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A Tale of Two
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| Teddy The Creator |
Posted on 04-08-2012 23:29
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Terrific reports Ian. I like your way of reporting a lot and you've got this going fast, well done. Great results so far, it looks like these guys can go a long way!
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| Shafty |
Posted on 04-08-2012 23:45
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Amateur
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Great story so far! Well written and fun to read. |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 05-08-2012 09:22
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Tour de France Champion
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@ Teddy: Thanks, I feel like they can go a long way, I hope you'll be there all the way 
@ Shafty: I'm glad you enjoy it, it's comments like these that make it fun to write  |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 05-08-2012 10:39
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
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The second day of the weekend brought us from Kuurne to Brussel and back. My legs felt very good today, and the result is amazing, let me take you on the journey of today.
Kuurne - Brussel - Kuurne
A couple of continental riders rode away and the peloton could relax for a while. I took advantage of this opportunity to test my legs on the first cobblestone section, they felt great.
Then an attack came, Leif Hoste broke away. Knowing Hoste, Roelandts ordered me to go with him, but not to take over.
However, in the end a big peloton came back together. Besides me, there was only Greipel and Roelandts left. Since Greipel is obviously the strongest on a flat finish, I was to start the sprint, in front of Roelandts. Greipel would finish it.
So now I started getting real nervous. The success of the day would depend on me a great deal, I couldn't blow it.
But my legs were great, and guess who took home the win!
Greipel wins yet another race, and what a beauty it is!
And it turned out a friend of mine was at the finish, he took this photo of me celebrating our victory. I ended up on a 23th place, but I couldn't be happier!
In two days I'm getting the chance to sprint for the victory myself, at Samyn, meet you there! |
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 14:57
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| FreitasPCM |
Posted on 05-08-2012 10:58
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Grand Tour Champion
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You've really got a nice story here!  |
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| Eden95 |
Posted on 05-08-2012 11:16
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That was really unluck with the fall. But this seems like a very nice story
Indosat - ANZ HQ
"This Schleck sandwich is going to cause serious indigestion for Evans" - Phil Liggett |
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| Teddy The Creator |
Posted on 05-08-2012 11:33
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2253
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FreitasPCM wrote:
You've really got a nice story here!
+1 Really great work Ian, and a sweet result there!
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| PCM rulezz |
Posted on 05-08-2012 12:39
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Really great story, I will follow this
Good luck for the rest of the season
Winners never quit, quitters never win.
It's difficult not to be happy when you're surrounded by Belgians. - Mark Cavendish
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 05-08-2012 13:01
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
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Thanks to all, it's great that you all like it.
This way I can only stay 100% motivated |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 05-08-2012 13:26
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
PCM$: 400.00
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Today was a race for the both of us. We rode Samyn together as part of the youth program.
Thanks to my great effort and more than good results the past two races, I was to be the main rider for the Lotto - Belisol team here. So I couldn't wait to get this race starting.
The race kicked off with a couple of attacks, but the peloton let them run free and soon the rest in the peloton returned. Trying to keep the nerves down, I enjoyed the scenery.
Everything stayed more or less together and the breakaway didn't go too far. So I decided to up the pace on a cobbled section, causing some major splits. I found myself up front after my short but powerful action.
Some riders came back and it was to be expected that we'd sprint for the first place. I was very confident and my legs were great, so it couldn't go wrong anymore!
However, Chainel decided otherwise, surprised with an attack and four others followed. Unprepared as I was (lack of experience, I guess) and being badly placed on the small road, I could only speed up too late and I ended up between the front group with Chainel and a smaller group right behind me.
Chainel also won the sprint for the victory, with Paolini and Thomas completing the podium.
I was able to hold off the group behind me and finished 6th, 47 seconds behind the winner, both pleased (with another top 10 place) and disappointed.
I think I proved that I'm a decent rider, and that's what I came here to do. I must congratulate Chainel, he rode an excellent race and he planned his attack perfectly. I hope I'll meet him again in a race as this and the next time he won't catch me off-guard like today!
Today wasn't really exciting for me. I was mainly one of the many riders in the peloton, until I was left behind by Stijn's acceleration on the cobblestones. However, I tried to give anything I had and ended on a 55th place, More than 5 minutes behind the winner.
Maybe one picture I'd like to share with you, from quite early in the race:
Stijn and I talking in the peloton, quite relaxed.
Well, We only have a few days left before Driedaagse Van West-Vlaanderen, where I expect Stijn to be in great shape. Let's hope he can cash that shape in gold. See you then! |
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| Teddy The Creator |
Posted on 05-08-2012 13:31
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Small Tour Specialist
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Nice work! Good 6th place with Stijn..
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| fernando97 |
Posted on 05-08-2012 13:45
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Great results, congrats.
I have a question to both guys. I hope they'll answer it.
Which riders are the most similar to you? (to your current abilities) |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 05-08-2012 16:11
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Tour de France Champion
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Today was the start of the Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen. A flat prologue should suit both of us.
I was afraid this prologue might've been to long for me, stretching over 10km, however, when I got out of bed this morning, I felt like I could take on the world today.
I had an excellent start, breaking both the intermediate time and the overall time. From then on it was waiting and hoping that nobody went under my time!
Unfortunately, Quinziato went 21 seconds under my time, what a domination of the rider of BMC. Moments later Phinney broke his team mate's record with less than a second.
I ended up on the podium, a more than satisfying result for me, I'm off to an excellent start here in West-Vlaanderen. Tomorrow should be an even better day for me, and the final race in West-Vlaanderen will most likely end in a mass sprint, seeing the startlist, I should have a good chance there also!
To answer the question of a follower: it's hard to compare myself to other riders, since I haven't been riding in the peloton very long. I hope the next days will tell me something more about my abilities compared to other riders. However, on the training I'm not that much behind Roelandts on the cobblestones. When it comes to sprinting, I've beaten Vangenechten quite a few times, and once I beat Henderson. However, we don't sprint much against each other on training. I hope that answered your question.
Because the prologue was just over 10km long, I had a good chance of a top 10 place, because I'm really getting in a good shape.
I kicked off quite slowly, so I had to make up some time in the second part. To my surprise, I finished 5th, with just Cummings (also BMC) between me and Stijn. So a successful day for the both of us, let's hope tomorrow will bring an even better result! Although that's more likely for Stijn than for me, considering the cobblestones...
To answer the question of a follower: Like Stijn already said, it's hard to compare yourself. I did pretty good in Haut-Var, but since I was doing a solo, I couldn't compare myself to anyone. On the training camp in Mallorca, however, I felt I was better uphill than De Clerq. I never came close to Vanendert or Van Den Broeck, though. I hope that answer is to your satisfaction, I don't know what else to say, though.
See you tomorrow for the second stage in West-Vlaanderen. |
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| Faillu |
Posted on 05-08-2012 16:26
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Domestique
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Good ride by them both. |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 05-08-2012 16:57
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
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Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen - Stage 1
The profile looks quite hard and should be Stijn's cup of tea. Phinney will have to work hard to defend his jersey on this profile. Let's find out together:
Today I woke up, opened the drapes and noticed the beautiful weather. For many riders it'll be a relief. I prefer rainy weather since a lot of riders really lose their skills in bad weather. I'm not much affected by rain, since I grew up in Belgium.
Of course, a breakaway was formed, consisting of 11 solid, but not great, riders.
Two teams were very eager to chase the breakaway: AG2R and BMC.
The pace was incredibly hard and soon I saw myself in a group of only 19 man, this was mostly BMC's doing, as they were riding extremely hard over the cobblestones. Debusschere was my only companion in this group.
Once the breakaway was reeled in, Amorison saw a chance to win today. BMC didn't think it to be necessary to ride after him, so he made it to the finish. I don't understand what BMC was thinking. I guess they were exhausted, because in the end, Amorison took over 4 minutes!
After watching Amorison disappear, I prepared myself for a sprint for the second place. Unfortunately, Debusschere had fallen behind earlier, so I just put myself at Phinney's wheel, on the look-out for anyone's wheel I could take.
I saw an opportunity in Qiunziato so I put myself right behind him. Only De Waele was a tad faster than myself, completing the 1-2 for Landbouwkrediet!
Another 3rd place for me. I'm very happy with this result, and I hope the team management is too! Although the GC win is definitely for Amorison, I am now on the 2nd place, and with a flat race tomorrow, I should be able to hold on to that place!
What a tough day it was, I'm exhausted.
For most of the race, this was the tail of the race:
Yup, that's right. From right to left: Dennis Vanendert, Bille, me, Dockx and Bulgac. Not a great day for Lotto - Belisol (except of course Stijn's result, which is fantastic!)
I finished on place 186, which is only 5 away from the last rider of the day.
Well, tomorrow should be better, I hope I can be of use for Stijn then!
See you then. |
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| fernando97 |
Posted on 05-08-2012 17:03
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Stijn shows some really great form! I hope the next stages will be even better. |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 05-08-2012 17:15
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
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@Faillu: Thanks
@fernando97: I hope so too Next stage will be uploaded later this evening. And I'm sorry if I didn't give you a better answer before, but stats don't exist in this blog |
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| fernando97 |
Posted on 05-08-2012 17:52
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Ian Butler wrote:
@Faillu: Thanks
@fernando97: I hope so too Next stage will be uploaded later this evening. And I'm sorry if I didn't give you a better answer before, but stats don't exist in this blog
Stats? Who talked about stats? I just asked that, which rider do you compare yourself most currently? I mean not Boonen, but someone like Vanmarcke or Steegmans? |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 05-08-2012 17:54
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Well, I think atm Stijn can be compared to Steegmans. I'm not so sure about Vanmarcke because he, too, is very young and we haven't seen the best of him yet. So maybe Van Gent is as good as him, he definitely has at least as much potential |
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| fernando97 |
Posted on 05-08-2012 17:58
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And what about Eric? I would guess, that he is like Tiralongo or Lovkvist. |
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