23/4 Stage 5/5 Sveti Martin na Muri – Zagreb 236.2 km
editorial note: In the actual real live race (2015) stage 5 was : Sveti Martin na Muri – Zagreb, a route of only 118 km, but the stage we are racing (in game) is a French stage raced on a circular route around Plouay, maybe GP Ouest-France
Location:
From Županija Međimurska to Županija Grad Zagreb
Description:
Many small hills but not that hard, favoring the puncher/sprinter.
23/4 Stage 5/5 Sveti Martin na Muri – Zagreb 236.2 km
It has been raining all morning, the roads as well as the riders are soaked right from the start, and with wind speeds between 30 and 45 km/hour is feels quite cold.
Astanas Oleg Zemlyakov opens the race with an early acceleration. He rides in the youth colors, but he is only 3th, behind race leader Sepulveda and points leader Bonifazio.
The breakaway is formed with more riders coming up from the peloton, finally we got a group of 10 riders in front. Besides Zemlyakov we got Tenbrock (Stölting), Torku (Seker), Nych (Gazprom), Phelan (Drapac), Konovalovas (FDJ), Mugerli (Synergy Baku), Strakhov (Lokosphinx), Mancebo (Sky Dive) and Klepikov (ISD).
The best placed rider is Zemlyakov 14th at 10’27
Van Poppel (Trek), Minnaard (Wanty) and Feillu (Fortuneo) as sharing the work in front of the peloton, but not very hard, the breakaway got 6’12 with about 195 km left.
It is still raining a little.
We got quite a large crash in the peloton, Astana got two riders down, Daniil Fominykh and top sprinter Andrea Guardini with a little help from teammate Ruslan Tleubayev they get back in the peloton, seemingly without serious injuries.
There will be other accidents on the wet roads today.
150 km to the line, distance 8’41
135 km to the line, it is still Van Poppel (Trek) working the most in the peloton, now harder and the distance have started to vanish, it is down to 6’53.
100 km – 4’58
80 km – 3’51
70 km – 3’12
50 km – 2’43
30 km – 1’44
20 km 1’18
With 13 km to the line we got an attack from the breakaway, it explodes into smaller pieces.
Passing under the 10 km we got Strakhov (Lokosphinx), Mancebo (Sky Dive) and Konovalovas (FDJ) in front.
At 25” Zemlyakov and Nych (Gazprom).
The rest of the breakaway are about to the eaten by a fast peloton now at about 1 minute.
Mancebo (Sky Dive) attacks from the trio in front and not long after Aru attacks from the peloton, trying to gain some time on the final climb.
Mancebo win the final stage in Zagreb with 46” down to Strakhov and Konovalovas, Aru gets 4th in front of the peloton, but they all get the same time.
Evaluation Stage :
Overall:
This was the 40 years Spanish legendary veteran Francisco Mancebo first win of the season, his last victory was the general classification in Jelajah Malaysia in December last year.
Every sprinter team must be disappointed, losing this opportunity.
Several crashes resulted in 3 rider not making it to the finish Volodymyr Fredyuk (Amore) Max Korus (Cycling Academy) and Moreno Moser (Cannondale).
Korus got a skull fracture, Moser a coronoid fracture, Fredyuk are fit to race again, after a good nights sleep.
Astana:
Aru did great making it into top 5 on the stage, but the team must be disappointed not getting Andrea Guardini in position for a mass sprint.
Evaluation Race :
Overall:
This was the first time 24 years old Eduardo Sepulveda won the General Classification in a stage race, he was very close last year coming 2nd in the prestigious Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey.
Most disappointed must be Lokosphinx, having a clear top 10 favorite in Shilov , they ended with no rider inside top 40. Not a great race by Trek either with media favorite Stetina 14th and best rider Bonifazio 12th.
Most positive was IAM with no clear podium favorite getting Jarlinson Pantano 4th, but he was a top 10 favorite for the mountain stage.
Astana:
Overall Astana got a 2nd not bad at all, but it was disappointing with that many flat stages that Andrea Guardini never got close to a stage win. Astana need him to preform soon.
It is a nice day, sunny with just a few clouds and little wind, sure to attract even more spectators to this famous Belgian race.
On the first 40 km of the race we got two small groups of attackers, in front Laengen (IAM) and Koren (Cannondale), and further back Konovalovas (FDJ) and Selvaggi (Androni) pursuing. Others are attempting but not allowed to get away.
We also got a first crash. 13 riders are down amongst them strong riders: Enrico Barbin (Bardiani), Ramunas Navardauskas (Cannondale), Kenny Elissonde (FDJ), Romain Sicard (Direct Energie) and Sylvester Szmyd (CCC), they will waste some energy getting back to a rather fast peloton and may even be injured.
The four riders merge into one group, and get a gap of about 7’30, but the more and more intense fight for position in the peloton, and Quick Step pulling hard on the climbs, has started to cut the distance.
When the first group climb the “Mur De Saint-Roch” (900m 11%) the distance it 6’10” – 125 km to go.
25 km later also Movistar is working in the bunch and the distance already reduced to 4’58”.
Lutsenko has legs today so on “Côte de Wanne” (2.7 km 7.2%) he is allowed to try his luck.
The breakaway is at 3’35”, 82 km to go.
Lutsenko joins the break just as they start the “Côte de Stockeu” (800 meters 13.5%)
The breakaway at 3’29”, 76 km to go.
Over the next 25 km the front group split up, Lutsenko, Koren and Konovalovas now alone in front, Laengen and Selvaggi already lost 1’56, peloton at 3’04.
Over “Côte de la Redoute” things start to happen in the peloton.
10 riders get away from the peloton, the pursuit is: Jakob Fuglsang & Fabio Aru (Astana), Philippe Gilbert (BMC) Daniel Martin & Julian Alaphilippe (Quick Step), Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Joaquim Rodriguez (Katusha) L. P. Nordhaug & Wouter Poels & Michal Kwiatkowski (Sky).
Lutsenko and Koren got 1’49” to this group, Konovalovas is between at 1’06” – 30 km to go.
The favorite group catch the breakaway very fast, for a while they try to hang on. Then we got another attack on “Côte de la Roche aux Faucons” (1.4km 9.6%) it is Daniel Martin putting maximum pressure on the other teams.
20 km and two more climbs before the finish line.
7 km to the line
In front we got Gilbert, Martin, Alaphilippe, Valverde, Rodriguez and Kwiatkowski, now also joined by Romain Bardet (Ag2r) who has been able to come back with an impressive attack from the peloton.
At 1’01 Michael Albasini (Orica) and Roman Kreuziger (Tinkoff) has caught up with Fabio Aru
At 1’51 9 riders: Barguil, Lutsenko, Poels, Uran, Fuglsang, Zakarin, Henao, Porte and Amador
The 7 riders get to the uphill finish together, Gilbert attempt an early sprint but as so often on this kind of finish, Valverde is too strong, He wins the 2016 Liège-Bastogne- Liège in front of Gilbert and Rodriguez.
In the next group Albasini beats Aru for 8th.
as my race crashed I got no replay - you this instead
Evaluation:
Overall:
This was 35 years old Alejandro Valverde’s 9th season win, including Paris-Nice and 4 world tour stages.
Valverde is now leading the World Tour as well as the CQ rankings.
Most disappointed must be Lampre-Merida, with their Top 10 favorite Rui Costa having a major day of cold legs finishing as far back as 40th. Otherwise the top 10 favorites all did fine finishing inside top 15.
Kanstantsin Siutsou (Dimension Data) was down and abandoned with a broken collarbone
Astana:
The team is happy with today performance, Aru not in his best terrain making it inside top 10, in this important race and Alexey Lutsenko having the legs to get some extra TV time.
It is clouded looks like it could be rain at any moment. At least the forecast says little wind.
The first breakaway attempt is brought back by a fast peloton, and we get a crash of seven riders no one important and seemingly no injuries.
With 125 km left, it suddenly starts to rain very hard.
120 km left, at the climb to Col des Etroits, 15.7 km at 4.4%, López accelerates, he has got a free role today aiming for a KoM lead, and with some luck a youth jersey.
Manuele Mori (Lampre) and Björn Thurau (Wanty) counters, further back also Yoann Offredo (FDJ) and Sven Erik Bystrøm (Katusha) is trying to catch up.
López wins the KoM at Col des Etroits in front of Mori, Offredo struggled on the climb with sour legs and got eaten by the peloton, also Bystrøm had a hard time on the climb now at 1’27”, peloton at 1’59”.
The rain has stopped.
With an impressive display of determination, Bystrøm makes it back, López had the best legs on the climbs and wins the 2nd KoM with ease.
Then Taaramae (Katusha), Zubeldia (Trek) and Brambilla (Quick Step) attack from the peloton. López and Mori lift the pace another level and it is over for Bystrøm.
Taaramae, Zubeldia and Brambilla catch the break, Brambilla setting an immense pace, and soon Mori and Thurau has to let go.
López is not working with this group they are too dangerous. Peloton is at 52”
On the climb to Les Pontins (4 km at 8.4%), López are droped, Zubeldia wins the KoM sprint in front of Taaramae. López manages to stay clear of the peloton getting 2 KoM points.
The breakaway is over on the way down.
It is Movistar setting pace on the last climb, Col de la Vue des Alpes (9.7 km at 6.4%). The pace is hard, but not enough to create any notable selection between the favourites. There are 91 riders in the group, 5.6 km to the top, 23 km to the finish.
It has started to rain again.
With about 3km to the top Nibali attempt a short hard acceleration, just to test the legs of the competition. Nibali wins the KoM.
24 riders gets over the top in the first group, but there are some notable riders losing time here: Alberto Contador, Andrew Talansky and Robert Gesink is sitting in the peloton at 1’23.
15 km to the line.
The are some attempts to attack on the downhill but all unsuccessful, it comes to a very close sprint with a group of 17 riders, Warren Barguil (Giant – Alpecin) is the strongest today, winning in front of Quintana.
Evaluation:
Overall:
This was the 2nd stage win by the 24 years old French rider, after he also won a stage in Circuit Cycliste Sarthe - Pays de la Loire, in the beginning of April.
The stage was a huge disappointment for Alberto Contador and Robert Gesink both losing 2’25”, and Andrew Talansky losing 1’47”, might be the end of their GC ambitions.
Interesting to follow whether Tinkoff will how change their leader to Rafał Majka.
Movistar must be very happy with the stage, Quintana taking the lead with his bonus seconds.
Astana:
Astana is fine with the stage more or less taking Contador out of competition, with Nibalis attack on the last climb, and López taking the early KoM lead.
@Kiserlovski01: Ya, he is in a fine position - but with the rider in this one, hard to tell how far it can go. Very scary to see Sky with four riders in the first group today.
@sutty68: Yes the boys was animating the stage today, and with good result.
I like your story a lot, but I feel like you don't need to summarise objectively. If we just get the Astana/Vino angle, maybe with a few thoughts on the race, tactics for coming days, and on Astana's opportunities regarding other teams succes or the contrary. To be honest I don't care what kind of injuries some riders may have, or if Barguil won a stage in a small French race. Maybe others do? Nonetheless, I still enjoy following.
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