Hello everybody and thank you for joining in on today’s coverage of the Ride London Classic. We head onto a sprinter-friendly race, but with some hills throughout the over 200kms, nobody can say how things will work out. If you haven’t yet, check out The Preview. Just for your information: The race is being played on PCM13 and I chose to use only one control ride, because there is no reason for using 8. Therefore seven riders from Thüringer Energie Team chose not to start. But that’s enough of the talking as we need to start the coverage right now, because the riders are waiting for the neutralized start in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Right from the start we have the first attacks, nicely pictured by our helicopter. It is De la Cruz (TNE) who jumps out of the pack with Zakarin (RVL), Potgieter (MTN) and Hardy (COF) following.
As the peloton does not move at all, Santoro (BAR) decides to go on his own. Nobody follows him and we can still see the pack in the background. It seems like there will be a five-man-break today.
No, there won’t! As more and more guys, in fact Stepniak (CCC), Ji (ARG), Van Goolen (AJW) and Al Mohney (LAM), tried to bridge the gap, BMC now took on the chase real hard. They are trying to bring the break back for sure. What I don’t understand is why Powers, declared a favourite by his manager, is working on the front. Does the young guy have no power in the legs today? (sorry for bad joke, I had to.)
The pace is absolutely thrilling! With already 60kms raced, the pace never dropped down as the pack is still chasing hard on the now 10-man-breakaway. The last guy to join was Verschoor (TNN). That was surely a huge effort coming through all on his own. Soon, the riders will hit the first series of climbs with Newland Corner being the hardest one in about 10kms. The riders will make about 150 meters of elevation then.
The riders are giving it everything on Newland Corner now. What an imposant showing of power(no s). More and more riders are trying to get away now, I’m eager to see how things will look when going downhill.
Sadly, for the spectators, everything comes back together on the descend now. However, Brändle (IAM) is going to turn the heat up again. IAM is really active now as on the climb Ista and Saramotins already attacked.
What an odd and unexpected breakaway this is! Not only that we have one of the favourites inside with Markus (VCD), but we also have Van Emden and Tjallingi in here, both from Belkin. We will see if Brändle (IAM) and Rowe (SKY), another decent sprinter by the way, feel like working with them.
With exactly 100km covered (and still 122 ahead), we may now consider these nine guys the break of the day. Firsanov (RVL), Drucker (AJW), Ista (IAM) and Poulhiés (COF) joined the guys up front. Though the peloton will surely not like this group either, BMC seems too exhausted to react and Argos-Shimano does not want to go all in so early. These guys have 3 minutes of advantage now. You should keep in mind though that we have some decent sprinters in the group and two guys for both Belkin and IAM. That seems to get interesting for sure.
As the break now hits Leith Hill for the first of three times and therefore enters the Leith Hill Loop, in the peloton Argos, BMC and Lampre are sharing the work being 4 minutes in arrears. The 25km long circuit is pretty hilly overall with already mentioned Leith Hill as the main obstacle having percentages up to 11% and making an elevation of roughly 200m.
Nothing worth to mention happened in the last kilometers, so we may return to the racing from the commercial break with 60km to go now. The break is still working well together, but I am sure there are slight variances still to come. The peloton has upped the pace a bit, so they face a gap of 3 minutes now. Soon, we will enter the last climb of today – Box Hill. Rising with up to 11% and being almost 3km long, the hill may be crucial for the race. At the moment we are with Bryan (MTN) at the back of the main field.
The break made it up Box Hill without any attacks – quite understandable as surely nobody would want to solo for almost 60km. In the peloton, it looks nothing like that. With different teams trying to make it hard at the front to sort out the weaker climbers, the peloton is splintering. The biggest question for now is: Who is caught behind? And who will make it back?
With 40km to go for the break and a gap of 2 minutes roughly, the peloton finished the descend from Box Hill. Race Radio told us that by the looks of things no main favourites are caught behind, however, the peloton is down to about 80 riders (for the sake of realism, please assume there were 150-200 at the beginning, not 100). Argos-Shimano are working hard at the front for a bunch sprint, where Marcel Kittel is now the best bet. Will the break have a chance against that phalanx?
We are 20km away from the finish and the race is pan-flat until then – as it was since we went over Box Hill. It is now only Argos-Shimano working, everybody else is relying on them and probably wants to weaken Kittel’s domestiques, so he won’t have the best leadout. At the moment this seems like a tactic without big risk as the breakaway only has 1:20 left.
15km to go – and the big attacks are happening. At the front, everybody is fighting each other now, we have to wait until we see who is the strongest up there. But more recently, Ballan (BMC) is trying to bridge the gap to the break on his own. Will he be able to do this?
It’s only 6km left and Ballan is almost in the wheels! What a huge effort by him! However, all this could be leading nowhere as the pack is racing hard and only 50 seconds behind the breakaway now, from which in the end, nobody could get away.
Only 4km to go now and while Ballan has finally made the junction, it is Drucker who attacks. But you can not only see the break behind him, as well it is the pack not being too far behind. Will they bring the sprinters to the front or have they left it too late?
It’s 2km left and we now enter The Mall (which is sadly not displayed by PCM). The breakaway is just a mess now with the riders all over the place as Markus, the strongest sprinter on paper, hits the front. Even he can’t wait for a sprint and sit in the wheels, but has to attack in order to keep his chances. At the same time, Ballan is swallowed up by the pack. It seems like there will be a wild sprint from the bunch as Kittel only has Ahlstrand and Veelers as leadout left and it is still pretty much road until the finish line.
Under the flame rouge and the peloton is only a few meters behind the breakaway as Poulhiés and Rowe form a duo to get away at the front now. But it looks pretty good for them as in the pack Kittel only has Veelers as leadout left, so either he has to do an incredibly long turn or Kittel will be in the wind far too soon.
Those both are not really getting away, but they have a slight gap. Will that be enough to hold it for the last hundreds of meters? In the peloton, Veelers is leading out Kittel with Petit (COF), Ferrari (LAM), Brouwer (BEL), Brookes (BAR), Kennedy (MTN), Hayman (SKY), Pozzato (LAM) and Bole (VCD) in one line. Blythe (BMC), Swift (SKY), Martens (BEL) and Walker (TNE) are also in the mix.
The sprint is on at the front, the winner will be one from the breakaway! Poulhiés and Rowe are still at the front, but now Ista is coming fast from behind. Did he went too early with 200m to go? Or are the others even in the shape to stay in his wheel? Because I am not sure about this.
100m left to go! Rowe and Poulhiés are now side on side, that is thrilling action! Ista still has a slight gap and the other guys have some meters to bridge, they won’t come through, I guess. However, Markus and van Emden are coming incredibly fast! But the finish line is already in sight. And don’t forget the peloton! Kittel is already in the wind, he is only some meters behind the last guys from the break. Which place will it be for him as he opened up a gap of several bike lengths on the other guys?
Unbelievable! Absolutely stunning! It’s Luke Rowe who could hold on. Only by centimeters he beats Poulhiés and Ista in third as well as Markus in fourth will be sad the finish line was not 50 meters away. What a close sprint! Magnificent performance by Rowe and what a satisfaction for the Brit to win in his home country.
Van Emden is coming in fifth, Drucker in sixth is the last guy from the breakaway who narrowly beat Kittel. That guy amazingly rushed through the breakaway and for him it should have been only 100m more. Even without pedaling he was the first guy in the rest area! What a superb speed he has. But it was not enough to win this race. Tjallingi, Brändle and Firsanov round off the Top 10. Petit, Brookes, Brouwer, Ferrari and Kennedy behind will all be sad as well as their good positions in the sprint don’t mean anything.
Personally, I am a bit sad that again a breakaway won. However, as it was one with strong guys inside, it is quite realistic and in my opinion that may be said about the whole race. Chapeau to PCM AI, you can do it.
Yawn. The only good thing about that was that Kittel didn't win again. Waste of time working on the front on PCM. Especially with such a ridiculous breakaway. Though, it did definitely make the race more exciting, I'll give you that. Exciting but unrealistic.
Nice report too. Powers is building up form for his assault on the World Champs, don't you worry.
Manager of Bunzl - Centrica
ICL's World Tour Champions and Talented Bottlers
Ollfardh wrote:
We still need Pologne to start and Danmark to finish, but most likely this week. I may have a problems with reporters again, but we'll see
Hi , the next stage will be tonight and then tomorrow I will post the last two stages. Don't really have any time as of now, so will just finish this as quick as possible
It's a very short stage and the break won't get a long leash. A.Hanzen is destined to win this one and gain as much ground to G.Ciolek before tomorrows Time Trial
Favorites
A.Hanzen(SKY), A.Abundi(CCC) , G.Ciolek(MTN)
K.Boeckmans/b](VCD), [b]A.Petacchi(OPQ)
The Race
F.Amorison takes the last 5 points of the KoH jersey and takes it just in front of F.Veuchelen
F. Veuchelen takes the sprint without competition, and he doesn't look too happy! He is joined by M. Mederel , J. Van Goolen , I. Boev , R. Hardy , J.Valencia and E.Rowsell
The pack has slept over! The pack got 5 minutes, even A.Hanzen is forced to help push the pack
I.Boev takes the last sprint, only 1 minute with 20 km to go
The leadouts are getting formed, but they still have 52 seconds to the break with 7 km to go
Romain Hardy attacks, as he is informed that the pack won't be able to catch them
I.Boev follows and passes Hardy into the sprint for victory
I. Boev wins 4th stage of Tour of Denmark
While A.Hanzen takes 5th and shows his dominance , in a pack with no other favorites among the first
That little gap that Hanzen and Ciolek got on the other stage has ruined what would have been an incredibly exciting finish to this race. Still, hoping Hanzen can take the win for obvious reasons.
Manager of Bunzl - Centrica
ICL's World Tour Champions and Talented Bottlers
2nd Ride London Classic
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