Rasmussen reports: Last year Lampaert got (26), this time we got cobble sections, a terrain very much to his liking, he should be able to do a lot better.
Pre-race strategy: We only got Lampaert in the race, so it is about hanging on to the favorites as long as possible, without losing to much energy, it is a very long stage today
Profile:
A large morning break of 13 riders gets away, when they get to the first cobble section, they have 8’20.
The strongest rider is famous fighter Jan Bakelants (RadioShack), not that strong on cobbles.
On one the first cobbles sections, the first attack amongst the favorites, it is Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (Adria Mobil) 132 km left.
From here it is cobble section after cobble section, everything splits in smaller groups, with about 20 km to the line Lampaert sits alone at 4’36, a group of 11 with Van Keirsbulck and most of the morning break at 2’37. Other favorite riders spread out behind the front, amongst them Greg Van Avermaet at 0’42. In front it is Sep Vanmarcke slightly in front of Jürgen Roelandts and Tom Boonen.
In pouring rain Sep Vanmarcke (Belkin) wins the Championnat in front of Jürgen Roelandts (Lotto), Lampaert slowly closes in on the morning break and gets a descent 10th.
Rasmussen: Ok result, was hoping for a little bit more.
Rasmussen reports: Last year Stefan Schumacher came 3rd from a breakaway. The route is the same as last year.
Pre-race strategy: Schumacher will try to say in the peloton for a while, then attack.
Profile:
The morning break is 3 riders, the peloton don’t want to react, they get more and more time, Schumacher attacks but the peloton won’t let him go, he regrets he did not attack right from the start.
The morning break:
Within the last 25-30 km a second group of 11 rider’s forms, with Schumacher and most of the other favorites, but it’s only for 4th the front group is more than 13 minutes in front.
Deutsche Meisterschaft is won by Jasha Sütterlin (Thüringer) from the breakaway, Schumacher gets in as 12th
Rasmussen: Well, seems in Germany the breakaway is the only option, 2nd year in a row with no fight from the peloton.
Rasmussen Reports: Last year Sondre Holst Enger got 3rd. with a very flat stage this year, we hope for a similar result again.
Profile:
Roster:
Sondre Holst Enger
Frederik Wilmann
With only 22 riders it is an unusual race. The morning starts with a solo breakaway from Daniel Jarstø (Øster Hus) in the Norwigian snow landscape.
The sky is clear, but it is cold and foggy, Frederik Wilmann takes the lead in the peloton to keep Jarstø within 2-3 minutes.
Next attack with about 50 km left is Oskar Svendsen (Joker), he gets up to Jarstø relative easy.
Then with about 20 km left, the ultimate attack from race favorite Alexander Kristoff (Katusha), Edvald Boasson Hagen (Vodafone) and Sondre Holst Enger counters.
But Hagen can’t follow Kristoff, and Enger can’t follow Hagen, they are hunting Oskar Svendsen one by one. Only Kristoff is ably to overtake Svendsen, he wins Norske Mesterskap just like last year.
Rasmussen: Fine race, a top 5 in a national is always great.
sutty68: Not easy to get a perfect result every time. Oskar Svendsen did a clever race, and Kristoff/Hagen is just too strong
Edited by Tamijo on 27-03-2016 09:22
1/7-8/7 Internationale Österreich Rundfahrt (cat. 2.HC)
1/7 Stage 1/8 Innsbruck – Kühtai 165,0 km
Christina reports: We are here in Innsbruck for the Tour of Austria. The management expects us to finish the race in top 10, last year Kenny Elissonde made it a Top 3, Davide Malacarne is in fine form, we hope he can compete in the top of the race.
The stage ends with a hard mountain finish at Kühtai, not the hardest %, but a long climb getting harder on the last section. Kühtai village was originally a livestock based farming estate (Schwaighof), first mentioned in 1280.
Kühtai village:
Pre-race strategy: Last year Kenny Elissonde came 3rd on this stage, we will do our best to help Malacarne do another good result on the stage this year. Everyone is expected to help him.
We get Stefan Schumacher in the morning break, first of all hoping he can help Malacarne later, but also looking for Mountain points. Stefan Schumacher is clearly the stronger rider in the break, he takes both KoM sprints.
Before the final climb Stefan Schumacher leaves the others in the break behind, but gets caught by others attacking from the peloton, the front group is now 6 riders. When the climbing starts Robert Vrecer (Tirol) attacks and is alone in front.
The group of 6:
Back in the favorite group Stefan Schumacher is caught and can help Malacarne at the beginning of the climb to Kühtai, when Schumacher is done Malacarne attacks, there is 10 km to the top.
After a short while Damiano Caruso (Vini Fantini) attacks from the favorite group and make his way up to Malacarne, before the 5 km mark Caruso attacks again, Malacarne can’t follow.
They can’t catch Robert Vrecer, he wins the stage at Kühtai with 15 sec over Damiano Caruso, Davide Malacarne takes the last podium.
Christina: Perfect start, Malacarne got some distance to most of the favorites. That is very important as we expect to lose some time in the ITT at stage 7.
1/7-8/7 Internationale Österreich Rundfahrt (cat. 2.HC)
2/7 Stage 2/8 Innsbruck – Kitzbüheler Horn 161,0 km
Christina reports: We are back in Innsbruck, todays stage is the king stage of the race. Starting out flat with just a few minor climbs, but ending with a very tough steep climb to Kitzbüheler Horn, with maximum gradient of 22,5%.
Kitzbühel was first mentioned in the 12th century (Chizbuhel), In 1894, Kitzbühel hosted its first ski race, from there it has developed into one of the most important resorts in Austria, besides ski lifts Kitzbühel has six tennis courts, four golf courses and curling hall.
Kitzbühel, town center:
Pre-race strategy: Last year Elissonde won this stage, we will do our best to help Malacarne to another good result. Everyone is expected to help him, we will stay in the peloton.
Profile:
After some failed attempts the morning break gets away, very unlikely these riders can make a difference on a stage like this.
The weather is perfect, clear sky and 27°C as Christina Watches leads the peloton trough the valley in the beautiful alpine landscape.
The break is caught before the last climb, the first movement amongst the climbers, is White Jersey holder Mattia Cattaneo (Bardiani Valvole), the favorite group is down to 36 riders, about 8 km to go.
Alfredo Balloni (Androni Giocattoli) and race leader Damiano Caruso, managers to close the gap to Cattaneo, there is now 3 riders in front. With about 2,5 km to the top Davide Malacarne attacks from the 2nd group, hoping to get contact.
Malacarne get up just in time and very close to his limit, Alfredo Balloni wins the stage in front of Damiano Caruso, Malacarne gets in 3rd, in the same time as the winner.
Christina: Could not be much better, the hardest stage’s are over, and Malacarne is 2nd, form here it is just trying to keep status que until the ITT.
The negotiation for next year has started, it is too early to set names on every rider on next year’s team, but we can say that after relative hard negotiation, and offers from other teams, we are very close to a new contract with Stefan Schumacher, and we can already name two new riders we have signed, the rest of the changes we will keep secret until the end of the season.
Riccardo Zoidl, born in 1988 Linz, Austria. Winner of the 2012 Austrian National Time Trial Championships. Zoidl is a fine all-rounder able to do well in the long stage races, either as a lieutenant or on his own.
Rasmus Christian Quaade, born in 1990, Valby (Copenhagen) Denmark. Quaade is a time trialist, winner of the 2012 European Under-23 Time Trial Championships.
1/7-8/7 Internationale Österreich Rundfahrt (cat. 2.HC)
3/7 Stage 3/8 Heiligenblut – Matrei in Osttirol 123.4 km
Christina reports: We have moved about 110 km from Kitzbüheler Horn to Heiligenblut, for a stage to Matrei in Osttirol, Heiligenblut is located at the foot of the Grossglockner, the highest mountain in Austria.
The route passes by the ruins of medieval fortification Lienzer Klause, near the sprint in Leisach, originally from 1241, expanded in the 15 and 16 century as a protection against the Ottomans. As a fortification Lienzer Klause was used for the last time in the beginning of the 1800’s.
Lienzer Klause:
Pacheco gets in the first breakaway, but the others in the break is not willing to lead, and eventually Pacheco decides to let the break fall back into the peloton.
Then getting closer to the cat.3 climb to Iselsberg Schumacher starts a solo breakaway, taking both KoM sprint. At the top of the cat.2 climb to Fronstadl, he has got 3’37 with 58 km to go.
