Tamijo wrote:
Ya im Danish, so from a national point of view Jacop is our only hope in the grand tours. Hopefully Michael Valgren can become a future top rider, but he still has a long way to go.

31/07

170 km from Getxo to Getxo

	LAST WINNERS:		FAVOURITES:				TEAM LINEUP:
	Cyril Gautier		Willy Willwohl				Barbero Carlos
	Alexey Tsatevitch		Carlos Barbero				Bilbao Pello
	Carlos Barbero		Gerald Ciolek				Chávarri Eder
	Juan José Lobato						Lature Aldo
	Giovanni Visconti						Mesías Renato
							Parra Heiner
							Tinajero Aridani
							Zardini Edoardo

This circuit race looks flat at first sight, but each lap is spiced up with an uphill final kilometer. It will be a matter of good timing.

The break of the day consists of two riders only, Aldo and Murias' Haritz Orbe. Thanks to a good collaboration, they survive until the very last lap. Attacking each other might have taken away any chance of a breakaway win.

AG2R's Kévin Ledanois wins the race over fellow Frenchman Vuillermoz and Ciolek. Barbero vanished from the front, while Zardini started his sprint a bit too early, having to settle for 4th. Still a good result with Aridani and Renato finishing in the top 10 as well.

1		Kevin Ledanois	Ag2r La Mondiale	3h59'19"
2		Alexis Vuillermoz	Team Katusha	s.t.
3		Gerald Ciolek	Bora - Argon 18	s.t.
4		Edoardo Zardini	Caja Rural - Seguros RGA	s.t.
5		Jhonatan Restrepo	Colombia	s.t.
6		Aridani Tinajero	Caja Rural - Seguros RGA	s.t.
7		Lilian Calmejane	Ag2r La Mondiale	s.t.
8		Sergey Chernetskiy	Team Katusha	s.t.
9		Renato Mesías	Caja Rural - Seguros RGA	s.t.
10		Matej Mohoric	Tinkoff-Saxo	s.t.

Tamijo wrote:
Always sad to just miss a podium, but 3 riders in top ten is a very good result.

Date		Race		Status
1 Aug		Clásica San Sebastián	WT
1-11 Aug		Volta a Portugal	2.1
4-8 Aug		Vuelta a Burgos	2.HC
22 Aug-13 Sep		Vuelta a España	WT	(X)
6 Sep		GP de Fourmies	1.HC
26-27 Sep		Tour du Languedoc	2.1
4 Oct		Il Lombardia	WT	(X)
18 Oct		Japan Cup	1.HC

(X): wildcard decision pending

01/08

214 km from San Sebastián to San Sebastián

	LAST WINNERS:		FAVOURITES:				TEAM LINEUP:
	Chris Froome		Peter Sagan				Barbero Carlos
	Daniel Martin		Daniel Martin				Bilbao Pello
	Alejandro Valverde		Julian Alaphilippe				Gonçalves José
	Tony Gallopin		Vincenzo Nibali				Grijalba Fernando
	Luis León Sánchez		Mikel Landa				Intxausti Beñat
			Fabio Aru				Klever Jonathan
							Ochoa Diego
							Zardini Edoardo

Tamijo wrote:
Look like Caja Rural is facing some hard competition in San Sebastian

It's time for the most prestigious amongst the three consecutive races we'll have had in the Basque Country. We would be happy with a repitition of last year's scenario, when Beñat Intxausti finished in second.

There usually is a big breakaway in the longer WT classics, but today that is not the case. Only Caja Rural, Lampre and BMC are represented, by Bilbao, Martinelli and Van den Broeck respectively.

It's a nervous beginning with several crashes. The first one means that Ochoa and co-favourites Aru, Valverde and Gilbert hit the tarmac. The latter is even forced to abandon the race.

Only a few minutes later Henao, Landa and Vuillermoz are the next to suffer a fall. Luckily for them they can continue their way to San Sebastián.

Meanwhile, Bilbao is setting the pace at the first ascent of the Jaizkibel. At this point, they still have te gap at 5'. The pack has now lost another favourite - Daniel Martin - due to a fall.

Same story at this second ascent. Bilbao sets the pace. The gap has been reduced to 4' now. Martinelli is dropped at the second climb of the steeper Alto Arkale.

With the recently introduced and at times super steep Bordako Tontorra coming closer and closer, the breakaway still hasn't been caught. Our team loses Zardini due to another fall.

Just before the final and most probably decisive bump, Bilbao is finally reeled in. And immediately Ochoa plays his card, hoping to the tame the Bordako on his own!

Thanks to his acceleration, Diego makes it over the top with the other favourites. Together they tackle the last km, while Intxausti is in the second chasing group.

Sadly, we once again have to settle for second. Diego might have started his sprint a tad too late and Alaphilippe wins the Clásica San Sebastián. Fabio Aru takes the last podium spot.

Almost a minute later, Intxausti earns himself the 9th after a strong sprint, which suggests he may have been able to follow the best if he had kept a better position within the pack.

Race results:

1		Julian Alaphilippe	Etixx - Quick-step	5h13'11"
2		Diego Ochoa	Caja Rural - Seguros RGA	s.t.
3		Fabio Aru	Astana Pro Team	s.t.
4		Alejandro Valverde	Movistar Team	s.t.
5		Mikel Landa	Tinkoff-Saxo	s.t.
6		Alexis Vuillermoz	Team Katusha	s.t.
7		Tejay Van Garderen	Team Sky	+ 44"
8		Rui Costa	Lampre-Merida	s.t.
9		Beñat Intxausti	Caja Rural - Seguros RGA	+ 57"
10		Tom Slagter	Team Giant-Alpecin	s.t.

01/08		2.1 km in Castelo Branco
02/08		197 km to Oliveira do Hospital
03/08		152 km to Trofa
04/08		161 km to Fafe
05/08		143 km to Senhora da Graça
06/08		165 km to Oliveira de Azeméis
07/08		180 km to Viseu
08/08		192 km to Sabugal
09/08		148 km to Torre
10/08		32.9 km to Leiria
11/08		157 km to Lisboa

	LAST WINNERS:		GC FAVOURITES:
	Gianluca Brambilla		Mikkel Iturria
	Alex Howes		Lúcio Fróis
	Rui Sousa		Clément Chevrier
	Gustavo C. Veloso		Tiago Machado
	Hugo Sabido		Sergey Chernetskiy

	TEAM LINEUP:
	Chávarri Eder
	Fraile Omar
	Guerreiro Ruben
	Martínez Montoro Manuel
	Mesías Renato
	Parra Heiner
	Silvestre Fábio
	Vandenborre Sam

trekbmc wrote:
Not sure how I didn't see this story before but just read the last few pages, love the writing and especially the wonderful layout mate, really nice.

Tamijo wrote:
Quite a remarkably result by the young Colombian, the team must be very impressed by Ochoa after than one.

cunego59 wrote:
Great race in San Sebastian (great report, too). 2nd is a fantastic result, maybe the third time's the charm for the win next year, though

The race starts with an ulta-short, pan flat prologue in the centre of Castelo Branco, once home to a white fortress ( "Castelo Branco" ) the city was named after.

Our team leader and Belgian champion Vandenborre starts early and grabs a provisional first, kicking fellow Belgian Monfort out of the hotseat. Sam is ready for a long wait.

It looks better and better, especially after the finish of Küng, who is only a few hundreds of seconds slower.

But sadly, King (BMC) is the first to beat Sam's time. Only a few minutes later, Czech champion Barta does the same...

Sam slowly slides down in the top 10, and today's winner is Frenchman Jérôme Coppel, who needs only 2'52" for this 2 km stage.

1		Jérôme Coppel	Etixx - Quick-step	2'52"
2		Jan Barta	Etixx - Quick-step	s.t.
3		Sergey Chernetskiy	Team Katusha	s.t.
4		Tiago Machado	Lampre-Merida	s.t.
5		Ben King	BMC Racing Team	+ 1"
6		João Rafael Barbosa	Louletano - Ray Just Energy	s.t.
7		Rafael Reis	LA Aluminios - Antarte	s.t.
8		Brice Derick Boupenga	W52 - Quinta da Lixa	s.t.
9		Sam Vandenborre	Caja Rural - Seguros RGA	s.t.
10		Stefan Küng	BMC Racing Team	+ 2"

1		Jérôme Coppel	Etixx - Quick-step	2'52"
2		Jan Barta	Etixx - Quick-step	s.t.
3		Sergey Chernetskiy	Team Katusha	s.t.
4		Tiago Machado	Lampre-Merida	s.t.
5		Ben King	BMC Racing Team	+ 1"
6		João Rafael Barbosa	Louletano - Ray Just Energy	s.t.
7		Rafael Reis	LA Aluminios - Antarte	s.t.
8		Brice Derick Boupenga	W52 - Quinta da Lixa	s.t.
9		Sam Vandenborre	Caja Rural - Seguros RGA	s.t.
10		Stefan Küng	BMC Racing Team	+ 2"

The next stage will be a hard one to control. It's classified as hilly but on the profile, the finale doesn't look that tough. Though the final kilometer is partly uphill.

In the beginning the pack gives a small group some space. No known riders amongst them. The Portuguese Freitas wins several KoM sprints and thus will be wearing the corresponding jersey tomorrow.

The breakaway doesn't stand a chance for the stage win though. Chávarri's counter attack is neutralised as well. But we still have some riders at the front just before the final hill.

Chávarri gives it another go then but may have overestimated himself, as he's reeled in by the GC favourites and immediately dropped as well. Vandenborre reacts too late and loses 44" at the finish.

At the front veteran Laurent Didier accelerates at the right moment, using all the experienced he's gathered over the years. No sign of Coppel in this group so Didier is also the new GC leader.

1		Laurent Didier	Radio Popular - Boavista	4h57'03"
2		Tiago Machado	Lampre-Merida	+ 15"
3		Francesco Gavazzi	Team Katusha	s.t.
4		Sergey Chernetskiy	Team Katusha	s.t.
5		Petr Vako�	Etixx - Quick-step	s.t.
6		Ben King	BMC Racing Team	s.t.
7		Sam Vandenborre	Caja Rural - Seguros RGA	+ 44"
8		Eder Chávarri	Caja Rural - Seguros RGA	+ 1'28"
9		Joaquim Silva	W52 - Quinta da Lixa	+ 1'45"
10		Roy Jans	Etixx - Quick-step	s.t.

1		Laurent Didier	Radio Popular - Boavista	4h59'50"
2		Tiago Machado	Lampre-Merida	+ 14"
3		Sergey Chernetskiy	Team Katusha	+ 20"
4		Ben King	BMC Racing Team	+ 21"
5		Francesco Gavazzi	Team Katusha	+ 22"
6		Petr Vako�	Etixx - Quick-step	+ 28"
7		Sam Vandenborre	Caja Rural - Seguros RGA	+ 50"
8		Eder Chávarri	Caja Rural - Seguros RGA	+ 1'41"
9		Jan Barta	Etixx - Quick-step	+ 1'50"
10		Brice Derick Boupenga	W52 - Quinta da Lixa	+ 1'51"

sutty68 wrote:
Great effort from Diego in San Sebastian