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GP Kigali Discussion
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| tsmoha |
Posted on 22-06-2015 11:26
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Directeur Sportif
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 GP Kigali
A new race on the schedule - the GP Kigali in Rwanda is replacing Bahir Da as an early (hilly) cobbled classic in Africa. A challenging loop with a short climb and a cobbled sector has to be raced to a total length of 183km (59km of cobbles).
Of course most of the division's best cobblers took the chance to grab some early fame on the pavé and so we have a quite packed startlist.
The Startlist
The Favorites | Rider | Hi | Cob | Spr | Rider | Hi | Cob | Spr |  Summerhill | 73 | 82 | 70 |  Nuyens | 70 | 77 | 59 |  Vanspeybrouck | 71 | 82 | 67 |  Breschel | 70 | 77 | 77 |  Vanmarcke | 66 | 79 | 70 |  Verbist | 64 | 77 | 58 | | Maes | 67 | 79 | 62 |  Lagab | 71 | 76 | 72 |  Thomas | 60 | 79 | 74 |  Joseph | 66 | 76 | 66 |  Boonen | 67 | 79 | 81 |  Langeveld | 72 | 76 | 63 | | Albert | 69 | 78 | 63 | Pozzato | 77 | 73 | 76 |  Vandenbergh | 67 | 78 | 62 | | | | | | Veelers | 64 | 78 | 76 | | | | | | Stallaert | 67 | 77 | 79 | | | | |  Trentin | 74 | 77 | 75 | | | | | | Steurs | 68 | 77 | 65 | | | | |  Daniel | 68 | 77 | 74 | | | | |
We have two clear favorites in Danny Summerhill and Pieter Vanspeybrouck. Both combine their skills on short climbs and cobbles nicely, while Summerhill adds a better sprint to his card. The US boy will aim for nothing else than the victory, especially as he came short to Vanspeybrouck in their huge race in Omloop Het Volk.
Tom Boonen, living ManGame legend and the strongest sprinter here, will surely fancy his chances as well. Same goes for strong finishers like Geraint Thomas, Tom Veelers or Matteo Trentin. The latter as also the best puncheur amongst the top cobblers here.
Vanmarcke, Maes, Albert, Vandenberg, Stallaert, Daniel, Steurs, Nuyens and especially Breschel as another allrounder could well be in the mix, too. We're also looking forward to how Azzeddine Lagab will do here. Coming off a breakthrough season, the African will probably aim high here. Veteran Pippo Pozzato will be just another interesting rider to watch: a strong puncheur with great sprinting and decent skills on the cobbles.
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| roturn |
Posted on 22-06-2015 11:28
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Team Manager
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Summerhilly and Vanspeybrouck will be hard to beat. That said, Vanmarcke did a couple of times in last years PT season.
Boonen will be tough as well due to his allround skills. Thomas might be better sprinter but lacks the puncheur skills. So I hope Vanmarcke can fight for podium or at least top5. |
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| CountArach |
Posted on 22-06-2015 11:42
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Grand Tour Champion
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I'm basically hoping my huge cobbled train can make the difference. If I can isolate Summerhill early hopefully Vanspeybrouck can be fresher going into the finale.
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| tastasol |
Posted on 22-06-2015 12:00
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Classics Specialist
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Should be a brilliant race for Trentin with the hills, cobbles and flat finish. Anything bar a top 10 will be a huge failure.
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 23-11-2024 11:25
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| Scorchio |
Posted on 22-06-2015 12:10
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2073
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Debut for VDB in Nutresa colours and his wing-man Mebrathu, interested to see how they go - hoping for a minimum of a top 10 and top 20 - Del Nero provides an additional option if one of these struggles. First serious go at a cobbled race for our organisation, as this terrrain was ignored in our first season; hopefully our lack of cobble depth is not too punishing. Expect the two favourites to deliver on this parcours.
Manager of ISA - Hexacta in the MG |
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| Shonak |
Posted on 22-06-2015 12:11
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 15615
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Hoping one of my guys can make it in the BOTD and from there on, anything goes really. Dupont and De Backer also could be nice for a reduced bunch sprint if they soemhow hang on. Looking at the competition, if we somewhat manage to score a few points, I can leave satisfied. Langeveldhas been waiting to prove himself to the big boys. 
Edited by Shonak on 22-06-2015 12:12
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
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| Jesleyh |
Posted on 22-06-2015 12:13
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Tour de France Champion
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Curious how the AI will handle a top favourite without support.
Hoping Maes attacks at some point, that's our only hope considering everyone can outsprint the TomTom duo 
Feyenoord(football) and Kelderman fanboy
PCMdaily Awards: 12x nomination, 9x runner-up, 0x win.
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| knockout |
Posted on 22-06-2015 12:35
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Grand Tour Champion
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With his great support Vanspeybrouck must be the favourite here. I'm curious if the AI can manage double leadership on cobbles as well as in the mountains. If so then these races could bring huge points for Bpost.
I hope they can control the race so that no long range attacks get through but a small group should sprint for the win to give Boonen the best chances.
With Flaksis, Ingels, Kulppi and Smirnovs he has decent support to drag him into the final 35 km but in the final he will be on his own.
And one more wish: Please no top ten finishes for the morning Breakaways as seen so often in PCM 2013...
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| Ollfardh |
Posted on 22-06-2015 12:42
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World Champion
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Tough field here for Joseph, he will have to ride agressively like he's been doing in Benelux last week. Would be great if Verhelst or similar could go in the early break again, but we'll see. Happy with any point here
Changed my sig, this was getting absurd.
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| DubbelDekker |
Posted on 22-06-2015 14:19
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Small Tour Specialist
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Very interesting race because of the hybrid terrain. We have a rather lame strategy on the cobbles this year: hope that Veelers and/or Pozzato can stay near the front and sprint into the top 10.
If Nuyens has a good day he might be able to score well too. Otherwise he'll be nice support.
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| cio93 |
Posted on 22-06-2015 15:22
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World Champion
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We we can't consistenly fight for Top 10s in the cobbled races, they're rather wasted race days in the long run, so I hope Daniel can start his season off with exactly that.
The hilly parcours helps him against guys like Thomas and Veelers, but puts Langeveld and Pippo into contention more, so I guess we won't benefit from that.
The last 3k look to be fully cobbled and the finish line seems to be on top of that small rise, so it's possible the sprint stat becomes less relevant than me and a couple other teams hope for.
Regarding the possible winner, it should really be between the two stars of this division, and as some mentioned already, it'll be interesting to see what the supporting depth from BPost can do against the slightly better secondary stats from Summerhill for this course.
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 23-06-2015 00:55
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Tour de France Champion
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Well, no one amongst the favourites here but we live in hope. |
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| Heine |
Posted on 23-06-2015 07:43
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Grand Tour Specialist
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Knockout
What a show of power from Summerhill
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| Kentaurus |
Posted on 23-06-2015 07:57
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Classics Specialist
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This is exactly what I had hoped to get when signing Summerhill, purely dominating on the stage. Thrilled with what he has brought to our team so far, and hoping this only continues.
AZTECA - NBCSN  |
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| Shonak |
Posted on 23-06-2015 08:00
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 15615
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Ugh, what a showboat Summerhill is, very , very dominant performance. Not a chance for anybdoy else here today.
Tulik  Langeveld
Edited by Shonak on 23-06-2015 08:00
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
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| CountArach |
Posted on 23-06-2015 08:18
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8290
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I'm going to be really disappointed if every cobbled classic goes this way. Somehow with this team it is hard to feel good about second place.
Still thanks for the report. Also outscoring some of the other promotion contenders is always good.
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| knockout |
Posted on 23-06-2015 08:37
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Grand Tour Champion
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Summerhill a level about the rest. Very dominant win !
Also Strava with a great performance. Two riders that high up in the results is awesome in a c1 race!
Not too happy with Boonen but Kulppi is a bonus and it's okay with that hilly circuit.
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| roturn |
Posted on 23-06-2015 08:41
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Team Manager
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Summerhill and Vanspeybrouck very tough to beat. As expected.
Still not absolutely happy with Vanmarcke in 3rd. This obviously is a huge result and the best I could have hoped for.
But just like Count I feel it could have played a bit different. His team should have had bigger numbers in front making it a more difficult race. Hence for example Nooytens should still with Vanmarcke at this point dropping weaker cobblers before attacking. Then Nooytens could have gotten a top10-20 as well I think to deliver some more points.
But with the points here I am happy still and guess if all cobbled classic go like this and Vanmarcke proves to be stronger than Maes, Boonen and Thomas, then I can be very happy. Beating the Gazelle duo in the end obviously was great tactic. Let the team duo work and then sprint to beat them.
Bazzana impressive. Must have had a good day beating Nooytens and Sbaragli here. Probably due to his hill skills.
Thanks for the report tsmoha and I guess you liked Del Neros performance a lot. |
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| matt17br |
Posted on 23-06-2015 08:43
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Directeur Sportif
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Summerhill was pretty beasty today, I kind of feel for Count and his Etixx train, but this goes almost as irl 
Seeing who managed to snap into the top 10 I reckon I should have sent Taillefour and Jeandesbosz though.
Congrats to Atzeca!
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| tsmoha |
Posted on 23-06-2015 08:51
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 11819
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roturn wrote:
Thanks for the report tsmoha and I guess you liked Del Neros performance a lot.
I got used to this stuff from Del Nero last year  Kinda getting the feeling, that I might had kept him for another year and see, if he could be that dangerous in ProTour as well... but on the other hand, I've never really wanted Spanish riders, so he didn't exactly into my team.
Congrats, Kent. Summerhill in beasty mode here. Pretty much dominated the race from 50km outside the finish.. BPost coming a bit short overall, but Vanspeybrouck did well, imo. Gazelle is just Gazelle: tactics playing out to perfection again
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