Qatar Tour 2015 *Spoilers*

frenchfighter
frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
edited July 2015 in Pro race
Stage 1 Results
ESP 1 ROJAS GIL, Jose Joaquin (MOVISTAR) 3:49:50
BEL 2 BOONEN, Tom (ETIXX - QUICK STEP)
FRA 3 DEMARE, Arnaud (FDJ)
SVK 4 SAGAN, Peter (TINKOFF - SAXO)
IRL 5 BENNETT, Sam (BORA-ARGON 18)
BEL 6 STUYVEN, Jasper (TREK FACTORY RACING)
AUS 7 HAUSSLER, Heinrich (IAM CYCLING)
ITA 8 GUARDINI, Andrea (ASTANA)
NOR 9 KRISTOFF, Alexander (KATUSHA)
FRA 10 BOUHANNI, Nacer (COFIDIS, SOLUTIONS CREDITS)

Bouhanni 10th.

Boonen 2nd means he picks up some bonus seconds. He is fired up for the win and has said he and his belgium flatlanders will turn the echelon screw as hard as they can on Wiggins to nullify the time he will gain in the 11km TT. So guess what? The flatland power houses turned that screw, created a split and Mr Wiggins lost...33 seconds. Game on.

General Classification after Stage 1
ESP 1 ROJAS GIL, Jose Joaquin (MOVISTAR) 3:49:40
BEL 2 BOONEN, Tom (ETIXX - QUICK STEP) + 4
FRA 3 DEMARE, Arnaud (FDJ) + 6
NED 4 TERPSTRA, Niki (ETIXX - QUICK STEP) + 8
ITA 5 FERRARI, Roberto (LAMPRE - MERIDA) + 9
SVK 6 SAGAN, Peter (TINKOFF - SAXO) + 10
IRL 7 BENNETT, Sam (BORA-ARGON 18)
BEL 8 STUYVEN, Jasper (TREK FACTORY RACING)
AUS 9 HAUSSLER, Heinrich (IAM CYCLING)
ITA 10 GUARDINI, Andrea (ASTANA)
...Wiggins @ 43 secs.
Contador is the Greatest
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Comments

  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    WATSON_00004067-005.jpg

    Lots to love about this photo:
    WATSON_00004067-013.jpg
    Also note how Sagan has signs of a crash on his lhs. He and Tommeke crashed:
    WATSON_00004067-010.jpg
    Fabu putting the pain on:
    WATSON_00004067-002.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    96.jpg
    76.jpg
    Contador is the Greatest
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    This has reminded me.

    Does anyone use any VPN hiders and are they any good? Seem a bit pricey but you'd be able to watch all those geo restricted streams.
    _
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    Poor effort from Wiggins and the SKY boys, especially when Boonen made it clear what they were going to do.
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,697
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    This has reminded me.

    Does anyone use any VPN hiders and are they any good? Seem a bit pricey but you'd be able to watch all those geo restricted streams.

    Just get google Chrome and the Hola add-on. It's never failed me yet.

    Usually you just have to choose something outside of the EU...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Big crosswind at the start, Quick Step smashed it.

    Cancellara, Bouhani, Rojas, demare, Sagan, Kristoff, Haussler Terpstra all in the front group. 30 riders or so.

    Wiggins Valverde miss the group, along with Gilbert, Kittel and Boasson Hagen. 40 secs back with GvA too.



    Boonen group splits again dropping Rojas amongst others.


    Wind has dropped so the groups are coming back together now.
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Only an hour of riding done - so a 3rd of the way ;).
    _
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Got to love this.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    GvA a minute down still.

    Tickers are a little confused so apologies.

    Shame we can't see all of this, but hey, it's kinda old school trying to imagine it ;).
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Got all together again, attack from 5 riders.
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    GvA and Jelle Wallays are in the front group now (I presume this is the 5 man group).

    Think they have a minute.
    _
  • yorkshireraw
    yorkshireraw Posts: 1,632
    Rick Chasey wrote:
    Big crosswind at the start, Quick Step smashed it.

    Cancellara, Bouhani, Rojas, demare, Sagan, Kristoff, Haussler Terpstra all in the front group. 30 riders or so.

    Wiggins Valverde miss the group, along with Gilbert, Kittel and Boasson Hagen. 40 secs back with GvA too.



    Boonen group splits again dropping Rojas amongst others.


    Wind has dropped so the groups are coming back together now.

    Valverde missing a split in x-winds? Never....
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Spanish innit.
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    So GvA, Wallays, van Zyl, Hayman and Morkov in the break of 5, 1'10 ahead of the peloton after 75km
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    119km to go.
    _
  • yorkshireraw
    yorkshireraw Posts: 1,632
    quite, but he's been around the block enough to know when it's going to happen. Could of course just be that this isn't his highest of priorities race-wise.
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    It should calm down now - little wind and a stable race situation.
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    YorkshireRaw wrote:
    quite, but he's been around the block enough to know when it's going to happen. could have course just be that this isn't his highest of priorities race-wise.

    Could say the same for all the people caught in groups that aren't the front.

    GvA, Wiggins, etc.

    Everyone always does. Riders will occasionally be caught out.

    It's better to pay attention to the riders who never get caught, ;). That's rarer.
    _
  • yorkshireraw
    yorkshireraw Posts: 1,632
    Yes agreed. It's just amusing with Valverde because he's had some high-profile howlers, or where he's kicked off and said it's all unfair etc.....

    You are correct there are a few who never / rarely get caught out. Usually wearing in Quickstep kit...
  • ddraver
    ddraver Posts: 26,697
    I think that's just part and parcel of growing up racing in the flatlands...
    We're in danger of confusing passion with incompetence
    - @ddraver
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Break @ 3 minutes now.
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Bjarne Riis managed teams typically do well during cross winds.
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Wallays suffered a puncture - has fallen back to the peloton.

    Movistar leading the chase.
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    group of 40, inc. Wiggins, Demare join the peloton.

    Break @ 3.50
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    my man boonen drives it after a right turn (i.e. cross widns) and the peloton immediately splits.

    60 in the front group contains rojas, Boonen, Demare.
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Boasson Hagen, Valverde dropped.


    Cancellara, Boonen Terpstra, Kristoff sagan haussler Blythe Gilbert bouhanni demare Rojas in lead group
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Kittel dropped

    Front peloton group now down to 36 riders
    _
  • frenchfighter
    frenchfighter Posts: 30,642
    Surprisingly exciting this is! And a long time for them to keep the hammer down so early in the season.
    Contador is the Greatest
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    Gilbert puncture

    Nope, falls off, not puncture.
    _
  • rick_chasey
    rick_chasey Posts: 75,661
    frenchfighter wrote:
    Surprisingly exciting this is! And a long time for them to keep the hammer down so early in the season.


    It's not surprising, Qatar always has one or two stages like this.
    _

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