2015 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, 28th Feb, 200km, 1.HC

[DFA123]

I wonder what upgrade sky have gotten, look much better compared to a up and down season last year.

Very little has really changed so far. They have Froome, Stannard and Thomas who are very good riders, and then a big supporting cast who never look like winning much. Last year, they all started well and then fell apart because they all kept crashing.

 

[dicanio_michael]

Epic fail for Quick Step,
but yet again, they always failed here and won the big races
Perhaps all the big names needed a wake up call by Lefevere every year

 

[wirral]

Etixx = Belgian team. They only pretend to like Terpstra. He is Dutch. They are secretly happy Dutchman did not win.

 

[jaylew]

I had to laugh at the moment Terpstra attacked, and Vandenbergh reacted immediately.

This. So much, this. Made much worse by the fact that he actually struggled to get on his wheel.

Terpstra definitely strongest Stepper on the day.

 

[DFA123]

Vanmarcke being the beast that he is kept the gap around 20 seconds for the last 40km (with some help from GVA) which prevented to some extent Etixx working over Standard. So Standard got a nice ride while the 3 Etixx guys were relaying hard to stop Vanmarcke.

Can you imagine the carnage if Etixx had been able to attack from further out? They would have just blown up even earlier and Stannard could have ridden the last 5km solo, while smoking a cigar.

 

[Poursuivant]

Thanks for all the replies to my question (i don't know how to multi-quote!)

I would have loved to have seen Stannards odds to win with 10km to go.

 

[May0maniac]

Rowe was also very strong and beat Demare and Kristoff in the sprint, that guy could be another one to watch in the next few years.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Etixx = Belgian team. They only pretend to like Terpstra. He is Dutch. They are secretly happy Dutchman did not win.

Ofcourse. Nobody likes Terpstra

 

[dlwssonic]

Rowe was also very strong and beat Demare and Kristoff in the sprint, that guy could be another one to watch in the next few years.

keeps on making me think of another brit Luke Wright

 

[alspacka]

That was just beautiful

Sep surely favourite for Roubaix. Either that or Ironman coming round kristoff and sagan in the sprint.

 

[Gloin22]

Thanks for all the replies to my question (i don't know how to multi-quote!)

I would have loved to have seen Stannards odds to win with 10km to go.

On Betfair his odds ranged from 20/1 to 12/1.

 

[jaylew]

Ofcourse. Nobody likes Terpstra

I do! My fave Dutchie rider.

 

[dicanio_michael]

Go back and look at that point when Terpstra went after Boonen was caught. He had a gap. Why on earth did Vandenberg go with him? He actually struggled to get onto Niki and Stannard was struggling a little to get onto Vandenberg. He bascially just pulled Stannard back into a winning position. He was tired from bringing back Boonen - make him close the gap. If he had just let Niki go solo it's game over.

That said, Stannard was incredible. Kudos to him.

And he was dropped after pulling for Stannard. Sigh

 

[pablohidalgo7]

great ride by vanmarcke and of course by stannard. Etixx epic fail.

 

[Bernie's eyesore]

That was just beautiful

Sep surely favourite for Roubaix. Either that or Ironman coming round kristoff and sagan in the sprint.

One thing to be the strongest rider but he still lacks a convincing winning move so no way is he favourite at the moment.

 

[luckyboy]

His winning move is riding away from everyone

 

[dlwssonic]

One thing to be the strongest rider but he still lacks a convincing winning move so no way is he favourite at the moment.

Pretty convincing in 2013, just got beaten by cancellara in the sprint.
He is a BIG favourite.

 

[TMP401]

keeps on making me think of another brit Luke Wright

Luke Wright through me, Luke Wright through meeeeeee

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Hehe...

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Did I miss a transfer? Since when is Etixx using Rabobank tactics?

 

[DFA123]

His winning move is riding away from everyone

Which he has never done in a classic

 

[Vino's Mum]

Did I miss a transfer?

Yeah, sat on for the last 40km, Stannard owes his Etixx team-mates big time for holding off Vanmarcke.

 

[onicolsorfco]

Hi, long time lurker, been following the spring classics since last year.

So what happened? Etixx didn't want Terpstra to win or what?

Like some said before the obvious tactic would have been Boonen following Stannards wheel. Let Vandenbergh attack first, if caught let Terpstra attack, if caught let Vandenbergh attack again etc. In case Stannard would have the strength to catch up to Terpstra then Etixx would still have a very good chance at winning because of Boonen sprint. Why is Vandenbergh closing the gap on Terpstra?
Did they get instructed by the teamcar to use the tactics as they did or did the 3 of them thought of that themselves?

Obviously im Dutch and wanted Terpstra to win

 

[theyoungest]

I do! My fave Dutchie rider.

Be happy you don't speak Dutch

(at least I guess you don't)

 

[Alexandre B.]

Etixx. Race like Mapei, think like T-Mobile.