Étoile de Bessèges 2021 (February 3-7)

[tobydawq]

No, it was a question, just with an unusual word-ordering. Was it Ackermann in the earlier crash? Guess you answered that... Or maybe you didn't.

What a sick way to formulate a question!!

But no, then I wasn't answering anything as I thought you informed me that Ackermann had crashed earlier.

 

[Wvv]

Those crashes Certainly the one that Pedersen caused unintentionally after he had to balance himself out of the previous one.

Madness. Dominay Day in Bessèges.

Glad for Dupont however, prestigious victory for him and his team in this field.

 

[jmdirt]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q92C6pTBG0c

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

Seems to be a crazy day of racing so far. We've already had Bernal, van Avermaet, Wellens, Nibali, Bettiol on the attack at various points of the stage. And still no settled breakaway group.

 

[Berflamand]

17-rider breakaway at the moment with Wellens, Gilbert, Wurtz Schmidt, Kwiatkowski, Bernal, Theuns, Coquard, Van Avermaet and Politt among others.

Peloton scattered behind with the last group over 5 minutes down already.

 

[Berflamand]

The 17-man group already have more than 2 minutes on the peloton.

Full group:

Wellens
Gilbert
Oldani
Wurtz Schmidt
Eiking
Kwiatkowski
Bernal
Marquez Roman
Theuns
Coquard
Stewart
Gogl
Carisey
Van Avermaet
Barthe
van den Berg
Politt

 

[sir fly]

Live images on.

 

[Earns1985]

Live images on.

The second group also isn´t the whole peleton anymore.
Cofidis is leading there.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Now that’s a break

 

[Earns1985]

Anyone spotted which sprinters are left in the second group?

Saw Laporte and Pedersen. I also saw three Bora riders. Is Ackermann one of them?

 

[Earns1985]

Anyone spotted which sprinters are left in the second group?

Saw Laporte and Pedersen. I also saw three Bora riders. Is Ackermann one of them?

Just saw Ackermann in the second group.

So 48 km 1:54
Will the 17-man break do it?

 

[sir fly]

Hard racing for some time already, but the gap fairly stable around two minutes.
I guess it'll depend on the firepower in both groups.

 

[BlueRoads]

Quite sure the group will make it today, unless they decide that with Coquard and Barthe in it's not worth the effort.

 

[Escarabajo]

Quite incredible the attention that this race is having this year!

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Quite sure the group will make it today, unless they decide that with Coquard and Barthe in it's not worth the effort.

GC up for grabs plus every chance of a successful late attack from a group this size, no reason to give up imo. Especially with the peloton looking buried.

 

[Earns1985]

GC up for grabs plus every chance of a successful late attack from a group this size, no reason to give up imo. Especially with the peloton looking buried.

I think we can expect some attacks at the last hill. The top of the hill seems to be 17 km from the finish line. Are they crossing the finish line the first time already with 7 km to go?

 

[Devil's Elbow]

I think we can expect some attacks at the last hill. The top of the hill seems to be 17 km from the finish line. Are they crossing the finish line the first time already with 7 km to go?

Yes, and there are bonifications at the first crossing.

 

[search]

Are they crossing the finish line the first time already with 7 km to go?

yes. So the gruppetto with Nizzolo and so on (if they didn't abandon yet) will get lapped

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

Quite incredible the attention that this race is having this year!

Which I think is great. This race has a long tradition and deserves to be honored by the bigger teams. I'll prefer this any day to some desolate desert races in despotic middle eastern countries.

 

[RedheadDane]

This is typical! I'm a bit late getting off work, and this happens? Am I the new Gigs? I don't want to be the new Gigs!!

Anyway:

van den Berg

Which one?
Anyway, I think I figured it out; FDJ one, right?

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Which one?
Anyway, I think I figured it out; FDJ one, right?

Correct, Stewart is wearing the white jersey after all.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

Onto the last little climb. Van den Berg dropping. Theuns has attacked.

 

[Devil's Elbow]

How ironic that Kwiatkowski crashes on a part of the descent where he wasn't using the supertuck anymore.

 

[tobydawq]

Aaand that was it.

 

[Earns1985]

Aaand that was it.

Well, the poursuivants looking at each other are not just loosing the stage right now, but also the GC to Wellens.