2012 Tour Down Under Stage 5: McLaren Vale - Old Willunga Hill 151.5km

[auscyclefan94]

I must say nathan Haas is showing some real promise. The way he rode away from those guys on Wilunga Hill was quite impressive and rode a really high tempo on the climb.

 

[movingtarget]

Good to see Mick Rogers up at the front today. Not sure what happened to Lloyd. I expected him to be there at the finish. Good ride by Gerran but there was never much doubt about who was going to win. Suspension or not Valverde knows how to win and it was a good course for him.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Good to see Mick Rogers up at the front today. Not sure what happened to Lloyd. I expected him to be there at the finish. Good ride by Gerran but there was never much doubt about who was going to win. Suspension or not Valverde knows how to win and it was a good course for him.

When Lotto and BMC put the hammer down on the crosswinds he was caught behind in the split. That may have hurt him a bit. He was in 3rd position on the climb in the 1st lap but must have bonked. We have to remember that he is still only coming back and is no Valverde.

 

[PCutter]

looks like Dim is going to spend the year sweating on every Greenedge error or (alleged) fail.

Helps him get over the fact his team has the biggest budget to support a second rate leader

 

[hughmoore]

Supposedly there have been some real nuttersout on the road getting far too close to the riders.

No problems, im home now. Had a good day, hot and windy though.

Cam Meyers Team sent riders up road last year to eat up points, expect similar tomorrow.


Hugh

 

[sublimit]

The climb happened.

Cameron the climber according to himself.. maybe he does rock climbing in his spare time.

 

[simo1733]

Helps him get over the fact his team has the biggest budget to support a second rate leader

How is Cavendish second rate?

 

[will10]

It's no Mur de Huy but it'll be decisive enough that Matthews will not be up there at the finish. I'll take a Matthews avatar until the end of Feb if he finishes top 10 on stage 5.

1 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar 3:45:48
2 Simon Gerrans (Aus) GreenEDGE
3 Tiago Machado (Por) RadioShack-Nissan 0:00:02
4 Michael Rogers (Aus) Sky Procycling 0:00:04
5 Rohan Dennis (Aus) UNI SA - Australia 0:00:07
6 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling 0:00:12
7 Javier Moreno (Spa) Movistar 0:00:13
8 Jan Bakelants (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan
9 Jack Bauer (NZl) Garmin-Barracuda 0:00:26
10 Eduard Vorganov (Rus) Katusha
11 Michael Matthews (Aus) Rabobank 0:00:29

That was close

 

[theyoungest]

Gotta love Rabobank. Kelderman says he felt good, but got caught out in the crosswinds after the first time up Willunga. He's learning Rabo tactics pretty quick

 

[nevada]

Wtf were sky's tactics today. Dowsett on the front when there were plenty of other teams who had more reason to pull. Rogers attacking getting caught and then putting ebh in trouble with 500 to go !

 

[TheArt]

Gotta love Rabobank. Kelderman says he felt good, but got caught out in the crosswinds after the first time up Willunga. He's learning Rabo tactics pretty quick

He also said that he road on front of the second group the whole time when they were riding up Willunga Hill for the second time.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Except for having to watch it live at 5 am - that was perfect timing by Valverde.

 

[Ferminal]

I thought the jersey would have gone to Valverde because he won a stage but....

erm, how is gerrans top of gc when valverde has a stage win?

Countback for GC usually works on a super points system. Add up all placings, lowest score wins. If still tied then they go to highest placing on a stage. At least I think.

Nice win for Valverde, obviously means a lot to him.

Somewhat confused by Gerrans sprinting early. Thought the line was closer? Was fading and wasn't sure he could hold Valverde?

EBH was gone, must have told Rogers to leave him, Rogers had to go to front like he did as he is no chance of coming around Valverde/Gerrans in a sprint.

 

[Spider1964]

Wtf were sky's tactics today. Dowsett on the front when there were plenty of other teams who had more reason to pull. Rogers attacking getting caught and then putting ebh in trouble with 500 to go !

Ssshhh... Don't tell Dim.

Was peculiar though? A definite WTF? Although it was good to see Mick competing well, let's hope his health holds and it lasts.

 

[theyoungest]

Wtf were sky's tactics today. Dowsett on the front when there were plenty of other teams who had more reason to pull. Rogers attacking getting caught and then putting ebh in trouble with 500 to go !

It looked for a moment as if Machado and Dennis were going to decide the race... Rogers probably felt he could be up there.

 

[Wilba60]

No pity for those getting up in the middle of the night...welcome to our world (Southern Hemisphere).
Have TDF, possibly other cycle races, London Olympics and others to keep us bleary eyed.

 

[will10]

Wtf were sky's tactics today. Dowsett on the front when there were plenty of other teams who had more reason to pull. Rogers attacking getting caught and then putting ebh in trouble with 500 to go !

I may be wrong but I think they were trying to win the race.

 

[iZnoGouD]

highlights when?

 

[PCutter]

How is Cavendish second rate?

Nothing second rate about Cav, he's number 1 by a mile, but he was Sky's plan B. Haven't you heard, they're going to win the TdF inside 5yrs Only 3 to go! But it's ok, they've reinvented the wheel

 

[Mellow Velo]

Piti to pull a Garzelli and upset the Aussie bandwagon-applecart.

 

[Spare Tyre]

The host of the TDU coverage is following me on twitter. I guess I cant bag channel 9 anymore

Congrats ACF. You seem to have a knack for working those tweets.

Er, could you let them know that having studio guests of any kind, let alone guests from another sport, in the closing stages of a race is bad form? And that more screen graphics would be useful.

 

[sartoris]

Way to go, PITI !!

Should have never be banned. The guy's pure class. No need of doping. In fact, never was found positive, just the frigging blood bag.

Anyway, time for you haters to swallow it back after two years of "peace".

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Let's be fair, this isn't Plumelec here. Piti hasn't returned at the same strength he left... yet.

He's beaten a field where very few people are in any kind of form and in a race that not too many people of his style of rider care about. It's like when people were getting upset about Stefan Schumacher winning the time trial in Asturias last year; a guy who was stomping Cancellara by a minute when doped SHOULD be able to beat the likes of Sergey Shilov and Hugo Sabido when clean. And so it is here. Piti should be able to beat the likes of Simon "I've managed to come in the bottom end of the top 10 in every Ardennes Classic by making sure you don't know I'm there and never actually doing anything, you know!" Gerrans if he's on any kind of form.

 

[Hugo Koblet]

Anyone know what the GC is like now?

 

[hughmoore]

Anyone know what the GC is like now?

Basically, Gerrans and Valverde are on equal time with Gerrans in front because of better finishes throughout the week.

Unless Valverde can secure a sprint bonus in early part of tommorrow, Gerrans should win GC. Greenedge will send guys up the road to stop this same as what happened last year with Meyers team mates.

Im going for Andre to win tommorrows stage.


Hugh