@ Ian Butler - Yeah it is a bit of a pity that it isn't right at the top, but I have always found that it is a tremendously fun stage to play and it is possible to tear everything apart on the massive climb in stage 3.
@ sutty68 - Thanks. A stage win and a decent GC would be an ideal way to start the season off!
EDIT: Woops, started a new page. The first stage of the Etoile de Besseges is at the bottom of the previous page.Edited by CountArach on 14-06-2012 03:51
@ Eden95 - Yeah I'm happy with a top 10 from Poulhies given how low fitness is.
Also everyone, I'm going to be interstate for a couple of days so I won't be posting any updates. If you have any questions, I'll answer them when I get back or possibly while I'm away on my phone.
Edited by CountArach on 15-06-2012 05:00
Today’s stage is fairly long and has a very hilly start. The ending, however, is much less stressful with only one short and sharp climb to really challenge people. The run in to the finish has a final climb that peaks about 4km from the end.
Once again we decide not to target the break. We have one of the strongest teams here so we want everyone to be around if we need to pull everything back together. Early on AG2R and Argos – Shimano keep things together and chase down any attacks. They are working for first and second place Mondory and Kluge. As always, however, a break gets away. The riders in it are:
Camano
Endura
Monguzzi
Utensilnord
Bacquet
Auber
Bouyer
Europcar
Neyens
Lotto
Over the top of the first climb of the day their lead is well and truly cemented. They are ahead by 3’12”. Back in the peleton, meanwhile, AG2R push a fairly tough pace. They drop 30 riders, including Poulhies. Across the shark-tooth profile after the climb this group gets back on, however.
On the third classified climb, the second hardest of the day, we send Talabardon up to the front, determined to put some riders into difficulty. The peleton is 7’20” behind, and we are conscious that we have to start to control this a bit more.
The gap gets out to maximum of 8’20” before we start to really help AG2R bring this back. The pace starts to rise and with 70km remaining the peleton reaches the final short and sharp climb and the pace is so high that the peleton rips in half, with about 70 riders missing the split. We get straight onto the front of the bunch with FDJ and AG2R to keep this apart, realising that this is a good opportunity to get time on some outsiders and to put the sprinters into troble. FDJ are helping even though Geslin is in the second group.
AG2R stop working and at one point we are doing all the work. This does reduce the gap to the break, however, and with 10km remaining they have only 1’30” over the peleton. Monguzzi starts the attacks up front.
We do the majority of the pace setting up the final climb, but just near the top we decide to shake things up and Coppel goes on the attack only 3.5km to the end!
He pulls out a decent gap of about 20 seconds, but then the sprinters from the peleton start to come through. Belletti starts to drag Mondory up and with about 1400 metres to the line they come past Coppel.
Up front, Neyens puts in a vicious kick and has dragged Monguzzi back, but will it be for nothing? The peleton has caught the other breakaway riders!
Neyens holds on for a hard-fought stage victory!
And I forgot to export, so here are the results...
The race judges rules there were no time gaps amongst all the top riders, so Coppel did not lose any time despite finishing well back.
Edited by CountArach on 15-06-2012 05:05
