Santos Tour Down Under: Stage 5; Snapper Point - Willunga 149 km

[steve]

Santos Tour Down Under: Stage 5; Snapper Point - Willunga 149 km

This stage consists of fairly dead flat roads until the two passes of the 4km climb up Willunga Hill. Extreme heat and strong winds can help make life difficult for riders and aid the chances of a break getting away.

 

[Scotttri]

Good to see a non sprint finish again, they made Columbia HTC work for it today. Also good to see Evans attacking.

 

[steve]

Stage 5 Results

1 Luis Leon Sanchez (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 3:29:39
2 Luke Roberts (Aus) Team Milram 0:00:02
3 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne 0:00:04
4 Cadel Evans (Aus) BMC Racing Team
5 Peter Sagan (Svk) Liquigas-Doimo 0:00:06
6 Markus Fothen (Ger) Team Milram
7 Sebastien Rosseler (Bel) Team RadioShack
8 Cameron Meyer (Aus) Garmin-Transitions
9 Greg Henderson (NZl) Team Sky 0:00:09
10 Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo

 

[steve]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZjmonz0Yc4[/ame]

 

[tonyzackery]

Good to see a non sprint finish again, they made Columbia HTC work for it today. Also good to see Evans attacking.

What's your issue with sprint finishes?? When there aren't coordinated leadout trains, they're very exciting, IMO. Oh, I get it, you must not be much of a sprinter, eh?

 

[LewisBricktop]

Where was the american hero at the finish? Wasn't this his day to make a move? Did 'accidentally riding everyone else off his wheel' the other day tire him out?

 

[roadhouse]

Where was the american hero at the finish? Wasn't this his day to make a move? Did 'accidentally riding everyone else off his wheel' the other day tire him out?

If you are referrring to Lance Armstrong, he was probably daydreaming about the Tour De France and snoozed off while Carmicheal and company structured the information from their team's days as they go along in this training Tour located Down Under nonethelss into any and all plausible cause and domino effect of them dominating the Tour De France. "Let them believe that this is their day.", that's where he was.

 

[LewisBricktop]

If you are referrring to Lance Armstrong, he was probably daydreaming about the Tour De France and snoozed off while Carmicheal and company structured the information from their team's days as they go along in this training Tour located Down Under nonethelss into any and all plausible cause and domino effect of them dominating the Tour De France. "Let them believe that this is their day.", that's where he was.

I'd be tempted to believe that if it weren't for his stints out front, however half-hearted they may have been, in the crit and in stage 4. If he had the strength to put himself on television next to Cadel, Piti, and Sanchez, he certainly would have.

 

[roadhouse]

I'd be tempted to believe that if it weren't for his stints out front, however half-hearted they may have been, in the crit and in stage 4. If he had the strength to put himself on television next to Cadel, Piti, and Sanchez, he certainly would have.

no he wouldn't have. he's first and foremost a team captain now and forever more and the Tour De France is what it's all about and if any team member let alone coach is needing him to take a look at another team mate to assess the situation of the overall team during any and all backyard Tours leading up to it, he will do just that. Hell, it's more than likely his idea to hold off. I'll be betting he's spending a lot of time talking to finding out what they are made of and giving tips and listening to and reprimanding if need be the entirety of his new team after each stage as well.

I'll bet that he wants The Tour so bad and with such a vengeance after last years Contador phuck up that he's picking out the ones who will train on Alpe de' Huez with him all this year if that doesn't already include all of them.

 

[Chavez]

What's your issue with sprint finishes?? When there aren't coordinated leadout trains, they're very exciting, IMO. Oh, I get it, you must not be much of a sprinter, eh?

I've found the recent trend of "it's a sprint, HTC is going to the front, and whoever their designated sprinter is in this race is going to smoke the competition" gets a little boring.

 

[Scotttri]

What's your issue with sprint finishes?? When there aren't coordinated leadout trains, they're very exciting, IMO. Oh, I get it, you must not be much of a sprinter, eh?

No in fact I enjoy the sprint finishes but it's gettin a bit boreing when you can predict who's going to win the sprint even befor it starts. Takeing nothing away from Columbia HTC, they do a great job, it's just good to see a different winner once in a while

 

[Grater]

No in fact I enjoy the sprint finishes but it's gettin a bit boreing when you can predict who's going to win the sprint even befor it starts. Takeing nothing away from Columbia HTC, they do a great job, it's just good to see a different winner once in a while

Well, until other teams constantly practice leading out a sprinter as much as Columbia-HTC do, no one will stop Columbia-HTC from dominating a sprint finish.

Garmin need to focus all their attention on Farrar like Columbia do to Cavendish and Greipel or Farrar will always be a bridesmaid.

Same with Cervelo too for Hushovd etc.

All teams worry about GC ambitions. Columbia worry about wins and wanting to be competitive in every race. Therefore, they practice their trains day in day out to make it precise.

So, until other teams focus on that, Columbia is going to continue to dominate because mark my words, they are not going to stop focusing on that for anyone - even rogers or martin.

 

[Grater]

I've found the recent trend of "it's a sprint, HTC is going to the front, and whoever their designated sprinter is in this race is going to smoke the competition" gets a little boring.

See my previous post. Columbia are the only team that worry about sprints.

Other teams have other priorities and try and juggle both.

One team needs to make a stand and say, screw GC ambitions, we are adopting the Columbia model.

Garmin have a perfect leadout for Farrar - they just worry about VandeVelde's GC ambitions and base a team around him and not Farrar.

Could you imagine Bobridge and Meyer and the other strong blokes pulling a sprint train with Hunter and Dean leading out Farrar? That will match Columbia.

But Garmin are worried about VandeVelde's GC ambitions.

And it's also not about GC ambitions. It's dedication to a sprint train. At the moment, not one team other than HTC are dedicated.

 

[Scotttri]

Very well put Grater, and I totally agree, it would be alot better if more teams did focus on the sprints, lets face it cavendish and griepel winnig all these stages must do wonders for thier team sponsorship!!

 

[Grater]

If McEwen had a train with Katusha just for him, he could be beating Cavendish and Greipel.

Farrar needs to go somewhere, to a team that wants to focus on this.

If McEwen, Farrar, Hushovd etc were in the places of Cavendish and Greipel, they would be dominating.

Sky are looking to focus on sprint trains but they will be focusing on GC too, so they can expect a lot of second to fifth places from Henderson and Sutton etc.

But yes, you're right - the sponsors are loving this and that's why Columbia are focusing on it. More wins = more sponsorship dollars.

Look at who Columbia lost - climbers, GC riders and they gained guys that can help them with the sprint train. No coincidence there and I don't blame them. If I had won over 160 races in the past 24 months, I would do what I need to do to keep winning.

 

[slovakguy]

that being said, grater, one should take the time to tip the hat to stapleton and his ds staff for being wise enough to focus on cavendish as their star (although that run of stage wins at 2009 giro suggests a bit of diversity on that year's squad) instead of trying to chase all manner of race results. makes me wonder how quick step will perform this year without having evans around for the gt's. more of a concentration on the spring classics and damn all else?

 

[Scotttri]

that being said, grater, one should take the time to tip the hat to stapleton and his ds staff for being wise enough to focus on cavendish as their star (although that run of stage wins at 2009 giro suggests a bit of diversity on that year's squad) instead of trying to chase all manner of race results. makes me wonder how quick step will perform this year without having evans around for the gt's. more of a concentration on the spring classics and damn all else?

You mean Pharma lotto

 

[Andrija]

If McEwen had a train with Katusha just for him, he could be beating Cavendish and Greipel.

I'm not sure about this. Not that McEwen can't beat Columbia duo, but that he needs train. If I can recall corectly, he's never had a train just for him. His strength is in picking the right wheel to follow and bike handling... And, off course, very explosive short distance acceleration. I think the train would just take some strength out of him before the finish line.
Chaotic mass sprints are his cup of tea... Where agility plays more than raw power.

 

[slovakguy]

You mean Pharma lotto

yeah, my apologies. don't know what i was thinking when i went with quick step.

 

[slovakguy]

I'm not sure about this. Not that McEwen can't beat Columbia duo, but that he needs train. If I can recall corectly, he's never had a train just for him. His strength is in picking the right wheel to follow and bike handling... And, off course, very explosive short distance acceleration. I think the train would just take some strength out of him before the finish line.
Chaotic mass sprints are his cup of tea... Where agility plays more than raw power.

only problem i see with this position is that it would be mcewen's "smarts" that get him by for now, but cavendish has rarely made the same mistake twice in a dash for the line. in other words, i think mcewen might pip him once, but over the season game, set and match to cavendish. i'm going back to the video of the giro. something happened in those first few stages where cavendish was giving ground over the last few meters. something the team corrected later in the giro and definitely had under control by the tour.