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Grozny Classic Discussion
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| SportingNonsense |
Posted on 28-08-2015 23:15
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Written by tsmoha
 Grozny Classic
We're heading for Russia, where the inaugaral edition of this cobbled classic will be held tomorrow. The Grozny Classic features a challenging flat (rated) circuit, totalling 249km.
Skills on hills, in sprints and of course cobbles should come into play. And also stamina should be an important factor here.
The Startlist
The Favorites | Rider | HI | COB | SPR | Rider | HI | COB | SPR |  Summerhill | 73 | 82 | 70 |  Verbist | 64 | 77 | 58 |  Vanspeybrouck | 71 | 82 | 67 |  Langeveld | 72 | 76 | 63 |  Baugnies | 72 | 80 | 65 |  Joseph | 66 | 76 | 66 |  Boonen | 67 | 79 | 81 | Flaksis | 65 | 76 | 61 | | Maes | 67 | 79 | 62 |  Nooytens | 64 | 76 | 69 | | Vanmarcke | 66 | 79 | 70 |  Declerq | 72 | 75 | 67 |  Thomas | 60 | 79 | 74 | Grashev | 69 | 75 | 65 | | Albert | 69 | 78 | 63 | De Haes | 68 | 75 | 64 |  Vandenbergh | 67 | 78 | 62 | Fouquet | 67 | 75 | 68 |  Trentin | 74 | 77 | 75 | De Backer | 64 | 75 | 74 | | Breschel | 70 | 77 | 77 | Kurth | 64 | 75 | 73 | | Daniel | 68 | 77 | 74 |  Nepomnyachsniy | 63 | 75 | 78 | | Steurs | 68 | 77 | 65 | De Vreese | 72 | 74 | 70 | | Stallaert | 67 | 77 | 79 |  Kozontchuk | 71 | 74 | 68 |
No news anymore: Summerhill and Vanspeybrouck, as well as Baugnies as the top-favorites for such a profile. They all combine the needed skills pretty well. Summerhill with a slight advantage over VSP, but we know those guys anyway.
Boonen will fancy his chances for obvious reasons: a flat cobbled classic? Surely his sprint should be worth something. Vanmarcke and Thomas, as well as less strong finishers like Maes, Albert, Vandenbergh as more contenders.
Guys like Trentin, Breschel, Daniel or Stallaert and maybe even Nepomnchyasniy will hope for a bunch sprint from a less reduced group.
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| Bjartne |
Posted on 28-08-2015 23:31
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Hmm, we came here with Kozontchuk in his home race in hopes that many CT-teams didn't have sufficient qualities or quantities in cobbled races, but he isn't even ranked among the top 25. Turns out we were very wrong and that we need to do more cross-divisional research next time around 
Thanks for the preview tsmoha and for posting SN |
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| tastasol |
Posted on 28-08-2015 23:38
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A race that should suit Trentin well. Hopefully those hills will make some difference.
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| Kentaurus |
Posted on 29-08-2015 05:41
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Finally back to racing for us, and a perfect profile for the team. Lots of cobbles and the up and down terrain should be able to help Summerhill who is slightly better over the hills than his rivals. Certainly looking for a win here, worst case should be a podium though.
AZTECA - NBCSN  |
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| Shonak |
Posted on 29-08-2015 06:49
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Looks like a good race for Langeveld if the hills matter. We have done very well so far in almost every C1 cobbled race, so another Top 10 is about the goal here. Tulik in BOTD would be magnificient here.
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
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| Ad Bot |
Posted on 24-11-2024 04:43
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| Ollfardh |
Posted on 29-08-2015 07:01
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Joseph, let's pretend this is Dwars Door Vlaanderen again
Changed my sig, this was getting absurd.
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| knockout |
Posted on 29-08-2015 07:52
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Another race where Boonen should be good for a top five.
Despite being rated as a flat classic it is a constant up and down the hills which favors the 3 top favourites even more bit at least the finish line is not on top of the hill.
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| roturn |
Posted on 29-08-2015 09:37
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Probably a race where Boom could have done well. Unfortunately I guess I had race day issues and couldn`t select him.
So Vanmarcke will be the one to go for the top5. |
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| Bikex |
Posted on 29-08-2015 09:47
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My team had a rather large break from racing now, so I'm happy to be back. With some luck and good tactics and if the hills aren't ridden to hard, Nepomnyachsniy could score us some nice points here out of a larger group sprint. |
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| Selwink |
Posted on 29-08-2015 17:06
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Let's go breakaway!
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| Kentaurus |
Posted on 30-08-2015 00:52
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Wow what a finish! First time I think those two have gone at it in a sprint against each other, luckily for us Danny had just enough to take another win for his remarkable season!
Glad to see that Pieter was willing to work with Danny though, let it be a fair sprint rather than one rider wheelsucking the other.
That list of riders not finishing within the time limit though, must have been a really rough road.
AZTECA - NBCSN |
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| knockout |
Posted on 30-08-2015 01:50
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This race was seemingly brutal for the riders. Only the best stood a chance.
Boonen exactly fulfills the pre race expectations which is nice but not more. Next please
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| roturn |
Posted on 30-08-2015 07:49
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Indeed a brutal race. The favourites accelerated quite early really destryoing the peloton.
Luckily Vanmarcke within those best and being outsprinted by Thomas is okay. 4th is still a very nice and consistent performance by him.
Nooytens as 15th also nice as he was used to be dropped for 50th position in earlier classics. But the best is Sbaragli in 12th. Brilliant result for him in such a hard classic.
Thanks for the report! |
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| Bikex |
Posted on 30-08-2015 07:54
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When I saw Galedo in the break I hoped this would be one of the cobbled races with a major AI fuckup but it wasn't to happen.
Very disappointed with Nepomnyachsniy then. There was a lot more than 29th possible. He is the only rider of my team that finished the race.  |
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| Bjartne |
Posted on 30-08-2015 09:11
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30th out of 50 finishers? I was hoping at least top 20 :/
But we luckily didn't plan a massive point haul on any of the cobbled race, so I guess we'll be fine.
Thanks for the report tsmoha! |
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| tastasol |
Posted on 30-08-2015 09:34
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Meh, not the result I was hoping for. Steurs looked promising, but just lacked the legs I guess. Well, well, it's good to be back racing again. Thanks for the report, tsmoha.
A very interesting race, and great to see that most of the best cobbled guys were in the top. Good result for Luluemon and Thomas, can't recall him having a good season so far.
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| Ollfardh |
Posted on 30-08-2015 09:35
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Nice comeback from Joseph after dropping so early
Changed my sig, this was getting absurd.
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| Shonak |
Posted on 30-08-2015 10:01
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No strava action but solid results of the guys as a team, taking places of 20th downwards. Very tough race indeed, it was always going to be either Danny or VSP.
Thanks tsmoha!
"It’s a little bit scary when Contador attacks." - Tommy V
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| dev4ever |
Posted on 30-08-2015 11:07
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Danny does it again Nice to see such selective and prober AI for a race like this!
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| Selwink |
Posted on 30-08-2015 11:56
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1 finisher 
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