Eneco Tour 11 - 18 August 2013 **spoilers**

[Buddfox]

As remarked elsewhere, this wouldn't always be the highlight of the year, but with some of the climbs from the Classics making their way in (route here: http://sport.be.msn.com/enecotour/2013/eng/parcours/ ) it should throw up some entertainment.

Team Sky squad announced a few days back, the main highlight being Wiggo: Eisel, Hayman, Lopez, Rasch, Stannard, Sutton, Swift, Wiggins. I can't see Wiggins using this as anything other than training, given his approach in Poland. Perhaps Stannard might put in a good showing?

 

[User169]

I quite like the look of the finish on Wednesday - they wind up with a couple of circuits hareing up and down this dam..

If the wind is up, there could be all sorts of fun!

 

[The Couch]

Today should be a sprint, so most odds are going to the Gorilla and Drago, but I am gonna take a (relative) guess and say Demare might take it

 

[smutchin]

Had a little look at the finishing circuit on google maps. It's rather narrow in places. There's a sharp left followed by a tricky right-left dogleg just before the flamme rouge, then it's just a couple of gentle bends to negotiate in an otherwise straight, flat road to the finish. Should favour a power sprinter - can't see beyond Kittel, but Demare should be there or thereabouts.

 

[smutchin]

then it's just a couple of gentle bends to negotiate in an otherwise straight, flat road to the finish.

They've just been through the finish line for the first time and the last of the bends is actually closer to the finish line than it looked on the map. Whoever gets the inside line will have an advantage...

GreenEdge look up for it.

 

[smutchin]

There's a sharp left followed by a tricky right-left dogleg just before the flamme rouge...

...which Renshaw took advantage of to perfection. Chapeau!

 

[raindog]

Rensh is a canny bugger. That made me grin from ear to ear. Well done lad!

 

[Buddfox]

I'm not sure if it was an intentional slight, but the Sky tweet of the result said that "Renshaw evades the sprinters" - implying that Renshaw is not one! Anyway, nice result for him before his switch to OPQS.

 

[thom]

I'm not sure if it was an intentional slight, but the Sky tweet of the result said that "Renshaw evades the sprinters" - implying that Renshaw is not one! Anyway, nice result for him before his switch to OPQS.

Is that his first win of the season ?

 

[rich p]

Is that his first win of the season ?

Could be his first win since HTC but I'm not sure.

 

[raindog]

He won a sprint last year - Tour of Poland, I think, and didn't he win something earlier this year?

 

[rich p]

Wiki says that in 2013
In February at the In February at the Clásica de Almería, Renshaw benefited from a good lead-out and bagged his first win of the season

and in 2102

Renshaw won stage 4 of the Tour of Turkey. The mass sprint was an extremely close affair with Renshaw taking the win over fellow Australian Goss who!

 

[smutchin]

didn't he win something earlier this year?

Clásica de Almería
http://www.procyclingstats.com/rider.php?id=140366

[edit: note to self - next time, read rich p's post before replying.]

 

[rich p]

Whatever that was a great win today - always fun seeing the peloton mugged by a left field move.

 

[raindog]

Tour of Turkey, that was it!