Ok four stages down and we have this man to lead the Paris Nice...
Time to change that, we have the nasty hill top climb up to Mende next on the menu. With neither this meat eater
Or this tiny Spaniard:
here it looks like there will an oppurtunity for anyone really to take this one. Stage seven looks tough but this one looks like the best chance to get some proper gaps. The early break had 14 guys in, before the ambitious Katusha team sent Mazzani up the road to make it 15.
[
Most prominent names other than Mazzanti, were Peter Velits, Fredrik Kessiekoff and Romain Sicard. Some guys with genuine potential there, so one that we had to keep an eye on. With 80 km to this lead group has 6 and a half minutes later and 40km later this had been got down to about 4 minutes thanks to the steady but not severe pacing of Saxo duo O Grady and Jorgenson.
Larsson was also now used to get the break down to two minutes with about 20km to go before the fun really started. As one would expect the French (Vogondy and Le Mevel) would lead the crazy early attacks - Gesink, Sanchez and race leader Zabriske foolishly went with them on the first hill climb.
But Saxo (and others) were hauling it back, the break saw Sicard jump away before the last climb up into Mende.
The peleton began to split as 43 men moved clear, before Gesink launched his big move marked by Frank Schleck and Liquigas surprise package Robert Kiserlovski.
Schleck had saved himself for this moment and powered away from the Liquigas Croat and took an excellent victory to move himself to the top of the GC podium.
Spoiler
Stage results into Mende
Rank
Name
Team
Time
Player
1
Fränk Schleck
Team Saxo Bank
4h30'49
Player
2
Robert Kiserlovski
Liquigas - Doimo
s.t.
3
Robert Gesink
Rabobank
+ 39
4
David Zabriskie
Garmin - Transitions
+ 58
5
Daniel Navarro
Astana
s.t.
6
Christophe Le Mével
Française des Jeux
s.t.
7
John Gadret
AG2R La Mondiale
s.t.
8
David De la Fuente
Astana
+ 1'25
9
Carlos Barredo
Quick·Step
+ 1'34
10
Samuel Sánchez
Euskaltel - Euskadi
s.t.
11
Ryder Hesjedal
Garmin - Transitions
s.t.
12
Nicolas Vogondy
Bbox Bouygues Télécom
s.t.
13
Igor Antón
Euskaltel - Euskadi
s.t.
14
Sandy Casar
Française des Jeux
s.t.
15
Mauricio Ardila
Rabobank
s.t.
16
Thomas Rohregger
Team Milram
s.t.
17
Christophe Brandt
Omega Pharma - Lotto
s.t.
18
Brice Feillu
Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
19
Nicki Sørensen
Team Saxo Bank
s.t.
Player
20
Yaroslav Popovych
Team RadioShack
s.t.
25
Damiano Cunego
Lampre - Farnese Vini
s.t.
27
Romain Sicard
Euskaltel - Euskadi
s.t.
34
Roman Kreuziger
Liquigas - Doimo
s.t.
45
Gustav Erik Larsson
Team Saxo Bank
s.t.
Player
52
Lars Boom
Rabobank
+ 2'27
56
Luca Mazzanti
Team Katusha
+ 2'43
57
Linus Gerdemann
Team Milram
s.t.
63
Luis León Sánchez
Caisse d'Epargne
+ 2'59
67
Paul Martens
Rabobank
+ 3'07
71
Simon Gerrans
Sky Professional Cycling Team
+ 3'15
99
Tom Boonen
Quick·Step
+ 4'51
106
Stuart O'Grady
Team Saxo Bank
+ 5'07
Player
107
André Steensen
Team Saxo Bank
s.t.
Player
108
David Moncoutié
Cofidis, le crédit en ligne
s.t.
112
Jonas Aaen Jørgensen
Team Saxo Bank
+ 5'23
Player
136
Sébastien Rosseler
Team RadioShack
+ 6'43
137
Bobbie Traksel
Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
138
Carlos Sastre
Cervélo Test Team
s.t.
161
Jonathan Bellis
Team Saxo Bank
+ 7'31
Player
170
Jarosław Marycz
Team Saxo Bank
+ 11'15
Player
General Classification after Mende top 25
Spoiler
Rank
Name
Team
Time
Player
1
Fränk Schleck
Team Saxo Bank
19h02'23
Player
2
Robert Kiserlovski
Liquigas - Doimo
+ 14
3
David Zabriskie
Garmin - Transitions
+ 42
4
Robert Gesink
Rabobank
+ 1'01
5
Christophe Le Mével
Française des Jeux
+ 1'10
6
Gustav Erik Larsson
Team Saxo Bank
+ 1'23
Player
7
John Gadret
AG2R La Mondiale
+ 1'24
8
Yaroslav Popovych
Team RadioShack
+ 1'30
9
Daniel Navarro
Astana
s.t.
10
Ryder Hesjedal
Garmin - Transitions
+ 1'32
11
Rui Costa
Caisse d'Epargne
s.t.
12
Sandy Casar
Française des Jeux
+ 1'34
13
Nicolas Vogondy
Bbox Bouygues Télécom
+ 1'36
14
Roman Kreuziger
Liquigas - Doimo
+ 1'37
15
Pierrick Fédrigo
Bbox Bouygues Télécom
+ 1'39
16
Maarten Tjallingii
Rabobank
s.t.
17
Carlos Barredo
Quick·Step
+ 1'40
18
Arkaitz Durán
Footon - Servetto
s.t.
19
Christophe Moreau
Caisse d'Epargne
+ 1'42
20
Stef Clement
Rabobank
s.t.
21
Aitor Pérez Arrieta
Footon - Servetto
+ 1'43
22
Damiano Cunego
Lampre - Farnese Vini
+ 1'46
23
Samuel Sánchez
Euskaltel - Euskadi
+ 1'47
24
Alexsandr Dyachenko
Astana
s.t.
25
Fabio Felline
Footon - Servetto
s.t.
Stage six saw Boonan finally get his win, in fact it proved quite easy for the Belgian who was clearly now going to win the points jersey here. Enjoy this one - there will be more competition on cobbles matey!
Stage seven was clearly going to be more challenging, the team was beginning to look ragged with key helpers Larsson and Jorgenson not on the form they began the race with. We were all in for Frank Schleck here. The break of the day contained 14 riders, but it all began to split up on the last big climb. Simon Spilak (Lampre) and Chris Horner (Radioshack) made the selection of 3.
Niether being a GC threat Saxo were letting this dangle. Indeed it was hurting our men, with Schleck not on a great day Chris Sorenson was doing a great job of keeping him in the lead group as the peleton splintered big time. Liquigas were powering this along for Kiserlowski... meanwhile Spilak has given a textbook descent to get away from Horner. With 5 km to go he has a one and a half minute lead over Horner and 2 and half from a 42 man peleton.
He held on to win comfortably over a peleton that just about held together on the hilly finale.
The results changed here, but did not dramatically on the last stage into Nice, 66 men crested the Col D'Eze together. In fact a confident Cofidis helped Saxo keep control and were rewarded as Dummy beat Boonan again...
But Frank Schleck landed Saxobank its first really big win of the year...
well done with Paris-Nice win! looking good for the other races as well. very interesting read (love the contador meat eating comment ) I will defo carry on following this now I am back online
janne: Yeah, I was pretty pleased with the win, Schleck was starting the race on about 80 fitness, but had really good daily form for the big day in Mende.
Pellizotti: Yeah Kiserlowski was a strange one, kept trying to get up there for sprints as well after this stage. Wondering whether the AI tries to get the fitness of their domestiques up for various races. Tirrano report coming up right now.
Hoyle: Contador is going to have to live with that for the rest of his career!
'The race of two seas', which moves across Italy opens the curtain on the Italian racing season. This race is not dissimilar in parcours to the Paris Nice, but is usually considered better preperations for the Milan San Remo classic that takes place just 3 days after the race finishes. Most riders who have a bad day here, usually attempt to use 'I am preparing for the MSR' as an excuse.
Being more south than its French counterpart this race has been able to use some mid mountain passes which usually means a GC candidate has to be able to get up mountains okay. Though rarely ending on a mountain top and usually ending on a hilltop. Italian racers are obviously going to do well here but looking at the startlist...
its Katusha who stand out as having some outstanding candidates with Ivanov, Kolobnnev, Pozzoto and Jouquin Rodriguez all valid candidates. Almost all of the major sprinters have also made it over including Friere, A Davis, Cavendish, Petacchi and Farrar.
Our cobbled squad is here along with Jens Voigt to give us I would say a 5% chance of snatching the win and a good chance at possibly getting either Cancellara or Voigt in the top 10.
The parcours...
The first three stages will almost certainly end in a bunch sprint, but the hilly endings make for some tough MSR like training. Stages 4, 5 and 6 are obviously going to be ones that decide the race and stage 7 is a procession nothing more.
Saxobank decided to make a nuisance of themselves in the opening stage, but alas everything was just about brought back for a properish sprint. Even more annoying Fabians cobbled rival Pozzato grabbed the win.
Actually Pozzato would grab stage number 3 as well, putting himself well and truly in the frame for a MSR tilt. But on stage two Allan Davis showed that he would not be a name to cross out as he usually is...
The fourth stage would prove the first revealing moment with Katusha seemingly having the best cards to play. Saxo decided its time to put a man in the break, so Baden Cooke went with it, though as the finale approached it was Langeveld (Rabo) and Maaskant (Garmin) who had been the strongest.
With 20km to go worlds silver medalist Alex Kolobnev went for a long range attack and he was joined by a surprisingly strong Kurt Asle Arveson. These two would overhaul the breakaway and set up a number of attacks in the main pack.
The situation with 10km to go was Arveson/Kolobnev leading with a 3 man group of Basso/Bertagnolli/ Rodriguez at 30 seconds and then the 38 man peleton at 1.10. Cancellara who was looking strong put in a big dig and got up to the three man group
But alas not enough Kolobnev holds for an excellent win.
Stage results from this stage...
Spoiler
Rank
Name
Team
Time
Player
1
Alexandr Kolobnev
Team Katusha
6h17'24
2
Kurt-Asle Arvesen
Sky Professional Cycling Team
+ 14
3
Fabian Cancellara
Team Saxo Bank
+ 37
Player
4
Joaquím Rodríguez
Team Katusha
+ 1'02
5
Ivan Basso
Liquigas - Doimo
s.t.
6
Leonardo Bertagnolli
Androni Giocattoli - Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni
s.t.
7
Nick Nuyens
Rabobank
s.t.
8
Martin Elmiger
AG2R La Mondiale
+ 1'29
9
Juan Antonio Flecha
Sky Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
10
Rinaldo Nocentini
AG2R La Mondiale
s.t.
11
Francesco Ginanni
Androni Giocattoli - Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni
s.t.
12
Staf Scheirlinckx
Omega Pharma - Lotto
s.t.
13
Sylvain Chavanel
Quick·Step
s.t.
14
Sergueï Ivanov
Team Katusha
+ 1'48
15
Allan Davis
Astana
s.t.
16
Michele Scarponi
Androni Giocattoli - Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni
s.t.
17
Rigoberto Urán
Caisse d'Epargne
s.t.
18
Domenico Pozzovivo
Colnago - CSF Inox
s.t.
19
Jens Voigt
Team Saxo Bank
s.t.
Player
20
Óscar Freire
Rabobank
s.t.
21
Pasquale Muto
Miche
s.t.
22
Jérôme Pineau
Quick·Step
s.t.
23
Giuseppe Palumbo
Acqua & Sapone - D'Angelo & Antenucci
s.t.
24
Vincenzo Nibali
Liquigas - Doimo
s.t.
25
Marco Frapporti
Colnago - CSF Inox
+ 2'04
33
Filippo Pozzato
Team Katusha
+ 2'12
34
Thomas Löfkvist
Sky Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
35
Kim Kirchen
Team Katusha
+ 2'20
43
Sebastian Langeveld
Rabobank
+ 2'52
44
Martijn Maaskant
Garmin - Transitions
+ 3'16
45
Matti Breschel
Team Saxo Bank
+ 4'12
Player
46
Gorazd Stangelj
Astana
s.t.
47
Alessandro Petacchi
Lampre - Farnese Vini
+ 4'44
56
Emanuele Sella
CarmioOro NGC
+ 6'20
64
Baden Cooke
Team Saxo Bank
+ 7'48
Player
74
Levi Leipheimer
Team RadioShack
+ 7'56
83
Domenik Klemme
Team Saxo Bank
+ 8'44
Player
99
Christian Vande Velde
Garmin - Transitions
+ 10'12
115
Michael Mørkøv
Team Saxo Bank
+ 15'00
Player
120
Mark Cavendish
Team HTC - Columbia
+ 15'16
139
Frank Høj
Team Saxo Bank
+ 20'36
Player
144
Kasper Klostergaard
Team Saxo Bank
+ 21'00
Player
154
André Greipel
Team HTC - Columbia
+ 25'24
171
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Sky Professional Cycling Team
+ 36'28
The next days climbing proved some harsh lessons for Saxo, as Jens Voigt was sent on a Jens like attack with 125km to go as he birdged across the the BotD with JC Pereud and Mikail Nieve.
This never looked like a day when the peleton with Liquigas on a charge where the break was going to be allowed to do it. Indeed with 16 and half km to go, the break was caught and we had a 51 man peleton. Cancellara had been isolated for some time and was having a hard time. Voigt was going to have to battle hard to hang on here. Basso launched a move which had been set up all day by Liquigas.
and despite being bridged across to by Pozzovivo, the ex puerto man managed to win the stage. But Kolobnev excellently held onto the overall. The sixth stage was not as tough as it looked as a breakaway man just held off a storming Kolobnev to win...
and Oscar Friere won the last stage showing his form before MSR...
Slightly disappointing performance from Saxo, given the right tactics Cancellara could have placed higher than the 8th overall that he ended up with.
Its always been described as one of the 'five' monuments of cycling, this is one for the sprinters to aspire too. The skills required are to have a good enough team to hold things together and an individual that can save enough stamina for a well timed dash at the end.
The worlds best sprinters try jolly hard to get themselves into good climbing shape for it as the steep Cipressa climb and the lengthy Poggio climbs near the end of the race are often the launch pad for attacks from strong punchaers. The descent of the final Poggio climb is very fast and really to win this race you need to be in the top 25 or so at the top. So the sprinters pack head off to Tirrano Adratico and try their best to give the impression of a GC rider there.
The exception of course was big headed Boonan, who decided he would use the Paris Nice to tune up for this. We shall see how that pans out... Saxo have sent a hybrid of their best riders from Paris Nice (F Schleck, C Sorenson, O Grady, Larsson) and their best from T-A (Cancellara, Voigt, Breschel and Cooke). Our aim is to be one of those teams that try and break things up, with Cancellara the main hope to spring the surprise.
Using the recent races as a form guide you would have to say Boonan, Davis, Freire and Pozzato are going to be favourites here if it comes to a bunch dash for the line. Cavendish, Farrar, Petacchi, McEwen and Bennatti may be outsiders if their form has come good... but recent races to suggest otherwise. Boessen Hagen looked way out of shape at Tirrano and is certainly failing thus far to live with the hype. He is here for 'experience' i.e. Sky are wasting their time in this one. Speaking of a waste of space, why have HTC picked Greipal? I guess to make a point to the arrogant German.
The early stages then we saw a solid breakaway of 7 riders form after 40 or so of the near 300 km course.
Some good names here Galdos (Eusketel), Loddo (Androni), Cioni (Sky), Malacarne (Quickstep), Kocjan (CarmioOno), Zen (CSF) and Hesjadel (Garmin). This certainly would be one to watch and at the top of the Turchino (150km to go) this group had nearly 8 minutes over the peleton. Here is the Radioshack led (!) bunch are going through the tunnel...
Lampre (for Petacchi) and HTC (for Cav(definitely not Griepal)) pull this one back to 7 minutes by the nasty looking La Manie climb. Here the tempo in the breakaway was notched up by Ryder Hesjadal with Kocjan and Galdos alert to this...
By the top though Malacarne and Cioni had battled their way back to the three mens wheels making the breakaway now just five men with Loddo and Zen day out over.
Meanwhile Saxo decided to test the legs of the sprinters by putting Larsson and then Voigt on the front. Voigt on a good day was cuasing havoc in the peleton.
This led to the peleton being well and truly reduced to just 79 men. Frustratingly though, we were discovering that O Grady (dropped from peleton) and Cancellara (daily form -5) were on really bad days. The biggest names dropped were the Katusha trio of Rodriguez, Kirchen and Napilitiano. JJ Cobo, Paris Nice stage winner Paul Martens and Simon Gerrans also had been caught out by the split. Less surprising were the names of Linus Gerdemann, Andre Griepal and reknowning hill hater Greame Brown to those dropped. Just after the Le Manie climb, TDU stage winner Manual Quinzato had a nasty accident.
See you at the cobbles Manuel! After Le Manie, the capi climbs did not serve to reduce the peleton other than absorbing the two men dropped from the breakaway. It was also becoming clear that the Hesjadel gambit was not going to work as the gap back to the peleton was 1.25 with 30 km to go. The riders that were dropped on Le Manie? well they were between 2 and 5 minutes back from the peleton.. in other words forget about them. As the cipressa loomed Flecha attacked with Pozzato wanting also to get away.
Once again the machine that is Jens Voigt was causing a lot of damage, as Saxo shifted their tactics towards Breschel/Schleck as Cancellara was now used as a man to pulverise the peleton. The results well first McEwen/Steegmans went backwards.
... and then Transitions lenses man could see a gap opening up.
Still 62 men left before the Poggio climbs, but crucially a lot of these riders were surely down to their last legs. One man clearly feeling strong was this man:
but he doesn't seem happy about things going to a sprint. Speaking of sprinters, Boonan is looking really strong as is Allan Davis. Cavendish's HTC columbia team and Petacchi's Lampre team had been shedded by the pressure and were no longer near the front. Poggio comes along and TDU champ Vinokourov is putting his big move in chased by Saxo men.
Alas despite a max attack from Frank Schleck to join Vino, the sprinters were coming across thanks mainly to Rabobank/Quickstep. So coming into the finale it was clear it was going to be a sprint and its in form men Davis, Boonan and Freire..
The ardennes squad are in North Eastern Spain for some heavy duty hill training in two of Spains premier mini tours. In fact given the Catalan and Basque's nationalistic tendencies these two protour races are like mini country tours themselves.
The first test is the newly moved to March Volta, newly moved in the desperate attempt to attract a better field than its former start date in May/June time. The Volta whilst steeped in tradition is beginning to struggle to attract top riders, now placing itself between the Milan San Remo tours and the Basque country was hoping to attract a nice field. Let's see whether it worked.
Well Lance Armstrong, Denis Menchov, Brad Wiggins, Vinokourov and Frank Schleck are the stand out names from the start list. Though no doubt the first three will be using it as advance training, this perhaps were what the organisers were looking for. The route....
... is lacking a true mountain top finish, however stages 3 through to 6 are tasty enough to make it have the look of a tough one. Re - examining the startlist there are several other names to include in the reckoning with these parcours. Jurgen Van Den Broeck, Ryder Hesjadel, David Zabriske, Nicholas Roche, former winner Gustavo Ceser Veleso and hell I will even through the name Linus Gerdemann out there!
With the no truly despicable stage however the opening prologue could be decisive and Saxo did themselves proud here landing Voigt and Larsson inside the top 5.
Spoiler
Rank
Name
Team
Time
Player
1
Alexandre Vinokourov
Astana
6'07
2
David Zabriskie
Garmin - Transitions
+ 2
3
Gustav Erik Larsson
Team Saxo Bank
+ 3
Player
4
Jens Voigt
Team Saxo Bank
+ 4
Player
5
Yaroslav Popovych
Team RadioShack
s.t.
7
Linus Gerdemann
Team Milram
+ 6
11
Andreas Klöden
Team RadioShack
+ 7
13
Bradley Wiggins
Sky Professional Cycling Team
+ 9
15
Ryder Hesjedal
Garmin - Transitions
+ 9
29
Fränk Schleck
Team Saxo Bank
+ 13
Player
34
Lance Armstrong
Team RadioShack
+ 14
38
Xavier Tondo
Cervélo Test Team
+ 15
43
Óscar Pereiro
Astana
+ 16
64
Jurgen Van den Broeck
Omega Pharma - Lotto
+ 19
65
Denis Menchov
Rabobank
s.t.
66
Jarosław Marycz
Team Saxo Bank
s.t.
Player
74
Gustavo César Veloso
Xacobeo - Galicia
+ 20
77
Nicolas Roche
AG2R La Mondiale
+ 21
115
Jonas Aaen Jørgensen
Team Saxo Bank
+ 25
Player
116
Jonathan Bellis
Team Saxo Bank
s.t.
Player
120
Nicki Sørensen
Team Saxo Bank
+ 26
Player
122
André Steensen
Team Saxo Bank
s.t.
Player
The lack many sprinters who could climb made it difficult to know who was going to take the flattish stage two, but it did produce a significant results with Radioshack's Greg Rast taking the stage win and bonifications to become the new leader. From a Saxo point of view Voigt finished second moving him into second overall.
The mountain stage managed to whittle the contenders down somewhat to about 30 names. Despite a promising group of four with Hesjadel, Mollema, Popovich and Vino, over the last uncategorised dig.
The long descent played into the hands of a small group sprint won by the combative Columbian Juan Mauricio Soler.
Of course Rast had been dropped, so Saxo now had the lead with everyones favourite German...
Aware now that bonifications were going to be the spoiler for a Jens Voigt victory, Saxo had to play it clever and were only too happy to let Rubiera and one of Xacobia specially prepared men get away and build a stage winning lead. The Galicia man won the stage, too which most commentators would naively talk up how good for cycling it was!
Well at least Jens still had the jersey and after a another long day of Saxobank control - Ryder Hesjedal was allowed to take stage 5 and announce his Ardennes classic candidacy!
Our house of cards would come tumbling down however on the way into Montjuic over the top of Barcelona. Voigt (on a rare bad day) couldn't follow the wheel of danger man Vinokourov and for the first time in the race really a gap was there at the finish. Sadly in my fury I couldn't take a picture of that so here is one of Vino winning the opening stage TT...
I suppose I could say well down Vino you're the strongest man and that, but damn it I thought Saxo were going to sneak away with this one. Still, a determined effort managed to rustle up some time bonifications on the last day to nab a second for Jens on the last day.
Française des Jeux
211. B.Vaugrenard
212. S.Chavanel
213. M.Chérel
214. R.Di Gregorio
215. T.Gudsell
216. F.Mourey
217. A.Roux
218. W.Sulzberger
is the lack of Sammy Sanchez here to give Euskutel a decent shot of winning this.
But the presence of Contador, Menchov, Evans, Wiggins and Sastre gave the startlist some real star quality. Once again though the suspicions are that none of those five would quite be in the form to challenge... in fact Saxo knew Paris Nice winner Frank Schleck was in useful form and his big rival here would surely be Volta danger men Popovich, Hesjedal and most of all Vinokourov.
Plenty of other names on the dangerous list would include useful TTer Kloden, Ardennes hope Cunego, home hope Igor Anton, surely some form now LL Sanchez, Robert Gesink and we are also wary of the Katusha threats (Kirchen, Kolobnev and Rodriguez). Some idiot in the Saxo back room staff has scribbled the name Linus Gerdemann down here as well!
The nasty opening stage managed to eliminate a few dangerous names, at the other end Vinokourov and FdJ surprise Vaugranard managed to snatch a few seconds on the uphill sprint.
Spoiler
Rank
Name
Team
Time
Player
1
Benoît Vaugrenard
Française des Jeux
3h57'17
2
Alexandre Vinokourov
Astana
s.t.
3
Rinaldo Nocentini
AG2R La Mondiale
+ 13
4
Michael Albasini
Team HTC - Columbia
s.t.
5
Kim Kirchen
Team Katusha
s.t.
6
Ryder Hesjedal
Garmin - Transitions
s.t.
8
Igor Antón
Euskaltel - Euskadi
s.t.
10
Denis Menchov
Rabobank
s.t.
13
Andreas Klöden
Team RadioShack
s.t.
16
Yaroslav Popovych
Team RadioShack
s.t.
17
Fränk Schleck
Team Saxo Bank
s.t.
Player
18
Damiano Cunego
Lampre - Farnese Vini
s.t.
26
Linus Gerdemann
Team Milram
s.t.
28
Alexandr Kolobnev
Team Katusha
s.t.
29
Cadel Evans
BMC Racing Team
s.t.
34
Joaquím Rodríguez
Team Katusha
s.t.
38
Nicki Sørensen
Team Saxo Bank
s.t.
Player
39
Bradley Wiggins
Sky Professional Cycling Team
s.t.
42
Jens Voigt
Team Saxo Bank
s.t.
Player
43
Alberto Contador
Astana
s.t.
49
Xavier Tondo
Cervélo Test Team
s.t.
55
Simon Gerrans
Sky Professional Cycling Team
+ 2'33
56
Robert Gesink
Rabobank
s.t.
66
Roman Kreuziger
Liquigas - Doimo
s.t.
76
Gustav Erik Larsson
Team Saxo Bank
+ 3'21
Player
80
Christian Vande Velde
Garmin - Transitions
s.t.
100
Jonas Aaen Jørgensen
Team Saxo Bank
+ 5'05
Player
114
Carlos Sastre
Cervélo Test Team
+ 6'57
128
Luis León Sánchez
Caisse d'Epargne
s.t.
130
Ezequiel Mosquera
Xacobeo - Galicia
s.t.
132
André Steensen
Team Saxo Bank
+ 8'09
Player
134
Jonathan Bellis
Team Saxo Bank
+ 9'29
Player
157
Jarosław Marycz
Team Saxo Bank
+ 14'49
Player
No-one need to see a picture of stage two as the Puerto alumni Angel Vicioso won the sprint and worse still our hereos lost one of their member young Jorgenson. I will put up a picture of stage three winner Edvald Boesson Hagen,
in fact baldy man Brailsford would be really happy as Aussie punchear Simon Gerrans won stage five as well...
In between we had the serious business though of the climb into Eibar, the break was down to three men. Spilak, Kessiakoff and Gesink all men that shouldn't have lost time already who have in fact lost time already! But Astana were well and truly setting the pace here who for was the question Contador or home hero (and current GC 2nd place) Vinokourov?
Vino was obviously feeling optimistic attacking on the third to last climb, though past evidence has suggested that this is the way to win in the basque, it seems a bit early. A mixture of Radioshack, FdJaux, Saxo and Lampre haul this one back as we approach the decisive moment on the last climb.
Its Vino with Frank Schleck... these two seem like the men of this years Basque tour as they pull away from the rest. The rest being led by Igor Anton and shockingly LInus Gerdemann! Anyway the winner was going to be one of these two, it's a big moment so of course Didi must be there...
Vino holds Schlecks wheel and then sprints past to surely seal the Basque tour with the TT the only decisive stage to come. Ok Alex I will give you a clap here!
Spoiler
Rank
Name
Team
Time
Player
1
Alexandre Vinokourov
Astana
4h04'22
2
Fränk Schleck
Team Saxo Bank
s.t.
Player
3
Igor Antón
Euskaltel - Euskadi
+ 27
4
Linus Gerdemann
Team Milram
s.t.
5
Andreas Klöden
Team RadioShack
+ 1'02
6
Denis Menchov
Rabobank
s.t.
7
Alberto Contador
Astana
s.t.
8
Kim Kirchen
Team Katusha
+ 1'21
9
Damiano Cunego
Lampre - Farnese Vini
+ 1'41
10
Joaquím Rodríguez
Team Katusha
s.t.
11
Yaroslav Popovych
Team RadioShack
s.t.
12
Nicolas Roche
AG2R La Mondiale
+ 1'49
14
Ryder Hesjedal
Garmin - Transitions
s.t.
17
Robert Gesink
Rabobank
s.t.
18
Bradley Wiggins
Sky Professional Cycling Team
+ 1'57
21
Cadel Evans
BMC Racing Team
+ 2'05
22
Alexandr Kolobnev
Team Katusha
s.t.
26
Xavier Tondo
Cervélo Test Team
s.t.
27
Jens Voigt
Team Saxo Bank
s.t.
Player
28
Roman Kreuziger
Liquigas - Doimo
s.t.
58
Benoît Vaugrenard
Française des Jeux
+ 2'53
69
Carlos Sastre
Cervélo Test Team
+ 4'46
72
Gustav Erik Larsson
Team Saxo Bank
+ 4'54
Player
73
Nicki Sørensen
Team Saxo Bank
+ 5'02
Player
100
Ezequiel Mosquera
Xacobeo - Galicia
+ 8'30
102
Luis León Sánchez
Caisse d'Epargne
s.t.
112
André Steensen
Team Saxo Bank
+ 20'54
Player
125
Jonathan Bellis
Team Saxo Bank
+ 31'10
Player
134
Jarosław Marycz
Team Saxo Bank
+ 31'26
Player
So following the previously reported Gerrans stage five triumph we had the TT to go. Our only hope was for Frank to go hell for leather up the nasty climb in the first 7 km and then let gravity do the rest and haul is thin body to the finish. Frank did an amazing job putting in an incredible intermediate check that was some 40 seconds faster than his great Kazach rival. But the cool Vino managed to haul back time on the descent and then into the finish to win the stage and the overall.
Here is the stage result... great stuff from Saxo here pity about Vino!
Spoiler
Rank
Name
Team
Time
Player
1
Alexandre Vinokourov
Astana
32'26
2
Fränk Schleck
Team Saxo Bank
+ 6
Player
3
Kim Kirchen
Team Katusha
+ 24
4
Jens Voigt
Team Saxo Bank
+ 33
Player
5
Linus Gerdemann
Team Milram
+ 37
6
Damiano Cunego
Lampre - Farnese Vini
+ 41
7
Alberto Contador
Astana
+ 43
8
Joost Posthuma
Rabobank
+ 54
9
Denis Menchov
Rabobank
+ 56
10
Cadel Evans
BMC Racing Team
s.t.
11
Andreas Klöden
Team RadioShack
+ 59
12
Ryder Hesjedal
Garmin - Transitions
+ 1'00
14
Bradley Wiggins
Sky Professional Cycling Team
+ 1'04
15
Gustav Erik Larsson
Team Saxo Bank
+ 1'08
Player
16
Igor Antón
Euskaltel - Euskadi
+ 1'09
17
Yaroslav Popovych
Team RadioShack
+ 1'14
31
Nicki Sørensen
Team Saxo Bank
+ 1'32
Player
34
Roman Kreuziger
Liquigas - Doimo
+ 1'38
52
Robert Gesink
Rabobank
+ 1'56
54
Xavier Tondo
Cervélo Test Team
s.t.
57
Jarosław Marycz
Team Saxo Bank
+ 1'58
Player
62
Jonathan Bellis
Team Saxo Bank
+ 2'01
Player
68
André Steensen
Team Saxo Bank
+ 2'04
Player
86
Carlos Sastre
Cervélo Test Team
+ 2'16
95
Luis León Sánchez
Caisse d'Epargne
+ 2'19
160
Ezequiel Mosquera
Xacobeo - Galicia
+ 2'49
Interesting side note Voigt sneaks into the top 10.
looking good so far. I like the mix of little and a lot of detail for the races, and great screenshots. vino really has some good form at the minute! schleck looking good as well for you
the hoyle: Yeah Vino has been on a role. TdU, Volta, and the Basque. He also rode in each of the Ardennes classics as well ... so a big rival in those for Frank. The thing about Vino is he is attacking early then being caught and then attacking again and again he never stops!
Pellizotti2: I am still learning the pcm2010 stuff - I took a risk on the Tirrano Adritico race sending Voigt off on an attack. I would have been better off sitting back and responding to the Kolobnev attacks. I am positive I could have got a podium there. But yeah its no biggie a top 10 was a good enough result there. The TT was hilly and that gave me a chance over the AI. Not quite enough but it was pretty close!
So after a couple of months of preparations it's now time to begin the cobbled season in earnest. There are three races spread over three weekends, on the opening weekend we have the unpredictable Gent-Wegelum. Its Pro-Tour status seems to have elevated its importance slightly from Semi-Classic to a Neo-Full-Classic. Its move from mid week to the weekend now means that no-one need take it lightly. Following this there would be the hilly Tour of Flanders and finally the really big one the Hell of the North itself, Paris Roubaix.
The preparations for the cobbled classics had been done in earnest and it would seem as if the four main contenders:
Tom Boonan - Belgian uber brat, having a pretty good season winning a sprint in Paris Nice, 3rd in Milan San Remo and managed to get a cobbled win at Dwars door Vlanderaan (where Saxo were not present) in the week before this.
Juan Antonio Flecha - New team Sky's cobbled answer (well before possibly Boessan Hagan develops), impressive at Omloop in taking the win from a 4 man sprint. Very active in Tirrano Adritico and Milan San Remo. Team look fairly well set up for the Arrow man.
Filipo Pozzato - Italian wheel sucker - been in impressive sprinting form at Tirrano Adritico. Also snatched a Cobbled win at K-B-K sprinting from a group of about 40. Strangely wanted to attack at Milan San Remo, maybe trying to stop people calling him a wheel sucker - your fooling no one Pipo! Not the strongest team, but Pozzato does not need the race made for him, he likes to come from behind.
Fabian Cancellara - Saxo man thirsty for World Championship vengence, going to take it out on everybody on cobbles. Knows he has to break everyone because he probably will not win a sprint - showed everyone he could do that with a win at E3 Prijs on the eve of Gent-Wegelum...
Other notable names would include sub-leaders such as
Matti Breschel (no chance really as I will make him work for Fab)
Stijn Devolder (invisible but 2 - time Flanders winner needs respect_
Kurt Alse Arveson (Saxo turncoat - seems to be in form of his life at Tirrano damn you!)
Thor Hushovd (Cervelo having a very quiet crappy season - Thor cannot not be in great form)
Johan Van Summeren - Was 3rd at E3 Prijs, showing that he is ready for a good hilt at the spring classics
Leif Hoste - Not quite there at the moment, experienced Belgian though always says he will be ready for Paris Roubaix!
Nick Nuyens - Rabo have a couple of wildcards, but experienced Nick is probably their best shot.
Here are the parcours for G-W...
and the startlist reflects the expentancy that this will end in a sprint...
Saxo's job is made clear too them make sure this has a selection (much to the fury of Cooke and Breschel!).
The early breakaway of 7 and the most dangerous man in the break is probably Seb Lang (Omega).
At 100km to go the break was not really pulling out a significant advantage at only 2 minutes 15 seconds. A good chance for someone to make the bridge across and Dutch youngster Lars Boom made the move across.
But the meanies as Sky didn't like this and gave Saxo a break at pulling by putting Saxo alumni Arveson at the front. Just like old times Kurt!
With only 3 cobbled sections it was nice to see the peleton split down to just 64 riders after the second section Arveson and Saxo were causing the damage catching Boom and the breakaway. On the last set of cobbles with riders streaming out of the back of the continually reduced peleton, the big man made his move with about 40km to go!
This has followed massive pacing from O'Grady and then Breschel - reacting a big late were the other big names as they formed the chase group. The chase group now passed a fading Breschel, but crucially were between 60 and 80 seconds down on Cancellara.
The group contains Pozzato (Katusha), Boonan and Devolder (QuickStep), Arveson and Flecha (Sky) just behind is Boessen Hagan (Sky) and Breschel (Saxo). The chase group was originally led by the infernal pace of Arveson before he was dropped and Flecha tried to move away but he was followed by the rest (bar Arveson). This move got the chasers to within 30 seconds of the TTing Cancellara. But they couldn't bridge and Pozzato in particular was not doing any turns and this led to a comfortable win for Sparticus.
An excellent weekend for the Swiss man before the big two (Flanders and P-R)
Most of the cobbled boys had been in action in De Panne, they didn't find any change out of Cancellara there either who had things wrapped up comfortably well before the last stage time trial which of course he won!
So Saxo now had themselves as the overwhelming favourites tag for the Ronde van Vlaandaraan (Tour of Flanders to us brit brats), this despite Quicksteps domination of the winners podium in recent years. In fact much of the build up to the race was dominated by the Cancellara vs Q-Step battle. Oh yeah, occasionally someone would mention how the clever Pozzato was going to follow wheels to victory or Baldy Brailsford would mention Flechas name before we rolled around laughing.
The Flanders course ...
calls for good all round hills and cobbled ability. In fact the fabled Koppenburg climb (the penultimate dig) is usually where you get your postcard pictures from and where a decisive move can be made. A lot of riders actually get off their bikes and push!
The last three teams are in the pushing their bikes category, nothing to reinforce the Protour ethic like seeing the men in Orange at this race!
We start in sunshine and six happy go lucky fools go off on their own little adventure...
Yes that's Spanish champ Ruben Plaza in there and Armstrong can tweet happily away about Radioshack slave Jason McCartney. The rain comes down at about 150km to go and not long after Cancellara whips his Saxo boys to chase the break down from 8.30 to 3.30 with 100 km to go. Here we see cobbled worker bee Kasper Klostergaard in action...
With the peleton splintering behind them, Saxo decide on a new tactic at Matti Breschel goes solo...
This forces others to work, however now it is all left to Quickstep who soon get sick of others wheelsucking antics and as soon as Breschel is reeled in they surprise everyone by Devolder attacking...
Hang on, they have done this before... good job Breschel and O Grady have something left... but as Devolder is caught Boonan makes his move...
The now shattered Saxo team can only watch as Devolder bridges up to his leader. This has caught us on the hop well and truly as we re-group behind the Sky led 53 man peleton. Its clear that the Quickstep duo are not going to be caught on and on the bottom of the Koppenburg they have about a minute. Cancellara has to make a huge attack...
and on the last cobbled section, the foosburg he just about bridges. Meanwhile with Boonan gone, Pozzato finds another wheel to suck in that of Juan Flecha and following the last climb they are still 50 seconds back on the leading trio. Speaking of the leading trio as they came down the last section, an attack on the false flat...
Just as tweedledevolder and tweddleBoonan were figuring out who was going to attack first. Devolder went to bridge....
With 5km to go, Cancellara had 16 seconds on last years Flanders champ with Boonan now join by Brialsfords boy and wheelsucker at 35 seconds. Everyone else was attacking each other for 6th place! Devolder couldn't catch the world TT champion and by the finish it was the selfish Boonan who sprinted past him for second. But a new champion of Flanders, well done Fabian!
Could the cobbled ProTour triple be done? Fabian's vow in January to make the cobblers pay for his failure to win his home World RR championship sure hurt the Quickstep boys. Even their master plan at Flanders failed to break the Swiss master. However this race is one that can have many twists and turns. It's one race that everyone wants and now no-one is any doubt who the hot favourite is. The startlist then...
and the nasty parcours...
So many cobbled sections leaves the tactics open to interpretation. The infamous double section at the forest of Arenburg is usually where selections are begun to be made, with serious attacks beginning from there. The big question - what is everyone going to do about Fabian?
Before than then an unwieldy break of 14 move clear, no one of any consequence is here. But at least they get a picture in my story!
I am not going to sully the report by mentioning any of their names, it is too cheap anyway. Far better to mention the names of the Saxo riders doing the ugly work of keeping everything in order and reeling in the foolish 13 riders. That's Klemme, Klostergaard, Cooke and Morkov
Hopefully there will be a bit of glory for them in the Velodrome later! Speaking of glory, section two saw a more relevant break went ignited by this man Martin Masskant...
He is joined by Scheirlinckx(Omega), Veelers (Skil Shimano), Steegmans (Radioshack) and Freire (Rabo). Interesting that Oscar is here, obviously been persuaded to do it by his team. Here is the Milan San Remo champ in good little break too. Well I say good, but more one to let hang out there a bit... so here we go into Arenburg.
The Saxo worker bees have reduced the peleton down to 67 men, now about 2.45 back from the useful looking break of 5. Now with about 50km to go, Saxo decided it was about time to make some sort of move. The pieces were in placa as the Saxo pawn's gave way to some severe pacing by O Grady and then Matti Breschel and finally it was time to launch the Swiss knight!
Was this Check mate? Fab makes it to the breakaway.
Could any of them stay with Fabian on the next sector, nah...
25km to go, no-one really left to try and chase the Swiss machine, desperation sinks in as a frustrated Devolder attacks. Boonan's got a nasty piece of Italian excrement stuck to his back wheel so it's a logical move.
15 to go, Canc has 1 minute 13 on Devolder and then it's another 45 seconds back to Pozzato, Nuyens, Hushovd, Hoste and Boonan. Yeah Flecha ain't here he is another 50 seconds back with a group containing Breschel and Van Summeran, Sky have not quite got their marginal gains form sums right here! But as you can see its all over here, so a couple of pics.
and the glorious win
2nd and 3rd for the Quickstep duo again. Pozzato sucks his way to 4th (three successive 4ths in the cobbled ones). The rest of the results you can see for yourself...
) I will defo carry on following this now I am back online
