Tuesday, March 19, 2024
HomeNuggetsEveryone a Winner, Andre Greipel and Columbia again!

Everyone a Winner, Andre Greipel and Columbia again!

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Andre Greipel and Team Columbia again!

It’s been quite a season for the US team, the wins started and have never stopped.

Andre Greipel
Griepel takes another stage.

That was what Adam Hansen cited as the main difference between the old T-Mobile and the new High Road-Columbia; “now, we win races!”

Not only Cav and Greipel but Boasson Hagen, Lovkvist, Grabsch – just about every rider in the team has scored a win.

Greipel’s break through year was 2008; it looked like he’d trained like a beast all winter to pull of his four stages plus the GC in the Tour Down Under and that would be that.

I saw him quit the Tour of Flanders – with the Pro Tour leader’s jersey on his back – he looked lost. “That’s him for the year,” thought me and Viktor, but he won stage 17 in the Giro and continued winning throughout the season, including September’s Championship of Flanders.

He took 15 victories last year but he’s surpassed that this year.

You have to feel that the team ain’t big enough for both him and Cav, but between them they dominate the UCI winners table.

Tomorrow is the rest day, the riders fly tonight (Tuesday) but the team vehicles have to be driven all the way to Spain.

Andre Greipel
Charly might be having a beer tonight – alas, he packed the race today.

As Charly Wegelius said; “there’ll be a lot of strong coffee drunk” – a few years ago, it would have been something a tad stronger.

The joke used to be that if they introduced drugs tests for mechanics and soigneurs, the riders would have been on their own.

That’s two days running I’ve mentioned the ‘D word’ – sorry.

Stage 5 on Thursday isn’t too brutal with a second and a third cat – it could well be one for the fastmen – maybe.

Those Spanish (what’s the Castillano for ‘baroudeurs,’ Al?) breakaway boys will be pumped for it, back on home soil and raring to go.

Predictions?

Nah! I’ve given up, Ciolek, Henderson and Andre Greipel – if I’d put a tenner on that, I’d be a millionaire!

Ed Hood
Ed Hood
Ed's been involved in cycling for over 50 years. In that time he's been a successful time triallist, a team manager and a sponsor of several teams and clubs. He's also a respected and successful coach and during the winter months was often working in the cabins at the Six Days for some of the world's top riders. Ed remains a massive fan of the sport and couples his extensive contacts with an inexhaustible enthusiasm for the minutiae and the history of our sport. In February 2023 however, our dear friend and beloved colleague Ed suffered a devastating stroke and faces an uncertain future; Ed has lost his ability to speak, to read, and has lost movement on the right side of his body. He's working with speech and physical therapists on rehabilitation, but all strokes are different and each patient responds differently, so unfortunately recovery is one day at a time. Ed ran his own business installing windows, and will probably not be able to work again. Please consider joining us to make a contribution to Ed's GoFundMe page to help stabilise and secure his future.