Vuelta Stage 2 Preview: Assen - Emmen
by crashdan on Aug 29, 2009 1:00 PM EDT
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Stage 2 :: Sunday August 30, 2009
203.7km :: Assen - Emmen
Buckle your seat belts for this stage boys and girls. Angelo Zomegnan Christiane Prudhomme Victor Cordero really pulled a corker out of his hat on this one. In fact, this stage may just rival a handful of this year's Tour stages as receiving the "torpidly boring" award. Yes, I just used "torpid", you can't unsee it.
This course makes a pair of loops, like bunny ears, around and through Assen, making it nearly impossible to map, followed by a trip down towards Emmen, makers of all things cheese in that valley, I'm guessing. You'll want to watch the stage though, if for no other reason than you'll get your annual dose of vowels trying to read the names of the cities their riding through.
Gavia took valuable time out from surfing to provide us with hinkfo...
Assen is the capital of the Dutch province of Drenthe. The city dates from the 13th century and originated as a monastery town. Since the end of the Second World War, Assen has grown significantly and serves as a center of administration and industry. The city is also known for its bike friendly ways.
From Assen, the course heads southeast to the finish in Emmen, which sits not far from the border between the Netherlands and Germany. Emmen also developed in the postwar period where previously the small farms and peat-harvesting villages dotted the landscape. Despite its relatively recent development, Emmen boasts a church dating from the Middle Ages. It is the second most populous city in Drenthe and looks like a lovely spot for a bike ride and a post-bike ride beer.
Courtesy of Gavia's Stage 2 Preview at Steephill.tv
Meanwhile, we here at Dive Master Central, received an email this morning from a man purporting to be The Frinkster himself. Let's take a trip down to Frinking's Corner and see what's posted on the bulletin board...
Viva la Hollandia part dossss! Best-case scenario: Echolons! Is it spring yet? Worst-case scenario: Most boring stage EVER in the history of a GT. Well, they can win the KOM jersey here. The climb is 10m and average gradient of 1%! ... It will give Vacansoleil some reason to be in the breakaway.
That's right folks, I think we saw %$#@!!!! bunnyhop a curb higher than this at the Giro this year. Not much I can add to this one. Sprint like the devil was chasing you boys...
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Emmenthaler cheese is from Switzerland man dude
Stage might get interesting with wind and dikes. Race could be lost on a roundabout. It will definitely not be an easy day in the saddle.
"Where there’s a will, there’s a way.": Alberto Contador, shortly after waking up from brain surgery.
Well... there's a city called Emmen...
… and the Dutch do make cheese… so… I’m making an executive decision and ignoring the bizarre cow fighters to the south east.
"Jens! is my favorite rider. I love watching him handing out plates of hot, steaming suffer!" - Mahatma Gandhi
Good point
Stupid Swiss!
"Where there’s a will, there’s a way.": Alberto Contador, shortly after waking up from brain surgery.
Enlighten me
How many segundos de bonificación tomorrow? I wouldn’t mind seing Tyler Farraro in oro.
Staring at the swim team gets you killed by a gang of dancing ninja men who know how to twirl.
+1
I was going to ask the same thing.
Wenatchee Wonder FTW
by dees ees en drama on Aug 29, 2009 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions
20 for the winner
"Where there’s a will, there’s a way.": Alberto Contador, shortly after waking up from brain surgery.
Last year it was 20/12/8
I’m assuming it’s the same this year
Boonen is -9 seconds
Farrar is -12
Bennatti -16
I didn’t notice any other sprinters within 20 seconds.
Wenatchee Wonder FTW
by dees ees en drama on Aug 29, 2009 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions
I just had a vision of Benna arrayed in a robe of gold....
"If I were World Road Race Champion, I would wear black shorts. That probably has more to do with me being on the wiser side of 30 and understanding better that the decisions I make now never really go away. White shorts would not be something I'd be proud of...." - David Millar, in Rouleur.
More coffee for me, then
I just parsed that as ‘belayed with a rope of gold’. But of course there isn’t much in the way of mountains there, really…
Ha! Perhaps you should go back to bed?
"If I were World Road Race Champion, I would wear black shorts. That probably has more to do with me being on the wiser side of 30 and understanding better that the decisions I make now never really go away. White shorts would not be something I'd be proud of...." - David Millar, in Rouleur.
Can't :-(
Gotta go visit family in a little while. I’ll muddle through :-) . I just wish the maid would show up and put the washing on for me, that’s looking waaaay too difficult…
Awww, poor you!
Bedtime here!
"If I were World Road Race Champion, I would wear black shorts. That probably has more to do with me being on the wiser side of 30 and understanding better that the decisions I make now never really go away. White shorts would not be something I'd be proud of...." - David Millar, in Rouleur.
I was so pleased I could sleep out and catch the stage on Universal at 10
then I realized I am getting up at 6 to watch F1, ffffffuuuuuuuuccccckkkkkkkkkkkkk. Red Bull, don’t ruin my early morning again you asshats!
"On a personal level, I have never had admiration for him and I never will"
~AC about LA, me about Johan "drama queen" Bruyneel
Diddums
My heart bleeds. No, really.
I am reading this after having had about 2.5hrs sleep before the stage, and less than 2hrs sleep after (I have no idea what woke me just before 7am… but if I find out, it’s days are numbered…). Hmm… I have also not had coffee since waking. Urgh – and I just had to pause and contemplate the steps involved in making coffee. Wish me luck – I may return with a mugfull of dry porridge :-(
Dan, my man, I feel your pain
at trying to map these knuckle headed stages… Try from etapa ocho onward, they just run in circles around southern Spain. I ’m playing RA for G as she works her up to the mountain stages. 13 is just plain wrong. There is no paved road from Monachil to the a-395, at least not as of three years ago which is the image set Google Earth is using. I only know this because the house I finished last summer is just being started in this imagery.
by Christopher See on Aug 29, 2009 11:17 PM EDT reply actions
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