Cycling
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25 Mar 16
07:26
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Date Joined:
11 Jul 11
Race and wind forecast. Expecting torture on the cobbles & hellingen.
**** Sep Vanmarcke Looked to have given this race a lot of thought last season, however he got unlucky when his front wheel slipped on mud present in the gutter of the Paterberg hellingen when coming swiftly into the corner with a building attack, causing him to lose momentum severely. Stuck in the chase group from then on, he never recovered and finished 5th (3rd in the chase group sprint).
Opened his season in the Algarve but you wouldn't know it given his uninspired performance there. Nevertheless, next up in Paris-Nice was showing his improving condition throughout the WT stage race. Firstly, in the opening day prologue, where he held the best time for a short while. Then stage 1, where he had his nose pointed into the cross winds on the front of the peloton, before launching an attack on the uphill hellingen-like gravel road climb, and finishing off the stage well for 7th. Was then driving a three-man breakaway (mainly with S Chavanel as Delio Cruz was a passenger) for some 20kms of stage 4 before being picked up by the peloton when in sight of the finish line. Last start in MSR, his handy characteristics were on full display when he easily rode out the distance, finishing with the main bunch for a 24th place finish at his first ever attempt.
Opened at 12/1, now into 14/1.
Race-sharp and a specialist over the course. Expect a bold showing. Must be respected.
** Michal Kwiatkowski Looks better than his 82nd place in 2013, and 41st place in 2012.
This season, has had a couple of 2nd place finishes in Spain, however he looked very good in places in SB even though he finished minutes down in 20th place, particularly at the bottom of the Vico d'Arbia 7th gravel sector, where he bruised the peloton comprehensively with a strong injection of speed. Then worked well with GVA and Nibali to go after the Spartacus, Stybar and Sagan breakaway. Rode out Tirreno with a top-10 on GC. Then finished in 40th place in MSR, when showing his natural characteristics and good timing by inciting the main bunch on the run into the finale by going off the front in heroic fashion.
Out to impress management with his first year in the SKY jersey by showing he is finding the kind of form and has the dour quality which saw him win the Rainbow Jersey on the road in 2014.
Has drifted out from his opening 24/1 into 39/1, however only price available now is 32/1 (various).
Interesting proposition. Worthy of very close consideration.
* Tiesj Benoot Opened his season in fine fashion in Spain, going 4/3/125, however he again confirmed his place in top-level company when holding his own against the WC and winner GVA, in OHN for 3rd. Then backed-up well with a top-10 over the white gravel roads of SB. Rode Tirreno to sharpen his condition for this classics campaign. Last start was a 39th in DDV.
18th here last year saw him attempt to ride off the front of the chase group inside 20kms, and he looked good for a while, although was never realistically going to succeed.
Opened very short at 15/1, and has eased out into 17/1 across the boards. Little in the way of value. Should be 32/1.
Late entry for LTS. Looks to be developing into a specialist over this way of going. Some claims. Worthy of consideration.
1/4* Sean de Bie Asserted himself in impressive fashion in the breakaway here last year with Devenyns and Sbaragli, albeit showed his impatience and inexperience to get into the break so early and ultimately fail with his project for a 67th place finish. Has been inconsistent so far this season, however he exhibited a noteworthy performance in 3 Days of West Flanders by winning on GC. One of a number of LTS men likely to be involved in proceedings at some point in the race.
300/1.
One for the multiples.
--- --- ---
Good luck to all,
SP
**** Sep Vanmarcke Looked to have given this race a lot of thought last season, however he got unlucky when his front wheel slipped on mud present in the gutter of the Paterberg hellingen when coming swiftly into the corner with a building attack, causing him to lose momentum severely. Stuck in the chase group from then on, he never recovered and finished 5th (3rd in the chase group sprint).
Opened his season in the Algarve but you wouldn't know it given his uninspired performance there. Nevertheless, next up in Paris-Nice was showing his improving condition throughout the WT stage race. Firstly, in the opening day prologue, where he held the best time for a short while. Then stage 1, where he had his nose pointed into the cross winds on the front of the peloton, before launching an attack on the uphill hellingen-like gravel road climb, and finishing off the stage well for 7th. Was then driving a three-man breakaway (mainly with S Chavanel as Delio Cruz was a passenger) for some 20kms of stage 4 before being picked up by the peloton when in sight of the finish line. Last start in MSR, his handy characteristics were on full display when he easily rode out the distance, finishing with the main bunch for a 24th place finish at his first ever attempt.
Opened at 12/1, now into 14/1.
Race-sharp and a specialist over the course. Expect a bold showing. Must be respected.
** Michal Kwiatkowski Looks better than his 82nd place in 2013, and 41st place in 2012.
This season, has had a couple of 2nd place finishes in Spain, however he looked very good in places in SB even though he finished minutes down in 20th place, particularly at the bottom of the Vico d'Arbia 7th gravel sector, where he bruised the peloton comprehensively with a strong injection of speed. Then worked well with GVA and Nibali to go after the Spartacus, Stybar and Sagan breakaway. Rode out Tirreno with a top-10 on GC. Then finished in 40th place in MSR, when showing his natural characteristics and good timing by inciting the main bunch on the run into the finale by going off the front in heroic fashion.
Out to impress management with his first year in the SKY jersey by showing he is finding the kind of form and has the dour quality which saw him win the Rainbow Jersey on the road in 2014.
Has drifted out from his opening 24/1 into 39/1, however only price available now is 32/1 (various).
Interesting proposition. Worthy of very close consideration.
* Tiesj Benoot Opened his season in fine fashion in Spain, going 4/3/125, however he again confirmed his place in top-level company when holding his own against the WC and winner GVA, in OHN for 3rd. Then backed-up well with a top-10 over the white gravel roads of SB. Rode Tirreno to sharpen his condition for this classics campaign. Last start was a 39th in DDV.
18th here last year saw him attempt to ride off the front of the chase group inside 20kms, and he looked good for a while, although was never realistically going to succeed.
Opened very short at 15/1, and has eased out into 17/1 across the boards. Little in the way of value. Should be 32/1.
Late entry for LTS. Looks to be developing into a specialist over this way of going. Some claims. Worthy of consideration.
1/4* Sean de Bie Asserted himself in impressive fashion in the breakaway here last year with Devenyns and Sbaragli, albeit showed his impatience and inexperience to get into the break so early and ultimately fail with his project for a 67th place finish. Has been inconsistent so far this season, however he exhibited a noteworthy performance in 3 Days of West Flanders by winning on GC. One of a number of LTS men likely to be involved in proceedings at some point in the race.
300/1.
One for the multiples.
--- --- ---
Good luck to all,
SP
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GVA a late scratching, Daniel Oss for BMC lines up quite well here, will look later, as they now approach the halfway mark.
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Great write up SP...hope you got on MK
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Cheers TT, would've been absolutely gutted if MK got second after Swifty's second in MSR, but MK was very strong to knock Sagan over with that one solid hit in the finale.
Firstly, you wouldn't even know MK was in the main select peloton since he was sitting in the back doing nothing until 42kms to-go, where he all-of-a-sudden came to the front and stretched them out in a long line on the Paterberg, testing himself and showing how good his legs were. It almost looked like he was consciously resisting just skipping away, he was feeling so good. Sagan pummelled the peloton on the Oude Kwaremont with only Terpstra looking like he could answer. However once the select peloton got onto the Karnemelkbeekstraat with 31 kms to-go, MK surged off the front with Sagan following, and whilst it looked like another mere testing attempt, no one could answer, and there they were after Sagan did his pull at a critical point on approaching of the top and when Stybar and Trentin came out of the guts fail in their roles after Boonen simply didn't react on the front, and that was it. They never saw them again. Essentially, this race was another failure by EQS since they were assembled with numbers in the select group, in a clear repeat of their failure in OHN to some extent, where they were expected to lay down the law on the Taaienberg where the selection was made. Then it came down to two riders against two riders (Terpstra and Stybar), with no one else in the select peloton combining into the line, and well the other two are WC quality and had no major wind disadvantage, so I was confident they wouldn't get caught but was praying Sagan was closer to empty after his significantly longer pulls on the front and attack on the Oude Kwaremont, earlier. No complaints, MK is still developing and he lined-up very well over this course, was happy to get on after MSR miss. Cheers, SP |