Minor Races Thread 2015 - [SPOILERS]

[Berk on a Bike]

4 Days coverage is very good - well done Eurosport!

I agree. You even get five days for the price of four.

 

[Flying_Monkey]

The Giro has just started, Tour of California is just about to start, Azerbijan is on, world tour teams will have their best GC/GT riders in Giro, next level at either Dunkerque or California, what do you expect? The calendar is busy, and division one teams usually have three teams on the road, then add in the pro-conti plus a few national teams and others, all the races are hard. There is no field that is not difficult to beat, even for the best!

Cool your jets, I know why it isn't a world class field, and I wasn't suggesting that it wasn't a hard race.

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Tour of California is underway (and Andrew Talansky of Garmindale has already abandoned). Live TV at 10pm. This is a race I enjoy watching.

 

[robertob]

Wild finish in the Tour d'Azerbaïdjan, wasn't it? Very courageous performance by Sergey Firsanov to win it. Thought his breakaway group is caught 3k out or so but kicked on again. Primož Roglič won the Tour in the end.

 

[rich p]

Wild finish in the Tour d'Azerbaïdjan, wasn't it? Very courageous performance by Sergey Firsanov to win it. Thought his breakaway group is caught 3k out or so but kicked on again. Primož Roglič won the Tour in the end.

And Josh Edmondson ended up 6th on GC.

 

[robertob]

Yes. His win at stage 3 was very impressive. Brave move paid off.

 

[Berk on a Bike]

Ireland's Sam Bennett took stage 1 of the Bayern Rundfahrt beating Bouhanni and Degenkolb in the sprint. Those are two impressive scalps.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Ireland's Sam Bennett took stage 1 of the Bayern Rundfahrt beating Bouhanni and Degenkolb in the sprint. Those are two impressive scalps.

Yay, an "almost British" victory - @User will be delighted

 

[robertob]

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Another sprint win today for Sam Bennett - they'll be dancing in the streets of Belgium/Ireland/Nearlyland

 

[robertob]

Bayern Rundfahrt from a different kind of perspective:

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

I wonder at what point Bouhanni will realise his move to Cofidis was a complete mindfúck decision? Getting his arse handed to him in lower races only mentioned in CC's Minor Races thread is a long way from last year when he was winning big at the Giro.

Although FDJ can't claim to not be missing the twat as they don't seem to have anyone competing on a regular basis in top races - Demare, their alleged top sprinter, was at the Tour of Picardie today...

 

[Flying_Monkey]

You'd have to bet on Alex Dowsett taking the TT and the overall today, starting just 20 seconds down and looking to be the most accomplished tester in the field.

 

[Pro Tour Punditry]

Guardini wins the 2nd stage of Picardie

 

[rich p]

You'd have to bet on Alex Dowsett taking the TT and the overall today, starting just 20 seconds down and looking to be the most accomplished tester in the field.

You were right but he only had 1 second over Machado in the stage, and 2 in the GC