2009 ENECO Tour

[craig1985]

Columbia-HTC for Eneco Tour: Edvald Boasson Hagen, Gert Dockx, Greg Henderson, Thomas Lovkvist, Tony Martin, Maxime Monfort, Mark Renshaw, Michael Rogers.

Liquigas for Eneco Tour: Vincenzo Nibali, Francesco Chicchi, Jacopo Guarnieri, Maciej Bodnar, Murilo Fischer, Daniel Oss, Brian Bach Vandborg, Frederik Willems.

 

[Mellow Velo]

That's a very strong Columbia line up.
It will be interesting to see the number comments upon this race, when compared to the lesser and shortened Tour of Ireland.

 

[anubisza]

That's a very strong Columbia line up.
It will be interesting to see the number comments upon this race, when compared to the lesser and shortened Tour of Ireland.

Could you be perhaps alluding to a certain famous rider riding in Ireland that may draw more interest?

 

[Epicycle]

Could you be perhaps alluding to a certain famous rider riding in Ireland that may draw more interest?

Is he referring to the international debut of Michael Creed with Team Type 1? Or is it Alexander Kristoff, the runner up in this year's Norwegian championship road race?

 

[Bala Verde]

I haven't seen the Tour of Ireland's start list, but the one for the ENECO tour seems to be quite appetizing.

Amador, Rojas, Guttierez GCE
Chavanel, Boonen QST
As already stated, Martin, Hagen, Montfort, Rogers COL
Klöden AST
Haedo, van Goolen SAX
Chichi, Fisher, Nibali LIQ
Bodrogi, Trussov KAT
Van den Broeck, Van Avermaet SIL
Flecha, Langeveld, Nuyens RAB
Wiggins, Farar, Tuft GAR (also interested in seeing Duyn, Dekkers, Ricardo van der Velde)
Koldo Fernandez EUS
Furlan LAM
Hutarovich FdJ
SKL and Vacansoleil
Bakelants Topsport Vlaanderen
Terpstra, Knaven Förster, Fothen MIL

Don't know the names on COF, AG2R and Fuji too well...

 

[Bala Verde]

The Route:

Prologue 4.4K Rotterdam-Rotterdam (NL)

Stage 1 185,4 km Aalter-Ardooie (B)

Stage 2 178,1 km Ardooie-Brussel (B)

Stage 3 158,3 km Niel-Hasselt (B)

Stage 4 221,2 km Hasselt-Libramont(B)

 

[Bala Verde]

Stage 5 204.3 km Roermond-Sittard-Geleen(NL)

Stage 6 163,3 km Genk (B) - Roermond (NL)

Stage 7 ITT 13,1 km Amersfoort-Amersfoort (NL)

seems quite technical

 

[Mellow Velo]

A few odd "spikes", like a dying man's cardiograph.
Weather looks pretty good, so not much chance of wind.
A breakaway or ITT GC winner.
(not my most fearless prediction)

 

[Bala Verde]

A few odd "spikes", like a dying man's cardiograph.
Weather looks pretty good, so not much chance of wind.
A breakaway or ITT GC winner.
(not my most fearless prediction)

And that's why I am even more interested in the Tour du Limousin. I'll start a thread in a bit

 

[Epicycle]

Wiggins is the obvious favorite for the prologue. Gutierrez, Boassen Hagen, Kloden and Martin are others. Bonus seconds could also be important.

 

[mr. tibbs]

Wiggins is the obvious favorite for the prologue. Gutierrez, Boassen Hagen, Kloden and Martin are others. Bonus seconds could also be important.

I like Wiggins or Martin for the overall, too. Or maybe Mick Rogers? Columbia certainly has the firepower to limit time gains in breakaways.

But it would be cool to see a guy like Chavanel gain a little time in a move and hold off the Wigginses & Martins of the race in the TT.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

First, super happy that Mike Creed signed with TT1. It was a damn shame the way Creed was dumped by Rock after one race in the season due to "poor performance" making it very hard for him to get on with another team. I would have been a lot more bitter than he was. And TT1 could really use someone with his skills and experience to help them get going.

Generally don't like the Eneco. but that's mostly because when it got started a lot of money was behind it, saying it would one day build to be as big as the Tour, blah, blah. And it's mostly a flat race that a lot of racers view as an afterthought.

However, after this year's dull Tour that turned into a soap opera, and one stage (4) that's likely to see some serious attacks that keep this from being a pure sprinter vs. tt race, count me in.

Creed at Cascade Classic:

 

[krebs303]

Prologue live feed in Italian

http://www.sportitalia.com/SI24live.aspx

 

[egtalbot]

Impressive rides by the top three in the prologue. I'll be very interested to see how Boonen and Farrar mix it up in the sprints after such strong performances. I'd think Chavanal has at least a chance of holding on, but in races like this one, it always comes down to seconds, and it's more a case of being in the right place at the right time (and not making mistakes) than anything else.

 

[mr. tibbs]

Impressive rides by the top three in the prologue. I'll be very interested to see how Boonen and Farrar mix it up in the sprints after such strong performances. I'd think Chavanal has at least a chance of holding on, but in races like this one, it always comes down to seconds, and it's more a case of being in the right place at the right time (and not making mistakes) than anything else.

RE Chavanel's chances: Boonen seems to be in fine form again, which is unfortunate for the Frenchman b/c something tells me that, if forced to choose, QS is going to focus on stage wins over defending the leader's jersey. But maybe they can do both.

The sprints should be a lot of fun, too, so +1 to that!

 

[SpannerBender]

Live coverage Stage 2 1430 - 1630. Not sure if that's BST or CET

http://www.sportitalia.com/SI24live.aspx

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Farrar wins. Boonen 2nd. Boason Hagen 3

 

[ingsve]

Nice to see EBH sprinting in a real bunch sprint and not just in smaller groups. And he didn't make a fool of himself. Farrar and Boonen was slightly faster but he managed to keep alot of fairly well experienced sprinters behind him.

 

[53x11 in DC]

Super win for Tyler today - shame about Boonen's bad luck.

Oh, and it's clear the Euskaltel needs to stick to climbing... good god that was bad riding.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Super win for Tyler today - shame about Boonen's bad luck.

Oh, and it's clear the Euskaltel needs to stick to climbing... good god that was bad riding.

Koldo Fernandez is EE's claim to sprinting, not that you'd know it, from today's ...erm....efforts.
More like a drunk on a unicycle.

Boonan continues with these late punctures, but think Tyler's confidence is sky high, at the moment.

 

[grimpeur]

if you watch the overhead helicopter footage, it looks like graeme brown's abrupt line change caused the crash.

 

[craig1985]

A couple of years ago after causing Tom Steels to crash at the Tour of Qatar, the riders chanted: "Go home", "Go home" as he went to have his dinner.

 

[Nick C.]

If that's how it went down is it really a surprise that Graeme Brown is involved?

 

[Cartesian Centaur]

Anyone got a functional video stream for today's stage? Having no luck finding one myself...

 

[ak-zaaf]

any news on why gutierrez didn't start today?