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

[Froome19]

Rolland wins!!
A taste of things to come?

 

[Duartista]

Pierre Rolland wins the stage! Impressive riding from him and Vermeulen.

 

[TeoSheva]

1 Pierre Rolland (Europcar)
2 Franck Vermeulen (Véranda Rideau-Super U)
3 Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ-BigMat)
4 Stéphane Poulhiès (Saur-Sojasun)
5 Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil-DCM)
6 Marco Marcato (Vacansoleil-DCM)
7 Sébastien Chavanel (Europcar)

impressive Bouhanni too!

 

[roundabout]

Vermeulen must be the oldest new professional since like forever.

 

[Froome19]

8 Jean-Luc Delpech (Bretagne-Schuller)
9 Bobbie Traksel (Landbouwkrediet)
10 Benjamin Giraud (La Pomme Marseille)
11 Armindo Fonseca (Bretagne-Schuller)
12 Anthony Ravard (AG2R–La Mondiale)
13 Gediminas Bagdonas (An Post–Sean Kelly)
14 Yannick Martinez (La Pomme Marseille)
15 Gijs Van Hoecke (Topsport Vlaanderen)
16 Fabien Schmidt (Roubaix-Lille Métropole)
Traksel also impressive, looking good for rest of season
Don't know the time gap but Rolland is leader yet would have to put Bouhanni as favorite after todays stage. He's has said he is focusing on become a harder sprinter so it would seem he has stamina certainly. And his pace is definitely up there.
Rolland showing another dimension with this win which bodes well for him pre tdf. I think its important for him to feature in the races he has the opportunity too if he wants to get a good result in gc at the tour.
Edit: seems bouhanni is actually the leader by 1 second

 

[Duartista]

The last stage is a tt with a hill at the end, so I would guess Rolland will beat Bouhanni fairly comfortably there.

 

[theyoungest]

The last stage is a tt with a hill at the end, so I would guess Rolland will beat Bouhanni fairly comfortably there.

Yes, but if he has like a 10 second gap to the peloton, the better time trialists come into play as well.

 

[Duartista]

Yes, but if he has like a 10 second gap to the peloton, the better time trialists come into play as well.

True. Taaramae and Coppel for example.

 

[theyoungest]

True. Taaramae and Coppel for example.

Westra.

10char

 

[will10]

Westra.

10char

If it was flat then definitely but I think the ITT is uphill. Anyone been able to find a profile for Montée de l'Hermitage?

 

[jens_attacks]

well chapeau rolland for picking wins early in the season.that i always appreciated.the rock star will be a force in next years to come

 

[will10]

Remaining stages

Stage 4:

Stage 5a:

Stage 5b:

http://www.velowire.com/article/559...sseges-2012-sur-google-maps-google-earth.html

Way better parcours than previous years' sprintfests, chapeau to the organisers

 

[roundabout]

http://www.tracks4bikers.com/tracks/show/82170

The last TT approx

 

[theyoungest]

If it was flat then definitely but I think the ITT is uphill. Anyone been able to find a profile for Montée de l'Hermitage?

Westra can climb. Plus the TT is not all uphill.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

If it was flat then definitely but I think the ITT is uphill. Anyone been able to find a profile for Montée de l'Hermitage?

You really think Westra can't handle some hills? Go watch hardest stage of the Panne last year. I mean a real climb is too much, but something like this is definately within Westra's capabilities.

We have no idea of his form though.

 

[theyoungest]

You really think Westra can't handle some hills? Go watch hardest stage of the Panne last year. I mean a real climb is too much, but something like this is definately within Westra's capabilities.

We have no idea of his form though.

He has the same goals as last year, so should be in the same kind of form. And he was very good then, early in the season.

 

[El Pistolero]

well chapeau rolland for picking wins early in the season.that i always appreciated.the rock star will be a force in next years to come

Together with Pinot one of the GC guys to look forward to in the future, but I don't think Rolland has got it in him to win a GT. Stage wins, top 10, one week stage races, etc are all possible though.

 

[djlovesyou]

Cornu is going to win this from here.

Pretty obvious girlfriends.

 

[Alpe d'Huez]

Looking forward to catching up on this. Seems to me like the season is finally starting (I don't follow the TDU). Great win for Kittel, btw.

 

[Wigwan]

Together with Pinot one of the GC guys to look forward to in the future, but I don't think Rolland has got it in him to win a GT. Stage wins, top 10, one week stage races, etc are all possible though.

He won the Alpe d'Huez stage, finish with the lead group on Plateau de Beille and the Galibier and few seconds back from Evans, Basso and Cunego on Luz Ardiden. He also beat both Shlecks in the Greneble TT. Hadn't he lost time in the early stages and on the Gap stage, he could have finish 7-8..

Why can't he win a GT?

 

[auscyclefan94]

He won the Alpe d'Huez stage, finish with the lead group on Plateau de Beille and the Galibier and few seconds back from Evans, Basso and Cunego on Luz Ardiden. He also beat both Shlecks in the Greneble TT. Hadn't he lost time in the early stages and on the Gap stage, he could have finish 7-8..

Why can't he win a GT?

To be fair the Pyrenees weren't raced that aggresively, Galibier he just sat on Evans' wheel and did SFA and Alpe D'Huez was a crowning moment for him but he was given some leeway and circumstances worked quite well for him. He can do well in a GT but it will take more than what he did at the tour to convince me he is a possible future GT champion.

 

[greenedge]

I thought that was a great win by Pierre. He did a tenacious long range break and he won, he had nothing to lose since he probably does not have ideal form. The sprint he did and his talent on mountains should mean he will feature in the Ardennes.

I think his mountain climbing is good enough that if he keeps on developing he could be a future GT winner ( along with Gesink/ Shleck )

 

[will10]

To be fair the Pyrenees weren't raced that aggresively, Galibier he just sat on Evans' wheel and did SFA and Alpe D'Huez was a crowning moment for him but he was given some leeway and circumstances worked quite well for him. He can do well in a GT but it will take more than what he did at the tour to convince me he is a possible future GT champion.

So did everyone else but there were still only 5(?) guys left at the end.

 

[Nicosix]

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[Libertine Seguros]

I am going to stick my head on the line and say Rolland could be the stand out rider to give Contador a run for his money in the mountains. He had his great win on Alpe d`Huez but he was cruising on Plateau De Beille and if it wasnt for Voeckler in yellow at the time i think he could of got a free role with the shackles off to attack and win the stage.

Stage 3 Review:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HVzIThS0cEw

Sssshhh. The French press might hear you. If they do, it's a death knell for his career.