Christina Reports: Today a very long stage form Ourense to Zamora, classified as flat but with a lot of undulations on the first half. Ourense is a city of about 100.000 people, just some 50 km from the Portuguese border. The city was founded by the Romans to protect the Miño River crossing.
Ponte Vella, originally Roman from 1 century, reconstructed in 12 and 17 century:
Pre-race strategy: We will stay in the peloton expecting a mass sprint finish,
Profile:
The weather has changed; today it is very cloudy, but fine tempretures and no wind. The morning break is Juan Esteban Arango, Arthur Vichot and Garikoitz Bravo, they get a max of a little more than 5 min.
It starts to rain, but just a shower, it will soon be over.
With the 5 km mark in sight, the peloton catch up to the breakaway, time to get the trains up front.
Passing under the 1 km mark, it is Leigh Howard leading for John Degenkolb, Michael Matthews on wheel. Quick·Step with Cavendish, and Cannondale with Viviani in 2nd row. Our train is to far back.
2nd win for John Degenkolb (Argos – Shimano) in this year’s Vuelta. Mark Cavendish 2nd over Michael Matthews. Our best was Sondre Holst Enger (19), he is also our best in the GC, no. 23 at 1’15.
Christina: Not a good stage for us, but at least nothing lost.
The 2nd week starts with a mostly flat 41.7 km ITT, but with a climb near the finish to help the climbers a little. d. 1/9 a stage classified as hilly, not a very hard finish but could provide a “Puncheur” win.
d. 2/9 a flat but hilly stage, could be good for a breakaway, before the first rest day (3/9).
D. 4/9 a pure sprinter stage but then d. 5/9 a stage classified as flat, but with a long period of going up, ending in a cat 2. climb before a long descend towards the line, not going to be easy for everyone.
But it is the first true mountain stage 6/9 with a hard mountain finish at Sierra Nevada that is going to show the first real battle between the climbers. The week finishes off with a sprinter stage 7/9.
Christina Reports: Nice weather with temperatures at 25°C, but with a very strong breeze into the riders face for most of the stage, this ITT may seem even longer than it is.
The stage is run in Salamanca, a city in Castile and León region, with a metropolitan population of about 215.000. The city was originally founded in 4th century BC, by a pre-roman tribe.
New Cathedral of Salamanca, 16th century.
Christina: The stage was won be race favourite Fabian Cancellara (RadioShack), but Tejay Van Garderen (BMC) came 2nd losing only 10 sec. and took over the race lead. Our riders lost a lot today even more than we would have expected.
Double stage winner John Degenkolb crossing the line, he lost 4’14 today.
Christina Reports: Again we start in Salamanca today heading east for Ávila, a long stage of 219 km.
Salamanca was a battle ground between the Christian kingdoms and the Muslims rulers, depopulating the city from the 700’s to the 900’s, from about 1050 the area was repopulated by Christians. The Old Cathedral (Catedral Vieja de Santa María) was constructed between the 12th and 14th century.
Pre-race strategy: We would like to get Stefan Schumacher or Martin Pedersen in a breakaway. Otherwise we are not sure if this is a stage for Sonder or the true climbers.
Profile:
Is is a little colder today, 20°C and a strong breeze mostly sidewind from right. A pretty strong breakaway get away without much fight this morning. Especially Jesús Herrada (Banco Santander) and Amets Txurruka (Caja Rural) could be dangerous on a stage like this one. The break gets almost 8 min.
Mid stage the peloton speeds up, and the breakaway is down to about 2 min. When the first attack comes from the peloton, at the beginning if the first hill, it is Tim Wellens (Lotto), Gianni Meersman (Quick·Step) and Mauro Santambrogio (Cannondale).
Soon after a group with race favourite Matthias Frank (BMC) and Stefan Schumacher, attacks and joins the 2nd group. The situation with 45 km, 2nd group at 1’40, peloton at 2’45.
The 2nd group is caught on the way up the final climb and over the top everyone attacks to get in a good position for the final climb to the finish, Carlos Betancur (Astana) gets a gap of 39 sec.
It is the morning breakaway that wins today, Jesús Herrada wins the stage with 11 sec. to Fabian Wegmann.
Christina: The last 20 km was very hard on our top riders, our best was Kenny Elissonde (16) losing 1’15, Davide Malacarne and Sondre Holst Enger got the same time. Not a great result but I guess it was ok. Our best in the GC is Sonder (24) at 4'25.
Christina Reports: Today a short stage from Ávila north east to Segovia. The Town was founded by the Vettones about 5th century BC. After the collapse of the Roman Empire the town became a stronghold of the Visigoths in the Iron Age.
The Walls of Ávila (11th-14th centuries):
Pre-race strategy: A short stage, again we would the Stefan or Martin to get in a break. Otherwise we will protect Sonder for a mass sprint.
Profile:
Very fine weather today 26°C and practically no wind. We get Lasse Bøchman in the morning break with Arthur Vichot (FDJ) and Mickaël Delage (Europcar), they get about 5’30.
Mid stage the peloton accelerates dramatically led by the sprinter teams, Argos, Astana and Lotto. With 20 left the distance is down to 1’30.
The Break is over before the 10 km mark and the trains are ready to fight it out. With 1 km to the line it is Argos with Degenkolb slightly in front of Quick·Step with Cavendish, then Astana with Sagan.
A very close finish resulting in another double win by Argos, third win for Degenkolb in this Vuelta. Again our train was too far back to compete; our best was Sondre Holst Enger (19).
Christina: Another rather bad day, not a good week for us so far. Sonder is our best in the GC at 4'25
Stage:
1
John Degenkolb
Team Argos - Shimano
2h37'14
2
Leigh Howard
Team Argos - Shimano
s.t.
3
Mark Cavendish
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
s.t.
4
Peter Sagan
Astana Pro Team
s.t.
5
André Greipel
Lotto Belisol
s.t.
6
Gianni Meersman
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
s.t.
7
Elia Viviani
Cannondale Pro Cycling
s.t.
8
Theo Bos
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
9
Jacopo Guarnieri
Astana Pro Team
s.t.
10
Matthew Goss
Orica - GreenEdge
s.t.
GC:
1
Tejay Van Garderen
BMC Racing Team
35h33'58
2
Edvald Boasson Hagen
Vodafone
+ 49
3
Peter Velits
BMC Racing Team
+ 1'03
4
Geraint Thomas
Vodafone
+ 1'10
5
Rohan Dennis
Orica - GreenEdge
+ 1'16
6
Philippe Gilbert
BMC Racing Team
+ 1'34
7
Luis León Sánchez
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
+ 1'51
8
Moreno Moser
Vodafone
s.t.
9
Roman Kreuziger
Team Saxo - Tinkoff
+ 1'52
10
Jonathan Castroviejo
Banco Santander
+ 1'56
Points:
1
Peter Sagan
Astana Pro Team
122
2
John Degenkolb
Team Argos - Shimano
110
3
Mark Cavendish
Omega Pharma - Quick·Step Cycling Team
85
Mountain:
1
Philippe Gilbert
BMC Racing Team
3
2
Peter Sagan
Astana Pro Team
2
3
Jens Voigt
RadioShack - Leopard
2
Team: Vodafone
Young: Rohan Dennis (Orica - GreenEdge)
Edited by Tamijo on 25-04-2016 16:40
Christina reports: Today in Córdoba for a short flat stage south east to Sevilla. Córdoba dates back to a pre-roman settlement from approx. 800 BC, today a city of about 330.000 people.
The Great Mosque of Córdoba or Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, origins from a small temple of Christian Visigoth. In 784 Emir 'Abd al-Rahman I started construction of a Great Mosque. In 1236 the building was converted to a Roman Catholic church later transformed to the existing cathedral.
Pre-race strategy: We will stay in the peloton preparing for an expected mass sprint.
Profile:
Still no wind, and with temperatures up to 29°C the domestique’s will have to carry some extra bottles today. While we are resting in the sun, a 3 man breakaway gets some TV time.
The break doesn’t make it. It is BMC polling the peloton, reeling them back in. Today we are in a much better position when the sprint is about to start.
Under the 1 km mark it is again Team Argos – Shimano looking best for the stage win.
John Degenkolb takes an impressive 4th win of the tour, in front of Elia Viviani (Cannondale), now the fight for the green jersey is getting close. Sonder just makes it within the top 10.
Christina: A much better stage today, nice to be back in stage top 10.
The stage is heading south east from Sevilla, over a cat. 2 climb near Sierra de las Nieves Natural Park, before a long descent down to a finish in the Marbella on Costa del Sol.
Sevilla is the Capital of Andalusia. Just as Córdoba, Sevilla dates back to a pre-roman “native” settlement from the first millennium BC. This city was conquered by Carthaginians and from 206 BC Romans.
Casa de Pilatos (construction started in 1483)
Pre-race strategy: We might attempt something on the climb, if we have got the legs.
Profile:
Again it is very hot (29°C) with just a light breeze. We get Stefan Schumacher in a strong break, with Jesús Herrada (Banco Santander) and other good riders. They get about 7’30.
The group works together well, getting over the top of the cat. 2 with about 2’30, Schumacher wins the KoM sprint in front of Jens Voigt (RadioShack).
The peloton is to strong, the break is over just in time for the sprint.
Mark Cavendish wins the stage in front of André Greipel, this is Cavendish 2nd win of this year’s Vuelta. Finishing in front of Sagan, John Degenkolb took over the point jersey today. Our best is Sondre Holst Enger (16).
Christina: A brave effort from Stefan, he was looking good for a long time, but the sprinter team’s was too strong in the end.
06/9 Stage 13/21 Marbella – Sierra Nevada: 238.6 km
Christina Reports: Today is the first true climbing test of this year’s Vuelts, a very long stage of 239 km from Marbella up along the coast to a hors catégorie mountain finish on Sierra Nevada near Granada.
Phoenician and Carthaginian artefacts (7-3 century BC) have been found in the Marbella municipality, Later a Roman settlement called Salduba was founded.
Remains of the Roman bridge (Marbella):
Pre-race strategy: We will try to protect both our climbers, as long as possible, then we will see what they can do.
Profile:
The weather is perfect for this long stage, 28°C with a light breeze. Early on the stage, stage favorite Daniel Navarro (Garmin) attacks and joins a group of 3 other riders, they get a maximum of more than 12 minutes.
Already at the cat.3 climb, the peloton breaks over, 51 riders is left behind in small groups they never make it back, we have got 6 riders left in the peloton.
At the final climb with 8.5 km to the top, Elissonde sits in a group 1’50 behind Navarro. Malacarne was helping Kenny and is now struggling in the peloton of 37 riders, 30 sec. behind group Elissonde.
Daniel Navarro is gone for the day he takes a solo win at Sierra Nevada, and the mountain jersey.
Ellisonde sits in the front part of the favourite group of 21 riders, going under the 1 km mark. Carlos Betancur (Astana) takes 2nd in front of Daniel Moreno (AG2R) they lose 1’24. Kenny Elissonde becomes 7th losing 1’40.
Christina: Good stage for the team, everyone did what they could to help Elissonde and he is now our best in the GC as 18th at 5’11.
The tour caravan has travelled about 200 km east from Sierra Nevada to Olula del Río, for the last stage of the 2nd week, towards Murcia.
Olula del Río is just a small town in the Almería province. Murcia on the other hand is a city of about 440.000 inhabitants. The city was founded with the name Madinat Mursiyah (city of Murcia) in AD 825 by the Muslims. From 1243 Murcia was ruled by Christian leaders.
Cathedral Church of Saint Mary in Murcia, constructed 1394-1465:
Pre-race strategy: we will relax in the peloton expecting a mass sprint finish.
Another stage with fine weather and little wind, the morning break is 6 riders, they get about 5 min.
Very little happens today, just the peloton getting closer and closer to the breakaway, until it is finaly over very close to the line. Under the 1 km mark it is John Degenkolb in front of Peter Sagan, side by side with Juan Esteban Arango (Avianca) and Rubén Fernández (Liberty Seguros) both from the breakaway. Leigh Howard leading for Degenkolb now in the middle.
It is Degenkolb front of Sagan, taking his 5th win of the tour. We did not manage to make a working train today, our best was Sondre Holst Enger (26)
Christina: Not a great stage for us, but you have to be impressed by the constancy of John Degenkolb and Argos – Shimano. Our GC best is still Kenny Elissonde (18)
Rasmussen reports: While the A team is in Spain, we are here in Soissons in Picardy region, northern France for the Brussels Cycling Classic, even though the race it no longer considered a true classic, it has is first edition as far back as 1893. The race was known as Paris–Brussels until 2013.
Soissons was originally a Celtic fortified hill fort. The city surrendered to Caesar in 57 BC. Soissons Cathedral constructed between 1177 and 1479.
Pre-race strategy:
We would like to get Sebastian Balck or Morten Høberg in a breakaway; we will protect Pacheco in case of a sprint finish.
Profile:
Roster:
Angelo Furlan
Anton Grøn
Francisco José Pacheco
Lasse Christiansen
Mads Würtz Schmidt
Morten Høberg
Philip Nielsen
Sebastian Balck
The weather is fine with 22°C, a moderate breeze from the morning, changing to just a light breeze. We get Sebastian Balck in the morning break of 7 riders, they get about 5’30.
With 15 km to the finish line there is a bad crash, luckily we are not involved.
The break is over and we get a good train up, Philip Nielsen opening the sprint for Pacheco who is first under the 1 km mark.
The timing was not perfect, Pacheco runs dry just a few 100 meters to early, getting passed by other sprinters. The race was won by Roberto Ferrari (Vodafone) over Romain Feillu (Vacansoleil)
Rasmussen: To bad, very near for Pacheco, but still a good race for us with 3 riders in top 15.
