100 kilometres seperate the riders from a well deserved finsh in the Spanish capitol Madrid. One more chance for the sprinters, Can EBH make it 3-3 or will Cav win the duel of the sprinters?
7km to go
Omega Pharma's Jurgen Vandewalle is the last rider from the BOTD to get caught, 7km before the finish. Both Sky and Lotto are preparing their sprint train. We don't bother, as our sprinters are too exhausted and run out of energy.
Finish
And the final score is ...... 4-2. Mark Cavendish wins the final stage of this Vuelta, making up for his disastrous Tour de France. Boasson Hagen scroes the 2nd place and JJ Rojas the 3rd. Andy Schleck knows he has to finish near Vincenzo Nibali to win the points jersey, and he does. 7th place for Andy, and the 5th for Nibali, who wins the Vuelta a España for the 2nd time in his career (and his 3rd GT so far).
1. Vincenzo Nibali
Italian Vincenzo Nibali took some sweet revenge for the defeat in Le tour by 1 second, as he crushes the opposition to win his 2nd Vuelta. He does it not only by winning 3 stages, but also by destroying the number 2 with 5 minutes. It's the 3rd GT-win, and considering his age f 28, not the last!
2. Igor Antón
For a guy that has almost 90 racedays in the legs this season, Igor Antón showed some great cycling in the Vuelta. In the penultimate stage to the Bola del Mundo he gained enough seconds to overtake Andy Schleck in the GC for the 2nd place, as well as winning 1 stage.
3. Mark Cavendish
After a disastours Tour, where he finished outside the timelimit in stage 2, the 4 stage wins (3 of them in a mass sprint) are some sweet revenge for Mark Cavendish.
4. BMC Racing Team
3 stages wins (all by breakaway wins) and the first place in the teams-ranking. This was for sure a great win for BMC, also considering the 8th place in the GC for Giovanni Visconti.
5.
None.
Flop 3
1. André Greipel
Was it the lack of race days, or just the fact that he got outsprinted by Cav and EBH every time? For sure, André Greipel had expected more from this Vuelta.
2. Joaquím Rodríguez
The only guy that rode all 3 GT's, as well as many other races. Joaquím Rodríguez schould rethink this before next season. Bet at 1 horse, not at all....
3. The Spanish cyclists
Only 1 stage win out of 21 stages.... That is simply not enough. Okay, it's nice to have 3 guys in the GC-Top 10 (Antón 3rd, Sánchez 5th, Barredo 7th), but still a flop.
Word from the DS
We had a great start in this Vuelta, with Andy Schleck winning stage 4 and Marcel Kittel winning stage 6. But then the fatigue hitted us. The season was to long for most of them, and despite some good results in breakaways, this can be counted as the least of the 3 GT's this years. But complaining with 2 stage wins, the Points-jersey, the KOTM-jersey and the 3rd in the GC? Of course not. So satisfied enough to hunt down some bottles of Rioja!
Very unfortunate to lose 2nd place on the final climb, but he fought like a wild beast, and he has Points and KoM Jersey, so excellent work getting podium with a decreasing form!
@ all: Thank you. Just as Andy, I desperately want the season to end. Feel a bit demotivated to complete the last few races. Already played the 2 Canadian WT-races (of course with some decent results), but will probably simulate some of the remaining races of the season. It all depends on the fitness levels of the team in that race.
I know I have to play the Tour of Britain, simulate the WC, then play the Circuit Franco-Belge, Tour of Beijing, Emilia, some other Italian classics and Lombardia.
You'll see what I'll do in the next week or 2.
Ian Butler wrote:
I understand the feeling. If you are not motivated to do the rest of the season, it's all right to sim and start the new season for me
+1
You should lowered the stats of Barredo and Visconti.
Ian Butler wrote:
I understand the feeling. If you are not motivated to do the rest of the season, it's all right to sim and start the new season for me
+1
You should lowered the stats of Barredo and Visconti.
No, I won't lower their stats, as they developed this way in my story. Yes, they are way better than in real life, but this is stil a game.
And I won't sim all races, just some of them (but will tell you that!)
It's the 4th edition of the opener of the Canadian World Tour double, and just as the previous years, the starting field isn't as strong as this race deserves to have. Last year, Robert Gesink took the win for our team.
The favourites ***Robert Gesink, Daniel Martin (Garmin), Mikel Nieve (Astana). ** Cyril Gautier (Europcar), Paul Martens (Rabobank), Chris Anker Sorensen (BMC). * Eros Capecchi (Liquigas), Giampaolo Caruso (Katusha), Pim Ligthart.
Our goal
The win, just as the previous 2 years.
The race
The race wasn't hard at all, as a breakaway kept under control of the peloton for more than 100km. In the penultimate lap, some favourites attacked, among them Daniel Martin, Paul Martens and some Liquigas-dudes. But as we had most of our team left in the first group, we chased them down.
Starting the last climb towards the finish, we had formed a "sprint train" consisring of De Gendt-Dekker-Gesink-Ligthart. It seemed to work perfectly, untill some Russian guy from Radio Shack came out of nowhere and blasted past Gesink in the last 50 metres. Yes, Egor Silin took the win in Québec, the biggest in his career. But with the 2nd for Ligthart and the 3rd place for Gesink we can be happy, considering the fitness levels.
Results
1
Egor Silin
Radio Shack - Nissan
5h29'26
2
Pim Ligthart
Monster Energy - Subway
s.t.
3
Robert Gesink
Monster Energy - Subway
s.t.
4
Paul Martens
Rabobank Cycling Team
s.t.
5
Daniel Martin
Garmin - Barracuda
s.t.
6
Thomas Dekker
Monster Energy - Subway
s.t.
7
Joost Van Leijen
Vacansoleil - DCM Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
8
Fabian Wegmann
FDJ
s.t.
9
Thomas De Gendt
Monster Energy - Subway
s.t.
10
Enrique Salgueiro
Movistar Team
s.t.
The winner
Word from the DS
Considering the fitness levels of our riders (only Ligthart above 85), this is a great result. We hoped for an uphill sprint, and it turned ut to be one. Then strangely, a guy with Sp65 beats a guy with Sp 76.... Oh well, nice result.
Edited by dienblad on 24-09-2012 16:17
The second race of the Canadian double is the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal. Last year won by Pieter Weening, and more difficult to win for the puncheurs than Québec, because the summit of the hill is 10km before the finish.
The route
Startlist
Spoiler
Oops, forgot it
Our team
The favourites *** Fabio Felline (Nespresso), Pim Ligthart, Paul Martens (Rabobank). **Robert Gesink, Mikel Nieve (Astana), Egor Silin (Radio Shack). * Francesco Ginanni (Androni), Kevin Seeldraeyers (Sony Ericsson), Pieter Weening (Qantas).
Our goal
Top 3.
The race
I forgot to take screens, or lost them somehow.....
The race was pretty difficult to control, as a fairly large BOTD (14 riders) created a margin of several inutes, as no team was willing to chase. SO the moment we started the chase, it was already to late to catch all of the 14. 2 riders remained in front, and of them, Sergey Lagutin (Vacansoleil) had the most energy left for the sprint. Caja Rurals Javier Moreno took the 2nd place. 1'01 behind them, Pim Ligthart won the sprint of the peloton, beating Fabio Felline and Paul Martens. It has been a great weekend for Ligthart, with a 2nd and 3rd place!
Results
1
Sergey Lagutin
Vacansoleil - DCM Pro Cycling Team
5h06'40
2
Javier Moreno
Caja Rural
s.t.
3
Pim Ligthart
Monster Energy - Subway
+ 1'01
4
Fabio Felline
Nespresso - Algarve
s.t.
5
Paul Martens
Rabobank Cycling Team
s.t.
6
Rafael Valls
Nespresso - Algarve
s.t.
7
David López
Movistar Team
s.t.
8
Pedro Merino
Nespresso - Algarve
s.t.
9
Andrey Zeits
Pro Team Astana
s.t.
10
Andrey Kashechkin
Lampre - Generali
s.t.
The winner
Word from the DS
We couldn't control the race, so the 3rd was the maximum result. Good weekend for us!
As a final preparation for the World championships, the Tour of Britain is becoming more and more popular. Last year, we participated for the first time and won the GC. Tom Dumoulin was the only rider from the BOTD in stage 1 that could hang on to the peloton every other stage and took the GC-win.
The favourites *** Damiano Cunego (Radio Shack), Alessandro Ballan (BMC), Simon Gerrans (Qantas). **Martijn Maaskant, Enrico Gasparotto (Lampre), Sylvain Chavanel (Garmin). * Jakob Fuglsang (Radio Shack), Fabio Cancellara (Saxo Bank), Matti Breschel.
Our goal
- Stage win and Top 3 in the GC.
Stage 1
The first stage from Tavistock to Glastonbury features 2 short steep climbs halfway, and they cause a split in the peloton. Only 108 riders are able to stay in the first peloton. When the BOTD gets caught with 10km to go, Sylvain Chavanel attacks. He gets immediately countered by Martijn Maaskant. Maaskant is the strongest of the 2 and drops Chavanel with 3km to go. But the stage is just 50m to long, as he gets passed by the Spanish sprinter/puncheur Pablo Urtasun (Nespresso). Urtasun takes the stage win, with Maaskant in 2nd and Jens Mulder in 3rd and Matti Breschel in 4th.
So 2nd, 3rd and 4th..... Ouch.
Results
1
Pablo Urtasun
Nespresso - Algarve
2h55'13
2
Martijn Maaskant
Monster Energy - Subway
s.t.
3
Jens Mulder
Monster Energy - Subway
s.t.
4
Matti Breschel
Monster Energy - Subway
s.t.
5
Daniele Callegarin
Team Type 1
s.t.
6
Matteo Pelucchi
Nespresso - Algarve
s.t.
7
Kurt Hovelynck
Accent.Jobs - Veranda's Willems
s.t.
8
Alex Rasmussen
Nespresso - Algarve
s.t.
9
Danilo Napolitano
Acqua & Sapone
s.t.
10
Johnnie Walker
UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling
s.t.
Stage 2
Just as in stage 1, also today the 2 hills halfway the stage from Newton to Swansea, proof to be decisive, as they split the pack up once again. This time, only 37 riders manage to stay in the first peloton.
Our plan for today is to set up a train for Matti Breschel, but the Dane hasn't got the fitness to win this stage. Lampres Enrico Gasparotto is by far the strongest today, taking his 2nd season win besides the Fleche Wallone. Breschel takes the 2nd place and Martijn Maaskant the 3rd. The Dutch becomes the new leader, thanks to the bonus seconds. Luxembourg Gregory Bernard leads the KOTM-classification.
Mark Cavendish
Edvald Boasson Hagen
José Joaquín Rojas
André Greipel
Vincenzo Nibali
Heinrich Haussler
Jürgen Roelandts
Matthias Frank
Nicolas Roche
Bauke Mollema
Andrew Talansky
Jonathan Monsalve
Red Bull - Cervélo
Saxo Bank SunGard
Egor Silin
Sergey Lagutin
Andrey Zeits
Jimmy Engoulvent
Daryl Impey
