So, Landis brought down? Maybe, time will tell. Will it affect the Phonak team in the races ahead, probably. As well, the 'clean' Astana riders are now allowed to race again. Let's wait and see how deeply rooted Vino's anger is (without any competition?)!
The next race being the former World Cup race in Hamburg. From the provisional start list
As we now have had the Fuentes Tour turn into a Landis one, back to business: the classics.
Whether the race in Hamburg is a real classic is not even worth a discussion, but still: it is ProTour, former World Cup, hence rather much a big race.
Time for a short recap of the last years: Last year, the top ten looked like:
Filippo Pozzato
Luca Paolini
Allan Davis
Fabian Cancellara
Davide Rebellin
Martin Elmiger
Salvatore Commesso
Vladimir Gusev
Juan Ant.Flecha
Bert Grabsch
And then already one question comes to mind. What about the Fuentes people. Allan Davis is former Liberty, now Astana, not? And what about Jan Ullrich, fired by his team but in appeal against the decision and usually very strong in and around Hamburg. Pozzato, Paolini, Cancellara, Rebellin, Commesso, Gusev, Flecha and Grabsch are all in good shape and ready for a repeat of last year's performance, if not better.
In 2004, the first ten were:
Stuart O'Grady
Paolo Bettini
Igor Astarloa Askasibar
Oscar Freire Gomez
Gerben Löwik
Davide Rebellin
Erik Zabel
Fabrizio Guidi
Andrej Hauptman
Paolo Bossoni
Astarloa's Barloworld is not allowed to the race, only Skiil-Shimano is. Otherwise, O'Grady, Freire, Zabel and Guidi are to be included in the star ratings as well. How is Bettini doing actually?
In 2003, the first ten were
Paolo Bettini
Davide Rebellin
Jan Ullrich
Igor Astarloa Askasibar
Mirko Celestino
Erik Zabel
Fabio Baldato
Giovanni Lombardi
Stefano Zanini
Andrea Ferrigato
Again, questions about Ullrich, no Astarloa, but surely Celestino might be aded to the list as well. And again as well: how is Bettini doing these days?
Melancholy? Why not, the 2002 race
Johan Museeuw
Igor Astarloa Askasibar
Davide Rebellin
Paolo Bettini
George Hincapie
Fabio Baldato
Cristian Moreni
Andrea Ferrigato
Danilo Di Luca
Romans Vainsteins
brings another three names that are in good shape or in desparate need of a big victory: Moreni on the one hand, Hincapie and Di Luca on the other. Poor Igor, this really is his race...
Right, bring it on, the 2001 race, would Igor be there?
Erik Zabel
Romans Vainsteins
Erik Dekker
Fabrizio Guidi
Andrej Hauptman
Paolo Bettini
Igor Asterloa Askasibar
Fabio Baldato
Werner Riebenbauer
Sven Teutenberg
Oh yes, he is! Incredible, the most consistent rider in a World Cup Classic after Zabel's Milan-SanRemo probably. It would be great to see Zabel win this one actually.
Apparently, the HEW already was run in 00 and 99 as well: 2000 =
Gabriele Missaglia
Francesco Casagrande
Fabio Baldato
Erik Zabel
Thor Hushovd
Gabriele Balducci
Marco Zanotti
Massimiliano Mori
Magnus Backstedt
Romans Vainsteins
1999=
Mirko Celestino
Raphael Schweda
Romans Vainsteins
Johan Museeuw
George Hincapie
Ivan Basso
Erik Dekker
Franco Ballerini
Erik Zabel
Jürgen Werner
You see, I'm always right in the end: Celestino can pull this one off. Who is Basso?
