A impressive win for Esteban Chaves and an interesting GC battle kicked off this edition of the Vuelta. Now we head into what will be a consistent theme of this year's course, hilly stages which end on the flat. It should come down to a reduced bunch sprint, but there's always the possibility that an aggressive move will win the day.
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Well, the Vuelta is here, with a farcical start on the Team Time Trial which didn't matter, and consisted of a lot of teams not racing. Hopefully it only improves from here on, and it should do so with a top quality line-up, with almost all of the best GC riders in attendance. Few will be in absolute top form, and it might even be one for an outsider to win, like in recent years, where Juan Jose Cobo and Chris Horner have achieved the unlikely by beating more fancied riders.
Tim Wellens again took charge of the race with a win in the last stage, putting about a minute into most of his rivals, almost an exact replica of his performance last year. He now has a handy buffer on GC and looks almost certain to win the race overall. However, Greg Van Avermaet isn't in the habit of giving up easily, and if there is a stage where Wellens will be most in difficulty, it is over the cobbles here.
Johan Le Bon took a surprise win from the early break, which the peleton let get out of control in the finale, with no teams keen to take on pacemaking duties until it was too late. Wilco Kelderman and 4 others made a move off the front near the finish, with the Dutchman moving into the leader's jersey, and Wellens also gaining important time.
Today is the mini Liege-Bastogne-Liege stage, which proved to be the decisive point of the last edition of the Eneco Tour, where Tim Wellens went free in a long range move which resulted in him taking almost a minute on the stage, which set him up nicely in the GC which he went on to win. It's the mini-Amstel Gold stage here, with many of the climbs featuring in the Limburg classic race. The finish is changed from the famous Cauberg, which will shake up the racing formula. It could be a reduced bunch sprint or an attack from distance, but it will almost certainly be interesting.
The short time trial will kick off the battle for the GC, and whilst it will hardly be the final word, it will definitely shape the race to come. Plenty of guys will effectively drop out of the fight for the top step of the podium with bad results here. There's also going to be an interesting fight for the stage win, with a number of very good time triallists here.
One of my favourite stage races of the year, the Eneco Tour is open to anyone to ride for the win, but particularly those that are strong all-around, and aren't afraid to go on the attack. Tim Wellens showed that last year, as he set off on a bold attack to take a stage win and the leader's jersey, and was able to hold onto it with a strong performance from his team in the final stages. He will be back to defend his title, but he won't be the favourite, as a host of strong riders have come ready to take what is gradually becoming an increasingly more prestigious event. It is some of the most exciting racing on the cycling calendar, with a variety of stage types meaning there isn't the same sort of status quo being established, that is common in other stage races.
Spain doesn't have many one-day races, but the Clasica San Sebastian is normally a cracker, and a worthy addition to the classics pantheon. Valverde took the win last year, and will be coming into this edition with even better form, which should make him even harder to beat.
Well, that was a an action packed three weeks, but it's not quite over yet, as the riders still have their traditional jaunt round Paris left. Prepare for champagne swigging, lingering shots of Paris scenery and criterium style racing. Also, look forward to La Course, where the women get to strut their stuff in front of the big crowds.
The last two editions of the Alp d'Huez have resulted in French triumph, with Pierre Rolland in 2011 and Christophe Riblon in 2013. Both are present again in this edition, and could try and go again for victory on this famous mountain.
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AuthorI'm Jamie Finch-Penninger, better known as Fishy, the best DS to ever sit a couch. Anything which I don't cover for a bigger site will be up here. Archives
October 2015
CategoriesCome here for the previews of all the World Tour races this season, plus any Pro Continental/NRS/tricycle races that take my fancy. Along as it's pro cycling I'll have some sort of opinion on it. I'm Australian, so be prepared for a healthy Orica-Greenedge bias. Please feel free to request any changes or previews, and stay up to date on Twitter and Facebook.
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