Tour of Beijing 15h

[Robyklebt]

Ape starting in Beijing this year, the team

1 Gao Daoquan: Chinese star sprinter
2 Gong Bang: Chinese star support rider
3 Thaddäus Häfeli: There to help Gao
4 Nicolas Legrand: French-Swiss star
5 Rakhat Momyshuly: Asian climbing star
6 Titus Olteanu: Support rider
7 Pompiliu Scodreanu: There to learn
8 Daiken Sekiguchi: Japanese devil, will help Gong
9 Zenzo Yamada: Japanese devil, will help Gao

No idea about the goals.. winning the first stage with Gao, but suspect there will be other sprinters around...

[Lizard]

Here comes the other sprinter.

[Robyklebt]

It wasn't meant as an invitation! Go away!

[Lizard]

Don't worry, I'll probably miss one day (okay, not today though^^)

[Bear]

Oh, we have a thread here, for this shit race? Ok, just a shit race in reality, here its actually fun.

This was a fast race today. Every group is dangerous on those short stages, so Poppinga had the work till the first climb, that was sure. Radunions attack was good imo. More cooperation and the group is probably through because I chased alone. Sure I get no help with two guys who can sprint, so it was getting tough. I had really no plan how to ride the last km, just kept Muraglia and Sproles fresh. I was never hanging with both of them, and Gerrit/Victor just hanging at point of attack (except last km). Attack of Picard was also good imo since Victor was very weak and there are probably some riders following. Hoped for that, but noone following. So ride the -3 and attack at 1. Thought of only attacking with one rider... but liked the way it went. Two groups better than one... I decided to go with Sproles then since the others helped, Picard ok, he got chances. But Eldon was already riding in the back, should have saved some energy. Last km: Wizard going early was sure (his only chance), following him might have been enough for Sproles, but would depend on luck. So following Eldon who I never expected to follow Sproles because he cant win from Sproles' wheel. Ended up in a bummer... but ok, I can accept that. Was fun riding today and the tour is still open.

Tomorrow: Mountain finish but not really steep. Just a 6% on the last km. Don't know who is the strongest on this terrain. Minkowski could make it, even for yellow, but without time bonus it will be very difficult. But the hill is not easy to controll. So I expect a surprise winner after a brave attack.

[Lizard]

We surely learned that Wisenhof only rides when unnecessary and doesnt when necessary and his sprint is a big question mark to me.

[Robyklebt]

Great Nicolas followed the wrong guy, grrrr! Otherwise would have been perfect, the sprint was excellent, maybe should have done it without puller, so Seki might have followed, but no, like this 6", otherwise only 4" maybe. We risk deciding the whole thing on bonifications anyway, get them when you can my motto. Then the wrong wheel. Bah... that's the way it is. A bit disappointed that BW didn't keep riding with Stewart.... IMO it was clearly in his interest to ride and keep the difference as small as possible as well, he isn't out of it either, Stewart has sprint and can gain more time too. Even more easily than Legrand actually. But well, probably 2-3"... it really started going up when BW left Bunny and Legrand alone. Right wheel and it looks better for me. Ok, no sprint and we finish closer to the guys in front, maybe even catch them. So lost 0-2" by doing the sprint finally, still was the right thing to do, no sprint and the right wheel and I lose 10 on the winner... sprint and right wheel I lose 4". Wrong wheel though.

Tomorrow, we'll see. Gao for the win! Or maybe not... let's see if we can gain some time for white at least...But after today that BW is the favorite I fear.

[Bear]

Now you are in the we-mode as well. Amazing!!!

[Lizard]

Very interesting final ascent today, I think it will mainly depend on the right attack on the right time here. I don't assume it's gonna be carrying the 80+ to the 6%, the stage will probably be decided earlier. Of course Radunion has a monster with the 84-69, and who knows Pineau might also be good there. Then there's yellow and let's see how much he will do today after he won twice already.

[bergwerk cycling]

Very interesting final ascent today, I think it will mainly depend on the right attack on the right time here. I don't assume it's gonna be carrying the 80+ to the 6%, the stage will probably be decided earlier. Of course Radunion has a monster with the 84-69, and who knows Pineau might also be good there. Then there's yellow and let's see how much he will do today after he won twice already.

You dont forgot a rider?
Zacharias Irgendwer .... ?

[Lizard]

I guess I can make it to top 3 if the peloton is together until the final km, but I don't think I can follow Radunion.

[bergwerk cycling]

That looks much better .... and the both bunnyfunnys looks not so bad too.
Depends on form perhaps or really no chance at 6er ?

[Lizard]

Let's compare... assume I have 100 form: 84-73, assume Radunion has 85 form: 82-67, assume both have similar form, he got 2 points more on climbing... on the 6 too much.. more flat may help you follow with -1 climbing, but not -2. And yes, the strong classics might have a shot too, but I think just like anybody else on the flatter parts of the final climb. Very open.

[bergwerk cycling]

like everytime ... in 2 hours we are cleverer ^^

[Bear]

Good stage today.Not much to do because all groups gave up. Maybe the teams realized that they can creat a mass sprint tomorrow. The last kms Gaston and Buhumil controlled a bit with others in tempo too, then Radunion did it alone. Attacking would have been a high risk for him. He rode perfectly and took the win with a strong Minkowski, good one. I thought of some riders attacking before the 6%. But Radunion had still fresh riders heading into the last hill, so he might controll the gap to a minimum. last km sprint, that was good, didn't expect that.

Tomorrow: Will be a sprint I think because last stage is more important for the classic riders. But the sprinter teams killed some of their riders, so maybe its not that easy...

[Robyklebt]

Actually it wasn't that unexpected. Either Radunion or the climbers or the GC teams would control I kind of expected. Only Radunion in the end, but somehow it seemed not to make sense for lots of other to try to go wild either. End surprising, only Radunion getting away, but ok, everybody else tried to follow him, right choice actually, all or nothing. Actually expected only Wolsink to block, but Soneaus block made sense too.

GC, still very open, guys with sprint still favored, tomorrow a mass sprint is possible, yes, but far from sure. We'll see.

[Lizard]

The real decision comes on the last day, perfect. And still many riders in for it, though Radunion can probably catch up to classic groups if they don't ride together as far as I can tell the profile on stage 5. It will for sure be very interesting! Tomorrow of course trying the mass sprint.

[Lizard]

Gerard!

[Robyklebt]

Got the sprint I wanted, not doing much for it, but a bit, after all getting a sprint was the goal... not lose more time to the others in the GC! Yeah. Sproles third in the MS of course wasn't planned, grrrrrrrrr, letting a group through better after all, grrr.
Sprint, unlikely Gerard goes late again, I at his place would just have gone for Jeuland or something actually... nobody dares taking his wheel anyway it seems, so.. .but worked like this too. Gao 4th, should have gone just a bit faster to get third of course.

Tomorrow the GC fight... we'll see how it goes, not sure how to get yellow, but will try somehow.

[Lizard]

As said in the fairness vote, go from 500 pulled of by rider XY, you overtake Sproles surely and have a chance if the other sprinters go very late.

[Bear]

Or follow Sproles...

[Robyklebt]

Yeah... but I didn't think Sproles would be third to be honest, never crossed my mind he could sprint that well. Mmh, 67 beats 88, 500 vs 50, so 67-79, then probably a wheel, let's say 8 bonus? 75-79.. grr Sproles, just didn't think of it, didn't see him as a danger in an MS. If anything early on the 76, yep. But no, I'm fairly happy with my sprints here. Sort of educational too actually.

[Bear]

I think Sproles had a lucky sprint, just the opposite of Muraglia.

[Lizard]

Good work Bear!

[Bear]

Thanks.

Really enjoyed the tour and especially today. Good competition! Too bad this was just Beijing (dont like the real race). For rsf this was a very good tour with profiles with a lot of possibilities.

Not too much whining/complaining either. I like that too.