Thanks everyone, it was really impressive win by Robert! There's only one mountain stage in Malaysia and we really hopes we can get yet another win and keep that general lead.
Some spring classics time, now!
Just as said above, it's time for some spring-classics now! Well, not really spring classics and not its best races, but some kind of preparation for it. Omloop is surely one of the races that shows who has form and legs for upcoming spring classics season, so we'll try to do best there.
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad [1.HC]
23rd February, 2014
Not much to say about the terrain and route except that the race is flat with some short and steep climbs and of course, some great cobblestones. The race is going to be raced in Belgium as every year, so these cobbles aren't that "hardcore" as in France.
The starlist is a story for itself. Absolutely all the best cobblestones riders are here, including Boonen, Cancellara, Vanmarcke, Nuyens, Gaudin, Terpstra, Vandenbergh and list goes on. It's surely going to bring us aloooot of fun!
Our team is our best cobblestone squad aswell. We want to prepare our guys for upcoming cobblestone season and there's no better way than making them race against the best.
Nothing to add on our squad, you can see everything. Spartacus will surely lead our team here, but if it somehow comes to an sprint finish, Nizzolo is there.
That was all for this preview, see ya on road
DS of Trek FR - admirschleck
Great weather here in Belgium, which should be one more plus to great racing we expect. The race is about to start so i don't have any time to speak a bit about it, you have everything in report. See ya after the race, with hopefully a good result!
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad [1.HC]
23rd February, 2014
Just as the race started, somewhere around 10:10 AM this morning, some guys made a move. Actually alot of them did that and they successfuly created BOTD. Jasper Stuyven is one of guys in the break, and he's actually the guy with the best cobbles skills there.
Peloton let them go, which really surprised everyone. That's huge group, which can easily make it to the end together in front of the peloton. But well, that's cycling.
Nothing really happened before first cobblestone section. Dmitriy Muravyev decided to make a move early and the peloton let them go aswell. Seems like something is wrong in peloton...
And even that wasn't enough! Everyone was shocked when Paolinia nd Keukeleire, the 2013 champion and the guy who really have some great chances to win this attacked so early. They quickly made it to BOTD and there's huge group there now.
They didn't stop there, as they set really high pace just when they caught up with break. Stuyven were following that from 4th place. They still have few minutes of advantage, and guys still have 65 kilometers before finish.
That high pace showed as very successful, as the wind was strong and the guys who were clearly more fresh (Paolini, Keukeleire and Muravyev) made advantage quickly. Stuyven is still on their wheel.
Soon after that, Stuyven dropped aswell. 3 musketeers where at the front, but not long, since OPQS decided to start their turbo machines and they caught that quickly. 15 kilometers to go, peloton is once again one compact group. Calm before storm, i'd say.
And, it really was like that. Just when peloton caught the BOTD, Cancellara started his machines aswell and only small group could manage to follow that at the start.
Of course Boonen and Vanmarcke were there, but they're looking really exhausted. There are about 20 guys still there, 10 kilometers to go. It's not going to finish in the mass sprint, at least the Trek teams plan says so!
Cancellara decided to calm down a bit, since he noticed that he can't drop 20 guys just like that. Just in the moment he stopped with that pace a bit, Vanmarcke made an attack which was followed by Boonen. Cancellara is trying to follow that from his seat.
He actually managed to catch them quickly and without big energy loss (he said that in an interview after the race), so it's now 3 guys race- Spartacus, Tornado Tom and one of the futures great, Sep Vanmarcke.
Vanmarcke and Boonen are clearly better sprinters than Fabu is, so the tactic was once again simple for Spartacus - chase as hard as you can, try to drop them. 5 kilometers to go.
Riders entered the town and there's only one small cobblestone section now. Everything can happen there.
Fabian saw that he's not going to do anything with these pace, once again, so the only option he had at the moment is to attack. If he fails to get the advantage by that, it's clear that Boonen/Vanmarcke duo was stronger.
Every atom of his energy gone in that attack and he actually managed to get some advantage! 2 kilometers to go, can he keep up and get the best possible opening of spring classics season?
Boonen is trying to follow that, while Vanmarcke is showing some weakness!
Not corners anymore, no cobblestone, it's now just Spartacus versus road. He's getting closer and closer to finish line. He's not turning around and that's great sign. He still has some power!
And yes! Fabian Cancellara managed to win this! Wooooh, that was really intense race. But who finished 2nd and how big gap is?
Boonen finished about 50 meters behind Cancellara and only few meters in front of Vanmarcke. This really predicts one hell of the spring-classics season! 2nd win for Swiss this season!
A minute and a half later, rest of favourites/outsiders arrived. Ladagnous won the sprint finish in front of Van Avermaet and Roeledants.
What a first cobblestone victory for Spartacus, and the classic season has thus begun. Boonen vs Spartacus will be a duel worth reporting the next couple of days & weeks.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
This is fantastic Admir stunning repoorts, are u ok if i copy a feature u use? I want to know how u write your reports in that box it looks much neater. Just see the great win for Kiserlovski also is Andy rding the TDF, and can he get much better as someitmes when i keep restartig he as 3 stars on mountain.
Huhu, alot of comments! Thanks for support guys. Also, thanks on kind words about the story and the report(s). I am really trying my best with these screenshots and texts and it's really good to see someone notices that. I apperciate it and i promise there will be alot of these, if not better, reports coming.
Indeed it was great effort by Fabian, it was so close at the end but he somehow managed to catch the win here. Hope the result will remain the same in next few cobblestone races.
Atlanta, i don't have a problem with using this style in some other stories, but you should at least give me credit. At the end, it's not always good to be copycat, so try to be different and make your own style, guys will surely like that way more than just copying others one. But nothing that bad with copying actually, as long as you give credit.
And about that Vanmarcke situation, i made a mistake since he's riding for Dutch team, so... Just tell me when i make mistake there, it can be easily edited and corrected, just as i did with Sep.
Pan flat stage after and before 2 hard and decisive stages about GC. This surely suits Van Poppel, since he's the type of sprinter that likes flat sprints way more than hilly ones. We are sure he can get some Top 5 place here, once again.
Tour de Langkawi [Stage 4]
21st February - 2nd March, 2014
As the some of riders were taking a break from high pace and so on, they today decided to show their sponsors and try something from breakaway. Only 3 guys in breakaway today and none of them from a PT team. Should be an easy job for peloton.
As they were no threat for peloton, they quickly gained big advantage, which was even more than 8 minutes at one point. Riders in BOTD were co-operating until last 15 kilometers. Lluis Mas, the guy from Caja Rural made an attack and the other 2 riders couldn't follow. But can he keep himself in front of the peloton in next couple of kilometers?
It was hard to believe that he'll stay in front and, as that was expected, peloton caught him around 10 kilometers to go. Trains are about to be created and it's heating on the top of peloton. Everything can happen.
Alafaci is trying to get a solo attack in the middle of the road, while 2 trains are created on sides of the road - Lotto Belisol's one and Androni's one. As our train-guys (Zoidl particulary) weren't feeling good, van Poppel had to follow one of the existing trains. He has choosen the Androni's one.
Alafaci gets caught quickly and the riders are getting closer and closer to 1km banner. Van Poppel is still keeping his position and it looks pretty good for us so far.
The sprint started and it was total mess, actually! Van Poppel started a bit early, but that means he secured his position on top and he can't be blocked. But can he managed to get the win here, with Boeckemans, Marcato , Gatto and few other excellent sprinters?
Lancaster, Boeckemans and Van Poppel are now almost in the line. Seems like Boy's starting to lose his position and pay a price of an early sprint. Still few meters to go, we'll see what he can achieve...
And at the end, it was like we predicted. Boy van Poppel lost half of meter and that was just enough to make him behind the Lancaster, 4th Tour de Langkawi's stage winner.
Boeckemans finished few centimeters in front of Boy, aswell. Van Poppel finished as 3rd at the end, which isn't that bad actually. General Classification remained same as it was before the start of this stage.
Yup, Boy was unlucky there, but you can't actually do anything if you race against stronger riders... We still believe that he can get the win here in the Malaysia!
After the Omloop, KBK is 2nd classic of the year. Shortly, Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne is 1.1 rated classic, that has few cobblestones parts in it and should be finished in mass sprint. All best cobblers are there, aswell, except only one (see who's that below!).
Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne [1.1]
24th February, 2014
Just as said above, the KBK race isn't real cobblestones race, but somewhat mix between flat and cobblestone classic. It has couple of steep hill, few cobblestone sections aswell, but it can be, and it's very likely to happen, finished in mass sprint.
Startlist is once again full of some well known names, such as Boonen, Vanmarcke, Van Avermaet etc., but there's one big name that isn't on this startlist and it's name of Fabian Cancellara. Spartacus decided to skip this and race GP di Lugano in the same day, aswell. He also thinks that he has no chances at this kind of race, so skipping this is probably best decision at the moment.
As Spartacus isn't here, we decided to bring some good sprinting squad here. Nizzolo will surely be our first pick here, but we have Rast, Devloder, Roulston and Hondo if the main guys decides to attack early on these cobbles. Young guns Stuyven, Silvestre and Sergent, alongside with one of most experienced riders in peloton Yaro Popovych are here aswell.
Should be strong enough team for this kind of race. We'll check that out soon, as the race is starting in few hours.
Cheers Admir im not going to copy your style i would fail at that lol im just on about the boxes atround the screens i think others do it aswell ive seen but i dont know how to do it. I dint mean ill copy your righting style
Just see the great win for Kiserlovski also is Andy rding the TDF, and can he get much better as someitmes when i keep restartig he as 3 stars on mountain. 
