Kind of a quiet few days for the team, but as you say, its almost what you want on these days, cause if the team is involved in the action its likely a crash.
valverde321 wrote:
Kind of a quiet few days for the team, but as you say, its almost what you want on these days, cause if the team is involved in the action its likely a crash.
Kiserlovski01 wrote:
TTT was quite mediocre, could be a bummer with few chances to take time in this edition. Stayed safe on the sprints, time for some action now.
The stage starts in Foligno where we finished yesterday, from there heading north through the Apennine Mountains, but as we follows the valleys the first part of the race the easiest, although still very hilly. Then after a little more than 100 km we are close to Fossombrone and takes a circular route with several hard climbs and finally passes over the very steep “I Capuccini” twice before heading downhill towards the finish line.
Fossombrone originated from the Roman Forum Sempronii founded from 220 BC onwards, located east of the present day town.From the late 1400’s the town gained renewed prosperity under the rule of Federico da Montefeltro a famous Italian lord, Count of Montefeltro , of Urbino and of Castel Durante and his descendants.
Top 5 media favorites:
Rigoberto Uran (Education First) Sergio Luis Henao (UAE) Chris Froome (Sky) Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain) Bob Jungels (Quick Step)
Doppio ritratto dei duchi di Urbino (Double portrait of the Dukes of Urbino) oil on panel, 47 × 33 cm each panel, By Piero della Francesca around 1465–1472, portrait of Federico da Montefeltro and his 2nd wife Battista Sforza
Race
We have 6 riders in the original breakaway having about 1’30” after about 25 km, as the peloton won’t let go and keeps the pace rather high up to this point, but then the peloton decides to give up the chase.
Astana’s Jonas Gregaard Wilsly having fine legs, get on the radio asking permission to try his luck and gets the green card to open a pursuit. Jelle Vanendert (Lotto) and Fausto Masnada (Androni) joins.
We soon get a 9 rider breakaway, in the group we also got KoM leader Moreno Moser and the other riders don’t attempt to challenge him for the early KoM mid-stage.
The distance 1’43 with 85 km left.
Danish Jonas Gregaard (22) signed with Astana after becoming a trainee from 1/8 2018, formerly with Danish CT team Riwal, his best result was winning the GC in Kreiz Breizh (2.2) in 2017
The very uneven terrain caused constant fight in the peloton for position going into the climbs and many weaker riders gets dropped under the constant pressure, the high pace also too much for the breakaway reeled in with more than 40 km left.
The pace have slowed down a lot after the breakaway was reeled in, maybe because it has started to rain quite a lot at this point, or because the teams save energy for the two climbs to come..
52 riders left in the peloton under the 20 km banner
Some attacks in the leading group but nothing decisive, only selection from the rear end of the group, under the 5 km banner reduced to 22 riders.
Miguel Angel Lopez attacks from 4.5 km, further reducing the group to about 15-16 riders and hold a small lead.
With 600 meters left Sam Oomen is almost side by side with Lopez.
from here the slope will slowly increase up to 5.5% on the finish line.
Miguel Angel Lopez ahead Sam Oomen, also in the front De Marchi, Jungels, Froome, Gonçalves, Matthews, Quintana, Sagan, Uran and Colbrelli
It is very close between Lopez and Oomen all the way to the finish and also Michael Matthews and Peter Sagan coming fast on the last few 100 meters, but Miguel Angel Lopez hold them of and claims victory in Fossombrone
Sam Oomen 2nd and teammate Michael Matthews 3rd
Chris Froome leads the GC in front of Nairo Quintana, the bonus seconds moves Miguel Angel Lopez up to 6th.
This was Miguel Angel Lopez 4th season win, most important the GC in UAE tour and his 16th career victory
Astana Pro Team
Fantastic stage by Miguel, not only taking a win in this important race, but also moving up to 6th in GC
The team did very well, especially Alexey protecting Miguel at the early part of the race and also working hard to keep the pace up on the late climbs, wearing down the rivals.
The stage starts in Colli al Metauro, 22 km south of Pesaro, 15 km from the Adriatic Sea. From Colli al Metauro we are heading south along the Adriatic coast down to Ancona where we turn inland for the finish in Recanati, where we take four short laps between Romitelli and Recanati
The stage start out rather flat but the laps in the Recanati area are very hard and the stage suits the strongest puncher/climbers.
Colli al Metauro is a young town established 2017 by the merger of three small towns with municipal seat located in Calcinelli. Calcinelli was a minor village up to the 20th century from there slowly growing; today the population is about 4.000. It is likely that what is today Calcinelli was in Roman times a “horce changing station” between Fano and Fossombrone.
Top 5 media favorites:
Chris Froome (Sky) Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain) Rigoberto Uran (Education First) Nairo Quintana (Movistar) Domenico Pozzovivo (Bahrain)
Fraticelli Srl-Salumificio, Calcinelli
Race
After some failed attempts on the early uncategorized hill, Tomasz Marczynski (Lotto) starts what is to become todays breakaway, at first with Jonas Gregaard Wilsly (Astana) and Matteo Montaguti (Androni).
Over the next 10 km we got group after group attacking from the bunch, ending out in a breakaway of 16 riders. Best placed in GC Mattia Cattaneo (Androni) at 5’43”, also KoM leader Moreno Moser (Nippo) in the breakaway, other notable riders include Nicolas Roche (Sunweb) Jelle Vanendert (Lotto) and Tony Martin (Jumbo-Visma), they reach a maximum lead of about 6’30”, reduced to 4 minutes when we enter the undulated 2nd half of the stage.
The breakaway includes riders from 10 different teams, 4 – Lotto, 3 – Androni, 2 - Ag2r one from Jumbo, Nippo, Sunweb, Astana, Bardiani and Neri Sottoli
The peloton led by Education First on the first hills, 64 km to the line for them
The pace is high and Jonas Gregaard and Clément Chevrier (Ag2r) was dropped on first KoM, they will never get back. It is Gregor Mühlberger and Nicolas Roche harvesting most KoM points today, but KoM leader Moreno Moser takes 8 points, enough to keep the lead.
With just 23.5 km left for the bunch what all favourites fear happens, crash in the very front of the bunch. Chris Froome, Bob Jungels, Domenico Pozzovivo, Miguel Angel Lopez and Sam Oomen down. GC 5th Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain) end his race in an ambulance, will be out for at least 7 weeks.
Astana very lucky as the Izagirre brothers, Lutsenko and Kudus all avoid the crash, and are part of the new pursuit of 40 riders gathering after the crash, with Nairo Quintana and Rigoberto Uran, Michael Matthews, Vincenzo Nibali, José Gonçalves, Sergio Luis Henao and Esteban Cháves.
Nairo Quintana, Rigoberto Uran and Michael Matthews the only top 10 riders not affected by a crash blocking most of the peloton
In the breakaway Gregor Mühlberger have attacked over the penultimate climb, in direct pursuit Tony Martin quite close, Moreno Moser, Fausto Masnada and Nicolas Roche form the third group some 50” behind Mühlberger when he begin the final climb, 2.5 km left for him.
Domenico Pozzovivo and Sam Oomen have attacked from group Froome/Lopez and have made contact to group Quintana/Izagirre just as they begin the final climb.
Up front Gregor Mühlberger shows that he had the best legs today, with a brilliant last climb he takes a solo win in Recanati with 57” down to Tony Martin 2nd, Moreno Moser take the last podium at 1’05”
Earlier this season Gregor Mühlberger (24) won U25 in Volta ao Algarve and a podium on the brutal Jebel Jais stage in UAE Tour. This was his 4 victory, latest Stage 6 in Binck Bank Tour last season
Group Quintana/Uran was 36 riders when they hits the final wall with Michael Matthews in front, but starting with an attack from José Gonçalves the group explodes, some riders completely stall on the cruel slopes, soon passed by the fastest riders from group Froome.
Vincenzo Nibali fastest of the favourites, 6th at 1’49, Nairo Quintana in the same time takes the race lead in front of Rigoberto Uran and Ion Izagirre both also passing the line in this group.
Chris Froome coming in at 3’25” falls from 1st to 7th in the GC.
Tom Leezer from Team Jumbo-Visma crosses the finish line as 122th, that is pretty good considering he is bleeding badly from wounds he got in the crash.
Vincenzo Nibali, José Gonçalves, Sergio Luis Henao, Esteban Cháves, Rigoberto Uran, Ion Izagirre, Nairo Quintana and Alexey Lutsenko best of the favourites and will improve their GC today
Astana Pro Team
A strange stage, where Miguel lost about 3 minutes to Quintana and is more or less done in the GC, but with Ion in podium position we can hardly complaint with just two stages left, also Alexey in a good position, before the time trail coming up on the final day.
Great for MAL to get the win, but then unlucky to be caught up in a crash the following day! Ion is still in a strong position, so it will be interesting to see how you manage his position, but also possibly letting MAL go for stage wins now too, or ride in support of Ion.
valverde321 wrote:
Great for MAL to get the win, but then unlucky to be caught up in a crash the following day! Ion is still in a strong position, so it will be interesting to see how you manage his position, but also possibly letting MAL go for stage wins now too, or ride in support of Ion.
Thanks
We only got 1 flat and 1 short TT left. So from here it to stay on the bike and focus everything on the TT.
The last group start before the final ITT, 14°C and slightly clouded, we are looking at an on paper flat sprinter stage but with some hills at the first 2/3 of the stage that may help if a strong breakaway should contest the sprinter teams.
Starting from Matelica in the central eastern Apennine Mountains we are heading west to Jesi located on the banks of Esino river, were we take three laps in the river valley, the finish slightly uphill, but not too much for a top sprinter to win the stage.
A primitive settlement founded by the Italic people “Umbrians” was the first foundation of Matelica, developed further into a more complex settlement by the Picenes in the late bronze age early iron age approx. 600-400 BC. The town was conquered by the Romans in 295.
Top 5 media favorites:
Pascal Ackermann (BORA) Dylan Groenewegen (Jumbo) Peter Sagan (BORA) Alexander Kristoff (UAE) Marcel Kittel (Katusha)
Jesi is an architectural jewel, surrounded by perfectly preserved old walls and with beautiful historical building
Race
With no successful attacks on the early part of the stage due to a very aggressive peloton today we are 43 km into the stage when Jelle Wallays (Lotto) attacks on the foot of the only KoM climb on the stage.
Again today Astana’s Jonas Gregaard have got the free role and counters, also Dorian Godon (Ag2r), Simone Velasco (Neri Sottoli) and Larry Warbasse (Ag2r) attempt to close the gap.
The 5 riders form the morning breakaway of the day, Larry Warbasse wins the KoM.
American Larry Warbasse (28) best result was a stage in Tour de Suisse 2017, he also won the national road race that year
In a crash Robert Stannard (Mitchelton) fall hard into the barrier hurting his back, he was picked up by the team car.
The breakaway gets about 4 minutes in a stage where nothing much happens, besides the fact that we get some showers over the last 30 km, and the breakaway starts to attack each other, first Jelle Wallay and when he was back, Jonas Gregaard.
Jonas Gregaard Wilsly attacking with 13 km left, but the peloton coming fast
When Gregaard could not hold the distance after 4 km, Ag2r playes their 2nd card, Dorian Godon and he gets about 20 seconds, but it was not enough the breakaway over with 5 km to the line.
BORA and Jumbo keep up the pace to launch their sprinters, Dylan Groenewegen wins in Jesi, Fabio Jakobsen 2nd and Mark Cavendish 3rd.
This was Dylan Groenewegen’s 2nd win of the tour, his 37 career victory
Astana Pro Team
We stayed on the bikes and that was all we needed to do today.
The last stage will be an ITT, raced in San Benedetto del Tronto located some 85 km south of Ancona on the Adriatic coast. Starting at the harbour we take a route south along the beach for a time check at Piazza Salvo D’Acquisto
The origin of an ancient San Benedetto del Tronto at the current location is uncertain, what is known is that the town developed from about year 1000 AD to 1145 where a fortification was constructed. In 1478 a plague devastated San Benedetto, reducing the population to such an extent that the town remained almost uninhabited until 1491 where refugees was allowed to re-settle the area
Top 5 media favorites:
Rohan Dennis (Bahrain) Bob Jungels (Deceuninck) Nelson Oliveira (Movistar) Peter Sagan (BORA) Tony Martin (Jumbo)
San Benedetto del Tronto
Race
When Astana’s first rider passes the finish line only one true tempo rides have been on the course Michael Hepburn (Mitchelton) leading with 12’20, De Vreese comes 7th +46”
Danny Van Poppel new best with 11’50 but not for long, as Taylor Phinney (Education First) passes the line in 11’40” a few riders later.
Astana’s Merhawi Kudus 49th, 12” slower that De Vreese but we should not blame the Eritrean as De Vreese had some very fine legs today considering he if an awful tempo rider.
Marcel Kittel (Katusha) just 2” behind Phinney, that is a fine result from him.
Taylor Phinney
Victor Campenaerts (Lotto) 2nd in the same take as Kittel, a bit disappointing, whereas Joey Rosskopf (CCC) comes in 2nd just 1/10” behind Phinney
Jonas Gregaard 58th 6” faster than De Vreese and thereby fastest Astana rider at this point.
Then Laurens De Plus (Jumbo) with new best 11’39
Gorka Izagirre with quite a good day passes the line as 25th just 18” behind De Plus, may be enough to jump into GC top 20 with a little luck.
Then we get two new bests coming almost one after the other, first Tony Martin (Jumbo) new best with 11’38 and then Rohan Dennis (Bahrain) with a stunning 11'24” taking the lead.
Rohan Dennis
Miguel Angel Lopez comes in with 12'25” not a great result but it is enough to secure U25.
We are now entering top 10 in GC:
Peter Sagan loses just +18”
Vincenzo Nibali +30”
Bob Jungels Come in 3rd at +11” he now needs Chris Froome to lose 36” to pass him in GC
Chris Froome at +23” holds of Jungels, he was 18” behind Alexey Lutsenko before the stage.
Alexey Lutsenko at 36” also holding of Froome.
Previously 5th in GC Michael Matthews loses +20”
Pre stage just 4” between José Gonçalves and Ion Izagirre for the podium. José Gonçalves in at +27” and with a brilliant +26” Ion Izagirre hold on to his podium.
Rigoberto Uran need to gain 15” on Nairo Quintana to win the race and if he loses 17” to Izagirre he loses his 2nd place.
Disaster for Education First, Uran having a very bad day 72th +54”, not only losing 2nd but also the podium passed by both Ion Izagirre and José Gonçalves
Nairo Quintana now only have to worry about Izagirre, with a margin of 32” to Izagirre before the stage, and with +32“ to Dennis, Quintana wins Tirreno – Adriatico.
The race winner on the podium, getting a well deserved hug
Astana Pro Team
Ion Izagirre 2nd and Alexey Lutsenko 6th were much more than we expected, the crash was a huge part of it, but that is what happens in cycling.
Winners
11/3 Brenton Jones - Grand Prix de la Ville de Lillers
11/3 Lars Boom - Dorpenomloop Rucphen
11/3 Søren Kragh Andersen - Grote prijs Jean-Pierre Monseré
11/3 Patryk Stosz - Grand Prix Justiniano Hotels
11/3 Marko Kump - Tour of Rhodes
18/3 Justin Jules – Ronde van Drenthe
18//3 Dimitri Claeys – Paris Troyes
18/3 Nicola Bagioli – Popolarissima
18/3 Wouter Wippert – Classica da Attabida
18/3 Piotr Brozyna – Istarsko Proljee
19/3 Nikodemus Holler – Volta ao Alentejo
21/3 Thomas De Gendt – Nokere Koerse
21/3 Magno Nazaret – Grand Prix Sochi
22/3 Antonio Pedereo – Tour de Taiwan
22/3 Nicola Toffali - Tour de Tunisie
23/3 Bart Van Lerberghe – Koksijde Classic
Injuries
Andrey Zeits is back after his injurie
Julian Alaphilippe got a spine injury in Paris-Nice and is expected to be out some 9-10 weeks)
Other Important riders with injuries after Tirreno :
Squad:
Luis León Sánchez, Gorka Izagirre, Omar Fraile, Yevgeniy Gidich
Laurens De Vreese, Dario Cataldo, Yuriy Natarov
Expectations:
Milan – San Remo is a hard race to predict, earlier a sprinter has often won, but the last few years a puncher has been victorious. In any case you need a very strong rider able to cope with the 292.8 km long race.
We have a goal of a top 10 in this race and without a top sprinter out best option is a reduced group making it over the last hill, so in any case we have to risk riding it aggressively. We believe the goal should be within reach.
As always the race starts in Milano, heading directly towards the Mediterranean, passing over Passo del Turchino just before reaching the coast, from there along the coastline for the finish in Sanremo, the last 50 km getting quite undulated, the two hard hilly climbs “the Cipressa” and “Poggio di Sanremo” within the last 25 km most likely to produce the decisive selection, or create opportunities for a late attack.
Milano was founded as a primitive settlement approx. 600 BC, by a tribe of the Golasecca culture developing in the Po valley late bronze age, conquered by the Romans in 222 BC. Under the rule of Gian Galeazzo between 1385 and 1402 the Duchy of Milano was very powerful dominating lands covering most of northern Italy.
Top 5 media favorites:
Pascal Ackermann (BORA) – Pascal Ackermann (BORA) - Arnaud Démare (FDJ) - Alexander Kristoff (UAE) - Dylan Groenewegen (Jumbo)
Vintage postcard – Hotel Roma, Milano
Race
The weather is fine and we got a 12-15 km/hour wind coming from north which could make it easier for anyone attacking.
Not the most hectic morning, the early attack started by Jack Bauer (Mitchelton) was brought back, but the 2nd with Kristijan Koren (Bahrain), Matteo Busato (Androni), Filippo Ganna (Sky) and Bart De Clercq (Wanty) drifted away without much reaction from the bunch. Also Michael Storer (Sunweb) would join the group
Bart De Clercq started what was to become the morning breakaway, the 32 years old Belgian won a stage in Giro d'Italia back in 2011, his first of two professional victories
Not much to report from the next more than 250 km, beside the fact that the breakaway had a max. lead of 5’30” and was reeled in on the Cipressa climb after they had made those well know late desperate attacks on each other.
Hitting the flat after Cipressa with 17 km left the peloton is led by Wout Van Aert (Jumbo), what may at first look like an attack from him is more likely to be an attempt to avoid attacks from others, helping teammate Dylan Groenewegen.
Astana is sitting low at this point, time to move forward.
The peloton stretched out due to harsh position fight, no one want to be in the rear hitting the foot of Poggio di Sanremo
With a splendid effort Gorka Izagirre leads Omar Fraile and Luis León Sánchez to the front of the peloton, the strong puncher pressing the bunch to the point where 16 riders break free, besides the Astana riders the group include Sagan, Štybar, Benoot, Terpstra, Schachmann, Albasini, Jungles and Wellens.
Astana split the peloton on Poggio di Sanremo, but can they keep the distance to the sprinters after the descent
The best defence is sometimes the attack, over the top Gorka was done and Fraile attack at his wheel Sánchez, Sagan and Tiesj Benoot. Also Niki Terpstra and Bob Jungels react and are not far behind.
As soon as the road flattens Terpstra and Jungels connect. With more than 20” to the sprinters behind them, all six riders stay calm not starting the sprint while getting closer and closer to the red kite. Omar Fraile still leads the group, with all focus on keeping the gap open.
Omar Fraile have had a strong season with good results, but without any wins so far
Sánchez in perfect position when Omar Fraile opens the sprint, but the veteran no longer as explosive as he used to be and he can’t pass his teammate not to mention follow Sagan flying by.
Peter Sagan wins Milano – San Remo in front of Omar Fraile and Tiesj Benoot, John Degenkolb wins the bunch sprint for 7th.
This was Peter Sagan’s 7th season win and without doubt the most important, Sagan came 2nd in 2013 and again in 2017 but he never won La Classicissima di primavera before
Astana Pro Team
In the confusion and under pressure from the sprinters coming from behind we did the wrong setup with Omar in front of Luis instead of the other way round.
That said we did everything we had hoped for losing the sprinters on the last hill and getting a great result and we are more than happy with what we got from this race.
