Sam Crome wins the sprint to the line at Kinglake. Chaves safely with the reduced group to take the GC win.
Power looked really good today, destroying the breakaway on the final climb.
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And A.Yates was pipped by Valverde in the last 100 metres of the Queen stage at Valenciana - The last 3 km of the climb was a true murito - It was pleasing to see A.Yates do so well on this climb and more pleasing Kreuziger finishing so high in the stage - Apparently Kreuziger will be A.Yates right hand man in 2018 which could be lonely for Yates - Anyway A.Yates 4th and Kreuziger 8th in GC - Today’s final stage is one for sprinters and Mezgec should be hard to beat.
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MS already sign Robert Stannard to a pro-contract for 2019 - Stannard is a gifted rider who will be a welcome addition to the team - I suspect MS got in early because they didn’t want another repeat of the Hamilton, Storer and Hindley situation of last year.
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Outstanding prospect. Given his age, he’ll be held back to develop in his own good time.
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Stannard is racing in the Tour of Dubai.
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Gronewegen wins stage 1 of dubai from Cort and viviani. Hennessy from MS’s conti squad comes a worthy 6th. Never seen Cort sprint so fast.
And Viviani wins stage 2 and Cavendish 3 - Stage 4 is for more of a punchy rider.
MS is riding two one day races in Spain this weekend - Murcia is usually for the punchy riders and Rioja is usually for the sprinters.
The team for Rioja is Ewan, Mezgec, Kluge, Trentin, Bauer, Kreuziger and Juul-Jensen - My understanding is take 5 riders from that team, add Impey and A.Yates and one other and that’s the TDF squad.
Ewan wins comfortably
Ewan takes time off from a training camp and wins Almeria and the lead-out train for the TDF was in evidence. Only Haig, Nieve and Tuft to debut in 2018 which will be in Abu Dhabi - And Bernal comes second in a chaotic last stage of Colombia Oro Y Paz and wins the GC - A crazy last stage in which the break held sway, one of the local riders Contreras grabbed in the last 300 metres, Bernal escaped with 3km to go, then had riders up the road to pace him to the finish, while this was happening Dayer Quintana attacked from the break to win the stage, while Sebastian Henao slowed to a stop to allow Bernal to grab bonus seconds for second on a stage - All this in front of a million fans - Expect pressure to be on Chaves to ride this race in the next two years - And Bernal is super talented
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Names being released for the Commonwealth Games cycling events - MS have Hayman, Meyer, Edmondson and Bauer selected for men’s track and road - Events are 10 to 14 April - Edmondson, Bauer and Hayman will have to rush after the finish of Paris Roubaix on the 8th - Means riders will miss Ardennes week though none of these riders would have ridden these races, though with a squad of 25, MS will be pushed for numbers - Of course the most staggering decision is Ewan is not riding the Commonwealth Games, seeing he rarely rides on cobbles - Women’s team will be down Manly,Roy and Williams and Elvin which is a burden when you have a ten rider squad and that week is Ardennes week - In saying that Williams and Elvin will be hard to beat in the RR.
Abu Dhabi 21 to 25 Feb - Team is Ewan, Mezgec, Kluge, Tuft, S.Yates, Kreuziger and S.Yates - Stage wins will be the aim, especially with the introduction of an ITT in stage 4 - Note 4 or 4 of these riders will be at the TDF - Het Newsblaad and KBK on Saturday and Sunday - Team is Hayman, Trentin, Edmondson, Bewley, Hepburn, Durbridge and Juul-Jensen - Het Niwsblaad is using the old Flanders course so will be tougher than in recent years - Durbridge is returning from injury, while Trentin is still undercooked, so expect little from this race, but some chance at KBK - Women’s team for this race is D’Hoore, Elvin, Allen, AVV,Roy and Spratt - MS have options for a sprint or select finish
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Race director takes out Cav
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Kristoff beats Guardini and Ewan in stage 1 - Ewan again hit out early and died in the last thirty metres - Needed Kluge and Mezgec to hold on for another 200 metres - Viviani did it again in finishing 4th after a brilliant lead out - All Viviani’s wins in 2018 have occurred when he has surfed wheels.
Crash was caused by the crash detection system in the car. It detected cyclists either side and just in front and jumped on the brakes!
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Its surprising how many crashes occur in the neutral zone.
Team for Het Niewsblaad and KBK announced.
Trentin
Durbridge
Edmondson
Hayman
Juul Jensen
Hamilton
Hepburn
Have little hopes for Het with Durbridge and Trentin undercooked, while i will be intetested to see how Edmondson performs. Give Trentin a chance in KBK.
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Viviani wins stage 2 of Abu Dhabi with Ewan fifth - Race split up in echelons halfway through with Ewan in the front group which is a pleasing sign, and a number of favourites including Viviani were in the second group - Race came back together in the last 10km and Ewan was perfectly placed with 500 metres to go - Somehow he waited and waited and let Viviani come from behind him and pass him, before Ewan started his sprint - Again Kluge and Mezgec dropped out too far from home - And Viviani true to form rode off his sprint train.
Bauhaus beats Kittel and Ackerman in stage 3 of Abu Dhabi with Viviani 4th and Ewan 5th - Ewan went at the right time, hit the lead, but faded in the last 50 metres - And of course Viviani had the perfect lead out and failed to win.
Valgern wins the Omloop for Astana, who are in huge financial strife.
Dennis takes the lead in Abu Dhabi after winning the iTT. Scotson up to 3rd.
The result in Omloop in no way reflected the true nature of the race - 12 riders broke clear after the Muuy and fairly much had a lead of 30 to 25 kms in the last 12km - Trentin was in the group for MS with most of the big names - Astana had three riders in the final and played the numbers game and eventually Valgren attacked with 2kms to go - Trentin lead the chase but gave up too soon and I am certain he could have caught Valgren and then it would have cooled down for a final sprint - Instead the group soft pedalled for the last 1 1/2km and the peleton caught them in the last 300km - The pleasing thing for MS was they had four riders in the group in Trentin, Durbridge, Juul-Jensen and surprisingly Hepburn - Will add i was surprised at the support for Cort and Gaviria as in my opinion the parcours was too difficult - Anyway they will have their chance this week.
Feel that GC for Abu Dhabi will be a battle between Dennis, Kelderman and Valverde - Will be interested to see how Kreuziger and S.Yates handle the final stage.
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Astana riders & staff haven’t been paid this year. Kazakh government has reneged on its payments.
Riders are flying to events on their own savings.
Groenewegen wins the KBK in a sprint finish.
Valverde takes out the final stage and the GC of Abu Dhabi.
Strade Bianche this Saturday and Paris-Nice starts Sunday!