Hot racing coming up in Australia

[Jancouver]

Bonifazio was closing fast but the UHC guy had such a big gap to start with that it would be a shame if he didn't win it.

Obviously, being biased, I'm happy for the UHC team.

 

[PeterB]

Re:

That celebrating UHC guy at the back almost made it to the Celebrating too early thread...

 

[Pricey_sky]

Stream for todays stage up to Arthurs Seat: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/herald-sun-tour-stage-4-peter-kennaugh-chris-froome-lead-team-sky-on-final-stage/news-story/db1b3213ac36abdd76801b8a931cfffe

 

[42x16ss]

Watching the stage and it's very hard to tell Trek from One Pro Cycling.

4 man break caught, Sky taking over.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

Watching the stage and it's very hard to tell Trek from One Pro Cycling.

4 man break caught, Sky taking over.

Im finding it hard too, in the bright sun you cant really pick out the light blue colouring on the OnePro jerseys.

Froome not in Oz for a holiday as he goes off the front to take the 1st Arthurs Seat KoM points.

 

[TMP402]

Mild drama as Froome moves into the virtual lead with one ascent of Arthur's Seat to go...

 

[42x16ss]

Froome's attacking solo and holding a gap, Liggett about to have an orgasm. Howson chasing strongly.

 

[TMP402]

Kennaugh having a scrap with some Avanti riders?

 

[Pricey_sky]

Re:

Kennaugh having a scrap with some Avanti riders?

Looked like he was chasing after a rider after getting off his bike. Cameras too focused on Froome out front and not what what was happening in the chasing pack.

 

[Pricey_sky]

Final GC:
Froome
Kennaugh +.29
Howson +1.01
Bobridge +1.04
Haig +1.14

 

[JRanton]

Re:

Kennaugh having a scrap with some Avanti riders?

Yeah, I wonder what that was about. Maybe he got knocked by one of them on the climb?

 

[TMP402]

Re: Re:

Kennaugh having a scrap with some Avanti riders?

Yeah, I wonder what that was about. Maybe he got knocked by one of them on the climb?

That would certainly explain why he only got 7th - out of step with his form since Cadel's race.

 

[Jancouver]

 

[timmers]

I think it was why did Joe Cooper attack as it cost Kennaugh the GC win. But Avanti ended up with two riders in top ten on GC in 7th and 9th. Dion Smith from One was the big loser.

 

[JRanton]

Re: Re:

Kennaugh having a scrap with some Avanti riders?

Yeah, I wonder what that was about. Maybe he got knocked by one of them on the climb?

That would certainly explain why he only got 7th - out of step with his form since Cadel's race.

Yeah, if he'd had that form then he would have got very close to Froome I reckon.

 

[JRanton]

Re:

I think it was why did Joe Cooper attack as it cost Kennaugh the GC win. But Avanti ended up with two riders in top ten on GC in 7th and 9th. Dion Smith from One was the big loser.

That would be strange from Kennaugh given that Avanti had 4 riders in the top 10 heading into the final stage. It makes perfect sense for them to send one of those guys on the attack after the second time up the climb. They were really impressive in this race. Good development team.

 

[The Hegelian]

My (unfounded but most plausible) interpretation: Kennaugh was pissed to lose GC, and he had to vent somewhere non-Sky/Froome related. At the end of the day, he got a pretty bad hand there. Froome did the right thing, as did Cooper - but you'd assume Kennaugh would have loved to have the win on his palmares, and probably plan A was to gift it to him.

 

[JRanton]

Re:

My (unfounded but most plausible) interpretation: Kennaugh was pissed to lose GC, and he had to vent somewhere non-Sky/Froome related. At the end of the day, he got a pretty bad hand there. Froome did the right thing, as did Cooper - but you'd assume Kennaugh would have loved to have the win on his palmares, and probably plan A was to gift it to him.

Yes, I think you're probably right. Kennaugh is notorious for being a bit of a hot head (he admits he's an emotional rider) so probably just let frustration get the better of him. I'd feel a bit worse for him if he hadn't won Cadel's race and took a stage in this race.

 

[JRanton]

Re: Re:

Am I right in assuming there's no tv coverage?

final stage Arthurs Seat is televised.

Am at the race again this year. Driving Race Doctor. First two stages were crackers. Stage 1 especially.

Yeah they really have done a good job with the route this year, the Yarra Valley is a cyclists paradise with so many cracking roads so hopefully they head back next year

Yes, the route was very impressive. You had a different racing outcome on each day. The short prologue on the 1st day, a successful attack on a significant hill followed by a descent to the finish on the 2nd, a sprint from a 6 man group on the 3rd day, a bunch sprint on the 4th and then a solo win on a hill top finish on the Queen stage to finish the race. Very nice work from the organisers and riders.

 

[JRanton]

Re:

My (unfounded but most plausible) interpretation: Kennaugh was pissed to lose GC, and he had to vent somewhere non-Sky/Froome related. At the end of the day, he got a pretty bad hand there. Froome did the right thing, as did Cooper - but you'd assume Kennaugh would have loved to have the win on his palmares, and probably plan A was to gift it to him.

We were both wrong apparently (although maybe he was headbutted by one of them ):

PETER Kennaugh has defended a tense confrontation with Victorian rider Pat Shaw in the immediate aftermath of the Jayco Herald Sun Tour after angry clashes earlier on the road.

The British Olympic champion confronted Shaw at Arthurs Seat, gesturing furiously at the veteran Ballarat rider after an exchange that revealed the language of the peloton.

Tour de France champion Chris Froome won the race, but attention switched to his teammate when he was visibly agitated after crossing the line.

“It was absolutely disgusting,” Kennaugh said after the race.

“When our director said to us on the last lap to ride, to keep it (the time gap) at 40 seconds to protect my second place on ‘GC’ (general classification), he (Shaw) just came up to me and (was) laughing in my face.

“He called me a selfish c---. Pat Shaw his name is.

“(He said) `I don’t know how you sleep at night, you’re disgusting’ and all this. He obviously wanted to beat me on GC.

“I just went up to him and confronted him and he wouldn’t look me in the eye.

“A bit of sour note to end it on. It’s sport, I guess, but there’s no need for it to happen.”

Contesting his ninth Herald Sun Tour, Shaw would not comment on the clash.

It is understood there were plenty of niggles on the road between Avanti and Sky.

There were unverified claims post-race of headbutting between riders.

The Herald Sun understands Shaw believed Kennaugh had ordered his teammates to chase down Froome.

Denying making any such order, Kennaugh said he was bewildered by Shaw’s antics.

“I just confronted him at the finish, as I always do if there’s an argument, just to sort it out,” the Briton said.

“You can’t just speak to people like that on the bike. You wouldn’t walk up to people like that in the street. You’ve got to have respect for every person.

“Tensions are high, there’s stress. I don’t know where it came from but it was very personal.

“I’ve loved the race, it’s been great racing every stage.”

Kennaugh said he had enjoyed racing against the Australian teams.

“It’s been great racing, great preparation for the season,” he said.

“I love Australia. I love coming here.”

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/herald-sun-tour-stage-4-peter-kennaugh-chris-froome-lead-team-sky-on-final-stage/news-story/db1b3213ac36abdd76801b8a931cfffe#load-story-comments

Very odd behaviour from Shaw.

 

[fatsprintking]

Not really that odd. He had a teammate away with Froome and yet sky were on the front chasing. Keeping it to 40 seconds? Pat called him a selfish c--t, partly because he likely was and secondly to sledge him to try and give his teammate a chance. You may not like it but it's not strange.

 

[DBotero]

I don't get what's wrong with Kennaugh protecting his 2nd place He was supposed to win this race after all.Froome should have left this one to Kennaugh.

 

[jens_attacks]

Lol at kennaugh
He must have fuming hahaha

 

[HelloDolly]

I haven't seen the race but I don't undestand this "“When our director said to us on the last lap to ride, to keep it (the time gap) at 40 seconds to protect my second place on ‘GC’ (general classification),"

Why were SKY not protecting Kennaugh's lead ...surely Froome could have done without this win and left it to Kennaugh

 

[Eagle]

Re:

I haven't seen the race but I don't undestand this "“When our director said to us on the last lap to ride, to keep it (the time gap) at 40 seconds to protect my second place on ‘GC’ (general classification),"

Why were SKY not protecting Kennaugh's lead ...surely Froome could have done without this win and left it to Kennaugh

They wanted Froome to win the King of the Mountains, according to Kennaugh

Once he [Froome] went and got the king of the mountains, which was our aim for him to win that as well, and then he just sat on the guy [Cooper] and we just sat behind.

From this article
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/kennaugh-and-shaw-involved-in-altercation-at-jayco-herald-sun-tour/