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Rheden GP Discussion
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| matt17br |
Posted on 04-11-2015 08:55
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Directeur Sportif
Posts: 10525
Joined: 28-09-2013
PCM$: 200.00
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 Rheden GP
Second year in the MG calendar for the tough Dutch cobbled classic. In the first edition, a surprising amount of riders finished with the same time as the winner,  Nick Nuyens, under a pouring rain. According to most of the cycling fans that was unacceptable, hence why the organizers have decided to take some secret measures to increase the difficulty of the 18 cobbled sectors that the riders will have to face throughout all the 185 kms. Even though the route would seem pretty flat at first sight, some cobbled sectors feature 10% ramps, which will affect the outcome of the race for sure.
Compared to last year’s, there is a slightly stronger field, maybe due to the fact that the race has obtained the HC status. One name obviously stands out a mile, and that’s  Danny Summerhill’s. The American has in short dominated the PCT cobbles calendar and he doesn’t look keen on stopping yet. The race profile looks also perfectly suited to the skills he has showed us this year.
Yet, none of the other favorites should be discounted, of course. The startlist will surely take away all our doubts on who we should gamble on:
| Rider | COB | SPR | HIL | FLA | RES | | Danny Summerhill | 82 | 70 | 73 | 78 | 72 |  Pieter Vanspeybrouck | 82 | 67 | 71 | 76 | 71 |  Jérôme Baugnies | 80 | 65 | 72 | 78 | 73 |  Tom Boonen | 79 | 81 | 67 | 79 | 69 |  Geraint Thomas | 79 | 74 | 60 | 75 | 70 |  Sep Vanmarcke | 79 | 70 | 66 | 76 | 72 |  Nikolas Maes | 79 | 62 | 67 | 80 | 74 | | Tom Veelers | 78 | 76 | 64 | 74 | 67 | | Niels Albert | 78 | 63 | 69 | 75 | 74 | | Joeri Stallaert | 77 | 79 | 67 | 77 | 68 | | Matti Breschel | 77 | 77 | 70 | 75 | 67 |  Matteo Trentin | 77 | 75 | 74 | 74 | 71 |  Maxime Daniel | 77 | 74 | 68 | 71 | 74 |  Ricardo Ferreira | 77 | 69 | 68 | 71 | 69 | | Geert Steurs | 77 | 65 | 68 | 74 | 63 | | Nick Nuyens | 77 | 59 | 70 | 75 | 68 | | Evert Verbist | 77 | 58 | 64 | 77 | 72 |
As said, Summerhill is the big favorite. Team BPost’s armada of fierce cobblers will try their best to deny him yet another victory, with Vanspeybrouck as their captain, as well as Albert and Stallaert as their second lines.
They already managed to defeat Azteca at Omloop Het Volk, but only thanks to an atypical cobbled Team Time Trial.
Baugnies came 3rd last year, after trying to win the race avoiding the sprint, and this year he can still be seen as a potential winner.
Boonen on the other hand is by far the better sprinter among the cobblers, and with an amazing 2nd place at Paris – Roubaix earlier this year, he proved he still has the skills a race like this requires.
Among the first-line outsiders, we can find riders like Thomas and Vanmarcke, both in possession of a more than decent kick. Veelers and Breschel would also probably be capable of pulling a great result in a sprint.
Some riders will also need to rely on their superior abilities over the steepest slopes. Trentin is probably the best example of them, but last year’s winner Nuyens showed some noteworthy skills as well.
But we’d better not underestimate solid riders like Maes, Daniel, Verbist,  Eisel and  Lagab. On a good day, a surprising result can be obtained by all.
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| roturn |
Posted on 04-11-2015 09:02
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Team Manager
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Home race for my team. So a top5 is wanted here. All the PCT cobblers here though unsurprisingly so this is always a bit of a gamble behind Summerhill/Vanspeybrouck. |
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Posted on 24-11-2024 04:04
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| knockout |
Posted on 04-11-2015 09:03
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 7735
Joined: 21-12-2010
PCM$: 400.00
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Second to last pct race for Boonen and pressure is on. With Kärcher having a weak lineup here we have to avoid a random break to take big points.
Boonen looks once again as 3rd - 4th strongest so that's what I'm hoping for .
A Big Thank You To All MG Reporters! |
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| Atlantius |
Posted on 04-11-2015 09:22
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Team Leader
Posts: 6795
Joined: 21-07-2010
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This will be fun. Three of my loaned-out riders in the same race 
Highest hopes probably for Kulppi/Boonen, but would be great to see one of the others in the break as they have no favourite on their teams.
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| Heine |
Posted on 04-11-2015 09:49
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Grand Tour Specialist
Posts: 4116
Joined: 08-04-2007
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I doubt it, but hope that Taubel steals a point or 2. I have a feeling that Boonen will win a sprint between 5-6 riders in this one
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| sutty68 |
Posted on 04-11-2015 10:20
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 34654
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Just to finish with a rider in the first 100 would be a great result for us judging by current form. |
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| tsmoha |
Posted on 04-11-2015 10:25
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Directeur Sportif
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Visconti for a notable result please 
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| cio93 |
Posted on 04-11-2015 10:39
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World Champion
Posts: 10845
Joined: 29-10-2007
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Hilly cobbled sectors certainly don't harm Daniel, but his season has been too up-and-down to set a goal or even make a prediction.
A win for Boonen would be nice in what might be his last cobbled race as a favourite (unless he goes CT).
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| TheManxMissile |
Posted on 04-11-2015 10:39
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Tour de France Champion
Posts: 18187
Joined: 12-05-2012
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All-in to keep our survival hopes even slightly alive. So that means imminent faliure and probably barely a Top20 following another disappoiting Thomas performance (how has Grashev scored more than him this season!).
Just bring me the CT cobbles were i should dominate please
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| tastasol |
Posted on 04-11-2015 10:48
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 2889
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Hope Trentin can get in the top 5. It's a nice looking route for him, even though the hills could have been tougher.
Obviously Summerhill is going to take this, since that's the way this cobbled season has been 
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| SotD |
Posted on 04-11-2015 11:00
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World Champion
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So this race should be rather uninteresting for us, but because of the tight finish in the PT, this race is suddently very interesting because Vesuvio will be here
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| Margh Norway |
Posted on 04-11-2015 11:09
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Sprinter
Posts: 1507
Joined: 23-07-2010
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Thanks, matt. Really like these detailed previews.
Season had shown that we don't need to be scoreless in cobbled races, but we haven't been steady enough. A top 20 by Taramarcaz or Gatto would be highly appreciated regarding our ranking situation.
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| DubbelDekker |
Posted on 04-11-2015 12:29
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2633
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So far our cobble season has been a huge let-down. The title is slowly slipping away from us, so this would be the perfect time for Veelers and/or Nuyens to step up.
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| trekbmc |
Posted on 04-11-2015 12:36
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Team Leader
Posts: 7366
Joined: 11-07-2014
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I thought this race was hilly and I thought we were in it I was wrong for both.
Looks like an exciting race though. Thanks for the great preview Matt.
"What done is, is one." - Benji Naesen
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| jt1109 |
Posted on 04-11-2015 13:37
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3215
Joined: 23-07-2008
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Luck Luck and more Luck the only chance we have of socring meaningful points here hopefully participate in the break and then the PCM gods will decide our fate if we don't we kiss goodbye to any result |
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| Mhaley45 |
Posted on 04-11-2015 15:28
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Protected Rider
Posts: 1036
Joined: 17-06-2009
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Amex-Navigon always wants to be on the podium for cobble races and the Rheden GP is no exception. Baugnies does not have a good sprint but his is strong on the Hills. Expect him to mark Summerhill and try to follow him on to the podium. Matti Breschel is not as strong on the Hills so if they are not too selective he could be a serious threat in a sprint finish.
AMEX wants 1 on the Podium and a 2nd rider in the top 8 and Kenny De Haes in the top 15. We are shooting for 175 to 190 points at the end of the day.
Yes we have very high expectations.
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Team Manager of AMEX - Navigon
Editor of the Cobbler
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| Gustavovskiy |
Posted on 04-11-2015 19:42
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Team Leader
Posts: 6036
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This smells a lot like Boonen. He's my no.1 favourite. Bpost could very well take a stunning result, as they've used us to in this sort of races.
Looking for an anonymous race from our boys, but a Top20 would already be a nice result for our leader, Ricardo Ferreira.
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| Kentaurus |
Posted on 04-11-2015 20:42
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Classics Specialist
Posts: 3999
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Pretty fired up for any cobbled race this year, and another chance for Danny to exert even more dominance over the rest of the PCT in the cobbles. As usual his support won't be great so if BPost could handle keeping the break in check that would be great, thanks.
AZTECA - NBCSN  |
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| CountArach |
Posted on 04-11-2015 22:47
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Grand Tour Champion
Posts: 8290
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The hope: We do a huge amount of work, make everything selective and Vanspeybrouck gets the win OR Stallaert wins the reduced group sprint.
What will happen: We do a huge amount of work, make everything selective and Summerhill gets the win.
Anyway just a podium and a couple of guys around the top 10 would be fantastic and really kick us back up into that top 3.
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| ryant |
Posted on 04-11-2015 22:57
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Small Tour Specialist
Posts: 2322
Joined: 15-08-2012
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No chance of a win and Eisel has not been worth the investment, maybe he can start to pay me back with a win?
 John St Ledger in Team Bunzl-Centrica and Team U25Red Bull Driver in RFactor
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![imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg](https://imgur.com/KlJUqDx.jpg[/img[img]]https://imgur.com/yUygrQ.jpg)
