Eneco Tour 2014 **Spoilers**

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Comments

  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Thomas 5th on the stage. Gilbert 9th; again only just top 10 on a finish that should suit him perfectly. In his home town as well. He's not back to his old best yet
  • mm1
    mm1 Posts: 1,063
    Another cracking day's racing. Really looking forward to tomorrow.
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Just noticed Dayer Quintana finished in the first group of 20 or so
  • mididoctors
    mididoctors Posts: 16,877
    the amount of constant attacking in this tour is extraordinary.... same for the artic
    "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
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Excellent ride by Wellens. 50secs is a big margin. Very strong.
    FJS wrote:
    Just noticed Dayer Quintana finished in the first group of 20 or so

    I was just about to post this too. What a talent. Imagine him and his brother in 3 years or so....going to be incredible.

    Nuyens finished yesterday almost 9mins down. Continues to show how sh1t he is.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    mididoctors wrote:
    the amount of constant attacking in this tour is extraordinary.... same for the artic

    Haven't watched any of the artic but have read the race reports. Sounded cracking.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,116
    I think this has been a cracking race, lots of action and some young riders who've impressed.

    Dumoulin has been the standout, he's ridden strongly and isn't afraid to take control when he needs too.

    I should've put my money where my brain is last night though, I saw Wellens was still up there after yesterday's stage and thought he'd be one to watch today. His attack was a brave one, and he had the legs to pull it off.
  • mulletmaster
    mulletmaster Posts: 502
    This has been a thoroughly entertaining race with a reasonable start list. Why is it the butt of so many jokes? I'd rather watch it again than at least 1/3 of the TdF?
  • RichN95.
    RichN95. Posts: 27,158
    mulletmaster wrote:
    This has been a thoroughly entertaining race with a reasonable start list. Why is it the butt of so many jokes? I'd rather watch it again than at least 1/3 of the TdF?
    Because until very recently it used to be a pretty crap race, largely decided by time bonuses and a time trial. Most stages ended in a fairly large bunch sprint.
    Twitter: @RichN95
  • TheBigBean
    TheBigBean Posts: 20,646
    It does appear that some of the much maligned "chippers" have produced some good racing this year. Shame I have missed them.
  • pottssteve
    pottssteve Posts: 4,069
    FJS wrote:
    pottssteve wrote:
    Watching this on Eurosport now and it would appear that riders keep getting lost and going the wrong way. Thing is, THIS IS NORMAL IN BELGIUM. As are the God-awful road surfaces and the poor summer weather. A little under 30km to go and it's shaping up for a good finish. Boonen currently in a chasing group trying to catch Nathan Haas. BMC on the nose of the bunch.

    Word is, CHENG JI is at home with his feet up.......
    http://sporza.be/cm/sporza/videozone/v_opvallend/wielrennen_opvallend/MV_140816-Eneco-wegvergissing


    Indeed. I used to cycle around that area quite a lot and was forever passing groups of riders staring at maps and signposts, trying to work out where the hell they were. I think it's a strategy employed by the Belgian government in case the Germans decide to invade again....

    Good finish to the race and a great move by Wellens to snatch the GC lead. More of the same tomorrow, I reckon.
    Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs
  • Art Vandelay
    Art Vandelay Posts: 1,982
    TheBigBean wrote:
    It does appear that some of the much maligned "chippers" have produced some good racing this year. Shame I have missed them.

    Eneco Tour was the best stage race of 2013 and it's looking like the best of 2014 so far too. It's a wining formula but the parcours have only been like since 2013 - before it was more like the World Ports Classics stages.
  • Art Vandelay
    Art Vandelay Posts: 1,982
    The race organisers do need to improve the marshalling though. There were a couple of ambiguous junctions with just a one inconspicuous person guarding the wrong turn.
  • milton50
    milton50 Posts: 3,856
    Art Vandelay wrote:
    TheBigBean wrote:
    It does appear that some of the much maligned "chippers" have produced some good racing this year. Shame I have missed them.

    Eneco Tour was the best stage race of 2013 and it's looking like the best of 2014 so far too. It's a wining formula but the parcours have only been like since 2013 - before it was more like the World Ports Classics stages.

    I was just going to say this. With the parcours as it is you are basically getting a mini classics season in August with the big names to match. I said in the opening post that it's a great little race and for the second year running it looks like the best 1 week stage race of the year.

    Very impressed with Dumoulin. He seems to be improving at a rapid rate of knots.
  • r0bh
    r0bh Posts: 2,195
    pottssteve wrote:
    Watching this on Eurosport now and it would appear that riders keep getting lost and going the wrong way. Thing is, THIS IS NORMAL IN BELGIUM.

    Ah, that's OK then. So fine for a race in Belgium to be poorly organized but I'm sure people will be outraged when there is a parked car (or something) on the Tour of Brtain route...
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Milton50 wrote:
    Art Vandelay wrote:
    TheBigBean wrote:
    It does appear that some of the much maligned "chippers" have produced some good racing this year. Shame I have missed them.

    Eneco Tour was the best stage race of 2013 and it's looking like the best of 2014 so far too. It's a wining formula but the parcours have only been like since 2013 - before it was more like the World Ports Classics stages.

    I was just going to say this. With the parcours as it is you are basically getting a mini classics season in August
    I think that's it. It's great to see some proper racing on cobbles and on narrow Ardennes hills in August. Hey, it's good any time if the year. That's why the first week of this year's TDF was so good. I do maintain that it would be great if that ASO Tour of Yorkshire would include some West Yorkshire cobbled climbs

    Today's stage is a bit new. The hills on that finishing circuit aren't much; only in The Netherlands would they be counted as climbs.
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    UK contingent on the Muur:
    152100_PIC488814656.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • pottssteve
    pottssteve Posts: 4,069
    FJS wrote:
    Milton50 wrote:
    Art Vandelay wrote:
    TheBigBean wrote:
    It does appear that some of the much maligned "chippers" have produced some good racing this year. Shame I have missed them.

    Eneco Tour was the best stage race of 2013 and it's looking like the best of 2014 so far too. It's a wining formula but the parcours have only been like since 2013 - before it was more like the World Ports Classics stages.

    I was just going to say this. With the parcours as it is you are basically getting a mini classics season in August
    I think that's it. It's great to see some proper racing on cobbles and on narrow Ardennes hills in August. Hey, it's good any time if the year. That's why the first week of this year's TDF was so good. I do maintain that it would be great if that ASO Tour of Yorkshire would include some West Yorkshire cobbled climbs

    Today's stage is a bit new. The hills on that finishing circuit aren't much; only in The Netherlands would they be counted as climbs.

    Having lugged my fat arse up many of them I also count them as climbs! The Bergenhuizen is steep but very short, and the Gulpenerberg and Eyserbosweg are nasty, narrow and sap the legs. No fun if it's raining, also...
    Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    pottssteve wrote:
    FJS wrote:
    Milton50 wrote:
    Art Vandelay wrote:
    TheBigBean wrote:
    It does appear that some of the much maligned "chippers" have produced some good racing this year. Shame I have missed them.

    Eneco Tour was the best stage race of 2013 and it's looking like the best of 2014 so far too. It's a wining formula but the parcours have only been like since 2013 - before it was more like the World Ports Classics stages.

    I was just going to say this. With the parcours as it is you are basically getting a mini classics season in August
    I think that's it. It's great to see some proper racing on cobbles and on narrow Ardennes hills in August. Hey, it's good any time if the year. That's why the first week of this year's TDF was so good. I do maintain that it would be great if that ASO Tour of Yorkshire would include some West Yorkshire cobbled climbs

    Today's stage is a bit new. The hills on that finishing circuit aren't much; only in The Netherlands would they be counted as climbs.

    Having lugged my fat ars* up many of them I also count them as climbs! The Bergenhuizen is steep but very short, and the Gulpenerberg and Eyserbosweg are nasty, narrow and sap the legs. No fun if it's raining, also...
    Sure, the Gulpenerberg and Eyserberg are proper steep climbs from Amstel Gold. I was taling more about those little ones on the Sittard/Geleen finishing circuit
  • pottssteve
    pottssteve Posts: 4,069
    FJS wrote:
    pottssteve wrote:
    FJS wrote:
    Milton50 wrote:
    Art Vandelay wrote:
    TheBigBean wrote:
    It does appear that some of the much maligned "chippers" have produced some good racing this year. Shame I have missed them.

    Eneco Tour was the best stage race of 2013 and it's looking like the best of 2014 so far too. It's a wining formula but the parcours have only been like since 2013 - before it was more like the World Ports Classics stages.

    I was just going to say this. With the parcours as it is you are basically getting a mini classics season in August
    I think that's it. It's great to see some proper racing on cobbles and on narrow Ardennes hills in August. Hey, it's good any time if the year. That's why the first week of this year's TDF was so good. I do maintain that it would be great if that ASO Tour of Yorkshire would include some West Yorkshire cobbled climbs

    Today's stage is a bit new. The hills on that finishing circuit aren't much; only in The Netherlands would they be counted as climbs.

    Having lugged my fat ars* up many of them I also count them as climbs! The Bergenhuizen is steep but very short, and the Gulpenerberg and Eyserbosweg are nasty, narrow and sap the legs. No fun if it's raining, also...
    Sure, the Gulpenerberg and Eyserberg are proper steep climbs from Amstel Gold. I was taling more about those little ones on the Sittard/Geleen finishing circuit


    Yes, fair play - it's pretty much flat as a strap up that way....
    Head Hands Heart Lungs Legs
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Massive break with about 4 minutes. None of them within less than 6 minutes of GC

    Matteo Trentin, Guillaume Van Keirsbulck en Julien Vermote (Omega Pharma-Quick Step), Tom Leezer (Belkin), Silvan Dillier en Daniel Oss (BMC), Jesse Sergent en Giacomo Nizzoli (Trek), Kristjan Koren en Moreno Moser (Cannondale), Dylan van Baarle (Garmin-Sharp), Jevgeni Petrov (Tinkoff-Saxo), Michael Hepburn (Orica-GreenEdge), Gatis Smukulis (Katjoesja), Pablo Lastras en Enrique Sanz (Movistar), Maximiliano Richeze (Lampre-Merida), Gediminas Bagdonas (AG2R), Yves Lampaert (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise) en Laurens De Vreese (Wanty-Groupe Gobert)
  • bluemoon17
    bluemoon17 Posts: 718
    Trentin and a Belkin rider trying to barge each other off their bikes. :shock:
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Van Keirsbulck on his own, very strong. More than 2 minutes on the rest of the break. 20 km to go
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Bluemoon17 wrote:
    Trentin and a Belkin rider trying to barge each other off their bikes. :shock:
    Terpstra and Wynants that
  • bluemoon17
    bluemoon17 Posts: 718
    FJS wrote:
    Bluemoon17 wrote:
    Trentin and a Belkin rider trying to barge each other off their bikes. :shock:
    Terpstra and Wynants that

    Thanks!
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    He's a big guy, Van Keirsbulck; he's struggling even up these modest little hills. Keeps his advantage up on the flat though. Impressive ride
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Behind Van Keirsbulck Belkin riding hard on the front of the bunch. 9 km to go; Boom and Dumoulin should make their move soon if they want to win
  • FJS
    FJS Posts: 4,820
    Outstanding win for Van Keirsbulck

    bits of the rest of the break mop up de bonification seconds: Wellens wins overall. Bit disappointing Boom didn;t try something.
  • deejay
    deejay Posts: 3,138
    FJS wrote:
    Outstanding win for Van Keirsbulck

    Wellens wins overall. Bit disappointing Boom didn;t try something.
    I, like many others thought Boom would make the effort and so I had him on my PTP.
    Organiser, National Championship 50 mile Time Trial 1972
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Boom is overrated. He has like one or two top tens in classics and one day races let alone wins.

    Great win Van K. Continuing to show huge power like he has done numerous times before.
    Contador is the Greatest

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