Minor Day Races Thread 2014

[The Couch]

On Sunday there was the Tro-Bro Leon in Bretagne, France.

They showed images of this race on Belgian tv... can't understand why Sven Nys or Niels Albert don't participate in this race
It basically looked like cyclocross on the property of some local peasants.
I guess the organiser hopes this to be the one-day Giro/Vuelta versus the Paris Roubaix Tour de France.

Anyway, Adrien Petit won it in a sprint against Flavien Dassonville.

And on Monday Sam Bennet (NetApp) won the sprint in Rund um Koln against Markus and Ciolek.
Pretty sure there's a WorldTour team waiting for him next year.

 

[raindog]

OK, not a one day race but the Four Days of Dunkirk starts today
http://www.procyclinglive.com/livestream/

EDIT
great winning sprint from Arnaud Démare who gets a 10 second time bonus
some cobbles tomorrow, apparently

 

[raindog]

Nobody interested?
Rain, mud and cobbles today.
http://www.sportlemon.tv/20140506/vv536810ca604c18.21255672-814505.html

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

Yes I've been watching, good to see mud and cobbles again, it been ages since we had a wet Paris Roubaix.
Top marks to Chavanel giving it a go, also to Top Sport Vlaanderen, on these minor races they seem to be in the break every day.
Hoping that Sam Bennett will get a stage win soon.

Gardening Note : they don't go much for flower beds around Orchies do they ? In the aerial shots all you could see in every garden was grass and hedges with the odd tree

 

[raindog]

Did you see the overhead shot of Démare overtaking the lone break? Bloody hell, he was moving

 

[rich p]

Nobody interested?
Rain, mud and cobbles today.
http://www.sportlemon.tv/20140506/vv536810ca604c18.21255672-814505.html

I've been watching it - it was gruelling stuff in that rain and Demare is looking good (or being made to look good!)

 

[rich p]

Superb break by Andersen and Chavanel with SC taking the sprint by a nose. And what a nose!
Déamare just keeps the jersey

 

[raindog]

I love this kind of fast, aggressive racing. Great backdrop too with the beach and the sea.

 

[Flick of the Elbow]

What a great finish to the stage, very enjoyable

 

[User169]

Not a day race, but the Royal Smilde Olympia's Tour (2.2 level) passed behind my office today. Earlier the race had been caught at a level crossing, so the bunch was together with 5km to go, except for one of the Azerbaijani team who'd dropped off the back, but was getting a good tow from a team car. Wim Stroetinga (of the Koga team) won the sprint taking his second stage of the tour.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Arnaud Demare wins todays Halle-Ingooigem.