrow, saving transfers for the day after and later on.

How Farrar can get over mountains in a US race when he can't get over a bridge in Europe is beyond me!!

I think Farrar was waiting a couple of km's out and joined the race there

The commentators couldn't see him in the pack until the last corner, the didn't think he was their, the tracker didn't think he was there......then BOOM

112 points, I think! Really good day thanks to Danielson and Stetina in the break plus Caruso and Horner, as well as some lower scorers in Infantino, Leipheimer and TJVG. Really like my team for tomorrow even better.

Also +1 on the tour tracker. I've always loved it. Glad it's available to the Euros here as well. It's only fair, since we generally only get to watch cycling via eurosport online.

104 for me I think

67 for me but i'm playing for the purist long game. not that it'll work

Looks like some of the folks who fared well in the TdF, Olympics, etc. are finding the high altitude to be an issue. Noted, for next year.