Abu Dhabi Tour 2018, Feb 21-25

[TourOfSardinia]

Movistar drilling on the front while some are off the back

Are we echeolon-ing?

Half a minute
back to the 2nd (Kristoff?) group now

Epic race on now!

 

[TourOfSardinia]

-25km

 

[Samamba]

Second group coming back.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

All coming back together now that Movistar
got the sprint points

 

[Kazistuta]

So noone is going to take some easy seconds? Only Cannibalverde is seemingly up for it...

 

[Eyeballs Out]

Still not a very big peloton. Maybe 80 riders ?

And now another group rejoins so maybe everyone now

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Viviani!

 

[LosBrolin]

Re:

Halvorsen didnt looked(yet) like he's got the power to mixed it up with the big guns...

Looked bit better today. 4th ahead of Ewan.

 

[Samamba]

Greipel back to his "I'm afraid to follow someone's wheel" form. Still don't know how he won two stages Down Under with that attitude.

Great win for Viviani, best leadout.

 

[wirral]

I am mystified by yet another Kittel no show.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Stage

 

[Samamba]

Re:

I am mystified by yet another Kittel no show.

He looked like he had done 15 Mont Ventoux's with 15k to go.

 

[Netserk]

Valverde the only GC rider who has collected bonus seconds?

 

[TourOfSardinia]

GC

NB Valverde

 

[Kazistuta]

Re:

Valverde the only GC rider who has collected bonus seconds?

I found it rather strange that noone else in the front group found it worthwhile to sprint at the intermediate.

And what is up with the placement of Halvorsens helmet? That's definitely not up to safety regulations!

 

[yaco]

Viviani actually rode off his sprint train in the final km and I am certain came from behind Ewan - Ewan waited and waited and waited before starting his sprint - Ewan needs to time his sprints better - Kittel seems a million miles away from a win, so let's hope he can improve.

 

[WheelofGear]

Re:

I am mystified by yet another Kittel no show.

Can't handle anything. Tiny bumps, (real) cobbles, crosswinds.. nothing.

 

[WheelofGear]

Crosswinds again tomorrow?

 

[rghysens]

Re: Re:

I am mystified by yet another Kittel no show.

Can't handle anything. Tiny bumps, (real) cobbles, crosswinds.. nothing.

I guess the weight of his augmenting bank account is slowing him down.

 

[Sestriere]

Re: Re:

I am mystified by yet another Kittel no show.

Can't handle anything. Tiny bumps, (real) cobbles, crosswinds.. nothing.

I guess the weight of his augmenting bank account is slowing him down.

Yep, he rides like he just sacked a 3 years @ 5m € sort of deal. Totally different to when he joined Quickstep.

 

[Son of Amsterhammer]

Viviani on the other hand looks very hungry!

 

[DNP-Old]

Superman crashed.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Re:

Superman crashed.

So did Major Tom. Though seems to have only superficial wounds.

 

[King Boonen]

Re:

Viviani actually rode off his sprint train in the final km and I am certain came from behind Ewan - Ewan waited and waited and waited before starting his sprint - Ewan needs to time his sprints better - Kittel seems a million miles away from a win, so let's hope he can improve.

Viviani was on Van Poppel's wheel for a little while before the sprint kicked off. Ewan was next to him and didn't follow, he seemed to wait for Halvorsen to go past and then try to come off his wheel. Maybe a headwind and he thought he could kick past them all right at the end?

 

[Koronin]

Re:

Valverde the only GC rider who has collected bonus seconds?

Yes. Although not fully surprising and he's always been more willing to go after intermediate sprints and even depending on circumstances mix it up with the sprinters at the end of a stage.