Driedaagse De Panne 2013 **Spoiler Tags Required**

dastardly00

.... started today.

The Three Days of De Panne (Dutch: KBC Driedaagse van De Panne-Koksijde) is a three-day stage race. It has plenty of short, steep cobbled climbs. It's the last warm-up before the Ronde van Vlaanderen (Tour of Flanders). It is rated 2.HC and is part of the UCI Europe Tour. Official website here.

Sylvain Chavanel (2012 winner), Cav, Tom Boonen (despite his injury), Peter Sagan, André Greipel, Andriy Grivko, Lieuwe Westra, Marcel Kittel, Gerald Ciolek, and Oscar Gatto are all taking part. Full start list here.

From an Irish perspective, Matt Brammeier (Champion System Pro Cycling Team) and the An Post-Chainreaction Team with Sam Bennett are taking part.

dastardly00

Stage 1: Middelkerke - Zottegem (199.8 km)



Live TV coverage on Eurosport2 now. Highlights on Eurosport1 at 4pm, and Eurosport2 at 7pm.
Live ticker here (it's translated, so expect some funny phrases!).

dastardly00

There have been about a million punctures so far today. None of the team leaders I don't think. 31km left.

TheNah

dastardly00 wrote: »

There have been about a million punctures so far today. None of the team leaders I don't think. 31km left.

how's Sam Bennet doing, anyone know?

mahoo

my god sagan makes it look so easy. he looks like he's cruising

mahoo

Sagan gets it but Demare had him beaten if he didnt have to break his sprint.

dastardly00

Sagan won a sprint of about 10 riders. But he kind of veered to one side in the last 100 metres, and Arnaud Démare had to sit down and put his hand on Sagan's back to let him know he was there. Démare still nearly won, just losing by less than half a wheel. The commissionaires might have a look at it. Sagan appeared to apologise to Démare as soon as they crossed the finish line.

Bukman13

Both Matt and Sam finished in a large group 15 mins back, However Sam won one of the Intermediate sprints (Rushes) and lies 2nd overall in that classification.

surripere

Good race, enjoyable. Gotta love Sagan, damn this kid is good

CramCycle

MOD VOICE: Same day, hints or actual statements require spoiler tags, cards the next time

Rastadoyle

i should of watched the highlights of this at 9 on eurosport than the last few mins of Ireland game

manafana

Sagan is something else, pulled a slide after finish yesterday. Today is cavendish to win, would like to see kittel get to finih in one piece.

Inquitus

Chavanel is on a one man mission to stop Cavendish winning anything so it would seem. Pulling in the break with Cav behind in MSR, and again yesterday, both times while in a break with Sagan who he can never beat.

dastardly00

Stage 2: Oudenaarde - Koksijde (Marktplein) (204.2 km)



GC after Stage 1:
1. SAGAN Peter (CAN) 5:00:17
2. DEMARA Arnaud (FDJ) @4"
3. KRISTOFF Alexander (KAT) @6"
4. CHAVANEL Sylvain (OPQ) @10"
5. GATTO Oscar (VIN) @10"
....
108. BENNETT Sam (SKT) @14'58"
....
144. BRAMMEIER Matt (CSS) @15'03"

Live TV coverage on Eurosport1 from 2pm. Highlights on Eurosport2 at 7pm and 10pm.
Live ticker here.

Flandria

Superb work Dastardly

*salut*

Flandria

Inquitus wrote: »

Chavanel is on a one man mission to stop Cavendish winning anything so it would seem. Pulling in the break with Cav behind in MSR, and again yesterday, both times while in a break with Sagan who he can never beat.

Wouldn't agree with that. Someone from OPQS has to mark/stay with Sagan or else he just rides away and Chavanel made a clear point of NOT pulling with Sagan when he attacked on the final climb yesterday.

Bukman13

85Kms to go in stage 2, Matt Brammeier is in the main break with 4 other riders... They are over 6mins up the road.

Flandria

Bukman13 wrote: »

85Kms to go in stage 2, Matt Brammeier is in the main break with 4 other riders... They are over 6mins up the road.

Nico Eeckhout (An Post - CRC) also in the break

Craig06

Epic lead out by OPQS and Cav proving he's still the sprint master!

dastardly00

How did Sagan end up getting dropped from the lead group/peloton that contested the sprint finish?

cunavalos

I would say he will not race tomorrow (in order to prepare for the weekend) and it is considered bad form to pull out while wearing the leaders jersey so needed to lose time before the finish

ednwireland

is it just me or did cav have no right to win that, thought they'd burnt out with about 750m to go great finish though

dastardly00

Stage 3a: De Panne (112.6 km)


Stage 3b: De Panne ITT (14.75 km)


GC after Stage 2:
1. DEMARE Arnaud (FDJ) 9:47:18
2. KRISTOFF Alexander (KAT) @2"
3. CAVENDISH Mark (OPQS) @5"
4. CHAVANEL Sylvain (OPQS) @6"
5. VANTOMME Maxime (CE) @6"
....
112. BRAMMEIER Matt (CSS) @15'07"
....
135. BENNETT Sam (SKT) @20'33"

Live TV coverage of Stage 3a is on Eurosport2 now!. Live TV coverage of Stage 3b is on Eurosport1 from 1.45pm. Highlights on Eurosport1 at 6.30pm.
Live ticker here.

9 riders didn't start today: Boonen, Sagan, Greipel, Paolini, Bodnar, Koren, Lutsenko, Voss, Tsatevich.

buffalo

dastardly00 wrote: »

Live TV coverage of Stage 3a is on Eurosport2 now!.

Thanks for the heads up, it's not in the schedule!

AlreadyHome

Monumental effort by Cav!

Sometimes I find myself beginning to chalk his win ratio down to the quality of his lead-out, but stages like yesterday really display the grit and talent he has. I don't think he'll be thanking his over-zealous train for that slog to the line somehow...

dastardly00

Stage 3a results:

1. Alexander KRISTOFF (KAT) 2:23:02
2. Sacha MODOLO (BAR) "
3. Elia VIVIANI (CAN) "
4. Sonny COLBRELLI (BAR) "
5. Baptiste PLACKAERT (CRE) "
.....
113. Matt BRAMMEIER (CSS) @37"
.....
DNF. Sam BENNETT (SKT) .... + 10 other riders

GC after Stage 3a:

1. Alexander KRISTOFF (KAT) 12:16:16
2. Arnaud DEMARE (FDJ) @4"
3. Mark CAVENDISH (OPQ) @9"
4. Sylvain CHAVANEL (OPQ) @10"
5. Maxime VANTOMME (CRE) @10"
.....
101. Matt BRAMMEIER (CSS) @15'48"

Here is the start list for Stage 3b Individual Time-Trial (times are GMT+1).
A reminder that live TV coverage is on Eurosport1 from 1.45pm.