ENECO Tour August 17 - 24

[Reverend_T_Preedy]

What an effort by Griepel. I take my hat off to you.

What kind of sprint was that by EBH? He seemed to give up. Strange, very strange

 

[hrotha]

EBH

loses it again

again

chapeau gorilla

This is getting old.

 

[sublimit]

Roelandts second i think.
Greiple times his sprints so well unlike some of the Sky riders tend to.

 

[Kwibus]

Well the last 50kms were kinda interesting with a lot of attacks, but all futile with a hard headwind and a silly stage with the last hill at 35km from the finish.

Despite that a very very very impressive win by Greipel. Getting dropped at every hill. Coming back everytime and doing a lot of chasing work for Martin. After the last km he had to close the gap to the peloton on his own. After doing it he posted himself at the front of the peloton to chase for Martin again.
After that still being able to win the sprint from EBH for example is impressive.

 

[The Hitch]

ebh

5th prologue,
messed up stage 1 from potential winning position
3rd stage 2,
4th stage 3
3rd stage 4 (despite leading out hendo)
3rd stage 6

3rd Vattenfalls

3rd a few times in tdf.

 

[jens_attacks]

greipel,helluva ride today!

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Greipel's victory smile is a bit like looking as a piranha fish - eats EBH

 

[Sneekes]

ebh

5th prologue,
messed up stage 1 from potential winning position
3rd stage 2,
4th stage 3
3rd stage 4 (despite leading out hendo)
3rd stage 6

3rd Vattenfalls

3rd a few times in tdf.

So pretty good then!
Talented rider, aged 23 - makes some tactical mistakes - it's hardly surprising is it?

 

[Jamsque]

What kind of sprint was that by EBH? He seemed to give up. Strange, very strange

He didn't give up, he was going flat-out to the line. Maybe he has lost a little of the kick he had when he was fresher at the start of the season, but honestly I am coming to the conclusion that he just isn't that fast. He's quick, but only quick enough to win if he gets dropped off less than 100m from the line, or if there aren't any top-tier sprinters in the race.

 

[The Hitch]

This year htc have the eneco tour in the bag and have already got 2 stages.

As good as they did last year with Eddie. Martin is odds on to get stage win tomorow as well
I think eddie will prove them wrong eventually though.

 

[The Hitch]

So pretty good then!
Talented rider, aged 23 - makes some tactical mistakes - it's hardly surprising is it?

i never said he made mistakes. I was praising his consistency. I still have hopes of eddy being the next mercx, or at least the next valverde. I really dont want him to become just a sprinter, though the above list shows that even at 23 he is already a very good sprinter.

 

[Ryaguas]

If He can have this form next year, Manxman won't have an easy year...

Greipel is just to strong... He took that sprint so easy...! Awesome...! Congratz to him...!

 

[maltiv]

I really hope Edvald doesn't continue his sprinting focus, because then he will continue getting 2. and 3. forever. He should focus on TTs and improving his climbing/focus more on the classics.

 

[Sneekes]

i never said he made mistakes. I was praising his consistency. I still have hopes of eddy being the next mercx, or at least the next valverde. I really dont want him to become just a sprinter, though the above list shows that even at 23 he is already a very good sprinter.

My bad, took it the wrong way. Seen too many anti-Sky threads!

I think he's kind of a Freire/Hushovd hybrid. He's just still a little green - and I think he's been let down a little by Sky's inability to adapt their game-plan mid-race. But they will improve, and so will he.

 

[The Hitch]

I really hope Edvald doesn't continue his sprinting focus, because then he will continue getting 2. and 3. forever. He should focus on TTs and improving his climbing/focus more on the classics.

Like i said, next valverde. So gts, lbls msrs and worlds.

 

[Cobblestoned]

That one was a quite impressive win - even for a cavcalled "sh**race"

 

[ingsve]

He didn't give up, he was going flat-out to the line. Maybe he has lost a little of the kick he had when he was fresher at the start of the season, but honestly I am coming to the conclusion that he just isn't that fast. He's quick, but only quick enough to win if he gets dropped off less than 100m from the line, or if there aren't any top-tier sprinters in the race.

Well, he's not the speediest in the world but he's quicker then 90% of other sprinters out there. I would say that Cav, Greipel, Farrar, Petacchi and perhaps two or three more are consistently faster than him but other than that he is as fast or faster than most others.

 

[Nick C.]

From the live report here, an unprecedented win by Greipel, who the hell collects bidons, chases on, takes up pacemaking to pull back breakaways and then winds the bunch sprint. WOW

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Downhill sprint, so no one can defeat Greipel there I guess. Bit of an anti-climax to see Greipel win the "mountain" stage though.

Downhill?

Not really.
Against the wind power sprint. Yes.

And against the wind power spriint >>>> Greipel

 

[Ryaguas]

Greipel's victory smile is a bit like looking as a piranha fish - eats EBH

I don't know but He remembers me a Velocyraptor... with his smile and also is so facking fast!

Well poor EBH... too much pressure on him...

"and EBH loses the sprint" mmmm Where I have heard that before... ah yes.. In every single page of this thread and the 2/3 of the threads in CN forum...

Next Valverde?? mmmm nah... I don't think so.. well maybe is cuz I don't have too much faith on him... but He can become a great rider...

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

He didn't give up, he was going flat-out to the line. Maybe he has lost a little of the kick he had when he was fresher at the start of the season, but honestly I am coming to the conclusion that he just isn't that fast. He's quick, but only quick enough to win if he gets dropped off less than 100m from the line, or if there aren't any top-tier sprinters in the race.

It was against the wind.

If you lead out early against the wind you are always going backwards no matter if you are Hagen or Cavendish or worlds fastest Ferrari

 

[The Hitch]

My bad, took it the wrong way. Seen too many anti-Sky threads!

I think he's kind of a Freire/Hushovd hybrid. He's just still a little green - and I think he's been let down a little by Sky's inability to adapt their game-plan mid-race. But they will improve, and so will he.

Neither of those can ride away from the field on hilly stages like EBH did on last stage of the Dauphine, and neither is a master at short and long itts like EBH. He will be better than both the above mentioned riders.

 

[Mellow Velo]

EBH sprinter = Edvald Beaten Hagain.
I'm a bit concerned that he is starting to look like master Jack of all trades, but a master of none.

A Valverde style classics rider seems the obvious niche, but will he ever be able to climb as well as Piti?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

well at least he kicks Boom's *** at everthing now.

There were times where Boom could actually beat Hagen, especially in little tours like this one. When they were both racing against eachother as espoirs

 

[ingsve]

I really hope Edvald doesn't continue his sprinting focus, because then he will continue getting 2. and 3. forever. He should focus on TTs and improving his climbing/focus more on the classics.

+1

I wish they would bring back the old World Cup because I think he could do very well in the overall. Withinh a few years he should be able to podium at least half of the World Cup races like MSR, RVV, P-R, Cyclassic, P-Tours and could possibly do well in AGR as well in the future.