Eneco Tour *Spoilers*

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Comments

  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,550
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    rickyrider wrote:
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Wiggins keeps dropping off in search of a Belgian beer or 10.

    Let's see how he does in the TT. He clearly can't be arsed with the rest of the race.


    Only riding for the miles and the TT - team confirmed that. So why get arsey about it?

    As you know I'm a big fan of Wiggo but not sure what he gains sitting on the back of the bunch enjoying the scenery. He was keen to say at every chance last year that a good hard training camp is better prep for big races than riding around in the bunch in a minor race. Don't know what this year's TT course is like but in past years it has been so technical and short it would be of limited value as practice for the worlds.
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Pross wrote:
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    rickyrider wrote:
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Wiggins keeps dropping off in search of a Belgian beer or 10.

    Let's see how he does in the TT. He clearly can't be arsed with the rest of the race.


    Only riding for the miles and the TT - team confirmed that. So why get arsey about it?

    As you know I'm a big fan of Wiggo but not sure what he gains sitting on the back of the bunch enjoying the scenery. He was keen to say at every chance last year that a good hard training camp is better prep for big races than riding around in the bunch in a minor race. Don't know what this year's TT course is like but in past years it has been so technical and short it would be of limited value as practice for the worlds.


    Wasnt sitting at the back of the bunch - I only watched the last 40km but he was at the front with the rest of the team, monitoring things with Hayman up ahead in the break. He slipped to the back with (I think) around 4km to go. Seems to be trying to keep himself out of any argy bargying on the final run in to the finish.
  • cesco
    cesco Posts: 252
    Looks like Kittel peaked at the tour. Renshaw seems to be in good shape. I penned him down as winner of the stage with the (probable) sidewinds earlier, but I don't see him as a serious GC contender. Sky just being Sky and lame by having 2-3 men around Wiggins in the back so he's eating his K's and probably only races the TT seriously.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,550
    Not sure how Sky were being lame with the strongest man in the break that only got caught 2km from the finish. Eisel was up near the front before he crashed. Also, it wasn't really a finish for Kittel. If it had been Gilbert wouldn't have been in contention.
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    Pross wrote:
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    rickyrider wrote:
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Wiggins keeps dropping off in search of a Belgian beer or 10.

    Let's see how he does in the TT. He clearly can't be arsed with the rest of the race.


    Only riding for the miles and the TT - team confirmed that. So why get arsey about it?

    As you know I'm a big fan of Wiggo but not sure what he gains sitting on the back of the bunch enjoying the scenery. He was keen to say at every chance last year that a good hard training camp is better prep for big races than riding around in the bunch in a minor race. Don't know what this year's TT course is like but in past years it has been so technical and short it would be of limited value as practice for the worlds.


    Wasnt sitting at the back of the bunch - I only watched the last 40km but he was at the front with the rest of the team, monitoring things with Hayman up ahead in the break. He slipped to the back with (I think) around 4km to go. Seems to be trying to keep himself out of any argy bargying on the final run in to the finish.

    No, he definitely wasn't. I watched both races yesterday and today and he was in the last third of the peloton, often with 3-4 teammates (not necessarily riding for Wiggo), from the start of the transmission. The commentators talked alot about it as well.
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 43,550
    Agree with Thom Thom on this. I watched the last 42km and Wiggins was shown regularly over the last 20km right at the back. I thought he was going to get dropped at one point. He looked like someone told he had to ride but who didn't want to. Shame as he could win the race with a good TT if he doesn't drop time on the run in. I know it's just the Eneco but a win is a win.
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    Richmond Racer wrote:
    As for today, I have no idea what the finishing order was - does anyone else?
    27. Stannard @ 0-05
    60. Hayman @ 0-12
    90. Rasch @ 0-38
    124. Wiggins @ 1-22
    125. Sutton @ 1-22
    126. Lopez-Garcia @ 1-22
    157. Eisel @ 8-54

    Someone on Twitter posted a photo of Wiggins talking to Theo Bos (Belkin), and commented "Wiggo spent most of the day chatting at the back".
  • rickyrider
    rickyrider Posts: 294
    Pross wrote:
    Agree with Thom Thom on this. I watched the last 42km and Wiggins was shown regularly over the last 20km right at the back. I thought he was going to get dropped at one point. He looked like someone told he had to ride but who didn't want to. Shame as he could win the race with a good TT if he doesn't drop time on the run in. I know it's just the Eneco but a win is a win.

    Careful - you'll get told off in a minute :wink:
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    799710761.gif

    799644713.gif

    Great win by Renshaw.
    @Mark_Renshaw
    Last 2m10s, 533watts. 186hr, 55.4kmh
    Then final 1m10s 628watts, 191hr, (195max) 54.4kmh avg. Thats why i couldn't smile after the finish.

    ale.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Today's stage should have been absolutely ideal echelon territory, all day near the coast in windy Zeeland, and finishing here:
    2013-02-09-Brouwersdam.jpg

    Unfortunately, there's hardly any wind today :cry: .
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Pross wrote:
    Agree with Thom Thom on this. I watched the last 42km and Wiggins was shown regularly over the last 20km right at the back. I thought he was going to get dropped at one point. He looked like someone told he had to ride but who didn't want to. Shame as he could win the race with a good TT if he doesn't drop time on the run in. I know it's just the Eneco but a win is a win.


    Mea culpa, fellas. I watched the video this morning from start to finish, instead of in bits like yday, when I saw him at 60k out, not 40k, and clearly need to go for an eyesight check-up. You iz right.
  • cesco
    cesco Posts: 252
    frenchfighter wrote:
    799710761.gif

    799644713.gif

    Great win by Renshaw.
    @Mark_Renshaw
    Last 2m10s, 533watts. 186hr, 55.4kmh
    Then final 1m10s 628watts, 191hr, (195max) 54.4kmh avg. Thats why i couldn't smile after the finish.

    ale.jpg

    I missed the top one and can't stop watching. Classic sticky bottle by the way.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Talking about sticky bottles and such, the jury has just disqualified Pablo Lastras for holding onto his team car. Odd. It's pretty much standard practice. Disqualified for holding onto team car, with 120 km to go, in the bunch, and on the flat? Harsh.
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    FJS wrote:
    Talking about sticky bottles and such, the jury has just disqualified Pablo Lastras for holding onto his team car. Odd. It's pretty much standard practice. Disqualified for holding onto team car, with 120 km to go, in the bunch, and on the flat? Harsh.


    Maybe he had previous from Mon/Tue and had been warned?
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    on the coast now. Echelons and splits straight away
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    65 to go and we have a race.
  • Bo Duke
    Bo Duke Posts: 1,058
    Great stuff, must be a lot of cursing throughout the peloton.
    'Performance analysis and Froome not being clean was a media driven story. I haven’t heard one guy in the peloton say a negative thing about Froome, and I haven’t heard a single person in the peloton suggest Froome isn’t clean.' TSP
  • MrTapir
    MrTapir Posts: 1,206
    That Argos rider was havbing a bit of trouble holding the wheel...
  • ad_snow
    ad_snow Posts: 469
    2k to go, Lotto & Lampre on the front.
    www.adriansnowcycling.blogspot.com
  • ad_snow
    ad_snow Posts: 469
    3 riders broke away within 1.5k and Victory for Stybar from OPQS
    www.adriansnowcycling.blogspot.com
  • MrTapir
    MrTapir Posts: 1,206
    that was an interesting finish, looked like Greipel lazily let the gap go and Stybar put the power on when he realised. Nicely timed sprint.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,909
    I think roelandts fooked up there.... I suspect he didn't realise griepel was dropped
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • MrTapir
    MrTapir Posts: 1,206
    No it didnt seem like it, and then he must have realised cos he dropped back. In that situation though, is it mainly the leadout's responsibility to be in front of the sprinter or the sprinter's responsibility to hold the wheel?
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,909
    MrTapir wrote:
    No it didnt seem like it, and then he must have realised cos he dropped back. In that situation though, is it mainly the leadout's responsibility to be in front of the sprinter or the sprinter's responsibility to hold the wheel?

    yeah I suppose griepel didn't have it and that his doing.
    "If I was a 38 year old man, I definitely wouldn't be riding a bright yellow bike with Hello Kitty disc wheels, put it that way. What we're witnessing here is the world's most high profile mid-life crisis" Afx237vi Mon Jul 20, 2009 2:43 pm
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    That was odd. Roelandts did mess up, that was a real opportunity for him. He had probably the fastest sprint in that group and could have played poker with Greipel back in the bunch - instead he just gave the others a lead out. Bizarre, especially with ear pieces.

    Impressive move by Boom to bridge that gap.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    3 stage sin in the Eneco Tour and no proper bunch sprint yet.
    Today looks more likely though. The last km looks interesting, with two very sharp more than 90 degree turns. All that to be able to finish on a dull industrial park overlooking the motorway...
    Vlijmen is where Lars Boom was born and has grown up - he'll try something
  • thomthom
    thomthom Posts: 3,574
    edited August 2013
    National jerseys don't come much worse than Euskatel's Greek one..
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Do they go out of their way to make this the ugliest race of the season?
    Circuits around an industrial estate in the murk, today.
    Trying to make the Tour of Beijing look good perhaps.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Blazing Saddles wrote:
    Do they go out of their way to make this the ugliest race of the season?
    Circuits around an industrial estate in the murk, today.
    Trying to make the Tour of Beijing look good perhaps.
    I think until now it has been quite good. Yesterday's finish on the beach and the day before uphill in Brussels weren't bad. Just today is a bit off
  • dish_dash
    dish_dash Posts: 5,647
    All went a bit quiet here...

    Boom goes top of the GC in his birth city. Greipel takes the bunch sprint. Kittel caught in a crash with 5km to go.

    1 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Belisol
    2 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) RadioShack Leopard
    3 Lars Boom (Ned) Belkin Pro Cycling Team
    4 Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quick Step
    5 Alexander Porsev (Rus) Katusha
    6 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin-Sharp
    7 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica-GreenEdge
    8 Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) AG2R La Mondiale
    9 Elia Viviani (Ita) Cannondale Pro Cycling
    10 Christopher Sutton (Aus) Sky Procycling

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