1/4-5/4 2015 Circuit de la Sarthe-Pays de la Loire (cat. 2.1)
5/4: Stage 5/5 Abbaye de l'Epau (Le Mans) - St-Vincent-du-Loroüer
Christina : L'Épau Abbey was founded by Berengaria of Navarre, wife of the famous Richard I (Lionheart) in 1229, many years after the kings death. The main building was finished in 1280, finally in 1365 construction was finished.
Today the abbey is used for cultural functions, in particular for classical music events, conferences ect.
Today’s route to St-Vincent-du-Loroüer, is again very hilly, but seemingly not as hard as yesterday, a full mass sprint is not likely.
L'Épau Abbey
Pre-race strategy: We won’t attack; everyone will fight for Stefan’s GC, keeping an eye in the GC top riders.
Profile:
The morning breakaway is 6 riders, the strongest seems to be John Gadret (Europcar)
The pace is high enough to slowly reduce the distance, but not too hot most of the peloton is still together at the last cat. climb, with 26 km to the line. Then Warren Barguil (Argos – Shimano) attacks.
Barguil’s attack was the signal, now many attacks start and cause the peloton to explode, all attacks are reeled back but the favorite group is now down to 12 riders, in the meantime Edwig Cammaerts (Jules) attacks from the breakaway.
About 6 km to the line, now Chris Froome attacks, Schumacher is ready and reacts immediately.
But nobody can stop Edwig Cammaerts he takes today stage with 39 sec, to the next group.
Again today Schumacher is just a little bit stronger than Chris Froome, Schumacher gets 2nd and the bonus is just enough to give him the overall race win.
Christina: I am in heaven, this is much better than I would dare to hope for. Mitchell did very well too 7th overall, and took the young riders jersey.
Stage:
1
Edwig Cammaerts
Jules
3h58'32
2
Stefan Schumacher
Christina Watches - Onfone
+ 39
3
Chris Froome
Banco Santander
s.t.
4
Gil Suray
Accent Jobs - Wanty
s.t.
5
Maxime Vantomme
GUNK
s.t.
6
José Herrada
Banco Santander
s.t.
7
Warren Barguil
Team Argos - Shimano
s.t.
8
Lars Petter Nordhaug
Sojasun
s.t.
9
Kanstantsin Siutsou
Accent Jobs - Wanty
s.t.
10
Mitchell Lovelock-Fay
Christina Watches - Onfone
s.t.
CG:
1
Stefan Schumacher
Christina Watches - Onfone
14h36'54
2
Chris Froome
Banco Santander
+ 1
3
Maxime Vantomme
GUNK
+ 23
4
Kanstantsin Siutsou
Accent Jobs - Wanty
+ 53
5
José Herrada
Banco Santander
+ 1'01
6
Lars Petter Nordhaug
Sojasun
+ 1'09
7
Mitchell Lovelock-Fay
Christina Watches - Onfone
+ 1'23
8
Jean-Marc Bideau
BigMat - Auber 93
+ 2'50
9
Axel Domont
Bretagne - Séché Environnement
+ 2'58
10
Daniele Bennati
Team Europcar
+ 2'59
Points:
1
Maxime Vantomme
GUNK
76
2
Stefan Schumacher
Christina Watches - Onfone
66
3
Chris Froome
Banco Santander
61
Mountains:
1
Louis Verhelst
GUNK
13
2
Jonathan Dewitte
Wallonie - Bruxelles
11
3
Perrig Quemeneur
Team Europcar
10
Team: Banco Santander
Young : Mitchell Lovelock-Fay Christina Watches - Onfone
Stefan have been with us from the 2012 season, this is a list of his best achievements so far.
2012
Tour of China II; 1st Overall; 1st Prologue; 1st Stage 4
Tour de Serbie; 1st Overall, 1st Stage 3
Tour of China I; 2nd Overall
Tour de San Luis; 3rd Overall
2013
Prix de Plumelec Morbihan; 2nd Overall
Tour de Beauce; 2rd Overall, Points Jersey
GP Kranj; 2nd Overall
Memorial Oleg Dyachenko; 2nd Overall
Berner Rundfarht; 3rd Overall
2014
Deutsche Meisterschaft; 3rd Overall
Bayern Rundfahrt, 3rd Overall, 1st stage 2
Tour of Britain; 1st Overall
2015
Circuit Sarthe - Pays de la Loire; 1st Overall, 1st stage 4
Rasmussen: I am here in Magnanville about 50km west of Paris center, for the Paris–Camembert a semi classic dating back to 1934.Today a long race with hard hilly climbs, especially the Mur des Champeaux just 10 km before the line.
Archaeological excavations in the center of Magnanville have revealed a small farm from about 500 BC.
The very rich Charles Savalette gets control over the Magnanville area, and built a splendid castle in 1750-1753, but it was almost destroyed in 1803. Today Magnanville is a town of about 6000 people.
Magnanville: Le Colombier:
Pre-race strategy: Today race of mostly a fitness race to get Kenny Elissonde fit for more important races coming up soon. But we always hope to get a result.
Profile:
Roster:
Mitchell Lovelock-Fay
Kenny Elissonde
Lasse Bøchman
Daniele Aldegheri
Frederik Wilmann
Martin Pedersen
Lasse Christiansen
Philip Nielsen
The race begins with a lot of attacks; it ends with a huge breakaway of 15 riders. They get about 5 min.
With 26 km to the line, the first attack between the favorites, it is Enrico Battaglin (Bardiani) countered by Rein Taaramäe (Jules).
Battaglin and Taaramäe don’t get away. 18.5 km left, the front group is now down to 13 riders, they got only 52 sec. when the peloton hits the last hard climb.
14 km left, Mitchell Lovelock-Fay takes his chance; he attacks and gets 30 sec. to the peloton relative fast.
A group of Battaglin, Marcato, Nordhaug and Albasini gets up to Mitchell Lovelock-Fay from behind.
Mitchells group of 5 fly’s by the remains of the breakaway before they start the sprint. The stage is won by Michael Albasini (BMC) over Enrico Battaglin (Bardiani), Mitchell Lovelock-Fay takes the last podium.
Rasmussen: Great race from Mitchell, right after a long race as helper for Stefan Schumacher.
sutty68/AbhishekLFC: Thanks - Mitchell has developed from just one of the boys, to a strong lieutenant to be reckoned with. He is still very young (22) I expect him to someday end up as a very good Puncheur.
Christina: I am here in Leuven, a city of about 98.000 residents, 25 km east of Brussels. For another one of the Flanders Classics, The Brabantse Pijl or Brabant Arrow, a hard hilly race with a lot of cobble section in the end. Leuven was first mentioned in 891, when a Viking army was defeated by the Franks in the Battle of Leuven. During the Middle Ages Leuven became an important trade center.
Leuven:
Pre-race strategy: The board expect for at top 10 with one of our cobble riders, but with a strong field we might have a hard time providing a result like that, but we got Lampaert in absolute top shape, and Würts Schmidt in good form too, Schumacher and Pacheco to help them up to the cobbels, and Sebastian Balck from there.
Profile:
Roster:
Anders Bjerregård
Francisco José Pacheco
Mads Würtz Schmidt
Morten Høberg
Sebastian Balck
Simon Bigum
Stefan Schumacher
Yves Lampaert
The morning break is 4 riders, nothing serious we don’t believe they will make it to the finish. The weather is bad; a very heavy rain is falling. They get a maximum of almost 9 min, at this point the have got 5’44 the peloton is just visible in the background.
Kristjan Koren (Argos – Shimano) attacks and slowly moves up to the front group, he catches up with 89 km left, the group has 5’12 to the peloton. Koren is a good cobble rider, making the break a lot more dangerous. He looks very focused, keen to make this happen.
From the start of the cobble sections attacks from the peloton starts, Zdenek Stybar (Omega Pharma), Peter Sagan (Astana) and others, but the pace is very high, and no one is able to get away. Then with 20 km to go, it is Alexander Kristoff (Katusha) and Zdenek Stybar, this time they get a good gap.
Kristoff is not able to keep up with Stybar, and is eaten by a very fast group led by Mads Würtz Schmidt, Yves Lampaert and Sebastian Balck is also in the group of about 16 riders, now only Koren and Stybar is in front of this group. Sebastian Balck is done and will fall back within seconds.
The group just before they catch Kristoff:
About 3 km left Lampaert is still feeling good and decides to attack on the final coble section, trying to lay distance to the better sprinters in the group.
Stybar takes a supreme solo victory with 2’17 to the next group,
Lampaert gets close to Koren, and starts his sprint, Koren has got nothing left to sprint with, and Lampaert passes just before the line, Lampaert takes a very surprising 2nd at the 2015 Brabantse Pijl, undoubtedly his careers best result.
Christina: O my – the team is just flying in this period. So happy for Yves.
12/4-14/4 Vuelta Ciclista a Castilla y León (cat. 2.1)
12/4 Stage 1/3: Arévalo – Valladolid : 194.3 km
Rasmussen: Hi, I am in Spain for Vuelta Ciclista a Castilla y León, in Arévalo a small municipality of about 8.000 people. In 2013 Pacheco ended 6th in CG. In 2014 Pacheco ended 4th.
The Arévalo area has been settled at least since late roman times, the town itself was founded in 1085-1090, in the middle age the town was fortified; remains of “La Muralla” (city wall) still exist.
Iglesia de El Salvador (Arévalo):
According to tradition originally from 336 AD, current version form about 1250.
Pre-race strategy: The experience from previous years was that in win end in a reduced sprint, most likely a sprinter with some hill ability. We expect that Enger has the best options in a sprint, or Schumacher if he can get a gap on the hills before the finish.
Profile:
Roster:
Lasse Christiansen
Martin Pedersen
Morten Høberg
Philip Nielsen
Sebastian Balck
Simon Bigum
Sondre Holst Enger
Stefan Schumacher
The first attempt to attack is Sebastian Balck followed by a few others, but the peloton speed up and bring them back. Then it is Martin Pedersen with Matteo Tosatto (Saxo – Tinkoff), Fred Rodriguez (Belkin) and Ivan Kovalev (Katusha). With his better sprint Rodriguez is probably the strongest in this situation. They get about 5’30.
Martin Pedersen is the strongest uphill rider in the group; he takes the only KoM sprint.
The peloton is def. not in the mood for a breakaway win, relatively early on the stage is it clear that they will fight for it, and the break is over with about 10 km to the line, now it is time to set the sprint up. We get Enger in the wheel of Schumacher, the only two of our riders, with something left in the tank.
Stefan delivers Enger in perfect position, and it looks very good, Enger is in front with less than 20 meters left, but a fast José Joaquín Rojas (Banco Santander) beats him right on the line.
Christina: Very good start here in Spain, a fine podium. Most of our riders got the same time as the winner, only Sebastian Balck lost 4'09, after losing energy getting important supplies for the team, in a very fast peloton.
Stage:
1
José Joaquín Rojas
Banco Santander
4h12'21
2
Sondre Holst Enger
Christina Watches - Onfone
s.t.
3
Bernhard Eisel
Vodafone
s.t.
4
Francisco José Ventoso
Banco Santander
s.t.
5
Gaetan Bille
Lotto Belisol
s.t.
6
Ramon Sinkeldam
IAM Cycling
s.t.
7
Carlos Barbero
Euskadi
s.t.
8
Jens Debusschere
Lotto Belisol
s.t.
9
Mark Renshaw
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
10
Adam Blythe
Vodafone
s.t.
GC:
1
José Joaquín Rojas
Banco Santander
4h12'01
2
Sondre Holst Enger
Christina Watches - Onfone
+ 8
3
Bernhard Eisel
Vodafone
+ 12
4
Francisco José Ventoso
Banco Santander
+ 20
5
Gaetan Bille
Lotto Belisol
s.t.
6
Ramon Sinkeldam
IAM Cycling
s.t.
7
Carlos Barbero
Euskadi
s.t.
8
Jens Debusschere
Lotto Belisol
s.t.
9
Mark Renshaw
Belkin Pro Cycling Team
s.t.
10
Adam Blythe
Vodafone
s.t.
Points:
1
José Joaquín Rojas
Banco Santander
25
2
Sondre Holst Enger
Christina Watches - Onfone
20
3
Bernhard Eisel
Vodafone
16
Mountain:
1
Martin Pedersen
Christina Watches - Onfone
6
2
Matteo Tosatto
Team Saxo - Tinkoff
4
3
Ivan Kovalev
Itera - Katusha
2
Team: Banco Santander
Young: Sondre Holst Enger (Christina Watches - Onfone)
. Go for the win now!
Schumacher owning Froome here 
