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2013 Tour of Qatar (3rd-8th February), 2.HC

Page 24 - Get up to date with the latest news, scores & standings from the Cycling News Community.
Stage 6:
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team 2:24:31
2 Yauheni Hutarovich (Blr) Ag2R La Mondiale
3 Barry Markus (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
4 Adam Blythe (GBr) BMC Racing Team
5 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team
6 Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
7 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Katusha
8 Bernhard Eisel (AUT) Sky Procycling
9 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ
10 Guillaume Boivin (Can) Cannondale Pro Cycling

Final GC:
1 Mark Cavendish (GBr) Omega Pharma-Quick-Step Cycling Team
2 Brent Bookwalter (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:00:25
3 Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team 0:00:26
4 Adam Blythe (GBr) BMC Racing Team 0:00:30
5 Bernhard Eisel (AUT) Sky Procycling 0:00:32
6 Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team 0:00:32
7 Michael Schär (SUI) BMC Racing Team 0:00:35
8 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling 0:00:39
9 Luke Rowe (GBr) Sky Procycling 0:00:40
10 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Sky Procycling
 
Oct 26, 2012
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No way he'll be moved. He's up there with sagan in terms of being able to do almost everything very well and Brailsford knows that. Asking too much of him to be a top-class sprinter all year round whilst also filling a job of mountain domsetique in gt's and stage races
 
Sep 14, 2011
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BlenJones2 said:
Has he ever had it in true flat sprints against top tier sprinters?

Tirreno Adriatico last year. Obviously he hasn't been able to win sprints regularly but I don't think he can do it at all now, he has lost a of of pace over the last few months.
 
Bernie's eyesore said:
Tirreno Adriatico last year. Obviously he hasn't been able to win sprints regularly but I don't think he can do it at all now, he has lost a of of pace over the last few months.
Calm down, we're still in February. It's just two weeks since he was 3rd on the final, completely flat stage of TDU. And in Qatar he has sprinted for himself two times...also, the sprints in Qatar are 90% about positioning.

But if we are making conclusions like this in February, we can also conclude that Cancellara can't even follow the peloton on the flat anymore. He has clearly lost it. Might as well retire already!
 
Sep 14, 2011
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maltiv said:
Calm down, we're still in February. It's just two weeks since he was 3rd on the final, completely flat stage of TDU. And in Qatar he has sprinted for himself two times...also, the sprints in Qatar are 90% about positioning.

But if we are making conclusions like this in February, we can also conclude that Cancellara can't even follow the peloton on the flat anymore. He has clearly lost it. Might as well retire already!

MY comments are based on his performances going back much further than this week's racing I can assure you. I thought it was pretty clear that he is losing sprint speed as he improves other areas of his riding but obviously you disagree with me, we'll see who was right at the end of the year.
 
Mar 31, 2010
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BlenJones2 said:
No way he'll be moved. He's up there with sagan in terms of being able to do almost everything very well and Brailsford knows that. Asking too much of him to be a top-class sprinter all year round whilst also filling a job of mountain domsetique in gt's and stage races

sagan does everything very well that he needs to do. ebh can't go very well past 200 km, which makes him so limited I see is future as an elite helper, similar to what voigt was somewhat
 
Apr 10, 2011
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Pharazon said:
he did ok in the world championships

Ok ?

He couldn't do better than that. No one was going beat Gilbert back then...

But that result can't be judged, it was a quite easy race comapred to real classics like Ronde or Paris Roubaix, we'll see this year.
 

Haynzie

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Well, that was a predictable outcome. Not sure what Andrea Guardini, Nacer Bouhanni and John Degenkolb got out of it, but OPQS look to have got in a bit of practice for their train. Still looks ragged in comparison to HTC.
 
Jul 17, 2012
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Haynzie said:
Well, that was a predictable outcome. Not sure what Andrea Guardini, Nacer Bouhanni and John Degenkolb got out of it, but OPQS look to have got in a bit of practice for their train. Still looks ragged in comparison to HTC.

First time they put a proper one together for him in this race, isn't it? Despite that he managed for wins in a row and the overall. And to be fair, every train looks ragged compared the HTC-Highroad
 

Haynzie

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JimmyFingers said:
And to be fair, every train looks ragged compared the HTC-Highroad

Too true...and looking back, it's a bit of a shame that the most brilliantly slickly executed cycling (in this aspect) resulted in something that looked predictable and tame.

Can't blame HTC and Cavendish for winning, but would be great to see five or six even contenders duke it out.
 
Best OPQS Tour train would be something like:

Grabsch, Kwiatkowski, P.Velits, Terpstra, Chavanel, Martin, Steegmans, Boonen, Cavendish

Some huge engines there that would be able to control flat stages and deliver Steegmans, Boonen and Cavendish to the last 750m.
 
Feb 7, 2013
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JRanton said:
Best OPQS Tour train would be something like:

Grabsch, Kwiatkowski, P.Velits, Terpstra, Chavanel, Martin, Steegmans, Boonen, Cavendish

Some huge engines there that would be able to control flat stages and deliver Steegmans, Boonen and Cavendish to the last 750m.
you have forgot keisse and vandenbergh
 

Haynzie

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Best for the win, agree totally, but for max entertainment you want a train that goes wrong for Cav so that he has to pick other rider's pockets like McEwan used to.

Awesome to watch him win like that. Not so keen on the supertrain with predictable result.
 
Jan 18, 2010
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P-R and Ronde are not the only classics, Hagen could possibly do well at M-S-R maybe Amstel.

Even Sagan admitted his bike position is wrong for P-R. Funny he cant control his bike on the cobbles but can pull wheelies on the flat lol.
 

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