Three days of de Panne - 29th to 31st March

[Granville57]

I was there last year.

Will you be there this year at all? First hand reports are always the best.

I'm disappointed not see Millar defend. He ended his season on such a high note last year at the Common Wealth Games that I thought we'd really see him come out swinging this year.

He seemed to find his footing a bit a Flanders in 2010, and I'm sure that's the priority for the team, so maybe he's prepping to put his all into that as a support rider. If he was really on form I'd like to think he would try to defend de Panne—just being there and wearing number one would give the team some press attention—but the overall team dynamics are just so different this year.

 

[marco1_79]

I really don't think Gusev can win. He will get a top 10 but not much more even if katusha would really need a win since they season is a disaster so far.

 

[Anonymous]

Will you be there this year at all? First hand reports are always the best.

one of my guys is heading out for the wednesday to do photographs and report. His race blogs just make me ****ed that im not there though.

 

[Sasquatch]

With the form Wiggins is in, all he needs to do is stay with the peloton in the first 3 stages and he'll blitz the time trial.

Similarly Sagan.

One of them has this.

 

[Sasquatch]

Grabsch should have a decent chance at the overall.

If the time trial was over 30km, I would agree with you. If it was over 40km, he has it in the bag. But 14.1km isn't long enough for him.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

With the form Wiggins is in, all he needs to do is stay with the peloton in the first 3 stages and he'll blitz the time trial.

Similarly Sagan.

One of them has this.

Like someone else said: there won't be a peloton finishing today.
3x Haaghoek and Leberg, 2x Valkenberg, Eikenmolen, Stuivenberg. (don't know that last climb though... edit: very easy 600m 6%max, 4%av.)

Too bad there's not that much cobbles...

 

[boomcie]

Hopefully they'll rip it up today. Should be a nice stage, despite the weather.

 

[superconfex]

Eurosport are no longer showing todays stage live

 

[Roland Rat]

Wiggins doesn't have the aggression needed to be up there during the first stage. Renshaw should be able to TT well enough over 14km to be up there, maybe even Pozzato can surprise (although he'll probably be lost without Boonen, Gilbert, Cancellara or Thor to lead him around), Barry, Sagan, Chavenal...

I'm going with Sagan to win stage 1, Michael Barry for the GC.

 

[Anonymous]

Eurosport are no longer showing todays stage live

Typical. Sporza are though apparently, so Danish Delight on S/T should be up and running./

 

[hatcher]

Eurosport are no longer showing todays stage live

It's still on their website listings, and on the Eurosportplayer listings. I think there is just a problem with the listings on Sky. The Japan football match that is on before will not be on for 5 hours.

Have emailed them to check.

 

[Sasquatch]

Wiggins doesn't have the aggression needed to be up there during the first stage. Renshaw should be able to TT well enough over 14km to be up there, maybe even Pozzato can surprise (although he'll probably be lost without Boonen, Gilbert, Cancellara or Thor to lead him around), Barry, Sagan, Chavenal...

I'm going with Sagan to win stage 1, Michael Barry for the GC.

I'm going Sagan for GC and Sagan for stage 1.

 

[L'arriviste]

Will you be there this year at all? First hand reports are always the best.

I'm disappointed not see Millar defend. He ended his season on such a high note last year at the Common Wealth Games that I thought we'd really see him come out swinging this year.

He seemed to find his footing a bit a Flanders in 2010, and I'm sure that's the priority for the team, so maybe he's prepping to put his all into that as a support rider. If he was really on form I'd like to think he would try to defend de Panne—just being there and wearing number one would give the team some press attention—but the overall team dynamics are just so different this year.

I doubt I'll make it this year unfortunately.

It's a tough race though, perhaps moreso than some folks might realise.

Millar really looks to be dragging his carcass around this season so far. He was in exceptional form last year (indeed he was still tête de la course at the Ronde until they reached Parike). To win at De Panne, he had to get into the right moves on the road well before the time trial. The time trial was just cement to the bricks he'd already set up. I can't see Wigans doing the same.

As I commented yesterday, the time trial is also a very windy affair since it's buffeted by sea winds for so much of it.

For a bit of fun, here's my article on the 2010 race.

 

[theyoungest]

Wiggins doesn't have the aggression needed to be up there during the first stage. Renshaw should be able to TT well enough over 14km to be up there, maybe even Pozzato can surprise (although he'll probably be lost without Boonen, Gilbert, Cancellara or Thor to lead him around), Barry, Sagan, Chavenal...

I'm going with Sagan to win stage 1, Michael Barry for the GC.

Wiggins isn't aggressive enough, so a domestique will win the race for Sky?

 

[Roland Rat]

Wiggins isn't aggressive enough, so a domestique will win the race for Sky?

You're dismissing Michael Barry as a domestique? Seriously?

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

You're dismissing Michael Barry as a domestique? Seriously?

He is primarily a domestique: ie he spends the overwhelming bulk of his season riding for someone else. That's hardly a dismissal, it applies to most pro-cyclists, and even most very good pro-cyclists.

It's possible that he might be allowed to ride for himself in this race however, particularly if Wiggins isn't in form.

 

[boomcie]

You're dismissing Michael Barry as a domestique? Seriously?

I think Barry sucks balls . No way he wins it, what has the guy ever won by himself?

 

[Bob House]

Typical. Sporza are though apparently, so Danish Delight on S/T should be up and running./

In italy,Raisport2 shows the race. (live 14:30,re-live 22:30)
Check this http://www.raisport.rai.it/dl/raisport/multimedia/diretta.html?cid=ContentItem-18b9bd8c-1ab9-44e8-a684-fd3430493964

 

[Lanark]

You're dismissing Michael Barry as a domestique? Seriously?

Isn't he?

Anyway, to show how important the first stage in this race is, these are the results of the last couple of years (bolded the winner of the GC):

2007:

1. Luca Paolini Liquigas 04:30:27
2. Alessandro Ballan Lampre-Fondital zt.
3. Kevin Hulsmans Quickstep - Innergetic 00:11
4. Sergiy Matveyev zt.
5. Joost Posthuma Rabobank ProTeam zt.
6. Markus Eichler Unibet.com zt.
7. Bert Roesems Predictor - Lotto zt.
8. Daniele Bennati Lampre-Fondital 00:46
9. Janek Tombak Jartazi Promo Fashion zt.
10. Arnaud Coyot Unibet.com zt.

2008:

1. Enrico Gasparotto Barloworld 04:58:00
2. Luca Paolini Acqua E Sapone zt.
3. Manuel Quinziato Liquigas zt.
4. Niki Terpstra Milram zt.
5. Bernhard Eisel Team Columbia 00:14
6. Baden Cooke Barloworld zt.
7. Simon Spilak Lampre zt.
8. Joost Posthuma Rabobank ProTeam 00:16
9. Alessandro Ballan Lampre 00:29
10. Kurt Hovelijnck Chocolade Jacques / Topsport Vlaanderen zt.

2009:

1. Filippo Pozzato Katusha 04:37:01
2. Frederik Willems Liquigas zt.
3. Greg Van Avermaet Silence - Lotto 00:57
4. Borut Bozic Vacansoleil zt.
5. Grega Bole Adria Mobil zt.

2010:

1. Steve Chainel Bbox Bouygues Telecom 04:34:28
2. Luca Paolini Acqua E Sapone zt.
3. Enrico Gasparotto Team Astana zt.
4. Daniel Oss Liquigas-Doimo zt.
5. Frédéric Amorison Landbouwkrediet zt.
6. Lieuwe Westra Vacansoleil zt.
7. David Millar Team Garmin - Transitions 00:03
8. Niko Eeckhout An Post-M. Donnelly-Grant Thornton - S... 00:45
9. Johan Coenen Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator zt.
10. Marco Bandiera Katusha zt.

This race requires you to be very strong and motivated on the hills and cobbles in the first place, being a good time trialist is secondary. Guys like Grabsch don't have a chance here.

 

[theyoungest]

You're dismissing Michael Barry as a domestique? Seriously?

Of course. Michael Barry is a domestique. There, I said it again. And he isn't strong enough to win a race like this.

 

[boomcie]

@R. Rat

You related to Barry? I can't see why you would overrate him otherwise... You usually come across as pretty lucid, but this is silly.

 

[Anonymous]

It's still on their website listings, and on the Eurosportplayer listings. I think there is just a problem with the listings on Sky. The Japan football match that is on before will not be on for 5 hours.

Have emailed them to check.

its eurosport. I doubt they know whats going on.

just checked, the japan charity game is due to kick off at 12.30 cet. So seems like thats the correct time. Looks like the football game was brought forward 5 hours and so cycling gets pushed aside.

 

[Ferminal]

Barry has a chance of winning... about the same chance Graeme Brown has.

Interesting to see how Matthews goes today.

 

[woodie]

its eurosport. I doubt they know whats going on.

just checked, the japan charity game is due to kick off at 12.30 cet. So seems like thats the correct time. Looks like the football game was brought forward 5 hours and so cycling gets pushed aside.

Atleast it's for a good cause..

 

[Winterfold]

Wiggins will be up for this - he's much more of a Flandrian than an Alpine grimpeur