Minor Day Races Thread 2014

[Flying_Monkey]

Handzame Classic yesterday, and another unexpected sprint win: Luka Mezgec of Giant-Shimano beat Theo Bos (Belkin) and quite a few other biggish names. Good result for him.

 

[rich p]

Handzame Classic yesterday, and another unexpected sprint win: Luka Mezgec of Giant-Shimano beat Theo Bos (Belkin) and quite a few other biggish names. Good result for him.

Giant have some eponymous sprinters at the moment!

 

[The Couch]

Handzame Classic yesterday, and another unexpected sprint win: Luka Mezgec of Giant-Shimano beat Theo Bos (Belkin) and quite a few other biggish names. Good result for him.

Another fine placing from Topsport Vlaanderen (3rd place of Edward Theuns) and they continued there excellent start of the season:

• Alexis Gougeard (Ag2r) won the Classic Loire Atlantique and in 2nd place Kenneth Vanbilsen (Topsport)
  
• And Tom Van Asbroeck has improved his super-close 2nd place finish in Nokere Koerse with a win in Cholet-Pays de Loire

Have to say.. this team has been all-round very good in many early races.
Wouldn't surprise me if next year some of these young Belgians can find a place on a Worldtour team

 

[Flying_Monkey]

It's not a day race but it's not a major either - the Settimana Coppa i Bartali started today with a victory for a clearly back to full fitness and in-form Ben Swift of Sky in the first of two stages on the opening day - he took the spring from Manuele Mori (Lampre) and Damiano Caruso (Canondale). 2nd stage of the day is a TTT...

 

[thom]

It's not a day race but it's not a major either - the Settimana Coppa i Bartali started today with a victory for a clearly back to full fitness and in-form Ben Swift of Sky in the first of two stages on the opening day - he took the spring from Manuele Mori (Lampre) and Damiano Caruso (Canondale). 2nd stage of the day is a TTT...

Well done Ben Swift - he must have a lot of confidence at the moment.

 

[lyn1]

Good result, although a strange top 10.....not sure what Sky get from a race that is full of Conti and Pro Conti teams. Probably it is confidence.

 

[smutchin]

Again, not a day race but...

Young Brit Daniel Mclay appears to be going very well in the Tour de Normandie - 5th on stage 1, 3rd on stage 2 and 1st on stage 3. And another young Brit, Tom Moses, won stage 1.

 

[rich p]

Weird set up for this race
TTT was split into 2 teams of 4 for each squad.
Swift's 4 won it and extends his lead overall
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/settimana-internazionale-coppi-e-bartali-2014/stage-1b/results

 

[Flying_Monkey]

I quite like that set-up for a short TT - and it means that one squad doesn't dominate all the top placings in a race that will probably only be decided by seconds.

 

[The Couch]

I quite like that set-up for a short TT - and it means that one squad doesn't dominate all the top placings in a race that will probably only be decided by seconds.

With the current standings, the hilly stages and the short TT still to come, this should turn out to be something for Kiryienka (or Cataldo if he can find some form)

 

[smutchin]

Just to go back to Normandie for a moment, Moses is in yellow and Maclay is third overall.

Separating them is young Swiss rider Stefan Küng, who appears to be something of a TT specialist - the new Spartacus!

 

[rich p]

http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/settimana-internazionale-coppi-e-bartali-2014/stage-2/results
Kennaugh takes the stage and the lead

 

[rich p]

Kennaugh still in the lead after Viviani beats Ben Swift in a sprint. The last stage is a hilly TT with Kennaugh probably safe but Rabbotini is a classy climber @1.15 back and Caruso @1.24

 

[rich p]

Stannard ends up in the ditch after a crash. Shame

 

[raindog]

don't forget the Scheldeprijs this afternoon
http://www.procyclinglive.com/livestream/
start list - still no Cav
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/scheldeprijs-2014/start-list