Tour de Yorkshire, May 2 - May 5 (2.HC)

[hayneplane]

Re:

Off to the start at the wonderful Piece Hall. Dear Mr Prudhomme ... please make us a hilly cobbled classic that starts and finishes in this incredible piazza. Thank you.

Yes sir. That would be amazing with a savage cobbled climb up Shibden Wall in the last 5 km of the course before a twisting descent into town for a flattish finish for the remaining hard classics riders to battle out. The potential mix of cobbled and asphalt short sharp ramps in North and West Yorkshire combined with the high potential for windy conditions could make for a race somewhere in between Amstel Gold and the E3.

 

[JoeD1997]

Just listened to Kamp's interview with ITV and Daniel Friebe pre-stage start this AM. Said he is very strong on the steep climbs, ,maybe the strongest in the TdY peloton. Also said if he beat GVA in a sprint yesterday, no reason why he cannot do it again today.

Love his confidence, great to see Kamp and the rest of his PCT team taking it to the big boys.

 

[Vesica]

Beautiful climb! Steep as hell, but very nice between those stone walls.

 

[armchairclimber]

Beautiful climb! Steep as hell, but very nice between those stone walls.

It's hard work in a car!

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Nice Ineos stopped pulling

 

[Vesica]

What on earth is Cofidis doing? They forgot they have a man in the front group?

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Ineos trying the DQS majority to win tactic. Hopefully GVA and Kamp will not let that Irish guy get away

 

[Danskebjerge]

Looks like Riwal were a bit too eager today - showing their power too early and using up Kamp's helpers.

 

[Pharazon]

i love this race

 

[MADRAZO]

I wonder if Lawless will admit gifting the stage to get Avermaet to work in the end here. Such a deal has rarely been more visible. But for sure made sence

 

[armchairclimber]

Well that was pretty exciting. Great race. Great crowds. Gods own county delivers.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

quiet good tactics

 

[Hayabusa]

Was part of the crowds at Tinshill. Fantastic turnout and race!

 

[Screecher]

That deal actually made no sense at all. GVA's work wasn't needed, the chasing group wasn't strong enough. Lawless still has a lot to learn.

 

[Emotional Cobble Guy]

I wonder if Lawless will admit gifting the stage to get Avermaet to work in the end here. Such a deal has rarely been more visible. But for sure made sence

Yeah it definitely went down like this
Nice to see Ed Dunbar perform well. I remember last year noticing him for the first time, relentless racing spirit, then still in a AquaBlue jersey

 

[Danskebjerge]

Riwal did many things right yesterday - and many things wrong today. Disappointing, but of course good to see the riders in good shape.

 

[MADRAZO]

That deal actually made no sense at all. GVA's work wasn't needed, the chasing group wasn't strong enough. Lawless still has a lot to learn.

I just think he rates the overall win much higher than the stage, but yes he could have been greedy and gone for both, but with a small risk of losing both

 

[dick the quick]

That deal actually made no sense at all. GVA's work wasn't needed, the chasing group wasn't strong enough. Lawless still has a lot to learn.

I just think he rates the overall win much higher than the stage, but yes he could have been greedy and gone for both, but with a small risk of losing both

Well, it looks like a classic win-win scenario for both parties interested:

- Lawless gets first major success in his career, winning GC in a reputed stage race, without the need to battle for it (even if he probably would prove faster than GvA when it would come to a sprint);
- GvA earns a victory after his unsuccessful spring campaign (not to mention his team which is desperately in need of any win).

In fact, GvA did not contribute too much in the last two or three kilometres - Dunbar effort should be enough to keep the gap.

 

[Cance > TheRest]

Re:

Riwal did many things right yesterday - and many things wrong today. Disappointing, but of course good to see the riders in good shape.

I'm not really sure what they did right, to be honest. They should have let Ineos close down the gap to the break, where one of the riders was a potential danger to the GC. In the end, they burned themselves by reeling in the break leaving Kamp isolated for the finale, where he spent too much energy pulling. But that being said, I don't think Kamp would have had the legs to win it today, even if the team had been there for him. GVA was clearly the strongest rider of the day and I am not sure if Kamp could have followed him, had Kamp been on his wheel instead of Froome's on that last ramp.

 

[RedheadDane]

Riwal didn't quite have the necessary readyness today.
Or maybe they had too much readyness…

 

[Pricey_sky]

Great racing once again and a big win for Lawless, who was consistent when it mattered. Solid start for Ineos!

 

[pastronef]

as we say in Italian: godo !
great team, great win, great Dawg, great Dunbar.
surely not the most important of the races, but the importance for the first race for the new sponsor, in Yorkshire, with a Brit, despite the 15000 rubber masks, with a great last stage fought until the end

 

[armchairclimber]

Hats off to Dunbar for a pretty immense effort, rewarded with a podium spot ... after a difficult spring.

 

[MartinGT]

Was part of the crowds at Tinshill. Fantastic turnout and race!

Shame 90% of the crowd come tomorrow will be back abusing cyclists!

 

[MartinGT]

Great last two days. The weather killed the first two days of the mens really.

Cav wasnt massively far behind on the East Chevin and he got a massive ovation for him.