Tag: Hamburg

2016 EuroEyes Cyclassics Preview

The race formerly known as the Vattenfall Cyclassics, known to most riders as simply “Hamburg,” is a rare opportunity for the purest of sprinters to nab a WorldTour-level one-day win. As such, it’s probably no surprise that the cream of the sprinting crop are in Hamburg this weekend to do battle in a showdown likely to provide an early indicator of who’s in form ahead of a sprinter-friendly worlds road race.

The Route

Notwithstanding a few yearly minor changes to the race distance, the main idea for the Cyclassics is always the same: ride around the Hamburg suburbs for 2.5 hours or so, then do a few loops on a somewhat challenging circuit headlined by the Waseberg climb, less than 1km but with an 8% gradient. That’s the case again this year.

Typically, there are a few attempts to escape the peloton as things near a conclusion, but it’s almost inevitable that the sprinters’ trains reel in the late moves to set up a high-speed showdown.

The Contenders

Hamburg may be a race that rewards the fastest of finishers, but it’s still a one-day race with a non-negligible climb in the finale. As such, the sprinters who don’t mind Classics-style racing tend to thrive.

André Greipel is the defending champion, and it’s hard to see anyone else as the top favorite heading into Sunday’s race. For pure speed when in peak form, Greipel is among the two best on the startlist. He’s also a proven winner who doesn’t mind one-day racing. The only question for Greipel is consistency—he does tend to disappear on occasion, so don’t be all that surprised if he’s not in the best position in the finale. Then again, don’t be surprised if he smokes everyone on the finishing straight either.

Alexander Kristoff is another former winner with a great shot. He’s not the very fastest rider in a drag race, but he more than makes up for it with Flanders-winning grit. Expect a strong performance from the three-time podium finisher.

John Degenkolb, the 2013 winner, is also fully capable of winning again, especially having shown strong form in the Arctic Race of Norway, where he claimed the points classification and a stage victory. If he’s really back to his best, he’ll be a dangerous contender at the finish, and like Kristoff, he shouldn’t have any trouble making it there even if the race is hectic late.

Marcel Kittel is the wildcard on the startlist. On peak form he’s the fastest man in the race, but he hasn’t been on peak form this year, and he’s also never been much for top-level one-days. I see him as a favorite, but not the favorite that his speed might otherwise dictate.

Arnaud Démare is yet a former winner with a shot, especially after he showed off just how strong he can be with his Monumental win in Sanremo this spring. Giacomo Nizzolo almost always contends (he’s a three-time podium finisher) and should almost certainly be there in the finale, though pulling off a win is always a tall order for the Italian. Danny Van Poppel, Nacer Bouhanni, Caleb Ewan, Sacha Modolo, and Tom Boonen are others to watch.

VeloHuman Top 10 Race Favorites

Winner: André Greipel
Podium: Alexander Kristoff, John Degenkolb
Other Top Contenders: Marcel Kittel, Arnaud Démare, Giacomo Nizzolo, Danny Van Poppel, Nacer Bouhanni, Caleb Ewan, Elia Viviani

Photo by Michael Behrens (CC).

August 21, 2016
Vattenfall Cyclassics 2015 Preview

Most of cycling’s biggest Grand Tour stars are in Spain for the Vuelta right now, but the cream of the sprinting crop will be in Germany on Sunday instead to take on the Vattenfall Cyclassics. The event, which almost always comes down to a bunch sprint in Hamburg, offers the fast finishers a rare opportunity to take a one-day win at the WorldTour level, though a bit of grit will come in handy at the end of a long day: hardman Alexander Kristoff won the race in 2014 with Giacomo Nizzolo and Simon Gerrans behind him, all three of them besting even Marcel Kittel and Mark Cavendish in the finishing sprint.

The Route

The race starts in Kiel, Germany and heads southward to Hamburg, where the route twists and turns through the city and its suburbs en route to the finish line after 221.3 kilometers. The terrain is not particularly challenging throughout, but it does include one moderately difficult climb taken a total of three times. The Waseberg, about 800 meters long with an average gradient of about 15%, usually inspires attacks and puts a few riders into difficulty, especially during the third and final ascent of the climb with about 15km to go, but in the past the race has usually come back together before the line for a (sometimes messy) sprint on a flat straightaway.

The Contenders

It’s hard to see this race coming down to anything other than a bunch kick, but at the end of 221 kilometers of racing and a probably-hectic chase to close down any late attackers, the likely sprint for Vattenfall Cyclassics glory will be a lot more than just a test of pure top-end spend. A sprint may be all but guaranteed, but predicting the winner won’t be easy.

Cycling’s “big three” sprinting stars are all making the start. Mark Cavendish, Marcel Kittel, and André Greipel are in a class of their own in the pure speed department, and all three will have a chance in this race.

Greipel comes into Hamburg on the heels an excellent Tour de France, and despite his stellar July, motivation should still be high: this is Germany’s only WorldTour race, and Greipel has been on the podium a three times in the last five years without winning. At this stage in his career, he has developed the strength to handle some climbs and some distance (as evidenced by his strong work in the Classics this year), and should come into the likely sprint finish in good shape. The big question will be the potentially hectic finale. Greipel has historically struggled in challenging position battles. If he is not afraid to take a few risks, Greipel might finally nab the Vattenfall Cyclassics win he’s been looking for for years.

Marcel Kittel at peak form is probably the fastest sprinter in the world, but Kittel has not been on the level this year. This race is also considerably more difficult than he’d prefer—of the aforementioned trio of speedsters, Kittel is probably the least versatile, and could come to the finish gassed if he gets there at all. He was in the mix in the 2014 edition of the race, but could only manage a 6th-place finish. Still, he’s hungry to pick up as many results as possible after a disappointing for half of the year, and this is a prime opportunity, so he can’t be counted out.

Mark Cavendish did not come away with as many stage wins from the Tour de France as he would have liked, but he’s still had plenty of success so far this season. He was 5th in Hamburg last year, and isn’t afraid of a hectic finale even if it isn’t his forte. He will be a top favorite for the win if he can stay well-placed coming into the finale, while Tom Boonen and Julian Alaphilippe make for impressive alternatives for EQS.

In a battle of pure speed, Alexander Kristoff is a step behind the aforementioned trio of Cav, Greipel, and Kittel, but he can’t be underestimated in his attempted title defense—the one-day races are Kristoff’s territory, and he’s a proven winner in the Vattenfall Cyclassics. He’s also carrying strong form right now en route to a bid for glory at Worlds. Kristoff can beat anyone under the right conditions. There should be plenty of action on the final ascent of the Waseberg, forcing some selection and making for a stressful finale, which will suit the stoic Kristoff well.

Giacomo Nizzolo has made the podium twice in the last three editions of the race, earning runner-up honors in 2014. Hamburg is a very important goal of his; his typical season routine starts with a buildup to a peak at the Giro, and then concludes with a second run at high-level success in the late-season circuit races. The motivation is there, and Nizzolo is particularly effective in hectic finishes. He’s also quite handy after a long day on the bike. In short, the conditions are perfect for Nizzolo to succeed. Converting that into an actual victory though won’t be easy, given the startlist and Nizzolo’s propensity to come up just a hair short in the big races. He’ll need everything to go right to turn a podium performance into a win.

Arnaud Démare has not had nearly the year FDJ was expecting of him, but he did win this race in 2012 and it does suit his strengths. He’s got a shot. MTN-Qhubeka has a pair of former winners on the roster in Tyler Farrar (two times the winner of this race) and Edvald Boasson Hagen. Gerald Ciolek makes the start as well. It’s tough to say who the team will back, but Boasson Hagen has been in great form of late and will have a chance if the day is particularly hectic. Greg Van Avermaet of BMC would love that scenario: if the race is hard enough to put some of the sprinters into difficulty, he’ll have a shot in a reduced bunch kick. So will teammate Philippe Gilbert, and fellow Belgian Classics star Sep Vanmarcke of LottoNL-Jumbo. Vanmarcke is building up to a strong late-season peak again after a disappointing spring.

Sam Bennett, JJ Lobato, Elia Viviani, Heinrich Haussler, Moreno Hofland, Andrea Guardini, Michael Albasini, and Niccolo Bonifazio are others with a shot at glory in Hamburg.

VeloHuman Top 10 Favorites

Winner: André Greipel
Podium: Alexander Kristoff, Mark Cavendish
Other Top Contenders: Giacomo Nizzolo, Marcel Kittel, Greg Van Avermaet, JJ Lobato, Sam Bennett, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Elia Viviani

Be sure to follow @VeloHuman on Twitter for more analysis, and don’t miss VeloHuman’s Vuelta a España stage previews—stage 2 of the Vuelta is running concurrently with the Vattenfall Cyclassics!

Photo by zoer (CC).

August 23, 2015
Giacomo Nizzolo “Really, Really, Really Motivated” for Plouay’s GP Ouest-France after Runner-up Performance at Vattenfall Cyclassics

Fresh off of a 2nd-place finish at the Vattenfall Cyclassics in Hamburg, Giacomo Nizzolo of Trek Factory Racing is looking forward to having another shot at a big win in the upcoming GP Ouest-France, where he was 2nd in 2013. Nizzolo’s 2014 campaign has had its gratifying moments and its frustrating ones, and plenty of moments that have been a bit of both, and he took a few minutes out of his midweek preparation to talk to VH about his season so far and his expectations for Sunday’s race in Plouay.

Nizzolo started off the year strong with a victory in the Tour de San Luis, but soon after, he suffered a broken collarbone as a result of a training crash. The painful injury would be just the first in a series of difficult health issues that have hampered him on and off throughout the year. Nizzolo described the persistent challenge of being slowed by injury and illness this season when his form has otherwise been very strong as “one of the hardest” of his career.

“I had great training camps in the winter and I was in really good shape at the beginning of the season and then unluckily I broke my collarbone. I think that the first part of the season could have been really successful for me, but then with the crash everything was gone,” he explained to VeloHuman. “And then, mentally and physically, it was really hard to get my shape back for the Giro.

“I came to the Dauphiné to try to get a victory after the Giro because I knew I was in great shape and normally after a big tour I’m good. So I went there, and then on the only stage for the sprinters, with sixty kilometers to go, I crashed and I broke a bone in my shoulder. I only discovered the fracture twenty days later. I thought it was something with the tendon and I planned some therapy to try to treat the tendon, but I kept moving the shoulder and it was definitely not [feeling] the right way.

“Then, I stopped, I took a break, and then tried to work hard for the second part of the season. I went to altitude again, I came down, I went to Wallonie and got the stage victory. But still I felt that something was wrong, and I got this virus. I was feeling it actually until the Eneco Tour last week. Even last week I was not feeling so good.”

He finally started to feel better in time for Hamburg’s Vattenfall Cyclassics, where he put in a strong ride to finish 2nd behind Alexander Kristoff in a sprint. His sixth 2nd-place performance on the year (he notched four of them in the Giro d’Italia), it was certainly something to be proud of, but at the same time, a frustrating result. Nizzolo acknowledged that it is hard to feel satisfied when he finishes a race as runner-up.

“I’m disappointed. Sometimes, third is much better than second because when you’re second you’re so close to victory and you’re missing really only a few things to win,” he explained. “When you’re third you can say, ‘Well there was one guy stronger than me even if the winner was not there.’ So I am a little bit frustrated. But on the other side, when I think about it days later, I say, ‘Okay, in the end, what can I say? I did my best.’ . . . Sometimes I make mistakes, but for example in Hamburg, this was the best I could bring home, especially when you think that I was coming from a week that was not the best. On one side, you’re disappointed, but on the other you can be proud to be there.”

Frustrating though they may be, the near misses don’t stop Nizzolo from working hard to find areas of improvement. In the Giro, for example, he tried to fine tune his timing with each finish.

“In the Giro I tried different ways to win the stage. One time I waited, but he [Nacer Bouhanni] started [his sprint]. Other times, I tried to anticipate the sprint and start before him. You look at the videos and you look at what maybe you did wrong and what you can make better and, for sure, you can learn something. . . . When you lose you can always learn something. Even when you win. When I win, I say sometimes, ‘This could be better.’ Every time, you have to learn something.”

He now has his sights set on the upcoming GP Ouest-France in Plouay, a major objective for the remainder of his 2014 racing calendar. Hillier than the Vattenfall Cyclassics, the GP Ouest-France came down to a sprint last year, but it’s a tough event that does encourage riders to attempt longer-range moves.

“Plouay was one of my targets from the top of the season,” Nizzolo said. “Hamburg and Plouay are some of my favorite races. Sunday in Plouay is harder than Hamburg, but it’s a race that I like (like Hamburg) so I will go there really, really, really motivated and I will have the maximum support from the team, as I had in Hamburg. In Hamburg I had the support from the team even when I was not in the best shape. So in Plouay I will have everybody helping me and we will go for it.”

The race is still a few days away, but he already has a sense of who his main rivals might be.

“I think, more or less, it will be the same competitors as Hamburg, though it’s harder and the climb is closer to the finish, so guys like Van Avermaet, Trentin, Albasini, Gerrans . . . they could make some action at the end so that for us as sprinters it will be harder to get results,” he said.

After the GP Ouest-France, Nizzolo expects to take on the Brussels Cycling Classic and the Tour de l’Eurométropole, among other races. With the World Championship Road Race not far off, Nizzolo acknowledges that selection to the Italian team is something he thinks about, but he isn’t sure how well the parcours suits him.

“I checked the circuit a few months ago and it’s hard. The climbs are hard but there is not much recovery between them . . . and there are more than 4000 meters of altitude, so it will be hard. For a guy like me, I would need to be in the best shape to be there. So honestly at the moment I will go for Plouay and then we will make a check and discuss,” he said.

Looking beyond the 2014 season, Nizzolo is signed with Trek through 2016 after renewing with the team in the middle of this year. The team isn’t laying any specific goals for these next few seasons at his feet, but Nizzolo has targets in mind.

“I don’t think we have particular goals, but I see and they see probably that I improve every year a little bit. So we will try to go for stages in the big tours and then a semi-classic like Hamburg or Plouay,” he said.

On strong form and, at least for the moment, unhampered by illness or injury, Nizzolo will have an opportunity at meeting one of those goals in four days at the GP Ouest-France in Plouay. Narrowly missing out on a win there last year, and likely to face some of the same rivals that contested the recent Vattenfall Cyclassics, Nizzolo will have that little bit of extra familiarity with the situation on the road as the day nears its conclusion, which will certainly be a useful asset in his attempt to reach the next step on the podium this time around.

-Dane Cash

Photo by Jérémy Jännick.

August 27, 2014
Vattenfall Cyclassics 2014 Preview

While some of the pro peloton is in Spain taking on the year’s final Grand Tour, a number of other riders will be in Hamburg to take on the Vattenfall Cyclassics. The first of several late summer circuit races on the WorldTour calendar, the event offers the sprinting heavyweights a rare opportunity to take a one-day victory at the highest level. It’s a lengthy race at 247.2 kilometers, and there are a few bumps along the way, but it almost invariably ends with a bunch gallop.

The Route

The race starts and finishes in Hamburg, with a route that will take the peloton in several loops through the city and its outskirts. The terrain is not particularly undulating throughout, but it does become a bit more challenging as the race wears on. After a long and mostly flat first half, the riders face four climbs of the Waseberg, the only real uphill test that must be overcome before the finish. It’s not even a full kilometer to the top, but after a long day, repeated trips up the steep climb will wear down some of the heavier riders. Generally, the Waseberg is the site of attacks, and though in recent editions they’ve all been closed down before the line (which comes roughly 15 km after the last ascent), the potential for a late game of cat and mouse does make for a hectic finale.

Weather has played a role in this race in the past, and it may again in the 2014 edition of the Vattenfall Cyclassics. There is a possibility of rain and a likelihood of high winds in the forecast, which could make this journey from start to finish a bit more stressful.

The Contenders

With a sprint as the most probable outcome, a fast finish will be the most important asset for anyone to be considered a main contender here. Endurance to survive a long day in the saddle and arrive at the finale fresh will help. The big-name sprinters, especially those who are comfortable sprinting after 240 kilometers, will be the top favorites. Last year’s winner John Degenkolb fit the bill perfectly, but he is in Spain for the Vuelta. However, there are plenty of other top quick men on this startlist (the field is probably even stronger than it was last year) to battle it out for the win.

Katusha’s Alexander Kristoff was 3rd in the 2013 edition of the race, and given his impeccable form right now, he will have an excellent opportunity to improve on that this year. The Milano-Sanremo winner is at his best after a lengthy race, he doesn’t mind a few bumps on the way to the line, and his top speed has reached new heights this season, making him among the most likely winners of the race. Bad weather will only increase his chances. The very quick Alexey Tsatevich makes for a powerful teammate.

Andre Greipel took 2nd place for the second consecutive time in 2013 and he’ll again be a strong contender in 2014. He is one of the fastest sprinters in the world, and he has made it through this parcours to the seemingly inevitable bunch finish in the past. However, he’s been a bit of a mystery over the past two months, at times showing off the blazing top speed for which he is well-known, and at other times widely missing the mark in races that seemed to suit him. He’ll need to put it all together to come away with the win here, and he hasn’t had a perfect run-up to race after withdrawing from the Eneco Tour due to illness. The possibility of rain won’t help either. Still, if he is feeling good and positions himself well, he’ll be hard to beat.

Marcel Kittel is the best pure sprinter on this startlist, with the Tour success to prove it. In a straight contest of speed, he is very rarely beaten, especially with the help of the Giant-Shimano leadout. However, as impressive as Kittel is as a sprinter, he doesn’t have the same versatility as teammate and 2013 winner John Degenkolb; he struggles with even minor challenges in a profile, and after 245 kilometers, he may be a different rider entirely from the speed machine that won the sprint down the Champs-Elysees. He’s certainly a contender, but he needs to prove that he can handle long days with a few bumps along the way before he is favored to win a race like this. The team may rely on Luka Mezgec as a capable alternative. Mezgec has taken his game to a new level in 2014, collecting win after win in the spring and showing good form lately in the Tour de Pologne and the Eneco Tour. He is a bit more capable than Kittel on the tougher parcours. Simon Geschke is another nice alternative; should this race be more selective than it usually is, he’s a dangerous rider in a reduced sprint.

OPQS brings a team loaded with firepower, with sprinting star Mark Cavendish leading the way. He’ll be eager to reassert himself in a bunch gallop after his early exit from the Tour de France, and he’s obviously among the very best sprinters here, with only Kittel and Greipel as potential rivals for pure speed. Still, while he’s a bit more likely to make it to the line than the aforementioned Kittel, there is a difference between surviving and arriving to the finale with fresh legs, as this year’s Milano-Sanremo (where several riders outmatched him even in a sprint) showed. Gianni Meersman is a terrific alternative if necessary, having shown brilliant form at the recent Tour de Wallonie, and Tour de l’Ain. The versatile Meersman should have no problem at all with the profile or the length of the race, and he may have more left in the tank than others by the end of the day. The same is true for Matteo Trentin, who will be yet another option for OPQS. Mark Renshaw, who showed in the Tour de France that he still has a lot of speed, deserves a mention too.

FDJ’s Arnaud Demare took the biggest win of his career here in 2012, and he has the skillset to fight for the overall victory again this year. Apart from a forgettable, illness-marred Tour de France campaign, he’s had a strong season so far, and he’ll be motivated to show that he’s back to his best in this race. 2nd in Gent-Wevelgmen in March, Demare is especially strong after a long day in the saddle, making him a top favorite for victory.

Trek’s Giacomo Nizzolo was 3rd in the 2012 Vattenfall Cyclassics. He’s had an odd year, with quite a collection of nice sprinting performances but only two victories (in the Tour de San Luis and the recent Tour de Wallonie). Timing has been a bit of an issue on a number of occasions, and this race’s often chaotic finale won’t help with that, but the route and profile suit him perfectly, and Trek has a fast group of riders in attendance to strengthen his chances. Given the possibility that the likes of Kittel, Cavendish, and Greipel may not make it all the way to the line with the lead group, Nizzolo could contend for the win.

Lampre-Merida’s Sacha Modolo has shown flashes of brilliance in 2014, but he’s missed out on several races that looked to be good opportunities as well. Crashes haven’t helped. If he can hang on here, he’s extremely fast and should be in the mix for the victory. Europcar’s Bryan Coquard has won some smaller races this season and will hope to put his strong finish on display on a bigger stage in Hamburg. Sky’s Ben Swift would probably prefer a few more hills on the profile, but he’s a good sprinter in any scenario, and the length of the race alone could give him an advantage (like it did in Milano-Sanremo this year, where he was 3rd); much the same could be said for his teammate Edvald Boasson Hagen, who, though he has had a year to forget, did win this very race back in 2011. NetApp-Endura’s Sam Bennett is another very quick rider who becomes more dangerous when the route to the finish line has a few challenges along the way. Movistar’s JJ Lobato, BMC’s Thor Hushovd, Garmin-Sharp’s Tyler Farrar (winner of both the 2009 and 2010 edition), Orica-GreenEdge’s Matt Goss, Tinkoff-Saxo’s Matti Breschel, and AG2R’s Davide Appollonio are others who could contend in a sprint.

Despite a historical precedent of bunch finishes deciding this race, a few teams have brought some talented riders, several of them familiar classics specialists, who will try to make things interesting by applying pressure as the long day nears its finish. BMC’s Greg Van Avermaet, OGE’s Simon Gerrans, Michael Albasini, and Jens Keukeleire, Astana’s Enrico Gasparotto, and Belkin’s Sep Vanmarcke and Lars Boom look to be the likeliest protagonists for a late move or success in a sprint from a small group.

VeloHuman Top 10 Favorites

Winner: Alexander Kristoff
Podium: Arnaud Demare, Giacomo Nizzolo
Other Top Contenders: Andre Greipel, Mark Cavendish, Marcel Kittel, Gianni Meersman, Luka Mezgec, Sacha Modolo, Ben Swift

-Dane Cash

Photo by youkeys.

August 23, 2014