It's the start of February and after a month of solid racing, cyclingnews.com has announced the lastest UCI and Continental Tour rankings as well as the monthly rider awards.
this.. is exactly what i wanted on here!! its good! short update type writing and is really descriptive. has stage winners and jersey winners and is really good! i dont know what to say except post more post more!! Please Post More!!!
Thanks tons mate. I didn't know if anyone liked it, good to hear someone is enjoying it!
Team Nike - Coopers have announced their startlist for the Italian one day event G.P. Costa Degli Etruschi. The major inclusions are world champion Thor Hushovd, in his first race for new team Nike - Coopers, and Simon Gerrans, fresh off a 7th place in the three-day Giro della Calabria. The entire starters are listed: Manuel Belleti - ITA
Simon Gerrans - AUS
Thor Hushovd - NOR
Michael Matthews - AUS
Stuart O'Grady - AUS
Danny Pate - USA
Mark Renshaw - AUS
Branislas Samoilau - BLR
Michael Matthews is believed to be their top chance in the race.
G.P. Costa Degli Etruschi - San Vincenzo - Donaratico - 196kms
This one day race has been won 5 times by Alessandro Petacchi but he seems missing from today's race. The riders participating will look to gain some fitness and maybe get another win on the board for Team Nike - Coopers.
Favourites: Hushovd, O'Grady, Renshaw
With 3 out of 3 favourites, you've got to be confident.
USA native Will Dugan attacked early in the race. He was caught quickly though by a speedy peloton. Thor Hushovd, in his first race of the year, was looking really nice in his new world champions jersey
A breakaway group of 5 riders took the front. The group contained L. Giordani, W. Dugan, A. Molmy, D. Kotsyuk and G. De Maria.
At 153.2kms to go, 4 more riders joined the break. They were D. Bellemakers, E. Capelli, M. Selvaggi and Frenchman J. Le Bon. They built a lead of 1'51". O. Opryshko and T. Duggan joined the breakway.
Riders just kept attacking, this time it was Astana rider D. Pozzovivo's turn. P. Segani followed.
The attacks didn't stop with K. De Ketele, J. Vermote, M. Halleguen, M. Caddeo and S. Pirazzi also trying to join the leaders.
All the riders breaking away caught up to create an 18 man group, 1'18" ahead of the peloton.
The speed of the peloton was increasing and the breakaway was caught. Just as this happened, F. Bouyer of Europcar attacked and Danny Pate responded, joining him in attack.
A 23 second lead was all Danny could muster up as the pack fought back.
With 87kms to go, Pate gave in and left Bouyer out there alone to fight off the pack. G. Maggiore, V. Bileka, Will Dugan and F. Reda attacked to try and help out Bouyer. Vachon, Cadeo, Di Salvo and Peruffo also attacked.
The breakaway settled and Liquigas and Astana took control of the peloton to chase them down. The break's lead was 4'04" and the riders in it were looking strong. The best sprinters in the group were Beruffo and Bileka.
52kms to go and F. Amorison got his moment in the sun when he attacked alone but obviously it came to nothing. The lead had shortened to 2'00 and seemed as if it was struggling.
17kms and a bunchy attack from Voeckler, De Gendt, Da Dalto attacked. Seeing the dangerous Voeckler and De Gendt, Simon Gerrans countered. The three joined the breakaway, while Da Dalto fell back.
OUCH! Two ugly crashes now at the back of the peloton, luckily no contenders are down and most should continue. Bad time for a crash.
6kms to go and De Gendt, Voeckler and Gerrans are alone at the front.
The Nike - Coopers train took form.
The final sprint is on, Gerrans is in great position as the rest struggle. De Gendt pushes past though and Gerrans fades slightly. Voeckler passes as well. Gerrans will take third.
Voeckler gets the victory with a very well timed sprint. Gerrans fought well for a podium finish behind Thomas De Gendt. Quickstep's Reda takes 4th as the pack fights for the final 10 places. Hushovd amazingly speeds past everyone to take 5th. Stuart O'Grady rounds out the top 10.
Final Rankings:
Spoiler
1. T. Voeckler - EUR - 4h47'49"
2. T. De Gendt - VAC - +0" 3. S. Gerrans - NIK - +0"
4. F. Reda - QUI - +0" 5. T. Hushovd - NIK - +37"
10. S. O'Grady - NIK - +37"
12. B. Samoilau - NIK - +37"
12. M. Renshaw - NIK - +37"
19. M. Belleti - NIK - +37"
45. M. Matthews - NIK - +37"
77. D. Pate - NIK - +37"
Suprising race that ended very well for Tommy Voeckler.
Edited by kitface on 24-07-2011 14:26
Hi guys, i know that a few people are reading this and i was wondering if someone would maybe want to make me a shirt for the team? I've been expecting a shirt from tehMalone but his computer recently stopped working and therefore cant make my shirt. I could repost in a couple of threads but i wont get my jersey for ages then i really want to use a custom Nike - Coopers jersey fro the team. If any one could find it in their hearts to support the team and make me a custom shirt, it would be greatly appreciated. Thank you all.
NOTE: I have created a very simple jersey to use temporarily until i get real one.
Spoiler
Vuelta Ciclista a Mallorca
Thor Hushovd put in a great performance yesterday and will look to improve here. Rein Taaramae will also debut his season here.
Stage 1 - Palma - Palma - 110kms
A very flat stage to start off, and Hushovd will look to get a victory.
Favourites: Pettachi, Hushovd, Greipel
The lads were proudly showing off their new strip and Hushovd finally had his team world champions top ready.
Four riders were involved in the first breakaway. They were R. Jorgensen, M. Kwiatkowski, K. Van Impe, J. Ramirez and D. Mestre.
R. Champion also attacked and Richie Porte followed. He joined the group which was now 13 riders strong.
The sprint was on but Porte didn't respond as Jorgenesen took it out on the line. The pack was eventually caught but Porte attacked quickly and built a short lead.
WIth 44kms to go, Porte had a 58" lead but wasnt gaining any time. He held on for the sprint points but then gave in and rejoined the peloton.
WIth 10kms to go, The Nike - Coopers train took shape. The peloton got in the way slighly and Hushovd had to go alone. He sprinted terrifically from a bad position but Petacchi took the win.
Stage Rankings:
Spoiler
1. A. Petacchi - LAM - 2h33'37"
2. G. Steegmans - QUI - +0"
3. T. Hushovd - NIK - +0"
4. O. Freire - RAB - +0"
5. A. Greipel - LOT - +0"
8. M. Belletti - NIK - +0"
12. B. Samoilau - NIK - +0"
23. R. Taaramae - NIK - +0"
24. L. Roberts - NIK - +0"
31. T. Lofkvist - NIK - +0"
36. R. Nocentini - NIK - +0"
60. R. Porte - NIK - +0"
Overall Rankings:
Spoiler
General Classifications:
1. A. Petacchi - 2h33'13"
2. G. Steegmans - +12"
3. T. Hushovd - +16"
4. R. Porte - +18"
5. R. Jorgensen - +18"
14. M. Belletti - +24"
17. B. Samoilau - +24"
29. R. Taaramae - +24"
30. L. Roberts - +24"
38. T. Lofkvist - +24"
43. R. Nocentini - +24"
I accidently simmed through this stage but here are the rankings:
Spoiler
1. A. Petacchi - LAM - 4h06'04"
2. C. Sutton - SKY - +0"
3. O. Freire - RAB - +0"
4. D. Bennati - LEO - +0"
5. G. Steegmans - QUI - +0" 9. R. Nocentini - NIK - +0"
10. L. Roberts - NIK - +0"
13. M. Belletti - NIK - +0"
19. R. Taaramae - NIK - +0"
20. T. Hushovd - NIK - +0"
31. R. Porte - NIK - +0"
34. T. Lofkvist - NIK - +0"
59. B. Samoilau - NIK - +0"
Fail. 'Nuff siad. Never simming again. Let's forget that and go onto the third stage, and this time, with some mountains!
Stage 3 -
Favourites: Schleck, Schleck, Freire (??)
Nocentini and Lofkvist are our top hopes.
The race started very quickly despite the rain, when a 10 man break formed, including a very early attack from Levi Leipheimer.
Four more riders joined the break, including D. Appollonio, V. Kiriyenka, X. Zandio and M. Bizkarra.
A. Cardoso along with Euskatel pair I. Velasco and P. Urtasun attemped to join but got stuck halfway with a 55" lead.
Rein Taaramae suffered a puncture with 94.5 kms to go and was left at the back. Richie Porte fell back to help him out back into the pack.
Klaas Lodewyck won the sprint ahead of Davide Appolonio in the break. The climb was about out to begin and the peloton really sped up, the lead getting cut to under 5 mins.
Maxime Bouet won the summit sprint and headed downhill with the rest of the break.
The next climb began and the break (including Leipheimer) had 3'28" on the small pack. Soon enough, the break was in sight and the real contenders came to the front.
Andy and Frank were at the front, and took a 1-2 in the mountain points with 30kms. Chris Horner, a main contender, also fell at the back of the pack.
25kms to go and the mountains were over. It was now a race to the line. 5 Nike - Coopers riders were at the front pack and were looking good.
16kms and Nieve attacks. Nobody follows so I stay clear.
7kms and Nieve is caught. The pack of 14 contains the Schlecks, Zabriskie, Nocentini, Lofkvist, Taaramae, Porte, Samoilau, Vanendert and Luis Leon Sanchez among others.
Last 1.5 kms, The sprint is on. A. Schleck goes first but fades miserably. Taaramae follows and Porte gives it everything. Nieve has some big speed and goes for it. He looks good for the win but Sanchez pips him on the line! What a finish! Great stage!
Stage Rankings:
Spoiler
1. L. L. Sanchez - RAB - 3h58'49"
2. M. Nieve - EUS - +0"
3. F. Schleck - LEO - +0"
4. B. Kadri - AG2 - +0" 5. R. Nocentini - NIK +0"
8. B. Samoilau - NIK - +0"
9. R. Taaramae - NIK - +0"
11. R. Porte - NIK - +0"
12. T. Lofkvist - NIK - +0"
79. T. Hushovd - NIK - +9'10"
86. L. Roberts - NIK - +9"10"
113. M. Belletti - NIK - +14'17"
The owners of Team Nike - Coopers today have announced the new sponsors of the team. They are Heineken, Subway, Toshiba, ANZ Bank and Trek bicycles. The new sponsor Heineken will replace former sponsor Coopers as the main sponsor, along with Nike. Subsequently, the teams Name and shirt have changed. The team will now be known as Nike - Heineken and the new shirt is posted below. It was designed by Maximka.
The team looks forward to an exciting season ahead.
A yearly event that stared in 2010. It was won by Fabian Cancellara. I consists of 4 flat stages, 1 mountain stage and 1 individual time trial.
Stage 1 - Al Sawadi - Al Seeb : 158.0kms
The first 3 and 9/10 stages are flat as and will all probably end in bunch sprints.
Our starters for the event:
Matthews and Belletti are our main sprinters with Renshaw and O'Grady leading out. Roche, Porte and Gerrans will look to take advantage in the one mountain stage.
Favourites: Farrar, McEwen, Boasson Hagen
A bunch of early attacks created a small breakaway but it came to nothing, and the pack caught up after about 35kms. A small bunch went for the points but Irishman Sam Bennet won ahead of C. Ranneries.
Another break formed with 82kms. It involved 9 riders. They got about 5'12"" on the peloton. Sky was leading the peloton at quite a slow pace, so they musn't have been bothered by it. Christina Watches rider P. Clapp won the next sprint.
With 65kms to go, Garmin took hold of the peloton, and the lead began to drop. With 50kms it was down to 3'45". The lead was down to 1'06" with 25kms to go. The lead was now gone and Karsten Kroon gave it one last try. He failed.
17kms now and Nike - Heineken attempted to get a couple of trains going. They finally worked but were in a crowded area. One fell apart so it was up to Belletti. Renshaw did brilliantly and with 1.2kms to go, let Belletti go. He seemed to be in perfect position but just didnt have the sped and fell back. An awful sprint from a terrific train. Boasson Hagen takes the win ahead of Farrar.
Stage Rankings:
Spoiler
1. E. Boasson Hagen - SKY - 3h28'05"
2. T. Farrar - GAR - +0"
3. J.J. Haedo - SBS - +0"
4. G. Henderson - SKY - +0"
5. R. McEwen - RAD - +0"
... 11. Manuel Belletti - +0"
22. Mark Renshaw - +0"
53. Stuart O'Grady - +0"
60. M. Matthews - +0"
62. Jack Bobridge - +0"
79. Richie Porte - +0"
120. Simon Gerrans - +0"
123. Nicolas Roche - +0"
Tour of Oman - Stage 2
The Wave, Muscat - Al Wutayya : 135.8kms
Another flat stage with another bunch sprint.
Favourites: Farrar, McEwen, Haussler
The first breakaway was at about 87.4kms to go when a 10 man group got a couple of minutes on the pack.
The gap was now about 4'10" with 50kms to go. Garmin again took hold and sped it up. Sky joined in and the lead was down to 2'20" with 30kms.
The lead was gone and trains took shape. Nike - Heineken's Belletti's train was perfect. He pushed hard with a much better sprint than yesterday's. Farrar wins but Belletti holds on to 6th with a great effort.
Tour of Oman - Stage 2
The Wave, Muscat - Al Wutayya : 135.8kms
Another flat stage with another bunch sprint.
Favourites: Farrar, McEwen, Haussler
The first breakaway was at about 87.4kms to go when a 10 man group got a couple of minutes on the pack.
The gap was now about 4'10" with 50kms to go. Garmin again took hold and sped it up. Sky joined in and the lead was down to 2'20" with 30kms.
The lead was gone and trains took shape. Nike - Heineken's Belletti's train was perfect. He pushed hard with a much better sprint than yesterday's. Farrar wins but Belletti holds on to 6th with a great effort.
Note: I have had some computer troubles recently with the new DB and all, so i have had to sim a few races. I simmed the last 2 stages of the Tour of Oman and The Omloop het Nieuwsblad
Results : Tour of Oman
Richie Porte shocked everyone when he took a terrific mountain win in the 4th stage of the Tour of Oman ahead of riders such as Alberto Contador and Eddy Boasson Hagen. He also backed up his stage win with a 4th place in the ITT and held on for the victory.
General Classification:
Spoiler
1. R. Porte - Team Nike - Heineken - 17h14'06"
2. E. Boasson Hagen - Sky Pro Cycling - +10"
3. Y. Popovych - Team RadioShack - +10"
4. G. Larsson - Saxo Bank - SunGard - +53"
5. H. Haussler - Garmin - Cervelo - +1'20"
...
13. A. Contador - Saxo Bank - SunGard - +2'30"
27. S. Gerrans - Team Nike - Heineken - +3'29"
29. N. Roche - Team Nike - Heineken - +3'31"
49. S. O'Grady - Team Nike - Heineken - +5'30"
53. J. Bobridge - Team Nike - Heineken - +6'13"
89. M. Renshaw - Team Nike - Heineken - +8'11"
110. M. Belletti - Team Nike - Heieneken - +9'20"
116. M. Matthews - Team Nike - Heineken - +9'29"
Mountain:
Spoiler
1. R. Porte - 26 Pts
2. Y. Popovych - 14
3. M. Rutkiewicz - 12
4. L.F. Laverde J. - 10
5. G. Larsson - 8
Points:
Spoiler
1. E. Boasson Hagen - 107 Pts
2. T. Farrar - 86
3. G. Henderson - 62
4. R. McEwen - 62
5. J.J. Haedo - 60
Young:
Spoiler
1. E. Boasson Hagen - 17h14'16"
2. R. Kreuziger - +2'10"
3. G. Thomas - +2'27"
4. Y. Monsalve - +4'52"
5. J. Bobridge - +6'03"
Omloop het Nieuwsblad
Gent - Gent : 204kms
A slightly disappointing final result but at least Stuart O'Grady did well and notched a respectable 13th behind Hushovd at 11th. We gave young French duo of Paul Garde and Raphael Devaux debuts on the pro circuit this race too. They finished 76th and 88th respectively. I have a feeling Boonen will be unstoppable in the classics this season.
General Classification:
Spoiler
1. T. Boonen - Quickstep - 5h02'55"
2. F. Cancellara - Leopard - Trek - +0"
3. J. Van Summeren - Garmin - Cervelo - +37"
4. N. Nuyens - Saxo Bank SunGard - "1'00"
5. H. Haussler - Garmin - Cervelo - +1'00"
...
11. T. Hushovd - Team Nike - Heineken - +1'00"
13. S. O'Grady - Team Nike - Heineken - +1'00"
39. M. Belletti - Team Nike - Heineken - +6'50"
51. N. Roche - Team Nike - Heineken - +6'50"
52. L. Roberts - Team Nike - Heineken - +6'50"
76. P. Garde - Team Nike - Heineken - 11'34"
88. R. Devaux - Team Nike - Heineken +14'02"
Paris - Nice
The Paris - Nice race is a major stage race held in France. it is a large part of the lead up to the Giro D'Italia and one of the biggest non-Grand tours on the entire calendar. Defending champion Alberto Contador will defend his crown.
Starters:
Simon Gerrans - AUS
Matthew Lloyd - AUS
Rinaldo Nocentini - ITA
Danny Pate - USA
Nicolas Roche - IRE
Rein Taaramae - EST
Branislau Samoilau - BLR
Timothy Roe - AUS Timothy Roe, pictured above with Australian teammates, is a very promising young stage racer/climber and we hope he will really shine in the first major event of his career. Rein Taaramae, coming off a 7th place finish last year, will be our leader for the race.
Stage 1 - Houdan - Houdan : 151.0kms
After a few kms of jostling and pointless atacking, a breakaway formed. It was a 10 man break and they had 4'24" on the pack.
The lead got out to about 5'30" but then Leopard took control of the peloton and increased the pace as the lead began to fall. The lead was now at 1'32 when P. Brutt attacked.
With 22kms to go Brutt was still stuck halfway, and the break had a 1'30" lead. RadioShack was cutting the lead and it was now under a minute.
And then, the unthinkable. A massive crash between a car and two riders caused a huge pileup, twelve and a half kms from the finish. Some involved in the crash were Brad Wiggins, Jerome Coppel, Tejay Van Garderen and Lars Boom. luckily, most continued. The unlucky A. Moinard of BMC and D. Devenyns of Quickstep, were forced to retire from the race.
Meanwhile at the front of the pack, the break was caught but bunchy attacks from P. Gretsch, W. Mol, C. Lemoine and Garmin's S. Van Marcke, kept the peloton on it's toes. With 2.5kms to go, the peloton wasn't reacting as the very short lead of the break (51secs), was looking to take victory. BMC's Marcus Burghardt attacked also. Simon Gerrans joined in the fun at the last minute and tried to get a different time.
Van Marcke and Lemoine were going at it 1 on 1. Van Marcke! Lemoine! Van Marcke! LEMOINE! Lemoine takes it on the line in a very exciting finish!
3rd place for a brave Burghardt and R. Hunter and Gretsch round out the top 5.
Many contenders were in that nasty crash and fell back a few minutes.
Uneventful day for the team but very eventful day for cycling!
Stage Rankings:
Spoiler
1. C. Lemoine - Saur - Sojasun - 3h36'44"
2. S. Van Marcke - Garmin - Cervelo - +0"
3. M. Burghardt - BMC Racing Team - +0"
4. R. Hunter - Team RadioShack - +0"
5. P. Gretsch - HTC - Highroad - +0"
...
20. S. Gerrans - Team Nike - Heineken - +-0"
36. D. Pate - Team Nike - Heineken - +0"
47. N. Roche - Team Nike - Heineken - +0"
55. R. Nocentini - Team Nike - Heineken - +0"
66. R. Taaramae - Team Nike - Heineken - +0"
67. B. Samoilau - Team Nike - Heineken - +0"
75. M. Lloyd - Team Nike - Heineken - +0"
80. T. Roe - Team Nike - Heineken - +0"
Overall Rankings next stage...
Edited by kitface on 30-07-2011 00:42
Note: Unfortunately, I have been forced to sim the 2nd stage of this race due to computer troubles again. I have fixed the problem now and should be able to continue uninterrupted
The first real break was a 9 man break including Hayden Roulston, Jerome Pineau and King of the Mountains leader A. Geslin of FDJ. They had about 3'25" on the pack.
It seemed Alberto Contador had no problem setting the pace as he wasted some precious energy at the front of the pack.
The lead kept growing and was now at 7'15". A Geslin took the sprint points ahead of T. Dall'Antonia and Y. Krivstov.
There were a few riders only a few seconds behind the leader, so i this break was to succeed, I think we would have a new leader and possible favourite. Lead is now 9'45".
As we reach the top of the first climb, Team Sky, with some help from Andreas Kloden and Alberto Contador, started to reel back the lead, albeit slowly.
86kms to go and Frank Schleck has had a puncture. 4 riders come back straightaway to help though. The high pace of the peloton makes it difficult for the Leopard boys to get back in but they get there after about 10kms of struggling.
The lead was still being cut and was now down to about 5'45".
More chaos and Movistar leader David Lopez Garcia has fallen at the back. Just as Leopard - Trek did, the Movistar teammates come back to help ease him back into the pack.
The front pack was now looking tired and the lead was falling. Currently it as at 3'55" with 40kms. Dall'Antonio took the sprint points.
The Movistar riders were struggling to reach the pack. They were 3'45" behind the pack and looked tired.
The break was now scattered and many riders looked to take the win on the climb. With 10kms to go, Jerome Pineau had a 2 minute lead over the peloton and a 1 minute lead over the second group.
WHOA! Another big crash and this tour has been riddled with them so far. Danny Pate and Tim Roe were involved, they will lose some time. Stage 1 hero C. Lemoine has abandoned along with O. Kaisen of Omega Pharma - Lotto.
A few kms to go and Pineau looks like he will hold on. Greta solo victory for him!
R. Feillu and T. Vaitkus made the top 3 and Nicolas Roche and Simon Gerrans finished 8th and 10th respectively.
Stage Rankings:
Spoiler
1. J. Pineau - Quickstep - 5h03'58"
2. R. Feillu - Vaconsoleil - +1'44"
3. T. Vaitkus - Pro Team Astana - +1'44"
4. G. Henderson - Sky Pro Cycling - +1'44"
5. R. Hunter - Team RadioShack - +1'44"
...
8. N. Roche - Team Nike - Heineken - +1'44"
10. S. Gerrans - Team Nike - Heineken - +1'44"
11. R. Nocentini - Team Nike - Heineken - +1'44"
16. R. Taaramae - Team Nike - Heineken - +1'44"
50. B. Samoilau - Team Nike - Heineken - +1'44"
52. M. Lloyd - Team Nike - Heineken - +1'44"
124. D. Pate - Team Nike - Heineken - +1'44"
130. T. Roe - Team Nike - Heineken - +1'44"
Overall Rankings:
General Classification:
Spoiler
1. S. Van Marcke - GRM - 12h51'29"
2. R. Hunter - RSH - +2"
3. A. Geslin - FDJ - +2"
4. T. Dall'Antonia - LIQ - +3"
5. R. Feillu - VDC - +4"
...
12. S. Gerrans - NIK - +8"
18. N. Roche - NIK - +'8"
25. R. Nocentini - NIK - +8"
33. R. Taaramae - NIK - +8"
42. B. Samoilau - NIK - +8"
45. M. Lloyd - NIK - +8"
105. D. Pate - NIK - +4'52"
116. T. Roe - NIK - +5'36"
King of the Mountains:
Spoiler
1. A. Geslin - FDJ - 4 Pts
2. J. Pineau - QUI - 4 Pts
3. A. Kashechkin - AST - 2 Pts
4. Y. Krivtsov - AG2 - 1 Pt
5. H. Roulston - THR - 1 Pt
Points:
Spoiler
1. R. Hunter - RSH - 59 Pts
2. G. Henderson - SKY - 51
3. T. Vaitkus - AST - 34
4. T. Bos - RAB - 32
5. R. Feillu - VDC - 31
...
20. N. Roche - NIK - 13
21. S. Gerrans - NIK - 12
26. R. Nocentini - NIK - 10
40. R. Taaramae - NIK - 5
Young Riders:
Spoiler
1. S. Van Marcke - GRM - 12h51'29"
2. T. De Gendt - VCD - +8"
3. R. Taaramae - NIK - +8"
4. K. Koren - LIQ - +8"
5. P. Gretsch - THR - +1'59"
...
25. T. Roe - NIK - +5'36"
A very entertaining first few days here at the Paris - Nice. The GC is still wide open. The mountain stages start soon and the real favourites will come to the fore. The points looks to be a two horse race between R. Hunter and G. Henderson. The KoM will be decided over the next couple of days and Rein Taaramae will look to take out the young rider's white jersey.
And don't forget, Tirenno Adriatco starts tomorrow!
Edited by kitface on 30-07-2011 03:23
Paris - Nice
Stage 4 - Creches-Sur-Saone - Belleville : 188kms
Finally, something to climb. This has a few backbreakers but i think our guys can push through it.
The first break was by courageous David Le Lay of Team Ag2r La Mondiale. After winning the mountain-top points, he was leading by 3'34"
It was now up to 5'30" and growing..
He was riding like a man possessed out there, creating a huge 8'00" lead on the peloton, and still with 130kms to go. With 120kms to go, it was a whopping 10'00" lead!
Finally someone did something, and RadioShack started to cut the lead down. It got down to about 6'00" before Le LAY AGAIN increased pace and the lead was back to 8'00".
Just as the rain began to fall, With 53kms to go, Le Lay led by 9'46". The entire Nike - Heineken team was in the pack except an unfit Danny Pate who had fallen back one group. With only 2 climb to go, Le Lay was looking good for a solo win. he is currently +7'48" on leader Van Marcke.
With nobody in sight, David Le Lay won his third set of mountain points today and will wear the KoM jersey tomorrow, if not the leaders.
And there it is, David Le Lay has reached all the summits alone in front. He will now try and coast his way to the finish line with his 9'52" lead for an amazing win.
Still no attacks and Le Lay is just gliding along the road. The fight for second place will be very interesting. Only 5kms now for the Frenchman. Will he wear the leaders jersey tomorrow?
He takes it, an absolutely sensational solo ride. The fight for second place now....
And Gerrans is off, he sprints away to take second place.
Marten Tjangilli takes third.
An amazing day of racing, all thanks to a terrific solo effort by David LE Lay on his home turf!
Stage Rankings:
Spoiler
1. D. Le Lay - Ag2r La Mondiale 5h07'58"
2. S. Gerrans - Team Nike - Heineken +7'05"
3. M. Tjallingii - Rabobank +7'05"
4. R. Hunter - Team RadioShack +7'05"
5. J. Pineau - Quickstep +7'05"
...
15. R. Nocentini - Team Nike - Heineken +7'05"
17. N. Roche - Team Nike - Heineken +7'05"
26. B. Samoilau - Team Nike - Heineken +7'05"
36. R. Taaramaae - Team Nike - Heineken +7'05"
43. M. Lloyd - Team Nike - Heineken +7'05"
108. T. Roe - Team Nike - Heineken +13'24
117. D. Pate - Team Nike - Heineken +13'24"
Overall rankings next stage...
Edited by kitface on 30-07-2011 09:38
The Nike - Heineken lineup for Tirreno Adriatico has been annunced and Olympic Gold Meddalist Samuel Sanchez will debut his season on the quest for Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana glory.
The lineup has been announced for Team Nike - Heineken:
Thor Hushovd - NOR
Samuel Sanchez - ESP
Stuart O'Grady - AUS
Richie Porte - AUS
Michael Matthews - AUS
Paul Garde - FRA
Jack Bobridge - AUS
Luke Roberts - AUS
A strong lineup and hopefully a podium standing and a stage win or two to please the sponsors.
![imageshack.us/photo/my-images/62/logowhs.jpg/[/img]<br />
The Vuelta Ciclista a Mallorca is a 5 day race througgh the Spansih region of Mallorca. Many stars are here including the Schleck brothers and Ivan Basso.<br />
<br />
Our startlist is:<br />
[IMG]https://i51.tinypic.com/14ahthh.png](https://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/62/logowhs.jpg/[/img]<br />
The Vuelta Ciclista a Mallorca is a 5 day race througgh the Spansih region of Mallorca. Many stars are here including the Schleck brothers and Ivan Basso.<br />
<br />
Our startlist is:<br />
[IMG]https://i51.tinypic.com/14ahthh.png)
