Tour de l'Ain 2011 2.1 09/08 - 13/08

[AlejandroValverde]

where do you follow it?

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Rein Taaramae is also 24, and I checked that he has about 60-70 racing km's more than Taaramae.

So it's bad.

Just like Kreuziger btw, also over-used (65 race days i thought)

btw, Kelderman was 2nd last year in the prologue, so it would not be a suprise if he finished top 5 today

 

[LaFleur]

Kelderman has the best time, with 6 riders to go.

Where is this from?

 

[roundabout]

Kelderman has won.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

That's awesome! Way to stick it to the big guns

result
1 Kelderman
2 Barta
3 Peraud

 

[LaFleur]

That's awesome! Way to stick it to the big guns

result
1 Kelderman
2 Barta
3 Peraud

So no Estonians in the top 4, shizz I'm getting worried (Coppel 4th btw)

 

[roundabout]

Dumoulin 5th

Mangel 6th

 

[LaFleur]

Classement :
1 KELDERMAN Wilco Rabobank Continental Team
2 BARTA Jan Team Netapp
3 PERAUD Jean-Christophe AG2R la Mondiale
4 COPPEL Jérôme Saur - Sojasun
5 DUMOULIN Tom Rabobank Continental Team
6 MANGEL Laurent Saur - Sojasun
7 BOVENHUISS Jasper Rabobank Continental Team
8 HUREL Tony Team Europcar
9 OOSTLANDER Sander Skil - Shimano
10 IMPEY Daryl Team Netapp

Well there goes my hope of 2 Estonians comfortably in the top 10 after the prologue..

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Owned by a gazillion Dutchies
edit: Olivier 14th and Poels 15th, just behind Taaramae

 

[theyoungest]

Good on ya, Wilco.

Last year he lost the prologue by a few hundredths of a second, so this is justice.

 

[LaFleur]

I almost got a nervous breakdown, good that they were just outside and lost under 10secs. Will be an interesting matchup between Kangert and Taaramae even if they wont win. (Taaramäe said a couple of days ago in his blog that Kangert is no worse than him and should keep an eye on him aswell.)

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

I almost got a nervous breakdown, good that they were just outside and lost under 10secs. Will be an interesting matchup between Kangert and Taaramae even if they wont win. (Taaramäe said a couple of days ago in his blog that Kangert is no worse than him and should keep an eye on him aswell.)

The real duel will ofcourse be that between Kelderman and Poels for overall victory

while the Estonians battle it out for the first non-Dutcman placing in the GC somewhere at place 4 or 5

 

[Lupetto]

The real duel will ofcourse be that between Kelderman and Poels for overall victory

On Col du Grand Colombier Kelderman will get his colombian déjà vu.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

The Colombians usually fall out of contention before that stage

 

[Kwibus]

Nice to hear that Kelderman won the prologue. Let's see how he will do on the colombiere.

Rabobank continental dominating the prologue btw.

 

[Tank Engine]

The real duel will ofcourse be that between Kelderman and Poels for overall victory

while the Estonians battle it out for the first non-Dutcman placing in the GC somewhere at place 4 or 5

So Coppel's taking Dutch nationality this week then?

But seriously, good on the young Rabobank boys. 3 out of the top 7.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

So Coppel's taking Dutch nationality this week then?

But seriously, good on the young Rabobank boys. 3 out of the top 7.

No, Olivier will finish 3rd

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

oh yeah
look forward to see how he does in the climbs.

 

[Spine Concept]

Elated for Kelderman, last year he was so close, what a class-act to do it this time around. I cannot wait to see his progress in the big mountains, though I might have to wait for the race he is really peaking for which is the tour de l'avenir. Noteworthy is also the fact that the Rabo Conti's did a great job overall, isn't this a nice image? The 18 year old Daan Olivier not far off.

This is probably a bit off-topic but I must admit that I was kind of hoping to be able to contemplate Marc Goos at the tour de l'avenir. After winning the Vuelta Ciclista a Leon I was hoping to get to see more of him. He will figure as a trainee for the Rabo Pro squad at the tour of Colorado though. That will have to do I guess.

 

[theyoungest]

This is probably a bit off-topic but I must admit that I was kind of hoping to be able to contemplate Marc Goos at the tour de l'avenir. After winning the Vuelta Ciclista a Leon I was hoping to get to see more of him. He will figure as a trainee for the Rabo Pro squad at the tour of Colorado though. That will have to do I guess.

Yeah, he didn't make the team, so Rabo offered him a trainee spot, as far as I understand. Vierhouten has probably been searching far and wide for any decent stage racers not on Rabo, and included them all.

 

[greenedge]

I am waiting for Rolland to come out. Nice ITT FOR him. Great ride by Kelderman/ other Rabo continental team. Your hypings are justified T-L-R/ D_T

 

[maltiv]

Keldermann sucked in Tour de Alsace vs amateurs like two weeks ago and now he wins, beating some of the top pros in Tour de l'Ain. What's up with that? Does he have Andy Schleck-like form development?

 

[l.Harm]

Alsace was directly after weeks of training.

 

[Lupetto]

The Colombians usually fall out of contention before that stage

Atapuma lost 31 seconds yesterday, not so good. But he was strong at Lagunas de Neila on sunday. And here we have two mountain top finishes. So the Colombians are going to attack hard. Good for the race and for the live coverage of the last stage.

I think Kelderman will finish like last year. He is still preparing for Avenir and will ride his rhythm.

 

[theyoungest]

Keldermann sucked in Tour de Alsace vs amateurs like two weeks ago and now he wins, beating some of the top pros in Tour de l'Ain. What's up with that? Does he have Andy Schleck-like form development?

I don't think a short, technical prologue is an indicator of anything, except talent for this particular discipline. That doesn't mean he'll be up there on the mountain finishes. Last year he was very good in Alsace and Tour de l'Ain, and not so great in l'Avenir, now he's peaking later.

Also, it depends on what you call sucking if the race leader (and professional 'crosser + former winner on the Ballon d'Alsace) Niels Albert is dropped way earlier than you are.