Eneco Tour *Spoilers*

124

Comments

  • Art Vandelay
    Art Vandelay Posts: 1,982
    Shaping up nicely this. Great effort from Greipel. Come on Ox!
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,436
    Stannard now solo 1:09 ahead of a chase group of 4 with 17km to go
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Chasing group with Chavanel and Kelderman with a real challenge to the leadership. Dumoulin isolated in the (small) bunch relies on Astana for the chase
  • jam1e
    jam1e Posts: 1,068
    Noooooooooo.....
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Stybar gets the stage and the GC. Great effort, great talent, and pretty clever riding.

    Stannard on the other hand.... what was he thinking? Why did he help Stybar? He should have just sat in his wheel, certainly when their gap looked solid. Do they have race radios?

    Dumoulin just didn't have a strong enough team to cope with OPQS

    Good stage again. It's been a good Eneco tour really, for a change. A more interesting and challenging route does make a difference - it's not just 'it's the the riders who make the race'. Hope they keep it like this
  • Turfle
    Turfle Posts: 3,762
    Brilliant race. Now stick with that exact formula, Eneco people.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    Reminds of why I prefer the old flanders route.

    decent race
    "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
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    mididoctors wrote:
    Reminds of why I prefer the old flanders route.

    This is a circuit isn't it? So isn't it more like the current route?
  • gpreeves
    gpreeves Posts: 454
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    mididoctors wrote:
    Reminds of why I prefer the old flanders route.

    This is a circuit isn't it? So isn't it more like the current route?

    In that sense yes. But it's more like the old (finishing in Meerbeke rather than Oudenaarde) route in that it included the Bosberg and Kapelmuur.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    mididoctors wrote:
    Reminds of why I prefer the old flanders route.

    This is a circuit isn't it? So isn't it more like the current route?

    yeah..... n that way

    I tell you what that as a finishing circuit beats the current one.
    "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
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    Ahh, but how much space is there for hospitality? :wink:
  • gpreeves
    gpreeves Posts: 454
    greasedscotsman wrote:
    Ahh, but how much space is there for hospitality? :wink:

    The less the space the better as far as I'm concerned.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,549
    FJS wrote:
    Stybar gets the stage and the GC. Great effort, great talent, and pretty clever riding.

    Stannard on the other hand.... what was he thinking? Why did he help Stybar? He should have just sat in his wheel, certainly when their gap looked solid. Do they have race radios?

    He's that kind of rider. He'd never sit on and save himself for a sprint, it's not in his nature, he's too generous. Which is why he'll probably never win a big one day classic.
  • deejay
    deejay Posts: 3,138
    andyp wrote:
    Stannard on the other hand...
    He's that kind of rider. He'd never sit on and save himself for a sprint, it's not in his nature, he's too generous. Which is why he'll probably never win a big one day classic.
    I don't agree.
    "IF" the circumstances had been different and Stybar wasn't going for the overall win and the peloton started mucking about then he could have won.
    You would never have thought that Andrea Tafi could win Paris-Roubaix so IMO there is hope for him yet.
    I was at Kuurne 2010 in the most foul weather and gale winds as he finished 3rd behind another rider getting his first win so it could happen.
    Yes I'm a fan of his, since that ride and I noted his solo ride for the British Road Championship.
    Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 1972
  • Crankbrother
    Crankbrother Posts: 1,695
    Stybar bluffed the 'gift' to get Stannard to ride from what I could see ...

    In the last drag Stybar allowed Stannard to go ... and when Stannard looked back to check where Stybar was Stybar soft tapped showing Stannard that although he was fresher he 'wasn't going to go round' ... Only to pinch it in the last 300m or so ...

    Canny riding, and in the SKY mold of punctuating overall supremacy with the win ...

    Seems a bit smarter than Sagan so could be some good stuff in the spring classics going forward ...
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    If Stannard had sat on Stybar’s wheel, there’s no guarantee they would have got through to the end. The gap was only 10-12 secs at the beginning.
    As it was, they did so comfortably, but only partly because the following group couldn’t decide between themselves how to best behave. But Stybar and Stannard wouldn’t have known that.

    When the finish got close, I don’t think Sybar ‘bluffed’ to Stannard. More likely, Stannard misjudged how strong he was compared to Stybar, or felt Stybar would grant him the stage.
    But Stybar probably wanted to both make sure of GC victory (not trail the last climb behind a tired Stannard and then see his opponents appear), and also prevent a Sky stage win – I suspect some teams, when the chance arises, are actively anti-Sky – which is good for competition.

    I hope for Stybar it makes up for Paris-Roubaix (when he looked as stong as Cancellara and ‘a handbag’ or similar got in the way).
    Winning a whole (small) Tour on the last stage seems to be in fashion
  • cesco
    cesco Posts: 252
    Stannard forgot to pay attention during the Cycling 101 course at the Sky Drilling Academy: finish others' plates before you start eating from your own.

    Dumoulin is going to be a big one. Should stay with Argos for another year and then move on to a bigger team under an experienced rider.
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 18,908
    knedlicky wrote:
    If Stannard had sat on Stybar’s wheel, there’s no guarantee they would have got through to the end. The gap was only 10-12 secs at the beginning.
    As it was, they did so comfortably, but only partly because the following group couldn’t decide between themselves how to best behave. But Stybar and Stannard wouldn’t have known that.

    When the finish got close, I don’t think Sybar ‘bluffed’ to Stannard. More likely, Stannard misjudged how strong he was compared to Stybar, or felt Stybar would grant him the stage.
    But Stybar probably wanted to both make sure of GC victory (not trail the last climb behind a tired Stannard and then see his opponents appear), and also prevent a Sky stage win – I suspect some teams, when the chance arises, are actively anti-Sky – which is good for competition.

    I hope for Stybar it makes up for Paris-Roubaix (when he looked as stong as Cancellara and ‘a handbag’ or similar got in the way).
    Winning a whole (small) Tour on the last stage seems to be in fashion

    with you on the stannard needed to ride... he was in a fix.

    coming close thou. goto to pull off a win sometime.
    "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
  • jam1e
    jam1e Posts: 1,068
    Not sure I buy into the anti-Sky conspiracy, Stybar needed as much time as possible so was never going to wait to gift the stage.

    Awesome ride from Stannard though, he could easily have let himself drift back to the peloton with no shame after being caught. I hope he's given more freedom in future, always worth watching when he gets his chance.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    knedlicky wrote:
    If Stannard had sat on Stybar’s wheel, there’s no guarantee they would have got through to the end. The gap was only 10-12 secs at the beginning. n
    Which is exactly why it would have been worth it for Stannard not to ride. Stybar is a much faster sprinter and much fresher, he was always going to win the sprint if they both rode. I'm sure Stannard or his team weren't particularly interested in protecting his 2nd place in the stage, so he had a unique opportunity to gamble and force Stybar to bury himself, giving himself a real chance for the win. He had nothing to lose by sitting in Stybar's wheel the last kms. It might have been in character, but it wasnt very clever.
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,253
    FJS wrote:
    Which is exactly why it would have been worth it for Stannard not to ride. Stybar is a much faster sprinter and much fresher, he was always going to win the sprint if they both rode. I'm sure Stannard or his team weren't particularly interested in protecting his 2nd place in the stage, so he had a unique opportunity to gamble and force Stybar to bury himself, giving himself a real chance for the win. He had nothing to lose by sitting in Stybar's wheel the last kms. It might have been in character, but it wasnt very clever.
    Stannard had been in the break for over 150km - he was going to get beaten whatever he did. Doing a couple of small turns in front of Stybar wouldn't have made much difference to his tiredness but would have helped secure a decent result.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • greasedscotsman
    greasedscotsman Posts: 6,962
    7e_2989368.jpg

    Is that a new bit of wall at the top of the Kapelmuur? Don't remember that being there before.
  • Bo Duke
    Bo Duke Posts: 1,058
    The brickie used way too much cement, that's shoddy workmanship.
    '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
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,725
    RichN95 wrote:
    FJS wrote:
    Which is exactly why it would have been worth it for Stannard not to ride. Stybar is a much faster sprinter and much fresher, he was always going to win the sprint if they both rode. I'm sure Stannard or his team weren't particularly interested in protecting his 2nd place in the stage, so he had a unique opportunity to gamble and force Stybar to bury himself, giving himself a real chance for the win. He had nothing to lose by sitting in Stybar's wheel the last kms. It might have been in character, but it wasnt very clever.
    Stannard had been in the break for over 150km - he was going to get beaten whatever he did. Doing a couple of small turns in front of Stybar wouldn't have made much difference to his tiredness but would have helped secure a decent result.

    This.
    In the end Stannard was smart enough and happy enough to ride for a safe second.
    If he'd sat on, he would have finished no better than fifth or sixth.

    Amazingly, the horrible ENECO produces the best weekend of racing of the year.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • Richmond Racer
    Richmond Racer Posts: 8,561
    Bloody good week of racing, really, right from Renshaw's win.
  • ocdupalais
    ocdupalais Posts: 4,317
    Does this mean it's in danger of lifting itself out of chipper status for next year?
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    RichN95 wrote:
    Stannard had been in the break for over 150km - he was going to get beaten whatever he did. Doing a couple of small turns in front of Stybar wouldn't have made much difference to his tiredness but would have helped secure a decent result.
    Yes, he would probably have been beaten. On the other hadn, he still looked very strong, and Styubar said as much in the post-race interview. Why decrease your chances?
    About it being a calculated ride for 2nd - I don't buy that. A 2nd place in a stage in the Eneco Tour does nothing for his palmares or the team. Andy's line that it's simply his style of riding is more likely. Impressive, sure.
  • knedlicky
    knedlicky Posts: 3,097
    Stybar after the race:

    “When I attacked I had no idea Stannard was still ahead. It was great to find I then had a rider of his quality at my side. We worked together well – and to be honest he may have deserved the win. But I was totally focussed on gaining as many seconds as possible in the GC and therefore when Stannard struggled I had to then go off ahead”
  • Mikey23
    Mikey23 Posts: 5,306
    Was great to see him go for it and put himself on the line when it would have been much easier to play safe and sit in the pack.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Super impressive weekend of racing.

    Kramon_EnecoTour2013_stage6_DSC3051-Version-2.jpg

    Big congratulations to Stybar.
    Contador is the Greatest

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