The season is starting: Parcours and Start List of the Vuelta a Mallorca

That time of the year has come when,after a break of almost 4 months,the cycling season begins again.Ok,some riders have already started to race at the Tour Down Under or at the Tour of San Luis or in some other races,but my favourite riders are starting their season tomorrow.And,as obvious,Fangirl is excited.She's anxious and wished it was already March also because of the fact that soon everything in my non cyclistic life will become even more hectic than now,therefore cycling should help me to put up with the last school months more easily.In fact,to put it in "cycling terms",my teachers will force my classmates and I to peak twice before of the end of June and then they'll force us to do a final sprint in the last week of May in order to allow them to decide our future with the help of,say,12 marks pro subject (yes,I'm exaggerating). Then,according to the result of the school year,every student will have their own way to spend the off season,aka the summer,and will finally manage to slow down a bit-no more alarm clock at 6.15,bus at 6.55,first hour at 8.05,last hour at 13.15,Russian course on Wednesdays and so on for some weeks.

Anyway,back to the cycling season,I got some information about the Mallorca Challenge on http://www.vueltamallorca.com/challenge2010/ .In this race each team is allowed to bring lots of riders.Why? Well,I looked for more information in the Net and on http://en.wikipedia.org/%20wiki/%20Vuelta_a_Mallorca I found these lines:"Although the race styles itself as the 'Tour of Majorca' it has never been allowed to be classed as a multi day stage race by the UCI because the race rules allows riders not to participate on certain days if they don’t want to (...). This laid back attitude by the race organisers makes the race popular with team managers who can bring a large squad (sometimes as many as 20 riders) and interchange them over the five days". That's good,especially because of the fact that Saxo Bank will have a geat time in Mallorca.Anyway,here's the complete start list (with my usual random comments,of course:you can't get rid of them so easily...):
Andalucía–Cajasur: this Spanish team will be formed by Ángel Vicioso Arcos,Jesús Rosendo Prado,Manuel Ortega Ocaña,Jorge Martín Montenegro (he's the only non-Spanish rider on the team,in fact he comes from Argentina),Antonio Piedra Pérez,José Vicente Toribio Alcolea,Juan Javier Estrada Ruiz,Sergio Carrasco García,Manuel Calvante Corpas,Antonio Cabello Baena,Javi Moreno Bazán,Pablo Lechuga Rodríguez,Jose Luis Roldán Carmona,José Ángel Gómez Marchante,Javier Ramírez Abeja,Manuel Vazquez Hueso.
Burgos Monumental: the only non-Spanish rider from this team,Olbano,comes from Costa Rica (or at least I think so).The team riders in Mallorca will be Luis Mas Bonet,Diego Gallego Arnaiz,Raúl Santamarta Valbuena,David Francisco Delgado,Bayron Patricio Guama de la Cruz,Francisco Manuel Antón Marín,Oscar Grau Jorda,José Carlos Lara Arjonilla,Pascual Orengo López,Gregory Juel Brenes Obando and Andrés Avelino Antuña Coro.
Caisse d'Epargne: the Spanish team in Mallorca will be very strong and me thinks that LL Sanchez will show something interesting during the race.The other team members are Andrey Amador,David Arroyo,Marzio Bruseghin,Juan José Cobo,Rui Costa,Imanol Erviti,José Vicente García,José Iván Gutiérrez,Vasil Kiryienka,Pablo Lastras,David López,Alberto Losada,Angel Madrazo,Luis Pasamontes,Luis León Sanchez, Mauricio Soler,Alejandro Valverde and Xabier Zandio.
Cofidis,Le Credit en Ligne: the French team will bring Moncoutie and Taaramae in Mallorca together with other pretty unknown riders.Here's the complete riders list: Guillaume Blot,Kalle Kriit (Est),Julien Fouchard (Fra),David Moncoutie (Fra),Tony Gallopin (Fra),Nico Sijmens (Bel) Kevyn Ista (Bel),Rein Taaramae (Est),Jens Keukeleire (Bel),Romain Zingle (Bel)
Footon-Servetto: the team with the ugliest 2010 kit will be formed by José Alberto Benítez (Spa),Manuel Cardoso (Por),Vidal Celis (Spa),Marcus Eibegger (Aut),Enrique Mata (Spa), Michele Merlo (Ita),Aitor Pérez (Spa),Rafael Valls (Spa),David Vitoria (Swi),Johnnie Walker (Aus)
Euskaltel - Euskadi: Euskaltel offers us a good team formed by riders like Anton,Perez,Koldo Fernandez,De Lis,Verdugo and Txurruka.Here's the complete team: Igor Anton,Alan Pérez,Koldo Fernandez De Larrea,Juan Oroz,Beñat Intxausti,Iñaki Isasi,Mikel Nieve,Amets Txurruka (I love his surname),Iván Velasco,Aitor Galdos,Gorka Verdugo,Sergio De Lis,Ruben Pérez,Francisco Javier Aramendia,Jorge Azanza,Pablo Urtasun.
Netapp: Eric Baumann (Ger),Dimitri Clayes (Bel),Andreas Schillinger (Ger),Bastien Delrot (Fra),Timon Seubert (Ger),Cesare Benedetti (Ita),Alexander Gottfried (Ger),Tassilo Fricke (Ger),Alexander Meenhorst (Aus),Daniel Schorn (Aut),Nico Keinath (Ger),Jan Barta (Cze),Huub Duyn (Ned)
Omega Pharma - Lotto: De Greef and Wegelius are 2 riders I really like and I hope they'll have a good 2010.Together with them,the Lotto-team in Mallorca will be formed by Mario Aerts,Daniel Moreno,Jan Bakelants,Jean-Christophe Peraud,Adam Blythe,Tom Stubbe, Christophe Brandt,Jurgen Van Den Broeck,Jelle Vanendert and Glenn D'Hollander.
Orbea: Extebarria is the only rider I know from this Spanish team.The other riders are Noel Martí,Adrian Sáez De Arregui,Jon Aberasturi,Beñat Urain,Andoni Blázquez,Ricardo García,Mikel Ilundain,Xabier Zabalo and Ion Izagirre.
PSK Whirlpool: Something tells me that this team probably comes from the Czech Republic,since 11 riders out f 13 come from there.The line up is formed by Petr Bencik,Frantisek Kloucek,Tomas Buchacek,Stanislav Kozubek,Jakub Danacik,Leopold Konig,Tomas Danacik, Martin Mares,Vojtech Dlouchy,Andre Schulze (Ger),Martin Hebik,Marc Reynes (Spa) and Petr Kaltofen.

Quick Step: Chavanel,Cataldo,Devenyns,Devolder,Malacarne,Pineau...Good team.Complete line-up: Dario Cataldo,Kurt Hovelijnck,Sylvain Chavanel,Andrei Kunitski,Thomas Vedel Kvist,Nikolas Maes,Dries Devenyns,Davide Malacarne,Stijn Devolder,Jerome Pineau,Eddy Engels,Francesco Reda,Mauro Facci and Branislau Samoilau.
Rabobank: Freire will close his career this year,so I wish him all the best.Together with him in Mallorca there will be Maarten Tjallingii,Bauke Mollema,Lars Boom,Steven Kruiswijk,Laurens Ten Dam,Nick Nuyens,Mauricio Ardila,Joost Posthuma,Bram Tankink,Tom Stamsnijder,Kai Reus,Koos Moerenhout,Grischa Niermann,Oscar Freir ,Tom Leezer,Sebastian Langeveld (yay!) and Juan Manuel Garate (Spa).Me wonders: where is His Muteness?
Skil - Shimano: Yes,Kenny Van Hummel is racing.His teammates will be Mitchell Docker,Cheng Ji and Long Jin (are these 2 riders from China related?),David Deroo,Job Vissers,Frederik Wilmann,Yukihiro Doi,Albert Timmer,Simon Geschke,Robert Wagner,Feng Han and Piet Rooijakkers.
Spanish Track Team: Antonio Tauler Llulla,Antonio Miguel Parra,Unai Elorriaga Zubiaur,Sergi Escobar Roure,Eloy Teruel Rovira,Carlos Torrent Tarres,David Muntaner Juaneda,Asier Maeztu Billalabeitia,Pablo Aitor Bernal Rosique,Jose Anton Carrasco Ramírez,Albert Torres Barceló,Rafael Serrano Fernández,Andoni Lafuente Olagibel,Iban Leanizbarrutia Cruz,Ramón Domene Reyes and Airan Fernández Casasola.
Team HTC - Columbia: allez Pinotti and Toni! Team line-up: Michael Albasini,Bert Grabsch,Marco Pinotti,Maxime Monfort,Vicente Reynes Mimo,Aleksesj Saramotis,Kanstantsin Sivtsov (allez Kanstantin!),Tejay Van Garderen,Peter Velits,Tony Martin,Craig Lewis,Adam Hansen,Rasmus Guldhammer and Andre Greipel.
Team Katusha: Kolobnev is racing,just like Egor Silin,McEwen,Brutt,Rodriguez,Vorganov and KK.Complete line-up: Alexander Botcharov,Pavel Brutt,Juan Horrach,Vladimir Karpets,Kim Kirchen,Alexander Kolobnev,Robbie McEwen,Evgeny Petrov,Joaquin Rodriguez,Egor Silin,) Maxime Vantomme,Eduard Vorganov.
Team Milram: Yes,Linus is racing.Teams:Markus Eichler,Robert Förster,Markus and Thomas Fothen,Johannes Fröhlinger,Linus Gerdemann ,Christian Knees,Dominik Nerz,Luke Roberts,Dominik Roels,Thomas Rohregger,Matthias Ruß,Wim Stroetinga,Paul Voß and Fabian Wegmann.

Team Saxo Bank: los Schlecks,los Sorensens,Voigt,Larsson,Steensen,Jorgensen, Marycz,Porte,Fuglsang,Porte,Klostergaard,Didier,Lund...there should be a rule to allow all these riders to race together in order to make Fangirl get completely crazy.Here's the line up:Anders Lund,Jonas Aaen Jorgensen (someone has confused name,second name and surname of this rider...),Andre Steensen,Jens Voigt,Jaroslaw Marycz,Jakob Fuglsang,Kasper Klostergaard, Gustav Larsson,Richie Porte,Chris Anker Sorensen,Nicki Sorensen,Frank Schleck,Laurent Didier,Andy Schleck (dulcis in fundo...)
Van Vliet: Ronan V. Zandbeek,Rune V.D. Meijden,Jeffrey Wiersma,Bas Krammel,Sjoern Konnenhoven,Stefan Vreugdenmil,Jack Vermeulen,Yoeri Havik,Bas Stamsnijder,Bart V. Hadren,Bob Schoonbrools,Rikke Dijkxmoorn,Bram Schmitz,Thomas Berkhout,Christoph Pfingsten,Remco Tebrake,Sander Oostlander and Jesper Asselman.

Xacobeo Galicia: Isaychev is the only non-Spanish rider on the team.Line-up: Carlos Castaño Panadero (Spa) Rodrigo García Rena (Spa) Gustavo Domínguez Lemos (Spa) Francisco José Pacheco Torres (Spa) Gustavo César Veloso (Spa) Gustavo Rodríguez Iglesias (Spa) Serafín Martínez Acevedo (Spa) David García Dapena (Spa) Delio Fernández Cruz (Spa) Gonzalo Rabuñal Ríos (Spa) Alberto Fernández Saiz (Spa) José Antonio Desegovia Botella (Spa) Vladymir Isaychev (Rus)

Race Parcours:
The Trofeo Palma (tomorrow) is completely flat and me believes that Greipel will win.El Trofeo Cala Millor is slightly less flat (there are 3 category 4 climbs),but it shouldn't create big problems to the sprinters.The Trofeo Inca (that will be raced on the 9th of February) will see the riders face a category 2 climb and a category 1 climb with 30 kms to go.The arrive,according to http://www.vueltamallorca.com/challenge2010/trofeo3/ ,is flat.El Trofeo Deìa offers the riders 4 category 2 climbs.The last 3 climbs are concentrated in the last 50 kms of the race and the Coll d'en Bleda will be faced by the riders with just 3 kms to go ( http:// www.vueltamallorca.com/challenge2010/trofeo4/ ).El Trofeo Malaguf,the last race of the "Vuelta a Mallorca",will be pretty hilly,since the riders will have to face 4 category 2 climbs and a category 3 climb with just 8 kms to go (http://www.vueltamallorca.com/%20challenge2010/%20trofeo5/ ).

So,this is what the riders will have to face in the next few days.If someone has a link to a website that broadcasts the race (possibly live),you would do me a big favour by leaving the link in the comment box.And to end this post,I say: allez Saxo Bank!