Tour of Norway 2014 (2.HC)

[Wallenquist]

The TV dudes gave me the impression he was sick, or a little over trained or both or something, so the team pulled him a few days ago. IIRC they expect him to be back for Tour des Fjords next week.

Thanks. To bad for him, hopefully he will show his talent in more than one race like he did last year.

 

[maltiv]

Thanks. To bad for him, hopefully he will show his talent in more than one race like he did last year.

I don't think it's a problem with consistency, as with e.g. Andy Schleck pre 2011, but rather just that Joker doesn't ride any races including mountains. Svendsen is incredibly one-dimensional, he's a great climber and strong in long/hilly time trials, but useless in basically everything else.

I believe he's finally riding some mountainous race in june or july (can't remember which), so then we'll see what kind of form he has. Untill then, probably just a lot of DNFs...

 

[VeloHuman]

There was a short steep hill just before the finishing stretch, Nordhaug was a few meters in front after the hill and just sort of stayed in there.

Also, not like the competition is particularly high behind Kristoff.

 

[CycloAndy]

Also, not like the competition is particularly high behind Kristoff.

Ciolek, Bennati and Van Asbroek could challenge for the podium today.

 

[Vetlocipede]

I believe he's finally riding some mountainous race in june or july (can't remember which), so then we'll see what kind of form he has. Untill then, probably just a lot of DNFs...

One of his main targets this season is Giro della valle d'aosta followed up by the Tour de l’Avenir, so he'll get some suitable challenges.

In other news, the Norwegian youngster Sven Erik Bystrøm is heavily rumoured to join Katusha the next season. Alexander Kristoff is looking for a solid Norwegian teammate, and Bystrøm is both talented and a local training buddy of Alex. Source (in Norwegian)

 

[fezzer]

Looks like Paterski or de Maar will take this. 50 sec on 10 man group including Vanmarcke with 6KM to go. Peloton resigned 1,20 behind the leaders. Katusha with only 2 men+Kristoff

 

[christopherrowe]

Is that Paterski? According to the CN startlist the Polish rider in orange is wearing the number of Marek Rutkiewicz.

Curaçao versus Poland!

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

Is that Paterski? According to the CN startlist the Polish rider in orange is wearing the number of Marek Rutkiewicz.

Curaçao versus Poland!

From what I understood De Maar is now racing on an American license.

 

[fezzer]

1. Marc de Maar
2. Paterski
3. Kristoff @ 12 sec
4.
5. Holst Enger

de Maar 1st. GC

 

[maltiv]

Good racing. 6 men teams = carnage.

 

[christopherrowe]

From what I understood De Maar is now racing on an American license.

Nice win for him and UnitedHealthCare out of a barely surviving break whatever his license reads (CN lists it as the Netherlands, ProCyclingStats as Curaçao. I'll do a little digging.)

 

[christopherrowe]

Hmmm. His license number on the UnitedHealthCare page at the UCI site still starts with NED. I wonder if that doesn't change even when you shift nationalities? Looks like he was a national champion of Curaçao as recently as two years ago.

 

[christopherrowe]

According to his tweet stream, the reason de Maar is in Norway at all is that visa issues prevented his participation in the Tour of California. When riders change their licenses to other nations, does that reflect an actual change of citizenship? If he has a US passport then he shouldn't have had any visa issues, right?

In any case, he now has 12 seconds in hand over the field and tomorrow is what counts as a climbing stage in the Tour of Norway, complete with a mountain-top finish. de Maar won the climber's jersey in the Tour of Turkey, and is probably now super-motivated to keep yellow. Should be a fun stage.

 

[Mellow Velo]

Cracking little stage, today.
All out racing from the crosswinds at 45kms to go.

 

[Dazed and Confused]

Yep, just saw the stage. Proper racing and a great win for Marc.

 

[christopherrowe]

More on de Maar's nationality and license, this tweet from ProCyclingStats:

"As far as we know @marcdemaar is forced to ride on a Dutch license because Curacao has, as country, no @UCI_cycling license."

 

[hammerddh]

great stage yesterday
who needs the giro !

 

[del1962]

What we expecting from todays stage, Mollema, Nordhaug, Ruben fernadez as an outside bet?

 

[Dazed and Confused]

I hope Van Asbroeck, but he can probably be dropped if the hill is climbed hard.

 

[Wallenquist]

What we expecting from todays stage, Mollema, Nordhaug, Ruben fernadez as an outside bet?

Beltran & Sprengers should be in the mix. And Pello Bilbao for sure

 

[maltiv]

What we expecting from todays stage, Mollema, Nordhaug, Ruben fernadez as an outside bet?

I don't think it will be that hard, certainly not hard enough for Fernandez at least. It's a 4-5% climb with no steep sections.

I imagine it will be either a sprint in 20-30 man group or so, or a lone attacker barely holding off. In either case, Nordhaug and Mollema are probably good bets indeed.

I don't believe Kristoff will lose much time, if any. De Maar certainly won't.

 

[TeoSheva]

What we expecting from todays stage, Mollema, Nordhaug, Ruben fernadez as an outside bet?

I will suggest Reichemback too (whatever is the spelling )

 

[Dekker_Tifosi]

im watching the 'mountain' stage here http://www.stream-foot.tv/channel3.html

but it's also on eurosport 2 i think

 

[christopherrowe]

A nineteen-year-old and a twenty-year-old make up the current two-man break, which is dying over a climb.

Concerned that de Maar is down to one teammate, apparently, on this (penultimate?) climb.

 

[christopherrowe]

All kinds of attacks going and de Maar is isolated, but presumably they'll come back to him as they recover from that climb. Maybe I should say hopefully.

This is pretty exciting.