3 Days of De Panne (spoilers)

afx237vi
afx237vi Posts: 12,630
edited March 2011 in Pro race
Live all this week on Eurosport 2, with a good couple of hours of each stage.

Today's stage looks the hardest:

97_2011_1.jpg

Sprinter's stage on Wednesday:

97_2011_2.jpg

And a split stage on Thursday, concluding with a 15 km TT:

97_2011_3a.jpg

97_2011_3b.jpg
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Comments

  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,711
    Looks like that crash has put paid to Hoste's Ronde.
    50kms to go, Sporza:
    http://sports-livez.com/channel/ch-7.php
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Looks like that crash has put paid to Hoste's Ronde.

    Yeah, didn't look too good.

    Race is all over the shop at the moment. I have no clue who is where.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Gregor Brown tweets: Leif Hoste was taken to the hospital Zottegem. Head injury, broken teeth and pain in his jaw.

    Still no real pattern to the race atm. Attacks from Devolder, Ballan and a bunch of others... none of 'em sticking. 25 km to go.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    At the moment a larger break-away group, with about a minute on the peloton, falling apart. Lieuwe Westra and Greipel (!) very active. Westra probably eying the overall with his good TT.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    strong group ahead now: Westra, Muravyev, Gusev, Greipel - 1.21 back the peloton, 19 km to go
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Very disorganised at both ends of the race. The front four aren't working well, but the peloton is a shambles too.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    all different agenda's. Westra for the overall, Greipel for the sprint, and Gusev and Muravyev trying to drop the other two for a solo win. 12 km to go; amazing the peloton is not getting any closer
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Devolder is doing his standard mid-race (that isn't the ronde) interval training :roll:
    _
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    The only guy doing anything on the front of the peloton is one guy from the Verandas Willems team. Bizarre.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    BMC and Astana now finally chasing. Not sure who for
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    It's all up and down - no big hills, none of the major Ronde ones, but little ones, with constant little digs in both groups, rather than consistent chasing
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    edited March 2011
    Sh*t small race anyway.

    Congratulated by his former HTC team-mates! Hope Cav didn't see that.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Greipel takes it Westra also just ahead of the first of the peloton
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Don't often see that from a sprinter. Nice work Greipel.

    pol10st02-win.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    S'what Lotto brought him in for...

    He played it well.
    _
  • LangerDan
    LangerDan Posts: 6,132
    afx237vi wrote:
    Sh*t small race anyway.

    Congratulated by his former HTC team-mates! Hope Cav didn't see that.

    Better to win sh!t small than jack-sh!t
    'This week I 'ave been mostly been climbing like Basso - Shirley Basso.'
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,711
    Westra, once again sits in a strong position on De Panne. :P
    I certainly fancy his chances more than Wiggins in the ITT, if there is any wet weather about.
    Last years ENECO Tour ITT springs to mind.

    I bet the young Shack trialists will be eyeing another 3 day GC, too.

    Overall, I was a bit disappointed that today's stage didn't end with the usual peloton break ups.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Err, nice trophy?

    bettiniphoto_0076423_1_full_600.jpg
  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    Surely that should be posted in Cake Stop!
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Stage 2.

    Flat all day, but cold and windy and the bunch has split already.

    Looks like there's a group of 50 odd riders at the front. No Greipel.
  • pollys_bott
    pollys_bott Posts: 1,012
    Sorry if I'm being really dim, but are they going over part of the Gent-Wevelgem route today? I know I've just finished a block of night shifts and my brain is semi-mush but I swear I've just seen them coming down the same narrow track through a wood that I saw on G-W highlights...
  • sonny73
    sonny73 Posts: 2,203
    Russ Downing making the bridge.
  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    Pollys Bott wrote:
    Sorry if I'm being really dim, but are they going over part of the Gent-Wevelgem route today? I know I've just finished a block of night shifts and my brain is semi-mush but I swear I've just seen them coming down the same narrow track through a wood that I saw on G-W highlights...

    Quite possible, the last part looks like it partially follows the middle part of GW (near Poperinge).

    Many of the flemish races use the same roads and climbs, plus even when they are on different roads it's often hard to tell them apart as the scenery is all fairly similar in that part of the world.
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)
  • inkyfingers
    inkyfingers Posts: 4,400
    Sonny73 wrote:
    Russ Downing making the bridge.

    He's due a win, would think this type of race would suit him. Sky have a strong sprint team with Sutton, Hendo, Swift & Downing, just depends who makes it to the end I guess.
    "I have a lovely photo of a Camargue horse but will not post it now" (Frenchfighter - July 2013)
  • sonny73
    sonny73 Posts: 2,203
    Wiggins not in the front group? They were talking up his chances of the overall.
  • sonny73
    sonny73 Posts: 2,203
    Yes he is, good stuff.
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Wiggins in a group 3 minutes behind the main group.
  • sonny73
    sonny73 Posts: 2,203
    afx237vi wrote:
    Wiggins in a group 3 minutes behind the main group.
    Yep, sorry I just realised I made the same mistake as Carlton :oops:
  • pollys_bott
    pollys_bott Posts: 1,012
    inkyfingers wrote:
    Pollys Bott wrote:
    Sorry if I'm being really dim, but are they going over part of the Gent-Wevelgem route today? I know I've just finished a block of night shifts and my brain is semi-mush but I swear I've just seen them coming down the same narrow track through a wood that I saw on G-W highlights...

    Quite possible, the last part looks like it partially follows the middle part of GW (near Poperinge).

    Many of the flemish races use the same roads and climbs, plus even when they are on different roads it's often hard to tell them apart as the scenery is all fairly similar in that part of the world.

    Google confirms - it was the descent of the Kemmelberg that I saw them on earlier...
  • afx237vi
    afx237vi Posts: 12,630
    Front group.

    Chavanel, Renshaw, Henderson, Downing, Sagan, Kuchinsky, Westra, Gusev, Ignatiev, Galimzyanov, Muravyev, Quinziato... bunch of others.

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