2012 Tour of California May 13 Stage 1: Santa Rosa - Santa Rosa 186.5 km

[Wilba60]

A bit embarrassing for the GreenEdge lads how quickly Oss went past them.

Wouldn't think it was embarassing for GE as it really isn't a classical lead out train. They did put their strong TT boys up in Durbridge and Meyer who did a great job of stringing the field right out from about 1.2km. With Weening and Sulzberger as the other two in the train, there really isn't a pure lead out man in that group.

Howard is coming off a World Champs track program so great ride for him to get a close 4th and he did crack his rim on the railway lines 800m out. Watch out for him as the season progresses and he gets some more road miles in his legs. Great to see him fighting for that 4th spot with his Madison partner in Cam Meyer as one of his main allies.
http://www.greenedgecycling.com/node/522

 

[Kwibus]

LOL Matthews takes himself down

Rabobank keeps riding... LOL

It's fun reading this thread after watching the results.

So many people enthusiastic about Rabo, but all holding back as they know they usually **** up anyways.

Well.... Good grief.. Rabo

 

[delbified]

i haven't seen the replay yet, but it looked like the GE train ran out of steam earlier than the ideal drop off point for Howard.

 

[Kwibus]

If I ever turn pro I hope I never ride for Rabobank. Their fans are so vicious it's not even funny.

Yah their sprinter crashed. Guess they all should pack up and go home.

Dutch fans are usually vicious. If the team or player they cheer for start failing they usually start booing instead of supporting him.

There isn't much Rabo can do about their sprinter crashing. It's bad luck, but Rabo has a deal with bad luck it seems.

 

[Wergeland]

What a class Peter Sagan is! He is just awesome! Chapeau! Great leadout by Oss too.

Oss did the leadout? He did a fantastic job. A monster.

 

[Kwibus]

Come off it. You aren't fanatics, but on the odd occasion when Rabo gets their act together, most of the Dutchies seem pretty pleased about it.

I'm not going to deny it. It's more a love/hate affair since they frustate me like hell as well, but I do wish them all the best and I will certainly cheer for them.
More for the dutch riders ofcourse, but Rabo in general yes.
I love the long term support from the sponsor and their efforts for young dutch cyclists.

Ofcourse I also support Vacansoleil more then other teams. Argos not that much though, well not much more compared to other teams.

Besides my support for the dutch teams I don't dislike other teams. Ofcourse I like some more than others. For example I love Euskaltel as well and I like the Pro-conti Italians teams as well, but I don't really dislike teams.

 

[greenedge]

Congrats to Sagan.

I thought the break had a good chance when i checked how big their gap was but they must have been really tired.

 

[classicomano]

Well at least it was great to see Rabo with their entire team -1 hammering at the front, of course I knew either Gesink, TMWK or Bling was gonna crash .. but it was great nontheless.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Your comment is not fact based, Sagan tears it up, wherever he is, he is world championship material. Liquigas owns California.
Not bad in Europe either, malingerers, not.
Last season seeing Sagan in some of the week long stage races, tearing through highly technical corners, 90o after 90o and keeping it up outstanding.

All true, but put it into perspective. Who did Sagan crush? A guy who has suffered a total loss of form over the past 2 years and a second tier sprinter who is as long in the tooth as Chris Horner.
Certainly a pity that Boonan flatted and Matthews was busy inspecting Bavarianrider's wonderful tarmac, but they too are not on the same level as the GT sprinter boys.

Sagan would be found wanting when up against the Cav, Griepel, Goss and Kittels of the pan flat Tour stage, stage.
(I see El P went Cav fishing again, but failed to secure a bite.)

I see the Liquigas man as the natural successor to Gilbert, but with more versatility and pace.

 

[theyoungest]

I really am getting to believe that Sagan will be serious TdF Green jersey contender already this year. He gets this stage way too easy.

Him getting the stage so easily is probably more due to the lack of serious sprinting power in that group.

If I ever turn pro I hope I never ride for Rabobank. Their fans are so vicious it's not even funny.

Yah their sprinter crashed. Guess they all should pack up and go home.

They did well to make the split, but that's to be expected in a pi$$ poor field like this. So then it comes to the results, and boy, did they f.ck up in that regard.

 

[taiwan]

Glad to see Haussler's still riding these days anyhow.

 

[El Pistolero]

Gotta love Sagan speaking English
...after it was easy for me... LOL!!!
http://video.bicycling.com/video/Stage-1-Winner-Peter-Sagan-at-t;2012-Tour-of-California

Hey, at least he pronounced Boonen correctly. Something most of our Anglophone cycling community still can't do after all these years.

 

[greenedge]

They did well to make the split, but that's to be expected in a pi$$ poor field like this. So then it comes to the results, and boy, did they f.ck up in that regard.

Sorry for asking this but does anyone know what's happenening for Kruijswijk???

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Sorry for asking this but does anyone know what's happenening for Kruijswijk???

He is building up to the Tour, not racing here.

 

[jens_attacks]

watched it today,very good stage.just like last year,cali announces itself to be one of the greatest races of the year.superb views

 

[hrotha]

He is building up to the Tour, not racing here.

A better question would be: why is he building up for the Tour like all their other potential leaders instead of giving the Giro another try to see if he can take another step forward? I mean, he was 8th last year, it's not like the Giro is too little of an ambitious objective for him.

 

[theyoungest]

A better question would be: why is he building up for the Tour like all their other potential leaders instead of giving the Giro another try to see if he can take another step forward? I mean, he was 8th last year, it's not like the Giro is too little of an ambitious objective for him.

The long and short of it: he's Dutch. And he rides for a Tour-obsessed sponsor, for whom even the Tour of California is more important than the Giro.

 

[Kwibus]

A better question would be: why is he building up for the Tour like all their other potential leaders instead of giving the Giro another try to see if he can take another step forward? I mean, he was 8th last year, it's not like the Giro is too little of an ambitious objective for him.

Because last years performance in the Giro earned him a TDF spot, because he really wanted to do the TdF and the TdF is waaay more important for Rabo.

Last week Maassen said in a dutch newspaper that the Giro isn't interesting for Dutch/Belgian riders and that California was such a beautiful race etc.
That really ****ed me off .....
The Giro needs more love.

 

[Kwibus]

The long and short of it: he's Dutch. And he rides for a Tour-obsessed sponsor, for whom even the Tour of California is more important than the Giro.

This. I understand that California is important for the sponsor, but that doesn't mean they have kick the Giro in the nuts.
Sending your 3 GC man to the same GT is just stupid imo. 1 of the 3 should've raced the Giro.

 

[Mellow Velo]

This. I understand that California is important for the sponsor, but that doesn't mean they have kick the Giro in the nuts.
Sending your 3 GC man to the same GT is just stupid imo. 1 of the 3 should've raced the Giro.

The performance on the road being mirrored off the road?
Being tactically dumb throughout all aspects of team management.

 

[theyoungest]

This. I understand that California is important for the sponsor, but that doesn't mean they have kick the Giro in the nuts.
Sending your 3 GC man to the same GT is just stupid imo. 1 of the 3 should've raced the Giro.

Last year we heard exactly the same thing, nobody believed in Kruijswijk's chances, so personally I take comments like this with a grain of salt.

As for Maassen talking BS: that's not the first time either. He's currently DS-ing in the Giro, can you imagine how he'll motivate his riders if he really believes that the Giro is a sh.t race?

 

[Kwibus]

Last year we heard exactly the same thing, nobody believed in Kruijswijk's chances, so personally I take comments like this with a grain of salt.

As for Maassen talking BS: that's not the first time either. He's currently DS-ing in the Giro, can you imagine how he'll motivate his riders if he really believes that the Giro is a sh.t race?

You mean I don't have trust in Slagters chances? That's not the point. They have 3 dutch riders that can do well in GT's so imo they should send 1 of the 3 to the Giro.

Vanderscheure wasn't very enthusiastic about the Giro either.

 

[theyoungest]

You mean I don't have trust in Slagters chances? That's not the point. They have 3 dutch riders that can do well in GT's so imo they should send 1 of the 3 to the Giro.

Yeah, and I mean that last year people thought they had only 2 Dutch riders who could do well in a GT and one of them should go to the Giro. Young hopes can only reveal themselves if they get a free role, like Kruijswijk last year, or Slagter this year. Not that I think he's a GC guy, but I think he could get close to winning an intermediate stage.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

A better question would be: why is he building up for the Tour like all their other potential leaders instead of giving the Giro another try to see if he can take another step forward? I mean, he was 8th last year, it's not like the Giro is too little of an ambitious objective for him.

because rabobank wants to lower the risk of a failing tour. Instead of 1 leader they are bringing 3 so they hope one of them doesn't fall or get sick and actually do well

although radioshack last year proved even that tactic can fail, when all your leaders fall/get sick

 

[Kwibus]

Yeah, and I mean that last year people thought they had only 2 Dutch riders who could do well in a GT and one of them should go to the Giro. Young hopes can only reveal themselves if they get a free role, like Kruijswijk last year, or Slagter this year. Not that I think he's a GC guy, but I think he could get close to winning an intermediate stage.

Ok fair enough, but going to 1 GT with 3 GC contenders isn't too much?

Well maybe not since last year they went with 2 and both of them failed