Vattenfall Cyclassics, Sunday 15. August 2010

[Barrus]

Please let Greipel get a mechanical in the last few kilometres. Let Kamikaze Kenny do something amazing again. I want the Great Bauke in the Rainbow jersey, the only worthy successor to Cadel.

But in all seriousness, I think that Greipel will win. ALthough I do hope for a Milram victory, that would be a nice touch, and hopefully they will get a sponsor out of that (even if they can only stay pro-conti, I would hate to lose another German squad)

 

[taiwan]

This victory was obviously bought, but at the end Team Milram didn´t get a new sponsor anyway.

It was wrestling at its best and many people know it

You think so? Bought from who?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

This victory was obviously bought, but at the end Team Milram didn´t get a new sponsor anyway.

It was wrestling at its best and many people know it

In which case, you could at least give Wegmann props for a good acting performance, cos he really did sell "ecstatic, almost disbelieving delight"...

 

[Cobblestoned]

You think so? Bought from who?

You can call it bought, wrestling or gentlemans agreement.

 

[maltiv]

Team Sky squad: Russell Downing, Juan Antonio Flecha, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Mathew Hayman, Greg Henderson, Ian Stannard, Chris Sutton and Ben Swift

Seriously, if they can't get an excellent, well-timed leadout with this team then there's something really wrong!

 

[taiwan]

You can call it bought, wrestling or gentlemans agreement.

Was it HTC's failing to pull Greipel back into the race that you're referring to (I'm trying to remember)?

 

[tgsgirl]

Team Sky squad: Russell Downing, Juan Antonio Flecha, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Mathew Hayman, Greg Henderson, Ian Stannard, Chris Sutton and Ben Swift

Seriously, if they can't get an excellent, well-timed leadout with this team then there's something really wrong!

My bet is they won't be able to get an excellent, well-timed leadout with this team.

 

[maltiv]

My bet is they won't be able to get an excellent, well-timed leadout with this team.

My bet is that they will be able to get an excellent, horribly timed leadout!

 

[tgsgirl]

My bet is that they will be able to get an excellent, horribly timed leadout!

And win the race except for those stupid final 200 metres, again?

 

[ingsve]

Team Sky squad: Russell Downing, Juan Antonio Flecha, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Mathew Hayman, Greg Henderson, Ian Stannard, Chris Sutton and Ben Swift

Seriously, if they can't get an excellent, well-timed leadout with this team then there's something really wrong!

The course is to bumpy for any team to be well organized. All of them are somewhat quick however so whoever they have there at the end it will be a better than average situation at least.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Was it HTC's failing to pull Greipel back into the race that you're referring to (I'm trying to remember)?

Greipel wouldn't get over the Mammolshain with the front group even if he had the help of a crane. But Martin blew himself out early in that race chasing Paul Voss and I think the other Milram in the early attacks was Artur Gajek, I did think it was naïve that Martin ended up in an early attack, and then HTC's train wore itself out chasing all the other subsequent attackers.

 

[maltiv]

And win the race except for those stupid final 200 metres, again?

Well EBH has done some way too long sprints earlier though and still ended up winning, but you're probably right

 

[tgsgirl]

This victory was obviously bought, but at the end Team Milram didn´t get a new sponsor anyway.
It was wrestling at its best and many people know it

That is truly one of the stupidest things I've ever heard.

 

[taiwan]

Greipel wouldn't get over the Mammolshain with the front group even if he had the help of a crane. But Martin blew himself out early in that race chasing Paul Voss and I think the other Milram in the early attacks was Artur Gajek, I did think it was naïve that Martin ended up in an early attack, and then HTC's train wore itself out chasing all the other subsequent attackers.

TBH I didn't really see what there was to fake, Tony Martin had some bad luck as well as the above, and the race was too hard for Greipel: it was totally split up to the point of confusion. Other strong riders from VAC, SAU, LAN had their goes. I can't see what one team you could have arranged the win with. did HTC do work for Wegmann? Who else could have?

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Carrara and Petrov were probably the strongest riders also in the escape group, but both of those had tried to get away and done a lot of work just the two of them on the route back into Frankfurt; they were caught by the bunch just before they got to the northern suburbs of Rödelheim and Hausen. Vacansoleil and Katyusha both had 3 men in the break, and they both contested the sprint; but the riders were Marcato and Mazzanti - neither of whom are first choice sprinters. Vacan had 4 actually - but one was Brice Feillu, who had no chance on the pancake flat finishing circuit, and one was Carrara who'd been in that break earlier.

Columbia in that race:

DNF Andre Greipel (Ger) Team HTC-Columbia
DNF Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) Team HTC-Columbia
DNF Matthew Goss (Aus) Team HTC-Columbia
DNF Gert Dockx (Bel) Team HTC-Columbia
DNF Patrick Gretsch (Ger) Team HTC-Columbia
DNF Leigh Howard (Aus) Team HTC-Columbia
DNF Tony Martin (Ger) Team HTC-Columbia
DNF Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Team HTC-Columbia

Looks like, Martin aside, a lot of it was hitching a ride on the Greipel train, as one of the biggest German classics, and there wasn't much that they could do for him; after dragging him up Ruppertshain and Feldberg in the rain, he was never climbing Mammolshain and keeping up with the front group. As their only really viable alternative I guess, Tony Martin was under pressure to react to any threatening move, and Milram wore him out by making him do so and spend a lot of time out front in small groups far too early in the race.

 

[Cobblestoned]

That is truly one of the stupidest things I've ever heard.

No problem - but thats (pro)cycling

 

[roundabout]

starters

http://files.upsolut.de/cyclassics/2010/tm/VC-2010_Startliste_20100811.pdf

 

[Ryaguas]

I'll go with Alejet FTW!

 

[Ryo Hazuki]

soler makes his european return here

 

[auscyclefan94]

Ale Jet or Ale Ballan to go solo.

 

[Cobblestoned]

Favorieten volgens Wielerflits.nl
**** André Greipel
*** Tyler Farrar, Allan Davis
** Gerald Ciolek, Alessandro Petacchi, Edvald Boasson Hagen
* Robbie McEwen, Alessandro Ballan, Filippo Pozzato, Graeme Brown

http://www.wielerflits.nl/nieuws/10384/voorbeschouwing-vattenfall-cyclassics-2010.html

 

[hrotha]

Usually this race is a snoozefest.

 

[Cobblestoned]

Usually this race is a snoozefest.

Usually. But you never know.

I think thats the main reason why we all follow sports. Just waiting for the unusual.

 

[Ryaguas]

My Podium:

Alejet
Farrar
Greipel - Davis

Oh yeah... Alejet ALL THE WAY!!!

 

[Jamsque]

I want to see a straight drag-race between Farrar, Greipel and Petacchi. I suspect who is the fastest out of the three of them probably comes down to what they had for breakfast.