Injurie: Davide Ballerini’s broke an arm in his crash at Strade Bianche, he will be out for about 2 months.
List of injuries effecting important riders heading into the spring season
Riders
Team
Weeks
Philippe Gilbert
Deceuninck-Quick Step
4
Oliver Naesen
Ag2r La Mondiale
7
Nacer Bouhanni
Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
7
Giacomo Nizzolo
Team Dimension Data
10
Gianluca Brambilla
Trek - Segafredo
8
Emanuel Buchmann
BORA - hansgrohe
3
GP Industria & Artigianato (1.HC)
Larciano – Larciano 197.8 km
We get a breakaway of 5 riders forming early a few other riders try but fails.
After 30 km a crash taking 17 riders down, with Villella, Natarov and Bizhigitov but they are soon back. The breakaway has 2’20 starting the hilly 2nd part of the race.
Davide Villella (Astana) attacking on the 2nd passing of the climb, putting some pressure on the bunch but was caught before reaching the top, the breakaway is over.
No more attempts from the peloton, but selection from the rear as we are climbing the last hill, 20 riders passing the top together:
Ag2r: Samuel Dumoulin
Androni: Andrea Vendrame
Astana: Alexey Lutsenko, Jan Hirt
Bahrain: Mark Padun
BORA : Cesare Benedetti, Patrick Konrad, Peter Kennaugh
Wallonie: Justin Jules
Education First: Alberto Bettiol
FDJ: Anthony Roux
Israël: Kristian Sbaragli
Lotto Soudal: Bjorg Lambrecht
Nippo: Marco Canola
Katusha: Enrico Battaglin, José Gonçalves
Trek: Fabio Felline, Toms Skujins
UAE: Diego Ulissi, Roberto Ferrari
Now is just a question of who has something left to sprint.
Fabio Felline (Trek) wins GP Industria 2019 in front of Anthony Roux (FDJ) 2nd and Diego Ulissi (UAE) takes the last podium.
2018: Marc Soler - 2017: Sergio Henao - 2016: Geraint Thomas
Squad:
Jakob Fuglsang - Luis León Sánchez - Pello Bilbao - Dario Cataldo
Magnus Cort Nielsen - Yevgeniy Gidich - Dmitriy Gruzdev
Expectations:
The field is very impressive, as hard as any Grand Tour beside the fact that Froome is not here, so something like a GC top ten from Jakob will be acceptable, hoping for a little better.
We have seen Cort in unbelievable great form recently and if he can keep that up we are hoping to get a flat stage win to compensate for the fact that we haven’t got much hope on the harder stages.
The fact that the ITT may be quite important means that we will try to keep Sánchez in the race as long as possible in case Jakob should lose a lot of time there.
Stage 1: Saint-Germain-en-Laye - Saint-Germain-en-Laye 129.1 km
The stage start in and finish in Saint-Germain-en-Laye about 20 km west of Paris. From Saint-Germain a route south through the relative rural area south west of Paris, also passing the west side of Parc naturel régional de la Haute Vallée de Chevreuse, with is historical sites and natural beauty.
The route is short and flat, we must expect a sprinter to win this one.
In 845, Vikings led by Ragnar looted the village of Saint-Germain-en-Laye so it is certain that it existed at that point, a small monastery founded around 1025 further added to the development and it became a town in the late 1100’s.
Top 5 media favorites:
Magnus Cort Nielsen (Astana) John Degenkolb (Trek) Elia Viviani (Quick Step) Arnaud Démare (FDJ) Fernando Gaviria (UAE)
Saint-Germain-en-Laye is mainly known as the site of the royal palace, originally built by Louis VI in around 1122, the earliest parts of the existing structure from 1539. The castle was abandoned as a royal palace after 1682 when Louis XIV moved permanently to Versailles. Today the building is used as Musée d'Archéologie nationale
Race
Julien Vermote (Dimension Data) opens in front of Cyril Gautier (Vital Concept) and Maciej Bodnar (BORA)
At first it looked as if Kamil Gradek and William Barta both from CCC Team attempted to reel them in, but instead they joined the breakaway, with two rider CCC are in a good situation.
The breakaway reach the first of the two KoMs, 1 km at 5.5%, Kamil Gradek cleverly opens late, but from 3rd position Julien Vermote was very fast.
At this point the breakaway has 3’17” with a little more than 100 km left.
Julien Vermote got 3 professional wins, Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen (2012) and two stages in Tour of Britain (2014-2016)
The breakaway get a lead of 4’10 before the peloton react, it is mainly Brian Van Goethem (Lotto Soudal) Davide Martinelli (Quick Step) and Alexandr Riabushenko (UAE) working to close it down.
With 3 rides working in the bunch against 5 in the breakaway the distance was redused slowly. With about 25 km left they still got 1’27”
The last KoM, Cote de Meule 2.7 km at 4.9% was also won by Julien Vermote, securing the jersey overnight.
Belgian Julien Vermote was born in Kortrijk in the heartland of the Flanders Classics and have also got good results in Flanders races, most recently 9th in Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne last season
With 16 km left the distance was down to just 31” and it seemed as if the breakaway would not make it, but then the bunch could not agree to keep up the pressure and with 10 km left it was back to 51”
Under the 5 km banner, Astana took responsibility making a very fast train, but 5 km is not much to close down 49”
The gap is still 22” and Magnus Cort Nielsen has to open his sprint from very far out, all the other teams have given up. Magnus Cort passes the breakaway with 500 meters left
Julien Vermote also took both points sprints and is likely to come 2nd, so even though the Danish sprinter will take the stage win, he created the race today and takes two jerseys
With an unbelievable strong finish Magnus Cort Nielsen won the opening stage of Paris – Nice, in front of Julien Vermote and Kamil Gradek both from the breakaway.
Elia Viviani (Quick Step) won the bunch sprint for 4th.
Magnus Cort takes his fourth season win in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, already getting as many as he had the entire 2018 season
Astana Pro Team
We had a goal of a stage win, already getting it at stage one is perfect, might note that we waited too long and need to take part in the pursuit not to risk a situation like this again.
The stage starts in the small commune Les Bréviaires some 45 km southwest of Paris, from there heading almost directly south through the countryside of central France before the finish in Bellegarde about 40 km west of Orléans.
Besides two very gentle climbs counting as cat.3, it is a flat stage and we must again expect a mass sprint, unless off-course everything develops as strange as yesterday.
Les Bréviaires was first mentioned in 768 at the time as Brogarias. During the late Middle Ages Les Bréviaires was closely related to nearby Montfort-l'Amaury and the Counts of the House of Montfort
Top 5 media favorites:
Magnus Cort Nielsen (Astana) Elia Viviani (Quick Step) John Degenkolb (Trek) Arnaud Démare (FDJ) Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal)
Amaury VI de Montfort (1192-1241) Count of Montfort , Earl of Leicester , Earl of Toulouse , Viscount of Albi , Viscount of Beziers and Carcassonne , Constable of France.
Hendrik Scheffer (1798 –1862) oil on canvas, 1834, H: 215 cm; W: 140 cm
Race
Matej Mohoric (Bahrain) opens the race, Imanol Erviti (Movistar) at his wheel but it never comes to anything.
The next acceleration comes from Dario Cataldo (Astana), at first joined by youth jersey holder William Barta (CCC). Getting close to the 1st KoM the duo was joined by Fabien Grellier (Direct Energie), Julien Vermote (Dimension Data), Kamil Gradek (CCC) and Pierre-Luc Perichon (Cofidis)
We now have the White jersey as well as the Green jersey in the breakaway. Julien Vermote came 2nd yesterday, wearing the jersey as 2nd in the points competition.
Julien Vermote wins the first points sprint; taking bonus seconds that might in theory help him take the race lead.
Julien Vermote have been in 7 grand tour, his best stage result was 10th in Giro d'Italia 2012
The peloton is very fast, cutting down the distance to just 29” with 60 km left. Dario Cataldo attacks to try and take the last points sprint, helping Magnus Cort Nielsen by not giving bonus seconds to another rider.
Dario Cataldo drops his breakaway companions and wins the sprint in front of Elia Viviani (Quick Step) and Fernando Gaviria (UAE) both sprinting from the peloton, the breakaway is over.
Astana’s Dario Cataldo have had a relative anonymous season, best result 6th in Grand Prix Marseillaise
It comes to a mass sprint finish, Lotto Soudal domination the last few km with their fast train.
Alvaro Hodeg (Quick Step) opens early and leads under the red kite for teammate Elia Viviani.
Astana’s train is there but Magnus Cort Nielsen seems to have lost contact sitting to far behind last lead-out Sánchez
Quick Step mistimed it and the hard work of Lotto Soudal pays out, Caleb Ewan win in front of Christophe Laporte (Cofidis) and John Degenkolb (Trek)
Julien Vermote (Dimension Data) taking over the race lead from the bonus seconds he took in the sprint, even though he ended the stage as 138.
This was the 3rd and most prestigious win 24 years old Australian Caleb Ewan have had this season, he also won two stages in Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and took the points jersey in that race
Astana Pro Team
Everything looked fine but Magnus Cort lost wheel with 1200 meters left and it was too late to get back in a hectic finish.
The stage starts in Cepoy about 25 km east of yesterday’s finish, a small community that gained independence as a municipality at the end of the 1700’s, from there a long straight line south for the finish in Moulins / Yzeure.
A very flat route with just two intermediate sprints and no KoM climbs, but without any challenges in the route itself, we have got a harsh weather report that suggest heavy rain most of the day.
The finishing towns Moulins and Yzeure was originally two separate towns, today almost melted together but still two separate Cantons although Yzeure is now part of “L'arrondissement de Moulins”.
First mention in 990, Moulin came to prominence as the Capital of the Dukes of Bourbon at the end of the 1300’s and thereby province capital of Bourbonnais until the French Revolution (1789 –1799).
Top 5 media favorites:
Magnus Cort Nielsen (Astana) Fernando Gaviria (UAE) Elia Viviani (Quick Step) John Degenkolb (Trek) Arnaud Démare (FDJ)
Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l'Annonciation de Moulins, constructed 1468-1550 as “Collégiale des Bourbons”, from 1823 Cathedral with the creation of the diocese of Moulins. The Cathedral houses several important artworks and Relics.
Race
Robert Wagner (Arkéa – Samsic) opens the stage, more and more riders attack to the point where 12 riders in different groups are between him and the bunch. The bunch react and brings back everyone.
The next move comes from Maxime Cam (Vital Concept) with Michael Valgren (Dimension Data), Robert Wagner (Arkéa – Samsic) and Nils Politt (Katusha)
Soon also Matej Mohoric (Bahrain) joins the group and KoM jersey wearer Kamil Gradek (CCC) also on the move although no points for the jersey today.
As mentioned we expected rain today, and we got plenty of it.
Michael Valgren wins the early points sprint. The 27 years old Dane had a major breakthrough last season winning Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Amstel Gold Race
Kamil Gradek joins the breakaway, the only noteworthy development until the breakaway was caught with some 8 km left.
Lotto Soudal have been the most visible team in the bunch, constantly having 3-4 riders in the paceline, also Quick Step, Astana and UAE took part in the persuit.
Just as yesterday Lotto Soudal has the strongest setup for the sprint, domination the last part of the race, Tim Wellens and Adam Blythe forming the train for Caleb Ewan
Again today Astana’s train not able to keep up with the fight for positioning, and never get close to a top result.
Also Quick Step having issues with the setup Alvaro Hodeg 4th and top favourite Elia Viviani 9th, may wonder if that was the intention.
It is Lotto Soudal perfectly delivering Caleb Ewan for a back to back stage victory in Moulins in front of André Greipel (Arkéa) and Christophe Laporte (Cofidis)
Caleb Ewan takes the race lead.
This was Caleb Ewan 33rd professionel victory, over just a little more than four years, his first was stage 2 in Herald Sun Tour 2/6 2015
Astana Pro Team
This is a stage result we just want to forget, two days now where we do not deliver. We can’t win every stage but outside top ten here is not good enough.
sutty68 wrote:
Magnus still looking comfortable on the GC
He may hold a good GC for another day, but he will surely crack in the ITT.
valverde321 wrote:
Tough, sometimes the sprint train just cant seem to get to the front and around the other riders.
Was not able to hold on to the Lotto boys, without burning too much energy. So guess they were just better.
Kiserlovski01 wrote:
Not the best outcome of the last two sprints, unlucky to have your preparation messed up by riders blocking you or sitting too far back.
Sprinting is hard. Have to balance not sitting too long in the wind, with not falling too far back and/or get blocked.
The stage starts in Vichy, just as Moulins on the backs of L'Allier River, some 50 km further south from where we finished yesterday, from there south east heading for Pélussin.
We are now heading for Rhône Alpes and that shows on the profile, with a much more hilly route than the once we have had previously. We much expect the punchers to be the favorites today, or at least a punchy sprinter, sprinting form a much reduced group.
According to Legend a small group of Christians took refuge in “Pulicinus ultra rhodanum” (Pélussin) when from 177 AD the persecutions of Christians began in Lugudunum, (now Lyon) and founded the church of Notre-Dame-sous-Terre.
Top 5 media favorites:
Julian Alaphilippe (Quick Step) Alejandro Valverde (Movistar) Enrico Gasparotto (Dimension Data) Michal Kwiatkowski (Sky) Michael Woods (Education First)
Pélussin is the home of “Fromagerie Guilloteau” producer of Pavé d'Affinois soft cheeses.
Race
Benoît Jarrier (Arkéa) opens the stage leading a group of 6 riders, Grega Bole (Bahrain) Manuel Amaro Antunes (CCC) Matej Mohoric (Bahrain) Pierre Rolland (Vital Concept) Rüdiger Selig (BORA)
Matej Mohoric on paper best suited for this profile and also Pierre Rolland a great puncher. Several of these rider at just 40” and might snap the GC lead if they make it to the line first.
Bahrain in a strong position with two riders in the breakaway, after about 40 km they got 6’09”
Pierre Rolland wins the early KoM, his best result this season was GC 4th in Tour du Haut-Var, the 32 years old Frenchman have won two stages in TDF (2012,2011)
FDJ, Education First, Dimension Data start putting more pressure on the breakaway cutting the gap down to under 3’. Getting close to the 60 very undulated km Movistar takes the lead working for Valverde.
We get a huge crash in the peloton taking 39 riders down, and also blocking another 7 riders. This will result in 7 riders abandon the race and a few continues with some serious pains.
Even more importantly some prominent riders will see the early season on telly, terrible news for cycling fan all over the world:
Name
Team
Injurie
Tom Jelte Slagter
Team Dimension Data
10
Weeks
Nils Politt
Team Katusha- Alpecin
10
Weeks
Adam Blythe
Lotto Soudal
10
Weeks
Fernando Gaviria
UAE Team Emirates
6
Weeks
Daniel Oss
BORA - hansgrohe
4
Weeks
Greg Van Avermaet
CCC Team
4
Weeks
Pawel Poljanski
BORA - hansgrohe
3
Weeks
Many cycling experts and fans have spotted that Katusha young star Nils Politt could well be the huge surprise in this spring season, with a torn tendon in the back, his spring season is now over
The breakaway makes it to the penultimate KoM, Pierre Rolland harvest most KoM point, with 1 point more than Matej Mohoric.
With 11 km left, 48 riders approach the last climb.
5.8 km left Jakob Fuglsang attack and Tom Dumoulin counters, but Koen Bouwman (Jumbo) close it down.
3.6 km left Romain Bardet (Ag2r) attacks with Richie Porte (Trek) and Geraint Thomas (Sky)
Tom Dumoulin, Primoz Roglic, Jakob Fuglsang, Simon Yates in front of the next group.
Besides a stage in Étoile de Bessèges, Romain Bardet haven’t had his best season. The 28 years old have been on the podium in TDF in 2016 and 2017 respectively 2nd and 3rd
The favourite group reeled in group Bardet and Michael Woods makes a last counter attack, but he was not able to get away either.
May be exaggeration to call this a sprint, but 14 riders approach the finish line, Tom Dumoulin has that little extra, to claim victory in Pélussin.
Jakob Fuglsang 2nd and Geraint Thomas 3rd.
Magnus Cort Nielsen finished in the first group and reclaimed the race lead.
After an anonymous early season, this was the first victory by 28 years old Dutch Tom Dumoulin, now very well positioned before the coming ITT.
Winning the 100th edition of Giro d'Italia in 2017, Tom Dumoulin today one of the strongest GT rider in the world.
Astana Pro Team
2nd on the stage and regained the race lead, a good development after a few hard stages, but the race lead is just overnight with Magnus Cort Nielsen as he hates ITT’s.
Our eggs are in Fuglsang’s basket regarding a GC result.
The stage is an ITT starting in Barbentane, then heading for the time check at Abbaye Saint-Michel de Frigolet, build on a hill in the woods south of the city. Before going downhill and back north for the finish in the town close to where we began.
It is unsure when the town was founded, the first mention of a lord was in 1133, Guillaume de Barbentane. The town had a ferry crossing Durance River, mentioned in 1178.
Top 5 media favorites:
Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb) Primoz Roglic (Jumbo) Geraint Thomas (Sky) Maciej Bodnar (BORA) Michal Kwiatkowski (Sky)
Abbaye Saint-Michel de Frigolet, originally a Benedictine monastery was founded in 960 AD
Race
At the time Astana’s first rider Dario Cataldo started the route, Niki Terpstra (Direct Energie) was leading the race, but Dario Cataldo has a brilliant race setting new best time 31’40” beating Terpstra with 28”
Dario Cataldo – new best
Amongst the pre-stage favorite it is no surprise that Maciej Bodnar (BORA) will set a better time 31’30”, 10” faster than Cataldo
Both Schachmann (BORA) and Kelderman (Sunweb) set faster times at the monastery, but both lost time on 2nd sector and does not pass neither Cataldo nor Bodnar at full time.
Robert Gesink (Jumbo) fastest at the monastery, 2nd best full time.
Starting as 8th overall Wout Poels (Sky) new best in Barbentane 31’29, one second faster than Maciej Bodnar
Wout Poels
Starting as 6th overall Primoz Roglic (Jumbo) 6” faster than his teammate Gesink at the monastery, and new best in Barbentane 31’14
Michal Kwiatkowski having a bad day, loses 31” to Roglic
Then starting as 4th best, Geraint Thomas (Sky), new best at the monastery 2” faster than Roglic, and new best at full time 31’13”
Geraint Thomas
Jakob Fuglsang (Astana) starts as 3rd overall, but not having a great day he lost 1'01” to Thomas.
Tom Dumoulin (Sunweb), 5” faster at Abbaye Saint-Michel de Frigolet and clearly the strongest today with new best 31'06”
Race leader Magnus Cort Nielsen (Astana) expected to lose a lot of time and he does, losing 2'13”.
Egan Bernal (Sky) 27th today, took the youth jersey.
As many anticipated Tom Dumoulin wins the ITT in Barbentane
Astana Pro Team
We expected our riders to lose time today, so although we lost time we are pleased to have Jakob Fuglsang in GC top 10, not too far away from a good result.
Dario Cataldo had a very fine ITT, great legs today.
Was nice…..a strange situation but a great win.
