S*** small races February 2020

specialgueststar
specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
edited January 2020 in Pro race


They don't come much bigger ( smaller) than this. The traditional hors d'oeuvres before the mighty Star of Besseges ,( one of my favourite races and in its 50th year )

Startlist> https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/gp-d-ouverture/2020/startlist

Harry Tanfield riding for Ag2R
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Comments

  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418

  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
    Marseillaise

    1 COSNEFROY Benoît AG2R La Mondiale (going to have a good season)
    2 DEVRIENDT Tom Circus - Wanty Gobert
    3 MADOUAS Valentin Groupama - FDJ
    4 HERRADA Jesús Cofidis, Solutions Crédits
    5 VENTURINI Clément AG2R La Mondiale
    6 PLANCKAERT Edward
  • inseine
    inseine Posts: 5,788
    So I should have mentioned here Pidcocks brilliant silver in the Cross. Only non Belgian or Dutch in top 13
    http://cyclinganddesign.blogspot.fr/
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    edited February 2020
    As the European calendar gets underway, this week sees a number of stage races taking place, with just about all of them being televised, either live or in highlights.

    Starting tomorrow, we have the second tier sprinters benefit, in the newly formed Tour of Saudi Arabia.
    Mark Cavendish and Basher Bouhanni head the field. Live coverage to be found on Eurosport, each day from 11-00am.

    All race details can be found here.

    https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-de-saudi-arabia/2020/overview

    Next up we have two stagers taking place in cycling's traditional heartland: Spain and France.
    The 71st Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, now rated as a 2.Pro event boasts a strong WT presence with 12 teams taking part and some big hitters kicking off their season. Dumoulin, Valverde, Kwiatkowski, Poels, Teuns, Van Avermaert, Izaguirre, Pogačar etc.

    All race details can be found here.

    https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/vuelta-a-la-comunidad-valenciana/2020/overview

    Live coverage to be found on Eurosport, each day from 2-00pm.

    The aforementioned 50th Etoile de Bessèges is the French offering. 7WT teams here, with NTT sending the strongest non-french line up, with EBH, Michael Valgren and Ben o'Connor lining up.

    All race details can be found here.

    https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/etoile-de-besseges/2020/overview

    Live coverage to be found via the net, on L'Equipe from 1-30pm UK time.

    https://www.stream4free.live/l-equipe-21



    ...............Oh and the Jayco Herald Sun Tour can be watched live by insomniacs, starting 2am tonight. The rest of us should be able to catch up via on demand as it'll be on the tube.

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu7phdCr-raU7OaJfEpHZww





    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • jimmythecuckoo
    jimmythecuckoo Posts: 4,719
    Its ramping up now... Season feels like its getting going with hours to watch on British Eurosport this week. Good times.
    http://fendrieneu.home.blog
    My blog and pod...
    Beers of Belgium Cycling Club UK
  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
    Tour of the Saudi Arabia

    That's a top 3 you might not have chosen this early in the season. Costa Haussler. BOOMhani
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Tom Dumoulin has picked up where he left off last season, by pulling out of Valencia.
    Taken ill apparently.
    Still, he has plenty of time to recuperate since his next race is Tirreno, over a month away.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    Echelons in Etoile de Bessèges.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    edited February 2020
    Good finish in France but it almost became a mighty cock up with cars, motorbikes and lapped riders all getting in the way.

    It might be a new season but Cav's luck hasn't improved. Crashed twice and the first time he got a bit chopped up by a chain ring.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • gweeds
    gweeds Posts: 2,613
    I was wondering who the hell all the riders up the road were. Carnage. It was like a Sportive.
    Napoleon, don't be jealous that I've been chatting online with babes all day. Besides, we both know that I'm training to be a cage fighter.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    edited February 2020
    The Jayco Herald Sun Tour not mincing around with any little Richie's hill style climbs this year.

    Tomorrow's stage 2.



    If that wasn't enough for February, stage 4.




    The full race is also to be found on the Eurosport player, as well as GCN Racing on YouTube.




    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
    edited February 2020
    Very promising junior and tester Alexys Brunel still only 21! FdJ takes stage 1 of Besseges . Always looking for the win Cosnefroy second . Good talent coming through

  • Dorset_Boy
    Dorset_Boy Posts: 7,611
    AG2R rider clearly not racing, he's still in his tights!
  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
    Dorset_Boy said:

    AG2R rider clearly not racing, he's still in his tights!

    No tights on Cosnefroy. Very brown legs for February . Lots of sun in Calpe!
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    edited February 2020
    Stage 2 had EBH snatching yet another defeat from the jaws of victory.
    Looked all over the winner, right up until the line when Magnus Cort pipped him.
    20 metres out and he still had a bike length.

    Nasty crash for current L'Avenir champion Tobias Foss. Happened just 3kms out but he was badly cut up, so was a DNF.
    His predecessor and 2019 sensation Tadej Pogačar pipped Piti on one of those Muy de Huy lookalikes that Spain has a plenty.

    In the desert, Cav got himself involved in the finish which was eventually won by his team mate Phil Bauhaus after a 300+metre sprint effort.

    Oh and if there wasn't enough stage races on atm, Langkawi starts tomorrow making it number five and for the first time is to be televised live.
    Eurosport 7am KO each day.

    Only Provence next week.
    Can't help but feel when the UCI talk about calendar congestion it's at least partially self inflicted.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • jam1e
    jam1e Posts: 1,068
    I watched some of the Saudi race today and thought Cav had no chance after that climb. On the other hand though, if he deliberately stuck it out and let the gap open to buy his teammate a few bike lengths headstart then I'm well impressed.

    In other news, TaoGH went well in Valencia today.
  • diamonddog
    diamonddog Posts: 3,426
    Valencia Stage 3 - 1st Groenewegen 2nd Jacobsen
  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
    Bouhanni. Get in
  • andyp
    andyp Posts: 10,575
    specialgueststar said:

    Bouhanni. Get in

    Well led out by Dan McLay.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    andyp said:

    specialgueststar said:

    Bouhanni. Get in

    Well led out by Dan McLay.
    Yes for a long way and into a block headwind.
    2 days ago he was complaining about McLay not closing a gap down on his tod as his reason for not winning.
    Watched Connor Swift turn himself inside out to drag his lazy ass to within 20 metres of the front echelon on day one, only for him pull over just as soon as Swift blew.

    Classless.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
    Classless or winner?
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    specialgueststar said:

    Classless or winner?

    Ring Cofidis and ask.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418


  • specialgueststar
    specialgueststar Posts: 3,418
    edited February 2020
    Of course you could be convivial and work for a top 20
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    With such a field he had to win more like. Lets see how he and his team does against top tier sprinters. Didn't even have Bauhaus to contend with.

    Bad news on one sprinter from Besseges. I saw this during live coverage: another horrific crash into a central reservation bollard, at full chat.



    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    The finish of today's GC defining stage speaks volumes.

    Bouhanni more intent on complaining rather than sprinting, after Bauhaus made a minor change of direction for the middle of the road.
    A pity there was no overhead camera to confirm, but to me he didn't look to have the gas to get past the German. Cav with a pretty perfect lead out.
    The stage was marred by a number of silly crashes.
    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.
  • tailwindhome
    tailwindhome Posts: 19,459
    rick_chasey said:

    Would like to point out how pro MvdP is.

    Not only did he show off his bike (and main personal sponsor) on the finish line, he even did it *according to the bikeradar OCP guidelines*


    A dream for any agent to have a rider who can win on CX, MTB and Road bikes.

    “New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason!
  • gsk82
    gsk82 Posts: 3,620
    Does anyone have a map of today's stage 4 in Valencia. I can't work out where the final climb is.
    "Unfortunately these days a lot of people don’t understand the real quality of a bike" Ernesto Colnago
  • blazing_saddles
    blazing_saddles Posts: 22,730
    gsk82 said:

    Does anyone have a map of today's stage 4 in Valencia. I can't work out where the final climb is.


    "Science is a tool for cheaters". An anonymous French PE teacher.

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