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Rabobank - Clockwork "Oranje" | Tour Down Under (4/6)
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| Dankan |
Posted on 19-06-2008 14:17
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(13/01)  Australian Championships: "Stu" grants a new jersey
Rabobank badly crack as Hayman and Brown can't keep the pace
Stuart O'Grady seemed to be calm after what happened to be his latest conquer so far. A winner of the 2007 Paris - Roubaix and three-time medalist at the Aussie champs, the leadout man from Team CSC achieved his second victory at the national contest after a brilliant solo ride for the last 13 kilometers to the finish line in Bunniyong. "Not that I'm used to winning like this, but I'm confident I rode at my best. I hope to do so for the rest of the season", O'Grady told to the official media at the post-race press conference.
42 riders took off from the depart at Bunniyong, where the Australian Cycling Federation proposed an "up-and-down" circuit, including the Mt. Bunniyong climb shortly after every lap's start. An early break composed by nine riders achieve an 8-minute gap, 58 kilometres out of the 163 on the race. Lots of attacks into the group led Jonathon Clarke (Toyota - United) and Graeme Brown (Rabobank) into a second group made of riders out of form. The pursuit behind the first group was led by Silence - Lotto riders, while Matthew Lloyd and Cadel Evans sitted into the back of the peloton.
Long before the real fight for the win at the championships, several incidents happened. Kuota - Senges's Steven Robb fell at the 100km mark, while Graeme Brown got off his bike on a terrifying accident, 72km before the finish. The peloton was reduced to about 25 riders when Tour de France's 2nd-placed Cadel Evans (Silence - Lotto) made his attempt to rush off the field, followed by William Walker (Rabobank), Mark Renshaw (Crédit Agricole), the eventual winner Stuart O'Grady (Team CSC) and Allan Davis (Mitsubishi - Jartazi). The escapers started taking time over the peloton and reaching the escapees before the last lap.
When everything seemed to be set for the final sprint, O'Grady launched an attack and went nowhere, out of reach for the G2. The last kilometers turned to be a long tail of attacks and counter-attacks, any of them able to reach an impressive solo by O'Grady, who grabbed his second yellow/green jersey. Cadel Evans (Silence - Lotto) came in the same time from Cadel Evans, while Matthew Lloyd (Silence - Lotto) grabbed the bronze medal from former Tour Down Under's champion Simmy Gerrans (Crédit Agricole), making an interesting 2-3 for the Marc Sergeant squad. Will we see the same outcome at the upcoming Tour Down Under? We'll just have to wait and see.
Photo gallery
- The break of the day featured some young National stars, such as Chris Sutton (Slipstream), Matthew Goss (Team CSC) and Aaron Kemps (Astana)
- The Silence - Lotto riders led the early chase with Robbie McEwen as the man to sacrify for Cadel Evans
- Graeme Brown (Rabobank) can't hold on as the 50km mark is reached
- Matthew Hayman (Rabobank) loses the balance into a turn before a pass through the finish line
- Matthew Hayman (Rabobank) is hit by former champion Darren Lapthorne (Team Sparkasse) after his fall
- Trent Lowe (Slipstream - Chipotle) is fallen aswell
- Cadel Evans (Silence - Lotto) makes his move while Will Walker (Rabobank) follows his wheel
- Its a two-front battle as Stuart O'Grady (Team CSC) counters
- Stuart O'Grady (Team CSC) attacks after the beel on the finish line sounds
- Cadel Evans (Silence - Lotto) is trying to take O'Grady back to the group
- Stuart O'Grady (Team CSC) looks happy as he wins his national championship for the second time
- Allan Davis (Mitsubishi - Jartazi) comes over the line from Will Walker (Rabobank) and Chris Sutton (Slipstream - Chipotle)
- Will Walker (Rabobank) must be satisfied after getting a 6th spot for the Rabobank team
Official results:
1. Stuart O'Grady (Team CSC) 4h32'20''
2. Cadel Evans (Silence - Lotto) s.t.
3. Matthew Lloyd (Silence - Lotto) + 50''
4. Simon Gerrans (Crédit Agricole) s.t.
5. Allan Davis (Mitsubishi - Jartazi) + 1'58''
6. William Walker (Rabobank) s.t.
7. Chris Sutton (Slipstream - Chipotle powered by H30) s.t.
8. Angus Morton (Drapac Porsche Development Program) s.t.
9. Rory Sutherland (Health Net presented by Maxxis) s.t.
10. Cameron Wurf (Team Volksbank) s.t.
[...]
33. Graeme Brown (Rabobank) + 6'56''
42. Matthew Hayman (Rabobank) + 14'10'' |
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| Ak4 |
Posted on 19-06-2008 18:06
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Stagiare
Posts: 226
Joined: 15-04-2008
PCM$: 200.00
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Love those screenshots 
Not bad race.. Rabobank doesn't have very good aussie riders so it's a nice result..
Bad luck of Hayman.. He was the most capable to win it. 
[url=www.Dark-Alchemy.com]  [/url]
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| robert_psv |
Posted on 19-06-2008 18:13
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Breakaway Specialist
Posts: 904
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Great story, but 1 mistake imo, at the Team presentation, you sai that Posthuma will be the best option for the dutchies to get a meal at the TT WC, but this, ofcourse, should be Dekker
Team Champion manager
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| matt493 |
Posted on 19-06-2008 18:28
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3549
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great reporting.
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| issoisso |
Posted on 19-06-2008 18:31
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 22918
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robert_psv wrote:
Great story, but 1 mistake imo, at the Team presentation, you sai that Posthuma will be the best option for the dutchies to get a meal at the TT WC, but this, ofcourse, should be Dekker
no doubt Dekker won't be in form then
So far I'm liking this story. No random unrealistic signings which I hate 
The preceding post is ISSO 9001 certified
"I love him, I think he's great. He's transformed the sport in so many ways. Every person in cycling has benefitted from Lance Armstrong, perhaps not financially but in some sense" - Bradley Wiggins on Lance Armstrong
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| ruben |
Posted on 19-06-2008 18:46
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Grand Tour Champion
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I would've liked a signing of Bobbie Traksel  |
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-12-2024 10:34
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| Addy291 |
Posted on 19-06-2008 23:03
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Grand Tour Champion
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Great win in a top field. I love your presentations, the details are great and it looks even more professional with your "photo gallery". Great stuff so far
YORKSHIRE BORN, YORKSHIRE BRED... |
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| Dankan |
Posted on 19-06-2008 23:03
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Tour Down Under (2.PT) - Preview
For the first time ever since he was first hosted in 1999, the Tour Down Under has become part of the ProTour calendar, as a new event outside Europe (that never happened yet). The race's route is quite the same as last year's, with an extra stage (up to a total of 6) and the traditional flat "parcours" towards the Willunga Hill on the penultimate day (January 26th).
To be on the level such a race requests, we're sending a quite powerful team as Thomas Dekker will make his debut (58). Graeme Brown (65) and Tom Leezer (64) will be aiming to get good spots within the best 10 sprinters of the race, while Will Walker (64) will be our main contender for the GC. The team is completed by: Michiel Elijzen (56), Matthew Hayman (58, with no spot of his chute at the Aussie champs), Dimitri Kozontchuk (51) and Gerben Löwik (65).
The starting field is full of world-class riders: Tom Boonen, Erik Zabel and Daniele Bennati make a dream trio for the mass sprints while Fabian Cancellara, José Iván Gutiérrez, Juanjo Cobo or George Hincapie make the race shine as never before. The 4 CT spots for the race were given to: Slipstream, Health Net, Toyota and the local riders from Drapac Porsche.
(22/01) Tour Down Under - Stage 1: Mawson Lakes > Angaston
No place for foreigners: Brown stands on "grown land"
Considering the amount of top sprinters who came to South Australia to take part on ProTour's first round, none would have expected an Aussie to win, even when Robbie NcEwen declined to take part on the race for the first time since its foundation. Nevertheless, Rabobank's Graeme Brown made the day of all spectators at the final straight on Angaston by outsprinting - not without any suspense - Erik Zabel (Team Milram) and Tom Boonen (Quick·Step) to claim his first win of the season and take the leadership of the 2008 Tour Down Under.
Brown's win was the result of a huge team strategy over the entire stage. Netherlands's Gerben Löwik was Graeme's "bodyguard" for the first half of the stage, where a KOM climb plus loads of uphill and downhill slopes could break the rhythm on weaker sprinters' legs. Plus, young leadout man Tom Leezer did an amazing work to put the Australian into the right way to the victory. Brown came early from Aaron Kemps and Erik Zabel, while Boonen and Italy's Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) came too late to overcome the home rider.
Long before, the 129km short first stage of the race gave some toungsters a good chance to get some prominence as pro's, especially for young Australian rider from Drapac Porsche, Daniel Braunsteins. The XC-athlete got into a 7-man break made out some of the contenders for the KOM-jersey: 1997 Paris - Roubaix winner Frédéric Guesdon (Française des Jeux) and America's pro rider Roman Kilun (Health Net) were some of the ones who showed the team's colurs on the early break of the day. Attacks into the group led to no order within the escapers, who got chased 25km before the finish line. Liquigas and Quick·Step worked hard to chase the leaders, while Milram make its own to bring Zabel into a good position. A great leadout by Tom Leezer did the rest for Sánchez's squad.
Photo gallery
- Frédéric Guesdon (Française des Jeux) leads Thomas Voeckler (Bougues Télécom) towards the first KOM sprint of this year's TDU
- The early escapers make their pace across thin country routes
- As well Quick·Step as Liquigas made their best to control the "tempo" on the peloton after the break was created
- Stuart O'Grady (Team CSC) is proudly wearing his country's colours on the jersey - he'll do it for the rest of the season
- Italian Daniele Righì (Lampre) has some complaint to the neutral car as it's getting to close to his way on the road
- Team Gerolsteiner is also preparing themselves for a good result by youngster Heinrich Haussler
- The sprint: Dutch Tom Leezer (Rabobank) gives Brown a "green light" to launch his final rush, with Kemps and Zabel already up-front...
- ... but he goes ...
- ... and goes ...
- and outsprints Zabel and Boonen for the win at Angaston; the former World Champion made a close call
- Graeme Brown (Rabobank) looks rude and serious as he raises his arms over the line
Official results:
1. Graeme Brown (Rabobank) 2'59'16''
2. Erik Zabel (Team Milram) s.t.
3. Tom Boonen (Quick·Step) s.t.
4. Aaron Kemps (Astana) s.t.
5. Stuart O'Grady (Team CSC) s.t.
6. Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) s.t.
7. Heinrich Haussler (Gerolsteiner) s.t.
8. Vicente Reynès (Team High Road) s.t.
9. Tom Leezer (Rabobank) s.t.
10. René Haselbacher (Astana) s.t.
GC:
1. Graeme Brown (Rabobank) 2h59'10''
2. Erik Zabel (Team Milram) +2
3. Daniele Righì (Lampre) s.t.
4. Arnaud Coyot (Caisse d'Epargne) +3
5. Daniel Braunsteins (Drapac Porsche) s.t.
Points: Graeme Brown (Rabobank)
Mountain: Thomas Voeckler (Bouygues Télécom)
Young: Daniel Braunsteins (Drapac Porsche) |
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| Liquigas manager |
Posted on 19-06-2008 23:03
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Amateur
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Nice screenshot!
What graphic card doe you have? |
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| Dankan |
Posted on 19-06-2008 23:08
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Protected Rider
Posts: 1065
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Liquigas manager wrote:
Nice screenshot!
What graphic card doe you have?
A poor Nvidia GeForce 7300 GT, taken almost free on a computer shop I found by chance at Madrid's downtown a couple of weeks ago. Probably not the best one, but CHEEEEAP (20 €).
@ Addy: Thx a lot; don't worry on your post's situation, I had to re-post the 5th issue to correct some errors- |
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| Liquigas manager |
Posted on 19-06-2008 23:13
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Amateur
Posts: 3
Joined: 03-04-2007
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Dankan wrote:
Liquigas manager wrote:
Nice screenshot!
What graphic card doe you have?
A poor Nvidia GeForce 7300 GT, taken almost free on a computer shop I found by chance at Madrid's downtown a couple of weeks ago. Probably not the best one, but CHEEEEAP (20 €).
@ Addy: Thx a lot; don't worry on your post's situation, I had to re-post the 5th issue to correct some errors-
And still nice, nice!
Ojee, screenshot i meen screenshots.
On the story: you didn't mis the season start. Keep it up! |
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| Ak4 |
Posted on 20-06-2008 09:14
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Stagiare
Posts: 226
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Awesome |
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| alex153 |
Posted on 20-06-2008 09:17
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Very nice start |
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| TheGooseIsCooked |
Posted on 20-06-2008 13:47
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Amateur
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You have got to give this guy credit because he is actually on hard unlike the other noobs who are on easy/normal where yo can ride off the front on 10% effort! I salute you sir! |
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| Dankan |
Posted on 20-06-2008 14:05
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A point against myself: I tested the game for 2 1/2 months |
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| Halvor |
Posted on 20-06-2008 14:07
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Sprinter
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Very Nice! The results are very impressive! |
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| Dankan |
Posted on 20-06-2008 15:52
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(23/01) Tour Down Under - Stage 2: Stirling > Hahndorf
Stuart O'Grady sneaks it away on the tables; Brown remains on the lead
A heat wave, which is making his way through the South Australia region during the start of the summer at the Southern hemisphere, might seem to be affecting Graeme Brown's sense. The leading sprinter of the Rabobank squad thought he had won the second stage into the little village of Hahndorf, but, surprisingly, national champion Stuart O'Grady took it from his hands to grant his first victory in yellow-green colours for the 2008 season. Brown will remain on the first place in the 2008 Tour Down Under though.
Graeme's lose against his countryman might perfectly seem a lack of attention towards the contest on the sprint. The Aussie rider from Rabobank did not think so; "I was being clearly the strongest and, when I saw the 300-meter barrier at the side of the road and none trying to overcome from any sides, I thought it was done. I simply didn't expect that last strike from Stuart [O'Grady]", Brown told to the media while waiting for his turn on the podium ceremony to come.
Previously, the peloton showed no interesting for any fight before the sprint, probably because of the hot temperatures reigning over South Oz all over the day. An early break featuring leader's teammate Gerben Löwik (Rabobank), local star Chris Sutton (Slipstream - Chipotle) and Martin Müller (Team Milram) gained some gap over the peloton, mainly controlled by the Lampre and Quick·Step squads. Saronni's riders appeared to be working for Alessandro Ballan, even though last year's winner of the Ronde van Vlaanderen wasn't a real sprinter.
After a late attempt by Dutch youngster Thomas Dekker (Rabobank), cracked down shortly after the attack at the 10km mark, the peloton messed up in order to guarantee a confusing sprint, with several rush slipstreams going over the final straight at Hahndorf. Tom Leezer did again a great job for his leader, but Brown could not succeed on the way he did the day before. Another chance will come for everyone tomorrow, on a new opportunity for the fastest men.
Photo gallery
- Chris Sutton (Slipstream) talks to Basque neo-pro Josu Agirre (Euskaltel - Euskadi); will they be planning some trick?
- Riding like MotoGP bikes; the early break gets close to the first intermediate sprint as they negotiate a right turn
- The country looks after the three brave riders going across the way to Hahndorf in today's hard stage; not because of the profile, but the heat!
- Race leader Graeme Brown (Rabobank) is used to this kind of competition as he sits on the center of the peloton, waiting for his time to come
- Gorik Gardeyn (Silence - Lotto) leads a calm peloton through an empty road; the spectators are conscious and don't leave the fresh ambiance on their houses while they see the race on TV
- Thomas Dekker (Rabobank) tries it, in some sort of attack to test how their legs are for the season to come; still three months for the Ardennes!
- Addy Engels (Quick·Step) and Michael Blaudzun (Team CSC) come across the red triangle; that's the way to take a turn, guys!
- Graeme Brown (Rabobank) leads the real sprint line; too much riders fighting for a big one today!
- Graeme Brown (Rabobank) looks to his left; he does not realize the "tri-color arrow" coming at the other side!
- Graeme Brown (Rabobank) thinks he's won again, so does Stuart O'Grady (Team CSC)...
- ... but the helicopter take does not leave place for doubts: O'Grady won!
Official results:
1. Stuart O'Grady (Team CSC) 3h41'13''
2. Graeme Brown (Rabobank) s.t.
3. Heinrich Haussler (Gerolsteiner) s.t.
4. Greg van Avermaet (Silence - Lotto) s.t.
5. Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Team CSC) s.t.
6. Alessandro Ballan (Lampre) s.t.
7. Erik Zabel (Team Milram) s.t.
8. Daniele Bennati (Liquigas) s.t.
9. Aaron Kemps (Astana) s.t.
10. Tom Leezer (Rabobank) s.t.
GC:
1. Graeme Brown (Rabobank) 6h40'19''
2. Stuart O'Grady (Team CSC) +4
3. Erik Zabel (Team Milram) +6
4. Daniele Righì (Lampre) s.t.
5. Marcel Sieberg (Team High Road) +7
Points: Graeme Brown (Rabobank)
Mountain: Thomas Dekker (Rabobank)
Young: Daniel Braunsteins (Drapac Porsche) |
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| issoisso |
Posted on 20-06-2008 16:22
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 22918
Joined: 08-02-2007
PCM$: 200.00
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Wait, because you celebrated, O'Grady didn't celebrate?
If that does happen on purpose , it's pretty cool
The preceding post is ISSO 9001 certified
"I love him, I think he's great. He's transformed the sport in so many ways. Every person in cycling has benefitted from Lance Armstrong, perhaps not financially but in some sense" - Bradley Wiggins on Lance Armstrong
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| Hasselinhoo |
Posted on 20-06-2008 16:27
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Stagiare
Posts: 215
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nice |
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| Smitho |
Posted on 20-06-2008 17:14
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Neo-Pro
Posts: 270
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Just wondering how far out you can sprint from on the new pcm as it looks like it is 1.5-2km out tat makes it alot closer unlike 3km out where you cannot overtake the computer on hard unless you have alot better sprinter or similar stats. |
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