Officially official … orica announce 2017 leaders -
Yates/Yates in Giro.
Chaves in TDF.
Yates/Yates/Chaves in Vuelta.
Fairly much as I predicted though thought A. Yates will double up in the TDF - It means Orica will probably now choose a more attacking rider as part of their TDF squad in the hope of snaring a stage - Reading between it indicates the Vuelta is the number GC goal for Orica in 2017.
Orica team for Het Niewsblaad and Kuurne Brussels Kuurne
Durbridge
Tuft
Hayman
Keukeliere
Cort
Bewley
Juul-Jensen
Interesting no Docker in the squad. Het usually favors the stronger rouleurs so imagine it will be Keukeliere or Durbridge, while Kuurne is more of a sprinters race and so Cort will be in the frame.
Cavendish defeats Greipel and Bonifazio with Kluge 6th - Ewan and 2 other Orica riders fell with 1km to go along with Kittel - Brief glimpse indicated Ewan is injured.
Ewan cleared of damage to shoulder. Will try to ride stage 2.
Kittel pips Ewan on the line with Cavendish third - It was a brilliant lead out by Mezgec and Kluge.
Kittel pips Ewan on the line with Cavendish third - It was a brilliant lead out by Mezgec and Kluge.Ewan sat up because he thought he had it won.
Reckon that Ewan confused the two lines around 1 or 2 metres apart - Ewan definitely didn’t see Kittel coming, but I am 50/50, whether he would have won the stage, if he completed one more pedal stroke - Ewan is fast enough.
Stage 3 Dubai neutralized due to wind.
GVA wins the first cobbled semi-classic at Omloop.
Massive confusion about UCI enforcement of the “don’t ride on the path” rule - the leading group were allowed to ride, and subsequent riders were forced onto the cobbles.
Costa wins Dhubai from Zakarin and Dumoulin
Chaves out of the Colombian National Championship with knee soreness and off the bike for one week.
Avermaat outsprints Sagan and Van Marcke in Het Newsblaad - Big crash with 55km to go split the peleton and the hopes of many - Cort rode a good race to finish 16th but was another to be held up by the crash.
Also helped the the lead group were allowed to ride on the path next to the cobbles, but the chasers were
forced to ride the cobbles.
This is despite the UCI threatening to DQ riders doing exactly that. I’m sure they would have if GVA and Sagan were not part of that group.
Ewan wins the final stage of Dhubai.
A few riders from different teams will go from Strade Bianchi to Paris Nice. Kreuziger will back up the next day in the One Day race Industria Arignato. Lots of raacing in this period with Tirreno Adriatico starting on the 8th.
Strade Bianchi is one race in which Orica struggles to find a suitable rider - Some teams have chosen classic type teams ( read Orica ), while other teams are more GC oriented for this race.
Interesting that Orica Scott have Juul-Jensen and Keukeleire are riding Strade Bianche on Saturday and the straight off to Paris Nice the following day, according to PCS. Although the PN lineup is not confirmed. It wouldn’t surprise me if they come out of the PN lineup.
Orica Scott for Strade Bianche:
Keukeleire, Jens
Bewley, Sam
Durbridge, Luke
Edmondson, Alexander
Haig, Jack
Juul-Jensen, Christopher
Kreuziger, Roman
Tuft, Svein
Barry is spot on - Was discussed last week on the SBS cycling podcast - Apparently SBS will cover more European races and more national/international track cycling meets.
Yes I noticed SBS not doing MSR or Strade Bianche this year, are you saying no Giro or Lombardia as well?
None. Eurosport got exclusive rights to all major Italian races - previously it was with Sporza, whom SBS had an existing relationship.
Yes I noticed SBS not doing MSR or Strade Bianche this year, are you saying no Giro or Lombardia as well?