Tour of Belgium, 25th -29th of May - 2.HC

[greenedge]

Cancellara we have a challenger in the form of Rob Goris. Devolder can say i rode a bad ITT because he is not a speciallist at it and he can save energy to help westra. I will go for Gasparotto, Gilbert or Langeveld to win.

Also at the tour i do not know how much damage Gilbert will be able to inflict. The peleton will just let him go and roll in 4 min late with the GC favourites in the first week.

 

[Ryaguas]

This is the oldest stage race in the world. Only the Tour de France is older. First held in 1908 and won by someone who won the Tour in the same year.

Isnt Catalunya the older?

Can't find a pic
It looked as though he was riding a regular bike. He made almost no use of the handlebars at the front (no idea what you call them ) and his position was completely not aero, he sat way too high. It looked like it was one of his first times on a TT bike

Clips I think... Boardman was talking about them in the Nevegal MITT... He was asking "Why nobody is using the clips for this ITT?" and inmediatly after He said that entered Rujano using the clips and putting the best time... and Boardman said "Look Rujano! I rest my case..."

 

[Ryaguas]

Great Westra!! Vacansoleil just can't stop winning!
Almost every rider in the team is showing something... Still waiting for a win from Testosterone Hoogerland!

 

[Kwibus]

Clips I think... Boardman was talking about them in the Nevegal MITT... He was asking "Why nobody is using the clips for this ITT?" and inmediatly after He said that entered Rujano using the clips and putting the best time... and Boardman said "Look Rujano! I rest my case..."

I think Purito was the best example. A known horrible TT rider and he put in a very very good intermediate time for someone like him.
Rujano is actually someone who has a pretty decent TT so I kinda expected him in the top5-10.

 

[Kwibus]

Great Westra!! Vacansoleil just can't stop winning!
Almost every rider in the team is showing something... Still waiting for a win from Testosterone Hoogerland!

They have been kinda dissapointing in the Giro so far imo. Hoogerland isn't the same rider he was in 2009. I can think up some reasons for that
I expect a lot more from Vacans in the TdF though. They will have quite an entertaining squad with Leukemans, De Ghendt, Westra, Devolder and Poels. I expect Poels to ride for a good GC and if he fails he will attack early in the mountains for a stage win.

 

[Echoes]

And I think it really was.

Nope. Stybar at least raced an ITT and a TTT at the Tour of Lleida. But long ago.

(Haven't seen the race, yesterday)

 

[L'arriviste]

Nope. Stybar at least raced an ITT and a TTT at the Tour of Lleida. But long ago.

(Haven't seen the race, yesterday)

On the other hand, great performance from Niels Albert. Very impressive.

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

I too was surprised by Gilbert's TT.
But like he said himself, this wasn't his first good Time Trial.

Remember this: Vuelta 2009, 20th stage, Toledo-Toledo:
1 David Millar - Garmin-Slipstream 35.53
2 Samuel Sanchez - Euskaltel-Euskadi + 05
3 Cadel Evans - Silence-Lotto + 09"
4 Gustavo César Veloso - Xacobeo-Galicia + 20"
5 Roman Kreuziger - Liquigas + 30"
6 Philippe Gilbert - Silence-Lotto + 34
...
10 Lieuwe Westra - Vacansoleil + 43"


But still, he has been working hard on his TT position.
Why does he do that? To ride a good TTT in the TdF, to help Jurgen VDB.

 

[will10]

I too was surprised by Gilbert's TT.
But like he said himself, this wasn't his first good Time Trial.

Remember this: Vuelta 2009, 20th stage, Toledo-Toledo:
1 David Millar - Garmin-Slipstream 35.53
2 Samuel Sanchez - Euskaltel-Euskadi + 05
3 Cadel Evans - Silence-Lotto + 09"
4 Gustavo César Veloso - Xacobeo-Galicia + 20"
5 Roman Kreuziger - Liquigas + 30"
6 Philippe Gilbert - Silence-Lotto + 34
...
10 Lieuwe Westra - Vacansoleil + 43"


But still, he has been working hard on his TT position.
Why does he do that? To ride a good TTT in the TdF, to help Jurgen VDB.

From a more selfish point of view it gives him a better chance of getting/keeping yellow for a few days himself if they don't lose heaps of time in the TTT

 

[Echoes]

On the other hand, great performance from Niels Albert. Very impressive.

Not surprising, though. He's a short ITT specialist. He won the prologue of the Boucles de la Mayenne in 2009.

Stybar was also 28th in the ITT at last year's Tour of Slovakia.


And Catalunya is younger than the Tour of Belgium (1911>1908).

The Tour of Belgium was a top race before WWI but lost much by 1920.

The oldest stage race ever is Rome Naples Rome (1902). I think.

 

[boomcie]

I too was surprised by Gilbert's TT.
But like he said himself, this wasn't his first good Time Trial.
...
But still, he has been working hard on his TT position.
Why does he do that? To ride a good TTT in the TdF, to help Jurgen VDB.

Help himself you mean . He wants yellow in the first week.

 

[theyoungest]

Gilbert's TT placement could further fuel the "Gilbert future GT-GC winner" discussion. ("he can TT now, all there is left is to get the hang of longer ascents").

on topic: nice win for Westra.

He already could TT. Most of the time there isn't much use for him to go all out, but he's had a few good results in the Vuelta TT, for instance.

Great Westra!! Vacansoleil just can't stop winning!
Almost every rider in the team is showing something... Still waiting for a win from Testosterone Hoogerland!

"Johnny Testosteronny" is what he used to be called

 

[will10]

They have been kinda dissapointing in the Giro so far imo. Hoogerland isn't the same rider he was in 2009. I can think up some reasons for that
I expect a lot more from Vacans in the TdF though. They will have quite an entertaining squad with Leukemans, De Ghendt, Westra, Devolder and Poels. I expect Poels to ride for a good GC and if he fails he will attack early in the mountains for a stage win.

I'd be surprised to see Poels ride for GC but might be wrong. They should be good value for stage wins though.

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

He already could TT. Most of the time there isn't much use for him to go all out, but he's had a few good results in the Vuelta TT, for instance.


"Johnny Testosteronny" is what he used to be called

There's more to it than that.

Hoogerland has the most amazing physiological test scores. So that's an indicator of raw natural talent as well. He just overtrains himself all the time and goes into useless attacks.

 

[Flamin]

I hope Gilbert sticks with Coucke. I love that guy. For his commitment and ambition, and for his happy face and funny interviews of course.

Boonen and Gilbert in one team is just too much.

 

[boomcie]

Echelons. Westra in the second. Gilbert and Boonen in the first.

______________

 

[Moondance]

Devolder in the 3rd group, 3:23 down on the leaders, I am not surprised.

Gilbert working hard in the break

The Westra group doesn't look to be coming back either. Nice to see Leukemans working in the Gilbert group

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Puncture Boonen
over for him...

 

[just some guy]

Who is the the 1st group ?

 

[Buffalo Soldier]

Gilbert, Steegmans, Van Avermaet, lots of Vacansoleil (no Westra)

 

[roundabout]

Wonder how half of Vacansoleil ended up in the front group but not Westra.

 

[just some guy]

Thanks ...

 

[Moondance]

Who is the the 1st group ?

Not too many names named since I started watching. Gilbert, Leukemans (and some domestiques), Steegmans...

 

[Moondance]

A few others also in front: Sieberg, Burghardt, van Avermaet. A few additional random Belgians.

EDIT: Graphic said the lead was 21 strong. Look to have lost 3 or 4 of those since last count.

 

[Moondance]

Uh-oh.... Leaders are starting to cat fight about working one the front.