GP de Wallonie, go Arashiro!

Simon!

Gp de Wallonie

1	Julien Simon		Saur - Sojasun
2	Greg Van Avermaet		BMC Racing Team
3	Björn Leukemans		Vacansoleil - DCM
4	Luca Paolini		Katusha Team
5	Jan Bakelants		Radioshack - Nissan
6	Bert De Waele		Landbouwkrediet - Euphony
7	Jasper Stuyven		Belgium National Team
8	Johnny Hoogerland		Vacansoleil - DCM
9	Nacer Bouhanni		FDJ - BigMat
10	Marco Marcato		Vacansoleil - DCM

GP de Wallonie was actually a very nice race to watch. Always missed it in the last years. Great final.

Yes great final. Marcato worked really hard for Leukemans the last kms whiout him getting the win, but at least a podium. Also Paolini getting another nice result this season.

That was a Great sprint from Simon

But what happened to Boonen in the closing kilometres

Boonen couldn't follow the acceleration by Marcato.

Fun finale in Wallonie. The Citadelle climb is awesome, especially where they ride on a bridge above the road they just rode on.

Tipped Bouhanni as winner, and I wasn't as far off as I thought I'd be. Was expecting Boonen to take it after seeing him near the front for most of the final climb, but he really cracked in the end.

Great win for Simon, adding another to his already quite impressive season.

Stuyven rather impressive. Simon a beast again and definately on WT level.

He worked very hard earlier in the race, trying to cause a split (what occurred). This was a test for him for the worlds, not aiming for the win.

Brilliant win by De Maar today in Britain. He crashed. Got back and attacked with 5 km to go to take the stage. Cavendish got dropped. Howard takes the leader's jersey.

Good stage at ToB today with over 2000m of vertical ascent and the wind taking it's toll:

Stage
1. De Maar (crashed a few km before then rode away in the last undulating 5km)
2. Vanmarke 15"
3. Van Poppel 15"

Overall
1. Howard (good ride from him to finish in the front group)
2. Van Pop 7"
3. Vanmarke 17"

Group of around 20 finished in the group at 15" with Tiernan-Locke looking strong on Gunn Hill - expecting more from him over the next few days especially given, barring something from left field, there's only really 8-10 riders in the GC battle now.

Strangest moment goes to Wiggins riding the wrong way back down the course looking for Cavendish who had been dropped - no idea why given the run in and the fact Cav clearly wasn't going to make it back - to stop him bitching about it afterwards maybe?

Maybe Wiggins will attack and get in a breakaway?

Tour of China I, Stage 5

1	Alexander Serebryakov		Team Type 1 - Sanofi	2h20'15"
2	Jose Luis Cano		Andalucia
3	Ruslan Tleubayev		Continental Team Astana
4	Leonid Krasnov		RusVelo
5	Aldo Ino Ilesic		Team Type 1 - Sanofi
6	Sebastian Körber		Nutrixxion - Abus
7	Angelo Furlan		Christina Watches - Onfone
8	Alexander Schmitt		Nutrixxion - Abus
9	Nick van der Lijke		Rabobank Continental Team
10	Chan Jae Jang		Terengganu Cycling Team

Tour of China I, Stage 6

1	Tyler Magner		BMC - Hincapie Sportswear Development Team	1h54'56"
2	Jack Beckinsale		Australia National Team
3	Maksym Vasilyev		ISD - Lampre Continental
4	Dmytro Volovod		ISD - Lampre Continental
5	Alexander Serebryakov		Team Type 1 - Sanofi
6	Sebastian Körber		Nutrixxion - Abus
7	Holger Burkhardt		Nutrixxion - Abus
8	Aldo Ino Ilesic		Team Type 1 - Sanofi
9	Nikita Eskov		RusVelo
10	Aaron Kemps		Champion System Pro Cycling Team

Tour of China I, General Classification

1	Martin Pedersen		Christina Watches - Onfone	11h39'20"
2	Stefan Schumacher		Christina Watches - Onfone	01"
3	Michael Rasmussen		Christina Watches - Onfone	02"
4	Daniel Holm Foder		Christina Watches - Onfone	02"
5	Ivar Slik		Rabobank Continental Team	13"
6	Aldo Ino Ilesic		Team Type 1 - Sanofi	14"
7	Jenning Huizenga		Rabobank Continental Team	16"
8	Nick van der Lijke		Rabobank Continental Team	17"
9	Marco Minnaard		Rabobank Continental Team	17"
10	Martijn Tusveld		Rabobank Continental Team	17"

Nice to see Team Type 1 winning a stage

20 year old Brit Josh Edmondson was 11th today in ToB. Bodes well for the future, while in the present, JTL is probably going to really go for it on the next 2 stages.

If all goes to plan, Ill be there watching on Caerphilly Mountain. More a steep hill than a mountain, but thats its name, and with 2 ascents it is probably the key point of the whole race.

Is the Caerphilly stage tomorrow?

I haven't had the time to watch any of the stages so far, but I'd like to see that one. Was a pretty fun climb last year iirc. Didn't JTL attack back then too?

Yep, Caerphilly today now. JTL was the best on it last year. This year they climb it twice.

Finish due in 3 hours or so, Im about to make my way there now

flickr.com/photos/sumofmarc/7985333303/ Where I am currently sat. I can confirm that parts of Caerphilly Mountain are very steep!

Looking good. How long is the climb there?