Dubai Tour 2014

[SwissVan]

Caught the end of the highlights show last and saw they were all riding road bikes in the opening 10km TT stage.

 

Why were they riding road bikes? Stage looked well suited for TT machines...

[Cav']

Thats probably why Martin came in 4th

[SwissVan]

Thats probably why Martin came in 4th

 

JA maybe and Chancalarra as well, all though I think they just warming up still and not seriously trying to win the TT. whereas Tyler Phinney is apparently trying to win the race (he won the TT)

 

It was strange seeing them not riding their TT bikes, just wondering if it was some rule issue that stopped them using the bikes or what??

[T-Bob]

No idea on the reasons behind the road bike angle but Martin had to start last as he's TT World Champ.

 

Apparently he was steaming about that because the wind was coming up later in the day. He knows he's not going to be able to take anything on the road stages now and he'd targeted the Dubai as an overall win.

 

Hope today isn't an anti climax with Kittel and Cav going head to head, train against train.

[zee]

Caught the end of the highlights show last and saw they were all riding road bikes in the opening 10km TT stage.

 

Why were they riding road bikes? Stage looked well suited for TT machines...

 

Apparently race rules dictated all riders must use the same standard road bikes for the stage as they will for the remainder of the race.

[T-Bob]

whereas Tyler Phinney is apparently trying to win the race (he won the TT)

 

Phinney pushed out 490 Watts for his 12 minutes. Kittel came just outside the top 10 with Cav down in 35th. Shame this isn't getting broadcast locally.

[Cellar]

 

 

Hope today isn't an anti climax

 

Today started great. Pics on the twitters of Alonso hob-knobbing with riders. He's gonna have his pick of riders at the end of the season.

[Eddie13]

SA cyclist Willie Smit (Vini Fantini-Nippo) was in the main breakaway of the day of stage 2. Think this great news to have another SA cyclist racing at international level.

[T-Bob]

Kittel takes out stage 2:

 

Kittle beats off Sagan, Phinney, Del Velle and Nizzolo.

 

Marcel Kittel (Giant-Shimano) claimed stage 2 of the Dubai Tour in a sprint finish on Thursday, edging out Peter Sagan (Cannondale) and Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing). The American held onto his race lead, while Mark Cavendish (Omega Pharma QuickStep) was left frustrated as he found himself boxed in inside the final few hundred meters.

[hopefield]

Willie Smit seems to be doing quite well

[rudi-h]

And it seems that Reinhardt Janse van Resnburg was in the finale leading out Kittel... Not bad going either

[T-Bob]

Stage 3: Groundhog day as Kittel takes another stage

1: Kittel

2: Lobato

3: Sagan

[T-Bob]

1 Marcel Kittel (Ger) Team Giant-Shimano 3:47:52

2 Juan Jose Lobato Del Valle (Spa) Movistar Team

3 Peter Sagan (Svk) Cannondale

4 Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Garmin Sharp

5 Reinardt Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Team Giant-Shimano

 

Nice!

['Dale]

Wonderful stuff.

 

As Rob Hunter moves into administrative and management spaces, there is the next wave after Impey coming through strongly.

 

Add to this the MTN Q Project.

 

Things are looking good.

[rock]

saffa, willie smit, on the front! why is this the first time i've hear of him riding for a foreign based trade team??

 

 

 

http://cdn.media.cyclingnews.com//2014/02/06/2/20144304_216204_670.jpg

[T-Bob]

And Kittel nails the final stage from Mark Renshaw. Ice man is in form!