Your 2010 VDS Race Calendar [Proposed]
by Chris... on Dec 7, 2009 9:21 PM EST
in Virtual Directeur Sportif!
100 comments
Doing the Notice and Comment thing here. I like what the Editors and I have drawn up here, but am willing to be persuaded otherwise. The principles that apply to race selection are as follows:
- It has to have a strong field. And by this I mean in 2010, though past editions are a good indicator. But there has been some significant reshuffling, of course.
- It has to contribute to a balanced calendar. I can't just add all the Italian races, since doing so would favor Italian riders and teams over the Spanish, French, Dutch, etc. So the balance between Italy, France, Spain and Belgium is reasonably fair -- not including the grand tours, which don't favor locals exclusively, if at all.
- Watchable is better than unwatchable, but obviously we're straying well beyond those ever-shifting limitations.
- Repetitive sprints... not particularly favored, though I think there's enough regardless.
That's it. Race list on the flip.
February
27 Het Volk (4)
28 Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne (5)
27 GP dell’Insubria-Lugano (6)
28 Clasica de Almeria (6)
28 GP di Lugano (6)
March
1-7 Tour of Langkawi (6)
3 Giro del Friuli (6)
3 Le Samyn (6)
3-7 Vuelta a Murcia (5)
5-7 Driedaagse West Vlaanderen (6)
6 Monte Paschi Eroica (5)
7-14 Paris-Nice (3)
10-16 Tirreno-Adriatico (3)
17 Nokere-Koerse (6)
20 Milan-San Remo (2)
21 Ronde van het Groene Hart (6)
22-28 Volta Ciclista a Catalunya (5)
23-27 Settimana Coppi e Bartali (6)
24 Dwars door Vlaanderen (5)
27 E3 Prijs Vlaanderen (4)
27-28 Critérium International (5)
28 Gent-Wevelegem (4)
29 Brabantse Pijl (5)
30-4/1 Dreidaagse de Panne (5)
April
3 GP Miguel Indurain (5)
5 Tour of Flanders (2)
5 Rund um Köln (5)
5-10 Vuelta Ciclista a Pais Vasco (3)
7 Scheldeprijs (5)
10 Ronde van Drenthe (6)
11 Paris-Roubaix (2)
11 Klasika Primavera (5)
14-18 Vuelta a Castilla y Leon (5)
13 Paris-Camembert (6)
17 Tour du Finistere (6)
18 Amstel Gold Race (4)
20-23 Giro del Trentino (6)
21 La Flèche Wallonne (4)
25 Liège-Bastogne-Liège (2)
27 Subida al Naranco (6)
27-5/2 Tour de Romandie (3)
May
1 Eschborn-Frankfurt City Loop (5)
2 Giro di Toscana (6)
2 Trophee des Grimpeurs (6)
5-9 4 Jours de Dunkirque (5)
8-30 Giro d'Italia (1)
14-16 Tour de Picardie (6)
16-23 Tour of California (5)
26-30 Tour of Belgium (6)
26-30 Bayern Rundfahrt (6)
June
2-6 Tour de Luxembourg (6)
6 GP Kanton Aargau-Gippingen (6)
6 Philly Int'l Championship (6)
6-13 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré (3)
12-20 Tour de Suisse (3)
16-20 Ster Elektroer (5)
22-28 National Championships (bonus)
25 Giro dell'Appennino (6)
July
3-25 Tour de France (1)
4-7 Osterreich Rundfahrt (5)
31 Clasica San Sebastian (4)
August
2 Urkiola Igoera (6)
1-7 Tour of Poland (5)
4-8 Post Danmark Rundt (6)
4-8 Vuelta a Burgos (6)
7 GP Citta di Camaiore (6)
8 Sparkassen Giro Bochum (6)
15 Vattenfalls Classic (4)
17 Tre Valle Varesine (6)
17-24 Tour de BeNeLux (5)
17-20 Tour du Limousin (6)
19 Copa Bernocchi (6)
22 GP Ouest France-Plouay (4)
24-27 Tour du Poitou (6)
28-19 Sept Vuelta a Espana (1)
30-5 Sept Tour of Missouri (6)
September
5 Giro della Romagna (6)
10-Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec (6)
11 Paris-Brussels (6)
11 Giro del Lazio (6)
11-18 Tour of Britain (6)
15 Gp de Wallonie (6)
18 Memorial Cimurri (6)
19 GP d'Isbuerges (6)
26 Tour de Vendee (6)
30 World Champs Time Trial (2)
30-3 Oct Circuit Franco-Belge (5)
October
3 World Champs Road Race (2)
10 Munsterland Giro (6)
7 Coppa Sabatini (5)
7 Paris-Bourges (6)
9 Giro dell'Emilia (4)
10 Paris-Tours (4)
# Jayco Herald Sun Tour (6) No Dates yet ????
14 Giro del Piemonte (6)
16 Giro di Lombardia (2)
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3,2,1... so TDU gets the flick for Jayco? Pointless really...
Why not just ditch Southern Hemisphere altogether? I realise it’s a timing thing, but I’m stupidly disappointed.
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
I believe Het Newbladder has always been the VDS season starter
the ToC also always got snubbed, those early season races are used to help you make a pick for the VDS team, riders may have a great first month and you decide to pick them, which was the case for GHH last year. He won 3 races before the final VDS deadline so many picked him and were not disappointed. .
Look, it's a bird...no, it's a plane....oh never mind it's just fucking balloon boy
Thanks. I thought that Davis was problematic because of his TDU win
I assumed that it was part of the calendar based on what people here had said. Poor comprehension skills maybe?
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
If that's the reason it's a very stupid one!
I thought because OHN was the real openingsclassic in Europe the date was set there..
Maybe that's it too, but I don't find it a dumb thing to have a bit of time to see how riders start their years
and make final selections based upon that.
Look, it's a bird...no, it's a plane....oh never mind it's just fucking balloon boy
And you need time to persuade us to make certain picks
which you know will backfire on us, like…oh I don’t know…GASPA!
Look, it's a bird...no, it's a plane....oh never mind it's just fucking balloon boy
Well.. You want to know who knows the most about cycling..
Not the one who follow the results most close…
Timing
There is just no way. Check our traffic. Think about the holidays. We’re supposed to launch the game in mid December just for the TdU? We would be lucky to get half the number of teams. We are also busy putting an app together to automate it. Should we pass on that too?
I would love for Australia to get its due but there is just no way in 2010. Sorry, truly.
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris... on Dec 8, 2009 2:16 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
I'm assuming this is rhetorical. I said I was disappointed.
I din’t say you guys had to do it and then Phil explained it to me. But I’m sorry you hate marsupials.
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Oh we're getting our due in 2010
In Geelong… late September, early October. See you all there.
I'm built for descending...
A couple of tidbits...
-The Vuelta a Murcia is being boycotted currently by Caisse, Footon, Euskatel, Xacobeo and Andalucia-Cajasur. Apparently the races haven’t agreed to a certain declaration made by the Spanish Bike race association. Not sure if this will continue but if it does it could pose a little problem.
-Are you just including one of the Canadian Pro Tour events? You have Quebec City but not Montreal in there also.
Two races that deserve consideration are: Tour of Luxembourg (A. Schleck and Kloden had a close race) and GP Triberg-Schwarzwald(Haussler beat Bakelants from a 5 man break and the field was in shreads…I think only 30 some riders finished the whole thing and it is only 150k)
agreed re Montreal race
it should be there just as much as Quebec. I’m curious as to the cat 6 ranking though. Is the thinking is that it will have the same field as Missouri? Don’t forget that the two Quebec races and not Missouri are Protour. If Poland and Eneco get cat 5…why not quebec?
"It looks like talking, but it’s just words that comes out"
~ Andy Schleck
Oops
I’ll fix the MTL thing, Ursula had it in there and I got confoosed.
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris... on Dec 8, 2009 2:19 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Adding
The Canadian races are brand new, right? Not just to the Pro Tour? Let’s call them 6 for now, but we reserrve the right to change to cat 5 before the races happen if it looks like they will be a bigger deal.
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
by Chris... on Dec 8, 2009 2:23 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Some of the VDS races hid so well last year that my team never did find them.
It was just a long race--Edvald Boasson Hagen, on the Giro
Looks great ... thx for all the work
no Tour de l’Ain ? (I know, not that famous)
a “home” race for me…. and the only Tour race that organizes several full same day cyclosportive stages on the exact route of the pros for amateurs?
Moo
+4
"well...you live in england so: you love the rain. loves the queen. hates cycling. based on mr bean had a tremendous amount of humour. all ride in a mini cooper. all getting drunk before the age of 12. getting drunk at least 3 times a day."- frinking, 7/9/09
I personaly would stripe:
GP di Lugano
Giro del Friuli(It’s a sprinterballet)
Subida al Narenco
Giro di Toscana
GP Kanton Aargau-Gippingen
GP Citta di Camaiore
Copa Bernocchi
GP d’Isbuerges
Most of them because there are other races on the same day so I see no point of letting them in. Also they are 1.1 races.. Most non-existent. And I never heard of them.. A reasonable important reason not to includ them
And if Driedaagse de Panne is a 5 cat I would give the Tour of Belgium also a 5 cat..
Just my opinion.. But maybe it’s: the more, the merrier
And just because you cannot have enough Belgian one-day races...
one that can be considered is GP Jef Scherens (Top 5: Langeveld, Vandenbergh, Amorison, Sy. Chava and Nuyens)
Other races that could be do-able: Milano-Torino (back on this year)
Tour de Georgia (2.HC It is on the UCI calendar and is rated the same as Missouri)
One problem I see is with Circuit Franco-Belge…It is a flat race and it scheduled during the week of worlds. The competition is going to be depleted tremendously with almost all of the sprinters trying to get a place on the worlds team. It should be at a 6.
Just half kidding..
I only heard from the race bacause Langeveld won it.. It’s not that much of a race.
Oh lord - I'm actually going to have to start paying attention, aren't I?
… if I am going to come good on my threat – to enter a team so that someone will reap all of the points that Vino’s gonna earn ;-).
Although I could always just draw names out of a hat… you know, much like CycleGirl apparently did with her ‘arse-team’ this year ;-)
'have victory' ;)
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Nope, 'are victorious'
…or possibly ‘we f*#!ing kick arse’ ;-)
It's ok, I'll be last. You're all safe..
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Nah, Seahorse will have trouble getting past 'sentimental'
… a problem that I anticipate myself, LOL. The ‘hat technique’ is looking good, for Vino’s supporting cast…
Only
Pineau, Vino!, Amorison, Nieve, Cataldo, Breschel, Langeveld, Anton, Vogondy, Uran, Basso Samsan, Gesink and Voeckleur. are almost certain for a place.. Behind that, the riders are struggling to get a spot in Team Vinomort, maybe that’s going to be my name
Love Vinomort. It's called wearing your heart on your sleeve...
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Haaahahaha!
Well then, it’s ‘In Vino Veritas’ for me ;-)
Jackpot! I always choose with the heart Frinking...
What a bloody insult :‘safe and solid’. nasty Frinking, bloody nasty.
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
They are sort of a complement to Het N and KBK the same weekend.
Good fields, one is a sprinters race, the other hillier.
spring
a smattering of points for a one-day race will look pretty small compared to all the high-point mid-season stuff. I guess I’m trying to get at races where the riders will be hunting for wins, and the spring guys appear to be targeting these events.
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
Rund um Köln?
It was very boring this year, at least from a VDS perspective, with only national teams or something like that. Does anyone know if they’re going back to normal next year?
Staring at the swim team gets you killed by a gang of dancing ninja men who know how to twirl.
Tour of Ireland no?
I’m gutted. I’ll just get back to my pint of guinness….
http://www.irishpeloton.com/
Could you shout a disappointed Aussie? :)
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Come on, Seahorse
I prefer the Sun Tour anyway. It has more tradition, a much older race, and in its day it has actually gone up some hills (eg. Mt Baw Baw the year Ljungblad won it — a vicious little climb).
The umpire has ruled, and none of us is Ricky Ponting, so we should just accept it gracefully.
Bugger off Drongo. ( I say this with respect) And please never use cricket as the eg.
Being gracious is easier without the lecture…It was a poor attempt at a joke. Sorry. Jayco will skew things. Think about it.
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
No don't. But cricket and me... we're allergic to each other.
Very ‘unaustralian’.
"How strange it was to see men doing something beautiful. Something pointless and elegant." Tim Winton, 'Breath'
Yeah...
make your case. Ireland was on the list at some point, but was a late scratch. I dunno, it seemed like too much with Britain there too. But we’re persuadable.
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
Tro Bro Leon?
We seem to get video of it, and it’s a fun race
will look into it
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
I propose putting the VDS on hold for the entire month of June 2010...
"Jens! is my favorite rider. I love watching him handing out plates of hot, steaming suffer!" - Mahatma Gandhi
Some of us
will be desperate for other things to watch. Like Ster Elektroer.
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
Don't tell Dan.
Or Phil.
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
Tricky? HA!
Serbia? They will get their ass handed to them, Ghana is soild but will be swept aside, and that cricket country will be shown what a real soccer nation looks like! We only get it going when it really matters, don’t be fooled!
Look, it's a bird...no, it's a plane....oh never mind it's just fucking balloon boy
And France cheated its way into the world cup
not very intimidating if you ask me.
Look, it's a bird...no, it's a plane....oh never mind it's just fucking balloon boy
France wasn't very intimidating four years ago either
Didn’t stop them from have a better WC than Germany on Germany’s home soil.
Germany lost to Italy, France lost to Italy
I’d consider it about the same tourney except they lost a round further. But of course Germany was in even more disarray heading into that cup and still managed 3rd. Both teams will probably be teams to reckon with next year, the top teams turn it up when it matters the most. But Serbia beating France in the qualifiers doesn’t say much to me, especially seeing Serbia lost and tied France in the head to head games.
Look, it's a bird...no, it's a plane....oh never mind it's just fucking balloon boy
come on guys
we all know england will beat france in the quarters, before losing to germany in the third place playoff..and serbia won’t qualify out of that group, ghana will
"well...you live in england so: you love the rain. loves the queen. hates cycling. based on mr bean had a tremendous amount of humour. all ride in a mini cooper. all getting drunk before the age of 12. getting drunk at least 3 times a day."- frinking, 7/9/09
just to add
England will lose to Germany on penalties and all the old english pundits will say that there is no benefit to practicing penalties ….
Moo
too true
unless we enlist the help of matt le tissier, now there’s a man who knew how to take a penalty
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2009/dec/08/matt-le-tissier-penalty-england
"well...you live in england so: you love the rain. loves the queen. hates cycling. based on mr bean had a tremendous amount of humour. all ride in a mini cooper. all getting drunk before the age of 12. getting drunk at least 3 times a day."- frinking, 7/9/09
it's ireland's own fault they lost that match,
they should have paid off the refs like everyone else.
(comment overheard in french market)
would love it if
we can do some sort of classics-oriented subcompetition for the cobbles/classics-addled among us? E.g., a cobbles subcomp, or a 5 monuments subcomp?
"The road is our agony, but also our daily bread; and at night, when it is deserted and the moon glistens on the asphalt, the ridiculous dreams of racers like us pass up and down it."
--Dino Buzzati
hm...
Let’s see where we get with the app. If it happens quickly, then we can add this in. I suppose we could do an overlay later. We’ll see.
I do like this idea very much.
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
Keep 'em coming
good criticism and suggestions, all.
"The only pain I got time for is the pain I put on fools who don't know what time it is." Edvald Boasson Hagen
Dutch Races
You have now:
Ronde van het Groene Hart
Ronde van Drenthe
Amstel Gold Race
Ster Elektrotour
Tour de Benelux
Only 5 races from the glorious nation of Holland and dependencies!
Why not include the Tour de Zeeland? Farrar won it this year. Petacchi was there too.
I’d pick Tour de Rijke above Ronde van Drenthe. April is full enough as it is and you know you only picked Drenthe because the Vuelta started there. The Tour de Rijke is around Rotterdam. Which is pretty significant this year I’d say. Plus, it goes through my back yard. The Ronde van het Mergelland is nice too.
Football is a game, cycling a sport.
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