The European season starts: GP d'Ouverture & Étoile de Bessèges

[jens_attacks]

coppel going like a rocket.lol actually bodrogi is way back
rolland to destroy everybody?

 

[Froome19]

TAARAMAE Rein COF 14'51''
probably will not be enough

 

[Froome19]

ENGOULVENT Jimmy SAU 15'41''
After all that...

Coppell must be favorite, would give him a real boost for the tour.(if he gets to ride)
Only Rolland seems to have any hope with only about 4 riders left to finish

 

[will10]

TAARAMAE Rein COF 14'51''
probably will not be enough

probably not, seeing as Coppel had already gone faster when Taaramae finished

 

[will10]

Poor from Rolland, Coppel wins stage + GC.

 

[Ruudz0r]

Coppel takes the double indeed

Vermeulen will take 2nd in GC I think and Taaramae 3rd. Nice ride by Vermeulen.

 

[jens_attacks]

nice win by coppel,pretty impressive just like last year's murcia.too early in the season though.

 

[will10]

Coppel takes the double indeed

Vermeulen will take 2nd in GC I think and Taaramae 3rd. Nice ride by Vermeulen.

Yep by 1 second!

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Pierre dissappoints me

Good win by Coppel though

 

[Michele]

This is the first time trial Rolland did and yes it's still February, but Europcar talked a lot about a new TT frameset and about improving his TT skils in the past months.

 

[maltiv]

Not very impressed by his position, also their TT bike looks like a road bike with aero bars. Definitely doesn't "look" as fast as Shiv or P4 at least.

 

[Michele]

That Colnago model is out from some years already, nothing new.
I would be expecting them to try out the new gear as much as possible but still..it's early february.

 

[pastronef]

http://www.velofotopro.com/photo;20659;2;etoile_de_besseges_etape2.html

look at the pictures from the back of the finishing straight

there's a fight, a FDJ guy and an ACCENT guy

 

[El Pistolero]

http://www.velofotopro.com/photo;20659;2;etoile_de_besseges_etape2.html

look at the pictures from the back of the finishing straight

there's a fight, a FDJ guy and an ACCENT guy

Rob Goris punched an FDJ guy because he insulted him. FDJ filed in a complain with the jury, but they ignored it.

 

[Michele]

That Accent guy is too thin to be Goris.

 

[Christian]

It should be Jempy Drucker, who finished in 7th place and highest of Accent Jobs that day. I remember he complained about a "kamikaze move" by Bouhanni in an interview

Here it is, he sent a text to rtl.lu after the stage:

"I was well-placed for the sprint, Leif Hoste guided me perfectly throughout the local circuit. Then during the actual sprint Bouhanni makes a kamikaze move from left to right over 250 m, I had to brake in order not to fall and then start my effort again. I think I finished around 7th, but it could have been a top 3. I had the right legs and without Bouhanni's move it would certainly have been possible"

http://news.rtl.lu/news/headlines/192185.html

 

[roundabout]

Bouhanni is developing (or already has!) a reputation for being unable to sprint without changing direction.

 

[Bye Bye Bicycle]

GP d'Ouverture 2013

Team list announced today:

Accent Jobs-Wanty
AG2R-La Mondiale
An Post-Sean Kelly
Argos-Shimano
BigMat-Auber 93
Bretagne-Séché Environnement
Cofidis
Euskaltel-Euskadi
FDJ
La Pomme Marseille
Crelan-Euphony
Lotto-Belisol
Roubaix-Lille Métropole
Sojasun
Team Europcar
Topsport Vlaanderen
Vacansoleil-DCM

The parcous seems to be unchanged.