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Classique du Grand-Duché - Discussion
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| kandesbunzler26 |
Posted on 03-11-2024 08:27
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 [PT] Classique du Grand-Duché
Welcome to Luxembourg for the 14th edition of the Classique du Grand-Duché.
The race is a classic classic for the puncheurs with 70 mostly flat km to get the legs warm followed by 160 km of constant up and down. The finish is on top of a hill too.
The race is part of the PT calendar since 2011 and was won by some of the biggest puncheurs of the MGUCI history. Peter Sagan is the only one who won three times, but won’t be able to add a fourth win as he’s now racing in the PCT. Two other former winners are at the start though – and they’re among the biggest names of the circuit:  Herklotz and  Lopez.
Previous winners:
Spoiler
| Year | Winner | | 2023 | Silvio Herklotz (Team Puma - SAP) | | 2022 | Peter Sagan (Moser - Sygic) | | 2021 | Anthony Turgis (Farfetch Pro Cycling) | | 2020 | Miguel Angel Lopez (Evonik - ELKO) | | 2019 | Peter Sagan (Moser - Sygic) | | 2018 | Arnaud Demare (Team Puma - SAP) | | 2017 | Peter Sagan (Moser - Sygic) | | 2016 | Egoitz Garcia (Movistar - US Postal) | | 2015 | Simone Ponzi (Good Energy) | | 2014 | Yuri Trofimov (Tinkoff Credit Systems Bank) | | 2013 | Damiano Cunego (Lotto - Cervelo) | | 2012 | Frank Schleck (Vesuvio-Accumalux) | | 2011 | Yuri Trofimov (Sony Ericsson) |
2023 results:
Spoiler
| 1 | Silvio Herklotz | Team Puma - SAP | 5h37'33 | | 2 | Miguel Angel Lopez | Evonik - ELKO | + 10 | | 3 | Attila Valter | EA Vesuvio | s.t. | | 4 | Emanuel Buchmann | Team UBS - Tissot | s.t. | | 5 | Matej Mohoric | Aker - MOT | s.t. | | 6 | Petr Vakoc | ISA - Hexacta | + 27 | | 7 | Michal Kwiatkowski | Binance | s.t. | | 8 | Jay McCarthy | Amaysim Australia.com | s.t. | | 9 | Toms Skujins | Tinkoff - La Datcha Team | s.t. | | 10 | Martins Blums | Evonik - ELKO | s.t. |
The startlist consists of the entirety of the PT teams who’re obliged to participate plus two PCT wildcards. There is a plethora of puncheurs here, reaching from the purer ones like  Lutsenko,  Mohoric,  Kinoshita,  Skujins or  Romo to the more hybrid riders like  Aranburu,  Formolo or  Van Niekerk. But the biggest favourites are by nature “Mr. Wins-all-races-he’s-in” Herklotz, the newly trained Lopez and “Thank-god-he’s-no-longer-in-PCT”  Areruya.
| | MO | HI | ST | RS | SP | AC | | | Lopez | Miguel Angel | 80 | 84 | 76 | 74 | 66 | 78 | Evonik - ELKO | | Lutsenko | Alexey | 73 | 83 | 76 | 73 | 72 | 81 | Gazelle | | Mohoric | Matej | 71 | 83 | 78 | 72 | 67 | 77 | EA Vesuvio | | Kinoshita | Tomohiro | 71 | 82 | 79 | 76 | 67 | 76 | Minions | | Skujins | Toms | 69 | 82 | 79 | 76 | 67 | 75 | Tinkoff Team - La Datcha | | Areruya | Joseph | 81 | 81 | 76 | 78 | 68 | 76 | Xero Racing | | Herklotz | Silvio | 84 | 81 | 79 | 80 | 68 | 76 | Team Puma - SAP | | Aranburu | Alex | 77 | 80 | 70 | 79 | 68 | 71 | Carlsberg - Danske Bank | | Formolo | Davide | 79 | 80 | 76 | 76 | 69 | 71 | Rabobank | | Romo | Javier | 72 | 80 | 78 | 76 | 67 | 71 | cycleYorkshire | | Van Niekerk | Aidan | 75 | 80 | 72 | 75 | 64 | 74 | ISA - Hexacta |
Full start list:
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| roturn |
Posted on 03-11-2024 08:37
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Team Manager
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Bobridge on paper with his 79 hill looking decent. Checking backup stats not so much.
Lowest priority in the triple header but nice to have an option at least.
Let's see what the team can reach. No expectations at all, any point will do.
Packed at the top, really tough for some. |
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 03-11-2024 08:42
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World Champion
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Well, the superstars weren't there for his season debut in Tasmania, so this is the first major test for Areruya in the PT hills. Time to put on his big boy pants and show us what he's got. Bring it on! 
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT]  Xero Racing
5x  x5
2x  x2
2x  x2 |
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| Marcovdw |
Posted on 03-11-2024 09:59
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Coming here on a wildcard so don't really care if Kinoshita finishes first or last. Hoping to score a good result though.
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| alexkr00 |
Posted on 03-11-2024 10:33
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We have like 3 guys capable of finishing in the top 20 here. Let's see how they all work together. First race for Champoussin maxed out too, curious to see how he will do.
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| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 03-11-2024 10:46
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Grand Tour Champion
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Seeing the 2016 winner mixed in with all the cycling legends of the sport, who have won here in the past, put a smile on my face. 
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| Nemolito |
Posted on 03-11-2024 11:49
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Only thing we can hope for is some breakaway pictures I guess. Aular best Rider In theory, but normally he shouldn't be a factor. Thanks for the nice preview kb, good luck to everyone!
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 03-11-2024 13:07
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Didn't come here with anything last year, but Aranburu basically came empty in Paris-Nice, so we figured a race without TT's at least gives him a shot. Honestly was hoping a couple more of these guys would be at Tirreno since they're not all horrible in the TT. But I guess everyone had the same idea as me.
Basically need a top 10 here to keep pace. Hybrids have done well in the past, so it's definitely possible. But it's still unclear trained Aranburu has it in him for a classic. We'll see.
Thanks for the preview!
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| Fabianski |
Posted on 03-11-2024 20:27
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Decided to send Schmid here instead of Tirreno, hopefully he'll do something decent here. Having a pretty good Mo/Hi combo should help on this course; it definitely did in Portugal, even on a mountain stage.
Lopez, Herklotz and Areruay should be in a league of their own, and Formolo is a great hybrid rider, too. Otherwise, Schmid could keep up with most others on a good day. Rohendi and Berthet should provide some good support and hopefully get some depth points, in particular in a rather reduced field. And maybe a breakaway for once, who knows?
For the win, my money would be on Areruya, given the roll Xero are currently on.
Thanks for the preview!
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| tastasol |
Posted on 03-11-2024 22:41
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Thanks for the preview
Not the biggest expectations, but should be interesting to see if Gebrezgabihier is able to race for a result. Other than that, I'm hoping to see us in the break and alert.
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| ember |
Posted on 03-11-2024 23:06
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There should be nothing for us here. Hoping we can be present in the breakaway, and it will be a success |
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 26-12-2024 10:25
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| redordead |
Posted on 04-11-2024 06:32
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Outside of Hoelgaard it's just xp and finishing points for us here. Interested to see which of the big riders draws first blood in the hilly classics.
Thanks for the preview
"I am a cyclist, I may not be the best, but that is what I strive to be. I may never get there, but I will never quit trying." - Tadej Pogačar
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| Luis Leon Sanchez |
Posted on 04-11-2024 07:12
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The first test of whether or not Storer and Company will score any points in the Pro Tour! Hopefully he is at the right end of the race and can get in and amongst the Top 15.
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| knockout |
Posted on 04-11-2024 07:46
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First huge race for us. Bring it on!
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| DubbelDekker |
Posted on 04-11-2024 14:45
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Let's go Lutsenkooo!!
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| ryant |
Posted on 04-11-2024 17:02
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Romo's first chance of proper leadership this year, hopefully this will be a positive thing for the team as we can't take any under performances at all. A top 10 is a must and I hope we can get even more with a good day.
 John St Ledger in Team Bunzl-Centrica and Team U25Red Bull Driver in RFactor
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| alexkr00 |
Posted on 04-11-2024 20:48
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Can't ask for more from Formolo there. Best of the rest, basically. Too bad Champoussin couldn't sneak in the top 20 to make for a perfect race.
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| Fabianski |
Posted on 04-11-2024 21:07
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What a debut at the top level of hilly classics for Mauro! 5th is an awesome result, and definitely the best result we could dream of in this field! Beaten only by the four clearly stronger hybrid racers - including the easily predictable Top 3 (where the only question was who'd take 2nd and 3rd behind Herklotz tbh), plus Formolo who is a perfectly suited rider for this profile, too.
Great tactics with the Rohendi attack, making the race really tough. Then I though Mauro would've been better off waiting instead of pulling, but it looks like he didn't overextend himself, keeping enough in the tank to still finish 5th! Really an awesome job, and probably the final confirmation that I don't need to worry about his low stamina even in tough races, and he'll make a perfect training target
Congrats to Puma, Herklotz already in Herklotz mode right from the gun. Xero with a big result again, guess they might even be PT leaders by the end of February (if Pidcock wins T-A). Lopez not with the result knockout was hoping for I guesss, but the team depth is pretty nice.
Thanks for the report!
Edited by Fabianski on 04-11-2024 21:19
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| Marcovdw |
Posted on 04-11-2024 21:53
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If Kinoshita had to go missing one race this race, let it be this one because it doesn't influence the points.
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| jandal7 |
Posted on 04-11-2024 23:30
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As Fabianski says I can't really be too mad at 2nd here, edging out Lopez and losing to Herklotz. Would be surprised if Areruya scores a hit on Herklotz all year with only a REC advantage across the whole statline (quite ironic against a GT rider  ). Solid stuff from our man then.
I'd like to think Herklotz, Areruya, and Lopez are in a paper-scissors-rock game but I think that's overestimating how much Areruya's MO, backups and secondaries will actually beat Lopez and also how much Lopez's HI will beat Herklotz Safe to say I think both me and knockout are looking forward to racing the minor hill classics where he doesn't appear
The order of the rest of the favourites is an interesting one. Big rides for Formolo and Schmid which I enjoy seeing, the MO mafia is real and thriving And then Amezawa continuing to do his thing, awesome.
Congrats to cio on Herklotz opening his account with a win, and thanks for the report kb
24/02/21 - kandesbunzler said “I don't drink famous people."
15/08/22 - SotD said "Your [jandal's] humour is overrated"
11/06/24 - knockout said "Winning is fine I guess. Truth be told this felt completely unimportant."
[ICL] Santos-Euskadi | [PT] Xero Racing
5x x5
2x x2
2x x2 |
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