Eneco Tour - 8th to 14th August

[Waterloo Sunrise]

EBH drops 8 seconds to Phinney!

The race will be decided over the weekend, not by this ITT.

Was it not 2 seconds?

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

EBH drops 8 seconds to Phinney!

The race will be decided over the weekend, not by this ITT.
Gilbert will have to attack and guess who'll be collateral damage?

2 seconds.

 

[AussieGoddess]

great ride by Phil.

I think he can win it from here ...

 

[sTTevie]

Phil only looses 12 seconds to Eddy ... it's still wide open

 

[Mellow Velo]

GC:
1) EBH
2) P Gilbert @12"
3) D Millar @ 18"
4) D Harmon's lovechild @ 27"

He's still talking about him!

 

[Tuarts]

Final Stage results:

1. J. Sergeant 20" B.P (Before Phinney)
2 A. Rasmussen 16" B.P
3 J. Roelandts 10" B.P
4 V. Isaichev 3" B.P
5 L. Boom 3" B.P
6 J. Mouris 0" B.P
7 Tjallingii M. 0" B.P
8 T. Phinney 0:18 '25 "
9 E. Boasson Hagen 2" A.P
10 B. Grabsch 4" A.P

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

As long as Sky don't fall asleep, its over.

Gilbert needs climbs near the end of a stage to take time - he's proven he can't survive more than 5km of flat on his own, and he won't be able to take a group with him without taking Eddy too.

 

[Ferminal]

Well played Tuarts

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Well played Tuarts

+1, much lol.

 

[Mellow Velo]

As long as Sky don't fall asleep, its over.

Gilbert needs climbs near the end of a stage to take time - he's proven he can't survive more than 5km of flat on his own, and he won't be able to take a group with him without taking Eddy too.

Hard to tell, but tomorrow's profile suggests an uphill finish. If it's a ramp???
Time bonus and a couple of seconds gap could make it close.

Oh yeah, just seen it. +2 Nice one T.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

good for EBH
2 pretty good stages to go and tight race still

 

[Tuarts]

Mouris did a good T.T actually. Good as in, I didn't know he could TT. Nice

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Hard to tell, but tomorrow's profile suggests an uphill finish. If it's a ramp???
Time bonus and a couple of seconds gap could make it close.

Oh yeah, just seen it. +2 Nice one T.

The organisers have named and graded EVERYTHING, including 500m sections of 3%. If it was in any way notable, they would have said.

Boasson might be in bad form but he'll still beat Gilbert on any sprint below 4%.


EDIT, as per the race site -

13 August 5th stage Genk - Genk
The start of the transitional stage of the Eneco Tour is on the pleasant town square of Genk, which now is the setting for a stage start for the third consecutive time. Via places like Tongeren the peloton races towards Liège, taking on board various climbs (including the Halembeye). The way back towards Genk leads through the hilly Meuse valley region, with the ultimate climb at 25 km from the finish.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Then Gilbert's had it.

 

[Ferminal]

Then Gilbert's had it.

Nah, there is a speed bump on the final stage, like the one in San Seb he attacked on

Not even Phinney will be able to match him on the vicious 800m @ 3.8%

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Then Gilbert's had it.

prolly so... can this make his votes for 'rider of the year' skyrocket any more?

 

[sTTevie]

tomorrow there are 2 uphill sprints ...

Bois La Dame –1300m, 8,3 %
Hallembaye Nord –750m, 8,7 %

& there's 2 on Sunday as well

Cauberg -800m, 7,5 %
Bergstrasse –1000m, 3,6 %


it's gonna be fun

 

[Tank Engine]

Good ride from Phil, but why the organisers put the last climb of the Cauberg 60km from the finish of the last stage a couple of short 4% climbs not particularly close to the finish beats me. Something crazy will have to happen for EBH to lose this.

 

[Tank Engine]

tomorrow there are 2 uphill sprints ...

Bois La Dame –1300m, 8,3 %
Hallembaye Nord –750m, 8,7 %

& there's 2 on Sunday as well

Cauberg -800m, 7,5 %
Bergstrasse –1000m, 3,6 %


it's gonna be fun

Maybe. But those are mid stage and I can't see Lotto controlling it so Gilbert even gets a shot at the intermediates.

 

[Waterloo Sunrise]

Maybe. But those are mid stage and I can't see Lotto controlling it so Gilbert even gets a shot at the intermediates.

And even if they did, and Phil took them all, he'd only pull level. Then a 3rd in any of those or a final sprint would give EBH his lead back by right.


If EBH doesn't win, he or Sky have cocked up somehow.

 

[VeloMaster]

Looking good for EBH but Gilbert and Lotto will make a run at it. Between intermediate sprints and stage-end time bonuses, it could still be very close.

 

[jobiwan]

Well done Sergeant! Did the GC guys suffer due to weather or something?

 

[Aguirre]

5 bonus sprints 3, 2, 1 sec

3 uphill for Phil

2 flat for EBH

2 finals with bonus 10, 6, 4 (1 uphill + 1 flat)

+ 12 seconds for Eddy= makes Hagen winner, doesn't?

 

[maltiv]

Good, controlled TT by Edvald. He's not in top shape but could end up with this GC win by default because of his superior all-round abilities. Gilbert is always dangerous though and Sky might find a way to screw this up, as a team they've been a bit disappointing. G and Swift are clearly out of form (can't blame them, they've raced quite a lot). I really fear that OPL will set a blistering pace to isolate EBH and then the attacks will start, which was what happened last year on stage 3 when everyone teamed up against him. Hopefully the likes of Barry, Flecha and Knees can keep things under control.

 

[Amsterhammer]

Well done Sergeant! Did the GC guys suffer due to weather or something?

Yes, the earlier riders had dry conditions, then some rode in the rain, while the contenders who started late had a partially dry surface with plenty of wet patches, particularly in bends. Given the varying conditions, EBH and Taylor rode the best times.