Welcome to the Luxembourgish NCs, where it is all about the team that finished 2nd in the final Protour rankings, Vesuvio. The Luxembourgish based team has 10 of the 14 participating riders on the startline.
Vesuvio
Vesuvio 2
Barca
Frank Schleck
Ben Gastauer
Laurent Didier
David Claerebout
Sebastian Einsle
Kevin Feiereisen
Gilles Heymes
Bob Jungels
Alex Kirsch
Pit Schlechter
Andy Schleck
Boeing
Evonik
Sven Fritsch
Yannick Stoltz
Max Losch
Let's start with the TT. Especially in this discipline there seems to be no beating of Vesuvio. Top favourite will be Bob Jungels as last years champion Nick Clesen didn't come back to defend his title. The biggest concurrence for him will come from his own team. Andy Schleck and David Claerebout will be the two minor favourites. The best from a rider not from Vesuvio can be expected to be Barcelona's Laurent Didier.
The first respectable time comes from Tour de France winner Andy Schleck in southest climate zone of Luxembourg. He almost caught his brother Fränk on the line and crushed his time by 1'46" in 1h11'38".
At the splits Claerebout set some decent times but also was already far behind his team mate Andy Schleck. In the end he falls short by 39 seconds of Andy Schleck's time and becomes provisional second.
Bob Jungels would in the end fulfill the expectations, improving the best times from time check to time check and already passing Laurent Didier who started ahead of him after 2/3 of the course. In the end his time would be 1h10'15", almost one and a half minute faster than Schleck.
Laurent Didier indeed would become the best rider not from the strong home team finishing 2'32" behind the winner. Only three red men were in the end in front of him, making him miss the podium by only one place.
The winner is young timetrialing prospect Bob Jungels. This may be his first timetrial national title of many to follow, considering his age and his potential to improve himself even more.
For the decision of the road race title a hilly route was selected, favouring the biggest names of the smallest Benelux country. Also in the road race there is no way one can look past the home team Vesuvio. Frank Schleck and his younger brother Andy Schleck will certainly be the biggest favourites. Other than that there is Laurent Didier or Ben Gastauer, who has the biggest chances outside the Schleck brothers.
The question will be if a potential early break will be reeled in or not like in other national championships of the same size. In this race the conditions are a little different though with the biggest team also bringing the biggest favourites. The Schleck brothers have 6 more men on their side to work on the front.
The first attack comes from Sven Fritsch. He is followed by Yannick Stoltz, the only rider here representing a CT team. Those two are also let go to build the days break.
Behind Vesuvio quickly form to build a chase, so there is optimism that today we'll see the favourites battle it out amongst each other.
But as we enter the last 20 kilometres and the gap is at 5'42" that optimism dwindles. It looks like the leading duo will decide the winner amongst them and that Vesuvio can't keep the national champion in their rows.
Seeing that Frank Schleck and Ben Gastauer take matters into their own hands with 12 kilometres left to go, but that is surely to late with more than 6 minutes to bridge to the front isn't it?
Shortly later also Laurent Didier decides its time to leave the sinking ship. All the activity in the peloton dissapaered.
Losch would have the same idea some time later and also jumps from the peloton and soonly catches up with Didier.
The two leaders get into the final incline of 2,5km with a lead of 5 minutes and it is certain that one of the two will be the winner. Who will it be Stoltz on the front or Fritsch who is sitting in his wheel waiting for his final punch.
Fritsch moved past Stoltz on the inside of a corner to start his sprint. At the moment he seems to be in the prime position to win this NC.
3'30" behind Schleck leads the second group with Gastauer and Didier who himself dropped Losch and caught up to the two riders of Vesuvio.
Even further behind a group of 8 Vesuvio riders around Andy Schleck decided to leave the race early, surely inspired by the attitude of the younger Schleck brother.
Fritsch got a nice gap between himself and Stoltz and can celebrate early, he will get to wear the Luxembourgish national jersey in the 2015 season. 30 seconds behind Stoltz crosses the line as second.
It was closer behind where Schleck barely beats his team mate Gastauer for third place.
Didier can be happy with his performances here at the national championships. After a 4th place at the timetrial a 5th follows only beaten by the break and Luxembourg's two top puncheurs.
The last man to finish is Boeing's second man Losch. Two among the first six is definately a decent result for the Bulfarian team.
