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Tour Down Under Discussion
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 14-04-2014 10:20
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Thanks for the reports so far roturn.
Unfortunate that Lahsaini couldnt keep up with the break at the end - but at least he tried with that late attack. And importantly, picking up 2 bonus seconds puts him in a very nice 4th GC position.
Good to see gaps forming behind too, to see Dowsett move into 11th. Willunga is going to have to be big for anybody to gap Van Stayen.
Bit weird to see that Froome is amongst the top sprinters so far this race, beating those with much better hill/sprint combinations. Even though there is a bit of an uphill finish, it does show a difference from PCM12, as Dowsett always used to get higher placings than him on these sorts of stages.
Edited by SportingNonsense on 14-04-2014 10:20
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| FroomeDog99 |
Posted on 14-04-2014 11:05
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Ben Nasser doing well, picking up good positions to keep him into 7th overall. Plenty of GC riders losing time is also good news so hopefully with his good sprint stat a high GC position will be possible when Willunga arrives, which usually ends in an uphill sprint that sometimes forms a few gaps. |
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| Mhaley45 |
Posted on 14-04-2014 11:15
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AMEX after three stages is about where we expected to be.
Marko Kump is 10th on the GC +0.40 and 1st in the KOM. With a couple of flatter stages left he has a good chance of holding on to that 10th place. Mehr-Wenige has not shown well yet sitting a disappointing +4.06 off the leaders. We knew this was going to be a big step for him and early results were not anticipated.
Grillo finished 5th on stage #1's sprint and that was very exciting to see. Another small note should be made of the continued progress of German sprinter Theo Reinhardt. We expect that he will prove his worth as the new AMEX sprint squad starts to jell.
Edited by Mhaley45 on 14-04-2014 20:04
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 22-11-2024 08:44
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| fintas |
Posted on 14-04-2014 11:31
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I'm not pleased with how things are going, but at least McEvoy has decided to do something. We can only hope that he can overcome the Willunga among the best and can climb a few places in the overall
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| DubbelDekker |
Posted on 14-04-2014 13:39
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roturn wrote:
DubbelDekker wrote:
All we can hope for now is breakaway success.
I think your team delivered.
Some compensation for weak team performance before. Also
2-3 other teams with bad performances.
They instantly did indeed! 
Great job by Minnard. I noticed he was the only rider in the breakaway not competing for the sprints, saving energy instead. Pretty smart.
I love winning from a break, so this salvages the tour for me.
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| Stevenag |
Posted on 14-04-2014 15:20
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Domestique
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Two terrible stages to start, but Failli does at least give us some points out of the race.
Can't say i am to impressed with his team mates though. I knew my team sucked, but they should at least be able to put someone into the top 100 from time to time.
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| viking90 |
Posted on 14-04-2014 15:32
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Incredibly anonymously race by us so far... |
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| jph27 |
Posted on 14-04-2014 17:57
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Great from Haussler there, shame about Goss but with the nat bonus and his already higher sprint stat, no surprise. Van Stayen missing out on bonuses helps Gautier too, so a good day for us. Thanks for the fast pace roturn!  |
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| FroomeDog99 |
Posted on 14-04-2014 17:57
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| 143 | Enrico Gasparotto | Team Kenya Airways | s.t. |
... Our 600k 'sprinter' isn't doing very well, with sprinting apparently not on his agenda due to his decent hill stat. I hope this isn't the case all year.
I eagerly await the Willunga report, should decide if this trip to Australia is a success with just 1 point so far. I hope Ben Nasser can get a top five as it looks like a great stage for his abilities.
Edited by FroomeDog99 on 14-04-2014 17:58
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| roturn |
Posted on 14-04-2014 17:59
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Not sure about some sprinters like Gasparotto/Ahlstrand/Kreder etc.
I hope it`s not like only the top20 or so are participating. This would be a bad omen then for my Rothaus sprinters in PT.
Nice to see an Aussie taking the win and in especially for an Aussie team.
Congrats Tsmoha.
Edited by roturn on 14-04-2014 17:59
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| jt1109 |
Posted on 14-04-2014 18:04
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Decent effort with the leadout just seems Vanderbiest didn't have it considering Hoffman started behind him and finished in front overall not bad. |
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| roturn |
Posted on 14-04-2014 18:06
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jt1109 wrote:
Decent effort with the leadout just seems Vanderbiest didn't have it considering Hoffman started behind him and finished in front overall not bad.
Not sure as Vanderbiest should be the stronger sprinter. But seeing that Docker got 2 stage wins last year and is a bit better climber plus National bonus, I always consider, what had happened with him as lead sprinter. |
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| Smowz |
Posted on 14-04-2014 18:06
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@froomedog: I think Gasparotto was a bit if a punt, they need the right field of riders to compete in. Unlucky with this loaded startlist.
Nice to see no Van Stayen clean sweep, it gives good omens for what will be long hard season. Certainly for belerusbank this is exactly what it will be this is their best sprinting group and Cav just cannot do his thing.
@roturn: certainly unlikely that your guys will be in picture in flat classics and Qatar but the sprinters will be a lot more jumbled in protour small matter of 3 GTs for example. Big thumbs up for reports, great pace and detail (not too much) particularly in presentation of sprint trains.
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| viking90 |
Posted on 14-04-2014 18:06
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This is going really baaaaaad!
Good you let the reports coming on fast roturn so this race soon is over for Swedbank - PEAB  |
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| FroomeDog99 |
Posted on 14-04-2014 18:08
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I know he was a gamble, though it would be nice if he tried in the final sprint. Ben Nasser with 70sp has got 20th and 21st, so you'd expect him to do as well/better than that. |
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| roturn |
Posted on 14-04-2014 18:09
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Smowz wrote:
@roturn: certainly unlikely that your guys will be in picture in flat classics and Qatar but the sprinters will be a lot more jumbled in protour small matter of 3 GTs for example. Big thumbs up for reports, great pace and detail (not too much) particularly in presentation of sprint trains.
Thanks first.
Regarding my sprinters I don`t expect them to be in screens very often. But similar to Drujon or Grillo for example, who are doing pretty well here or Modolo in some cases, I hope to get a few top5-10`s even though every single one will be a success.
But better to have them sprinting at least than what Swedbank is performing here... |
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| Mhaley45 |
Posted on 14-04-2014 18:24
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AMEXpc's Sprinters get 10th and 12th. Not bad considering both are better hilly sprinters than pool table flat sprinters. Stage #5 is the race's Queen stage with two tough climbs near the end of the race. Marko Kump is the team's leader here and it will be Mehr-Wenige and Devolder's job to keep Kump with the leaders over the two climbs. We want him to stay in the top 10 of the GC and that will take solid work by the team. Eisel & Breschel were sent here just for this stage to pace the punchuers to the two climbs. Devolder and Mehr-Wenige must take Marko over the climbs.
If he is in the top 12-15 after the climbs he has a very good chance to finish top 10.
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| jt1109 |
Posted on 14-04-2014 18:24
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roturn wrote:
jt1109 wrote:
Decent effort with the leadout just seems Vanderbiest didn't have it considering Hoffman started behind him and finished in front overall not bad.
Not sure as Vanderbiest should be the stronger sprinter. But seeing that Docker got 2 stage wins last year and is a bit better climber plus National bonus, I always consider, what had happened with him as lead sprinter.
Hmm it could of gone well but I feel Vanderbiest is a better option he still isn't awful on the hills and he's given a good sprint on the two stages just today wasn't his day. |
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| jt1109 |
Posted on 14-04-2014 18:24
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roturn wrote:
jt1109 wrote:
Decent effort with the leadout just seems Vanderbiest didn't have it considering Hoffman started behind him and finished in front overall not bad.
Not sure as Vanderbiest should be the stronger sprinter. But seeing that Docker got 2 stage wins last year and is a bit better climber plus National bonus, I always consider, what had happened with him as lead sprinter.
Hmm it could of gone well but I feel Vanderbiest is a better option he still isn't awful on the hills and he's given a good sprint on the two stages just today wasn't his day. |
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| Firefly21 |
Posted on 14-04-2014 18:25
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Really, really good stages 3 and 4 for us. Simon putting time into the other leaders was an absolutely wonderful surprise, and to have someone 2nd in GC going into Willunga Hill is great for us - even though I think the 'big' puncheurs may be able to drop Van Stayen or Simon on the final climb. Still, nice to see attacking riding being rewarded.
Drujon claiming yet another top-10 is a surprise - especially against a talented sprinter field. Considering the relative success of 'average' sprinters compared to the favourites, this might be the season to have a diverse # of sprinters rather than a big favourite.
Anything short of a complete disaster on stage 5 and 6 will see us leave with a successful Tour Down Under.
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