After 2 tough stages, one chance to relax for the GC-contenders, as the 5th stage between Manfredonia and Francavilla Al Mare is flat. Question is if the sprinter teams want to catch the breakaway.
27km to go
With 27 kilometres to go, and a margin of 7'30 to the peloton, the question is solved. The breakaway will win today. Among the 11 riders are some good sprinters as Guillaume Blot, Murilo Fischer and, again, Borut Bozic and Alessandro Petacchi.
Finish
Guillaume Blot is the fastest in the sprint for the stage win. Surprisingly, none of the riders tried to attack, so it turned out in a sprint. Blot leads for the full last kilometre, and can easily counter the jump by Borut Bozic.
The peloton finishes 3'11 behind, with Peter Sagan in 22nd place as the best ranked rider from our team.
This year, the TT is held as the penultimate stage. The 28 kilometre route features 2 hills. The first is 1.4km long at an average gradient of 8.5% and the 2nd is 2.4km long at an average gradient of 6.3%. This makes that the hilly riders can ride a good TT!
So this is how the TT went:
The first to set a good time is our Aussie Jack Bobridge, who still isn't in the right shape after a broken leg, in 42'57. His time is broken by Androni's Luca Barla in 42'13. Radio Shack's Bradley Wiggins is 4 seconds faster and sets the new best time at 42'09.
That time won't tand long, as Edvald Boasson Hagen crushes it. He finishes in 41'19, 50 seconds faster! Philippe Gilbert as a tied fastest time at the 2nd split, but looses 11 seconds in the last sector. Tejay van Garderen, winner of the prologue, looks to beat the time set by EBH, but is 1 second slower in the end...
Than the top 5 of the GC. Number 5 is Chris Anker Sorensen, who finishes in the 85th time, 2'11 behind EBH. Danilo Di Luca does way better with the 22nd time at 1'15. Next one is Wilco Kelderman, by far the best time trialist in the top 5. He sets the 4th time of the day, '31 behind EBH. Joaquím Rodríguez can be lucky with the hills in the route, so he minimizes the loss: 1'25 behind EBH, so '54 behind Kelderman.
The last rider to start is Francesco Masciarelli, whoe really sucks in timetrialling. He finishes in 112th position, 2'33 behind EBH and 2'02 behind Kelderman.
1
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Lotto - Belisol
41'19
2
Tejay Van Garderen
Colnago - CSF Inox
+ 1
3
Philippe Gilbert
Lotto - Belisol
+ 11
4
Wilco Kelderman
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 31
5
Levi Leipheimer
Radio Shack - Nissan
+ 41
6
Leonardo Bertagnolli
Lampre - Generali
s.t.
7
Peter Sagan
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 44
8
Bradley Wiggins
Radio Shack - Nissan
+ 50
9
Luca Barla
Androni Giocattoli
+ 54
10
Marc De Maar
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 56
GC Wilco Kelderman takes over the lead, but his margin to the number 2 Joaquím Rodríguez isn't as big as he hoped for. Purito needs only 12 seconds to win TA. Also Masciarelli ('56), Di Luca ('58) and Bertagnolli (1'00) are close in the GC.
1
Wilco Kelderman
Monster Energy - Subway
17h53'19
2
Joaquím Rodríguez
Katusha Team
+ 12
3
Francesco Masciarelli
Pro Team Astana
+ 56
4
Danilo Di Luca
Acqua & Sapone
+ 58
5
Leonardo Bertagnolli
Lampre - Generali
+ 1'00
6
David Arroyo
Movistar Team
+ 1'51
7
Chris Anker Sørensen
BMC Racing Team
+ 2'13
8
Daniel Moreno
Katusha Team
+ 2'24
9
Tejay Van Garderen
Colnago - CSF Inox
+ 2'31
10
Daniel Martin
Garmin - Barracuda
+ 4'05
Points
1
Francesco Masciarelli
Pro Team Astana
32
2
Wilco Kelderman
Monster Energy - Subway
30
3
Tejay Van Garderen
Colnago - CSF Inox
29
4
Danilo Di Luca
Acqua & Sapone
26
5
Joaquím Rodríguez
Katusha Team
24
KOTM
1
Jussi Veikkanen
Saxo Bank SunGard
8
2
Francesco Masciarelli
Pro Team Astana
6
3
Joaquím Rodríguez
Katusha Team
5
4
Tejay Van Garderen
Colnago - CSF Inox
5
5
Michele Scarponi
Nespresso - Algarve
5
Word from the DS
We're stoked to be in the leaders jersey, but fear tomorrow's stage. It can be compared with Liege - Bastogne - Liege, with a lot of steep hills in the Marche.
The last stage of the Tirreno Adriatico is a horrible one. The 199 kilometres between Montesilvano and Recanati features almost 4000 (!) height metres in the Beautiful Marche, with the ascned of the Morravalle, Montelupone and twice the Recanati in the last 40 kilometres.
91km to go
The story of the day is 7 brave / foolish cyclists, that form the BOTD. Geraint Thomas, Rein Taaramäe, Iván Velasco, Lars Boom, Leonardo Piepoli, Staf Scheirlinck and Carlos Oyarzun take a maximum margin of 8'30.
38km to go
The final part of the stage starts with the ascend of the Morravalle, with the summit 38 kilometres before the finish. The margin of the BOTD is brought back to 3'45, with 2 riders, Sylvain Chavanel and Fabio Felline, in between.
20km to go
Chavanel and Felline close the gap to the 7 leaders, and leave them behind in the ascend of the Montelupone. Nothing happens in the peloton in this dreadful climb, 1.7km at 11.2%!, and it rounds the summit 1 minute behind the 2 leaders.
14km to go
The battle for the GC-win starts with the attack of Francesco Masciarelli, the number 3 of the GC, in the first ascend of Recanati. We decide to continue in a high pace.
12km to go
Only Joaquím Rodríguez is able to counter the attack by Masciarelli. The 2 have a margin of '24 to Danilo Di Luca and '47 to the peloton at the summit. A 9 kilometre descend awaits, to the foot of the last climb.
3500m to go
Thanks to excellent work by Peter Sagan, Wilco Kelderman closes the gap to Masciarelli and Rodríguez. With them, the rest of the first part of the peloton follows.
At this moment, when the last climb begins, Movistar's Ángel Madrazo attacks.
2500m to go
Disaster happens in the last ascend. As a few riders try to counter the attack by Madrazo, they stall when the road is ascending with more than 10%. As a result, Wilco Kelderman gets blocked by Michele Scarponi, and the Italian doesn't get out of the way, even when Kelderman is yelling at him to do so.
Rodríguez and Masciarelli notice this, and they attack and immediately create a gap.
1km to go
It takes a few hundred metres before Scarponi goes to the side of the road, but it's too late for Kelderman as he is already 30 seconds behind Purito....
But then he gets blocked by the Acqua et Sapone duo Di Luca and Reda, and looses speed again...
Finish
The stage win goes to Ángel Madrazo, who is developing into a great puncheur. Rodríguez beats Masciarelli in the sprint for the 2nd place at 20 seconds...
... and wins the Tirreno - Adriatico, as Wilco Kelderman finishes in 5th place, at '50. The young Dutch rider is furious and we really have to stop him not getting in a fist fight with Scarponi...
What we feared happens, as Kelderman couldn't follow Purito. Joaquím Rodríguez wins the Tirreno Adriatico 2013. Kelderman can be very happy with the 2nd place, and surprising Masciarelli takes the 3rd place.
1
Joaquím Rodríguez
Katusha Team
23h18'11
2
Wilco Kelderman
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 24
3
Francesco Masciarelli
Pro Team Astana
+ 46
4
Danilo Di Luca
Acqua & Sapone
+ 1'22
5
Leonardo Bertagnolli
Lampre - Generali
+ 1'24
6
David Arroyo
Movistar Team
+ 2'15
7
Daniel Moreno
Katusha Team
+ 2'36
8
Tejay Van Garderen
Colnago - CSF Inox
+ 2'55
9
Chris Anker Sørensen
BMC Racing Team
+ 3'21
10
Ángel Madrazo
Movistar Team
+ 3'32
Points
1
Francesco Masciarelli
Pro Team Astana
40
2
Wilco Kelderman
Monster Energy - Subway
36
3
Joaquím Rodríguez
Katusha Team
34
4
Tejay Van Garderen
Colnago - CSF Inox
29
5
Danilo Di Luca
Acqua & Sapone
29
KOTM[/u
1
Iván Velasco
Euskaltel - Euskadi
13
2
Francesco Masciarelli
Pro Team Astana
10
3
Ángel Madrazo
Movistar Team
10
4
Joaquím Rodríguez
Katusha Team
9
5
Rein Taaramäe
Sony Ericsson
8
[u]U25
1
Wilco Kelderman
Monster Energy - Subway
23h18'35
2
Tejay Van Garderen
Colnago - CSF Inox
+ 2'31
3
Ángel Madrazo
Movistar Team
+ 3'08
4
Peter Sagan
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 12'33
5
Fabio Felline
Nespresso - Algarve
+ 20'33
Teams
1
Katusha Team
70h08'17
2
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 2'35
3
Lampre - Generali
+ 5'03
4
Movistar Team
+ 8'29
5
Pro Team Astana
+ 14'10
Overall winner
Word from the DS
Okay, in a situation were Kelderman wouldn't have been blocked, he probably couldn't keep up with Rodríguez and would loose the GC-lead anyway. But he got blocked and we'll never know. Of course he's angry, but he has to learn from these situations, as he is still young. He can be proub at himself, having cycled a great Tirreno Adriatico!
And for the record: Scarponi apologized, saying he had no idea that he was blocking Kelderman. The 2 shook hands and it's okay now.
Back to the Belgian cobbles with the Nokere Koerse, a 1.1 classic around the Nokereberg.
Last year, we had a very good race here, with Lieuwe Westra taking the win after he was too strong for Tom Veelers in the sprint.
Startlist
Spoiler
Monster Energy - Ford
1. N.Terpstra
2. T.Dumoulin
3. M.Lootens
4. J.Posthuma
5. S.Rosseler
6. S.Vanmarcke
7. C.Vermeltfoort
8. R.Zingle
The favourites
The startlist is fairly weak. Even tough the race mostly ends in a mass sprint, the World Tour teams and better CT-teams, didn't bring good sprinters.... ***Coen Vermeltfoort, Anthony Geslin (FDJ), Jonas Vangenechten (Wallonie). ** Stijn Devolder (Vacansoleil), Niki Terpstra, Philip Lavery (An Post). * Davy Commeyne (Landbouwkrediet), Kevin Hulsmans (Cofidis), Kris Boeckmans (Omega Pharma).
Our goal
The win!
The race
21km to go
Alex Dowsett (Team Sky) and Romain Bardet (FDJ) are the last 2 members of the BOTD that get caught, 21 kilometres before the finish. As the peloton never let the 11-man BOTD create a margin of over 4 minutes, it was obvious they would get caught.
5km to go
With 15km to go, we take control of the pace of the peloton. We easily counter an attack by Kevin Hulsmans (Cofidis) and Jens Debusschere (Accent.Jobs), before Stijn Devolder (Vacansoleil) tries it with 5km to go. But his best days are surely behind him, and he gets caught with 2km to go.
1km to go Niki Terpstra does a great job, bringing our sprinter Coen Vermeltfoort in a perfect position, when the last, slicghtly ascending, cobbled section is about to start.
Only Philip Lavery (An Post, Bert Scheirlinckx (Accent.Jobs) and Anthony Geslin (FDJ) are in the position to beat him.
Finish
But Vermeltfoort is superior in the uphill sprint, taking his first win as a professional cyclist. After the 2nd place in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, he for sure is becoming a great cobbled rider, especially when the race ends in a sprint.
Behind him, Irish Laverty finishes in the 2nd place, while Terpstra even manages to finish in 3rd.
Results
1
Coen Vermeltfoort
Monster Energy - Subway
5h01'46
2
Philip Lavery
An Post - Sean Kelly
s.t.
3
Niki Terpstra
Monster Energy - Subway
s.t.
4
Bert Scheirlinckx
Accent.Jobs - Veranda's Willems
s.t.
5
Kevyn Ista
Landbouwkrediet - Euphony
s.t.
6
Anthony Geslin
FDJ
s.t.
7
Jonas Ljungblad
Differdange - SES Astra
s.t.
8
Jens Debusschere
Accent.Jobs - Veranda's Willems
s.t.
9
Kim Borry
Accent.Jobs - Veranda's Willems
s.t.
10
Nico Sijmens
Cofidis, le crédit en ligne
s.t.
The winner
Word from the DS
This victory was because of some great team effort. But we have to say. that the field was very weak. Nevertheless, all credits to Vermeltfoort, he deserves this win, after working hard for the team many times!
Edited by dienblad on 27-05-2012 13:39
The first of the 5 monumentes in cycling, Milano - San Remo, also called La Primavera, is the longest of all the World Tour races, with almost 300 kilometres. It ain't the hills that make it difficult, it's the length that will separate the men from the boys.
The history
Last year, the race was won by Alessandro Ballan, after a surprise attack in the descend of the Poggio. Eddy Merckx is the record holder, with 7wins in the 60's and 70's.
The route
As said, the route is almost 300 kilometres long. The first half of the race is pretty boring. After the start in Milano, the route is flat, untill the long climb to the Passo del Turchino. The riders arrive along the coast after it's descend, before Le Manie awaits (5.9km at 5.3%, 96km to go). After the 3 capo's (Mele-Cervo and Berta), the riders have to climb the Cipressa (4.6km at 4.5%). In the final, the Poggio awaits (2.9km at 5.1%). The question is every year: can a puncheur get a time gap that's big enough to beat the sprinters?
If you manage to get Breshel in top 5 at the top of Poggio, you can win with him. Did it an hour ago
EDIT: Though you need to be en just one peleton. Press the dot riding op Poggio, and hold it to 1.5 km back, when you should be i top 5 in front of the peleton, just in front of the big sprinters.
Edited by Maddrengen on 27-05-2012 22:05
150km to go
Just as every year, the question is which riders come out of the tunnel at the summit of the Passo del Turchino as the first one, and form the BOTD. This year, 12 riders are in the BOTD, with some quite big name sin it: Levi Leipheimer (Radio Shack), George Hincapie (BMC), former winner Óscar Freire (Movistar) and JJ Haedo (Saxo Bank). They have a 7'38 lead to the peloton at this point.
94km to go
Team Sky is in control of the pace of the peloton, and they decide not to make it too hard. Of course with a reason, as they don't want their leader Mark Cavendish to be dropped in the ascend of Le Manie.
As a result, the BOTD still has a margin of 7'10. Our riders are in the front of the peloton, not to get surprised.
72km to go
What's happening here? In the flat part between Le Manie and the Tre Capo, one of the favourites for the win attacks. Fabian Cancellara is showing his good form after his win in Paris - Nice, and is closing the gap to the BOTD down to 3'22. He himself has a margin of 1'15 to the peloton, who of course don't want to let him ride away.
33km to go
Cancellara gets caught ater the 3 Capo-climbs, just as the BOTD. The next ones to attack are Johan Vansummeren and last year's winner Alessandro Ballan, again some very dangerous men for the win.
This is the sign for us to take control of the chase, with Terpstra and Maaskant in the lead.
26km to go
Vansummeren and Ballan arrive at the foot of the Cipressa with a margin of '51 to the chasing peloton.
23km to go
Filippo Pozatto and again Fabian Cancellara counter in the ascend of the Cipressa and close the gap to Ballan and Vansummeren. Also Gilbert and Monfort try to bridge the gap. We stay calm, again...
9km to go
And at the foot of the Poggio, we catch them, mostly thanks to great work by Niki Terpstra.
6km to go
Nothing happens in the ascend of the Poggio. Really nothing.... At the summit, Peter Sagan tries to attack, with the goal of create a margin thanks to his outstanding downhill-skills.
But apparantly, all the sprinters have chosen his wheel, and the stick on it with Boaason Hagen, Haussler and Farrar as the first ones. Irritating!!
2km to go Sagan stops his attack, and we set up a train. Entering the last 2 kilometres, Matti Breschel is taking over from Niki Terpstra, serving as the last leadout man for our Slovakian rider. But the other sprinters are starting their jump as well.
600m to go Sagan takes over from his team mates with 1200m to go. But although having energy left and a great daily form (+4), he is missing top speed. He's sprinting with 63 km/h max (Sp 80), and gets passed by his opponents, of whom Pozzato (Sp 75) has a speed of 69 km/h.... Yeah, right.
Finish
The win goe sto Edvald Boasson Hagen, taking his first ever monumental win. And looking at his development, this won't be his last....
The Norwegian Lotto-rider easily beats Pipo Pozzato and Tom Boonen, while Sagan finishes in 7th. With Kelderman in the 9th spot, we have 2 riders in the top 10.
Results
Game crashed before I could export the results.
The winner
Word from the DS
One moment, you feel you have the race/sprint under control, with Sagan being in a great shape and daily form. The other moment, he gets passed by several sprinters with a difference of a few km/h....
Comparing to last year, we improved from 14th to 7th, so that's a good step. Next year top 3?
Maddrengen wrote:
If you manage to get Breshel in top 5 at the top of Poggio, you can win with him. Did it an hour ago
EDIT: Though you need to be en just one peleton. Press the dot riding op Poggio, and hold it to 1.5 km back, when you should be i top 5 in front of the peleton, just in front of the big sprinters.
Tried it with Sagan, but all the sprinters were already in his wheel and I couldan't get rid of them, or had to blow him....
