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Team Statkraft - Bianchi: The new anglo-scandinacion Pro-cont. team
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| Goldberger |
Posted on 26-05-2009 16:44
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Domestique
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What's this mystery? Who is going to Italy |
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| ursul |
Posted on 26-05-2009 17:00
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good luck for the rest of Driedaagse de West-Vlaanderen.
Not lucky whit Backsted. How it append? |
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| Gonchar |
Posted on 26-05-2009 20:51
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West-Vlaanderen day two – will the nightmare continue?
While team manager Odin van Ginohove promptly was shipped off to Italy, his evil twin Tor took over the direction on the second stage. It was always planned that he would do the TT-stage while Odin went to Paris-Nice. But even the manager needs to see that stupid actions have their consequences 
Anyway. This stage is simulated due to the usual DS' departure. Kopp is the leader. The rest is teammates. Backstedt is a lead out man for Kopp. The rest will be chasing breakaway, with Stannard also trying to join in the breakway to help his leader.
And there we are. Kopp won the sprint. Easy!
Everybode did their job well, although Stannard couldn’t get into the breakaway. Backstedt did a “good job” setting up Kopp. |
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| Gonchar |
Posted on 26-05-2009 21:00
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Monte Paschi Eroica
Well, the guys in Belgiums should be happy with my sending off from Belgium. I am not sure how the others in the team will react to this news, hehe! But I am looking forward to my first time involvement in Monte Paschi Eroica - a race I have hard much nice about!
The race is not very long, but the profile indicates very long sections of rough roads, and a continuous rolling terrain, although the race is marked as “flat”. Kurt Asle Arvesen is of course my captain. He is in decent form (84 fitness) and should go well on the hills and on the rough roads. He won’t have too much support though, as the classics team are in Belgium. Jacob Moe Rasmussen in decent on the cobbles and is in ok shape. Philip Deignan is very fit, but not exactly good on the cobbles.
Arvesen is named a favourite alongside Luca Paolini (Acqua & Sapone) and Sylvain Chavanel (Quick Step). However, it might be tough with such minimum of team support.
Kessiakoff leads on the first section of sterrati. “Not his cup of tea, really – Kessiakoff leading the bunch on the Ssterrati”
 Fall in the pack: Loddo the sole victim – he almost made it through the first section!
With 155 KM to go, the first attack of the day is loose. Froome (Barloworld), Marzano (Lampre), Rodriguez (Serramenti PVC), Gajek (Milram) and Capecchi (Fuji). Marzano has a puncture and is back with the pack. The break is wheeled in on the next section of gravel Lots of punctures and falls, but usually only involving one or two. We are not affected by accidents yet. Kessiakoff has done a good job so far. With 113 KM to go, he has been much on the front – and also been back to get water twice. Still going as well. Acqua & Sapone and Liquigas is sharing the duty with Kessiakoff on the front.
 The long “double” section with approx. 100 KM to go. Now the bunch is spread out! Persson has a flat.
Too bad, he was one of the guys who seemed to be doing well today, he was protecting Arvesen. Now only Rasmussen is towards the front with Arvesen on the gravel sections. One of the favourites has puncture – It is Bert Roesens of the Cinelli team!
Meanwhile, with 87 KM to go – Rasmussen as well starts to move towards the back of the bunch. Arvesen is isolated at the moment. But someone should be able to get up there (with water) to protect him when we are back on normal roads. But it seems like the punch broke in three groups at the end of the fifth sector of gravel. Among the first 39, we have two. In the next 46 there are another two. AG2R are up there with 8! Acqua Sapone has four. Quick Step also only with two. The second group will not come back. So Rasmussen and Arvesen will have to do, and Rasmussen will have to let it go quite soon I am afraid – and with 67 KM to go he is spit out of the back of the front group. Arvesen is on his own. He is looking very good though.
The next section of gravel coming up. This will probably shed some more riders, and make it easier and safer for Arvesen to get water. We are right. There is now an seven man group!
The favourite group:
Chavanel & Wynants (Quick Step)
Paolini (Acqua & Sapone)
Pliuschin & Smukulis (AG2R)
Bernucci (LPR)
Arvesen (Statkraft)
(Arvesen getting water, 38 km to go)
Chavanel asks Arvesen to relay. But with two teams having two riders, I feel I have a good reason not to take turns. Now it is 20 KM to go – half of it on gravel! I should be the best sprinter in the group, bar Paolini. So I’m not doing any attacks here on the gravel. But when SMukulis and Paolini attacks – I follow! Pliuschnin also coming along. The Quick Step duo stays put together with Bernucci. But is only Arvesen that keep up with Smukulis! We are 17 km off.
They soon get a gap that grows to a minute and more, cooperating well. It is a strong ride by the first-year pro from Latvia. His name rings some bells from the espoir versions of the northern classics, though! With 7 KM to go, Smukulis tries to avoid a two-man sprint – but I follow without problems. I still have energy left so the downhill with less than 5 KM to go – Arvesen attacks!
Smukulis cannot follow. It will be Arvesen!!! A solo win for the former E3 winner!
Debriefing with the DS!
That played out very well. Fortunately things evolved so that the favourites were alone soon when my lacking team support closed in on being critical! A sidenote - do not trust the media! According to the newspaper we did the double… (Rasmussen finished 41st, and the rest withdrew (which was not an act from my side)…)
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| Gonchar |
Posted on 26-05-2009 21:00
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Great day for Statkraft-Bianchi!
PRESS RELEASE: One day – two races – two victories! for Statkraft-Bianchi
Statkraft Bianchi could celebrate no less than two victories today, as the team won bot Monte Paschi Eroica in Italy and the second stage of Three days of West-Vlaanderen.
In Italy Kurt Asle Arvesen took an impressive solo victory. Together with Gatis Smukulis (AG2R) he attacked the group of favorites 18 KM from the finish. Smukulis could not withstand the norwegian’s late attack, so Arvesen could ride across the line alone. The former U23 world champion have had a great start of the season, also winning two stages and overall in the south-african race MTN Giro del Capo. “- This really is an demaning race”, Arvesen said. He finished 18th in the race last year, which was won by his then teammate Fabian Cancellara. “- I think this really is a prestigious race to win, with all its gravelled sections. It is a unique race, so I am thoroughly proud!”
David Kopp from Statkraft-Bianchi won the second stage of the Belgium 3-day-race Three Days of West-Vlaanderen. The stage ended in a mass sprint which Kopp won in front of Gorik Gardeyn (Silence-Lotto) and Jos Van Emden (Rabobank). “A good win for David, he really dominated the sprint”, assistant team manager Tor van Ginohove said. “- The team worked superbly to set things up. We failed yesterday, but this victory brought back the good team spirit!”, he continues. David Kopp was also happy with his win: “The team worked hard to control the race, and then Magnus Backstedt delivered me perfectly for the final dash to the finish line. It’s gonna be a glas of bubbly today!”. The race will be decided tomorrow where a 18 KM Time trial awaits the riders.
“- The start of the season has been very good”, team manager Odin van Ginohove says. We have taken 10 victories already. We have won from sprints, we have won from breakaways, we have won in the hills and we have won stage races overall. We show very good diversity, and this really gives us something to continue building our reputation on”, he added.
Statkraft-Bianchi’s next task will be Paris-Nice which starts tomorrow. “- We have ambitions to fight for some stages, but we have realistically no chance for an high placement overall”. Van Ginohove says. |
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-12-2024 21:42
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| Gonchar |
Posted on 26-05-2009 21:02
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ursul wrote:
Not lucky whit Backsted. How it append?
I've got no idea. He was pulling Kopp to the front, and then the radio said he falled - and sure enough - he fell. Nobody else was affected. |
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| ursul |
Posted on 26-05-2009 21:30
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Attacked by a fantom? |
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| Gonchar |
Posted on 26-05-2009 21:52
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ursul wrote:
Attacked by a fantom?
At the time I just blamed it on Belgium, it was one of those days! |
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| ursul |
Posted on 26-05-2009 22:02
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Nice result whit Kopp and Arversen. Two great win in lines! |
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| Gonchar |
Posted on 26-05-2009 22:07
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Yeah. I enjoyed Arvesen's win. Can't take the honor of Kopp's win though. But it showed that he should take home victories in such races. Arvesen was a favourite too, and it is nice to take it home. Eroica went very well. When I lost my last helpers - the other favourites attacked (so that many of them was isolated too), and with two teams with two men up front I felt I could avoid doing the work too. They played it too me! |
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| ursul |
Posted on 26-05-2009 22:10
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Good luck for next stage of Three Days of West-Vlaanderen. |
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| ursul |
Posted on 26-05-2009 22:11
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Also, good strategies whit arversen. I will try it. |
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| Gonchar |
Posted on 26-05-2009 22:16
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ursul wrote:
Also, good strategies whit arversen. I will try it.
Good luck with that. Though it really wasn't up to me. They attacked at a good time for me, and the composition of that group enabled me to avoid work (I would realistically not take turns in such a group). So I was lucky with AI-decisions I think. The big advantage was that Arvesen could easily get water - which would have been a problem in larger group without teammates. |
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| ursul |
Posted on 27-05-2009 00:21
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Bah, it had work on my game. On a custom DB. |
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| wackojackohighcliffe |
Posted on 27-05-2009 12:27
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great wins
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| Goldberger |
Posted on 27-05-2009 13:42
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Domestique
Posts: 504
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Great win with Arvesen Love it |
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| ursul |
Posted on 27-05-2009 22:02
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are you an aversen fan |
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| Gonchar |
Posted on 29-05-2009 09:26
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ursul wrote:
are you an aversen fan
Me?
Not especially, really. But even with a modest natiotionalism-level I do hope he do well. All the rider's I have been a fan of seems to be caught by Doping-stories, so it's not so nice. I became interested in cycling when norwegian TV started to broadcast Tour de France. My first real interest in the sport came from watching Jan Ullrich (the year he rode for Bianchi) trying to best that annoying texan. Later, everyone I started to hope it would go well for came into doping-troubles. I remember Gonchar the way he stuggled to keep up as good as possible over the Giro d'Italia mountains to claim the 2nd place overall. I new too little to know what was suspicously...
The lastet years I have taken most interest in watching the results in the norwegian continental teams that came along, first Sparebanken Vest and later Maxbo/Joker-Bianchi. So Edvald Boasson Hagen has been a favourite for some years already.
Of the big starts, who seems to be left? I love to watch Oscar Freire. so perhaps I will stick with him as my "big-star"-favourite? |
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| Gonchar |
Posted on 29-05-2009 09:40
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Dredaagse van West-Vlaanderen - The Final TT
The 16 KM Time Trial, flat as a ruler, was as expected won by dutcham Staf Clement, who by that also won the overall. I had some expectations to Magnus Backstedt, but he finished a surpringsingly low 59th, one and a half minute back. With my best TT-skills, good on the flats, a 95 pts fitness and an utterly flat course – that was really disappointing.
However, Håvard Nybø was there to save the day and the team’s honour. He finished 4th, a mere 2 seconds behind Clement. Of course, Nybø had lost ages on the earlier stages so no overall position to mention there. My best overall was Kopp, who went decently today, finishing 35th. On the overall he finished 20th.
The podium of stage three, which is the same as the podium for the overall, is Staf Clement (Rabobank), Sebastian Joly (Francaise des Jeux) and Andre Steensen (Saxo Bank).
Results - stage
1 Stef Clement Rabobank 18'13
2 Sébastien Joly Française des Jeux + 1
3 André Steensen Team Saxo Bank + 2
4 Havard Nybö Team Statkraft Bianchi s.t.
5 Rick Flens Rabobank + 6
6 Kristof Vandewalle Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator + 7
7 Michiel Elijzen Silence - Lotto + 8
8 Lars Bak Team Saxo Bank + 9
9 Kai Reus Rabobank + 10
10 Gerben Löwik Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team + 13
35 David Kopp Team Statkraft Bianchi + 59
59 Magnus Bäckstedt Team Statkraft Bianchi + 1'29
80 Roy Hegreberg Team Statkraft Bianchi + 2'01
83 Gabriel Rasch Team Statkraft Bianchi + 2'06
95 Ian Stannard Team Statkraft Bianchi + 2'27
134 Lars Petter Nordhaug Team Statkraft Bianchi + 3'25
Overall results
1 Stef Clement Rabobank 9h34'39
2 Sébastien Joly Française des Jeux + 1
3 André Steensen Team Saxo Bank + 2
4 Kristof Vandewalle Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator + 7
5 Michiel Elijzen Silence - Lotto + 8
6 Gerben Löwik Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team + 9
7 Lars Bak Team Saxo Bank s.t.
8 Kai Reus Rabobank + 10
9 Matthias Brändle ELK Haus + 14
10 Martin Mortensen Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team + 17
20 David Kopp Team Statkraft Bianchi + 37
90 Magnus Bäckstedt Team Statkraft Bianchi + 6'21
116 Ian Stannard Team Statkraft Bianchi + 11'03
127 Roy Hegreberg Team Statkraft Bianchi + 13'21
136 Havard Nybö Team Statkraft Bianchi + 26'24
137 Gabriel Rasch Team Statkraft Bianchi + 27'47
138 Lars Petter Nordhaug Team Statkraft Bianchi + 29'47
IN THE PRESS: (Stavanger Aftenblad)
Local cyclist Håvard Nybø had a good day in the saddle in todays stage in the Belgium race Tour of West-Vlaanderen. On the 16 Km long time trial, Nybø finished a strong 4th. He finished only 2 seconds behind the winner, Staf Clement from Holland. “Clement is a time trial specialist, he finished in the top 10 of the olympic time trial,” says Nybø to Aftenbladet. “Two seconds behind him is a very good result for me”. Håvard Nybø is riding for the Norwegian Pro Team Statkraft-Bianchi. “We have started the season very well. We are riding races on another level than I have experienced before. On the other hand we will have a longer and much harder season than we are used to in the continental teams, so we will se how that works out”, he tells us about the new cycling team hi is a part from this year.”
MORE ABOUT HÅVARD NYBØ:
NYBØ, håvard (from Sparebanken Vest) (b. 1983)
Håvard arrived from Sparebanken Vest. He has previously ridden for the danish team Glud & Marstrand – Horsens. He has a stage win in Ringerike GP as hos only registered win. Håvard has a useful sprint if he is in a small group. He is also fairly good in time trials. He came 4th in the national ITT-championship in 2008, behind Boasson Hagen and two pure TT-specialists. |
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| Gonchar |
Posted on 29-05-2009 09:49
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Paris- Nice: Preview
- Statkraft-Bianchi enters the Pro Tour
The route
Paris-Nice starts with a prologue. But it will be the mountains that decides. No less than tree mountain stages are to come within the next week. The queen stage will be the famous Mont Ventoux mountain top finish. The two other mountain stages should animate the race. The decision however will be on the Ventoux as the only mountain top finish. If several riders are equal still, it will be interesting to follow the intriguing last stage to Nice. In the mix are also two flat stages and two hilly stages.
The Team
I have four riders in good shape. They will be my riders to try something.
Kurt Asle Arvesen: Will try to be a part of the hilly stages, and perhaps go into breakaways in the mountains. Having aimed for a mid-march peak, he really is on fire now.
Philip Deignan: He will try to hang on as good as he can in the mountains.
David McCann: My luxery teammate of sorts, will be on the move again here.
Jacob Moe Rasmussen: In good shape, I'll try to see if he can hang on in the sprints.
Water carriers: Daniel Martin, Fredrik Kessiakoff, Stian Remme, Fredrik Wilmann
The Favourites
For the overall, Columbia should be a favourite team with Kim Kirchen, with Thomas Løvkvist an outsider. Other in contention there will be Robert Gesink (Rabobank), Vicenzo Nibali (Liquigas), Vladimir Karpets (Katusha) and maybe even Cancellara as he seems to be up for most things these days. The home public will perhaps hope for Christophe Moreay (Agritubel) and Sylvain Chavanel (Quick-Step).
The sprtins should be highly contested, with Columbia having the favourite also here with Mark Cavendish. He will be challenged by a theoretically formidable Kathusha team with Napolitano, Steegmans and McEwen. In the mix there will also be Daniele Bennati, Robert Förster, Allan Davis and home hope Romain Feillu. |
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