Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Lina, Olaiz, Venter
With most of the RSA AIRWAYS squad dotted around the world in tours, the remaining 3 members took up this Italian challenge. No expectation is placed on the riders, although the directeur sportif will be keeping a close eye on youngsters Lina and Olaiz to see if they can hack the pace. Venter will be encouraged to join a breakaway.
On the first climb of the day Venter managed to escape alone and forge a gap of around 2 minutes. However on the flat he was soon reeled in and rejoined the peloton. On Venter’s return, 2 men immediately escaped followed by 2 more about 10km later to forge a 4 man breakaway. Out of the 4 escapees, Schumacher (Miche-Guerciotti) proved the strongest and took a relatively uncontested sprint victory. Venter finished an incredibly encouraging 4th in a high class field.
Final GC standings:
1st Schumacher (Miche-Guerciotti)
4th Venter +1’13
134th Lina +20’58
146th Olaiz +28’37
Directeur Sportif comments:
A massively surprising result for the team, we felt Venter could be a little competitive and have a punt at some kind of breakaway, but we weren’t expecting that kind of durability. The sponsors will no doubt be delighted with the exposure the South African native provided on his lone break, and also managing to not only stay with the main peloton, but win the sprint that took place for 4th. Venter will be given more high profile rides in future, including leading the same trio at the Vuelta a Andalucia as originally planned. Youngsters Young, and in particular Olaiz, struggled and discussions over their future will take place post-Vuelta a Andalucia.
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Lill, Lina, Machado, Mougel, Perry, Rolland
RSA AIRWAYS’ main climber Rolland leads the team in Mallorca, and will be assisted mainly by Machado in the mountains whilst the other riders will rally around him whenever possible. Given Rolland’s talent, RSA AIRWAYS are hoping the Frenchman can at least secure a podium place; ideally the top step!!
• Stage 1 (Flat – short circuit course with a minor hill to be circulated)
10 men made the inevitable breakaway, to which RSA AIRWAYS took exception too as it contained a talented climber and potential GC contender; Quintana (Colombia). Lill, Lina, Mougel, and Perry were all sent to pacemake to try and bring the race back together again. Instead of simply catching the breakaway, the 4 riders were told to put the hammer down and successfully fractured the peloton and caused significant time gaps. RSA AIRWAYS were delighted to see virtually all of the main GC contenders lose at least 1 and a half minutes and at best nearly 3 minutes, as the well placed Rolland and Machado rolled home with the same time as the front group of mainly sprinters. Bole (Lampre) clung on in the sprint finish to grab the early GC lead.
• Stage 2 (Flat – undulating with a couple of very minor climbs)
RSA AIRWAYS were keen for the stage to finish in a bunch sprint and immediately chased down climbers Soler (Movistar), Sousa (Barbot), and Sicard (Euskaltel-Euskadi) who tried to breakaway. RSA AIRWAYS were forced to keep up the pace for most of the day until eventually Lampre took over in the final stages. Their effort proved worthwhile as yellow jersey Bole (Lampre) took the win again. Machado and Rolland came safely home with the same time.
• Stage 3 (Mountain – one small climb and one long climb 30km from the end)
An intriguing stage within which RSA AIRWAYS were hoping to turn their provisional GC lead into a real one. Dangerous climbers such as Gadret (Ag2r) and Charteau (Europcar) tried to join the day’s breakway ,which meant RSA AIRWAYS had to bury themselves at the front of the peloton to ensure they didn’t get away before the climbs of the day. On the second mountain, both Lill and Machado set high tempos and fractured the peloton behind. Machado continued his pacemaking for Rolland on the downhill and Rolland had just enough energy to edge out Jacobs (Topsport Vlaanderen) for the stage win. However, on the run to the finish, Bole (Lampre) hauled himself back to the front group to cling onto the GC lead by the skin of his teeth. Rolland moves to 2nd in the GC, 20 seconds behind, and also into the young riders GC lead.
• Stage 4 (Mountain – all the significant climbing in the second half of the stage, not severe though)
RSA AIRWAYS were hoping to keep the pressure high on Bole (Lampre) on a day with more climbing, and saved their domestiques energy by leaving Lampre to do all the early pacemaking. 14 riders made a breakway, and with the dangerous GC contender Bruseghin (Movistar) present, RSA AIRWAYS felt compelled to take up some genuine pacemaking. Although Bruseghin (Movistar) was too strong on the day to be caught, the time gap he forged was not enough to upset the GC leaders. Rolland attacked late on, set up thanks to the brutal uphill pacemaking of Lill who is fast proving to be a superb domestique. The Frenchman took 5th on the stage and more importantly shook Bole (Lampre) off to propel himself into the GC lead, 8 seconds ahead of Jacobs (Topsport-Vlaanderen).
• Stage 5 (Mountain – undulating all day with a short vicious climb in the middle)
A huge day for RSA AIRWAYS began with a high pace, of which 4 men eventually managed to escape. With Oyarzun (Movistar) just 3 minutes adrift in the GC, Mougel, Lina, and Perry were sent up to pacemake to keep the gap under control. On the second climb of the day, RSA AIRWAYS had a stroke of luck when Oyarzun (Movistar) suffered a crash, bringing him back to the peloton. After the dangerous Coll de Soler was passed, GC contenders Coppel (Saur-Sojasun) and Gadret (Ag2r) amongst others tried to attack but with Lill and Machado present, RSA AIRWAYS had the race under a measure of control. With around 20km to go, Rolland had to follow the attacks and lose his teammates to join an elite group of 14 climbers that had swallowed up the breakaway. The group stayed together to contest the sprint, won by Soler (Movistar) with Rolland an impressive 2nd. That result was more than enough to secure the overall GC victory, 20 seconds ahead of Jacobs (Topsport-Vlaanderen). Rolland also came just shy of winning the points competition too in what proved to be a fantastic final day and overall tour for Rolland and RSA AIRWAYS.
Final GC standings:
1st Rolland
12th Machado +3’29
31st Lill +14’35
83rd Perry +44’24
91st Lina +50’36
92nd Mougel +52’35
Directeur Sportif comments:
A fantastic result for Rolland and a deserved victory both the individual and the team as a collective. The decision to rally around Rolland paid off as he comfortable kept pace with the best climbers, and a run of a 1st, 5th, and 2nd finishes emphasised what a good tour he had. The other 5 riders in the team did great shifts of work to help set up those results and their performances have been noted and will be looked upon very favourably. Lill’s durability and willingness to bury himself for the cause has been registered and will increase his claims for a ride on some of the bigger races to come. All in all a fantastic result for RSA AIRWAYS.
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Devolder, Hayman, Hunter, Impey, Oss, Sagan, Westra
RSA AIRWAYS kept faith with the exact same rider lineup that raced in the recent Tour of Qatar. Results are expected to show an upturn in form in the sprints, of which Sagan will again be supported. With some climbing in this tour, RSA AIRWAYS are hoping that their GC hopes will be enhanced.
• Stage 1 (Pan-flat)
4 men made the day’s breakaway but they stood little chance of surviving on a day with the sprinter’s team eager to set up a bunch finish. The man in form in the Middle East, Davis (Astana), took the stage win convincingly. RSA AIRWAYS did manage to organise themselves but had little in the tank and struggled with Oss, Sagan, and Hunter trailing home in 10th, 11th, and 12th respectively. Davis takes the GC lead.
• Stage 2 (Pan-flat)
RSA AIRWAYS decided to take control of the race from the off, yet their attempts to fracture the peloton and leave behind some GC contenders didn’t quite pay off. Instead of forming a leadout train, RSA AIRWAYS instructed Hunter and Sagan to latch onto the wheel of Galimzyanov (Katusha) in order to get themselves properly placed for the forthcoming sprint. However, despite the Russian’s victory, Sagan could only force himself into a lowly 8th. Davis remains in the GC lead.
• Stage 3 (Pan-flat)
RSA AIRWAYS once again did their best to shake up the peloton but although weakening the field slightly, it was all to not much avail. Galimzyanov (Katusha) once again took a dominant sprint victory, with Hunter a much improved 4th after taking the Russian’s wheel. Galimzyanov (Katusha) has now wrestled the GC lead from Davis (Astana).
• Stage 4 (Mountain – Pan-flat until a summit finish on a tough climb)
13 men made the day’s breakaway, with Katusha doing the pacemaking for their team. In a move of desperation, GC leader Galimzyanov (Katusha) tried an attack before the final climb but it unsurprisingly failed. On a crushingly difficult final climb, Soler (Movistar) took the stage with an attack 5km from the finish. Sagan hung tough and rode well to finish 7th on the stage and take the same position in the new GC standings, which Soler (Movistar) deservedly leads.
• Stage 5 (Individual Time Trial – A flat 19km course)
RSA AIRWAYS took a magnificent 1-2-3 to rescue some pride from a disappointing tour so far. Westra took the win, 3 seconds ahead of teammates Devolder in 2nd and Sagan in 3rd. Sagan’s strong showing moves him into 2nd in the GC but with no hope of overhauling GC leader Soler (Movistar), who has 1’31 advantage.
• Stage 6 (Flat – a sharp climb early on before a long, flat run to the finish)
After RSA AIRWAYS attempted to set the pace and break up the field on the climb, 4 men eventually made the day’s breakaway once the intensity from the tactic had eased. Although a number of teams tried to drag it back, 2 men survived and Frolov (Itera-Katusha) took the sprint victory. 31 seconds down the road, Sagan sprinted into 6th place, keeping his 2nd place in the overall GC and taking 4th in the points classification.
Directeur Sportif comments:
Once again we struggled here in the Middle East to get our sprints organised and effective. Perhaps the riders are struggling for a bit of early season sharpness and a bit of a come down from the very early season form. Although with Sagan we are best of the rest in the GC, it still cannot mask our general disappointment at once again lack of race craft and energy in the heat of the battle. However, a stage win and the young riders GC win also musn’t be ignored and we can at least take something home with us.
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Ista, Machado, Perry, Van Avermaet, Van Garderen, Young
RSA AIRWAYS will be lead by home favourite Machado in this tough Portuguese outing, and will be prominently supported by Van Garderen in the tougher parts of the race. Ista will support Van Avermaet should the possibility of a sprint finish in one or more stages arise. Given the nature of the opposition, in particular Radioshack’s exceptionally strong line up, the overall GC win is within range for Machado but would require his best form all week.
• Stage 1 (Medium Mountain – no one significant climb but up and down all day, tough terrain)
With 13 men escaping from the peloton including the dangerous Popovych (Radioshack), RSA AIRWAYS sent Perry and Young up to pacemake the peloton and control the gap. Unfortunately, the breakaway won the day with Popovych (Radioshack) taking the sprint. However, Van Garderen and Ista’s late ferocious turn of pace at the front of the peloton caused a large split of which GC contender Brajkovic (Radioshack) found himself losing 3 minutes. Fortunately, despite winning the stage, GC contender Popovych (Radioshack) only led the GC by time bonuses rather than any true time gains.
• Stage 2 (Mountain – two tough but short(ish) climbs early on before a reasonably flat 2nd half of the stage)
An unbelievable start to the day. Before the first climb Leipheimer (Radioshack) suffered a fall and despite riding back to the peloton, the pacemaking of RSA AIRWAYS’ Perry shed him and a large group of riders. To complete Radioshack’s misery, Kloden (Radioshack) fell on the second climb and fell back to Leipheimer’s (Radioshack) chase group. To ensure both riders couldn’t drag themselves back, Van Garderen and Ista took up the pacemaking. It paid off and only 15 riders made it to the end without losing time, and to cap a productive day for RSA AIRWAYS, Van Avermaet edged to the sprint victory. He moves up to 2nd in both the GC and the points competition behind Popovych (Radioshack). Van Avermaet will wear the green jersey.
• Stage 3 (Mountain – short but tough climbs all day with a sharp summit finish)
Seeing Leipheimer (Radioshack) fail to escape the peloton, Radioshack took control of the peloton in order to keep the breakaway of 5 riders under control. Eventually however, RSA AIRWAYS spotted an opportunity to perform a similar tactic to the previous day, with Van Garderen again showing immense strength to drag a group of 13 to the front of the field. The pace was high enough to get rid of Nibali (Liquigas). With 15km to go, RSA AIRWAYS made an on-the-spot decision to switch leadership of the team to Van Avermaet, with Machado now using his last scraps of energy to pull with Van Garderen. It proved the right decision as Van Avermaet streaked away from the group to take a commanding victory on the day, and also take an overall GC lead of nearly a minute. Van Avermaet now also leads the points competition and RSA AIRWAYS have also taken the team GC lead on a highly productive day.
• Stage 4 (Undulating – up and down all day but no difficulty)
With RSA AIRWAYS holding the leaders jersey, they were eager to control the race for Van Avermaet. 8 men made the day’s breakaway, which RSA AIRWAYS were happy to let go as the best rider in the GC stood over 10 minutes behind Van Avermaet. RSA AIRWAYS were happy to hold a gap of 7 minutes for most of the stage until teams Liquigas and Topsport-Vlaanderen wanted to take over and up the pace. Dockx (Landbouwrkediet) won the day from the breakaway, and despite a scare when 2nd place in the GC Scheirlinckx (Veranda’s) attacked, the peloton all finished with the same time and Van Avermaet maintains his GC and points competition leads.
• Stage 5 (Individual Time Trial – a pan-flat 19km course)
Van Garderen took an impressive victory and hauled himself onto the 3rd step of the GC podium, and into the young riders GC lead. Yellow jersey Van Avermaet produced a strong ride to claim 6th and bolster his overall GC lead and his points classification lead. The stage capped off a great tour for RSA AIRWAYS, taking the overall GC win, the points classification win, the young riders GC win, and the overall team GC win; along with 3 stage wins out of 5 stages.
Final GC standings:
1st Van Avermaet
3rd Van Garderen +1’25
9th Machado +2’46
16th Ista +7’39
60th Perry +26’11
78th Young +53’07
Directeur Sportif comments:
A stunning tour for us, and it’s great to see Van Avermaet maintain his fantastic start to the new season. We all know Van Avermaet’s talent and potential as a sprinter, but this season he has really come into his own on these tougher, hiller stages. We’re delighted to see the switch of leadership in stage 3 paid off so handsomely, and that Machado was more than happy to bury himself for Van Avermaet. Van Garderen had a superb tour aswell, the job of work he got through was beyond the realms of duty, and then to finish it off with a stage win and 3rd in the overall GC was quite astounding. All in all, a tour both RSA AIRWAYS as a team, and certain individuals will look back upon very fondly.
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Augustyn, George, Kruijswijk, Lill, Mougel, Rolland, Van Heerden, Van Winden
RSA AIRWAYS will be lead by home favourite Rolland in this short tour in Southern France. Kruijswijk will be Rolland’s elite domestique and can take the leadership if Rolland struggles. Van Heerden and Van Winden will be expected to mix it up should either stage come down to a sprint.
• Stage 1 (Flat – some minor climbing but no difficulty)
After a high early pace in the peloton, 7 men were eventually allowed to escape for the day. However, the French teams were simply not going to let it win the day and they were comfortably caught with 10km to go. RSA AIRWAYS successfully arranged a leadout train for Van Heerden but the uphill kick to the line scuppered his chances and he finished 13th, a place behind leadout man Van Winden. Dumoulin (Cofidis) delighted the home crowds to take the victory and the overall GC lead. Unfortunately for RSA AIRWAYS, Mougel had to abandon early on after a fall, and has been diagnosed with a broken rib and at least 6 weeks off the bike.
• Stage 2 (Mountain – climbing all day, severe halfway through the stage)
Augustyn signalled his intentions by taking the first two mountain climbs of the day. On the 3rd and longest climb of the day, with no breakaway up the road, RSA AIRWAYS set the pace for the dual purpose of setting Augustyn up for more mountain points and also trying to split the field up. The tactic worked to an extent, Augustyn took 3rd on the climb and the field was reduced to 32 but the yellow jersey Dumoulin (Cofidis) survived with ease. The group whittled down further to 21 with Augustyn and Rolland the only RSA AIRWAYS survivors. Rolland attacked with 6km to go and it proved just the right time as he clung on in the sprint. It was enough to secure 3rd overall and 1st in the young riders GC, but the yellow jersey Dumoulin (Cofidis) took 11th on the stage to hang onto the overall GC lead. Augustyn took the mountains classification ahead of teammate Rolland on a decent day for RSA AIRWAYS.
Final GC standings:
1st Dumoulin (Cofidis)
3rd Rolland +0’22
12th Augustyn +2’31
23rd Van Winden +7’22
26th George +7’22
27th Lill +7’22
28th Kruijswijk +7’22
95th Van Heerden +21’40
Withdrawal Mougel
Directeur Sportif comments:
A good showing from RSA AIRWAYS, some good teamwork and stage win is always welcome to see. Dumoulin (Cofidis) rode courageously on the 2nd stage and deserved his overall GC despite our best efforts to shake him off. However our job of work wasn’t in vain and a stage win for Rolland makes our participation definitely worth while. One disappointment is the injury to Mougel. The youngster has been quietly riding quite well so far for RSA AIRWAYS and we hope that this will not half his progress too much.
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Lina, Olaiz, Venter
With the RSA AIRWAYS squad dotted all around the world, once again the 3 riders that took up the Trofeo Laigueglia challenge teamed up to ride this Spanish tour. Given the nature of the opposition in the small 64 man field, RSA AIRWAYS felt their chances for victory were limited in this race and decided to race key squad leaders elsewhere. No expectation is placed upon the riders, although the form of youngsters Lina and Olaiz will be scrutinised.
• Stage 1 (Prologue – a flat 6.6km course)
Venter took a decent 10th position, with Lina (50th) and Olaiz (64th) well down the standings but only a few seconds worse off. Larsson (Saxobank) took the victory and moved into yellow.
• Stage 2 (Mountain – two long and tough climbs with a kink and a downhill finish to follow)
Venter tried to join an early breakaway of 5 but the riders were not allowed to escape. With the peloton still altogether on all 3 summits of the day, Venter helped himself to maximum mountain points to lead the mountains classification. With the peloton altogether at the run into the finish, Saxobank ended their pacemaking and Venter went for a dash to the line at 2km to go. It proved the correct decision as he just clung on by a slither at the line to claim the stage win. With a time bonus to collect, Venter moved himself into the overall GC lead, ousting the unsuspecting Larsson (Saxobank). A great day for RSA AIRWAYS.
• Stage 3 (Undulating – plenty of minor climbing non-stop)
Given the docile nature of the race on the previous stage, RSA AIRWAYS held serious hopes of maintaining Venter’s lead not only on this stage but also for the whole tour.
8 men made the day’s breakaway early on, and with only 2 riders to support yellow jersey Venter, they opened up a 6 minute lead. With 70km to go no other team willing to help pacemake the peloton, yellow jersey launched a lone attack. It seemed to spark the peloton into life and suddenly, with Venter brought back immediately. However the timing of the peloton’s liveliness was too little too late as Loubet (Ag2r) from the breakaway won the day and took the overall GC lead. Venter slips to 9th, exactly a minute in arrears. He will now wear the polka-dot jersey, with a 1 point lead in the mountains classification. Venter also maintains a lead in the young riders GC classification.
• Stage 4 (Undulating – undulations and very minor climbing all day but no difficulty)
A quiet day, with 6 riders forging a breakaway and no concerted effort to chase it down until late on again, with Ag2r finally getting their act together with 50km to go. The catch took place with less than a km to go, causing trouble in the sprint but nevertheless Haedo (Saxobank) picked up an unsurprising victory. Lemoine’s (Saur-sojasun) second place bumps Venter down to 10th in the GC.
• Stage 5 (Flat – a general upturn in gradient later on but no real difficulty)
Lina joined 3 other escapees in the first few km’s to create the day’s breakaway. It proved worthwhile as Ag2r were happy to let the breakaway streak away to a lead of nearly 10 minutes, and it was clear from a long way out that the breakaway would win the day. Unfortunately for RSA AIRWAYS, Sancho (LA – Antarte) took the sprint and Lina could only finish 4th, but it was still a strong performance from the youngster. Venter finished in the peloton and his lead in both the mountains classification and the young riders GC was maintained.
Directeur Sportif comments:
A good outing for us, with Venter bringing home the bacon in two of the competitions; the mountains classification and the young riders GC. Bagging a stage win and the yellow jersey for a day also made our participation very worthwhile. Lina rode reasonably well throughout the tour but fellow youngster Olaiz had a torrid time and finished last in the GC. The Mexican’s future is very much in doubt now as we’ve yet to see any promise.
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Hayman, Ista, Lina, Oss, Van Heerden, Young
Italian native Oss will lead the team in the race, in the hope that the race might be altogether near the finish and that he can cope with the finishing climb. RSA AIRWAYS will be keen to have at least one representative in the day’s breakaway on what looks to be a great opportunity for an escapee to claim the glory. No huge expectation is placed upon the riders selected, including leader Oss.
On a day of horrible wet weather, 11 riders including Hayman made a breakaway, whilst Ag2r’s pressure at the front of the peloton caused and almost 50-50 split. With the peloton eventually regrouped, 3 riders escaped to try and make contact with the 11 leaders. Frustrated that not one of the 11 would help him pacemake, Hayman made a lone attack at 100km to go. Hayman was eventually dragged back with 20km to go, but again attacked with 2 others to stay at the front of the field, with all other escapees now brought back by the peloton. The 3 were caught well in time and despite a late number of attacks, a peloton sprint finish occurred with Gatto (Farnese-Vini) bursting through to take an impressive victory. Oss and Ista finished high up but never really contended the victory.
Final GC standings:
1st Gatto (Farnese-Vini)
13th Oss +0’00
14th Ista +0’00
32nd Hayman +0’00
66th Van Heerden +1’28
96th Lina +4’53
115th Young +8’12
Directeur Sportif comments:
It was always going to be tough to compete for the victory but we’re pleased with our efforts. The breakaway definitely had enough to win the day had all of the riders shared the pacemaking, but frustratingly for RSA AIRWAYS it was left pretty much all to Hayman. Hayman rode a superb race and deserved more than 32nd to show for his effort. Oss and Ista both did well to stay near the front and mix it up with the strongest finishers but we were never truly in contention to win. Youngsters Lina and Young need to show a bit more durability in future if they are to be considered for participation in bigger races.
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Devolder, Lina, Olaiz, Oss, Van Avermaet, Young
RSA AIRWAYS took a development squad of riders to Italy, with 3 youngsters supporting leader Van Avermaet, and elite domestiques Devolder and Oss. The terrain appears suitable for Van Avermaet, with some average climbing, flat areas, and a drag uphill to the finish line. RSA AIRWAYS may look to cover themselves in a breakaway but the hope is that the race will come together before the finish for Van Avermaet.
9 men made the day’s breakaway, with Lina the RSA AIRWAYS representative. Midway through the stage, and with the gap held at 2 minutes, Spezialetti (Lampre) bridged to the gap to make it a 10 man group. Unfortunately for RSA AIRWAYS, Devolder fell in the peloton with 80km to go and had to waste energy riding himself back in. With the breakaway a good 3 minutes clear but flagging with 15km to go, a number of riders escaped from the peloton in order to bridge the gap, including Van Avermaet. Van Avermaet then joined a group of 4 other riders at the head of the race, but the in-form Gatto (Farnese-Vini) was the strongest in the drag to the line. Van Avermaet’s challenge petered out with a 4th place finish.
Final GC standings:
1st Gatto (Farnese-Vini)
4th Van Avermaet +0’10
9th Devolder +2’02
15th Lina +2’30
31st Oss +7’06
44th Young +7’33
55th Olaiz +10’42
Directeur Sportif comments:
A pretty good show from the team, Van Avermaet again showing his ‘hard man’ credentials with a battling 4th place. Unfortunately he came a cropper thanks to the great form of Gatto (Farnese-Vini); and the lack of a more bunched, truer sprint finish also really harmed Van Avermaet’s chances of turning him over. Furthermore, as comes with the territory with a young, cobbled together squad, we weren’t able to really protect Van Avermaet on the run to the finish, but overall not a bad day at all.
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Hayman, Hunter, Ista, Van Heerden, Van Winden, Westra
RSA AIRWAYS decided to bring a squad dominated by flat specialists with the hope that the race might finish in a bunch sprint for South African Hunter. Given the lumpy terrain, other sprint options include Ista and Van Heerden who are both slightly more durable than Hunter. Either way, it is expected that RSA AIRWAYS play a part in the finish of the race.
After a frantic start, 14 riders eventually escaped for a good 40km but were soon brought back. On one of the tougher climbs of the day, Sabido (LA-Antarte) launched a savage attack and escaped alone. On the final climb of the day, the peloton fractured leaving 40 riders left to chase down the lone escapee. With Hunter in the grupetto, RSA AIRWAYS sent their whole squad to the front of the 40-man group to rider for Ista. However, the effort was not enough as Sabido (LA-Antarte) took the victory with a 17 second gap. Ista sprinted to a strong 3rd position.
Final GC standings:
1st Sabido (LA-Antarte)
3rd Ista +0’17
28th Westra +0’17
33rd Van Winden +0’17
35th Hayman +0’17
37th Van Heerden +0’17
81st Hunter +6’20
Directeur Sportif comments:
We were counting on a sprint finish if we were to have any chance of winning this race, but unfortunately our plans were undone by an opportunist rider who rode the race of his life. Getting an RSA AIRWAYS rider into a breakaway was never in the plan so there are no regrets, and actually the team management are pretty happy with the riders’ durability to stay with the front group (of which Hunter only just missed out on). Ista sprinted well to take a podium place.
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Augustyn, George, Impey, Lill, Rolland, Venter
RSA AIRWAYS chose Rolland to lead their squad in Switzerland, with 5 South African domestiques surrounding him to nurse him through a very tough terrain. Given the flat run to the finish, it is difficult to foresee Rolland managing to get himself into a position to win without shaking up the race. Although the race will be contested for victory, this is as much a test of the credentials of the South Africans as domestiques for a leader on a tough race.
A number of teams kept the pace high early on, and with the peloton strung out RSA AIRWAYS sent Venter and George to the front to up the pace even more in order to fracture the peloton. With Augustyn sent up to help, only 29 riders remained in the front group. With 30km to go and most of his teammates now too fatigued to work, Rolland attacked off the front group. 14 riders managed to bridge the gap 10km later and at the finish, Failli (Farnese-Vini) proved too powerful and took the victory. Rolland’s aggressive ride saw him land a solid 5th place.
Directeur Sportif comments:
An excellent showing from the team, with all of the riders willing to put a shift in to help set up something for Rolland. Rolland felt strong enough to launch a late attack which was simply his only option in order to try and bag the win, but unfortunately despite the work of our domestiques to weaken the field, enough riders felt strong enough to follow Rolland. Although we didn’t get the win, 5th is a very solid result for us and the strong riding of in particular Augustyn and Venter has been noted.
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Devolder, George, Lina, Machado, Van Winden, Westra
RSA AIRWAYS took a strong squad to Italy, with Devolder the nominated leader given the nature of the up-and-down terrain in the second half of the race. The squad has a nice blend of climbing skilled and flat specialist domestiques, but without a true finisher on the squad except for young Van Winden, scoring a victory will be difficult.
Unsurprisingly a large number of riders tried to escape early on the flat first half of the race, but the peloton took a stranglehold and the sheer volume of riders escaping was too much. With 90km to go Devolder tried to escape but was never given free rein and found himself back in the peloton. Eventually 3 men did manage to make a clean break with Hondo (Lampre) taking a grip at the front of the field. At 30km to go, the peloton was reduced to 37 riders with the pace very high, RSA AIRWAYS’ finisher/sprinter Van Winden was left behind in a group down the road. Once again in this type of race, the last 10km was littered with speculative attacks and eventually it was left to about 20 riders to contest the final sprint, of which Di Luca (Katusha) conquered with a stunning burst from far back. Westra trailed in with the also-rans in the sprint.
Final GC standings:
1st Di Luca (Katusha)
11th Westra +0’00
16th George +0’34
17th Devolder +0’34
32nd Machado +2’36
53rd Van Winden +5’14
101st Lina +11’54
Directeur Sportif comments:
As expected, the race became rather muddled and disorganised, and Westra did very well to cling onto the coattails of the leaders and roll into the finish with that elite group. The race never quite fell right for Devolder and it was an eternal struggle throughout to really try and be proactive. However a result was never really expected here and the race provided a good opportunity for the riders to have a test and to keep sharp ahead of a busy period in the season.
Les Boucles du Sud Ardeche – Souvenir Francis Delpech (France)
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Kruijswijk, Machado, Perry, Sagan, Van Garderen
Despite RSA AIRWAYS taking only 5 riders to this race, team management felt the group was more than strong enough to maybe pinch a strong result. Ideally for RSA AIRWAYS, the race would finish with a bunch sprint as Sagan is expected to have no problems with the terrain. The other 4 riders will work for Sagan although it is hoped that one of them may manage to join a breakaway and therefore ease the burden on the team to chase.
Perry tried an early escape with 11 others but the sheer weight of numbers was enough persuasion for the peloton to shut it down quickly. Machado was the next RSA AIRWAYS rider to chance his arm, and due to his strong pacemaking, a group of 13 managed to collaborate and forge a gap, with Lodewyck (Omega Pharma-Lotto) in limbo between the breakaway and the peloton. Whilst he rode courageously to cover the gap after at least 50km on his own, on the narrow roads and climbs behind, havoc was wreaked across the peloton. In the rainy weather and tough terrain, numerous riders fell and the pressure of the situation reduced the peloton to around 60 riders. Unfortunately for RSA AIRWAYS, Perry suffered a crash and had to abandon the race amidst the chaos.
With 35km to go, Machado attacked with Devillers (Wallonie) the man to counter. However, it was not enough and the peloton pounced with 20km to go. The race then became very confused with all manner of attacks, and it was Dumoulin (Cofidis) who profited from the jumbled nature of the finish, with his placing in the front group allowing him to streak away from the field with a devastating sprint. Sagan, who was badly placed, came roaring through for a distant 2nd, with teammates Van Garderen and Kruijswijk close behind.
Final GC standings:
1st Dumoulin (Cofidis)
2nd Sagan +0’00
3rd Van Garderen +0’00
5th Kruijswijk +0’00
24th Machado +4’20
Perry Withdrawal
Directeur Sportif comments:
Although we managed to get 3 riders into the top 5, we’re slightly disappointed that we couldn’t place Sagan better for the sprint finish. Sagan was feeling good enough to win, or at least challenge Dumoulin (Cofidis), so it’s frustrating how the finish panned out. Further added to our frustration is the lack of help Machado received in the general pacing of the breakaway, on a stage with a profile such as this there is no way a breakaway of 13 should have disintegrated and been caught so comfortably. There was more disappointment on the stage as Perry suffered in a crash and had to abandon, with scans revealing the South African had suffered a fractured kneecap. He will now miss out on Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico.
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Hayman, Ista, Olaiz, Oss, Van Heerden, Young
RSA AIRWAYS brought the 6 unfortunate riders who missed out on selection for Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico for this race in Spain. Finishers/sprinters Oss and Ista will be looking to mix it up at the sharp end, particularly stage 1, but no expectation of the overall GC victory is placed on either.
• Stage 1 (Undulating – minor climbing both early and late on – enough difficulty to shake things up)
Young made the day’s breakaway with 11 other riders on the first climb of the day, with Silva (Tavira) eventually bridging the gap to make it a 13 man escape. However, the peloton had the race under complete control and hovered up all 13 men with 8km to go. On the downhill run to the finish, RSA AIRWAYS organised a leadout train for Oss of Hayman, Van Heerden, and Ista. The organisation proved more than enough to take the victory as Oss converted the sprint with a fair bit left in hand. Oss takes the overall GC lead and the points competition lead.
• Stage 2 (Mountain – two climbs near the end which should favour a late attack)
The race took a long time to settle down, with 14 men eventually making the day’s breakaway. However, the escapees were never allowed much leeway and the peloton was back altogether with 60km to go. Immediately, Laverde (Colombia) launched a solo attack and was allowed to go. On the final climb, the lone escapee was rapidly brought back and a group of 15 climbers managed to squeeze out a gap to the yellow jersey Oss. The 15 riders contested a tight sprint finish where Van Hecke (Topsport) prevailed to take the stage victory, and wrestle the overall GC lead from Oss who slipped to 15th at +1’10. Oss will swap the leaders jersey for the points jersey.
• Stage 3 (Individual time trial – a pan-flat 12km course)
Cornu (Topsport) took the stage victory and in turn took the overall GC lead. Ista took a decent 7th place for RSA AIRWAYS and Oss’ 16th meant he finished a reasonable 11th overall, but lost out on the points competition.
Final GC standings:
1st Cornu (Topsport)
11th Oss +1’21
13th Ista +1’28
43rd Van Heerden +7’45
52nd Hayman +9’09
88th Young +14’05
113th Olaiz +30’34
Directeur Sportif comments:
A really good tour for us, we knew that with Oss, Ista, and Van Heerden we would be represented should either of the first 2 stages end in a bunch sprint but to pick up a win is beyond our expectations. Furthermore, we were delighted with the effort placed by the team and Oss himself in attempting to cling onto the leaders jersey on a climb that was always going to go against us. Both Oss and Ista, who provided a great leadout, have certainly put themselves on the radar for higher profile future races. On the other hand, Olaiz finished in the lanterne rouge and having lost over half an hour in just 3 stages, the team will not look kindly upon his performance despite his inexperience and youthfulness.
Right, that's you lot for now. Sorry all the updates come in one huge clump which isn't conducive for a nice smooth read. The next races are the two biggest so far for RSA AIRWAYS; Paris-Nice and Tirreno Adriatico. Rest assured both are well under way and I'm hoping to update this page after the weekend so not a long wait.
Sorry, I didn't intentionally lie about 'not a long wait'. Had things to do but reports will be up shortly. Also managed to get through the races immediately after Paris-Nice and Tirreno-Adriatico. Got some very exciting results from Catalunya and also Gent-Wevelgem to report upon.
Also, great news..............wildcard application for the Giro.......accepted!!!
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Augustyn, Hunter, Impey, Kruijswijk, Lill, Rolland, Sagan, Venter
RSA AIRWAYS brought a strong squad for this elite race through France, with home favourite Rolland taking on team leadership. The French climber will be supported by elite domestique Kruijswijk, who will also be on standby to step into the leadership role should it be necessary. Sagan will look to contest all of the sprints and should be able to hang tough in the more mountainous terrain aswell. The South African contingent will all look for stage victories through breakaways if possible, and also provide support for Rolland, Kruijswijk, and Sagan.
• Stage 1
After a frantic opening 50km, the race eventually settled down with 16 riders managing to make the escape. Home favourite Voeckler (Europcar) suffered a crash in the peloton and lost a lot of time as his team decided against helping him back to the peloton. Given the strength in numbers of the breakaway, the peloton made the catch very early at 50km to go. Despite a couple of specualative late attacks, the stage culminated in a bunch sprint which Hondo (Lampre) took by the proverbial whisker. Sagan and Hunter simply couldn’t get into position and came home disappointingly in 13th and 14th.
• Stage 2
Once again the race took a while to settle down, with 13 men eventually managing to make a definitive escape. The breakaway was given 7 minutes before Lampre and Cofidis instigated the chase on a much calmer day than the previous stage. However, the gap proved too big to bridge, and O’Grady (Leopard) took a tight sprint finish and also rode himself into the overall GC lead. Sagan led home RSA AIRWAYS with a 23rd place finish on the stage, and all of the RSA AIRWAYS squad lie with the bulk of the field at +1’57 behind O’Grady (Leopard).
• Stage 3
Again a busy start to the day, with 9 men eventually making the day’s breakaway. Venter suffered a bad fall in the peloton about 50km into the stage, but managed to comfortably return to the main group. Given the nature of the terrain, with the possibility of a stage win and possibly shaking up the GC, RSA AIRWAYS sent Augustyn, Lill, Impey, and Venter to the head of the peloton to set a tempo. With the pace high, the breakaway was quickly swallowed up. Sensing an opportunity to ride away with the win, Voeckler (Europcar) escaped with 65km to go. On the final climb of the day, Kruijsiwjk kept the pressure on at the head of the peloton and was backed up by Rolland on the downhill; all in order to try and set up the win for Sagan. However, Voeckler (Europcar) held off the chasing sprinters to take the stage win, with Sagan a lowly 15th. His disappointment tempered by moving into the young riders GC lead, whereas O’Grady (Leopard) maintains his overall GC lead.
• Stage 4
7 men made the day’s breakaway, with Lill representing RSA AIRWAYS. With the gap touching 10 minutes on the Col des Ecorbans, the peloton woke up and started the chase in earnest. On the final two climbs of the day, Lill and Veikkanen (Omega Pharma-Lotto) managed to eek out a gap and ride away from the rest of the breakaway which was fracturing. On the flat run into the finish, Voeckler (Europcar) spotted an opportunity to escape the peloton and join the flagging leaders. Unfortunately for Lill, the Frenchman managed to comfortably cross the gap and ease to the sprint victory, with Lill back in a creditable 2nd. In the main group, Sagan took 10th and maintains his young riders GC lead. O’Grady (Leopard) maintains his overall GC lead, with Lill moving into 3rd on a decent day for RSA AIRWAYS.
• Stage 5
9 men managed to escape the peloton early on, with Sagan in a 6 man group at the front of the race ahead of 3 pursuers. On the tough Col de le Croix de Chabouret, the front of the field was reduced to just 3 riders, with Sagan looking strongest. Back in the peloton, Leopard-Trek were keen to have control and set a tempo that wouldn’t allow the leaders on the road too much of an advantage. The pacemaking left the race finely poised with just the 3 escapees left out front, with a 4 minutes advantage at 40km to go. On the slopes of the Col de la Mure, Basso (Liquigas) attacked and joined the tiring leaders. The pace was ferocious on the climb and only 18 riders survived to forge an elite front group, and Kreuiziger (Astana) proved strongest at the finish to take the victory and the overall GC lead. RSA AIRWAYS were well represented in the 18 by Rolland, Sagan, and Kruijswijk. Sagan loses his young riders jersey but moves upto 4th in the overall GC, with Rolland well placed in 9th.
• Stage 6 (Individual time trial)
Larsson (Saxobank) took the stage with Kreuziger (Astana) taking 2nd and most importantly strengthening his GC lead. Sagan rode to a creditable 7th and strengthens his 4th place in the GC, with Kruijswijk taking 19th on the stage and removing teammate Rolland in 9th place overall. Rolland had a torrid time losing over five minutes and is well off the pace in the race for the GC in 22nd. The Frenchman will switch his focus to trying to win a stage and helping out Kruijswijk and Sagan in the mountains.
• Stage 7
The race never really settled down in the first 70km, with a large number of riders trying and failing to escape a nervous peloton, headed by Astana. Eventually, 3 riders did manage to escape 20km before the long slog up the Cote de Cabris, and surprisingly Nibali (Liquigas) was allowed to escape shortly later. On the climb, the Italian streaked away to gain an advantage of nearly 10 minutes to the peloton and the yellow jersey. On the downhill and with 60km to go, the Italian was the only escapee left at the front of the road and had managed to maintain a 10 minute gap. In the last 50km, a number of attacks were attempted from GC contenders such as Gesink (Rabobank) and Basso (Liquigas), with Rolland doing an excellent job nullifying the attacks at the head of the fast-shrinking peloton. Nibali (Liquigas) took the stage but his stage advantage of 2’57 was not enough to wrestle the yellow jersey from Kreuziger (Astana), who also moves into the points jersey lead. Sagan moves into 2nd in the points competition after sprinting to 8th and will now wear the jersey; he also maintains his 4th place in the overall GC.
• Stage 8
A fast-paced start as has become the norm, with a high number of riders trying to escape and Astana amongst others not allowing a breakaway to form. RSA AIRWAYS tried an escape with both Augustyn and Rolland and despite edging out a minute gap with 2 other riders, they too were reeled in. RSA AIRWAYS then switched their tactics to apply heavy turns at the front of the peloton in order to shake off as many sprinters as possible. The peloton did fracture as expected, but on the final climb, yellow jersey Kreuiziger (Astana) attacked and formed an elite climbers group at the head of the race, about half a minute ahead of a group with Sagan and Rolland. On the run in to the finish, buoyed by winning the overall GC, Kreuziger (Astana) attacked again and held on to win the stage with a brilliantly aggressive ride. Sagan and Rolland trailed in with the second group on the road, 42 seconds down.
Directeur Sportif comments:
We came out on top in the team standings which is a huge plus for us, but in the end we’ll probably look back in slight disappointment on a couple of fronts. Apart from Lill’s breakaway effort, we never really threatened a stage win, and also we just couldn’t apply enough pressure in the GC to really give ourselves a chance. However, given the quality of the opposition, and our relative inexperience in top tour elite races, we can be very happy with landing a top 10 position courtesy of Sagan. Although he wasn’t able to impose himself in the sprints, his climbing performance was very impressive and he’ll be a huge plus for us in other races with similar overall profiles.
Team South Africa Airways entrants:
Devolder, George, Lina, Machado, Van Avermaet, Van Garderen, Van Winden, Westra
RSA AIRWAYS arrived in Italy with a strong squad, led by American Van Garderen. The squad was composed with the both time trials in mind, particularly the team time trial where RSA AIRWAYS are expected to compete for the stage victory and the bonus of taking the leader’s jersey. Whilst Van Garderen will concentrate on a top 10 GC finish, Van Avermaet will compete for stage victories in the sprint finishes, particularly on the stages containing tougher terrain. Breakaway stage victories will also be sought if the situation arises.
• Stage 1 (Team time trial)
RSA AIRWAYS were quietly confident of a good start and it was borne out on the road as the team rode to victory, 13 seconds better off than 2nd best team Katusha. Van Avermaet will wear the leader’s jersey and Van Garderen will wear the young riders jersey after a great day for the team.
• Stage 2
The race never really settled down, with an innumerate amount of attacks taking place in the first 100km, and the peloton not wishing to let large groups disappear up the road. Eventually, 9 riders escaped, which allowed RSA AIRWAYS to finally get a grip on the tempo of the peloton. On the two climbs of the day, RSA AIRWAYS strong tempo reduced the peloton to just 54 riders, and flushed out most of the sprinters. On the run into the finish, numerous dangerous finishers such as Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) and Cunego (Lampre) tried to attack off the peloton, forcing the best out of Devolder who kept a fantastic tempo. Eventually the attacks were all diffused and all but 3 of the day’s breakaway were caught. At the finish, the 3 escapees had done just enough to hold off the peloton, with Bertolini (Androni) stretching out a 20 second lead with a late attack to win the stage. The main group were given +0’20 along with the other 2 escapees, meaning Van Avermaet (who sprinted to 7th) held onto his overall GC lead. Van Garderen also kept his young riders jersey.
• Stage 3
After showing an initial distaste for riders trying to escape, the peloton eventually allowed 14 riders to form a breakaway up the road. RSA AIRWAYS sent Lina and Van Winden to pacemake the peloton and ensure the gap was kept under control around the 5 minute mark. Westra joined the pair to start to bring down the gap with 70km to go. On the climb 20km before the finish, George and Devolder took over the pacemaking, managing to put the peloton under pressure and lay down the gauntlet to the 14 escapees out front. With 9km to go and the breakaway under wraps, Cancellara (Leopard) tried to ride off the front of the peloton for a solo win. However, the pace was too high from RSA AIRWAYS and nullified the move, with the stage ending in a sprint finish for those who were able to survive at the front. The win was only really competed for by 3 riders; Van Avermaet was handily placed on Petacchi’s (Lampre) wheel, conserving energy before swooping past with 400m to go and taking a fantastic victory. No movement in the GC or any of the other jersey holders/standings.
• Stage 4
The race never really settled down, with the peloton unwilling to allow large groups of rides form an early breakaway. With 110km to go, 6 men finally managed to escape, but with Kroon (BMC) only around a minute in arrears in the GC, RSA AIRWAYS acted to ensure a large time gap didn’t blossom. With 40km to go, Lampre, Astana and Omega Pharma-Lotto joined RSA AIRWAYS at the head of the peloton, potentially to set up a late move for their own riders. As expected, on the lumpy run to the finish, attacks did take place with the most prominent opportunists being Cunego (Lampre), Vinokourov (Astana), and Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto). The terrain proved perfect for Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto), as he rode away for an excellent victory, taking the overall GC lead from compatriot Van Avermaet who slips to 2nd, +0’37 behind. Van Garderen also slipped out of the young riders GC lead, Hermans (Radioshack) the man to profit.
• Stage 5
16 riders tried to escape in the first 50km, including RSA AIRWAYS’ Westra. However, as usual such a large group of escapees were given no leeway whatsoever and it took for a new group of 5 escapees into form the day’s breakaway, with Belgian national champion Devolder representing RSA AIRWAYS. 2 other riders managed to bridge the gap with 100km to go. On the biggest climb of the day, Rujano (Androni) set a brutal pace at the head of the breakaway to splinter the group as Omega Pharma-Lotto set a pace which reduced the peloton to just 27 on the climb, with Van Garderen present and looking strong. The defining attack of the stage came with about 50km to go on the undulating terrain, with Cunego (Lampre) launching a stage winning move. Plenty of attacks took place behind the Italian on the road, with Vinokourov (Astana) collecting a strong second place and Van Garderen taking an excellent 3rd after using Serppa’s (Androni) wheel after the Colombian rode away from the Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) group; the Belgian relinquishing his GC lead to a deserving Cunego (Lampre). Van Garderen moves back into the young riders GC lead and into 3rd in the overall, +2’37 behind Cunego (Lampre).
• Stage 6
13 men made the day’s breakaway, with George representing RSA AIRWAYS. Lampre allowed the gap to reach 7 minutes before upping the pace with 70km to go and bringing the gap down. However Lampre were only intent on controlling the gap rather than fully bringing it back so the breakaway was successful. In the final few km, Rodriguez (Androni) gapped the rest of the breakaway and was able to hold on for the victory with some ease. George weakened and finished 13th on the stage, +0’37 behind. GC standings remained the same as the peloton trailed in over 2 minutes in arrears, although Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) attacked late on and managed to close in on Cunego by a few more seconds.
• Stage 7 (Individual Time Trial)
Cancellara (Leopard) took an unsurprising victory, with Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto) and Thomas (Sky) rounding out the top 3 on the stage. Being only 9km in length, the time trial did nothing to disrupt the overall GC standings, meaning Cunego (Lampre) took an excellent victory on home soil and Van Garderen (8th on the stage) kept his 3rd place in the GC and his young riders GC victory.
Final GC standings:
1st Cunego (Lampre)
3rd Van Garderen +2’13
32nd Van Avermaet +15’53
36th Devolder +18’48
55th George +29’55
87th Westra +47’34
93rd Machado +50’58
101st Van Winden +54’33
165th Lina +2’14’11
Directeur Sportif comments:
A very good effort by the team to really mix it up on a top tour elite race. We always knew that the team trial would afford us a good opportunity to get a grip of the race and we were delighted to see the guys convert victory on the road. To grab another stage win with Van Avermaet wearing the leader’s jersey was a special moment for us. Van Garderen’s overall podium finish of 3rd just went further to highlight his potential as a future grand tour contender. A really fantastic effort by the team and we were certainly all smiles at the end, Cunego (Lampre) was too good and we can have no regrets on any front.
Apologies for the length of those reports, probably not worth it for Paris-Nice which was pretty disappointing but I'm happy with how Tirreno-Adriatico panned out.
Also watch out for the next batch of results; South African success!
And any suggestions for how I should approach the Giro will be gratefully received. Targeting top 10 with Kruijswijk who will definitely ride, and one of my sponsor goals is to win the mountains classification which I'll probably target with Rolland. Not exactly relishing that task, targeting the mountains classification is always not easy, so many more variables than say the points classification. I'm also split 50/50 about Van Garderen; he'd obviously be a massive help for Kruijswijk and Rolland, but with the Tour of California on at the same time I think he'd be a great leader in that race on his home turf.
Edited by dandannieldanok on 08-09-2011 21:27
