Here we are guys, the decisive stage this year down under, the bookies favorite is still Eisel despite the big Willunga hill just 20 KM before the finish.
If I had to guess who the winner would be...I wouldn't be able too since there's so many people with a shot!
We tried something different today and sent Taylor in the TV break, and after nearly 15 people attack, let up went back to the peleton then another attack went with Taylor in it. It was so disruptive though, many people were attack each other, eventually a group of 11 came together with 100 KM to go.
Taylor put in such a violent effort early, he ran out of energy and was caught and dropped with 45 KM to go.
Leaving that front group with 3:30 min with 30 KM to go as we hit Willunga hill, which we should easily close up the hill.
I talked to Edvald right before we hit the climb and he said he felt exactly horrible, just like I did. So I talked to Bob over the radio and he told me and Mich to throw down an insane pace and that's just what we did.
We went over the top about 1 minute behind the shattered break, the rider out front now is Mangel of AG2R, he was only 14 seconds down in the GC. We sent everybody up to the front except Edvald and Eisel, and we soon caught him.
I was kind of surprised when I saw Michael Barry towing up Eisel, just for the fact that he still had the legs to sprint after the pace we put on up that climb surprised me.
And despite from having to sprint from 2.5 KM out he held on for the win!
I was so happy to know that me and Michs efforts probably won Eisel that race, and barring any disasters tomorrow, the GC.
Well got to go, we are popping some champagne so I've got to go!
Stage
Rank Name Team Time 1 Bernhard Eisel Team High Road 3h34'41
2 Lloyd Mondory AG2R - La Mondiale s.t.
3 Jeremy Hunt Credit Agricole s.t.
4 Xavi Florencio Bouygues Telecom s.t.
5 Elia Rigotto Team Milram s.t.
6 Jerome Pineau Bouygues Telecom s.t.
7 Matthew Goss Team CSC s.t.
8 Yuri Trofimov Bouygues Telecom s.t.
9 Pablo Lastras Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
10 Yon Bru Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
11 Marco Velo Team Milram s.t.
12 Mark Renshaw Credit Agricole s.t.
13 Alberto Ongarato Team Milram s.t.
14 Staphane Poulha AG2R - La Mondiale s.t.
15 Chente GarcÃÂa Acosta Caisse d'Epargne s.t.
16 Manuele Mori Saunier Duval - Scott s.t.
17 Jose Luis Arrieta AG2R - La Mondiale s.t.
18 Markus Zberg Gerolsteiner s.t.
19 Andrea Tonti Quick·Step s.t.
20 Allan Johansen Team CSC s.t. 71 John Devine Team High Road s.t.
GC
Rank Name Team Time 1 Bernhard Eisel Team High Road 17h04'49
2 Mark Renshaw Credit Agricole + 6
3 Lloyd Mondory AG2R - La Mondiale + 10
4 Elia Rigotto Team Milram + 14
5 Alberto Ongarato Team Milram s.t.
6 Matthew Goss Team CSC + 15
7 Yon Bru Euskaltel - Euskadi + 17
8 Laurent Mangel AG2R - La Mondiale s.t.
9 Mickael Delage Fransaise des Jeux s.t.
10 Jeremy Hunt Credit Agricole + 18
Edited by t-baum on 25-04-2008 00:27
Macquet wrote:
"We all know that wasn't the real footage of the Worlds anyway. That was just the staged footage to perpetuate the coverup that it was actually Vinokourov that won the race."
Hey guys, I'm ready for the stage today, the short 88 KM flat course shouldn't be to hard. I've learned a few things from racing here the past 2 years, attacks have a very good chance and there are lot's of attacks on this stage. So I did what I thought might work...ATTACK!
The original break wasn't working well together and a new pack of riders went by me and I didn't have the strength to counter, I decided to drop back to the peleton and help Eisel around the tight streets.
Mich attacked right when I got back to the peleton and managed to bridge up to the 8 riders.
The gap was so small though, just hovering around the 1 minute mark for awhile, untill they were caught and a few more riders went up the road. They were all caught though, but unfortunately both me and Mich had to let go of the peleton, I was sad but knew I did my job.
I heard over the race radio that the sprint worked perfect, a 1-2 for Team Highroad!
This race helped me alot, I know where I am form wise aswell skill wise, before I head into the TOC.
I'll be racing the Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise and the GP Costa Degli Etruschi on the 3rd of February, and the 9th of February respectively. In the two races I'll try to improve my form in anticipation of the TOC.
Rank Name Team Time 1 Bernhard Eisel Team High Road 2h10'25 2 Edvald Boasson Hagen Team High Road s.t.
3 Mark Renshaw Credit Agricole s.t.
4 Matthew Goss Team CSC s.t.
5 Matthew Hayman Rabobank s.t.
6 Claudio Corioni Liquigas s.t.
7 Saddo Haddou Bouygues Telecom s.t.
8 Elia Rigotto Team Milram s.t.
9 Rene Haselbacher Team Astana s.t.
10 Samuel Dumoulin Cofidis s.t.
11 Gorik Gardeyn Silence - Lotto s.t.
12 Lloyd Mondory AG2R - La Mondiale s.t.
13 Allan Johansen Team CSC s.t.
14 Xavi Florencio Bouygues Telecom s.t.
15 Jeremy Hunt Credit Agricole s.t.
16 Jarome Pineau Bouygues Telecom s.t.
17 Wim Vansevenant Silence - Lotto s.t.
18 Guido Trenti Liquigas s.t. 19 Michael Barry Team High Road s.t.
20 Laurent Mangel AG2R - La Mondiale s.t. 134 John Devine Team High Road s.t.
Rank Name Team Time 1 Bernhard Eisel Team High Road 19h15'08
2 Mark Renshaw Credit Agricole + 10
3 Lloyd Mondory AG2R - La Mondiale + 16
4 Elia Rigotto Team Milram + 20
5 Matthew Goss Team CSC + 21 6 Edvald Boasson Hagen Team High Road + 22
7 Laurent Mangel AG2R - La Mondiale + 23
8 Mickael Delage Francaise des Jeux s.t.
9 Jeremy Hunt Credit Agricole + 24
10 Brett Lancaster Team Milram + 25 114 John Devine Team High Road s.t.
Macquet wrote:
"We all know that wasn't the real footage of the Worlds anyway. That was just the staged footage to perpetuate the coverup that it was actually Vinokourov that won the race."
Hello guys, just checking in, I have some new stuff to tell you for this coming month.
I left my last report saying I'd be riding in the Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise and the GP Costa Degli Etruschi, well I'll only be riding the first one, then I'll be jetting off with some of the TOC team for the Etoile de Besseges.
I will lead the team during the first race, and I should be able to win it.
The course is mildly hilly, a 3 kilometer 4% climb at the end will be my launching pad for the race.
The team for this small race consists of: Taylor Phinney, me, Thomas Lovkvist, Frantisek Rabon, big George, Andreas Klier, Tony Martin, and Morris Possoni.
Well I gotta go guys, hopefully the next time I write will be about my first win of the season!
Macquet wrote:
"We all know that wasn't the real footage of the Worlds anyway. That was just the staged footage to perpetuate the coverup that it was actually Vinokourov that won the race."
Hello there, were here in France for a small one-day race, let's start it up eh?
Taylor started off the wave of attacks, it was very hectic from what I could see but the race director finally told us a group of 10 gathered at the front, and Taylor was in it.
The timegaps were steady around 4 minutes, until they dropped a few guys thanks to one of Taylors hard pulls.
The gap was around 1 minute before we hit the ending climb, they were obviously going to be caught. But before they were a rider name Duret soloed away from his break friends.
With 10 KM to go I decided to launch the attack, Kern, and Florencio followed, Kern managed to attack longer though and created a gap between him and us.
Kern ended up winning, but we still had to decide 2nd and third.
Florencio took second, and Duret who was in the two man group of Florencio and Duret, while I had to chase and catch him and somehow managed to sprint past him to take home my first podium of the season.
In my first real race of the season I felt pretty good, I think I'm nearing a breakthrough and I'm looking forward to the TOC and helping big George win.
Macquet wrote:
"We all know that wasn't the real footage of the Worlds anyway. That was just the staged footage to perpetuate the coverup that it was actually Vinokourov that won the race."
KurtinSC wrote:
I'm following this story closely. It'll be interesting to see the differences between High Road results in yours and mine.
Also, has devine gone up to lvl 2 yet? I'd assume he'd be there by now.
He hasn't yet, that's why I rode that small race but it did nothing.
Macquet wrote:
"We all know that wasn't the real footage of the Worlds anyway. That was just the staged footage to perpetuate the coverup that it was actually Vinokourov that won the race."
