ENECO Tour(WT), 12th-18th August 2013

[Netserk]

I hate Hushovd too.

Same here.

That's why I said he's no Hushovd, as I don't hate Stybar

 

[Cult Classics]

This race gets a lot of criticism on this forum, but isn't it nice to have a world tour race with a different type of rider contesting GC? Someone whose response to leading isn't just "this is great prep for the Giro/Tour/Vuelta"?

 

[jonjungel]

This race gets a lot of criticism on this forum, but isn't it nice to have a world tour race with a different type of rider contesting GC? Someone whose response to leading isn't just "this is great prep for the Giro/Tour/Vuelta"?

I think most of the criticism of earlier years was well deserved. The course just wasn't hard enough to make for good racing.
This year there are some hard stages, and personally I think the race has been very good.

 

[Kwibus]

This race gets a lot of criticism on this forum, but isn't it nice to have a world tour race with a different type of rider contesting GC? Someone whose response to leading isn't just "this is great prep for the Giro/Tour/Vuelta"?

Like above poster allready mentioned. Previous years the critism was deserved.

This year the course is pretty much what it should be with the terrain that's possible. Imo make a hilly stage in dutch Limburg as well instead of the TT it had this year and add a flat TT of 15-20km.

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

So, they started in the rain apparently, to make the cobbled stage even more fun, even though it ought to clear up by the time the finale stats. There's also some wind, nothing too bad though.

Stybar:
"Rain, 208km, cobble stones, climbs, wind and improve 1 place in GC #enecotour - this I'm calling big challenge."

Harsh conditions and cobbles should favor Stybar though. But Tom Dumoulin was much stronger yesterday and he's not too much of a lightweight, which helps on cobbles. Dumoulin might stand a chance because of being much stronger than Stybar, but normally Stybar should take this, being a good cobbled rider, having an easier parcour than yesterday which suits him more, and having a stronger team. Boom also announced wanting to do something this stage and I'm sure guys like Pozzato are wanting to show themselves here too in a terrain that suits them. Should be a great race!

Everybody is morally obliged to cheer for Dumoulin though, because he was so awesome yesterday

Do we have a good nickname for him already? I came across Tom Dumolition, but I dunno.

 

[Ruudz0r]

So, they started in the rain apparently, to make the cobbled stage even more fun, even though it ought to clear up by the time the finale stats. There's also some wind, nothing too bad though.

Stybar:
"Rain, 208km, cobble stones, climbs, wind and improve 1 place in GC #enecotour - this I'm calling big challenge."

Harsh conditions and cobbles should favor Stybar though. But Tom Dumoulin was much stronger yesterday and he's not too much of a lightweight, which helps on cobbles. Dumoulin might stand a chance because of being much stronger than Stybar, but normally Stybar should take this, being a good cobbled rider, having an easier parcour than yesterday which suits him more, and having a stronger team. Boom also announced wanting to do something this stage and I'm sure guys like Pozzato are wanting to show themselves here too in a terrain that suits them. Should be a great race!

Everybody is morally obliged to cheer for Dumoulin though, because he was so awesome yesterday

Do we have a good nickname for him already? I came across Tom Dumolition, but I dunno.

His nickname is the butterfly given by his teammates, Dumoulin hates it though.

 

[search]

I hope Tom Dumoulin simply finishes with a solo tomorrow. That'd be great.

is he good on the cobbles? he might lack a bit of experience

 

[manafana]

stybar is good any way so thats playing into his hands, i am sure dumoulin will be ok on them but its more about whats left in his legs.

 

[Michele]

Yesterday route didnt suit perfectly the OPQS guys, but by seeing the form Stybar, Tersptra and Chava have, they should be able to get the GC jersey.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

is he good on the cobbles? he might lack a bit of experience

Yes, because experience on cobbles matters so much, as we saw with Contador last year. Not

Strength isnt the issue. But team strength is. Certainly vs Omega. Omega could do a lot tactically with Chavanel/Stybar combo, as we saw yesterday. That could definately defeat Dumoulin. He can't solve everything alone. He'll need De Kort and Degenkolb in the final

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Yes, because experience on cobbles matters so much, as we saw with Contador last year. Not

Strength isnt the issue. But team strength is. Certainly vs Omega. Omega could do a lot tactically with Chavanel/Stybar combo, as we saw yesterday. That could definately defeat Dumoulin. He can't solve everything alone. He'll need De Kort and Degenkolb in the final

Degenkolb didn't start today. Sucks hard for Dumoulin.

 

[Pharazon]

8 man break:

Van Keirsbulck, Boaro, Stannard, Greipel, Nizzolo, Kern, Ruben Perez, Ligthart

 

[search]

Yes, because experience on cobbles matters so much, as we saw with Contador last year. Not

8th place, 10 seconds down, will not be enough to win this race.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

8th place, 10 seconds down, will not be enough to win this race.[/QUOT

Obviously not, but Dumoulin is better than Contador at this stuff I think. Although Stybar is also better than Boom

 

[Dazed and Confused]

8 man break:

Van Keirsbulck, Boaro, Stannard, Greipel, Nizzolo, Kern, Ruben Perez, Ligthart

Pretty strong break.

Stannard FTW.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

coverage beginning here
http://enecocampaigns.com/2013/tour/

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Westra fell earlier today. He's back now but looked like a long pursuit

 

[Bushman]

So, they started in the rain apparently, to make the cobbled stage even more fun, even though it ought to clear up by the time the finale stats. There's also some wind, nothing too bad though.

Stybar:
"Rain, 208km, cobble stones, climbs, wind and improve 1 place in GC #enecotour - this I'm calling big challenge."

Harsh conditions and cobbles should favor Stybar though. But Tom Dumoulin was much stronger yesterday and he's not too much of a lightweight, which helps on cobbles. Dumoulin might stand a chance because of being much stronger than Stybar, but normally Stybar should take this, being a good cobbled rider, having an easier parcour than yesterday which suits him more, and having a stronger team. Boom also announced wanting to do something this stage and I'm sure guys like Pozzato are wanting to show themselves here too in a terrain that suits them. Should be a great race!

Everybody is morally obliged to cheer for Dumoulin though, because he was so awesome yesterday

Do we have a good nickname for him already? I came across Tom Dumolition, but I dunno.

How was he much stronger? If he was, then he would have likely dropped Stybar. The terrain was clearly hard enough to make the difference had he been able to. I'm not trying to take anything away from Dumoulin, he was mighty impressive. But I think some of you are underrating stybar's strenght due to the fact that he didn't pull.

 

[pastronef]

I was looking here and other forums: not even a word for David Lopez who was the only one holding off the charging peloton yesterday...
nobody liked it? ...It must be the jersey he's wearing...

 

[akrogirl]

Degenkolb didn't start today. Sucks hard for Dumoulin.

Especially as de Kort is probably a little tired from the 25km pull the guys did yesterday to get Dumoulin back to the peloton after the fall. Still hoping that Dumoulin can manage to pull this off. Looks like there are still several AS guys up there at the moment.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I was looking here and other forums: not even a word for David Lopez who was the only one holding off the charging peloton yesterday...
nobody liked it? ...It must be the jersey he's wearing...

Nobody cared, it wasn't the real battle.

 

[trevim]

I was looking here and other forums: not even a word for David Lopez who was the only one holding off the charging peloton yesterday...
nobody liked it? ...It must be the jersey he's wearing...

It was certainly strange to see a spanish climber winning at Eneco Tour. I liked it though as I'm a fan of Lopez.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Finally some action in the peloton.
About 29km left.

 

[Geraint Too Fast]

Daniel Oss ftw.

 

[trevim]

Wow Stannard going Cancellara on Greipel/Boonen!