Tour Down Under Stage 2: Lobethal - Stirling 148km

[Zinoviev Letter]

Green Edge basically said they are going to really up the pace on the circuit. I imagine other teams will do the same.

Kohler said he is going for GC, Zinoviev letter so he must have decent form and is a decent time trialler.

Gap over 9 minutes now, so nobody is making it hard quite yet.

As for Kohler, I don't think it's odd that he would go for GC, I just think it's odd to see someone going for GC put themselves in suicide breaks on flat stages in the first two days. I realise that this race is often very close and that bonus seconds matter, but he'll want to be in very good shape indeed to be able to compete over the whole race after putting in that sort of extra effort.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Gap at 11 mins. 73 km to go.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Kohler coming through Mylor

Clarke 10 mins ahead

 

[auscyclefan94]

Gap over 9 minutes now, so nobody is making it hard quite yet.

As for Kohler, I don't think it's odd that he would go for GC, I just think it's odd to see someone going for GC put themselves in suicide breaks on flat stages in the first two days. I realise that this race is often very close and that bonus seconds matter, but he'll want to be in very good shape indeed to be able to compete over the whole race after putting in that sort of extra effort.

He has two easier days before Wilunga so I think he will be fine. This is the best way to go for gc because he is getting time bonuses in the breakaways.

 

[aarnold517]

He has two easier days before Wilunga so I think he will be fine. This is the best way to go for gc because he is getting time bonuses in the breakaways.

Agreed. Plus he's getting time over the climbers and rouleurs and staying close enough to the sprinters to overtake them on wilunga. good tactic by kohler and bmc

 

[auscyclefan94]

EBH has had two mechanical today.

Peloton>>>>Kohler (very small gap)>>>>>>> Clarke (10 mins 50 secs)

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Apparently some lone maniac has attacked from the peloton.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Valverde attacks!

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Agreed. Plus he's getting time over the climbers and rouleurs and staying close enough to the sprinters to overtake them on wilunga. good tactic by kohler and bmc

We'll see how his legs hold up, I suppose. If he gets a good GC spot, they look like very clever boys. And they have an outside chance of the leader's jersey tomorrow.

 

[auscyclefan94]

It's Moreno not Valverde.

I blame Eric on twitter and CNF for that!

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Valverde attacks!

Reports that a small group are trying to follow the Movistar rider who went off the front a little while ago. Is it really Valverde?!

 

[auscyclefan94]

Greipel hurting!!!

COME ON BMC

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Gap from Clarke to the peloton now 12:15. They've been really been dawdling along.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Apparently another Movistar rider (Moreno) trying to bridge across to the new break.

 

[auscyclefan94]

BMC need to put the hammer down!!!

 

[auscyclefan94]

Apparently another Movistar rider (Moreno) trying to bridge across to the new break.

Moreno was the Movistar rider attacking.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Moreno was the Movistar rider attacking.

I hate trying to make sense of twitter.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Also, it seems that the riders who tried to follow the lone attack didn't get away, so it's just Moreno dangling out ahead of the peloton.

 

[Zam_Olyas]

moreno caught by the peleton

 

[auscyclefan94]

Madrazo has attacked!!!!

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Madrazo has attacked!!!!

What in hell are Movistar doing?

 

[HiCadence]

Madrazo getting ahead to help Valverde later? or going for the win?

 

[auscyclefan94]

Trying to force a reaction from the peloton. They don't want to do the work themselves which is strange.

55 second gap for Madrazo to Peloton.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Trying to force a reaction from the peloton. They don't want to do the work themselves which is strange.

55 second gap for Madrazo to Peloton.

If it was just about making the peloton up the pace, sticking a few of these guys on the front would make more sense than just burning them up one by one. As for trying to bridge to Clarke, that's just insanity.

 

[Zinoviev Letter]

Apparently Madrazo has been caught after getting nearly a minutes lead, so somebody must have decided to up the pace finally.