Rasmussen: We are here in Malaysia for Tour de Langkawi, our first category 2.HC ever, we don’t know what to expect of this, not only is it the longest stage race of the season with 10 race day, but also with a squad of only 6 riders, so I guess we have to be careful not to overextend our riders, using too much energy too early.
Today’s stage moves from Kangar in northwest Malaysia, straight south to Kulim, just a few km inland from the Strait of Malacca. A very flat stage, with a bit of small hill on the last part, we expect a mass sprint finish.
Kandar:
Roster:
Francisco José Pacheco
Kenny Elissonde
Lasse Bøchman
Martin Pedersen
Sebastian Balck
Stefan Schumacher
Sebastian Balck's first race of the season, the others was all in Tour Méditerranéen
Pre-race strategy: The plan is not to use to much energy, and try to get in position for a sprint Francisco José Pacheco. The wather is fine 26 °C cloudy.
Profile:
Right from the start a hard stage with a lot of breakaways, and a very fast peloton not wanting anything to go.
The first attempt to break:
Getting close to the sprint with no one in front, Francisco José moves in front and sprints, but he does not get any points.
First sprint:
Getting close to the last sprint and the mountain points Martin Pedersen attacks, hoping the peloton is getting weaker after a long time on high speeds, and he gets away and is joined by another rider. Pedersen takes the sprint, but is break is caught before the mountain sprint.
Pedersen attacks:
The peloton is together again, when they get to the mountain sprint, and Bøchman passes 2nd, taking 4 points.
The mountain sprint:
Now time to set up a sprint train, we are too far back and getting blocked, it collapses completely. Kenny Elissonde who was not part of the train is our best (17). The stage was won by Fabio Sabatini (Cannondale) in a close finish.
The win:
Rasmussen: Not what we had hoped for, wasting much too much energy without getting much outcome.
Stage:
1
Fabio Sabatini
Cannondale Pro Cycling
3h30'34
2
Allan Davis
Orica - GreenEdge
s.t.
3
Davide Cimolai
Lampre - Merida
s.t.
4
Davide Appollonio
Jamis - Hagens Berman
s.t.
5
Gediminas Bagdonas
Atlas Personal - Jakroo
s.t.
6
Davide Viganò
Lampre - Merida
s.t.
7
Caleb Ewan
Orica - GreenEdge
s.t.
8
Moreno Hofland
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
9
Rafael Andriato
Vini Fantini - Selle Italia
s.t.
10
Marco Canola
Androni Giocattoli - Venezuela
s.t.
GC:
1
Fabio Sabatini
Cannondale Pro Cycling
3h30'14
2
Allan Davis
Orica - GreenEdge
+ 2
3
Davide Cimolai
Lampre - Merida
+ 6
4
Peter Erdin
Atlas Personal - Jakroo
+ 14
5
Nic Hamilton
Jelly Belly p/b Kenda
+ 16
6
Davide Appollonio
Jamis - Hagens Berman
+ 18
7
Sebastien Baldauf
Team NSP - Ghost
s.t.
8
Gediminas Bagdonas
Atlas Personal - Jakroo
+ 20
9
Davide Viganò
Lampre - Merida
s.t.
10
Caleb Ewan
Orica - GreenEdge
s.t.
Points:
1
Allan Davis
Orica - GreenEdge
26
2
Fabio Sabatini
Cannondale Pro Cycling
25
3
Davide Cimolai
Lampre - Merida
22
Mountain:
1
Robert Kiserlovski
Orica - GreenEdge
6
2
Lasse Bøchman
Christina Watches - Onfone
4
3
Winner Anacona
Lampre - Merida
2
Team: Orica - GreenEdge
Young: Davide Cimolai (Lampre - Merida)
Edited by Tamijo on 02-10-2015 23:50
I have had a quick glance at your story and I'm intending to read it fully at some point. I think you have a very nice, organic style of writing, that conveys your point well and draws empathy in the reader without dwelling on technicalities. It's fairly unusual to take control of such an underpowered team in stories, but in itself that helped to catch my attention. I think it will be really cool to see if you can gradually strengthen into a top level team and the way in which that story might unfold. Hoping for better fortunes in Malaysia
Rasmussen: The Caravan has traveled just 26 km south, to the town of Serdang (Kedan), the administrative center of Bandar Baharu district. From there the stage moves 50 km west, for the mountain Bukit Sumpitan, 550 m above sea level, then straight south for the finish in Kuala Kangsar, the royal town of the Sultan of Perak.
Sultan Abdul Jalil Shah Bridge in Kuala Kangsar:
Pre-race strategy: We believe that the profile of the race, suggest that the KoM jersey will go to one of the favorites, so we won’t attack for it. We will stay in the poleton, to help Pacheco in the sprint.
Profile:
The morning break was Alberto Cecchin (Nippo - De Rosa) Aaron Buggle (Rapha Condor – JLT) and Benjamin Wolfe (Jelly Belly), all relative weak riders, not likely they will hold. The first sprint was won by Aaron Buggle.
The Peloton is not riding seriously hard, the front group takes the mountain sprint. The winner was Alberto Cecchin over Benjamin Wolfe. The group has approx. 4 minutes.
Not long after, the Peloton starts to speed up, led by Orica, Lampre and Jamis, the speed is not extreme, but the distance is reduced to 2 minutes when the front passes the last sprint, again won by Aaron Buggle.
As expected the break is reeled in and it time to set up a train, we starts with a train of Bøchman, Pedersen, Schumacher and Pacheco. Bøchman moves the group to the front at about 8 km, then fall back, Pedersen hold the group near the front until Schumacher starts our sprint, all perfect, and we gets Pacheco over the line third. Allan Davis Orica – GreenEdge takes the win; and the GC too.
Rasmussen: We did what we had planned, and it was much better than yesterday.
The Cameron Highlands Resort, only 137 km but quite different from life in Sungai Siput:
Rasmussen: Todays stage starts in Sungai Siput, just a few km west of Kuala Kangsar. From Sungai Siput the stage moves south in the Kinta Valley towards Batu Gajah, then straight west heading for the mountains. First a mountain sprint in the village of Kampung Raja (cat.1) shortly after a Hors Catégorie near the town Brinchang, just 9 km before the finish near the Cameron Highlands resort.
Pre-race strategy: We will protect Kenny Elissonde all we can, but on a stage like this it’s all about who has got the best legs, when all help is gone, when it is him against the mountain.
Profile:
The morning break doesn’t get far away, before it is back in the bunch, no one is out in front at the first sprint, it is decided between a small group of sprinters, Davide Appollonio (Jamis) won over Davide Cimolai (Lampre).
After the sprint, a break finally get a good gab, Leonardo Pinizzotto (Nippo - De Rosa) Huub Duyn (De Rijke – Shanks) and Kirill Pozdnyakov (Synergy Baku), they take the next 2 sprints, and the first cat. 3. Mountain sprint.
Pinizzotto wins the cat. 3. Mountain sprint:
So far the peloton have been riding in a nice pace, not doing much to catch the breakaway, the teams are getting ready for the harder part of the race.
Sebastian Balck gets water for the team, before the climbs start:
At the middle of the cat.1 we sets Schumacher in front, setting a hard pace, to try and shake of helpers from the others teams, and the effect is immediately evident, the front group is reduced to about 40 riders.
Riders dropping of the back of the Peloton, start to form gruppettos:
The breakaway is caught. A few km before the mountain sprint Alex Howes (Belkin) attacks and get away, he takes the points on the cat.1 and the HC Mountain sprints. Schumacher make it to the top with the favorites, and gets new water for Bøchman and Elissonde at the descend before the last climb.
Alex Howes alone in front:
Just before the top of the Hors Catégorie, Elissonde attacks and get a small gab to the favorites.
But Alex Howes is gone, and he makes a solo win, taking 1 minute on the other favorites.
Elissonde can’t hold the distance to the favorites; he crosses the line as 8th.
Rasmussen: A fine result of a very hard stage, Elissonde not losing time to most of the favorites is great.
Stage:
1
Alex Howes
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
3h40'14
2
Diego Ulissi
Lampre - Merida
+ 1'00
3
Joseph Dombrowski
Cannondale Pro Cycling
s.t.
4
Janier Acevedo
Jamis - Hagens Berman
s.t.
5
Laurens Ten Dam
Bissell Cycling
s.t.
6
Matteo Rabottini
Vini Fantini - Selle Italia
s.t.
7
Matteo Montaguti
Androni Giocattoli - Venezuela
s.t.
8
Kenny Elissonde
Christina Watches - Onfone
s.t.
9
Julian Arredondo
Team Nippo - De Rosa
s.t.
10
Robert Kiserlovski
Orica - GreenEdge
s.t.
GC:
1
Alex Howes
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
9h52'06
2
Diego Ulissi
Lampre - Merida
+ 1'08
3
Joseph Dombrowski
Cannondale Pro Cycling
+ 1'12
4
Janier Acevedo
Jamis - Hagens Berman
+ 1'20
5
Winner Anacona
Lampre - Merida
s.t.
6
Laurens Ten Dam
Bissell Cycling
s.t.
7
Julian Arredondo
Team Nippo - De Rosa
s.t.
8
Kenny Elissonde
Christina Watches - Onfone
s.t.
9
Damiano Cunego
Cannondale Pro Cycling
s.t.
10
Francesco Reda
Cyclingteam De Rijke - Shanks
s.t.
Points:
Allan Davis
Orica - GreenEdge
0
51
Fabio Sabatini
Cannondale Pro Cycling
0
37
Davide Cimolai
Lampre - Merida
4
35
Mountain:
1
Alex Howes
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
36
36
2
Tsgabu Grmay
MTN - Qhubeka
18
18
3
Muhamad Othman
Champion System Pro Cycling Team
18
18
Team: Cannondale Pro Cycling
Young: Diego Ulissi (Lampre - Merida)
Edited by Tamijo on 03-10-2015 20:43
Rasmussen: The caravan has moved about 60 km south east, from the mountains, down to Tapah, by the Sungai Batang Padang river. Today’s stage is all flat, riding from Tapah southwest to the coastal town Sungai Besar by the Malacca Strait, and then south along the coast to Kapar,
Mahasumeru temple, Kapar:
Pre-race strategy: We believe the stage ends in a mass sprint, we will protect Pacheco and hope for a good sprint.
Profile:
After the first opening rush, a breakaway takes off and things calm down, the break is António Carvalho (LA Alumínios) Nicolas Lüthi (Atlas Personal) Adrián Ezequiel Richeze (Team Nippo - De Rosa)
Lots of spectators, as the break rides through Teluk Intan the largest town on todays route:
The break dosent fight for the sprint points, but it is Adrián Ezequiel Richeze who win the first two sprints, the breakaway gets a maximum of 7 minutes.
But as soon as the Peloton speed up, the distance is reduced quickly, at the last sprint, they only got 1’24. Nicolas Lüthi takes last 6 points, again without any fight.
Our sprint train dosen’t work as planned, for some reason Schumacher follows another rider and loose energy to early, he was suposed to take the wheel of Pedersen. Anyway Pacheco takes the wheel of Pedersen instead, he makes it 6 th. The winner was Davide Cimolai (Lampre – Merida).
Rasmussen: Ok stage, not to hard on the team, Kenny Elissonde improve his possition in the GC, but that is an academical result, wont mean anything after the mountain finish tomorrow.
Stage:
1
Davide Cimolai
Lampre - Merida
3h44'22
2
Davide Appollonio
Jamis - Hagens Berman
s.t.
3
Allan Davis
Orica - GreenEdge
s.t.
4
Caleb Ewan
Orica - GreenEdge
s.t.
5
Steele Von Hoff
Jelly Belly p/b Kenda
s.t.
6
Francisco José Pacheco
Christina Watches - Onfone
s.t.
7
Davide Viganò
Lampre - Merida
s.t.
8
Martin Pedersen
Christina Watches - Onfone
s.t.
9
Fabio Felline
Vini Fantini - Selle Italia
s.t.
10
Bobbie Traksel
Champion System Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
1
Alex Howes
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
13h36'28
2
Diego Ulissi
Lampre - Merida
+ 1'08
3
Joseph Dombrowski
Cannondale Pro Cycling
+ 1'12
4
Janier Acevedo
Jamis - Hagens Berman
+ 1'20
5
Laurens Ten Dam
Bissell Cycling
s.t.
6
Kenny Elissonde
Christina Watches - Onfone
s.t.
7
Julian Arredondo
Team Nippo - De Rosa
s.t.
8
Francesco Reda
Cyclingteam De Rijke - Shanks
s.t.
9
Damiano Cunego
Cannondale Pro Cycling
s.t.
10
Winner Anacona
Lampre - Merida
s.t.
Points:
1
Allan Davis
Orica - GreenEdge
16
67
2
Davide Cimolai
Lampre - Merida
25
60
3
Davide Appollonio
Jamis - Hagens Berman
20
42
Mountain:
1
Alex Howes
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
36
2
Tsgabu Grmay
MTN - Qhubeka
18
3
Muhamad Othman
Champion System Pro Cycling Team
18
Team: Cannondale Pro Cycling
Young: Diego Ulissi (Lampre - Merida)
Edited by Tamijo on 04-10-2015 08:15
Hi, I am Christian Andersen former Manager at Team Designa Køkken, now I am leading coach at Christina Watches. I will be following some races, in case Rasmussen it occupied elsewhere, as he is now in Malaysia.
24/2 Clásica de Almería (cat. 1.HC)
Almeria – Roquetas de Mar: 184.2 km
Almeria:
Andersen: This 1 day race, starts in the Spanish costal town Almeria, some 200 km east of Málaga, moves west into the hilly arear between El Ejido and Berja, and then back to Roquetas de Mar a turist resort by the coast, not that far from where it all started.
Beach at Roquetas de Mar:
Pre-race strategy: We have no goals in this race; the squad we bring here is too weak. But as a coach, I’m very interested to see how the new young riders Anton Grøn and Lasse Christiansen will cope with a hard HC race like this. Philip Nielsen may have a chance of a good finish, if it comes to a mass sprint.
Profile:
Roster:
Anton Grøn
Daniele Aldegheri
Lasse Christiansen
Marc Hester
Morten Høberg
Philip Nielsen
Simon Bigum
Yves Lampaert
After some morning turmoil, a strong break of 8 riders gets away, supposedly the strongest rider in the break is Bram Tankink (Belkin) and Nicolas Edet (FDJ.fr). The front group get 5’30 to the peloton.
When the peloton hits the hills, Movistar and Saxo–Tinkoff, moves to the front, and sets a much higher pace.
The young Lasse Christiansen feels the pain; he has a hard time hanging on to the peloton.
The front group has still got 3’45 when they start the last and hardest climb, with 69 km to the finish line.
Bram Tankink leads the way up the climb:
The last 30 km, the peloton sets an insanely fast pace, trying to catch the breakaway, and in the end none of our riders are able to follow.
Philip Nielsen and Yves Lampaert try to get back to the peloton, leading the next group:
Nicolas Edet (FDJ.fr) makes a last second attack, and win the race with 23 sec., the peloton get in at the same time as the rest of the break, but the break crosses the line first.
Nicolas Edet:
Andersen: Even if I did not expect much, I am disappointed, our best riders loosing 3'31, and four riders in the last gruppetto of 70 riders, losing more than 17 minutes. We need to train even harder! But I can’t say the young rider was bad today, everyone was bad.
The caravan have traveled back to Tapar for a 124 km stage, heading for an mountain finish in Genting Highlands, after a 22 km Hors catégorie climb with an average of 7,3%. The routes travels from Tapar over 3 point sprints, before is turns southwest for the mountain. A stage only fit for the best climbers.
Chin Swee Temple, Genting Highlands:
Pre-race strategy: Everything is about keeping Kenny Elissonde as high as possible in the CG.
Profile:
A morning breakaway of 4 riders gets a gap, and the peloton does not seem to care, we deside to attack with Schumacher, hoping to catch the front group. If the group dosent win the stage, Schumacher may be able to help Elissonde on the climb. Schumacher catches the front group just before the 2nd. Sprint.
The front group has got about 3’30 when they start the climb. Back in the peloton some attacks is attempted at the start of the climb, they are all unsucessfull but the high speed reduces the favorite group to about 40 riders. Janier Acevedo (Jamis) attacks, followed by Ulissi (Lampre). Elissonde still protected by Bøchman, takes the wheel of Ten Dam (Bissell) and they catch up.
This is the situation, with 13 km left; the yellow jersey is in serious trouble. Bøchman is done, ready to fall back:
Dombrowski (Cannondale) comes up to the group, while Ulissi struggles to hang on, giving Elissonde the possibility to claim the young rider jersey. With Bøchman gone, Schumacher fall back to help Elissonde, with the last bit of power left in his legs.
This is the situation, with 6 km left; Now Schumacher is finished too, letting go of the front. The yellow jersey is more than 3 minutes after the front group.
Elissonde now speed up and leads the group to make extra distance to Ulissi and the other GC contenders. El Diablo trying to cheer him up is almost knocking him off the bike.
With 3 km left, Laurens Ten Dam attacks, Elissonde tries to follows, while Acevedo and Dombrowski resigns, Ten Dam wins the stage with 27” to Elissonde.
Rasmussen: A brilliant performance from the entire team! Elissonde shows what he can do when the climbing gets tough, and the others made it possible.
Stage:
1
Laurens Ten Dam
Bissell Cycling
3h22'39
2
Kenny Elissonde
Christina Watches - Onfone
+ 27
3
Janier Acevedo
Jamis - Hagens Berman
+ 1'20
4
Diego Ulissi
Lampre - Merida
s.t.
5
Joseph Dombrowski
Cannondale Pro Cycling
+ 1'46
6
Robert Kiserlovski
Orica - GreenEdge
+ 2'00
7
Julian Arredondo
Team Nippo - De Rosa
+ 3'14
8
Tom Slagter
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
+ 3'24
9
Matteo Rabottini
Vini Fantini - Selle Italia
s.t.
10
Matteo Montaguti
Androni Giocattoli - Venezuela
+ 3'47
GC:
1
Laurens Ten Dam
Bissell Cycling
17h00'07
2
Kenny Elissonde
Christina Watches - Onfone
+ 35
3
Diego Ulissi
Lampre - Merida
+ 1'28
4
Janier Acevedo
Jamis - Hagens Berman
+ 1'32
5
Joseph Dombrowski
Cannondale Pro Cycling
+ 1'58
6
Robert Kiserlovski
Orica - GreenEdge
+ 2'20
7
Julian Arredondo
Team Nippo - De Rosa
+ 3'34
8
Tom Slagter
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
+ 3'44
9
Matteo Rabottini
Vini Fantini - Selle Italia
s.t.
10
Matteo Montaguti
Androni Giocattoli - Venezuela
+ 4'07
Points:
1
Allan Davis
Orica - GreenEdge
67
2
Davide Cimolai
Lampre - Merida
60
3
Davide Appollonio
Jamis - Hagens Berman
42
Mountain:
1
Alex Howes
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
0
36
2
Kenny Elissonde
Christina Watches - Onfone
14
30
3
Laurens Ten Dam
Bissell Cycling
20
29
Team: Cannondale Pro Cycling
Young: Kenny Elissonde (Christina Watches - Onfone)
Edited by Tamijo on 04-10-2015 18:20
The Tour buses have travelled 117 km west, about one and a half hour, most of the way on the E8 East Coast Expressway to Mentakap in the center of Peninsular Malaysia.
Today a long stage of 213 km, from Mentakap straight north in the Pahang River delta to Jerantut, then back down southwest to Maran, and then straight west to a finish in Kurantan, by the east coast of the Malaysia peninsular.
Kuantan:
Pre-race strategy: We do not want to attack, we will try to relax as much as possible, and hope for Francisco in a sprint.
Profile:
A morning breakaway of 7 rider gets away, the best placed rider in the CG is Ruslan Pidgornyy (Vini Fantini - Selle Italia) 13’18, so it is not a treat to the GC. In a quiet race, not much is happening for the next 190 km. besides the fact that the Peloton slowly accelerates to try and catch the break.
The Break:
We are setting up the sprint train, and the peloton is getting close to the break, when the tour radio says: A major crash in the pack, I see riders from Jamis, Jelly Belly, Christina Watches, NSP, Bissell and several from Vini Fantini.
Anyway our the train is looking good, getting close to the front, the breakaway is still in front with just 3 km left.
The Sprinters are hunting the break at stunning speeds, but a rider from the break crosses the line first, todays winner is René Hooghiemster (Team NSP – Ghost)
over Orica–GreenEdge’s top sprinter Allan Davis. Our sprint train breaks over in the high speeds, and Francisco José Pacheco is trapped in traffic, our best today was Schumacher (18).
Rasmussen: Not a good sprint!, but even worse, while everyone was concerned with the Sprint, Kenny Elissonde was involved in the crash, no tragedy he got up and only got some harmless bruises, but he lost over 3 minutes, moving from pos 2-8 in the GC. I can only say, we have learned to look better after our GC contenders, even if we are involved in a sprint finish.
