2016 Eneco Tour (WT): Sept 19 - 25th

[Alexandre B.]

Nizzolo wins the sprint this time. Obviously.

Glad the break succeeded.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Good win from the break, but the majority of the stage was just dull.

 

[Stan955]

Sagan saving himself for tomorrow

 

[Kwibus]

Re:

Lol bunch fail again

Final 8km were on roads not meant for a bunch sprint, but I wonder if the organisation really believed this wouldnt become a bunchsprint.

 

[jsem94]

Feels good that the bunch didn't take this.

 

[Kwibus]

According to Sporza commentators Pibernik did a lot of work so ignore my earlier post. 22 years old and a WT win, nice one.

 

[Rollthedice]

Bahrain Merida must be happy, their young signing looks good.

 

[SKSemtex]

Waste of time waste of stage.
everybody is saving himself for tommorow. Lets hope for the stage not the last km.

 

[portugal11]

It will be a nightmare if dennis takes this race.

 

[Jagartrott]

I really don't get Tinkoff. Where were they? Uphill sprint - bonus seconds - Sagan - ?

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

If you don't look at this stage as a failed Ardennes stage but as a nice sprint stage it was pretty good actually. For me, this Eneco Tour just didn't have an Ardennes stage, which is massively disappointing. They did have two decent sprint stages though (i.e. today and to St-Pieters-Leeuw). Doesn't make up for the silly too long TTT and the lack of an Ardennes stage, but these stages in and of themselves in the role of sprint stages with some possibilities of more action they did a decent enough job.

If they dropped the TTT, put a proper Ardennes stage in its place and made the ITT longer, this Eneco Tour would've had a brilliant route.

 

[SKSemtex]

Re:

I really don't get Tinkoff. Where were they? Uphill sprint - bonus seconds - Sagan - ?

Yes. It looks there is no more Tinkoff team just Sagan. They calculated too much with the help of other teams with no win and GC contenders on this tour.
Gva needs only two seconds and win. He is perfectly illegible to wheelsuck Sagan if there will be any selaction without Denis and Phinney and last hill is simply just not enough for Sagan to distance both of them

 

[MacBAir]

Tinkoff only has 1 or 2 riders that can provide any sort of help to Peter. The issue is that all BMC needs is a strong Oss pull, and it will be Sagan Vs GVA Vs Dennis Vs Quinziato Vs Phinney. Tony Martin, being the great rider he is, tried something, but it wasn't good enough.

So, despite Tinkoff being worthless and a waste of a team, the other issue is that only Sagan and Tony are actually trying to take this away from BMC, and Tony hasn't been that strong.

What makes me happy, is that not only Dennis can be a great rider, and GVA is a deserved winner too, but Sagan might attack. Any Sagan attack this year has created all sorts of chaos and an awesome, awesome race.

Heck, I'm even convinced that he can take 20s + 10s bonus on the last KM against Dennis. But against BMC? I don't think he has much of a chance.

But here we are, waiting for the massacre

 

[This Charming Man]

A complete waste of talent, Sagan, is clearly superior. Chapaue to Dennis, and BMC for winning, however, why does a complete rider like SAGAn suffer here. That Olaf due, good riddance, a blight on cyclesport.

 

[johnymax]

Happy for Pibernik. A young talented rider who hasn't had many chances to ride for himself. Has the tools to become a good domestic rider for the classics with occasional chances to ride for his own result. I think a race like AGR would suit nicely to his abilities.

Disappointed nothing happened GC wise, but it was expected. So all-in for tomorrow.

 

[Jagartrott]

Greipel to go in the breakaway, hang on and clinch the overall

 

[Tank Engine]

After Wellens going AWOL yesterday, I should probably keep quiet (OK, I didn't think he'd destroy the field, but I thought he would at least try to make a selection).

Anyway, there are obviously three main players

BMC - Yesterday was their dream scenario. The break snapped up all the bonuses. Hence, for someone else to win Dennis will have to be dropped (I can't see him losing the race on the final climb, it's too short). BMC have other cards to play, but Phinney won't be stronger than Dennis and Quinziato and GvA are behind Sagan (and Martin), so BMC will definitely play the Riders of Rohan today, with plan B (and this would be a really bad case scenario) being opportunism and a sprint up the final climb by GvA.

Etixx - Will certainly miss Tom today, but they have a number of cards to play. They've got 5 guys within a minute of Dennis, so they'll use the numbers game and try and send people on medium-range attacks. I expect Stybar and/or Trentin to attack on the penultimate circuit, with Martin or (more likely) Terpstra counterattacking. However, as well as dropping Dennis, they need to deal with Sagan.

Sagan - I think his best hope for an overall victory lies in Etixx starting to play the numbers game relatively early, forcing BMC to control. Sagan should ignore the early moves and hit hard on the final circuit, but it's a huge call.

 

[MacBAir]

Re:

After Wellens going AWOL yesterday, I should probably keep quiet (OK, I didn't think he'd destroy the field, but I thought he would at least try to make a selection).

Anyway, there are obviously three main players

BMC - Yesterday was their dream scenario. The break snapped up all the bonuses. Hence, for someone else to win Dennis will have to be dropped (I can't see him losing the race on the final climb, it's too short). BMC have other cards to play, but Phinney won't be stronger than Dennis and Quinziato and GvA are behind Sagan (and Martin), so BMC will definitely play the Riders of Rohan today, with plan B (and this would be a really bad case scenario) being opportunism and a sprint up the final climb by GvA.

Etixx - Will certainly miss Tom today, but they have a number of cards to play. They've got 5 guys within a minute of Dennis, so they'll use the numbers game and try and send people on medium-range attacks. I expect Stybar and/or Trentin to attack on the penultimate circuit, with Martin or (more likely) Terpstra counterattacking. However, as well as dropping Dennis, they need to deal with Sagan.

Sagan - I think his best hope for an overall victory lies in Etixx starting to play the numbers game relatively early, forcing BMC to control. Sagan should ignore the early moves and hit hard on the final circuit, but it's a huge call.

Yeah Ettix will be passive, tomorrow. Tony seems to be the only one that could do something. They won't tow Sagan.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Looks like no break after more than 50km and the forecast is rain later this afternoon. A wet Muur will be epic!

Signs are promising so far!

 

[Netserk]

Let's hope the (eventual) BotD doesn't get the stage win.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

A break formed after one and a half hours; Wellens, Curvers, Verona, Van Goethem, Anacona, Tleubajev, Sarreau, Nordhaug and Antonini. They've got 1'30.

 

[Samamba]

Anacona is only 1' behind Dennis in GC, so they won't let go of the break. Good for Sagan & EQS.

 

[Velolover2]

Anacona winning this race would be the funniest thing ever.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

So the average speed after 2 hours is 45km/h. At this rate they'll finish at 16:15. Are these cunning little bicyclists trying to finish before the rain?

The break has got 2'44.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Tinkoff chasing now, break got less than a minute