20/3 Stage:3/7 Salou - San Carlos de la Ràpita 171.8 km
Christina Reports:
Another start in Salou, this time heading for San Carlos de la Ràpita. There is known to have existed a castle or fortress in the la Ràpita area, from 1097 used by first monks and later nuns as a priory. But the town was first developed from the mid-eighteenth century, when King Carlos III had a port and urban center constructed in the fishing village.
The weather is a bit rough, just 13°C and very cloudy with a strong breeze.
Postcard 1968
Today the stage is a pure sprinter stage, with only few climbs in the first part of the race.
Young Sondre Holst Enger seems a bit nervous, not only did he win yesterday will all the extra attention that provides, but now the bookmakers have him as a podium candidate for today’s stage. We expect a mass sprint finish.
The Race
Yesterday Wout Poels attacked a few times in the early minutes of the stage but did not get away, today he succeeds, clearly the Argos-Shimano rider wants to make up the heavy losses his team had in the TTT.
It ends up with a 3 rider breakaway, Poels, Duarte from Avianca and Vimpere from FDJ. Durate wins the cat.2 mountain sprint.
It has started to rain. Davide Malacarne attacks before the cat. 3 climb, just to get the last KoM point.
Under the 20 km mark the break is now visible from the peloton, distance down to about 1 minute, it seems quite clear that the break will soon be over. Everyone starts to prepare for the mass sprint.
We mess up the train and gets too far back sitting 12-15 riders down, fighting very hard and losing energy getting forvard. It is Orica-GreenEdge leading out when the sprint starts.
TV Highlight : The sprint at Puerto de la San Carlos de la Rapita
Caleb Ewan from Orica wins the stage in front of Astana’s Francesco Gavazzi, our best is Sondre Holst Enger (12), Ewan takes over the points jersey.
Christina: Not a great day, missing out on the breakaway and a bad sprint. But we will keep fighting.
Winner profile:
This was the first world tour win for Cable Ewan, as well as his first season win. The 21 years old riders, born in Sydney Australia started his professional career on Orica GreenEdge in 2014. In 2015 with overall win in Poitou Charentes and Tour de Fjords and a total of impressive 7 stage victories he has proven to the one of the most talented young sprinters in professional cycling.
Stage:
1
Caleb Ewan
Orica - GreenEdge
3h57'32
2
Francesco Gavazzi
Astana Pro Team
s.t.
3
Matteo Trentin
Cannondale Pro Cycling
s.t.
4
Jonathan Cantwell
Orica - GreenEdge
s.t.
5
Marko Kump
Team Saxo - Tinkoff
s.t.
6
Enrico Battaglin
Cannondale Pro Cycling
s.t.
7
Jacopo Guarnieri
Astana Pro Team
s.t.
8
Michał Kwiatkowski
Katusha Team
s.t.
9
Marco Canola
Androni Giocattoli - Venezuela
s.t.
10
Paul Martens
Team Argos - Shimano
s.t.
GC:
1
Tejay Van Garderen
BMC Racing Team
8h21'33
2
Ian Boswell
BMC Racing Team
s.t.
3
Sébastien Reichenbach
BMC Racing Team
s.t.
4
Yannick Eijssen
BMC Racing Team
s.t.
5
Peter Stetina
BMC Racing Team
+ 3
6
Rafal Majka
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
+ 5
7
Wilco Kelderman
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
8
Johann Tschopp
BMC Racing Team
s.t.
9
Alex Howes
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
10
Tom Dumoulin
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
Points
1
Caleb Ewan
Orica - GreenEdge
45
2
Sondre Holst Enger
Christina Watches - Onfone
29
3
Jacopo Guarnieri
Astana Pro Team
21
Mountain:
1
Stefano Pirazzi
Androni Giocattoli - Venezuela
28
2
Davide Malacarne
Christina Watches - Onfone
28
3
Miguel Mínguez
Caja Rural - Seguros RGA
22
Team: BMC Racing Team
Young: Ian Boswell - BMC Racing Team
Edited by Tamijo on 25-06-2016 06:47
21/3 Stage:4/7 Perafort - Vallnord (Andorra) 218.8 km
Christina Reports:
The caravan has travaled about 100 km north along the coast to Perafort, for today’s stage heading for Vallnord in the Pyrénées. Perafort is just a small town of about 1200 people. The area was settled by Romans, but depopulated under Muslin rule.
The Weather is ok 16°C cloudy with little wind
The stage is hard and very long, the last about 50 km getting harder and harder, ending in about 10 km of steep climbing to Andorra ski resort. We expect Kenny Elissonde to have the best possibility on this stage, while Malacarne might attack early to go for KoM points.
The Race
The original morning break is quite strong with López, Jungels, Rabottini and Cattaneo, later also Mínguez joins, the second day in a long break for him. Malacarne was active early to get KoM points, but fell back after the first climb.
López, Jungels, Rabottini and Cattaneo
We set a few rider in the front, helping to keep the break in line. Then with 75 km to the finish an even more dangerous attempt, this time with Top stage contenders. When the two breaks melt together, they got about a minute to the peloton. 20 km to the top.
The 2nd breakaway
The breakaway was fruitless, with 10 km to the top a front group of 78 riders are together. Robert Gesink is the first to attack, but gets reeled in by a large group. Then comes the crucial attack, setup by Sergio Henao from Coca Cola, only Carlos Betancur from Astana can follow.
TV Highlight – Henao attacks on Vallnord
Further back in the 2nd group, now down to about 10 riders, Michał Kwiatkowski attacks and Fabio Aru counters with Kenny Elissonde on wheel.
Carlos Betancur wins the stage with 16 sec. to Sergio Henao, Kwiatkowski takes the last porium 27 sec back. At the very last 100 meters, Rafal Majka from Belkin pushes Elissonde out of top 5, coming very fast from behind. Race leader Tejay Van Garderen had a bad day losing 3'09
Majka overtaking Elissonde for 5th.
Christina: Fine stage for us, Kenny Elissonde in top 10 and Davide Malacarne in a good position to take the KoM on par with Betancur. Our best in GC is Kenny in 14th position at 2'40
Winner profile:
Carlos Betancur not only won the stage, he also took the leader jersey, this was Betancur’s first important result of the season. The 26 year old Colombian came to Astana at the beginning of last year, after riding for Ag2r since 2013.
Last season he had very good results, this is just a few of them: 4th in “The Tour” winning 1 stage, 2nd in the “Vuelta” winning 2 stages, 1st in “Pais Vasco” with 2 stage wins, 3th in “Paris-Nice” with one stage win, and winning La Flèche Wallonne. Ending up as number 1 on the World Tour.
Founded relative late in 1958 , E3-Prijs Harelbeke is the first one-day cobbled classic of the WT season. The race has mostly been won by Belgian riders record holder Tom Boonen 5 times. In 1990 it was won by Danish Søren Lilholt riding for Belgian team Histor-Sigma.
Søren Lilholt
Harelbeke dates back to a Roman village, by the 5 century transformed into a Frankish Christian town, today the municipality has a population of about 27.000.
It is going to be harsh weather, just 13°C very cloudy with a fresh to strong breeze.
Harelbeke train station 1896
The race is long hard and with a lot of cobbles, nick names “The little Tour of Flanders”
This is a minor focus race for the management, that aim for a top 5, we have our best cobble riders here, Mads Würtz Schmidt as leader with Tony Gallopin and Yves Lampaert as outsiders.
Roster:
Björn Thurau - Mads Würtz Schmidt - Martin Pedersen - Mike Teunissen
Mitchell Lovelock-Fay - Patrick Clausen - Tony Gallopin - Yves Lampaert
The Race
The morning break is 6 riders, not dangerous and they are allowed to get about 6 min. It is raining from time to time, we have a fair share of crashes and punctures. Later Iglinskiy attacks and join this group making it a lot more serious.
The first attack amongst the favourites comes from Sagan, with 46 km to the line and 3 cobbled sections left. At this point we have a group of 4 with Iglinskiy in front, a group of 5 in between, and a peloton redused to 33 riders at 3’39, we have all our 3 leaders there.
Left behind already are riders like Roelandts, Oss, Phinney, Vandenbergh and Ladagnous.
Sagan
25 km to the finish, the situation has now changed dramatically passing over the last 3 cobble sections and 4 hard climbs. In front a group of 6 with Sagan, Cancellara and Iglinskiy (see photo). At 1’05 a group of 8 with Langeveld, Gaudin and Breschel. At 1’42 a group of 5 with our best Gallopin and Lampaert. Würtz Smith is further back in a group of 6 at 2’28.
Group Cancellara
The front group is redused further over the last part of the race, approaching the 1 km sight we have just 4 riders in front. Cancellara leading with Sagan, Avermaet and Iglinskiy finishing of the group, who dares to start the sprint?
TV Highlight: The final 2 km of Prijs Harelbeke
Van Avermaet won the race on front of Peter Sagan, Cancellara took the last podium.
Further back Tony Gallopin has lost his last helper Lampert, now chasing hard to get contact with the 2nd group. With heart and determination he closes the gap, and from 2 km he opens the sprint. Damien Gaudin is too strong passing at 200 meters, but Tony gets in at 6th position.
Rasmussen: A fine result, we are a bit surprised that Tony was stronger here than Mads, something we will be aware of in the coming cobbled races.
Winner Profile
This was 30 years old Greg Van Avermaet’s first win since De Brabantse Pijl back in 2014. Born in Lokeren just 100 from Harelbeke, Van Avermaet was the local favourite amongst the spectators, they went crazy when he crossed the line.
The caravan have traveled about 70 km vest to Llívia, a Spanish exclave surrounded by the French Pyrénées. Historically Llívia was the site of an Iron Age fortification capital of the pre-roman Iberian Kerretes people.
The clouds are very low, foggy and with rain from time to time, 17°C and little wind.
We don’t expect this stage to be hard enough to create substantial time diffrences, expect to stay in the peloton, only Malacarne trying to attack for KoM points.
The Race:
Malacarne try his best to get in the morning breakaway, but he has no luck. It turns out to be a day of very weak legs for him, having a hard time all day. Anyway it ends with a rather strong and huge breakaway with strong riders like Alejandro Valverde, Vasil Kiryienka, Christophe Riblon ect. Jesús Herrada (Caja Rural) takes the KoM without fight.
The strong breakaway and very bad roads wet from rain and fog, makes it a hard stage for everyone, even though on paper the route looks relative easy. The breakaway has about 3 minutes most of the day.
Over the last 40 km, a lot of riders attacks from the peloton and quite a lot of them opens up some distance. Seemingly Astana is not able to control the race for Carlos Betancur. Kenny also gives it a go but he can’t escape, not the best terrain for his skills.
It this case it is Van Garderen, Duarte, Bardet and Poels getting away.
Under the 5 km mark, there are 17 riders in the front group, with more than a minute to the peloton, it is now clear that the breakaway will win the stage. Kenny will lose time today and so will race leader Carlos Betancur, he may lose the jersey.
With just 3 km to the line Christophe Riblon from Omega Pharma decides to attack, a last minutes push, but will he hold it ?
TV Highlight – the last km in Manlleu
Riblon gets caught on the line ending up 3rd, the stage was won by Fabio Duarte from Avianca in front of Jan Bakelants Lotto Belisol. Michał Kwiatkowski takes over the lead of the race with just 1 sec. to Carlos Betancur.
Christina: Not the best day, we expected a joyride but we got kicked instead, Kenny lost time to a lot of riders, falling to 17th in the GC.
Winner profile:
This was Fabio Duarte first win since Volta a Portugal last year, where he won the GC and two stages. The 29 years old Colombian climber riding for Avianca also won a stage in Tour of Taiwan last year, ending 3th in the continental riders ranking.
Starting where we finished yesterday in Manlleu. The settlement of Manlleu date back to at least 2500 BC. The first evidence of the “modern” town dates back to 906, where papers mention the church of “la iglesia de Santa Maria”
The weather is fine 17°C and sunny. But the wind speed increases over the stage, from just a gentle breeze in the morning to a strong breeze near the end of the day.
“La iglesia de Santa Maria” as it looks today, rebuild in the 20th century:
Form Manlleu the stage moves east towards the costal Lloret de Mar passing over the cat.1 Sant Grau Mountain in Massif af Cadiretes just 33km before the finish.
Again we will try to get Malacarne in an early breakaway and we might also try with an attack from Ellisonde on Sant Grau Mountain as we have nothing to lose.
The Race:
Malacarne gets in the morning break, without much reaction from the peloton. He takes the early KoM sprint. The others in the group is Bravo from Liberty Seguros, Pardilla from Caja Rural and Montaguti from Androni Giocattoli. The breakaway get about that 6 minutes mid stage.
Over the first climb another attack succeeds to get away from the bunch, it is Cattaneo from Bardiani and López from Banco Santander.
At the foot of the final climb to Sant Grau Mountain Ellisonde attacks from the peloton. Over the top the situation is, The group of 4 with Malacarne in front, Group López at 1’20, Ellisonde at 1’46, Peloton at 2’56.
TV Highlight – Ellisonde Attacks at Sant Grau.
(those cars are dangerous in modern cycling)
Malacarne fall’s back to help Ellisonde , and they merge with Cattaneo and López, after a while Malacarne resigned, he is done for today. The rest of the group can’t catch the front, and the stage was won by Sergio Pardilla from the original breakaway, over Matteo Montaguti, they gain 1'35 on the peloton.
Kenny Elissonde wins the sprint in his group getting over the line as 4th. but in the same time as the peloton.
Christina: A fine stage for us, nothing was won in GC, but Malacarne got first in KoM clasification, and a top five stage for Ellisonde
Winner profile:
This was the first win for Sergio Pardilla since he joined Caja Rural for this season, and his first win since stage 6 in the 2013 Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey. The 32 years old climber, born in the small town of Membrilla in Castilla-La Mancha region of Spain, started his professional career back in 2006 riding for Viña Magna-Cropu.
Stage:
1
Sergio Pardilla
Caja Rural - Seguros RGA
3h23'57
2
Matteo Montaguti
Androni Giocattoli - Venezuela
s.t.
3
Garikoitz Bravo
Liberty Seguros - Würth
s.t.
4
Kenny Elissonde
Christina Watches - Onfone
+ 1'35
5
Mattia Cattaneo
Bardiani Valvole - CSF Inox
s.t.
6
David López
Banco Santander
s.t.
7
Moreno Moser
Vodafone
s.t.
8
Michał Kwiatkowski
Katusha Team
s.t.
9
Daniel Moreno
Katusha Team
s.t.
10
Matteo Rabottini
Lampre - Merida
s.t.
GC:
1
Michał Kwiatkowski
Katusha Team
20h32'58
2
Carlos Betancur
Astana Pro Team
+ 1
3
Sergio Henao
Coca Cola
+ 27
4
Rafal Majka
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
+ 1'05
5
Ian Boswell
BMC Racing Team
+ 1'12
6
Fabio Aru
Cannondale Pro Cycling
+ 1'18
7
Robert Gesink
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
+ 1'28
8
Javier Moreno
Garmin - Sharp
+ 1'51
9
Nicolas Roche
Liberty Seguros - Würth
+ 1'55
10
Tejay Van Garderen
BMC Racing Team
+ 1'59
Points:
1
Caleb Ewan
Orica - GreenEdge
45
2
Carlos Betancur
Astana Pro Team
34
3
Michał Kwiatkowski
Katusha Team
32
Mountain:
1
Davide Malacarne
Christina Watches - Onfone
48
2
David López
Banco Santander
31
3
Carlos Betancur
Astana Pro Team
30
Team: Liberty Seguros - Würth
Young: Ian Boswell - BMC Racing Team
Edited by Tamijo on 01-07-2016 15:50
Gent–Wevelgem is a true spring cobbled classic originating back to 1934. Up to the end of 1970’s almost always won by Belgian riders, but recently won by riders off many different nationalities, Sean Kelly (IRL) George Hincapie (USA) Mario Cipollini (ITA) Thor Hushovd (NOR) Bernhard Eisel (AUT), and Danish Lars Michaelsen in 1995. Last year the race was won by Michael Matthews from Australian.
Lars Michaelsen 1996 riding for Festina–Lotus
We have no set goal in the race, but we would be upset not to get a rider in top 20 with our strongest squad of cobbles riders. After the success Tony had in E3-Prijs Harelbeke we have decided that he will lead the squad here, with Mads and Yves in a free role.
Roster:
Tony Gallopin - Yves Lampaert - Mads Würtz Schmidt - Mike Teunissen - Björn Thurau - Martin Pedersen - Patrick Clausen - Patrick Clausen.
The Race
The first 70 km of the race was ridden in an unbelievable high pace, with constant attempts to attack and a peloton not letting anything go.
Finally it ends in a breakaway of 4 riders, things calm down and the teams gets some time to relax and get bottles before the cobbles and hills start.
Then as the peloton hits the hills and cobbles the racing starts, now you just have to stay in front not to get dropped, the group its thinned out rider by rider.
Getting close to the final cobbles climb with 47 km to go the front group is now also Vantomme coming up from behind, in between sits Vansummeren at 1’31 and the favorite group at 2’39, now reduced to 27 riders.
At the final cobbles section Mads Würtz Schmidt attacks from the favorite group, Tony is in the group too, while Yves Lampaert is back in the next group about a min. behind.
TV Highlight: Mads Würtz Schmidt attacks at Kemmelberg
The favorite group is too strong, Mads as well as everybody else in front is reeled back in before the 10 km sign, and it is up to the strongest or best sprinters in the group. Tony decides to take a chance and attack at about 9km.
The attempt by Tony was a mistake, he lost a lot of energy but did not get away, it comes to a redused sprint won by Mathieu Ladagnous (FDJ) in front of Alexander Kristoff (Katusha).
Our best is Tony Gallopin (11)
Rasmussen: Most likely not the best Tony could have done, but we are happy that we can hold on to the front for most of the race, in an important WT cobbled race like this.
Winner profile:
31 years old Mathieu Ladagnous was born in Pau, in the southern part of France at the edge of the Pyrenees. Mathieu Ladagnous have been with FDJ since 2006 where he started his Professional career. This was his first win since stage 19 in last year’s Tour de France.