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La Pomme Marseille - Bye for now!
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 06-02-2013 08:50
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Tour de France Champion
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Good Luck on the cobbles  |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 06-02-2013 09:23
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Tour de France Champion
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Omloop will be a very exciting time for the team  |
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| Pellizotti2 |
Posted on 09-02-2013 11:51
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World Champion
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 1.HC: Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Arguably one of the easiest cobbled classics, at least in terms of kilometers on the pavé. Luckily, most of them are in a late part in the race, so we should still get to watch an exciting race. A sprint finish from a reduced peloton is still to be expected, as the finish is located after a fairly long stretch of plain flat road.
We want to show our jersey in front of the camera today in our cobbled debut, so Thomas attacks right out from the start. Maarten Neyens (Lotto) and Oliver Zaugg (Saxo-Tinkoff) tag along.
They establish the day's primary breakaway, as nobody else is bothered to make an effort and cross the gap.
After roughly 65 km, they reach the first section of cobbles with an advantage of eight minutes. Pure climber Zaugg starts to struggle a bit immediately, asking himself what he is doing in this race at all!
He is dropped already on the next section and falls back into the main field.
Quickstep and Radioshack keeps the gap steady for the next few kilometers, but with 65 km to go Luca Paolini (Katusha) attacks!
A big response to this move follows soon afterwards, with Heinrich Haussler (IAM), Ramon Sinkeldam (Argos) and a trio from AG2R; Anthony Ravard, Lloyd Mondory & Steve Chainel, all bridging across to Paolini.
The group catches up with the two early leaders just 15 km later, leaving us with a group of eight ahead as we enter the final 50 km.
AG2R really drills the pace as we hit the next section, and Thomas is forced to let go. An excellent effort today nevertheless, considering that this isn't his strongest area at all.
The peloton is just under three minutes back.
Something really strange happens next. AG2R starts to look for help from the others in the group as we leave the cobbles, but no one lends them a hand.
Therefore Thomas manages to make it back after finding an own rhythm, and in just 5 km or so, the peloton cuts their advantage to no more than a minute.
Thomas leaves the others behind to continue up front for a little while longer, and he is the only one left ahead with 35 km left to run.
He is finally also caught as we reach one of the biggest difficulties today: the Molenberg!
To keep JL from getting boxed in behind weaker riders on the small road, Michal takes him to the front - pushing up the pace a little bit.
This proves to be a genius move, as the group really stretches out behind them as we go over the top. One of the few who made it through without any problems is Boonen, who remains near the front with his Quickstep team.
The Belgian team sets a very high pace in the next couple of kms, and the group is narrowed down to just 34 riders. JL, Toms and Michal are still representing us near the front end.
JL makes another acceleration as move on to the final section, to thin down size of the group at least a little bit ahead of an eventual sprint finish.
Chavanel, Boonen, Matti Breschel and the other favourites are happy just to sit on his wheel over the cobbles, so the group remains intact as we head back out on the normal road again.
Just as we start to prepare for a sprint, Boonen attacks!
More or less all the other favourites tries to follow, but the Belgian champion is insanely strong and opens up a gap of 30 seconds!
The chasing group starts to close down the gap, meter by meter, when the sprint is opened. Björn Leukemans, Geraint Thomas and Greg Van Avermaet goes into the lead, while JL chooses Breschel's wheel.
Clearly a great choice, as Breschel takes the lead of the pursuers just before the kilometer kite. Boonen has meanwhile lost most of his lead!
Boonen kicks again as they start to come near him, and the gap starts to grow a bit again as he starts to look sure of the victory.
Nick Nuyens overtakes Breschel inside the final kilometer, and JL swiftly switches wheels to the quicker Belgian. Another man who comes with great speed from behind is American champion Taylor Phinney.
That's all for second place though, as Boonen is by far the strongest!
He could've won the sprint easily, but instead he chose to leave everyone behind with an amazing attack and give the public a more fun finish. Talk about a northern classics legend!
Nuyens is a distant second, winning the close sprint in front of Breschel and an amazing JL. If fourth place in a race like this is possible, things look very good for the lower category classics later in the season!
The extremely tough sprint breaks the group in the finale, and only 25 riders are given the same time as today's winner. Toms shows his talent with a 23rd place, while Michal and Gatis both got tailed off in the end.
| 1 | Tom Boonen | OmegaPharma - Quickstep | 5h04'24 | | 2 | Nick Nuyens | Garmin - Sharp | s.t. | | 3 | Matti Breschel | Team Saxo-Tinkoff | s.t. | | 4 | Jean-Lou Paiani | La Pomme - Bouygues | s.t. | | 5 | Taylor Phinney | BMC Racing Team | s.t. | | 6 | Luca Paolini | Katusha Team | s.t. | | 7 | Marco Marcato | Vacansoleil - DCM | s.t. | | 8 | Lloyd Mondory | AG2R La Mondiale | s.t. | | 9 | Sylvain Chavanel | OmegaPharma - Quickstep | s.t. | | 10 | Bernhard Eisel | Sky Professional Cycling Team | s.t. |
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| Miguel98 |
Posted on 09-02-2013 12:04
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World Champion
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Paiani is doing great. |
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| Miguel98 |
Posted on 09-02-2013 12:04
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World Champion
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Paiani is doing great. |
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 09-02-2013 12:12
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 21854
Joined: 01-05-2012
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A much deserved victory for Boonen, but what a performance of Paiani  Great race! |
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| MasterDaggen |
Posted on 09-02-2013 12:20
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Amateur
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Great result! |
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| krisa |
Posted on 09-02-2013 12:21
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3962
Joined: 12-04-2011
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good job |
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| dienblad |
Posted on 09-02-2013 12:22
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3772
Joined: 10-09-2010
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How the heck can you finish 4th with a gut with Co 74 and Sp 68 on extreme??? Even with Breschel (Co 82, Sp 74) I had prblems in getting that result.....
Amazing.
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| FreitasPCM |
Posted on 09-02-2013 12:40
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8389
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Wow. Just wow, unbelievable performance. |
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 23-11-2024 10:44
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 09-02-2013 12:59
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 34654
Joined: 22-08-2010
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Good sprint from Paiani |
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| Pellizotti2 |
Posted on 09-02-2013 13:39
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World Champion
Posts: 10121
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It surely was an incredible race! Great shape and good daily form definitely played an important role, but still.
@ dienblad - As mentioned before, I'm still on hard. 
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| ste_18 |
Posted on 11-02-2013 08:08
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Amazing race for Paiani, he was able to keep behind many great riders. |
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| Stromeon |
Posted on 11-02-2013 14:42
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3507
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Great result from Paiani - beating Chavanel and Eisel and riders like that!
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| Pellizotti2 |
Posted on 01-03-2013 14:36
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World Champion
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Really sorry for the long absence recently. Was completely swamped with schoolwork last week, and then left for a few days of skiing in the Dolomites this Sunday. Anyway, I'm back now - ready to get this back rolling!
1.1: Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne
More cobbles are up next, but one of the easiest classics. Sprinters have traditionally been successful in this race, but last year's edition was teared apart by Cancellara, who went on to win solo in Gent. A mass sprint finish is probably still to be expected today.
Our expectations are relatively low, as I think the parcours doesn't really suit our squad. JL, Gatis and Toms will try to break the peloton on the mid-way cobbled sections, but if it still comes down to a sprint, we'll set things up for Evaldas. Hopefully that wont be the case, as his form isn't on top at the moment.
Surely very confident after yesterday's dominant victory is 2012's runner-up: Tom Boonen (Quickstep). Being perhaps the strongest rider on the cobbles, one of the fastest sprinters and riding for probably the strongest team, there's no doubt that he has a wonderful opportunity to add a second win of the weekend to his belt.
The reigning champion Fabian Cancellara wont stop him this time at least, as he has decided to skip the race in favour of training for the more prestigious races. Radioshack will instead back up Boonen's former team mate and double Ronde winner Stijn Devolder. Other cards they have to play are the couple of young, quick sprinters: Giacomo Nizzolo and Tony Gallopin.
And those are just some of the many, many big names. Matti Breschel (Saxo) and Nick Nuyens (Garmin) might be watched a bit more than others as well, after the podium finish in Omloop.
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| roturn |
Posted on 01-03-2013 14:43
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Good to see this back.
I predict a top10 here.
You have some riders with a good form and we all know your skills. |
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 01-03-2013 15:29
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 34654
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Good Luck in Belgium |
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| FreitasPCM |
Posted on 01-03-2013 21:34
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8389
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Nice to see this is back.  With a bit of luck and skill, that you have for sure, you can get a top-10. |
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| Pellizotti2 |
Posted on 02-03-2013 10:48
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World Champion
Posts: 10121
Joined: 01-05-2010
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Thanks.
Please forgive me if the report wont be too detailed. I played the race several weeks ago, which might have caused me to forget some of the events.
1.1: Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne
Part of the northern classics season, but still not really a race for those specialists. The paved sections are located far out from the finish, which causes the race to turn into one for the sprinters instead. We might see some teams trying to break the field early, but it's unlikely to stay that way to the finish.
The 188 riders take it very easy at the start of today's race, probably because of the treacherous weather conditions. We do eventually get a breakaway however, albeit after almost 50 km.
The names being Chris Anker Sörensen (Saxo), Gert Dockx (Lotto), Gilles Devillers (Crelan) and lastly Jetse Bol (Blanco). Together they quickly establish a big lead.
Some teams start pushing the pace in the peloton as we hit the mid-way cobbled sections, just as expected. In combination with the narrow roads, it causes many splits in the peloton.
Biggest victim is surely Breschel, who never makes it back after being caught sleeping too far back.
Nuyens, Devolder and even Boonen also get caught out, but unlike Breschel they all manage to find their way back reasonably quickly.
Up front there's not to talk about, apart from the fact that the breakaway is caught with more than 30 km left to run. We're helping out with the pacing a bit, to keep some of the dropped pure sprinters behind.
Nothing really changes over the final section of cobbles, so we a mass sprint ahead, as expected. OPQS charge to the front when we reach Gent, clearly looking to set Boonen up for a double.
We make sure to keep a front position as well, to help Evaldas.
Some teams are looking to spoil the party for the sprinters though, and Ian Stannard (Sky) attacks 11 km from the finish!
OPQS feels it's a bit too early to start a high-speed pursuit, so we take down Stannard instead, while organizing our sprint train in the process.
Just outside the 3 km mark, we get the next big move. This time from Sylvain Chavanel, who seems to have been given free hands by a well placed Boonen.
The acceleration is too much for JL, who is forced to peel off and let Toms open the sprint for Evaldas early.
Still not quite enough for some other favourites tho, and Devolder shoots off after Chavanel. Terpstra marks for his team mate.
Chavanel just doesn't have it, so Boonen himself sets off with a kilometer and a half left. Closest challenge comes from Marko Kump (Saxo), Björn Leukemans (Vacansoleil) and Greg Van Avermaet (BMC).
No one can stop the storming Belgian champion though. Two out of two for Tommeke, who will be very tough to beat also in the monument classics later.
Van Avermaet pushes him pretty close, but misses out by a wheel. Nuyens steps up on the podium again with an impressive 3rd place. Evaldas has nothing to respond with and finishes all the way down in 21st. A race to forget.
| 1 | Tom Boonen | OmegaPharma - Quickstep | 4h29'31 | | 2 | Greg Van Avermaet | BMC Racing Team | s.t. | | 3 | Nick Nuyens | Garmin - Sharp | s.t. | | 4 | Luca Paolini | Katusha Team | s.t. | | 5 | Geraint Thomas | Sky Professional Cycling Team | s.t. | | 6 | Gianni Meersman | OmegaPharma - Quickstep | s.t. | | 7 | Alexander Porsev | Katusha Team | s.t. | | 8 | Tyler Farrar | Garmin - Sharp | s.t. | | 9 | Marko Kump | Team Saxo-Tinkoff | s.t. | | 10 | Björn Leukemans | Vacansoleil - DCM | s.t. | | ... | | 21 | Evaldas Siskevicius | La Pomme - Bouygues | s.t. |
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 02-03-2013 23:29
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 34654
Joined: 22-08-2010
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Nothing you could have done in that sprint  |
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