Eneco Tour 2014 **Spoilers**

milton50
milton50 Posts: 3,856
edited September 2014 in Pro race
A really good one week stage race and the parcours is brilliant.

Stage 5 finishes on the Murr van Geraardsbergen which is the iconic berg that used to be at the heart of the Tour of Flanders. Stage 6 then follows some of the route of Liege-Bastogne-Liege including some of the toughest climbs. Then the final stage takes on many of the climbs in Amstel Gold. So it's effectively 3 mini classics in 3 days to finish the race. I think it's a real hard man's stage race.

Startlist: http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/Eneco_Tour_2014_Stage_7_Sittard_Geleen-Startlist

First four stages: http://www.procyclingstats.com/race/1391273-Eneco-Tour-2014-Stages

Stage 5:
Eneco-Tour-Stage-5-1406969088.png

Stage 6:
Eneco-Tour-Stage-6-1406969139.png

Stage 7:
Eneco-Tour-Stage-7-1406969192.png
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Comments

  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Don't forget the first stage through coastal Zeeland: wind guaranteed

    Suffers a bit from post-tdf fatigue and years of uninspiring parcours choices, but last year was one of the better one week races of the year. As long as the Geraardsbergen and Redoute stages are in there it should be good. And that final stage doesn't look bad either
  • joelsim
    joelsim Posts: 7,552
    Loads of sprinters in this one. Will be interesting to see who is picked.

    OPQS have Boonen and Trentin, Lotto have Greipel and Debusschere, Orica have 3 in Goss, Howard and Kruopis, Astana have a couple of choices, TSV 2 as well, Sky could have 2 or none, Tinkoff have Trusov and Kolar etc etc. Will be interesting to see who is on form and the teams decide to go with. Lotto have already said they will decide on the day.

    I'm not big on sprint stages but this could provide a bit of interest.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Wiggins doesn't start after all. Replaced by Puccio
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 18,941
    FJS wrote:
    Wiggins doesn't start after all. Replaced by Puccio


    Hold on. Here we go....

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  • mulletmaster
    mulletmaster Posts: 502
    Boonen has had a quiet season, maybe a stage in it for him?
  • DeVlaeminck
    DeVlaeminck Posts: 8,744
    FJS wrote:
    Wiggins doesn't start after all. Replaced by Puccio

    Anyone know what the story behind this one is then ? There are enough people working for Sky that there must be a few leaks surely. Maybe we need to get Wiggins to a club dinner and buy him a few drinks.
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  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,712
    Can't wait for this race. Some good roads and a decent field, what's not to like?


    AND WE GET THE MUUR!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Echelons

    Stannard pushing hard at the front - again

    38 km to go

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  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Guardini takes the sprint

    Dumoulin caught on the line after a good attack in the finale. Would have got him some nice bonification seconds for the GC

    Echelons didnt stick. Not enough exposed roads and no teamorganised enough to really put the hammer down. Was enough wind though
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    GC after stage 1:

    Guardini
    Gene +0:04
    De Vreese +0:05
    Cimolai +0:06
    Boom+0:07
    Dowsett+0:08
    Vanbilsen+0:08
    Gilbert+0:09
    Debusschere+0:10
    Van Poppel+0:10
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Nice to see Guardini take a win. He has been lacking. On good form and confidence though as he took two at the Tour of Denmark.
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  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,649
    Does anyone know what Greipel's beef was?
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    TakeTheHighRoad wrote:
    Does anyone know what Greipel's beef was?
    Badly positioned. He was still at the back of the bunch pretty close to the finish, but he often does that.
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,649
    Sorry, didn't explain myself. He seemed to be gesturing at Guardini just after the finish, but they cut away to the replay just as Guardini went to talk to him
  • Pross
    Pross Posts: 40,601
    Think he just gave him a oat on the back but Brian suggested it was a gesture. Crazy race as usual, they love their street furniture and islands over there. Can anyone recall Dowsett being so animated in a road race before? Looks like he fancies this race but can't see the last 3 stages suiting him.
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Gilbert seems to have snuck under the radar a bit this year. He's won Brabantse Pijl and Amstel Gold already and he was only 20 odd seconds behind Vandewalle in the Belgian TT championship. If he is in touch going into the final two stages then he has to be one of the favourites.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Pross wrote:
    Think he just gave him a oat on the back but Brian suggested it was a gesture. Crazy race as usual, they love their street furniture and islands over there. Can anyone recall Dowsett being so animated in a road race before? Looks like he fancies this race but can't see the last 3 stages suiting him.
    Seems Brian was right. Lotto angry at Guardini not holding his line. http://www.nieuwsblad.be/SportWereld/cn ... 1_01213149
    Sprint was certainly affected by huge cross/headwind. Impressive Dumoulin came so close with that wind
  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,712
    That was a pretty hairy last 10-15 k's.

    The race is living up to its billing as a decent watch though.

    More of the same today before La Redoute and the Muur.
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  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,712
    They are off and running...

    http://www.sport.be/live/eng/cycling/en ... ge_ID=1383
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  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,114
    With 18 km to go, it looks like the sprinters' teams have got their calculations wrong.
  • The_Boy
    The_Boy Posts: 3,099
    Dumoulin caught out by ill-timed puncture. No chance he's coming back, imo.

    Would like Gougeard to pick up the win here, but doubt that will be happening.
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  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Rojas and Trentin down.
    Looks like the bunch can still catch the break. Just.
    My PTP GC-pick Dumoulin a minute down now.... :(
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Dumoulin group has given up....
    Bunch split by crosswinds with 5 km to go. That's a small group! Mainly Belkins and OPQSs
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Steegmans is still such a beast in echelon riding
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Dumoulin still going after all, closes a gap of a minute to the bunch on his own! :shock:
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,114
    Dumoulin has joined the main peloton, who are only a few seconds behind the front group.
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,114
    Great finish. Stybar played that to perfection.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Boom just beaten in his home town in a small group sprint. Proper hardman racing, an amazing last 10 km. Well worth watching highlights of
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,114
    According to Chris Baldwin that was "textbook intradutch squad f**king"!
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    FJS wrote:
    Proper hardman racing,

    +1 Love it.

    Stybar now 1 second ahead of Boom on GC. Vanmarcke and Gilbert still well in contention. As is Keukeleire.

    Dumoulin now 24 seconds back.

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