Cycling Betting & Discussion.

[Tonji]

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Fabian “Spartacus” Cancellara. Riding for RadioShack. A Classics specialist & legend. Has had an anonymous start to the season & a two week break after Oman.  His targets are still a good 2-4 weeks away. A 2x winner here, he will be well marked by the other teams. Needs dry conditions & his team to be attacking. If he is within a small select group at the 5th strade bianche sector, he can repeat last years win.

[Tonji]

Peter Sagan, after suffering bronchitis in Oman, won well in today's G.P. Camaiore. His team mate Moreno Moser also showed some strong form. Sagan may edge Cancellara in the Strade Bianche betting now.

Kind of busy, but a few names I hope to back tomorrow.

[Tonji]

Peter Sagan, after suffering bronchitis in Oman, won well in today's G.P. Camaiore. His team mate Moreno Moser also showed some strong form. Sagan may edge Cancellara in the Strade Bianche betting now.

Kind of busy, but a few names I hope to back tomorrow.

Sagan is best 2/1, not for me.

Cancellara at 6/1 is better value imo.

With punctures & crashes always likely. Some other options:

Oscar Gatto leader of the all Italian team Vini Fantini . 3rd last year, 7th 2011. Super consistent. Good nitty EW bet @ 25/1.

A rider with exceptional form at the moment is Francesco Reda, Androni team. 66/1 FTW is value, especially as he placed 7th in 2012.

Banzai of the week. Dan Martin, Garmin. Quiet start to the season, but reports of some good & focused training for the Classics this year. 2012 saw fine performances in La Flèche Wallonne & Liège-Bastogne-Liège. I’ve taken an early season hunch he could go well here. EW 80/1.

Live on Eurosport saturday afternoon.

[Tonji]

Paris-Nice starts on Sunday.

Only had a quick look, but the 7 day stage race looks a touch boring. Most of the top names are preferring the Tirreno-Adriatico on the 6th.

http://www.oddschecker.com/cycling/paris-nice/paris-nice/winner

[Tonji]

Racing in Flanders you hope for wind & rain.

In Tuscany you hope for days like these

[Tonji]

Seems it's live only on RAI tv, Eurosport showing delayed footage.

[vegaslover]

Eurosport coverage was crap

[Tonji]

Eurosport coverage was crap

ha I watched it on RAI with the super excited commentators! Great last 3km into Siena when it looked possible a group of 10 or so could possibly make the last narrow corner together before the finish.

[Tonji]

Paris-Nice starts on Sunday.

Only had a quick look, but the 7 day stage race looks a touch boring. Most of the top names are preferring the Tirreno-Adriatico on the 6th.

http://www.oddschecker.com/cycling/paris-nice/paris-nice/winner

Tejay ftw. Talansky to podium. Go the yanks!

[Tonji]

The 100th Edition of the the Tour de France, and so the build up begins...

[Tonji]

Tirreno-Adriatico 6-13 March.

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An indicator on how riders are shaping up for July, with a sub-plot on the form of the Classics riders ambitions for Milan-Sanremo. Add in the Sprinting battle between Cavendish & Greipel & you have the making of a fantastic race.

Five contenders for the overall; Contador, Froome, Evans, Nibali, & Rodriguez.

[Tonji]

Don't like Contador at 2/1. Actually think Froome has an edge over Contador at the moment, particularly with an ITT as the last stage. Available at 4/1.

Also don't mind a small bet with Rodriguez at 9/1. Stages 4 & 5 look like he could put his rivals into serious trouble.

Stage 1 is a TTT. BMC are strongly fancied.

[Tonji]

Tirreno-Adriatico.

Stage 1. TTT was won by QPQS. So Cavendish will go into the next stage with the leaders blue jersey.

Stage 2.



Expected to be a sprinters stage & the first of the season's battles between Cav & Greipel.

Cav should have the edge in the betting maybe 2/1 to Greipel at 3/1. Rest 12/1...

Can't bet against Cav, although I think Greipel has a higher top speed & his Lotto Belisol team have a more organised lead-out train. Cav tho has the better acceleration & racing instinct.

Many early sprint stages in races are prone to be nervous & chaotic affairs. I fear that the other sprint teams of Goss, Farrar, Hushovd, Degenkolb, Demare, Ferrari, & Ciolek all looking for the lead-out could result in crashes.

Remember Cavs crash in last years Giro caused by Ferrari veering off line.

[Tonji]

Paris-Nice.

Stage 3. Andrew Talansky won an 8 man sprint to give himself a 3 second lead in the overall. Tougher stages ahead & needs his team to perform better to hold off the challenges of Tejay van Garderen & Lieuwe Westra.



Skys Vasil Kiryienka manages to go sideways downhill!

[Jon MW]

If anybody fancies doing something themselves the Great Manchester Cycle recently opened for registration

http://www.greatcycle.org/

I think it's basically a 13 mile course and you choose whether to go around it 1, 2 or 4 times

This is the topography of the course they used last year