First Pro Tour event of the year brings us to the sunny Australia. Some wanted to grab a swim, others went straight to the training room.
Our leaders for Tour Down Under, Heinrich Haussler and Johan Van Summeren gave interviews to the press that besieged our team bus early in the morning.
Haussler will be the leading sprinter and our green jersey contender. To help him, we've sent Vicente Reynes as a lead-out sprinter, Tejay Van Garderen and Adam Hansen to act as workhorses, Lehigh Batty and Gareth Lines will take care of the water bottles. Our GC leader, as well as the main lead out man for Haussler, will be Johan Van Summeren. He will have full team support to try and win the hilly queen stage of this year's TdU.
Riders are optimistic, weather is fine, let the games begin!
Start list:
Caisse d'Epargne
1. J.Gutiérrez
2. A.Coyot
3. D.De la Fuente
4. A.Fernández
5. I.Isasi
6. D.López
7. J.Rovira Pous
We've agreed on the team meeting that in order to have full control over the race on this tricky up/down stage, we would definitely need to put someone in the breakaway. Little Tejay tried to go first.
Main group pushed the tempo afterwards, and current leaders were doomed to surrender. After a quieter period of the stage, Buffaz and Martens tried to escape, Johan Van Summeren got my permission to try and test his legs by jumping from the pack in pursuit.
After being left alone in front of the pack, he slowed down and slowly returned back. He was having a good day and merely broke a sweat in that attempt. A good sign for us.
After another quiet part of the race, at 60km to go Reynes also tried to jump out, and there we had the first successful breakaway of the day, comprised of 6 riders, including Vicente.
But with only 50 or so kms to go, it was obvious that the finish will be a bunch sprint, and we were prepared. With 10km to go, we started setting up our sprint train. Because we let Reynes go in a break, he couldn't offer any help in setting Haussler for the sprint, nonetheless I used one of my tactics that I use when I don't have enough sprinters. I put a flat rider to follow my main sprinter.
At a crucial moment, i order him to hold position so that all the other sprinters following him will have to bridge the gap to my sprinter and lose some more energy in the process. Every little bit counts. Here's how it goes: Locomotive stops following the primary lead out and goes 96% on dot, sprinter follows at 99% effort. When locomotive gains speed ~ 52km/h, I put the sprinter follower to hold. Ideally, it should look something like this:
Van Summeren has very low acceleration so the gap wasn't that huge, but you get the idea what would happen if someone more explosive like Boasson Hagen set a sprint like this. Maximilliano Richeze would have been dead the moment he returned on the Haussler's wheel. As that was not the case, Haussler just needed someone to bounce him to greater speed. For example, Sieberg.
Haussler doesn't miss chances like these, and we all have a reason to cheer at the end of the day. 1st win for Heinrich Haussler, 2nd season victory for Columbia High-Road, two wins out of three races. We couldn't have wished for a better start.
1 Heinrich Haussler Team Columbia - High Road 3h32'31
2 Davide Viganò Liquigas s.t.
3 Maximilliano Richeze Astana Cycling Team s.t.
4 Marcel Sieberg Team Milram s.t.
5 Romain Feillu AG2R La Mondiale s.t.
6 Matthew Goss Team Saxo Bank s.t.
7 Stéphane Poulhiès Française des Jeux s.t.
8 Andrea Grendene Lampre - N.G.C s.t.
9 Kenny De Haes Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team s.t.
10 Aaron Kemps Garmin - Slipstream s.t.
General Classification:
1 Heinrich Haussler Team Columbia - High Road 3h32'25
2 Davide Viganò Liquigas + 2
3 William Bonnet Bbox Bouygues Télécom + 3
4 Fabio Sabatini Liquigas s.t.
5 Maximilliano Richeze Astana Cycling Team + 4
6 Jacopo Guarnieri Lampre - N.G.C s.t.
7 Michiel Elijzen Silence - Lotto s.t.
8 Hans Dekkers Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team + 5
9 Arnoud Van Groen Rabobank s.t.
10 Marcel Sieberg Team Milram + 6
...
20 Johan Van Summeren Team Columbia - High Road s.t.
26 Tejay Van Garderen Team Columbia - High Road s.t.
66 Vicente Reynès Team Columbia - High Road s.t.
67 Adam Hansen Team Columbia - High Road s.t.
157 Gareth Lines Team Columbia - High Road + 3'49
159 Leigh Batty Team Columbia - High Road + 8'06
Points Classification:
1 Heinrich Haussler Team Columbia - High Road 25 1
2 Davide Viganò Liquigas 22 2
3 Maximilliano Richeze Astana Cycling Team 20 3
4 Marcel Sieberg Team Milram 18 4
5 Romain Feillu AG2R La Mondiale 16 5
KOM Classification:
1 Mickael Buffaz Cofidis, le crédit en ligne 2
2 Paul Martens Team Milram 2
3 Mikaël Chérel Française des Jeux 1
4 Rémi Pauriol Bbox Bouygues Télécom 1
Young riders:
1 Jimmi Sørensen Team Saxo Bank 3h32'31 + 2 (2)
2 Aurelien Duval Française des Jeux s.t. + 2 (3)
3 Tejay Van Garderen Team Columbia - High Road s.t. + 2 (4)
If offense is the best defence, does it mean that defence is the worst defence?
If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord will delete my browser history.
Although it has a number of punching climbs, this stage has been classified as flat. We shall not be fooled for the roads are tricky and the legs are still in need of race kilometers.
It has again been agreed that someone should join the breakaway so that my young boys Lines and Batty don't have to work too much.
Hansen was on the move today, joining the early group of nine riders.
With around 90km to go, Katusha and Quick-Step started working at the front in order to lower the gap that has grown to around 6 minutes.
As the gap was thinning away, Kairelis tried his luck with 3 climbs to go.
Van Garderen was ordered to counter the attack, along with O'Grady and Elijzen.
A group of poursivants was formed. Rovira, Armstrong, Shpilevski, Elijzen, O'Grady, Kairelis and Van Garderen.
Second group, thanks to the frantic tempo set by O'Grady on the flatter part, soon caught the original breakaway with 30km to go, gaining over a minute and a half on the main group who wasn't working hard enough.
Van Garderen pushed his pedals all the way on the penultimate climb, wreaking havoc in the front group. Only Lequatre, Tolleson and Rubio could follow.
With less than 20km to go, Tejay was all alone in the front with a great chance for victory on today's stage.
9km to go and Tejay is still in front, increasing the gap to the other breakaway riders.
4km to go, it's the stuff that distinguishes men from boys. Van Garderen with 40" advantage over the pack, Haussler isn't in a good position. Let's hope it doesn't come to the sprint victory.
Haussler is struggling for position, but can't possibly pull it all the way to the front.
Despite the bad sprint set-up for Haussler, Tejay Van Garderen is first on the finish line today and that is all that matters. All mistakes will be forgotten, we are victorious again! He's given the pack a 29" deficit.
Haussler managed to squeeze in 5th and keep the green jersey.
Jellow jersey for young Tejay Van Garderen, green jersey for Heinrich Haussler. Things keep getting better and better for us at this year's Tour Down Under. Now our minds are focused on tomorrow, and another feast for the sprinters.
Stage Classification:
1 Tejay Van Garderen Team Columbia - High Road 3h59'17
2 Martin Elmiger Team Katusha + 29
3 Nicolas Roche Astana Cycling Team s.t.
4 Egoitz Garcia Etxegibel Fuji - Servetto s.t.
5 Heinrich Haussler Team Columbia - High Road s.t.
6 Rémi Pauriol Bbox Bouygues Télécom s.t.
7 Jan Bakelants Silence - Lotto s.t.
8 Matteo Carrara Lampre - N.G.C s.t.
9 Ángel Vicioso Fuji - Servetto s.t.
10 Michele Scarponi Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli s.t.
General Classification:
1 Tejay Van Garderen Team Columbia - High Road 7h31'42
2 Heinrich Haussler Team Columbia - High Road + 29
3 Taylor Tolleson BMC Racing Team s.t.
4 Davide Viganò Liquigas + 31
5 Martin Elmiger Team Katusha s.t.
6 Fabio Sabatini Liquigas + 32
7 William Bonnet Bbox Bouygues Télécom s.t.
8 Maximilliano Richeze Astana Cycling Team + 33
9 Nicolas Roche Astana Cycling Team s.t.
10 Jacopo Guarnieri Lampre - N.G.C s.t.
Points Classification:
1 Heinrich Haussler Team Columbia - High Road 41
2 Tejay Van Garderen Team Columbia - High Road 25
3 Davide Viganò Liquigas 24
4 Martin Elmiger Team Katusha 22
5 Maximilliano Richeze Astana Cycling Team 20
KOM Classification:
1 Paul Martens Team Milram 2
2 Vicente García de Mateos Rubio Euskaltel - Euskadi 2
3 Mickael Buffaz Cofidis, le crédit en ligne 2
4 Mikaël Chérel Française des Jeux 1
5 Rémi Pauriol Bbox Bouygues Télécom 1
Young riders:
1 Tejay Van Garderen Team Columbia - High Road 7h31'42 (1)
2 Cyril Gautier AG2R La Mondiale + 35 (4)
3 Daniel Oss Liquigas + 12'10 (16)
Here is the profile of today's winner: Edited by Deda on 26-10-2009 00:38
If offense is the best defence, does it mean that defence is the worst defence?
If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord will delete my browser history.
as it takes me more than an hour to finish a race, take the screenshots, crop them, upload, and write a report, please don't mind the slow progress, I'm sure it will get faster. for practice makes perfect.
good night to all!
If offense is the best defence, does it mean that defence is the worst defence?
If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord will delete my browser history.
Adam Hansen got the permission to try again today, as the course was much easier than yesterday.
But he didn't make it.
As the tempo was really slow in the beginning, he gave it a go once again.
But the legs just wouldn't listen. We decided to sit and relax for a bit.
7 riders in the front group, and Agirre going solo a few hundred meters ahead.
When Agirre was caught, we had our break of the day, Robert Hunter and Jefroy Lequatre among the others.
50km to go, Blot, Coyot, Mollema, O'Grady and Mortensen decided to give it a go.
Van Groen, Sabatini and Florencio also tried to get away.
But Van Summeren wasn't interested in nothing but winning the 3rd consecutive stage. He worked solo for a few kilometers like a locomotive.
It was the first time this season we set up our complete sprint train.
Johan Van Summeren - Vicente Reynes - Heinrich Haussler
A great position for our team, it's just a matter of seconds before the sprint.
Reynes delivers Haussler to Poulhies's wheel, Haussler shoots,
And scores!
Win number 3, and all important jerseys in our hands.
Stage Classification:
1 Heinrich Haussler Team Columbia - High Road 3h17'19
2 Davide Viganò Liquigas s.t.
3 Laurent Beuret Cervélo Test Team s.t.
4 Stéphane Poulhiès Française des Jeux s.t.
5 Matthew Goss Team Saxo Bank s.t.
6 Romain Feillu AG2R La Mondiale s.t.
7 Maximilliano Richeze Astana Cycling Team s.t.
8 Matteo Carrara Lampre - N.G.C s.t.
9 Vicente Reynès Team Columbia - High Road s.t.
10 Andrea Grendene Lampre - N.G.C s.t.
General Classification:
1 Tejay Van Garderen Team Columbia - High Road 10h49'01
2 Heinrich Haussler Team Columbia - High Road + 23
3 Davide Viganò Liquigas + 27
4 Taylor Tolleson BMC Racing Team + 29
5 Geoffroy Lequatre Agritubel + 30
6 Martin Elmiger Team Katusha + 31
7 Josu Agirre Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
8 William Bonnet Bbox Bouygues Télécom + 32
9 Fabio Sabatini Liquigas s.t.
10 Maximilliano Richeze Astana Cycling Team + 33
Points Classification:
1 Heinrich Haussler Team Columbia - High Road 66
2 Davide Viganò Liquigas 46
3 Maximilliano Richeze Astana Cycling Team 34
4 Stéphane Poulhiès Française des Jeux 32
5 Matthew Goss Team Saxo Bank 31
KOM Classification:
1 Luis Ángel Maté Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli 3
2 Vicente García de Mateos Rubio Euskaltel - Euskadi 2
3 Paul Martens Team Milram 2
4 Josu Agirre Euskaltel - Euskadi 2
5 Mickael Buffaz Cofidis, le crédit en ligne 2
Young riders:
1 Tejay Van Garderen Team Columbia - High Road 10h49'01 (1)
2 Jacopo Guarnieri Lampre - N.G.C + 33 (2)
3 Vicente García de Mateos Rubio Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
If offense is the best defence, does it mean that defence is the worst defence?
If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord will delete my browser history.
As luck would have it, the day we decided to give our riders a bit of rest, we've had a 20 man breakaway.
There was no point in pursuing them as we couldn't fight alone against all of them, but nonetheless, we've put our riders in front to keep a steady pace. Among the notable riders in the front were Lequatre, Bos, Isasi, De Jongh and Blot.
After a while, Stoetinga, Sabatini and Ermeti tried to jump ahead and bridge the gap.
To my relief, with 60km to go Astana and Katusha joined the pursuit of the two breakaway groups.
40km to go, Van Summeren tries his luck as the breakaway is almost caught by the pack. He will give the main group something more to warry about.
Never coming closer than 40" behind the front group, Johan was ordered to stop the attack and rejoin the rest of the crew to prepare for the sprint.
20km to go and the preparation for the sprint can begin.
With Van Summeren burnt out from the attack, it was up to Tejay to lead-out Haussler to the uphill finish.
And he delivered him. Heinrich jumped on Richeze's wheel as the sprint started.
Carrara, Vicioso and Sieberg were close, but all in all, this was a lesson from "Bunch Sprint 101". Heinrich Haussler celebrates once again!
Another victory, Haussler's green jersey is secure, Tejay Van Garderen still in yellow.
Tomorrow is the queen stage, and we plan to dominate it too.
Stage Classification:
1 Heinrich Haussler Team Columbia - High Road 3h22'41
2 Maximilliano Richeze Astana Cycling Team s.t.
3 Ángel Vicioso Fuji - Servetto s.t.
4 Sébastien Turgot Agritubel s.t.
5 Matteo Carrara Lampre - N.G.C s.t.
6 Marcel Sieberg Team Milram s.t.
7 Valeri Dimitriev Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team s.t.
8 Davide Viganò Liquigas s.t.
9 Matthew Goss Team Saxo Bank s.t.
10 Nicolas Roche Astana Cycling Team s.t.
General Classification:
1 Tejay Van Garderen Team Columbia - High Road 14h11'42
2 Heinrich Haussler Team Columbia - High Road + 17
3 Davide Viganò Liquigas + 27
4 Maximilliano Richeze Astana Cycling Team + 29
5 Taylor Tolleson BMC Racing Team s.t.
6 Geoffroy Lequatre Agritubel + 30
7 Guillaume Blot AG2R La Mondiale + 31
8 Martin Elmiger Team Katusha s.t.
9 Josu Agirre Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
10 Fabio Sabatini Liquigas + 32
Points Classification:
1 Heinrich Haussler Team Columbia - High Road 25 91
2 Davide Viganò Liquigas 13 59
3 Maximilliano Richeze Astana Cycling Team 22 56
4 Matthew Goss Team Saxo Bank 12 43
5 Matteo Carrara Lampre - N.G.C 16 42
KOM Classification:
1 Luis Ángel Maté Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli 0 3
2 Josu Agirre Euskaltel - Euskadi 0 2
3 Vicente García de Mateos Rubio Euskaltel - Euskadi 0 2
4 Xavi Florencio Fuji - Servetto 2 2
5 Paul Martens Team Milram 0 2
Young riders:
1 Tejay Van Garderen Team Columbia - High Road 14h11'42 (1)
2 Jacopo Guarnieri Lampre - N.G.C + 33 (2)
3 Vicente García de Mateos Rubio Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t.
If offense is the best defence, does it mean that defence is the worst defence?
If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord will delete my browser history.
The queen stage of this year's Tour Down Under. On the team briefing this morning, we've decided to do all that was necessary to protect Tejay Van Garderen's yellow jersey. Our pre-race leader for general classifications, Johan Van Summeren, didn't seem too happy, but we've agreed it's for the best, and I've promised him another shot at one of the other spring races if the team does well in last two stages. Van Summeren is definitely our main workhorse, and he deserved his share of succes as much as Heinrich and Tejay.
Today is going to be hard.
The early breakaway riders were scattered all over the road. William Bonnet was at the front, followed by two riders in the no-man's land.
Behind them, the largest breakaway group.
And two riders behind them.
My boys had to take the race under control as no other teams wanted to work with us.
Van Summeren proved again today why he will be such an important link in our train of destruction this season. He has done the majority of the work once more, and this race alone has confirmed that I haven't made a mistake when signing him last summer.
At the front, Bonnet and his poursivants were caught by the big breakaway group, and so we had our largest break of the day, counting 11 riders.
Two followers were still in the middle of nowhere.
At the foot of the first climb, the fun starts as Florencio, Brutt and Rovira Pous jump from the pack.
Van Summeren again has to do the bulk of the work.
Florencio group was almost caught, but this time the favourites started to attack. Clement, Van de Walle, De la Fuente and Carrara.
Haussler and Van Garderen responded, Scarponi, Gutierrez and Vicioso attacked too.
Roche also joined the favourites group, the original breakaway still in front.
Roche, Bonnet and Clement attacked with 6-7km to go, Tejay and Haussler had enough power to respond. Jellow jersey seemed safe.
2km to go and Roche has a slight lead over the front group, followed by Mate, Clement and Bonnet.
After seeing the others dead tired, Haussler stardet sprinting with Van Garderen on his wheel.
Mate is still in front.
And Van Garderen was best today, jumping from Haussler's wheel and delivering a perfect double victory on today's queen stage!
What a show!
Our aim was to protect the leaders jersey, but with this win we've practicaly destroyed all other teams, and we've proven that we are number 1.
Tomorrow's 90km circuit race will be a good day to show off our hard earned jerseys.
WooHoo!
Stage Classification:
1 Tejay Van Garderen Team Columbia - High Road 3h33'57
2 Heinrich Haussler Team Columbia - High Road s.t.
3 Stef Clement Rabobank s.t.
4 Luis Ángel Maté Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli s.t.
5 Nicolas Roche Astana Cycling Team s.t.
6 Simon Clarke Garmin - Slipstream s.t.
7 William Bonnet Bbox Bouygues Télécom s.t.
8 Michele Scarponi Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli + 43
9 Martin Kohler BMC Racing Team s.t.
10 Thomas Voeckler Agritubel s.t.
General Classification:
1 Tejay Van Garderen Team Columbia - High Road 17h45'33
2 Heinrich Haussler Team Columbia - High Road + 19
3 William Bonnet Bbox Bouygues Télécom + 35
4 Nicolas Roche Astana Cycling Team + 39
5 Stef Clement Rabobank s.t.
6 Luis Ángel Maté Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli s.t.
7 Simon Clarke Garmin - Slipstream + 41
8 Maximilliano Richeze Astana Cycling Team + 1'18
9 Robert Hunter Team Katusha + 1'21
10 Ángel Vicioso Fuji - Servetto + 1'22
Points Classification:
1 Heinrich Haussler Team Columbia - High Road 113
2 Davide Viganò Liquigas 59
3 Maximilliano Richeze Astana Cycling Team 57
4 Tejay Van Garderen Team Columbia - High Road 50
5 Nicolas Roche Astana Cycling Team 47
KOM Classification:
1 Luis Ángel Maté Serramenti PVC Diquigiovanni - Androni Giocattoli 7
2 Josu Agirre Euskaltel - Euskadi 2
3 Xavi Florencio Fuji - Servetto 2
4 Vicente García de Mateos Rubio Euskaltel - Euskadi 2
5 Paul Martens Team Milram 2
Young riders:
1 Tejay Van Garderen Team Columbia - High Road 17h45'33 (1)
2 Jacopo Guarnieri Lampre - N.G.C + 3'30 (2)
3 Vicente García de Mateos Rubio Euskaltel - Euskadi s.t. (3)
If offense is the best defence, does it mean that defence is the worst defence?
If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord will delete my browser history.
to be honest, I do have the best riders around.
and yes, I plan to win every race I enter, that is the point of the story.
but rest assured, I won't tell you not to read it if you don't like it, everybody is entitled to an opinion.
If offense is the best defence, does it mean that defence is the worst defence?
If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord will delete my browser history.
