LUQUES GOES TO SAN LUIS!
Luques Team finally starts the Real Season with San Luis! Even if this is a preparation Tour, we will look to some great results!
Here is the official Line-UP:
x1 Andrey Vasilyuk - The Climber, The Leader
x2 Dmitrenko - Helper in every field
x3 Blacklow - Read as Dmitrenko but with less reg
x4 Yngve Blom - Another Helper
x5 Kamizuru - Maybe his last tour? Anyway good helper for flat stages
x6 Bulloch - The man that has to close every risky attack on the flat!
x7 Artyom - The Sprinter, will lead the Luques Team in stages 1, 3 and 7
x8 Pasternak - The Young, unfaticable helper and also good at ITT!
x9 Durmonov - The man that will launch Artyom to a win (well we hope!)
FIRST STAGE: ARTYOM MISSES IT
Great work from Luques Team but the sprint goes wrong for Artyom that can reach only the 3rd position
20.01.2014,13 Uhr Tour de San Luis : Tour de San Luis; 1 San Luis-Villa Mercedes: Flachetappe
1. 00:00:00 Paul Walker (Rockstar Inc)
2. 00:00:00 Dani Gomez (Cali Cafe Colombia)
3. 00:00:00 Artyom Priedens (Luques)
4. 00:00:00 Stephane Olivier (Saxo-tinkoff)
5. 00:00:00 Abdumutal Durmonov (Luques)
We worked all the day. Trying to close every attack, fortunately we had the help of Saxo and Rockstar at the end. Not much to tell really, first some escapes for the red jersey, then some attacks to weaken the peloton, but Bulloch closes it at -3 from the end.
Then the sprint, bad strategy, Durmonov starts 50m after and it's too late to recover from Rockstar sprinter. Artyom takes back some space, but it's too late. Tomorrow rest day, we will enjoy the panorama and then let Andrey have a decent result in the last hill.
SECOND STAGE: SAVING APPEARANCES
Luques waits in the peloton and relax as tomorrow will be another hard fight for a MS.
21.01.2014,13 Uhr Tour de San Luis : Tour de San Luis: 2 La Punta-Mirador del Potrero: HC Bergetappe
1. 00:00:00 Samuel Beckett (Haudegen)
2. 00:00:06 Gianni Regazzoni (Falkenbier)
3. 00:00:06 Vincent Pinneau (Saxo-tinkoff)
4. 00:00:07 Andrey Vasilyuk (Luques)
5. 00:00:09 Joaquin Sosa (Recien Nacidos)
Relaxing all day. Well! But taking all the important things. Artyom recovered 4points in the point classification taking position 2. Andrey took an interesting 4th position seen his state of form. Most important, fit for tomorrow, another long and hard flat sprint stage. Will Artyom do it?
THIRD STAGE: AWFUL SPRINT, ARTYOM 4TH
Luques works a lot but the result is disappointing... Now remains only the last stage that we will probably miss
22.01.2014,13 Uhr Tour de San Luis : Tour de San Luis: 3 Tilisarao - Juana Koslay: Flachetappe
1. 00:00:00 Eugeno Espejo (Haudegen)
2. 00:00:01 Paul Walker (Rockstar Inc)
3. 00:00:01 Dani Gomez (Cali Cafe Colombia)
4. 00:00:01 Artyom Priedens (Luques)
5. 00:00:01 Stephane Olivier (Saxo-tinkoff)
Working good as day 1. Temperatures quite high so no one tries really. The only one who tries it's Friendstipp but Luques and Rockstar catch him at -9km from the end. Unfortunately the attack of Espejo on a 2% goes through and Midlarsky + Bulloch can't catch him at the last km, so gw for Haudegen sprinters play for the second place. And It's again Walker the winner of the sprint, Artyom still 2 positions behind me. Now need a sitter for the last sprint of Sunday, but really need some more confidence on these sprints.
FOURTH STAGE: ANDREY HOLD ON, ARTYOM GIVES UP
After the 4th stage some balance can be made. Artyom gives up the idea of the green, Andrey hopes in a TOP10.
23.01.2014,13 Uhr Tour de San Luis : Tour de San Luis: 4 Potrero de Los Funes - Alto de: HC Bergetappe
1. 00:00:00 Samuel Beckett (Haudegen)
2. 00:00:06 Gianni Regazzoni (Falkenbier)
3. 00:00:06 Vincent Pinneau (Saxo-tinkoff)
4. 00:00:06 Andrey Vasilyuk (Luques)
5. 00:00:26 Joaquin Sosa (Recien Nacidos)
Another day of relax, just before the ITT. The peloton controlled well the escape of saxo-tinkoff. Artyom tried for the IS to get some points but when he realized to have not enough margin he simply gave up, will try to get a win this sunday without pressure. The final climb went as expected, Beckett as usual in good shape attacks and goes, the 3 followers can't keep up, but wins some seconds over the other climbers. Tomorrow the ITT will finally redesign the GC.
FIFTH STAGE: ANDREY STILL IN TOP5
Nice ITT for Pasternak, Andrey is still in the TOP5 even if tomorrow will be difficult to keep up.
24.01.2014,13 Uhr Tour de San Luis : Tour de San Luis: 5 San Luis - San Luis: Zeitfahren
1. 00:00:00 Tsimafej Bosyakov (Falkenbier)
2. 00:00:22 Rick Zabel (Saxo-tinkoff)
3. 00:00:35 Ramunas Konovalovas (Cali Cafe Colombia)
4. 00:00:49 Piotr Kornacki (Friendstipp RC)
5. 00:00:55 Wilhelm Canaris (Recien Nacidos)
Tomorrow last mountain stage... then sprint stage where we probably found a sitter.
6TH STAGE: ANDREY FINISHES 3RD AND SECURES THE TOP5
Again another difficult end. Andrey can't counter Gianni but finishes third and save the Top5.
25.01.2014,13 Uhr Tour de San Luis : Tour de San Luis: 6 Las Chacras-Mirador del Sol: HC Bergetappe
1. 00:00:00 Samuel Beckett (Haudegen)
2. 00:00:14 Gianni Regazzoni (Falkenbier)
3. 00:00:18 Andrey Vasilyuk (Luques)
4. 00:00:20 Jonathan Good (Rockstar Inc)
5. 00:00:20 Josh Radnor (Friendstipp RC)
Not much to say. The race goes exactly as the other mountain stages. Beckett probably attacks too early but he is still too strong, Friendstipp and Saxo attack early and are caught again by the peloton, then goes Gianni and at last km Andrey gaining 2 secs over the others. Tomorrow the ape will sit and lead the team in the last stage of the tour.
7TH STAGE: DIFFICULT END, A SHORT GROUP MAKES IT, ARTYOM WINS IN THE PELOTON
Complex final for this last stage. A small group go through, while Artyom wins in the peloton.