March 16/11 14:35 pm - Team SpiderTech: Race Report, 66e Nokere Koerse 2011

Posted by Editoress on 03/16/11
 

SpiderTech Team Director Steve Bauer offered the following comments on the team's performance today in the Nokere Koerse (results below):

"I am excited for the team and the progress the guys are making step by step, every race.  Today at Nokere the guys really started to combine forces as a team, looking for each other and putting the performance into practice, which ended in a positive result by Keven Lacombe."

"The objective of the team was to work on getting a man into the early break if possible to put the team at ease and eventually focus on the final sprint as as the odds would likely ensure. In general we were aiming for the race would come to a group sprint and we would work for Keven Lacombe to do the performance."

A breakaway without representation from any Pro Tour teams took six (6) minutes.  SpiderTech were not represented in the first important break but we were not concerned since it was certain a reaction from the peloton would come.  Omega Pharma-Lotta took a serious initiative entering Nokere circuit (125 kilometres to go) for the first time, splitting the peloton and creating havoc.  All riders of Omega Pharma took control in front with a total of 15 riders in counterattack.  Behind, Svein Tuft and Ryan Anderson took a solid initiative to keep this critical phase for the race in check and eventually received help from other teams.  After a tough chase, the peloton regrouped.

The next breakaway was less dangerous, as both Cofidis and Rabobank missed and took up the chase bringing the peloton to a bunch sprint as predicted. The team strategy was to place Lacombe in top position entering the final one kilometer of the fast technical sprint. Keven Lacombe finished 8th behind winner Gert Steegmans of Team QuickStep.

Next Race: March 18 - UCI 1.1 Handzame Classic, Belgium

Full results