We are also invited to Paris-Roubaix! Good stuff! These races are well known up north with Backstedt Paris-Roubaix win and Thor Hushovds yearly struggles to get results here.
We make a slight change of plans now. Arvesen works to maintain his fitness at max the next couple of weeks, and than take it piano until he will be building up for Post Danmark Rundt. This means he will be unfit at GP Herning, but Backstedt will lead our team there – hopefully at peak condition. Arvesen will probably be exhausted after this is done...
Sorry for the little "break" here in the story. I am a family man
: De Brabantsje Pijl
Statkraft-Bianchi will prepare for the cobblestone classics starting next week by doing the Belgium race De Brabantsje Pijl and Driedaagse de Panne – Koksijde.
In Brabantse Pijl we will be testing our skills on the numberous short but steep hills that are scattered around the 192 km long course between Zaventem and Alsemberg. Last year Sylvain Chavanel ended a three-year dominance by Oscar Freire with an attack 28 km from the finish. We are looking to Kurt-Asle Arvesen again for some result her. Kurt-Asle goes well on shorter climbs, so I am sure we will see him towards the front today.
Team:
Arvesen (captain, 76 hill stats)
Others, in appearance of their hill stats:
Daniel Martin (71)
Fredrik Wilmann (70)
Rasmus Guldhammer (70)
Fredrik Kessiakoff (69)
LP Nordhaug (65)
Ian Stannard (63)
I think Arvesen should have good help until the finale starts. I have a good finish so I would not mind a sprint from a small group. I think many other favourites will need to attack. Gilbert will be a big threat in the sprint, though. I will try to make use of this advantage. Saxo Bank only fields two riders (!) – Kroon and Schleck. So I guess Schleck will have to make use of Kroon as a teammate, so that Kroon wil not be a threat.
They are 9 men, and soon gets a gap. They are a bit disorganized, though so they have arrived to the front in several groups. But when another 8 riders bridge over – they get all together. But now Silence-Lotto seems to decide they are too many – as the wheel them in.
With 103 KM to go two higher profile racers get away, it is Julian El Fares (Cofidis) and Bobbie Traksel (Vacansoleil). I’ll let them get a little gap and join the chase eventually. They are not cooperating though, wo it will be an easy match. But there is an attempt to bridge over. It is Dyachenko (Astana), Moerenhout (Rabobank), Jabobs (Silence-Lotto), Tschopp (BBox) and Scholz (Milram). That is a dangerous move, especially since many of the stronger teams are there.
But for some reason Silence-Lotto is working to get the gap down (!). Some time later it is me, the Katusha team and a guy from Cervelo who looks to stabilize the gap. But Silence-Lotto come back to work more. Jacobs is not doing anything in the break. We keep the distance at two minute. Looking towards the break!
Unforutnately Arvesen tells me his legs are not responding well today, He is still my strongest card though. But he will have to be kept well hidden as long as possible.
Geslin is the first favourite to do anything. He attacks 36 KM to go. We will not respond. A larger problem arrives with 31 km to go. Then Gilbert attacks. Sastre, Bertagnolli, Chavanel and others joins in. I could have tried pulling – but now most favourites have left – so I doubt I would be able to catch them on my own. Gilbert attacks again. It is 21 km to go.
He is followed by some riders. I decided to join in. I did not trust the ones back there or get them back. Afterwards I see Schleck and Kroon is back there too, and that would have changed my decision I think. Oh, well – too late for regrets. Arvesen in a 5-man-group.
But they are soon caught. Arvesen does not follow the next attack. It is Geslin, Moncoutie, Niermann and Bertagnolli. They are reeled in too. Next up is Paulinho and Meersman.
With 3,7 KM Arvesen is some way back. Chavanel attacks – Arvesen follows and gets his wheel as the sprint starts. Paulinho goes, but fades... Now Meersman, can he hold on?
Yes - he does! He takes it in front of Paulinho
Arvesen manages to overtak Chavanel on the last metres to capture 3rd. Gilbert is 5th.
Results
1. MEERSMAN, Gianni (Francaise des Jeux)
2. PAULINHO, Sergio (Astana) 3. ARVESEN, Kurt-Asle (Stakraft-Bianchi
4. CHAVANEL, Sylvain (Quick-Step)
5. GILBERT, Philippe (Silence – Lotto)
6. SCHLECK, Fränk (Saxo Bank)
7. NIERMANN, Grischa (Rabobank)
8. GESLIN, Anthony (Francaise des Jeux)
9. MONCOUTIE, David (Cofidis)
10. PFANNBERGER, Christian (Katusha) 21. MARTIN, Daniel (Statkraft-Bianchi) +1:59
26. KESSIAKOFF, Fredrik (Statkraft-Bianchi) +1:59
Debriefing with the DS!
The decision to trust Arvesen’s capabilities in the sprint was right. He beat Gilbert and (Sylvain) Chavanel in the sprint. Unfortunately two outsiders broke out of the group at the right time to fight out for the victory. Anyway, 3rd is a good result I think. I was too far back to follow those guys when they attacked anyway. In hindsight I could have tried to attack at the top of the last climb before the finishing uphill – but well – circumstances did not go there. My only regret is following the Gilbert attack some way out. If I had seen all the riders who had come up to my group – I would not have taken that decision!
In the news – Syklingensverden.com
Kurt-Asle Arvesen is showing good form ahead of the cobblestone classics. Today he finished third in the Brabantsje Pijl. Arvesen won the sprint in the group of favourites in front of Sylvain Chavanel and Philip Gilbert. Unfortunately, Gianni Meersman and Sergio Paulinho had made a late attack to claim the first two spots. “- I didn’t feel so good today”, Arvesen said. “So I was really glad to be able to overtake Chavanel in the sprint. I struggled a bit on the last climb and I had no chance to follow tha decisive attack”
Cycling pundit Karsten Johanstad has been left astounded by Arvesen’s performance the last month. “He has had his best month of racing of his career, I think”, he said. During the last month Arvesen has pulled strong results everywhere he has gone. He wond two stages and the overall of the smaller Giro del Capo-race in South-Africa. Back in Europe he won the Italian semi-classic Eroica in style, before he went on to a surprise win in Paris-Nice. In the last week he has pulled of top 4 results in two Belgium one-day races. “His win in Paris-Nice came sort of by accident, but still – he was up there on all kind of stages. He really was strong there”.
To the question about Arvesen’s possibilities in the forthcoming classics, Johanstad chose to play down expectations. “ Arvesen has been on strong form for quite a while. Statkraft-Bianchi was not sure to take part in these races, and Arvesen has prepared to be at his strongest now in March. He will not be as fresh as the favourites I think. And while he have gone well now, he has yet to win that kind of races against the strongest competiton.”
Arvesen will now race Driedaagse de Panne before taking on the classics.”
We are now set for a flemish classic and a well renowed form tuner for Ronde van Vlaanderen. He we would like to see where we stand against some of the favourites. The three day – four stage – race will pass cobblestone sections and climbs which are perfect for preparing for Flanders. In 2007 Alessandro Ballan won this race just days before taking the victory of the great flemish classic. Other prominent winners of this race is Leif Hoste, Stijn Devolder, George Hincapie and older classics heroes like Van Petegem, Bartoli and Museeuw. Last year’s edition was won by Joost Posthuma.
Let’s just hope we avoid accidents now. This race is known to be dangerous, as racing in this region often is. There are narrow roads, traffic islands and roundabouts – hugh speeds and constant surprises. It’s not like we won’t see more of that the following week…
The route
The first stage is the most “classic”-like, with several cobblestone sections and some small hellingen to test the legs. It is only 168 km though. The next two stages are longer, and flatter, but the wind might be a challenge. Finally a 12 km dead flat time trial will settle the overall. If not a breakaway settles the overall score amongst themselves – it might be a match between sprinters who have won the bonus seconds and the TT-specialists.
My team
I will be there with my classic crew:
Kurt-Asle Arvesen (fitness 98!)
David Kopp
Magnus Backstedt
Gabriel Rasch
LP Nordhaug
Jacob Moe Rasmussen
Ian Stannard
Håvard Nybø
The opposition
We were in for a surprise here. We had expected strong opposition from classics contenders and sprinters here. But it is a considerably more low-key field than I had presumed. No real contenders for Ronde van Vlaanderen are here, unfortunately.
The biggest names here are perhaps defending champion Joost Posthima and Quick-Step’s Sylvain Chavanel. Other names to be mentioned are Milram’s Christian Knees, Carles Barredo from Quick Step abd time trial specialists Sebastien Lang from Silence-Lotto and Bradley Wiggins (Garmin)
Kopp will contest the sprint. He will find good competition for Garmin’s Tyler Farrar, Silence-Lotto’s Joergen Roelandts, Skil-Shimano’s Kenny Van Hummel and Anthony Geslin from Francaise des Jeux. Kelly Benefit’s Candelario might be an outsider.
Arvesen should have a good chance in the overall competition - but he will need to take some time on the first stage.
Well, I have thoroughly been named favourite team for today in this surprisingly low-key field. Cretskens (Silence-Lotto) is my biggest threat – they say.
***: Arvesen, Kopp, Cretksens
**: Backstedt
So we are supposed to dominate today. How are we gonna do this in light of that? We are shipping Håvard Nybø out on attack. He is a good TT, so if the break survives – he might have a good chance on things! Anyway, we have learned from earlier races that we are simply not good enough to control the race. So we have to try do it as simple as possible for ourselves.
Off we go then.
Håvard Nybø takes off in pursuit of a breakaway attempt. However – the other one just stopped. So Nybø is alone here now… He goes on, waiting for someone to bridge over. After Nybø has pedalled around there for a while, he finally get some company. Now there are four: Neirynck (Topsport Vlaanderen), Peeters (Landbouwkrediet), Blot (Cofidis) – and Nybø.
At the half way stage, 84 km to go, the break has 5:43 to the pack which is lead by Rabobank. Meanwhile Quick Step and Milram wants to play and sends off a couple of guys in pursuit. They are not going anyway though. Now the tempo back there is high enough to get my team workers into trouble. Stannard is the first to go. Backstedt says he is feeling very well today – so let’s see how we can utilize that later on.
With 51 km to go – Hulsman lauches for Quick Step – they have som card to play… And Nybø has to let go… Hmm…. Hulsmans gain ground very fast… With 30 KM to go, Hulsmans got three minutes and is about to overtake the early escapees… Now Meersman goes. Backstedt follows! So does Arvesen. This is a gamble! Of course this got the teams working…
Status 15 km to go:
E1: Peeters, Blot, Hulsmanns
E3: Arvesen, Backstedt, Meersman @ 1:23
E4/5: Joachim (Differdange) and Veelers (Skil-Shimano)
P: 2:50
With 14 KM to go, other favourites starts to attack as well.
Arvesen is with the front group with 5,8 KM to go… Posthuma’s group is 2 minutes basck. Arvesen just takes a breath – and goes to the attack!
Noone follows stage victory is ensured!
I got 40 seconds (plus bonus seconds) to Hulsmans and Meersman. Neither should be stronger in the Time Trials. 1:10 to Blot and Peeters, which I don’t think can fight it out for the win. Then we have 1:53 to the main rivels like Posthuma, Knees, Barredo, Lang. Wiggins lost minutes – and can do whatever he pleases in the TT without being able to do any harm!
RESULTS
Stage 1 Kurt-Asle Arvesen Team Statkraft Bianchi 4h18'41
2 Kevin Hulsmans Quick·Step + 40
3 Gianni Meersman Française des Jeux s.t.
4 Guillaume Blot Cofidis, le crédit en ligne + 1'10
5 Kevin Peeters Landbouwkrediet - Colnago s.t.
6 Wilfried Cretskens Silence - Lotto + 1'53
7 Benoît Joachim Differdange s.t.
8 Joost Posthuma Rabobank s.t.
9 Christian Knees Team Milram s.t.
10 Stijn Neirynck Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator s.t. 11 Magnus Bäckstedt Team Statkraft Bianchi s.t.
23 David Kopp Team Statkraft Bianchi s.t.
60 Jacob Moe Rasmussen Team Statkraft Bianchi s.t.
77 Lars Petter Nordhaug Team Statkraft Bianchi + 4'19
82 Gabriel Rasch Team Statkraft Bianchi + 5'23
90 Havard Nybö Team Statkraft Bianchi + 8'05
98 Ian Stannard Team Statkraft Bianchi + 10'50
Overall 1 Kurt-Asle Arvesen Team Statkraft Bianchi 4h18'21
2 Kevin Hulsmans Quick·Step + 48
3 Gianni Meersman Française des Jeux + 52
4 Guillaume Blot Cofidis, le crédit en ligne + 1'30
5 Kevin Peeters Landbouwkrediet - Colnago s.t.
6 Wilfried Cretskens Silence - Lotto + 2'13
7 Benoît Joachim Differdange s.t.
8 Joost Posthuma Rabobank s.t. 11 Magnus Bäckstedt Team Statkraft Bianchi s.t.
Debriefing with the DS!
This was fun!
I think we played it well today. Nybø made other teams chase. But when he folded and Hulsman left (disabling Quick Step from chasing) it never looked like the pack had teams capable of pulling things together. I think we did well to chose the time to go. Backstedt helped Arvesen save energy, and Arvesen could ride steady to the top of the last hill were he could do a minor attack to get to the others. Those were going slowly, and were probably in red – so I took off again – a lovely solo victory. Today we really did ride like the favourite we were!
Now we will defend the lead. Arvesen can’t loose that much on a 12km TT! Only question is how we will handle the pressure to defend and control. I do not have the best of experiences with that.
Monthly Update!
Kurt Asle Arvesen is rider of the month.
With Paris-Nice, Eroica and a stage win in de Panne – he was always a strong candidate for the title.
Meanwhile the cycling press has finally discovered where Damiano Cunego's future in cycling lies...
Sponsor:
Excellent!
No wonder. They were in heavenly moods with Arvesen’s win in Paris-Nice and MTN Giro del Capo. (five stars). They were overjoyed also with his Eroica wins, and three second places in Paris-Nice stges – as well as his 11th in Milan – San Remo. Deignan, McCann and Kopp has also provided such joyful results!
Who have been winning elswhere?
Campina Ronda van het Groene Hart:Janek Tombak (Cycling Club Bourgas) outsprinted Gorik Gardeyn (Silence – Lotto) and Shinri Suzuki (Shimano) for the win. Sondre Sørtveit almost managed to get Sparebanken Vest their first top 10, but he only finished 12th.
Vuelta a Castilla y Leon
Astana were never in the risk of losing this. Contador took it, a minute in front of Armstrong – and another minute before the rest. Juan J. Cobo (Fuji) came closest. The Astana duo came alone to the finish of the hard mountain stage and also took 2nd and 3rd on the opening time trial. Contador also took time on everybody else on the last hilly stage. Other stage winners were Edvald Boasson Hagen (Time trial and a sprint victory) , Bruno Lima (Madeinox)
Settimana Coppi e Bartali: Over in Italy Quick Step’s gifted climber Dario Cataldo claimed the overall victory. Juan M. Garate (RAbobank) and Benat Intxausti (Fuji) came closest. Cataldo won because of his breakaway in the challenging first stage were a small group got an advantage and Cataldo won the stage. He lost some time on the team time trial and limited his losses enough on the climb to Serramazzoni to keep the leaders jersey- Rabobank dominated the race , with 4 guys in top seven due also to a strong team time trial. Other stage winners: Fran Ventoso (CarmioOro), Garmin (TTT), Robert Hunter (Barloworld) and Gibo Simoni (Serramenti)
Criterium International: The first stage ended in a mass sprint, won by Besson’s Jimmy Casper. On te second stage we got some time gaps. A four man group with Uran (Caisse d’Epargne), Karpets (Katusha), Moreau (Agritubel) and Perez (Caisse d’Epargne) finished 15s before the next group. And then there were several groups coming in. Karpets went on to win the time trail and secured the overall. Uran finished 2nd and Moreau 3rd.
E3: Without the reigning champion, or the follow up, there it was Fabian Cancellara who took the win. He outsprinted Phillippe Gilbert in a 2-man sprint. Pipo Pozzato came in 22s back to take third.
GP Llodio: David Blanco (Palmeiras Resort) won in front of Giovanni Visconti in this hilly race. Ruben Perez was the best of the rest to take a third place for Euskaltel-Euskadi.
Contact situation
We need to worry about this, I guess. We have lots of riders without a contract for next year… My bank account is telling me I’m loosing money fast… I need to get rid of staff-bills! With this tempo I will only be able to finance the team until September… I release a mythical scout and a trainer to free up funds. A dramatic steps, but with the prohibitive contract renewal cost (outer-wordly). Just like Norwegian football clubs this days, I had punched above my budget on expenses! But I need to secure Arvesen for another year (cost med 70K, equal to almost 5 percent of my yearly budget!). The others cost quite a number of month’s wages. But I need to keep my basis of anglo-scandinavian riders, so I will renew most om them.
Any tips for who I should try to sign next season?
Can we manage to protect our lead? This shuld be a mass sprint finish, but I need to watch out for attacks on the small climb 30KM from the finish. The pundits see me winning again here. This really is a poor field for such a race.
How it unfolded
Stannard and Nybø is first ones on pulling duty. But when an attack goes clear, with 8 riders (the best ones being 2:13 behind Arvesen, I have som help from Garmin, Quick-Step and Francaise des Jeux. Actually they pulled harder than I would have preferred, reeling the breakaway in with 166 KM to go.
A new two man break goes clear. I let them build a lead of a couple of minuts. Then Quick-Step, Cofidis and Garmin goes on the attack with 100 KM to go. Now they are five up there. I try to keep them around two and a half minutes. Francaise des Jeux sends up one guy to assist:
Rasmussen and Rasch takes over the at the front. Severel others have also come to the front now. At the top of the hill there are some attacks. It is a fairly strong one including Peeters (Landbouwkrediet), Hulsmans (Quick-Step), Patour (Garmin) and Meersman (Francaise des Jeux). It is 28,5 km to the finish. I stay put as I still have team members to help out. I will try to save Kopp as long as possible in case of a sprint, but it is most important to keep the distance down (Meersman is 52s back).
Things are together again with 13 KM to go. We get a train organized. It is Rasmussen, Arvesen, Backstedt and Kopp. With nearly 8 km to go, this is how it looks... 7,8 km to go
Arvesen takes over with 6,5 to go. 4,1 KM it looks like this:
That gets us to the front efficiently! Arvesen opens the sprint at 2,7 KM to go. Kopp has De Ketele (Topsport) and Leezer (Rabobank) on his wheel. Backstedt is quite tired, but Arvesen should hold for some time anyway so I doubt it will be a problem
Backstedt fires with 1,6 KM to to! Kopp has told me he feels well today – so I am confident! Backstedt can’t keep the pace high enough – so with 1,3 KM Kopp feels he can’t wait any more before opening his sprint!
De Ketele and Leezer har opened up their own sprints on either side of Kopp, but they have been in the wind longer! 0,7 km to go
And Kopp takes it!!
RESULTS 1 David Kopp Team Statkraft Bianchi 4h40'10
2 Kenny De Ketele Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator s.t.
3 Tom Leezer Rabobank s.t.
4 Kenny Van Hummel Skil - Shimano s.t.
5 Gianni Meersman Française des Jeux s.t. 6 Kurt-Asle Arvesen Team Statkraft Bianchi s.t.
7 Magnus Bäckstedt Team Statkraft Bianchi s.t.
8 Wesley Sulzberger Française des Jeux s.t.
9 Anthony Geslin Française des Jeux s.t.
10 Frédéric Amorison Landbouwkrediet - Colnago s.t.
Overall classification 1 Kurt-Asle Arvesen Team Statkraft Bianchi 8h58'31
2 Kevin Hulsmans Quick·Step + 48
3 Gianni Meersman Française des Jeux + 52
4 Guillaume Blot Cofidis, le crédit en ligne + 1'30 5 David Kopp Team Statkraft Bianchi + 1'53
6 Kenny De Ketele Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator + 2'01
7 Tom Leezer Rabobank + 2'05
8 Wilfried Cretskens Silence - Lotto + 2'07
9 Christian Knees Team Milram + 2'09
10 Bert De Backer Skil - Shimano + 2'11
11 Magnus Bäckstedt Team Statkraft Bianchi + 2'13
Debriefing with the DS!
This went very well. I can only agree with the pundits – we really are the strongest team here. We controlled the race well, and had really no problems in the sprint. We should have switched Arvesen and Backstedt’s position in the train – but Kopp was always the best sprinter here. (Well, probably Farrar is, but he finished way down today – but he has no reason to be at his best now). Hopefully things will go as smoothly tomorrow too!
