February is flying by and the racing is starting to heat up!!! What does that mean? Time to race the route of the sun. We are only two weeks from the Omloop and KBK and 3 week to Strade Bianchi. So, we need to get together soon to dine and discuss the upcoming classics season.
There have been a number of Wiskota Fantasy League riders who have been tearing it up and gaining points for their respective DS”s. We haven’t done this in a while so we will have to go back to a faraway place, where the caravan camels roam, where it's flat and immense and the heat is intense, it's barbaric, but hey, it's Dubai.
Chapeau to J.J.Lobato for winning on the Commish’s favorite finishing climb of the season, the Hatta Dam. He gets straight giddy when the Lobatomaker gets punchy. The Spaniard beat the likes of Gilbert and Fabulous Fabian Cancellara to win the stage and announce himself as a real threat in the spring classics.
Chapeau to Kittel for winning 2 stages and the overall at the Dubai Tour. SKittels definitely looked like the fastest man on the planet. Cavendish did not seem to be in the same league as the flashy German. Taste the Rainbow!
Next on our travels, we round the Straight of Hormuz and head to the Persian Gulf and into the beautiful cycling nation of Qatar.
Chapeau to Mark Cavendish as he showed that yes, he can still win a group sprint, as he took the 1st stage and the overall in Qatar.
The real star of the Tour of Ababwa was the Iceman, Alexander Kristoff, who took 3 stages and beat the Manx Missile in all 3 of those finishes. Impressive for a strong Classics style rider (and great sprinter). A well deserved, tip of the hat, Chapeau!! Another monument seems inevitable. (I’ll be looking forward to Luke writing about the Iceman and how he compares to other great sprinters who have won monuments in the spring classics).
Chapeau to Eddy BoHag. The BoDog won the individual time trial and was set to take the overall but came up short after a double flat in the penultimate stage. Undrafted by Wiskota, EBH is poised to have the best spring in his young career.
One, final Chapeau to Philippe Gilbert for beating a surprisingly strong field containing Valverde, Zakarin, and Jon Izaguirre to win the hilltop finish at the Vuelta a Murcia. Points are points. Jill Bear!!!!!
This week we sail back, south on the Arabian Sea to Oman. The field will be very different at this race as the parcours are a tad bit more pointy. Thus bringing the likes of Porte, Nibali, and big Tommy Dumoulin to headline a field of climbers in the southern edge of the Arabian desert.
The other big race this week is the the Ruta del Sol, or Vuelta a Andalucía. A strong field which contains Wiskota fantasy riders such as Danny Martin, Gilbert, TVG, Majka, Valverde, Mollema, Wilco, as well as J.J. Lobato. A little known race that would definitely be in my top 5 to attend. Tapas anyone?
Two weeks until cobbles!!!
Forza!
Great links. Way to play up the ethnic stereotypes. I agree Skittles looks fast again and we all will be tasting the rainbow. Also, I am still routing for a BoDog move. Maybe he just needs a year off from the wiskota squad. If I could add a Chapeau it would be to Cyclinghub, I am getting pretty good footage from all kinds of races. Check out the site.
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