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Benelux Challenge Discussion
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| roturn |
Posted on 15-06-2015 07:49
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The Benelux Challenge is one of those exciting races, who ask for good allrounder skills. It starts with a short prologue, continues with a tough sprint stage, adds 2 hilly stages and one hard cobbled stage. Last stage is a pan flat course, which shouldn`t change a lot.
So when looking for the GC favourites it`s tough to predict as the CT Tour doesn`t offer the amount of allrounders as other divisions.
So here a look over the different terrains:
| Hi | Cob | Acc | | Hill | Cobbles |  Vastaranta | 76 | 69 | 78 |  Bakari | 54 | 81 |  Passalacqua | 76 | 52 | 69 |  Eeckhout | 61 | 77 | | Molard | 75 | 65 | 75 |  De Vocht | 57 | 77 |  Favilli | 75 | 65 | 74 | Langeveld | 72 | 76 | | Cioban | 75 | 62 | 66 |  Joseph | 66 | 76 |  Kinney | 75 | 61 | 74 | Lindeman | 64 | 76 |  Rocchetti | 75 | 54 | 64 |  Wynants | 64 | 75 |  Gougeard | 75 | 54 | 66 |  Østergaard | 63 | 75 |  Gaimon | 75 | 50 | 74 | Turgot | 63 | 75 |  Der | 75 | 50 | 70 | Gil | 65 | 74 | | De Maar | 74 | 73 | 77 | De Maar | 74 | 73 |  Walker | 74 | 65 | 69 | Selvaggi | 73 | 73 | | Einsle | 74 | 65 | 71 | Brynjolfsson | 68 | 73 | | Omarsson | 74 | 65 | 72 | Aulas | 67 | 73 | | Selander | 74 | 63 | 74 | Steegmans | 66 | 73 |  Zilioli | 74 | 55 | 66 | Paiani | 66 | 73 |  Bazhkou | 74 | 53 | 63 | Blot | 66 | 73 | | Hung | 74 | 53 | 71 | Lee | 65 | 73 | | Finetto | 74 | 53 | 72 | Lilholt | 61 | 73 | | Uchima | 74 | 53 | 74 | | | | | Sarabia | 74 | 52 | 76 | | | |
One rider that immediately jumps into the eye is De Maar. The Carlsberg rider is the best allrounder being solid on all terrains. This somehow makes him the top favourite even though he lacks the top skills on a single terrain.
Another rider, that is expected to do well is Vastaranta, who also is not too bad on the cobbles but one of the best puncheurs.
Other riders with decent allround skills are Langeveld or Selvaggi.
The sprinters might have 1-2 chances. Here a list of the top favourites.
| Hi | Cob | Spr | Acc |  Meyer | 60 | 63 | 80 | 76 | | Peeters | 62 | 68 | 79 | 77 | | Clarke | 55 | 57 | 79 | 78 | | Kruopis | 70 | 69 | 78 | 77 | | Moser | 67 | 62 | 78 | 77 | | Sobota | 60 | 61 | 78 | 78 | | Jørgensen | 59 | 60 | 78 | 73 | | Westling | 56 | 60 | 78 | 74 | | Hutarovich | 62 | 58 | 78 | 80 | | Sabatini | 62 | 66 | 77 | 74 | | Tleubayev | 66 | 63 | 77 | 77 | | Sutton | 62 | 63 | 77 | 77 | | Dahlberg | 66 | 69 | 76 | 75 | | Thire | 64 | 68 | 76 | 77 | | Verschoor | 64 | 68 | 76 | 75 | | Favilli | 75 | 65 | 76 | 74 | | Franczak | 63 | 60 | 76 | 76 | | Kuboki | 72 | 59 | 76 | 77 | | Sweeting | 70 | 58 | 76 | 75 | | Teruel | 59 | 57 | 76 | 71 | | Lima | 64 | 55 | 76 | 80 |
Some like Kruopis, Favilli or Kuboki surely also decent allrounders, who might go for it. Though they lack in one terrain just like many others.
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| trekbmc |
Posted on 15-06-2015 07:59
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Maybe we can grab a stage win or a top 5 GC here with some luck.
I know it doesn't mean much, but Sobota is our leader...?
"What done is, is one." - Benji Naesen
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| Eden95 |
Posted on 15-06-2015 08:01
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I sense a very unpredictable race. I first think of Vastranata for the win. Langveld is also a strong candidate. But there's so many riders who could spring a surprise. Have to wait and see.
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| roturn |
Posted on 15-06-2015 08:02
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The startlist order there is useless. Does not really say anything about stage race leader order.
In general sprinters tend to be no.1 it seems.
Edited by roturn on 15-06-2015 08:04
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| CountArach |
Posted on 15-06-2015 08:03
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I think Langeveld is a strong enough all round rider to take this out even if he doesn't get any stage wins along the way.
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| Smowz |
Posted on 15-06-2015 08:21
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Yeah really hard to predict what will happen here.
I am thinking it will favour the punchaers with sometimes cobbled stages in stage races favouring the breakaway followed by group do f-all hell.
Vastaranta then or De Maar I should think. Very interesting race to follow though and a very nice startlist of lots of evenly matched guys I think.
Not a good race for Bakari though 
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| roturn |
Posted on 15-06-2015 08:26
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Smowz wrote:
Not a good race for Bakari though
There are good races for him??? |
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| ggDonovan |
Posted on 15-06-2015 08:28
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Love those races where you can't tell what kind of rider is going to win.
I'll bet on Vastaranta, the cobbled stage is hilly and he might be able to stay in touch with the best if he gets the leader jersey in the stage before. Then he just have to finish it off on the 5th stage.
Good luck to everybody involved 
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| knockout |
Posted on 15-06-2015 08:39
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Grand Tour Champion
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Very interesting startlist for this race. I'd think that Vastaranta should be the biggest favourite but in such a race you can't exclude the Breakaways.
I sure hope that Stoltz can show something here for his new team. Always cool to see him racing...
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 07:33
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| Smowz |
Posted on 15-06-2015 08:56
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roturn wrote:
Smowz wrote:
Not a good race for Bakari though
There are good races for him???
Gabon national champs
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| Heine |
Posted on 15-06-2015 09:23
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Will be interesting to see if this is a race for the puncheurs or the cobblers. De Maar should be perfect for this
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| the_hoyle |
Posted on 15-06-2015 09:52
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It is between Vastaranta and De Maar for me - I will be happy with a stage win and Top 10 on GC
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| dev4ever |
Posted on 15-06-2015 10:19
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Can definetely see De Maar taking this, allround round awesomeness is key in such a race. Expecting Vasta and perhaps Kruopis to well the bonus seconds if the hilly stages ain't to decisive.
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| Shonak |
Posted on 15-06-2015 10:33
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I hope for many points and the completion of Top 5 goal we have here. Langeveld, Favilli and Selvaggi are capable of that, additionally Tennant could score the opening prologue, and if we get leader's jersey I hope we can keep it throughout the race. I've come PCM14 to know that actual favourites of a team attack despite another rider having a leader's jersey, I hope I'm right in this instance.
High hopes for this race. Looking forward to it and nice, detailed preview roturn.
Edited by Shonak on 15-06-2015 10:35
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
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| Kentaurus |
Posted on 15-06-2015 10:36
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I'm betting on De Maar in this one, don't think he will lose much time (if any) in the hills, but think he can put in some gaps on the cobbles. Who comes in second is more of a guess in my opinion.
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 15-06-2015 11:21
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I'm going to try to go into this without any expectations, so that when I flop, nothing bad happens.
De Maar is perfect for this race, and I do have a goal here, although it is stage wins. Along with the prologue, the hills and the cobbles suit him, but he isn't the best in either. He is leader of the team, which is good. That means he should have ample support on the cobbles from guys like Ostergaard, although I think now I should have brought Bochman here. I originally intended to, but took away the race days later.
Anyway, I'm excited for the racing to start!
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| trekbmc |
Posted on 15-06-2015 11:30
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Are there any prologue/TT specialists aside from Mazur racing? Before I dream of him taking the stage win here...
"What done is, is one." - Benji Naesen
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| Ian Butler |
Posted on 15-06-2015 11:37
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Scared myself to death looking at the start list.
Forgot this race was on my calendar 
Oh well, no expectations at all for this one. Just get in the breakaway once would be okay.
Still, this race will only kick-off when Tachira is done, I think? Because it's strange to have some of my riders racing 2 races at the same time  |
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| baseballlover312 |
Posted on 15-06-2015 11:47
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Well if they're riding at the same time, there obviously isn't a race clash, but yeah, in terms of practicality, it should.
Although personally I want it to start sooner because I'm not racing Táchira and this race might actually be decent for me for once. And Táchira is a different race category.
Edited by baseballlover312 on 15-06-2015 11:48
RIP Exxon Duke, David Veilleux, Double Feature, and Monster Energy |
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| roturn |
Posted on 15-06-2015 11:52
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I planned to start tomorrow.
Might wait another day or a half though to avoid too big clashes then possibly. |
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