FanPost

Early Season Impressions.

Peter Sagan, Liquigas-Cannondale, 2010 Amgen Tour of California. Photo: Doug Pensinger/Getty.

Now I know it is very early season with only a couple of proper races completed.  But I wondered what peoples' impressions of the season so far were?  Anything really except rehashing the Contador/Ricco sweetie story which has been done to death and is frankly depressing.

So to start off, what about the big winners of the season so far?  In my book it has to be Radobank, who after a quiet 2010 have hit the ground running this year with wins all over.  And by a number of riders both new and old(er).  Bos, Boom, Freire, Gesink and Langeveld at the Omloop.

Other winners would be Sky, who apart from getting some wins have been very well placed in others.  Henderson won the bunch sprint in stage 1 of Paris Nice yesterday too.  Liquigas have started where they left off with wins from Sagan and Basso.  They look strong all through the team.  Best race?  For me Saturday's Strade Bianche finishing in Sienna.  Big names, great race with Gilbert just holding off Ballan (good to see him back) and Cunego through the tight cornered finish.

Losers? well apart from Jens's showing yesterday, Team Leotard, sorry Leopard haven't exactly set the world on fire.  Probably because they can't work out who's who!  Same with Garmin-Cervelo so if you see Fab leading out Thor or Millar leading out Bennati you know why.  Other losers in a small way have to be Cav, who's picked up a lot of scar tissue for little gain so far. Boonen for missing the break in Qatar.

Apparently the UCI have no rules regarding shirt design only logo size, which I find amazing given their uber retentive stance on every thing else.  I mean Garmin-Cervelo/Leopard, Geox/ISD what were you thinking, open your eyes! 

Design winners have got to be HTC, Radioshack and Liquigas (leery but you can see it can't you?).

Riders, well the young ones are coming through now aren't they? Sagan, Boom, Velits and of course my own personal tip for the top Jack Bobridge - the man cometh.

Closer to home the sportive season has started well with the brutal weather passing.  It's still cold but not achingly so and the Hell of the Ashdowns was a challenge rather than an ordeal this year.  Next up is the Spring Onion next Sunday all part of the build up to the inaugeral Paris-Roubaix Challenge.  Are any of you doing the Paris-Roubaix or in fact want to go?  If so let me know.

Cheers all!