2010 Gent - Wevelgem

I thought you said Milan San Remo was often called the sprinter's classic? Out of interest what's Paris Tours often called?

I'm not sure how the change of racing calendar will effect Gent - Wevelgem. For cyclists - it's maybe too early to target it with De Ronde and Roubaix in their sight. On the other hand, it could play in favor of sprinters with less chances in De Ronde and Roubaix, which (sprinters) were handicapped while it was between these two classics 'cause all classics' riders were at the peak of their form.
Also, I'm not sure if the change will attract more viewers. Spectators from abroad won't welcome this decision. It was easier and more economic to see three races in 8 days, than in 15 days. It's too long excursion. TV viewers shouldn't complain, on the contrary.

It's hard to bet against Freire at the moment. He's in great form, already has won the race, won't be tired of E3 Prijs Vlaanderen...
Boasson Hagen had some health problems and will be heavily marked, but he's serious contender too. With Flecha (who I'm sure remembers 2005 edition) besides Hagen and in their premier season, with preimer ambitions, Sky is team to watch
Breschel showed great form in Dwars Door Vlaanderen supported by Cancellara. Cancellara is targeting De Ronde, so he should be in top form too. O'Grady and Baden Cooke are there also. Saxo will be a significant factor in the race.
If he hadn't injury problems, Haussler would be even strongest contender maybe. He's targeting De Ronde this season and he's very strong in sprints, but this interupt surely left it's mark on his form.
BMC is very interesting team for this race with two ex winners and Ballan. They'll be a factor.
Bennati and Chicchi are Liquigas' strong cards supported by team in form.
Farrar won't have anything against winning this race. Columbia too, which will, besides returning Cavendish, play on several cards.
Omega - Pharma Lotto will seek their first victory with Gilbert, but I'm not sure how good this course is for him, so Greg Van Avermaet could surprise (my dark horse).

I've added the start list, its good to see johnie walker has a start!

The course is quite different to previous years. There are now 16 classified climbs in the later half of the race. The Kemmelberg is now just the last in a string of hills on a two lap circuit.

In the past it's always been a race that is line ball between a sprint or a break forming on the Kemmelberg, it's still a long way from the finish. This year, with all the extra hills, there may be the extra pain just to dull the chase and tip it in the favour of a break. But who knows. All the big sprinters are starting so the chase will be on for sure.

steve said:

I've added the start list, its good to see johnie walker has a start!

No Jack Daniel on the list?
Then, I'll be cheering Johnie Walker on Sunday. Might be black label.

Do you think Johnie would join Teacher's or Grant's if they establish teams?
Someone could get headache.

Keep pedaling.

[ame=[MEDIA=youtube]DvaghC3Qhzg[/MEDIA]]YouTube - Gent-Wevelgem 2010 - (1/2) The hills[/ame]

[ame=[MEDIA=youtube]hgO-9YSCvXE[/MEDIA]]YouTube - Gent-Wevelgem 2010 - (2/2) Final kilometers[/ame]

2010 Gent - Wevelgem Results
1 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Team HTC - Columbia 5:17:12
2 Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator
3 Philippe Gilbert (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
4 George Hincapie (USA) BMC Racing Team
5 Daniel Oss (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo 0:00:02
6 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto 0:00:07
7 Maxim Iglinsky (Kaz) Astana 0:00:51
8 Matti Breschel (Den) Team Saxo Bank 0:01:01
9 Tyler Farrar (USA) Garmin - Transitions
10 Luca Paolini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
11 Christian Knees (Ger) Team Milram
12 Oscar Freire Gomez (Spa) Rabobank
13 Aleksandr Kuschynski (Blr) Liquigas-Doimo
14 Baden Cooke (Aus) Team Saxo Bank 0:01:08
15 Marcel Sieberg (Ger) Team HTC - Columbia 0:03:14
16 Matthew Harley Goss (Aus) Team HTC - Columbia 0:03:29
17 Greg Henderson (NZl) Sky Professional Cycling Team
18 Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
19 Mirco Lorenzetto (Ita) Lampre-Farnese Vini
20 Roy Curvers (Ned) Skil - Shimano
21 Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin - Transitions
22 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Quick Step
23 Pablo Lastras Garcia (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
24 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Astana
25 Manuel Quinziato (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
26 Daniele Bennati (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
27 Mathew Hayman (Aus) Sky Professional Cycling Team
28 Tiziano Dall'Antonia (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo 0:03:33
29 Wim De Vocht (Bel) Team Milram 0:03:50
30 Bobbie Traksel (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
31 Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
32 Koen De Kort (Ned) Skil - Shimano
33 Jose Joaquin Rojas Gil (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
34 Assan Bazayev (Kaz) Astana
35 Lars Ytting Bak (Den) Team HTC - Columbia
36 Joost Van Leijen (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
37 Nikolas Maes (Bel) Quick Step 0:05:06
38 Frederik Willems (Bel) Liquigas-Doimo
39 Davy Commeyne (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
40 Roy Sentjens (Bel) Team Milram 0:09:17
41 Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana 0:11:46
42 Ermanno Capelli (Ita) Footon-Servetto
43 Matthé Pronk (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
44 Geert Steurs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator
45 Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Team Katusha
46 Alberto Ongarato (Ita) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
47 Daniel Lloyd (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam
48 Graeme Brown (Aus) Rabobank
49 Ruben Perez Moreno (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
Alessandro Donati (Ita) Acqua & Sapone 0:22:14
David Boucher (Fra) Landbouwkrediet
Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana
Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
Johnnie Walker (Aus) Footon-Servetto
Gregory Joseph (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator
Matthias Brandle (Aut) Footon-Servetto
Servais Knaven (Ned) Team Milram
Geoffroy Lequatre (Fra) Team Radioshack
Theo Bos (Ned) Cervélo TestTeam
Maxime Vantomme (Bel) Team Katusha
Romain Feillu (Fra) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
Michael Schär (Swi) BMC Racing Team
Peter Wrolich (Aut) Team Milram
Denis Galimzyanov (Rus) Team Katusha
Stuart O'Grady (Aus) Team Saxo Bank
Vidal Celis Zabala (Spa) Footon-Servetto
Koldo Fernandez (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
Fuyu Li (Chn) Team Radioshack
Jan Ghyselinck (Bel) Team HTC - Columbia
Markus Eichler (Ger) Team Milram
Thomas Fothen (Ger) Team Milram
Grégory Rast (Swi) Team Radioshack
Sébastien Hinault (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
Javier Aramendia Lorente (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) Rabobank
Mirko Selvaggi (Ita) Astana
Olivier Bonnaire (Fra) Française Des Jeux
Anthony Ravard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
Inaki Isasi Flores (Spa) Euskaltel - Euskadi
Matthew Wilson (Aus) Garmin - Transitions
Fabio Sabatini (Ita) Liquigas-Doimo
Carlos Barredo Llamazales (Spa) Quick Step
Steve Houanard (Fra) Skil - Shimano
Mathieu Drujon (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne
Robbie Mcewen (Aus) Team Katusha
Gert Dockx (Bel) Team HTC - Columbia
Tom Veelers (Ned) Skil - Shimano
Steven Van Vooren (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator
Johan Coenen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator
Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Française Des Jeux
Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank
Frank Hoj (Den) Team Saxo Bank
Jonas Aaen Jörgensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank
Anthony Geslin (Fra) Française Des Jeux
Adam Blyth (GBr) Omega Pharma-Lotto
Jérôme Pineau (Fra) Quick Step
Alessandro Fantini (Ita) Acqua & Sapone
Roger Hammond (GBr) Cervélo TestTeam
Michael Barry (Can) Sky Professional Cycling Team
Wouter Weylandt (Bel) Quick Step
Allan Davis (Aus) Astana
Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank
Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank
Romain Sicard (Fra) Euskaltel - Euskadi
Rui Alberto Faria da Costa (Por) Caisse d'Epargne
Kevin Van Impe (Bel) Quick Step
Martijn Maaskant (Ned) Garmin - Transitions
Svein Tuft (Can) Garmin - Transitions
Mickael Delage (Fra) Omega Pharma-Lotto
Juan Antonio Flecha Giannoni (Spa) Sky Professional Cycling Team
Olivier Kaisen (Bel) Omega Pharma-Lotto
Gerben Löwik (Ned) Omega Pharma-Lotto
Niki Terpstra (Ned) Team Milram
Arnaud Coyot (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne
Thomas Leezer (Ned) Rabobank
Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Spa) Caisse d'Epargne
Arnoud Van Groen (Ned) Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team
Reinier Honig (Ned) Acqua & Sapone

Very impressive win by Eisel.

Who is this mystery man Vanmarcke? Looks like he gave it all at 3km and still had enough left in the tank to finish 2nd.

genedan said:

Very impressive win by Eisel.

Who is this mystery man Vanmarcke? Looks like he gave it all at 3km and still had enough left in the tank to finish 2nd.

very very impressive ride from Bernard Eisel : he's always been a strong roadman/cyclist and I agree it looked like he really made a huge effort in the final 5kms.

I was concentrating on watching the Tour of Catalunya this weekend - so I missed Wevelgem.
(Wevelgem used to be staged midweek).

My question: what exactly was Freire doing/thinking?

One of the Liquigas riders had been chatting with the team car and then returned to the bunch. Then someone attacked up front and that LQ rider didn't follow. Freire it appeared expected to be dragged up but apparently had not counted on the LQ rider not working. I can only conclude LQ decided they weren't going to drag a sprinter to the finish, at least not Freire, and so sacrificed one of their 2 in the bunch.

Why the others in the remaining group did not attack more in the final part of the race, I cannot quite understand. It follows from basic tactics, that if you, as a non-sprinter, carry a sprinter to the line then he or she will beat you....usually by a wide margin.

If it came to a sprint, there was no doubt Eisel would easily win. Yet it appeared that the other 4 were content with that situation. So it surprised me to see at least Gilbert who had Roelandts with him, not try to escape from the group or at least hurt Eisel with some attacks. The only real attack of serious magnitude I recall towards the very finish, was that of Vanmarcke. He finished 2nd as I recall so his aggressiveness seemed to be rewarded.

Credit to Eisel though. He stayed with the group, took his turns up front, and then when it was time to sprint, he easily overpowered his rivals.