Just spoke with Page on the phone. Said last week he pulled out cause
it was like his first ride on these new bikes and the position was all
different, and it was a really twisty course and he was riding into
trees and stuff, so he stopped.
Yesterday was a good course, kind of group riding but technical and
fast. He was in the lead group, Wellens kept attacking and JPg wanted
to race so he pulled him back. It was like 5 Fideas, 2 Rabo's, and
JPg, etc. So, he took the job of pulling back Bart which he agrees was
STUPID considering his company.
Anyway, the Fideas were working everyone over with this approach, have
one attack, have one of the other non Fideas pull him back, then attack
and burn the guy off. Worked on everyone but Sven V who got second.
Quoted message said:From there, JPg worked with Groendendal to try to bring them back, but
couldnt and eventually JPg dropped him too.
JPg was the first rider after all the Fideas, except for Sven. The
results list above does not mention that Jan V and Zdenek both ride for
Fidea.
Pretty impressive race, he is happy with it, he feels and seems to be a
level up from last year.
I like the photo on cyclingnews of the start, where they are all
sprinting balls out and Wellens is already half a length ahead and
looking over his shoulder with his mouth not even open. Dude is scary
this year.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos.php?id=photos/2005/oct05/ardooie05/ardooie03
Jerry