The team works hard to keep the peloton together before the first Intermediate sprint after 66 kilometres. And we succeed, as Wilco Kelderman wins the sprint, taking back 3 seconds. After that sprint, no attacks occur, only Jeandesboz to score some KOTM-points. So was the riders approach the 2nd Intermediate Sprint, Kelderman starts to sprint again, leaded out by Jens Mulder. And with a great result, as Kelderman also wins this sprint. And the 3 bonus seconds mean that he ties with Daniele Pietropolli in the GC!
10km to go
Also no attacks in the next 75 (!) kilometres..... So our Aussie Jack Bobridge decides to give it a go under the 10km banner, thinking a stage win can be possible when the peloton keeps on wandering.
Finish
And strangely, no team wants to chase Bobridge, making his lead increase every pedal stroke. He can start celebrating his win already a long time before the finish, even laughing more then cheering, as this is a very strange outcome...
And with the pace of the peloton staying low, Kelderman decides to go for some more bonus seconds while riding under the red banner. And with some succes, as he takes the 2nd place, as well as 6 bonus seconds, meaning he becomes the new GC-leader! When he started his sprint, finally the first rider in the peloton accelerates. And that rider, Jurgen Roelandts, also takes the last bonus seconds..................
In the 4th season of being a DS, this must be the strangest stage I've experienced.... First, no one is interested in taking some bonus seconds, meaning Kelderman can tie with Pietropolli in the GC. Then, no attacks occur for 75 kilometres. And when Bobridge attacks, nobody counters and no team starts to chase, even tough all the sprinters are present in the peloton. And finally, when Kelderman starts his sprint, nobody reacts meaning he takes the 2nd place easily.....
I won't complain, but this was insane. Don't know what to think about it....
The 6th stage brings the riders back to the Mediterranean coast as the finish awaits in Barcelona. The 201 kilometres feature some climbs, but the last one is located 40km before the finish.
60km to go
Both the domestiques of Euskaltel and Sony Ericsson work hard to catch the BOTD (15 riders), and after a 40km long chase, all riders are back in the peloton. And just as yesterday, no attacks after that...
With the Intermediate sprint approaching, we decide to go for some more bonus seconds, and just as the 2 previous stages, only Wilco Kelderman seems to be interested. Ne gap in the GC to Pietropolli: 9 seconds!
41km to go
Wow, unbelievable!!!!!!!! There is an attack!! Vacansoleils Marco Marcato attacks shortly before the summit of the last climb, and nobody reacts.
Finish
And just as yesterday with Jack Bobridge, nobody chases him. As the margin becomes 4'30 and he is a real treat to the yellow jersey, we start to increase the pace of the peloton.
But Marcato is too far ahead and wins the stage in Barcelona, already his 3rd win of the season. 3'30 behind him, Francesco Ginanni (Acqua et Sapone) prevents Bernhard Eisel from making it a Vacansoleil 1-2. Kelderman takes the 6th place.
I really don't know what is happening with the peloton here in Catalunya. It seems to be that nobody is interested in the GC-win or even a stage win.... Probably, every rider present here is using the race as a training for later this season.
Edited by dienblad on 05-12-2012 12:36
A Intermediate sprint, thus we see Wilco Kelderman sprinting for the 3 bonus seconds, again being the only one.
70km to go
The BOTD arrives in Barcelona, climbing the Montjuic. Just outside the centre of the capitol of Catalunya, nearby the Mediterranean Sea, Sky's Portuguese champion Cândido Barbosa wins the KOTM-sprint, beating Peter Velits and Roman Klimov. And as the peloton is taking it easy, 10 minutes behind them, the 8 will challenge the stage win.
Finish
It's a close call for the win. Barbosa looks to win this one, but he gets beaten at the line by Euskaltels Alejandro Marque.
Finishing safely in the peloton, Wilco Kelderman wins the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya for the 2nd year in a row. And he must thank the bonus seconds for it!
Looking back at a pretty strange Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, we can see that it was very succesful for the team. Jack Bobridge took a great stage win, and Wilco Kelderman won the GC for the 2nd year in a row. With the riders travelling to other places in Europe for training camps, the crew and me will be found in some nice tapas restaurant tonight to celebrate the succes!
The first of the important cobbled classics is Dwars Door Vlaanderen, the opening of the Flemish Cycling week, that ends with De Ronde van Vlaanderen.
Last year, Garmins Johan Vansummeren took the win in Waregem.
The Route
201 kilometres from Roeselare to Waregem, including 13 climbs in the Flemish Ardennes.
The BOTD is already climbing the 2nd hill of the day, the Kattenberg (0.7km at 5.9%). Only 2 decent cobbled rider are present in this group, namely Wallonie Bruxelles Jan Ghyselinck and Damien Gaudin (Garmin).
59km to go
A few hills later, the peloton is ascending the Eikenberg (1.2km at 5.9%), the 6th hill of the day. It has thinned out to 30 riders, including all 6 of ours. Ghyselinck and Gaudin have dropped their breakaway-buddies and lead the peloton by 4'25.
30km to go
The 2 leaders have begun the steepest hill of the day, the Patersberg (365m at 12.9%, max 20.3%). Surprisingly, the margin is still the same (4'43), so maybe the 2 can start dreaming about the win?
24km to go
But after the Patersberg, the margin decreases rapidly. At the next cobbled section in Kerkhove, the margin has decreased with 1 minute (in 6 kilometres!), when Fabian Cancellara attacks. We decide not to counter, but to play all cards at the sprint, so we start to chase Spartacus.
10km to go
Cancellara apparently isn't in his top form yet, and gets caught. Next rider to attack is Filippo Pozzato, probably not relying on his sprint. Cancellara counters and the 2 quickly close the gap to Ghyselinck and Gaudin.
4km to go
Thanks to an outstanding Martijn Maaskant, Pozzato and Cancellara get caught, as well as the 2 leaders. With 4km to go, Maaskant moves aside, as Niki Terpstra takes over the lead of our small sprint train, with Coen Vermeltfoort as the final lead out man.
Finish
And having saved all of his energy, and with his main rival in the sprint Pozzato wasted his with the earlier attack, the sprint for the win is one easy task for Matti Breschel. Our mighty Dane crushes the opposition and wins the 69th edition of Dwars Door Vlaanderen. Sylvain Chavanel sprints to the 2nd place, Pozzto to the 3rd, and Vermeltfoort still finishes inside the top 10 in 9th.
What a great way to start the Flemish cycling week! This was a great team performance, as we controlled the race, with Breschel finishing it off perfectly!
Edited by dienblad on 08-12-2012 08:54
Jürgen Roelandts
Bernhard Eisel
Paul Voss
Daniele Pietropolli
Peter Velits
Jonathan Castroviejo
Chris Froome
Arnold Jeanneson
Rigoberto Urán
Matthias Frank
Cândido Barbosa
Roman Klimov
Rasmus Guldhammer
Gavin Mannion
Pro Team Astana
