28/4 Giro di Toscana (cat.1.1)
Montecatini Terme – Arezzo : 198 km
Rasmussen reports:: Here in Montecatini Terme about 50 km from Pisa, from there the route goes south of Florence, to Arezzo about 80 kilometres southeast of Florence. There are several climbs on the route, the main obstacle a very hard climb to “La Crocina”, but with more than 60 km to the line it is hard to say how important it will be.
Montecatini Terme area has been inhabited at least since Mesolithic times (10,000 to 5,000 BC): The modern town was founded around 1000 AD, by 1074 a castle already exited, and a village of about 500 people. By 1190 AD the population was about 1500.
Pre-race strategy: We don’t know what to think about this one, with relative hard climbs in the route and hill before the finish, it is hard to say with rider type will do best on this route. We have got Malacarne and Pacheco in the race, but not is the best form right now.
Profile:
Roster:
The morning break was 6 riders, but David Tratnik (Adria) falls back after the 2nd hard climb at about 110 km left, due to a puncture. The remaining 5 rider on the 3 rd. climb:
The breakaway get almost 7 min. before the peloton starts to set up the pace. Then the race gets tough and groups start falling of the back, we lose Grøn and Clausen relative early on the stage.
The peloton on one of the climbs:
On the Climb to “La Crocina” Malacarne attacks, hoping to gain enough time to get away from the pack. He later gets company from Moser.
David Tratnik (Adria) has got contack to the front group again. Moser is not interested in helping Malacarne, he won’t do anything to help. With 34 km to the line and group Malacarne is back in the peloton. The front group has now only 1’39 to the peloton.
Malacarne gets reeled back in the peloton:
The pace is very high getting closer to the finish, we are not able to set up a train, Pacheco tries to stay close to the front, on his own. But with riders attacking all around and an extremely high pace, he can’t get in position. The race is won by Paul Voss (REWE) over Gavazzi (Astana), Daniele Pietropolli (Cannondale) from the break gets something from he's efford, he ends up 9th. Our best was Pacheco (22)
Due to frustration I forgot to result export. This is a view if top 10.
21/4 - 28/4 Presidential Cycling Tour of Turkey (cat. 2.HC)
28/4 Final Stage 8/8 : Istanbul - Istanbul
Christina Reports: The first known settlement of Istanbul that would classify as a city, was by Thracians, an loosely organized Indo-Europeans tribe. This settlement / fortification dates to approx. 1300-1100 BC. The settlement might have been what Pliny the Elder (Roman: AD23 – AD79) was referring to: “the first name of Byzantium was Lygos.”
Rumelihisarı (Rumelian Castle) built by the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II between 1451-1452, Istanbul
Pre-race Strategy: Again it is all about getting Ellisonde safely over the line.
Profile:
The morning break is 5 riders between them the best shot at a winner is likely Jarl Salomein (Accent Jobs) with a pretty good sprint.
Form about mid stage the pace gets higher and higher in the peloton, someone seems to think the breakaway has got a little too much time. With about 16 km to the line, the break is down to under a minute, the peloton is stretched to the limit.
With a situation where the peloton is about to break over, with the possibility that a GC riders loseing time, we forget all about the sprint, just focusing on holding Ellisonde right up there in the front.
63 riders finish in the same time as the winner, GC top 10 rider Siutsou lose 2'18 falling from 6 to 8 in the GC, otherwise the top is unchanged. Today winner was Davide Cimolai (Vini Fantini) over Marco Haller (BigMat), our best was Elissonde (12).
Christina, talking to the riders at the final dinner in Istanbul: I must admit I was expecting a lot, and maybe too much when we started this race, hoping we could follow up on last year’s stunning results. But I am very satisfied with the result we have got; we delivered what the management expected and more.
Rasmussen reports: Last year we were here with a relative weak squad, Mitchell Lovelock-Fay took the KoM classification but otherwise a tough race for us. This year we have got Ellisonde in prime shape, but with the relative long time trail it is difficult, we hope for a top 10 this time.
Archaeological work carried out in Swidnica discovered traces of a settlement from tribes of the Lusatian culture (1200 - 300 BC), a later Bronze Age culture covering Poland, parts of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, eastern Germany and Ukraine.
Examples of Lusatian earthenware:
Pre-race strategy: If we want a shot at a top GC, we need to gain time on the ITT specialists today, so we want Ellisonde to attack on the last mountains, if he has got anything in the legs today.
Profile
Roster
Anders Bjerregård
Daniele Aldegheri
Kenny Elissonde
Lasse Bøchman
Mads Würtz Schmidt
Philip Nielsen
Sebastian Balck
Sondre Holst Enger
A morning break of 3 riders, Sondre Holst Enger gets in it, all trough it is not part of the plan, he is looking for sprint points. The others are Pierrick Fédrigo (Bretagne) and José Luis Roldán (Caja Rural)
On the 2nd series of climbs Lasse Bøchman puts maximum pressure on the peloton, eventually a group of five are torn apart away the peloton, including Ellisonde. Over the last top of the 2dn series of mountains they have got 50 sec. to the next group of 140 riders. The original breakaway are now 1,40 ahead of group Ellisonde.
The peloton makes it back to Group Ellisonde a few km before the last series of climbs, from the bottom Ellisonde attacks and split the peloton to pieces, Ellisonde is the first over the last climb, but the next group is not far behind.
Ellisonde keeps the pressure up on the downhill, but gets caught by a group of 19 riders, the peloton loses more and more time. About 4 km to the line Kanstantsin Siutsou (Accent Jobs) attacks, he is the strongest today. Ellisonde and 18 others, get the same time as Siutsou, Linus Gerdemann loses 1’20, Mateusz Nowaczek 2’20, everybody else 3’50 or more.
Rasmussen: We did what we wanted, taking a lot of time on many riders, the question is was the group to big, Ellisonde needs a very good day tomorrow in the ITT, to get in top 10.
4/5 Stage 2/4. Polkowice - Polkowice: 29.7 km (ITT)
Rasmussen reports: The Caravan moved about 110 km north to Polkowice, a city of about 23.000, for the ITT. The City has a beautiful old Catholic church, Parafia św. Michała Archanioła, Erected in 1301.
As expected the ITT changes the GC a lot
Results: top 5 previous GC.
Previous top 5, Fredrik Ludvigsson loses 1’31 falling to 8th
Previous top 4, Simon Yates loses 2’24 falling out of top 20
Previous top 3, Sergio Pardilla loses 1’27 falling to 5th
Previous top 2, Esteban Chaves loses 2'02 falling to 11 th.
Previous top 1, Kanstantsin Siutsou loses 39 sec. falling to 2nd
Our three best riders was:
Lasse Bøchman losing 1,24 (15), new GC 25th
Sebastian Balck losing 1’45 (43), new CG 53th
Kenny Elissonde losing 1,59 (62), new GC 15th
Kenny on the route:
Rein Taaramäe (Jules) wins the stage with 39 sec. to Siutsou, becoming the new race leader.
Previous race leader Siutsou on the route:
Rasmussen: Actually a fine ITT for the team, considering that we have no experts in this discipline, but not enough to the Ellisonde in top 10.
The first town hall in Polkowice was from 1487, it was destroyed during the Thirty Years' War. In the years 1772-1775 it was rebuilt in the Baroque style, in 1816 the tower clock was installed. In 1852-1853 the town hall was enlarged, this version still stands renovated after damage in 1945:
Pre-race strategy: As we are most likely out of the GC, everyone is free to attempt whatever they want to; we hope Holst Enger can do something in the sprint, although he is not in top form.
Profile:
The weather is not good, rain all day. Ellisonde attacks early trying to get the first KoM sprint, the break don’t get much time, but he takes the sprint.
A new breakaway forms, we tries to hunt it down, to see if we can get another KoM, but then suddently Ellisonde crashes on the wet roads, and we have to slow down. Ellisone is back in the peloton right away.
The breakaway is 7 riders, they have about 3 minutes with 50 km to the line.
The pace in the Peloton get very high and the distance to the break melts. With several radio messages of crash in the peloton, Ellisonde takes the wheel of Sonder Holst Enger, hoping to gain a little extra bonus seconds. Philip Nielsen leads the trio. 10 km to the like, the break is still about 30 sec. ahead.
The race was won by Sondre Holst Enger over Kenny Elissonde, Christina Watches takes a double today.
The crashes was hard on many top CG riders, race leader Rein Taaramäe, and GC top 4-5-8-9 all lost 3'54 today.
Rasmussen: Fantastic stage for us today, taking the two top slots on the podium, and Ellisonde suddenly back in the top of the race, due to the unfortunate crashes that hit many riders today.
Stage:
1
Sondre Holst Enger
Christina Watches - Onfone
1h57'03
2
Kenny Elissonde
Christina Watches - Onfone
s.t.
3
Martin Hunal
Etixx - iHNed
s.t.
4
Giairo Ermeti
Androni Giocattoli - Venezuela
s.t.
5
Tommy Nankervis
Bissell Cycling
s.t.
6
Juan José Haedo
Bank BGZ
s.t.
7
Philip Nielsen
Christina Watches - Onfone
s.t.
8
Davide Viganò
Team Nippo - De Rosa
s.t.
9
Tosh Van der Sande
CCC Polsat - Polkowice
s.t.
10
Roger Kluge
REWE
s.t.
GC:
1
Kanstantsin Siutsou
Accent Jobs - Wanty
6h47'12
2
Christophe Kern
Team Europcar
+ 21
3
Stefan Denifl
Team Gourmetfein Simplon
+ 1'01
4
Thomas Voeckler
Jules
+ 1'07
5
Kenny Elissonde
Christina Watches - Onfone
+ 1'28
6
Gorka Izagirre
MTN - Qhubeka
+ 1'30
7
Esteban Chaves
Avianca
+ 1'31
8
Julien El Fares
Jules
+ 1'37
9
Pierre-Luc Périchon
Bretagne - Séché Environnement
+ 1'40
10
Dimitri Le Boulch
Team Europcar
s.t.
Points:
1
Kanstantsin Siutsou
Accent Jobs - Wanty
45
2
Sondre Holst Enger
Christina Watches - Onfone
39
3
Rein Taaramäe
Jules
30
Mountain:
1
José Luis Roldán
Caja Rural - Seguros RGA
88
2
Pierrick Fédrigo
Bretagne - Séché Environnement
70
3
Kenny Elissonde
Christina Watches - Onfone
52
Team: Jules
Young: Kenny Elissonde - Christina Watches - Onfone
Edited by Tamijo on 06-03-2016 16:36
Ellisonde was in the right place at the right time to take advantage of the crashes. One never wishes for such things to happen, but when it does, it's important to stay alert. Also, after coming back from your own fall...
Rasmussen Reports: Archeologically documented settlement, have been found in the area, dating back to Neolithic times approx. 5000 years BC. . A golden diadem, made of sheet metal, was found just 10 km west of Jawor, associated with the Greek Mycenaean culture (1600–1100BC).
Jawor, (1819)
Pre-race strategy: We have two focus points today, the KoM is gone, but we will fight for Ellisonde’s GC, and at the same time a possible Points Jersey for Sonder. We will stay in the peloton, helping to catch any serious attacks.
Profile:
Sondre Holst Enger attacks to get the early intermediate sprint.
After the sprint, a huge breakaway is formed with 11 riders.
It is Vini Fantini and Christina Watches doing most of the work in the peloton.
The peloton was not able to catch the break today. The stage is won by Stephen Cummings from the break. With 18 Sec. over Bernardo Colex.
Very good and fortunate race for us: The 6 points Enger got in the bonus sprint, and 1 point from finishing 15th on the stage, was just enough for him get the points classification, with just 1 point more than Siutsou.
10/5 The Australian National Time Trial Championships.
Ballarat - Ballarat 37 km.
Rasmussen Reports: In 1852 Austrian-born Johann Joseph Eugen von Guérard arrived in Victoria, determined to try his luck on the Victorian goldfields. As a gold-digger he was unsuccessful, but he produced a large number of intimate studies of goldfields life. Eugen von Guérard: Goldfields camp at Ballarat:
Mitchell came 23rd. last year in rather bad form, with a better form this year, he aims for a result around top 15.
Profile:
Mitchell on the route:
Result:
1
Michael Hepburn
Orica - GreenEdge
50'40
2
Damien Howson
Drapac Cycling
+ 3
3
Michael Rogers
Team Saxo - Tinkoff
+ 28
4
Campbell Flakemore
Drapac Cycling
+ 43
5
Cameron Wurf
Joker Merida
+ 1'01
6
Brett Lancaster
Orica - GreenEdge
+ 1'12
7
Lachlan Morton
Drapac Cycling
+ 1'57
8
Simon Gerrans
Orica - GreenEdge
+ 2'08
9
Michael Matthews
Garmin - Sharp
+ 2'09
10
Adam Hansen
Orica - GreenEdge
+ 2'13
.
.
12
Mitchell Lovelock-Fay
Christina Watches - Onfone
+ 2'18
Fine result, a little better than expected.
Edited by Tamijo on 07-03-2016 17:39
Rasmussen reports: The are traces if humans in the Cologne district, from the early stone age. The earliest found permanent settlement is from 4500 - 3800 f.Kr, a very early farming village in Lindenthal, the village contains only 5 houses at the same time.
Pottery and stone tools from the Lindenthal village.
Pre-Race Strategy.
Last year Sondre Holst Enger won this race, today he is not in the squad, this year we got Patrick Clausen, with support from Philip Nielsen and Mads Wûrtz Schmidt, can’t expect Clausen to duplicate Enger, but we would like to see a top 5 or better. We will stay in the peloton hoping for a good mass sprint.
Profile:
Roster:
Daniele Aldegheri
Frederik Wilmann
Lasse Bøchman
Mads Würtz Schmidt
Morten Høberg
Patrick Clausen
Philip Nielsen
Yves Lampert
A morning break of 6 riders, with the strong climber Merhawi Kudus, who has shown great form by winning the Tour of Turkey just a few weeks ago.
On the hard climbs with very high pace, the peloton breaks over, a group of 9 rider gets away, including two of our riders Lasse Bøchman and Morten Høberg. The get contact with the front group with about 100 km left.
There are now 15 riders in front of a peloton with of 82 riders, more than 80 riders are left behind by the high pace. The front group entering the first cobble section:
We don’t like the fact that our best sprinters are left behind, we set riders up front to try reeling the break back in, Bøchman and Høberg refuse to help in the breakaway. About 25 km left and the breakaway is now visible.
With about 8 km left it becomes clear that the peloton is not able to catch the huge break, for some time Bøchman has been protecting Høberg in the event of a breakaway win, Høberg is still in good shape. The stage is won by Michael Kreder, Høberg becomes 2nd, just millimeters in front of Haedo.
Rasmussen: Amazing, did not expect Høberg to do that, with many good sprinters in the break. Probably his best career result.
I dont think anyone will let us do that, but who knows.
I forgot to result export. This is a view if top 10.
. Mitchell doing well too...
