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Cricket Web Cycling Team
- Thread starter Magrat Garlick
- Start date
NZTailender
I can't believe I ate the whole thing
Yeah, pretty decent start. Though I'm itching to get a race soon. Hopefully something really hilly to get a practice in before Le Tour.
Matteh
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Indeed. Tour of California which is next has 2 TTs, so hopefully i'll be given a run.
Magrat Garlick
Rather Mad Witch
Tour de Langkawi, Stages 6 and 7
Tour de Langkawi
Stage 6: Kuala Terengganu - Cukal
Flat. There's a tiny climb after km 126 of 143 though, for mountain points.
The first break after just a couple of kilometres, and it's pretty strong, so Forner is sent up again. A max lead of 7'30 with 80 km to go, and though Unibet made a feeble attempt of catching the break, it quickly became apparent that they would go all the way home.
Once again, Forner attacked on the climb, with devastating results; by the peak the lead was at 45 seconds. The rest of the ride was a gentle stroll to the finish in Cukal, and Forner took his second stage win.
The amazing hill sprint also brought him back into the yellow jersey, 43 seconds ahead of a bemused Rujano, who arrived with the peloton some four minutes back.
Stage results:
1 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 3h11'19
2 Antonio Bucciero CERAMICA PANARIA - NAVIGARE + 58
3 Aleksandr Serov TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS s.t.
4 Dimitri Champion BOUYGUES TELECOM s.t.
5 Travis Allen TEAM KONICA MINOLTA s.t.
10 breakawayees
13 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 4'08
16 Ben Read TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
76 David Kennett TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
77 George Roberts TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
78 David Millar TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
95 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
110 riders in same time
General classification:
1 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 20h23'33
2 José Rujano UNIBET.COM + 43
3 Aleksandr Serov TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS + 1'01
4 Cyril Dessel AG2R PRÉVOYANCE + 1'39
5 Alexandre Botcharov CRÉDIT AGRICOLE + 1'43
6 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 1'51
11 George Roberts TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 2'32
14 David Kennett TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
36 David Millar TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 8'58
88 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 17'02
97 Ben Read TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 17'30
Points classification:
1 Alberto Loddo SERRAMENTI PVC DIQUIGIOVANNI - SELLE ITALIA 106
2 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 83
3 Sébastien Chavanel FRANÇAISE DES JEUX
4 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY 64
5 Simon Clarke SOUTHAUSTRALIA.COM - AIS 64
Mountain classification:
1 Alexandre Botcharov CRÉDIT AGRICOLE 24
2 Trent Lowe DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRO CYCLING TEAM 16
3 José Rujano UNIBET.COM 16
4 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 15
Stage 7: Kuantan - Karak, 170 km
Two climbs that give mountain points, but neither is longer than a kilometre. Casson Dairy won't be doing much flash, simply let a break with poorly placed GC riders go.
As the doctor ordered, a massive bunch of riders ten minutes down in the general classification attacked on the 10 km mark; however, FDJeux, Selle Italia and Crédit Agricole combined to tow them into line. A new attack on 31 km included much the same riders, but fewer, and this one was allowed to leave. With a 9-minute lead, Selle Italia began to work for Loddo - our team were left with no responsibility at all. When the breakaway briefly rallied, Arroyo, Millar and Roberts were set up to do work, but the guys up front were stronger than expected and managed to get home despite only a 5-minute lead at 50 km. Christophe Kern of Crédit Agricole saved a miserable tour for them as he beat Kazuo Inoue (Nippo) to the line; in the fight for fifth place in the group, Pares just came in ahead of Loddo and Read.
Meanwhile, further back, José Rujano managed to get caught on the tail of the peloton, which split in two. So did most of the Giant Asia team, who had been well placed overall. They lost 1'47, leaving Forner with a defensible target and the Casson Dairy riders within shooting distance of Dessel.
Stage results:
1 Christophe Kern CRÉDIT AGRICOLE 4h10'06
2 Kazuo Inoue NIPPO CORPORATION - MEITAN HOMPO CO. LTD - ASADA s.t.
3 Pedro Costa VITÓRIA - ASC s.t.
4 Stéphane Pétilleau AG2R PRÉVOYANCE s.t.
5 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 50
6 Alberto Loddo SERRAMENTI PVC DIQUIGIOVANNI - SELLE ITALIA s.t.
7 Ben Read TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
52 David Millar TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
64 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
71 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
77 George Roberts TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
79 David Kennett TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
81 riders in same time
Tomorrow: The decisive 83km stage. Warning: Not for the thick-set. (Note that since it's 83km, the profile seems less slanted.)
Tour de Langkawi
Stage 6: Kuala Terengganu - Cukal
Flat. There's a tiny climb after km 126 of 143 though, for mountain points.
The first break after just a couple of kilometres, and it's pretty strong, so Forner is sent up again. A max lead of 7'30 with 80 km to go, and though Unibet made a feeble attempt of catching the break, it quickly became apparent that they would go all the way home.
Once again, Forner attacked on the climb, with devastating results; by the peak the lead was at 45 seconds. The rest of the ride was a gentle stroll to the finish in Cukal, and Forner took his second stage win.
The amazing hill sprint also brought him back into the yellow jersey, 43 seconds ahead of a bemused Rujano, who arrived with the peloton some four minutes back.
Stage results:
1 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 3h11'19
2 Antonio Bucciero CERAMICA PANARIA - NAVIGARE + 58
3 Aleksandr Serov TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS s.t.
4 Dimitri Champion BOUYGUES TELECOM s.t.
5 Travis Allen TEAM KONICA MINOLTA s.t.
10 breakawayees
13 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 4'08
16 Ben Read TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
76 David Kennett TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
77 George Roberts TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
78 David Millar TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
95 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
110 riders in same time
General classification:
1 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 20h23'33
2 José Rujano UNIBET.COM + 43
3 Aleksandr Serov TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS + 1'01
4 Cyril Dessel AG2R PRÉVOYANCE + 1'39
5 Alexandre Botcharov CRÉDIT AGRICOLE + 1'43
6 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 1'51
11 George Roberts TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 2'32
14 David Kennett TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
36 David Millar TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 8'58
88 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 17'02
97 Ben Read TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 17'30
Points classification:
1 Alberto Loddo SERRAMENTI PVC DIQUIGIOVANNI - SELLE ITALIA 106
2 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 83
3 Sébastien Chavanel FRANÇAISE DES JEUX
4 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY 64
5 Simon Clarke SOUTHAUSTRALIA.COM - AIS 64
Mountain classification:
1 Alexandre Botcharov CRÉDIT AGRICOLE 24
2 Trent Lowe DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRO CYCLING TEAM 16
3 José Rujano UNIBET.COM 16
4 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 15
Stage 7: Kuantan - Karak, 170 km
Two climbs that give mountain points, but neither is longer than a kilometre. Casson Dairy won't be doing much flash, simply let a break with poorly placed GC riders go.
As the doctor ordered, a massive bunch of riders ten minutes down in the general classification attacked on the 10 km mark; however, FDJeux, Selle Italia and Crédit Agricole combined to tow them into line. A new attack on 31 km included much the same riders, but fewer, and this one was allowed to leave. With a 9-minute lead, Selle Italia began to work for Loddo - our team were left with no responsibility at all. When the breakaway briefly rallied, Arroyo, Millar and Roberts were set up to do work, but the guys up front were stronger than expected and managed to get home despite only a 5-minute lead at 50 km. Christophe Kern of Crédit Agricole saved a miserable tour for them as he beat Kazuo Inoue (Nippo) to the line; in the fight for fifth place in the group, Pares just came in ahead of Loddo and Read.
Meanwhile, further back, José Rujano managed to get caught on the tail of the peloton, which split in two. So did most of the Giant Asia team, who had been well placed overall. They lost 1'47, leaving Forner with a defensible target and the Casson Dairy riders within shooting distance of Dessel.
Stage results:
1 Christophe Kern CRÉDIT AGRICOLE 4h10'06
2 Kazuo Inoue NIPPO CORPORATION - MEITAN HOMPO CO. LTD - ASADA s.t.
3 Pedro Costa VITÓRIA - ASC s.t.
4 Stéphane Pétilleau AG2R PRÉVOYANCE s.t.
5 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 50
6 Alberto Loddo SERRAMENTI PVC DIQUIGIOVANNI - SELLE ITALIA s.t.
7 Ben Read TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
52 David Millar TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
64 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
71 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
77 George Roberts TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
79 David Kennett TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
81 riders in same time
Tomorrow: The decisive 83km stage. Warning: Not for the thick-set. (Note that since it's 83km, the profile seems less slanted.)
Magrat Garlick
Rather Mad Witch
Star of Bessèges, Stage Two
...and in France...
Etoile de Bessèges
Stage 2: Nîmes - Saint Ambroix, 148 km
A couple short and tiny climbs, but nothing to scare anyone. The obvious aim: a sprint to bolster Pickup's form.
A 7-man group got away when Casson Dairy tired of chasing breaks; four men later tried to join them, which prompted increased pace from Casson Dairy, and the group was caught after 40 km. New attack attempts flourished, but were all caught, and there was even time for a rehearsal sprint at the intermediate point 36 km before goal. Pickup showed strength once again, pipping Dekkers to the line.
Before the finish, Casson Dairy's Voigt and Gray worked hard to get Pickup in the following good position
Pickup led out from the front spectacularly, and going through the final corner he leads dominantly, as shown below.
McEwen crashing through the final corner - Dekkers, in lighter yellow, suffered collateral damage, and withdrew
Pickup is by far the dominant sprinter here.
Stage results:
1 Neil Pickup TEAM CASSON DAIRY 3h09'59
2 Gregory Henderson T-MOBILE TEAM s.t.
3 Steve Schets CHOCOLADE JACQUES - TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN s.t.
4 Stéphane Poulhiès AG2R PRÉVOYANCE s.t.
5 Elio Aggiano TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS s.t.
25 Jens Voigt TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
29 Jamee Gray TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
32 Nathan Hoy TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
34 Johan Vansummeren TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
38 Alex Fensome TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
44 Cédric Vasseur TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
78 Chris Dwyer TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
123 riders in same time
General classification:
1 Neil Pickup TEAM CASSON DAIRY 6h32'22
2 Gregory Henderson T-MOBILE TEAM + 28
3 Nathan Hoy TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 36
Peloton at 46 seconds
Points classification:
1 Neil Pickup TEAM CASSON DAIRY 56
2 Gregory Henderson T-MOBILE TEAM 38
3 Stéphane Poulhiès AG2R PRÉVOYANCE 28
...and in France...
Etoile de Bessèges
Stage 2: Nîmes - Saint Ambroix, 148 km
A couple short and tiny climbs, but nothing to scare anyone. The obvious aim: a sprint to bolster Pickup's form.
A 7-man group got away when Casson Dairy tired of chasing breaks; four men later tried to join them, which prompted increased pace from Casson Dairy, and the group was caught after 40 km. New attack attempts flourished, but were all caught, and there was even time for a rehearsal sprint at the intermediate point 36 km before goal. Pickup showed strength once again, pipping Dekkers to the line.
Before the finish, Casson Dairy's Voigt and Gray worked hard to get Pickup in the following good position
Pickup led out from the front spectacularly, and going through the final corner he leads dominantly, as shown below.
McEwen crashing through the final corner - Dekkers, in lighter yellow, suffered collateral damage, and withdrew
Pickup is by far the dominant sprinter here.
Stage results:
1 Neil Pickup TEAM CASSON DAIRY 3h09'59
2 Gregory Henderson T-MOBILE TEAM s.t.
3 Steve Schets CHOCOLADE JACQUES - TOPSPORT VLAANDEREN s.t.
4 Stéphane Poulhiès AG2R PRÉVOYANCE s.t.
5 Elio Aggiano TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS s.t.
25 Jens Voigt TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
29 Jamee Gray TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
32 Nathan Hoy TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
34 Johan Vansummeren TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
38 Alex Fensome TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
44 Cédric Vasseur TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
78 Chris Dwyer TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
123 riders in same time
General classification:
1 Neil Pickup TEAM CASSON DAIRY 6h32'22
2 Gregory Henderson T-MOBILE TEAM + 28
3 Nathan Hoy TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 36
Peloton at 46 seconds
Points classification:
1 Neil Pickup TEAM CASSON DAIRY 56
2 Gregory Henderson T-MOBILE TEAM 38
3 Stéphane Poulhiès AG2R PRÉVOYANCE 28
Last edited:
Magrat Garlick
Rather Mad Witch
Sounds about right.
Etoile de Bessèges
Stage 3
Rather steep and long climbs early on means we'll attempt to join the break instead of defending Pickup's jersey. Gray made two attempts, and eventually got loose on his own after the others had given up.
By the end of the first climb he had 2'30 on the two chasers, Augé and De Schrooder, a further half minute on Mengin, another half-minute on a five-man group including Commesso, and the peloton trailed by 4'20.
The second climb, a 3-km 7 % monster, brought little change: Gray did, however, earn mountain points, which hadn't been available on the first ascent. Augé was second, but had lost a further minute, while the peloton trailed by nearly seven minutes.
On the descent, the groups began to collect, and with 60 km to go the only ones to chase Gray were an 8-man group. The peloton had also begun to race, led by AG2R and Predictor-Lotto.
Commesso broke loose from the chasing group at the second intermediate sprint, trailing by 2 minutes with 45 km to go; the peloton looked in with a chance too, lying five minutes behind. However, fighting alone against a strong wind on the final plains quickly turned impossible, and Gray opted to wait for Bergès, Derepas and Commesso, the remainder of the chasing group. However, it quickly became apparent the Gray was spent, and the desperate attempts to cling on only made things. The brave breakawayee came in with Mads Kaggestad, beaten by five minutes.
Meanwhile, up front, Pickup repeated the easy pickings: sneaking in ahead of Greg Henderson in T-Mobile's train, he then led out for a dominant finish.
Stage results:
1 Neil Pickup TEAM CASSON DAIRY 3h38'54
2 Gregory Henderson T-MOBILE TEAM s.t.
3 Elio Aggiano TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS s.t.
4 Stéphane Poulhiès AG2R PRÉVOYANCE s.t.
5 Robbie McEwen PREDICTOR - LOTTO s.t.
36 Alex Fensome TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
37 Jens Voigt TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
38 Nathan Hoy TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
44 Johan Vansummeren TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
52 Cédric Vasseur TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
57 Chris Dwyer TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
108 riders in same time
114 Jamee Gray TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 5'25
General classification:
1 Neil Pickup TEAM CASSON DAIRY 10h10'56
2 Gregory Henderson T-MOBILE TEAM + 36
3 Nathan Hoy TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 56
Points classification:
1 Neil Pickup TEAM CASSON DAIRY 81
2 Gregory Henderson T-MOBILE TEAM 58
3 Stéphane Poulhiès AG2R PRÉVOYANCE 42
Mountain classification:
1 Nathan Hoy TEAM CASSON DAIRY 15
2 Jamee Gray TEAM CASSON DAIRY 10
3 Stéphane Augé COFIDIS, LE CRÉDIT PAR TÉLÉPHONE 8
Last edited:
Magrat Garlick
Rather Mad Witch
Tour de Langkawi
Stage 8
Plan: Since Forner is suspected not to be able to counter Rujano's attacking, the idea is to attack quite early with Roberts to force Unibet's hand.
A group of 13 rather poor climbers got away early, with Édaleine (6'16 behind Forner) the best placed and most dangerous one. However, they were caught with 42km to go, and Roberts decided to test the field with an attack.
Rujano chose the defensive option; however, Peña countered the attack for Unibet, and those two had got away over the top of the climb.
At the foot of the final 27-km climb, Roberts realised the solo effort was rather hopeless, as he was too spent from attacking and gaining the minute on the peloton. He was joined by Peña. At 21 km, he was overtaken by Gadret, who attempted an attack. It was quickly countered by Kennett, who however couldn't break away.
It became clear that the only fit riders left were Forner and Arroyo. With 12 km left, the hill steepened further, and only those two were left; along with them Botcharov (CA), Crawford (Giant Asia), Duarte (Selle Italia), Dessel, Gadret (AG2R), Lövkvist (FDJ), Lowe (DSC) and Rujano (Unibet). At 10 km, Rujano began a last-gasp charge to blow the field apart; however, Forner was up to the task, and with 8 km left the two Casson Dairy riders advanced ahead of Rujano, trying to keep up with Cyril Dessel.
At 6 km, Arroyo broke free, the only one with some gas left in the tank; Forner hung on to third place just ahead of Rujano, and looked good for the overall win unless his team-mate stole it.
A shattered winner
But with nearly two minutes in the bag, this was hardly much to fear; Arroyo rode home for the win, while Forner grabbed third to gain some bonus seconds on Rujano. Casson Dairy emergent dominant; only Loddo's points jersey seems out of range.
Stage results:
1 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY 2h33'42
2 Cyril Dessel AG2R PRÉVOYANCE + 24
3 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 26
4 José Rujano UNIBET.COM + 34
5 Alexandre Botcharov CRÉDIT AGRICOLE + 56
12 David Kennett TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 3'13
14 David Millar TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 3'35
17 George Roberts TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 4'32
73 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 14'06
79 Ben Read TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 14'27
General classification:
1 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 27h08'29
2 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 1'13
3 Cyril Dessel AG2R PRÉVOYANCE + 1'33
4 Alexandre Botcharov CRÉDIT AGRICOLE + 2'21
5 José Rujano UNIBET.COM + 2'46
10 David Kennett TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 5'27
13 George Roberts TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 6'40
27 David Millar TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 12'15
86 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 30'50
90 Ben Read TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 31'39
Points classification:
1 Alberto Loddo SERRAMENTI PVC DIQUIGIOVANNI - SELLE ITALIA 116
2 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 99
3 Sébastien Chavanel FRANÇAISE DES JEUX 91
4 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY 76
Mountain classification:
1 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY 35
2 Alexandre Botcharov CRÉDIT AGRICOLE 32
3 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 27
Team classification:
1 TEAM CASSON DAIRY 81h30'19
2 AG2R PRÉVOYANCE + 10'47
3 CRÉDIT AGRICOLE + 20'09
4 GIANT ASIA RACING TEAM + 20'40
5 SERRAMENTI PVD DIQUIGIOVANNI - SELLE ITALIA + 21'36
Stage 8
Plan: Since Forner is suspected not to be able to counter Rujano's attacking, the idea is to attack quite early with Roberts to force Unibet's hand.
A group of 13 rather poor climbers got away early, with Édaleine (6'16 behind Forner) the best placed and most dangerous one. However, they were caught with 42km to go, and Roberts decided to test the field with an attack.
Rujano chose the defensive option; however, Peña countered the attack for Unibet, and those two had got away over the top of the climb.
At the foot of the final 27-km climb, Roberts realised the solo effort was rather hopeless, as he was too spent from attacking and gaining the minute on the peloton. He was joined by Peña. At 21 km, he was overtaken by Gadret, who attempted an attack. It was quickly countered by Kennett, who however couldn't break away.
It became clear that the only fit riders left were Forner and Arroyo. With 12 km left, the hill steepened further, and only those two were left; along with them Botcharov (CA), Crawford (Giant Asia), Duarte (Selle Italia), Dessel, Gadret (AG2R), Lövkvist (FDJ), Lowe (DSC) and Rujano (Unibet). At 10 km, Rujano began a last-gasp charge to blow the field apart; however, Forner was up to the task, and with 8 km left the two Casson Dairy riders advanced ahead of Rujano, trying to keep up with Cyril Dessel.
At 6 km, Arroyo broke free, the only one with some gas left in the tank; Forner hung on to third place just ahead of Rujano, and looked good for the overall win unless his team-mate stole it.
A shattered winner
But with nearly two minutes in the bag, this was hardly much to fear; Arroyo rode home for the win, while Forner grabbed third to gain some bonus seconds on Rujano. Casson Dairy emergent dominant; only Loddo's points jersey seems out of range.
Stage results:
1 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY 2h33'42
2 Cyril Dessel AG2R PRÉVOYANCE + 24
3 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 26
4 José Rujano UNIBET.COM + 34
5 Alexandre Botcharov CRÉDIT AGRICOLE + 56
12 David Kennett TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 3'13
14 David Millar TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 3'35
17 George Roberts TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 4'32
73 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 14'06
79 Ben Read TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 14'27
General classification:
1 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 27h08'29
2 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 1'13
3 Cyril Dessel AG2R PRÉVOYANCE + 1'33
4 Alexandre Botcharov CRÉDIT AGRICOLE + 2'21
5 José Rujano UNIBET.COM + 2'46
10 David Kennett TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 5'27
13 George Roberts TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 6'40
27 David Millar TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 12'15
86 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 30'50
90 Ben Read TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 31'39
Points classification:
1 Alberto Loddo SERRAMENTI PVC DIQUIGIOVANNI - SELLE ITALIA 116
2 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 99
3 Sébastien Chavanel FRANÇAISE DES JEUX 91
4 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY 76
Mountain classification:
1 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY 35
2 Alexandre Botcharov CRÉDIT AGRICOLE 32
3 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 27
Team classification:
1 TEAM CASSON DAIRY 81h30'19
2 AG2R PRÉVOYANCE + 10'47
3 CRÉDIT AGRICOLE + 20'09
4 GIANT ASIA RACING TEAM + 20'40
5 SERRAMENTI PVD DIQUIGIOVANNI - SELLE ITALIA + 21'36
Magrat Garlick
Rather Mad Witch
Etoile de Bessèges
The conclusion:
Stage Four, Casino Les Fumades, 156 km
On a hilly stage, Dwyer was our first man in a breakaway; however, he was easily caught, and Fensome was the next to try his luck. He joined a significantly better five-man group of hill riders, and earned a lead of 1'30 without the peloton bothering to react.
On the second mountain point climb, the group split, and Vasseur and Gray remained to help Pickup chase things back. Dwyer and Hoy were part of the 19-man front group, dominated by Crédit Agricole, Cofidis, Tinkoff and T-Mobile. With 65 km to go, they caught Fensome's group, and Casson Dairy sat with five out of 24. None of them, however, would be any good in a sprint. Merckx showed signs of excellent form pulling up the climb with 46 km to go, reducing the front group to 14. Tinkoff were set behind, except for Marzoli, but all five Casson Dairy riders survived the assault.
The intermediate sprint broke things up further. Hoy managed to get in a group with Marzoli and Merckx, but on the downhill, Merckx eked out a lead of 30 seconds.
The final climb was intriguing. Voigt and Vansummeren set up a high pace to reel in Merckx, but Moncoutié attacked in the bottom of the hill, and Dwyer countered along with Calzati. Calzati broke, but Dwyer was second over the top, 20 seconds behind Merckx. Fensome had also countered, and lay fourth a further 20 seconds off, while Hoy fought to hang on to his domestiques.
However, Merckx was impossible to combat in the final slow descent, and eventually won by a minute to take over the leader jersey from Pickup. Casson Dairy got home nicely, but had to give up plenty of jerseys.
Stage ersults:
1 Axel Merckx T-MOBILE TEAM 3h49'09
2 Jens Voigt TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 1'08
3 Ruggero Marzoli TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS s.t.
4 Nathan Hoy TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
5 Johan Vansummeren TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
9 Alex Fensome TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
10 Chris Dwyer TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
9-man group
44 Neil Pickup TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 7'36
47 Cédric Vasseur TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
56 Jamee Gray TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
Stage Five, Gagnières - Bessèges 162 km
Early mountains, then total flatness. Probable that Pickup will survive these, but we'll still send someone in the break.
Gray attempted to get away, but was not allowed; in the first climb Evgeni Petrov (Tinkoff) got a gap without the pack reacting, so Fensome was sent to counter it. He joined easily and had gained a two-minute lead at the top.
By the next mountain stop, it was six minutes, with Fensome also gaining enough points to take the mountain jersey from Hoy. However, T-Mobile were naturally afraid of their yellow jersey, and began riding hard already with 100 km to go. By the last top, only 48 were officially in the peloton, though there was a lot of downhill for the trailing riders to come back in. However, Pickup had settled himself well near the front, helped by Vasseur and Vansummeren.
At the bottom, Fensome and Petrov led by 6'10, with 68 flat km to go. At the last sprint, Petrov could no longer hold on, leaving Fensome alone against the chasing pack; it became a close thing, with Fensome holding a minute's advantage with just 8.5 km to go, but he tired and was caught at the 4km mark.
However, by then Pickup had easily placed into McEwen's wheel, and he won the sprint by a couple of lengths for his fourth stage win of the race.
Stage results:
1 Neil Pickup TEAM CASSON DAIRY 3h58'40
2 Robbie McEwen PREDICTOR - LOTTO s.t.
3 Stéphane Poulhiès AG2R PRÉVOYANCE s.t.
4 Elio Aggiano TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS s.t.
5 Sébastien Hinault CRÉDIT AGRICOLE s.t.
Final general classification:
1 Axel Merckx T-MOBILE TEAM 17h59'25
2 Ruggero Marzoli TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS + 1'22
3 Jens Voigt TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
4 Nathan Hoy TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
5 Alex Fensome TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 1'28
9 Chris Dwyer TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 1'34
10 Johan Vansummeren TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
27 Neil Pickup TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 6'36
Final points classification:
1 Neil Pickup TEAM CASSON DAIRY 106
2 Gregory Henderson T-MOBILE TEAM 64
3 Stéphane Poulhiès AG2R PRÉVOYANCE 58
5 Robbie McEwen PREDICTOR - LOTTO 48
7 Nathan Hoy TEAM CASSON DAIRY 26
13 Jens Voigt TEAM CASSON DAIRY 20
20 Alex Fensome TEAM CASSON DAIRY 13
21 Jamee Gray TEAM CASSON DAIRY 12
22 Johan Vansummeren TEAM CASSON DAIRY 12
Final mountains classification:
1 Alex Fensome TEAM CASSON DAIRY 24
2 Nathan Hoy TEAM CASSON DAIRY 21
3 Stéphane Augé COFIDIS, LE CRÉDIT PAR TÉLÉPHONE 12
The conclusion:
Stage Four, Casino Les Fumades, 156 km
On a hilly stage, Dwyer was our first man in a breakaway; however, he was easily caught, and Fensome was the next to try his luck. He joined a significantly better five-man group of hill riders, and earned a lead of 1'30 without the peloton bothering to react.
On the second mountain point climb, the group split, and Vasseur and Gray remained to help Pickup chase things back. Dwyer and Hoy were part of the 19-man front group, dominated by Crédit Agricole, Cofidis, Tinkoff and T-Mobile. With 65 km to go, they caught Fensome's group, and Casson Dairy sat with five out of 24. None of them, however, would be any good in a sprint. Merckx showed signs of excellent form pulling up the climb with 46 km to go, reducing the front group to 14. Tinkoff were set behind, except for Marzoli, but all five Casson Dairy riders survived the assault.
The intermediate sprint broke things up further. Hoy managed to get in a group with Marzoli and Merckx, but on the downhill, Merckx eked out a lead of 30 seconds.
The final climb was intriguing. Voigt and Vansummeren set up a high pace to reel in Merckx, but Moncoutié attacked in the bottom of the hill, and Dwyer countered along with Calzati. Calzati broke, but Dwyer was second over the top, 20 seconds behind Merckx. Fensome had also countered, and lay fourth a further 20 seconds off, while Hoy fought to hang on to his domestiques.
However, Merckx was impossible to combat in the final slow descent, and eventually won by a minute to take over the leader jersey from Pickup. Casson Dairy got home nicely, but had to give up plenty of jerseys.
Stage ersults:
1 Axel Merckx T-MOBILE TEAM 3h49'09
2 Jens Voigt TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 1'08
3 Ruggero Marzoli TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS s.t.
4 Nathan Hoy TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
5 Johan Vansummeren TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
9 Alex Fensome TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
10 Chris Dwyer TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
9-man group
44 Neil Pickup TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 7'36
47 Cédric Vasseur TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
56 Jamee Gray TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
Stage Five, Gagnières - Bessèges 162 km
Early mountains, then total flatness. Probable that Pickup will survive these, but we'll still send someone in the break.
Gray attempted to get away, but was not allowed; in the first climb Evgeni Petrov (Tinkoff) got a gap without the pack reacting, so Fensome was sent to counter it. He joined easily and had gained a two-minute lead at the top.
By the next mountain stop, it was six minutes, with Fensome also gaining enough points to take the mountain jersey from Hoy. However, T-Mobile were naturally afraid of their yellow jersey, and began riding hard already with 100 km to go. By the last top, only 48 were officially in the peloton, though there was a lot of downhill for the trailing riders to come back in. However, Pickup had settled himself well near the front, helped by Vasseur and Vansummeren.
At the bottom, Fensome and Petrov led by 6'10, with 68 flat km to go. At the last sprint, Petrov could no longer hold on, leaving Fensome alone against the chasing pack; it became a close thing, with Fensome holding a minute's advantage with just 8.5 km to go, but he tired and was caught at the 4km mark.
However, by then Pickup had easily placed into McEwen's wheel, and he won the sprint by a couple of lengths for his fourth stage win of the race.
Stage results:
1 Neil Pickup TEAM CASSON DAIRY 3h58'40
2 Robbie McEwen PREDICTOR - LOTTO s.t.
3 Stéphane Poulhiès AG2R PRÉVOYANCE s.t.
4 Elio Aggiano TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS s.t.
5 Sébastien Hinault CRÉDIT AGRICOLE s.t.
Final general classification:
1 Axel Merckx T-MOBILE TEAM 17h59'25
2 Ruggero Marzoli TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS + 1'22
3 Jens Voigt TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
4 Nathan Hoy TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
5 Alex Fensome TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 1'28
9 Chris Dwyer TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 1'34
10 Johan Vansummeren TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
27 Neil Pickup TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 6'36
Final points classification:
1 Neil Pickup TEAM CASSON DAIRY 106
2 Gregory Henderson T-MOBILE TEAM 64
3 Stéphane Poulhiès AG2R PRÉVOYANCE 58
5 Robbie McEwen PREDICTOR - LOTTO 48
7 Nathan Hoy TEAM CASSON DAIRY 26
13 Jens Voigt TEAM CASSON DAIRY 20
20 Alex Fensome TEAM CASSON DAIRY 13
21 Jamee Gray TEAM CASSON DAIRY 12
22 Johan Vansummeren TEAM CASSON DAIRY 12
Final mountains classification:
1 Alex Fensome TEAM CASSON DAIRY 24
2 Nathan Hoy TEAM CASSON DAIRY 21
3 Stéphane Augé COFIDIS, LE CRÉDIT PAR TÉLÉPHONE 12
Magrat Garlick
Rather Mad Witch
Tour de Langkawi
Tour de Langkawi
Let's finish this off too...
Stage Nine, Putrajaya - Seremban, 173.1 km
Only chance of a win today is to join a break; a number of climbs after kilometer 87 leaves Pares and Read chanceless. The best one placed to do so is Millar, as he is not a danger to the overall standings.
However, he was chased down by the pack, and another group got away. They earned an 8-minute lead at 90 km, when Casson Dairy decided Edaleine (13'45 behind) was a potential danger, and began working with Millar, Read, Pares and Roberts. The lead decreased steadily, and when it was clear they were no longer dangerous, Casson Dairy stopped working.
On the last serious climb, Gadret attempted a sneak attack, but was caught by Kennett's effort, only for Serrano (Tinkoff) to attempt a new surprise.
Serrano got loose from the field, then rode alone for 30 km. With 12 km to go he had a 42-second lead over the peloton, with 30 seconds still up to the three guys remaining from the breakaway.
Then Forner went again. Chasing his third stage win of the Tour, and knowing that he'd barely used energy all day, he joined Serrano's wheel in a flash, but he couldn't get a gap in the climb. Thus, he was forced to contend with three other riders for the win, while at the same time trying to cooperate to keep the peloton at bay.
It was a close call, but Serrano took Forner's wheel, then sprinted from it, and despite a last lunge he was pipped by an inch. Forner did however steal Loddo's points jersey.
Stage results:
1 Ricardo Serrano TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS 4h06'02
2 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
3 Samuel Dumoulin AG2R PRÉVOYANCE s.t.
4 Thor Hushovd CRÉDIT AGRICOLE s.t.
5 Allan Davis DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRO CYCLING TEAM s.t.
6 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
17 David Kennett TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
38 David Millar TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
42 George Roberts TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
73 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
74 riders in same time
117 Ben Read TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 11'42
Stage Ten, Kuala Lumpur Criterium, 78 km
Flat and short. Time for the sprinters. Nevertheless, Casson Dairy and Selle Italia were about the only teams who didn't attempt breakaways; instead, we worked hard to chase it back.
A mass crash with ten kilometres to go thankfully didn't invovle any of the top three in the overall, though Rujano went down again, along with yesterday's winner Serrano. However, Sébastien Chavanel took the wheel of Forner, shot out of the pack, and a slightly off-colour Pares came half a wheel short. Loddo was a casualty of the crashes, finishing 77th.
Stage results:
1 Sébastien Chavanel FRANÇAISE DES JEUX 1h50'29
2 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
3 Thor Hushovd CRÉDIT AGRICOLE s.t.
4 Allan Davis DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRO CYCLING TEAM s.t.
5 Ben Read TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
23 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
30 David Millar TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
39 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
73 George Roberts TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
78 David Kennett TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
Final general classification:
1 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 33h04'48
2 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 1'25
3 Cyril Dessel AG2R PRÉVOYANCE + 1'45
4 Alexandre Botcharov CRÉDIT AGRICOLE + 2'33
5 Fabio Duarte SERRAMENTI PVC DIQUIGIOVANNI - SELLE ITALIA + 3'42
6 Trent Lowe DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRO CYCLING TEAM + 5'33
7 Jay Thomson TEAM KONICA MINOLTA + 5'38
8 David Kennett TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 5'39
9 Jai Crawford GIANT ASIA RACING TEAM + 5'51
10 George Roberts TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 6'52
24 David Millar TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 12'27
72 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 30'50
99 Ben Read TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 43'33
Final points classification:
1 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 119
2 Sébastien Chavanel FRANÇAISE DES JEUX 116
3 Alberto Loddo SERRAMENTI PVC DIQUIGIOVANNI - SELLE ITALIA 116
4 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY 96
8 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY 49
14 Ben Read TEAM CASSON DAIRY 39
Final mountain classification:
1 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY 35
2 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 32
3 Alexandre Botcharov CRÉDIT AGRICOLE 32
10 David Kennett TEAM CASSON DAIRY 8
Tour de Langkawi
Let's finish this off too...
Stage Nine, Putrajaya - Seremban, 173.1 km
Only chance of a win today is to join a break; a number of climbs after kilometer 87 leaves Pares and Read chanceless. The best one placed to do so is Millar, as he is not a danger to the overall standings.
However, he was chased down by the pack, and another group got away. They earned an 8-minute lead at 90 km, when Casson Dairy decided Edaleine (13'45 behind) was a potential danger, and began working with Millar, Read, Pares and Roberts. The lead decreased steadily, and when it was clear they were no longer dangerous, Casson Dairy stopped working.
On the last serious climb, Gadret attempted a sneak attack, but was caught by Kennett's effort, only for Serrano (Tinkoff) to attempt a new surprise.
Serrano got loose from the field, then rode alone for 30 km. With 12 km to go he had a 42-second lead over the peloton, with 30 seconds still up to the three guys remaining from the breakaway.
Then Forner went again. Chasing his third stage win of the Tour, and knowing that he'd barely used energy all day, he joined Serrano's wheel in a flash, but he couldn't get a gap in the climb. Thus, he was forced to contend with three other riders for the win, while at the same time trying to cooperate to keep the peloton at bay.
It was a close call, but Serrano took Forner's wheel, then sprinted from it, and despite a last lunge he was pipped by an inch. Forner did however steal Loddo's points jersey.
Stage results:
1 Ricardo Serrano TINKOFF CREDIT SYSTEMS 4h06'02
2 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
3 Samuel Dumoulin AG2R PRÉVOYANCE s.t.
4 Thor Hushovd CRÉDIT AGRICOLE s.t.
5 Allan Davis DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRO CYCLING TEAM s.t.
6 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
17 David Kennett TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
38 David Millar TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
42 George Roberts TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
73 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
74 riders in same time
117 Ben Read TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 11'42
Stage Ten, Kuala Lumpur Criterium, 78 km
Flat and short. Time for the sprinters. Nevertheless, Casson Dairy and Selle Italia were about the only teams who didn't attempt breakaways; instead, we worked hard to chase it back.
A mass crash with ten kilometres to go thankfully didn't invovle any of the top three in the overall, though Rujano went down again, along with yesterday's winner Serrano. However, Sébastien Chavanel took the wheel of Forner, shot out of the pack, and a slightly off-colour Pares came half a wheel short. Loddo was a casualty of the crashes, finishing 77th.
Stage results:
1 Sébastien Chavanel FRANÇAISE DES JEUX 1h50'29
2 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
3 Thor Hushovd CRÉDIT AGRICOLE s.t.
4 Allan Davis DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRO CYCLING TEAM s.t.
5 Ben Read TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
23 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
30 David Millar TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
39 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
73 George Roberts TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
78 David Kennett TEAM CASSON DAIRY s.t.
Final general classification:
1 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 33h04'48
2 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 1'25
3 Cyril Dessel AG2R PRÉVOYANCE + 1'45
4 Alexandre Botcharov CRÉDIT AGRICOLE + 2'33
5 Fabio Duarte SERRAMENTI PVC DIQUIGIOVANNI - SELLE ITALIA + 3'42
6 Trent Lowe DISCOVERY CHANNEL PRO CYCLING TEAM + 5'33
7 Jay Thomson TEAM KONICA MINOLTA + 5'38
8 David Kennett TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 5'39
9 Jai Crawford GIANT ASIA RACING TEAM + 5'51
10 George Roberts TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 6'52
24 David Millar TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 12'27
72 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 30'50
99 Ben Read TEAM CASSON DAIRY + 43'33
Final points classification:
1 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 119
2 Sébastien Chavanel FRANÇAISE DES JEUX 116
3 Alberto Loddo SERRAMENTI PVC DIQUIGIOVANNI - SELLE ITALIA 116
4 David Pares TEAM CASSON DAIRY 96
8 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY 49
14 Ben Read TEAM CASSON DAIRY 39
Final mountain classification:
1 David Arroyo TEAM CASSON DAIRY 35
2 Josh Forner TEAM CASSON DAIRY 32
3 Alexandre Botcharov CRÉDIT AGRICOLE 32
10 David Kennett TEAM CASSON DAIRY 8
Magrat Garlick
Rather Mad Witch
Now for some input. I know Rose and Mitchell wanted to race in California: any others? Thinking of resting Forner for a bit, as he's racing (and most likely dominating, it's a low-quality startfield) the Tour of the Cape and will need to have something left for the ProTour races.
Just to remind: the races to choose between are the Tour of Andalucia, a five-stage race with a lot of hills, and the Tour of California, an eight-stage race with two time trials and probably a higher-class start field than Andalucia. There's also a couple of mountainous one-day races in Italy and France.
Or, of course, one can choose to wait for some races closer to the actual ProTour season, which begins on March 11 with two concurrent one-week stage races: Paris - Nice and Tirreno - Adriatico.
Just to remind: the races to choose between are the Tour of Andalucia, a five-stage race with a lot of hills, and the Tour of California, an eight-stage race with two time trials and probably a higher-class start field than Andalucia. There's also a couple of mountainous one-day races in Italy and France.
Or, of course, one can choose to wait for some races closer to the actual ProTour season, which begins on March 11 with two concurrent one-week stage races: Paris - Nice and Tirreno - Adriatico.
Last edited:
HeathDavisSpeed
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I'll race in California if its flat enough that I won't get blasted away on the hills.
Good win for Forner... Excellent stuff.
Good win for Forner... Excellent stuff.