"The 33"-Road Bike Racing - Slipstream 2nd in Qatar TTT

2 seconds back from Quick-Step....a great result!!!!

I thought the Drapac Porche boys did pretty well too. Came in ahead of a lot of bigger squads.

i'm not one to pull the nationality card, but i'l do it anyway.

did anyone else notice slipstream's roster for quatar?

I thought the Drapac Porche boys did pretty well too. Came in ahead of a lot of bigger squads.

They rode strong in the races I saw them do in Taiwan and Korea. I don't know much about them. What's their story?

Official Link for Qatar? Is it on the UCI site?

i'm not one to pull the nationality card, but i'l do it anyway.

did anyone else notice slipstream's roster for quatar?

Millar - Great Britain
Backstedt - Sweden
Dean - New Zealand
Duyn - Netherlands
Laurent - France
Maaskant - Netherlands
Patour - France
Sutton - Australia

I think you're alluding to the lack of Americans at Qatar.

Millar - Great Britain
Backstedt - Sweden
Dean - New Zealand
Duyn - Netherlands
Laurent - France
Maaskant - Netherlands
Patour - France
Sutton - Australia

I think you're alluding to the lack of Americans at Qatar.

subtlety is a lost art.

subtlety is a lost art.

My apologies. Perhaps this would have been a better reply:

"Yeah, I suppose there's no room for red white and blue amongst the argyle-sporting racers"

First race of the season. I'd say give the season some time to unfold before we make any assumptions.

Here's a schedule I lifted from Will Frischkorn a Boulder local on Slipstream. Looks pretty international to me.

January

* 15-31. Training Camp, Silver City NM.

February

* 3. GP Cycliste la Marseillaise, France
* 6-10. Etoile de Bessegges, France
* 13-17. Tour of the Med, France
* 24. Haut Var, France

March

* 1. Het Volk, Belgium
* 2. Kurne-Brussels-Kurne, Belgium
* 12-18. Tirreno-Adriatico, Italy
* 22. Milan-San Remo, Italy
* 26. Dwars doors Vlaanderen, Belgium
* 29. GP e3, Belgium

April

* 1-3. 3 Days of de Panne, Belgium
* 6. Tour of Flanders, Belgium
* 9. Ghent-Wevelgem, Belgium
* 13. Paris-Roubaix, France
* 16. Paris-Camembert, France
* 23. La Fleche Wallonne, Belgium
* 27. Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Belgium

May

* 6-11. Dunkerque, France
* 16-18. Picardie, France
* 19-25. Volta Catalunya, Spain
* 28-1. Tour of Belgium, Belgium

June

* 3-8. Philly Week, USA
* 19-22. Route de Sud, France

First race of the season. I'd say give the season some time to unfold before we make any assumptions.

no assumptions were made, merely an observation.

Was the bike selection for the TTT due to the short course?

I was looking at the times and noticed they were in the 6-7 minute range. Anybody got a map of the TTT course? I'm assuming it was an urban route.

First race of the season. I'd say give the season some time to unfold before we make any assumptions.

Here's a schedule I lifted from Will Frischkorn a Boulder local on Slipstream. Looks pretty international to me.

January

* 15-31. Training Camp, Silver City NM.

February

* 3. GP Cycliste la Marseillaise, France
* 6-10. Etoile de Bessegges, France
* 13-17. Tour of the Med, France
* 24. Haut Var, France

March

* 1. Het Volk, Belgium
* 2. Kurne-Brussels-Kurne, Belgium
* 12-18. Tirreno-Adriatico, Italy
* 22. Milan-San Remo, Italy
* 26. Dwars doors Vlaanderen, Belgium
* 29. GP e3, Belgium

April

* 1-3. 3 Days of de Panne, Belgium
* 6. Tour of Flanders, Belgium
* 9. Ghent-Wevelgem, Belgium
* 13. Paris-Roubaix, France
* 16. Paris-Camembert, France
* 23. La Fleche Wallonne, Belgium
* 27. Liege-Bastogne-Liege, Belgium

May

* 6-11. Dunkerque, France
* 16-18. Picardie, France
* 19-25. Volta Catalunya, Spain
* 28-1. Tour of Belgium, Belgium

June

* 3-8. Philly Week, USA
* 19-22. Route de Sud, France

This schedule looks incomplete.

This schedule looks incomplete.

It's just for one rider and probably is not complete since it's only Jan.

Gotta say it... the new kit doesn't hold a candle to last years. The helmets don't even match.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2008/jan08/qatar08/qatar081/34Magnus-Backstedt.jpg

Was the bike selection for the TTT due to the short course?

I was looking at the times and noticed they were in the 6-7 minute range. Anybody got a map of the TTT course? I'm assuming it was an urban route.

Teams were only allowed to bring one bike, I suspect. QuickStep also used their road bikes.

Gotta say it... the new kit doesn't hold a candle to last years. The helmets don't even match.

Agree. Wasn't the design chosen from some contest?

Teams were only allowed to bring one bike, I suspect. QuickStep also used their road bikes.

I doubt it had much to do with being 'allowed' to bring one.

More likely too much of a hassle to drag TT bikes for a short TT at a minor, early season, tune up race in the Persian Gulf.

If the rules are the same as last year, tt bikes would not be allowed. I believe no pointy helmets, not disc wheels, and no aerobars. I believe that this was to give the "hometeam" a fighting chance against the big boys.

If the rules are the same as last year, tt bikes would not be allowed. I believe no pointy helmets, not disc wheels, and no aerobars. I believe that this was to give the "hometeam" a fighting chance against the big boys.

From what I gather that was the rule, in place to 1) keep costs down and 2) give the hometown team a chance.

http://www.veloriders.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=859855&sid=90f1c3daafe966a05e35d6b80288b2c9

It's just another forum post, but it adds another perspective.

Millar - Great Britain
Backstedt - Sweden
Dean - New Zealand
Duyn - Netherlands
Laurent - France
Maaskant - Netherlands
Patour - France
Sutton - Australia

I think you're alluding to the lack of Americans at Qatar.

They had to send all those guys when they could of just sent Taylor Phinney.

They had to send all those guys when they could of just sent Taylor Phinney.

:lol:

This schedule looks ambitious.

fixed a la botto

presuming invites to a lot of races.

And yeah, allowing the peasants to design the kit was not a great idea. Should just go back to last year with some different sponsor stickers.

fixed a la botto

presuming invites to a lot of races.

And yeah, allowing the peasants to design the kit was not a great idea. Should just go back to last year with some different sponsor stickers.

tis true.

iirc the 'contest' wasn't anything more than a publicity stunt, and the official designer took the contest winners design 'into consideration', or something like that.

iirc the 'contest' wasn't anything more than a publicity stunt, and the official designer took the contest winners design 'into consideration', or something like that.

Yeah, I actually got to meet the official designer. Nice guy.

Just couldn't resist the comment