Oh, crash, but they’re all back up: Barry, Roche, Gusev, a few more. It happened right after the feed zone. The peloton is still at a slow pace, so they should catch back up to the peloton.

Richard Ochoa (Venezuela) , Christian Poos (Luxembourg), Oleg Chuzda (Ukraine)
And Ochoa rides for Deekweegeeohvanni, but that is all I know about them…

I’m sticking with universalsports coverage, as the quality of the video is SO much better than the real=time sites I can access. I hope others will join me here, as they wake up! I might have to abandon this thread, if it gets too lonely :-)

I’ve also been out of touch since Friday, so this investigation about the Luxembourg team and Frank S. is news to me. He has started today.

The gap is 10:55 so. I can see Burghardt near the front of the peloton.

Lap 5 was done at about 40kph by the breakaway. Puncture and wheel change for Sammy Sanchez.

It’s really difficult to tell who is who without the trade team jerseys, I think. It looks like the riders have their trade team affiliations on the side of their shorts this year, which makes it a little more complicated (at least for me. The coffee is starting to kick in, though!)

They are showing Cadel, sitting with the Aussie TV commentators. Looks pretty serious.

eating. Frankie says the peloton can easily give them a 1/2 hour gap before easily bringing them in, but I very much doubt they’ll give them 20 minutes. Of course, what do I know? :—)

Is anybody else out there? No gap time given lately, last time check was 12:55.

props for that. I tried to access the euro-coverage, but the videostream was so bad (slide shots, really) that I had to stick with universalsports.

The weather is just gorgeous. And the crowds are huge!

Lap 5. Hopefully we’ll get a new timecheck as the peloton crosses the line.

an hour and 20 minutes behind the live action (on the other LIVE thread that is really live.)

and the gap is 14:02.

They are still taking it easy, bunched up across the road. Burghardt is still near the front, as is Robbie Hunter. More shedding of undershirts, jackets.

    I’m almost here but my Universal connection is not here. :-(
    I’ll try refresh

so the gap must be more than 15 minutes now….

    Why are they talking down to people who have to seek out their coverage.

doesn’t it? Still lots of chit-chat in the peloton, still not chasing.

after this season, as they’ll never repeat the success that they’ve had this year. Geez, Frankie, “doomed?”

38.92 kph was the average speed of the breakaway for lap 6.

Did that announcer just say that you could switch to another universalsportstv site? I didn’t catch that….

They said stay here or switch to another site. And good morning!

But they are starting the race over! What?

How to I get back to Lap 7 coverage? I watched this coverage 2 hours ago! This is terrible!

And the Italians are picking up the pace, and are on the front of the peloton.

And another break in the action. Time to have some breakfast, I’m thinking…..

Bruse & the Italian team is turning it up on the front of the peloton.

There are four Italians on the front of the peloton chase now, woo hoo!

Thank you for keeping up with the UnivSports cverage.

How many laps do they do total?

    I think it would keep the earlier laps more exciting, especially if there was some “weather”.

so it’s a big peloton! They’ve got their trade-teams name on the side of their shorts, near as I can figure, if that helps you? (It’s just confusing me.)

It’s enough of an adjustment for me when someone switches teams—having a whole peloton in different jerseys makes really hard to identify anyone.

They are just about to start Lap 8, but the gap should be about 14’ now, so they did take some of the gap back…

Darn it, another break??

There’s a large contingent of Norwegians on the right-hand (our right-hand) side of the course at the bottom of the 2nd climb; they are quite amusing! :-)

that there are lots of Germans at the front of the race. Like, all of them, near the front the whole time so far. I’m just sayin…Ciolek would be a nice win. (But, imho, not Schumi…)

in the dark in front of my computer. Nice way to start the day.

so the gap should be coming down. Did anyone catch that last gap?

The gap is 11:27 now, so they’re cranking it up a little.

did you see that guy in the breakaway almost lose it on that chicane there?

So there are two threads going because the Euro feeds and the Universal Sports feed are out of sync?

An Italian has been on the front now for a lap or two. And 2 Germans. Markus Berghardt has been in the front this whole race, so far.

This must be the video stream from RAI, where they take their commercial breaks, you think?

Bruse, Bossio and Tossato, I think he said?

The Montello: 1.1k, avg 6.5%
The Ronchi: 3.1k, 4.5%

sorry

Italians on the front now. And…another break!

the back end of this race should be chaotic!

I hate being sick.

20 riders back, I see.

6 or 7 Azzuri on the front. The gap is a little over 5’ now. We just had the first VV sighting a few moments ago.

there are still a few Germans up there at the front, too. Enjoy the rest of the time in the breakaway, guys, they’re coming to get you!

Now the Belgians and the Italians together at the front of the peloton.

is really tearing up the legs of the peloton, which is stretched out really finely. Small gaps opening up, maybe??

(sorry, just had to)

getting caught.

the race just finished. So be careful on the poking around cycling sites, if you intend to remain unspoiled :)

Bettini & Knees, but the peloton is chasing back, led by Cozza.

Gap 35: to the one leader, as the other two have dropped back (I missed how that happened.)

And the peloton is now all back together.

led by Bruse, who is back on the front. They’re on the Ronchi climb again.

Caught.

with a Belgian, 2 Spanish, total 6 riders.

and Bettini is in there! A German is chasing.

Now a total of 9 guys out front.

Rodriguez attacks, marked by Cunego (shit, Cunego, Ballan & Bettini in the break? Hooboy!)

Valverde, and the three Italians still away, no gap given.

chased by the Belgian team. They’re about to start Lap 13. 208K raced so far. Gap 12".

So, of course, time for a break.

Anyone still out there? The race is getting quite interesting!

joined by Garate and Cunego. Rodriguez is flying!

I know who won, but am tempted to tune into Universal just to actually see it this time. Alt feeds were pretty bad.

cause a lot of riders to abandon shortly. They have not posted a timecheck, so we don’t know what the gap is.

I think they are all back together again.

I should stay silent, I don’t want to spoil anything.

With 6 riders chasing him.

The peloton is catching up.

And Garate with him, and they have a teeny little gap.

Paolini goes Boom. Rebellin chasing on the front of the peloton, still going up the climb of the Ronchi.

There’s a little gap, maybe 15".

are the 5.

The gap is still v. small, maybe 20". And: break.

Um, it’s only 11am here, I’d better hold off…

And the peloton is about 1/3 the size that it was 2 laps ago! They’re crossing the start/finish line, about to start Lap 14! Gap only 8".

breakaway, as they are caught. They’re on the Montello climb. Paolini and Noval leave the race.

Breaktime again?

and the peloton is all together. There’s still quite a large group there, at least 70+ riders. With a Belgian and Spaniard at the front.

will no one wear the rainbow jersey next year? or would it go to whoever finishes 2nd?

Ballan attacking!

Looks like another Spaniard, a German and a Belgian there.

And “yes” about the break thing….

Ballan, Van Avermaet, Breschel, didn’t get the rest. Still have a little gap. Wegmann in there, too. Just a little more than 1 lap to go now.

Could it be…?

One lap to go! Gap 27"

And a break again.

Wegmann at the front, followed by Ballan, Breschel & there are about 10 guys in there, total. The peloton is quite a bit back, they’ve got a nice gap going up the Montello.

followed by Gesink, Rebellin, and the others follow. Valverde and Bettini at the front of the peloton, with Boonen. Zabel there, too. No gap time given.

Someone help me ID them!

Kolobnev trying to bridge.

Breschel, Gesink, Wegmann, J-Rod, Grivko, & Lovkvist, Van Goolen & ?? in the front.

Barry and Kolobnev chasing.

Peloton has given up.

No time gaps given. They are on the descent of the Montello, heading towards the last climb of the Ronchi.

Julian Dean, Kolobnev, and 2 more Belgians catching them. No Barry.

Gesink looking smooth.

Still 6 guys, with 3 of them Italian. And, a break again. Gah!

coming at me too fast to keep track of the action, it’s confusing.

With six chasing him and another 10 riders fallen behind from the front group. Ballan and Cunego still up there. The peloton has sat up, big time.

Looks like I’ll make it to the end after all.

J-Rod is there, final 4k of the race! Ballan is still there, too, at the back. Ballan goes!

strong!!! Vai Alessandro!!!

I think Italy took 2nd, too?

A worthy champion, indeed!

tifosi singing! :-)

Cunego, Breschel, Rebellin, Grivko, JRod, Wegmann, Pfannberger, Nuyens. Bettini getting a HUGE round of applause as he finishes.

I can’t wait for the Ronde and Paris-Roubaix…is it April yet? :-)