Christina reports: Gent – Wevelgem is a true classic spring originally created back in 1934, from 1947 with a spring time date. The race starts with a long flat and often windy section, and after that the renowned climb at “Kemmelberg”, fully cobbled with a gradients up to 23%.
Gent is the capital of the East Flanders province, the village was probable founded very early, but with the foundation of two abbeys around 650, it grew rapidly. By the 13 century it was one of the largest cities in Europe with 65.000 people living inside the city wall’s.
Pre-race Strategy: We have no official goals in World Tour races, but this is a high profile race, and we have set our internal goal to “30 CQ points”, similar to 2 riders at about 20th. Let’s hope we can do even better.
The strategy is to help Mads Würtz and Yves for as long as possible. We won’t counter the strongest, just try to hang in.
Profile:
15 riders form the early breakaway, the strongest seems to be Marko Kump (Saxo) or Michael Matthews (Garmin)
Over the first cobblestones section and hills, the peloton is split over in two main sections. With 75 km to go the situation is: the breakaway with 15 riders in front, a peloton of 89 riders at 3’06, and a 2nd group with race favorite Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) another 1’54 behind.
Group Kristoff with the Katusha team in front, trying to catch up:
Gerald Ciolek (MTN – Qhubeka) attacks from the peloton with about 50 km left, he manages to catch up to the front group relatively fast.
Ciolek attacks:
Over the last cobblestones section 28 km left. Lampaert is still hanging on the favorite group, with Boonen, Chacellara, Devolder, Haussler ect., at this point there is 14 riders in front with Matthews at about 2 minutes, and 5 riders with Kump inbetween. Kristoff is about 1 minute behind the favorite group.
Yves Lampaert hanging on, Francisco José Pacheco not far behind.
Group Kristoff comes up from behind, and not long after, first Tom Boonen and a little later Fabian Cancellara with Alexander Kristoff attacks, neither Lampaert nor Pacheco have got the legs to react.
Tom Boonen attacks:
But none is the favorites make it today, rather surprisingly the race was won by Michael Matthews (Garmin) from the breakaway over Wesley Kreder (Belkin) Gerald Ciolek takes the last podium.
Yves Lampaert & Francisco José Pacheco gets in at 37/39.
Christina in a written statement to the board: Compared to the expectations we set up, it was a big disappointment, clearly we have to strengthen our classic team, for the coming year. Mads Würtz Schmidt lost it early just not alert at a crucial moment. Lampaert did all he could, but he was just no match for the top World Tour riders.
Result:
1
Michael Matthews
Garmin - Sharp
5h23'19
2
Wesley Kreder
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
3
Gerald Ciolek
MTN - Qhubeka
s.t.
4
Jacopo Guarnieri
Astana Pro Team
s.t.
5
Matteo Trentin
Cannondale Pro Cycling
s.t.
6
Paul Martens
Team Argos - Shimano
s.t.
7
Juan José Lobato
Banco Santander
s.t.
8
Tom Boonen
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
s.t.
9
Alexander Kristoff
Katusha Team
s.t.
10
Ricardo García
Liberty Seguros - Würth
s.t.
11
Salvatore Puccio
Vodafone
s.t.
12
Jens Keukeleire
Orica - GreenEdge
s.t.
13
Tiesj Benoot
Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise
s.t.
14
Stijn Ennekens
Accent Jobs - Wanty
s.t.
15
Fabian Cancellara
RadioShack - Leopard
+ 39
16
Geert Steurs
GUNK
s.t.
17
Sander Armee
Lotto Belisol
s.t.
18
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Vodafone
+ 1'45
19
Matti Breschel
Team Saxo - Tinkoff
s.t.
20
Yauheni Hutarovich
AG2R La Mondiale
s.t.
Team: Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
Edited by Tamijo on 09-02-2016 18:23
Settimana Coppi e Bartali 19/3-24/3 2015 (cat.2.1)
24/3 Stage 6/6 Monticelli Terme - Fiorano Modenese : 133.3 km
Christian Andersen: The caravan has travelled some 80 km west, from Crevalcore to Monticelli Terme.From there the route goes to Fiorano Modenese, where is takes 4 climbs up by Santuario Madonna del Castello, two of them as cat.3 KoM sprints, right before the finish.
Monticelli Terme, is a small town of just 4200 people, best known for is thermal waters. The Town was first mentioned in 980 (as Montepelato), created around a defense tower.
Santuario Madonna del Castello:
Pre-race strategy: We will focus on Davide Malacarne not losing anything in the GC, but Martin Pedersen will be allowed a breakaway if possible, and Stefan could also attempt something on his own. A relative complicated situation actually.
Profile:
The morning breakaway is 6 riders, the strongest seems to be Davide Bonuccelli (Ceramica Flaminia), they get a maximum of more than 7 minutes.
The first climb immediately takes its toll on the weaker riders, the peloton is reduced to just 56 riders. We lost 2 riders, not coming over the climb with the bunch. Lampre and IAM Cycling is pulling hard now.
Second time over the top at Santuario Madonna del Castello, the pace is very high and the favorite group is down to just 16 riders, Martin have now lost contact sitting in a group 48 sec. behind, the breakaway have got 2’44 with 33,6 km to go.
The favourites:
Chris Anker Sørensen (Lampre – Merida) attacks and gets contact with the breakaway, just in time for the final climb. Sørensen is in front approaching the climb, 47 sec. in ahead of the favourites, 12.7 km to the line.
But Sørensen can’t hold the distance, it ends in a sprint amongst the favourites, 21 riders gets the same time. The stage is won by Francesco Ginanni (Cannondale) over Sébastien Reichenbach.
There was a crash, looks like Damiano Cunego was involved, he lost 10'35, from 4th to 20th in the GC, Tschopp lost +8'36 falling from 10th to 16th, otherwise the GC was unchanged.
The final sprint:
Christian Andersen: Very good race for us overall, with 2 riders in GC top 5, a stage win, and the KoM.
The Caravan has moved from Linshanbi Recreational Area, about 45 km to Taipei City Hall in central Taipei. For a flat short stage of only 55.8 km.
Rasmussen Reports: Taipei has a city population of about 2,7 mil, and a total urban population of about 7,5 mil. including New Taipei and Keelung. Originally populated by the Ketagalan people, the Taipei area was settled by Chinese from 1709, with the creation of trade port Tamsui (today part of New Taipei) the Taipei area grew economically, mostly due to tea export, from 1887 it was the capital of the island.
The Presidential Office Building (Completed 1919) build during the period of Japanese rule.
Pre-race strategy: Basically just keeping Ellisonde on his bike.
Profile:
There is a morning breakaway and other attacks, but no one gets more than a minute, looks like a mass sprint right from the start. The peloton has the breakaway in sight all the time:
We set up a sprint train, and get a good starting position, before long Sondre Holst Enger is in front racing towards the line, just 300 meters to go.
But Francesco Lasca (Team Nippo) is just that little bit stronger today, beating Enger on the line. Jonas Ahlstrand (Avianca) takes the last spot on the podium. Kenny Elissonde stuck to Engers wheel takes a surprize 4th. The GC is unchanged and Ellisonde wins the Tour of Taiwan, the first stage race win of the Year for Christina Watches.
Rasmussen: Not much to say, time to celebrate ! Kenny took every jersey in this Race.
25/3-28/3 2015 Driedaagse van De Panne-Koksijde (cat.2.HC)
25/3 Stage 1/4 Middelkerke – Zottegem 191.2 km
Christina Reports:I am here in Middelkerke, West Vlaanderen Belgium, for the Driedaagse van De Panne-Koksijde, another important spring race, the board expect a good GC here, even though I am afraid we don’t have the riders for a race like this. We have set up the best squad possible.
The stage passes over Haaghoek 3 times, before the finish in Zottegem. Haaghoek is a famous cobble-street between the towns of Sint-Kornelis-Horebeke and Zegelsem, often included in Tour of Flanders, the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Three Days of De Panne-Koksijde,
Haaghoek:
Zottegem is a municipality of about 25.000 in Flemish Ardennes. First mentioned in 1083 as "Sotengem", the name means: farm of the clan of Sutto.
“Sotteghem” approx.1645:
Pre-race strategy, The race is a mix of cobbles and a short ITT, hard to say which will decide the GC outcome. We have got Lampaert or Würtz Schmidt, with the best chances on the cobble’s, and Stefan Schumacher for the ITT, but we lack a rider with the combination.
Profile:
Roster:
Anton Grøn
Francisco José Pacheco
Mads Würtz Schmidt
Patrick Clausen
Sebastian Balck
Sondre Holst Enger
Stefan Schumacher
Yves Lampaert
The morning break is 5 relative weak riders ,the peloton takes it easy in the bad weather, where showers come and go all the time. The break gets a maximum of 8 minutes. The break rides slowly through the beautiful landscape of West Flanders.
Over the 3 cobble sections, surprisingly the Peloton is almost intact with 188 riders left. The pace is very hot now, the peloton is just a thin line. The break has got only 1’32 and will soon be over. We got all our riders in the bunch, but some a feeling a lot better than others. Now we have got 30 KM of hilly terrain left before the finish.
A little more than 10 km left and the break is over, Greg Van Avermaet (BMC) has just made an attack, but was reeled back in, now Stefan Schumacher takes his chance. The rain is pouring down.
Stefan Schumacher doesn’t get away, and it looks like a mass sprint. The pace has been so high for so long that no teams are able to set up a proper train. It is simple the riders with the most left in the legs sprinting for victory. The strongest was Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma) over Daryl Impey (Vodafone), Francisco José Pacheco takes the last spot on the podium.
Christina: I am very satisfied with the result, not only did we not lose time as I had feared, but we got 4 riders in top ten on the stage.
Stage:
1
Tom Boonen
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
4h29'38
2
Daryl Impey
Vodafone
s.t.
3
Francisco José Pacheco
Christina Watches - Onfone
s.t.
4
Taylor Phinney
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
s.t.
5
Zdenek Stybar
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
s.t.
6
Ian Stannard
Vodafone
s.t.
7
Yves Lampaert
Christina Watches - Onfone
s.t.
8
Sebastian Balck
Christina Watches - Onfone
s.t.
9
Maxime Vantomme
GUNK
s.t.
10
Sondre Holst Enger
Christina Watches - Onfone
s.t.
GC:
1
Tom Boonen
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
4h29'18
2
Daryl Impey
Vodafone
+ 8
3
Francisco José Pacheco
Christina Watches - Onfone
+ 12
4
Evert Verbist
Accent Jobs - Wanty
s.t.
5
Niels Wytinck
An Post - Chainreaction
+ 16
6
Tom Dernies
Wallonie - Bruxelles
s.t.
7
Vincent Baestaens
GUNK
+ 18
8
Taylor Phinney
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
+ 20
9
Zdenek Stybar
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
s.t.
10
Ian Stannard
Vodafone
s.t.
Points:
1
Tom Boonen
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
25
2
Daryl Impey
Vodafone
20
3
Bjorn Coomans
Ventilair - Steria Cycling Team
18
Team: Omega Pharma (Quick·Step Cycling Team)
Young: Taylor Phinney (Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team)
Edited by Tamijo on 10-02-2016 21:33
Thanks for all you kind support !
Now we just hope for good luck in Flanders. Even though we have had some good results, “The Board” is not pleased with the fact, that we haven’t performed on their “selected” targets. So a good result would be very nice in De Panne.
25/3-28/3 2015 Driedaagse van De Panne-Koksijde (cat.2.HC)
26/3 Stage 2/4 Oudenaarde – Koksijde 191.7 km
Christina reports: Today’s stage have got some cobble sections, but not as hard as yesterday. Mainly two sections shortly after each other in the small town of Izenberge.
Beauvoordestraat, Izenberge:
The stage starts in Oudenaarde a town of about 30.000, founded on left bank of the Scheldt river, at that time the border between France and the Holy Roman Empire. From about 1030 the town was protected by a castle.
Town Hall (Stadhuis van Oudenaarde) finished in 1536:
Pre-race strategy, after yesterday’s stage it seems that this could also end with a sprint finish, but this time we might try to make an attempt with one of our cobble riders earlier, and see if he can get a useful gap. If it’s a sprint, either Pacheco or Holst Enger depending on the form they got today.
Profile:
A morning break of 5 riders gets away, relative strong with Zico Waeytens (Topsport Vlaanderen), Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil), Fabio Polazzi (Wallonie). It is only 5°C and and a hard rain, not very nice weather for a bike race, especially not on wet cobble stone.
With 130 km left, Pacheco starts a solo break hoping to catch up to the front group. Christina looks worried in the team car, those Pacheco adventures have had a tendency not to end well.
Pacheco catch up this the front right after the first cobble section, about 90 km to go. The break has a little more than 5 minutes.
But the peloton sets a frightening pace, and the distance melts away, the break is over in good time to set up the sprint trains. We set up a train of Yves Lampaert-Stefan Schumacher-Sondre Holst Enger, but first Lampaert and then Schumacher gets drained out to fast, Sondre has to start his sprint very early, with almost 3 km to the line.
Again it is Tom Boonen (Omega Pharma) over Daryl Impey (Vodafone) Boonen made a fantastic sprint, coming from behind like a rocket. Our best was Holst Enger (10)
Christina: A very bad day, Francisco wasted his good GC position, and lost almost 5 minutes today, rather stupid. The sprint was ok, at least a top 10.
Stage:
1
Tom Boonen
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
4h15'25
2
Daryl Impey
Vodafone
s.t.
3
Maxime Vantomme
GUNK
s.t.
4
Bryan Coquard
Orica - GreenEdge
s.t.
5
Borut Božic
Astana Pro Team
s.t.
6
Kristian Sbaragli
MTN - Qhubeka
s.t.
7
Ramon Sinkeldam
IAM Cycling
s.t.
8
Jonas Vangenechten
Orica - GreenEdge
s.t.
9
Pieter Vanspeybrouck
Ventilair - Steria Cycling Team
s.t.
10
Sondre Holst Enger
Christina Watches - Onfone
s.t.
GC:
1
Tom Boonen
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
8h44'23
2
Daryl Impey
Vodafone
+ 16
3
Johnny Hoogerland
Vacansoleil - DCM Pro Cycling Team
+ 30
4
Maxime Vantomme
GUNK
+ 32
5
Evert Verbist
Accent Jobs - Wanty
s.t.
6
Niels Wytinck
An Post - Chainreaction
+ 36
7
Tom Dernies
Wallonie - Bruxelles
s.t.
8
Vincent Baestaens
GUNK
+ 38
9
Borut Božic
Astana Pro Team
+ 40
10
Zdenek Stybar
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
s.t.
Points:
1
Tom Boonen
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
50
2
Daryl Impey
Vodafone
40
3
Maxime Vantomme
GUNK
23
Team: Garmin - Sharp
Edited by Tamijo on 11-02-2016 19:32
We're waiting to find out...
