|
Volta ao Algarve discussion thread
|
| fintas |
Posted on 28-02-2013 16:55
|
Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2602
Joined: 21-03-2008
PCM$: 1200.00
|
What the hell is going on in Algarve?? Not in my wildest dreams expected to be leading the race .. My only hope of getting the top10 passed by quite selective stages, but taking into account what happened in previous races was not at all waiting this.
The question is whether the team will be able to control the race in the next stage and allow multiple cyclists get even further away from the top10. I could not ask for more to Mehr-Wenige but it is necessary to make enough differences in stage so that we can go through the Time Trail and continue in top10 ..
Today was a big day for CT teams
|
| |
|
|
| Miguel98 |
Posted on 28-02-2013 18:18
|
World Champion
Posts: 10497
Joined: 23-06-2011
PCM$: 200.00
|
Criel still in 15th. Let's keep this place Tom. |
| |
|
|
| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 28-02-2013 20:16
|
Team Manager
Posts: 33046
Joined: 08-03-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
Would be good to hear from Smowz how that split actually happened, rather than skipping over the bit of how it occured. Don't recall such a split occuring in a recent PCM race before without the assistance of a narrow road.
Edited by SportingNonsense on 28-02-2013 20:16
|
| |
|
|
| Smowz |
Posted on 28-02-2013 21:00
|
Team Leader
Posts: 6479
Joined: 09-04-2009
PCM$: 200.00
|
SportingNonsense wrote:
Would be good to hear from Smowz how that split actually happened, rather than skipping over the bit of how it occured. Don't recall such a split occuring in a recent PCM race before without the assistance of a narrow road.
Just replayed the stage as a single stage, it was not down to narrow roads, the roads are not wide motorways but certainly the narrow single track type ones either.
I'll explain in more detail what I observed happening as I recall.
We are down to the last 25km, the pack has shed some of the sprinters and weak climbers due to the hills in the mid stage as they, mainly Alstom, chase the breakaway. It becomes more stretched as a couple of ambitious riders start to attack the pack, with Efimkin bridging to the break.
The chase is well and truly on there is a late wall which coming over the top thins the pack.
The wind which was also really blowing and so with riders stretched there was a breaking point in which some weak rider in the middle somewhere must have lost a wheel.
I was keeping an eye on the attackers and didn't notice at first, but indeed I went back and we had the pack split into three bits. The leaders four riders between and then the Zabriskie/Boom group.
I have no idea why but I observed in stage one that Zabriskie and Boom were sitting at about 3/4 way back through the pack when it came to the finale.
Anyway as the split happened only really ING were working on the front of the second pack, as opposed to a pretty powerful Alstom hilly crew on the front of pack one the gap just kept easing out. ING did put Van Huffel and Correles to the front and Boom and Geschke did help especially towards the end when Geschke looked to sprint.
Why did the split occur? - the fast pace and wind would be my explanation . There were one or two passengers in the pack who simply lost the wheels (the control riders by the way were long out of the back door). Zabriskie should have been nearer the front, I don't understand why he was drifting around towards the back or Boom either for that matter. Boom makes no sense at all because Rothaus had done a lot of pulling, but I have seen favourites sitting over 30 riders back when their team is pulling. Rothaus at that point had pulled off of the pacing for about 10km taking a breather perhaps before trying to set up Geschke.
An out there alternative explanation for ING is that Iannetti was their designated 'take risks' rider with Zabriskie on some sort of 'No Exertions' order.
I just think the wind was blowing, the pace was fast, the terrain was testy a gap opened and some of the riders were slow to react. Zabriskie and Boom were cruising in the pack when a split in front of them develops. I guess it does look like a narrow road split, but the roads were not narrow.
|
| |
|
|
| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 28-02-2013 21:14
|
Team Manager
Posts: 33046
Joined: 08-03-2007
PCM$: 200.00
|
Yep, I checked for narrow roads myself just now.
Use of the replay would be a very good idea in times like these, so as to not miss the most important moment in the race. Similar to how you kinda missed the Tirreno crash.
|
| |
|
|
| Smowz |
Posted on 28-02-2013 21:25
|
Team Leader
Posts: 6479
Joined: 09-04-2009
PCM$: 200.00
|
Fair point, definitely should have done so with Tirreno and again here.
|
| |
|
|
| Avin Wargunnson |
Posted on 01-03-2013 05:48
|
World Champion
Posts: 14236
Joined: 20-06-2011
PCM$: 300.00
|
Good stage for Metinvest, with yet more TT specialists loosing time and our duo Popkov, Pakthusov staying in the pack, Pakthusov even trying more with aggresive late move.
Some of the favourites were badly positioned and lost contact, i would say better outcome than 70 riders coming together every day. But strange that lesser climber Cornu held on, even with some worse punchers/sprinters. This edition is just too random in positioning and selections. Fortunately we were not victims of this yet, as Metinvest is often at the front working in many races and leaders near the front it seems.
Next stage is crucial, i hope Popkov will hang there with the best (i think especially Scarponi and Mehr-Wenige will try to gain time again). Than just finish it with decent TT. Top 10 in GC is still the goal, and top 20 for Pakthusov.
|
| |
|
|
| roturn |
Posted on 01-03-2013 06:24
|
Team Manager
Posts: 22246
Joined: 24-11-2007
PCM$: 3900.00
|
I experienced a similar thing in my career. These kind of hilly stages, that don`t look very hilly, can be highly selective with a heavy wind.
Even flat stages with some hills will be.
Just never have seen leaders losing contact. Normally these will stay in the front group.
So it was very unhappy for some teams. But I had lots of luck so far in many races. Now I guess it was time to have bad luck again. ;P |
| |
|
|
| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 07:26
|
Bot Agent
Posts: Countless
Joined: 23.11.09
|
|
| IP: None |
|
|
| Miguel98 |
Posted on 01-03-2013 19:20
|
World Champion
Posts: 10497
Joined: 23-06-2011
PCM$: 200.00
|
Daniel Silva only losing 24 seconds. That still gives me a hope of a top 15 at least in the GC. Tomorrow, finally a day for the pure sprinters. |
| |
|
|
| jt1109 |
Posted on 01-03-2013 19:24
|
Classics Specialist
Posts: 3215
Joined: 23-07-2008
PCM$: 400.00
|
How i see it
Kiryenka has this won now after a great ride Costa in 2nd then either Scarponi or Durasek or Cornu in 3rd the rest could be close but i fear Mehr Wengie will only be top 10 at best which after such a good race by him is less then he deserves. |
| |
|
|
| felix_29 |
Posted on 01-03-2013 19:25
|
Classics Specialist
Posts: 3054
Joined: 08-08-2009
PCM$: 200.00
|
What was Gerdemann doing? The TT can only get better.
|
| |
|
|
| Mresuperstar |
Posted on 01-03-2013 19:31
|
Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8059
Joined: 22-06-2009
PCM$: 650.00
|
I hope 25kms is long enough for the home bonus to beat Kiryenka but not long enough for Cornu to make up the time he lost today. I thinking it is going to be really close between all 3 riders, can't wait. But first, don't do anything stupid team on stage 4... 
|
| |
|
|
| fintas |
Posted on 01-03-2013 19:37
|
Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2602
Joined: 21-03-2008
PCM$: 1200.00
|
This is unfair, Mehr-Wenige already deserved a win and on top our goal was a bit more difficult because the Time Trail will make much difference. Even if they can not achieve the goal this race has been very positive and we have already managed to win more points that throughout the last month ..
Edited by fintas on 01-03-2013 19:45
|
| |
|
|
| fjhoekie |
Posted on 01-03-2013 21:41
|
Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4476
Joined: 25-07-2010
PCM$: 200.00
|
Top 10 for Fonte could be achievable, he's only a minute down, 73 TT and home bonus. Atleast he'll battle Popkov to prove PrivatBank can beat Metinvest 
Manager of Team Popo4Ever p/b Morshynska in the PCM.Daily Man-Game |
| |
|
|
| ANFreeman |
Posted on 01-03-2013 22:00
|
Protected Rider
Posts: 1019
Joined: 11-05-2009
PCM$: 200.00
|
Nice to see Lowe and Richardson so active, though they (and Mandri) are only going to lose positions in the TT. Top 10 looks impossible, but if all three hold on to top 20, it'll do.
[url=https://pcmdaily.com/messages.php?msg_send=19438]-Requests for Man-Game 2014 jerseys are OPEN!
Click to request!-[/url] |
| |
|
|
| CountArach |
Posted on 01-03-2013 22:32
|
Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8290
Joined: 14-07-2008
PCM$: 200.00
|
Well. That's it then.
How is it that the hilly classics AI is so crap but now it comes to races that TTists are supposed to dominate and suddenly everyone is super aggressive.
|
| |
|
|
| fintas |
Posted on 01-03-2013 22:57
|
Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2602
Joined: 21-03-2008
PCM$: 1200.00
|
CountArach wrote:
Well. That's it then.
How is it that the hilly classics AI is so crap but now it comes to races that TTists are supposed to dominate and suddenly everyone is super aggressive.
it the fault of the Mehr-Wenige 
|
| |
|
|
| Gustavovskiy |
Posted on 01-03-2013 23:46
|
Team Leader
Posts: 6036
Joined: 20-07-2008
PCM$: 200.00
|
Yay a victory atop Malhão! Great way to get March going!
I'm pretty satisfied to see Mendes being such an important part of the squad. I hope he can secure the top10 in the TT, and maybe even grab a place in the top5 if his 69 TT get boosted by the home crowd. But before that there's stage 4 for Santos.
Anyway Kiryenka for the win if you ask me, but it is still pretty much a free for all.
|
| |
|
|
| cio93 |
Posted on 02-03-2013 06:27
|
World Champion
Posts: 10845
Joined: 29-10-2007
PCM$: 500.00
|
Houle with a very promising result, I really wanted him during transfers. Well, maybe next season 
|
| |
|
|
| Miguel98 |
Posted on 02-03-2013 07:50
|
World Champion
Posts: 10497
Joined: 23-06-2011
PCM$: 200.00
|
7th for a Ciocan. What a great result. For a second I tought he could actually win. Maybe he's 35 years don't weight that much on his legs just yet. |
| |
|
