9th La Tropicale Amissa Bongo (2.1) 13th - 19th January

[Geraint Too Fast]

This race needs a thread.

OFFICIAL SITE

START LIST

Stage 1: Bitam → Ebolowa (149km)

Stage 2: Awoua → Oyem (120km)

Stage 3: Ndjolé → Lambaréné (133km)

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Stage 4: Lambaréné → Mouila (190km)

Stage 5: Bifoun → Ntoum (143km)

Stage 6: Port-Gentil circuit (126km)

Stage 7: Owendo → Libreville circuit (130km)

 

[BigMac]

My money is on Amanuel Gebrezgabihier.

I have no idea of what I'm doing

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Petit will destroy the field.

 

[Ruudz0r]

Lulu for the win!

 

[Afrank]

Sanchez and Gerdemann to show everyone they still have it.

(based purely on them being the only guys on my CQ team competing here )

 

[jens_attacks]

gene ftw!

although i wish, i don't think lulu will bother too much

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

Lulu bothers - he's in the first group of the day, along with Gerdemann, Sénéchal, Berhane, Niyonshuti, Robert and others. They may well pull this through.

 

[fauniera]

It's a hard fight. The advantage has dropped to 1:30.

 

[del1962]

10 and a half minute advantage with 50k to go

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Stage 1

1. Luis Leon Sanchez
2. Egoitz Garcia
3. Natnael Berhane
4. Linus Gerdemann
5. Gregory Habeaux

 

[jens_attacks]

lulu = la grand classe

still stupid that a rider of his caliber ended at caja rural

 

[Wallenquist]

Looks like top riders from top teams just rode away from the rest. Interesting how will GC battle develop in further stages with no bonus seconds at the finish.

 

[Flamin]

How did that group with Robert among others manage to lose almost 3 minutes to their fellow breakaway companions, in a flat stage?

 

[skidmark]

CQ seems to be listing Garcia as the leader at 11 seconds over Lulu... vagaries of provisional results, or were there an insane amount of time bonuses on course? I can't see an 11 second lead to the winner of the stage, if there are that many intermediate bonuses the finishing ones have to be quite high too...

 

[the sceptic]

"It's reassuring for me victory , the Spaniard said . Does that mean I have already found a good feeling despite the strong heat that changes us from the cold in Europe. " With bonuses intermediate sprints is another Spanish occupying the leading position of the event with a second ahead of Sanchez and seven Berhane

1 second ahead apparently

 

[burning]

CQ seems to be listing Garcia as the leader at 11 seconds over Lulu... vagaries of provisional results, or were there an insane amount of time bonuses on course? I can't see an 11 second lead to the winner of the stage, if there are that many intermediate bonuses the finishing ones have to be quite high too...

He probably got 6 seconds for finishing second and 5 seconds at the intermediate sprints

http://www.tropicaleamissabongo.com/sites/default/files/tropicale-data/PointsChauds1_0.pdf

http://www.tropicaleamissabongo.com/sites/default/files/tropicale-data/General1_1.pdf

 

[fraserhughes]

Full stage results showing bonus seconds:
http://www.tropicaleamissabongo.com/sites/default/files/tropicale-data/Etape1_1.pdf

Also, seems there are 10 leaders jerseys!
http://www.tropicaleamissabongo.com/en/rating-2014

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Full stage results showing bonus seconds:
http://www.tropicaleamissabongo.com/sites/default/files/tropicale-data/Etape1_1.pdf

Also, seems there are 10 leaders jerseys!
http://www.tropicaleamissabongo.com/en/rating-2014

Gotta love when a race explodes like this on stage 1.
However all the bigger teams got at least one rider at the top.

Could lock the race a bit. Lets see.

Lulu will probably end up with 10-15 victories this year.

 

[skidmark]

He probably got 6 seconds for finishing second and 5 seconds at the intermediate sprints

http://www.tropicaleamissabongo.com/sites/default/files/tropicale-data/PointsChauds1_0.pdf

http://www.tropicaleamissabongo.com/sites/default/files/tropicale-data/General1_1.pdf

Thanks, that makes more sense, CQ had him at 24 seconds and Lulu at 35, not 34 and 35. Either way, what an early explosion!

 

[trevim]

Luis Leon is a world class stage hunter. In some low-level races he can get some good wins.

 

[burning]

Thanks, that makes more sense, CQ had him at 24 seconds and Lulu at 35, not 34 and 35. Either way, what an early explosion!

The time at CQ's is the time of stage, not the GC time of LLS, his GC time is 10 seconds lover than his stage result obviously.

 

[Ferminal]

How did that group with Robert among others manage to lose almost 3 minutes to their fellow breakaway companions, in a flat stage?

Look at the names. Robert/Bernaudeau/Nyonshuti are very average anyway but were probably driving the break for their stronger teammates. None of the others are remotely close to the standard of the first eight (Habeaux has done well to be up there?). There's no real hiding in a breakaway, you can sit at the back and not take any turns but you're still not getting the same protection as you would in the bunch. Then when everyone gets fed up and attacks you are either dropped or have to chase yourself so it's safest to still roll through even if your turns on the front are one second.

 

[hfer07]

1st Stage highlights
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQMTrA5hAac

 

[Flamin]

Look at the names. Robert/Bernaudeau/Nyonshuti are very average anyway but were probably driving the break for their stronger teammates. None of the others are remotely close to the standard of the first eight (Habeaux has done well to be up there?). There's no real hiding in a breakaway, you can sit at the back and not take any turns but you're still not getting the same protection as you would in the bunch. Then when everyone gets fed up and attacks you are either dropped or have to chase yourself so it's safest to still roll through even if your turns on the front are one second.

Yeah, Robert was the one who mainly caught my eye from that group, since he won 2 stages here last year. But I forgot he's not a Lotto rider anymore and had 2 teammates in the breakaway indeed

Need images to get used to all those transfers again