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Considering how fabulously devastating Andre Greipel is toward the rest of the Tour Down Under peloton each year, you may have noticed the lack of attention I’ve been paying him in my articles.
It’s kind of the elephant in my room – I know you’re there big boy, but don’t expect a mention.
I try to focus this column on what had not obviously occurred throughout the daily proceedings, but The Great German Shepherd has gained himself an invite with yet another annihilation of his counterparts on stage four of this year’s event.
Capitalising on a flustered chase by an assortment of teams during the last 30km of racing, Lotto Belisol saved their legs on the 50kmh run in to Tanunda (yes, pros can recover at 50kmh).
They then timed the lead out to perfection with minimal kilometres to go, which was all the more phenomenal considering they had a block headwind, essentially forcing each rider to do 10% more work than planned.
Lotto Belisol put on display the reason they are one of the greatest cycling teams in the world. They’re whole package, committed, profession, drilled.
Andre Griepel is a sprinter unlike any other. I’ve seen him demolish a peloton, chase all day, then win the bunch sprint (Tour Poland 2010 I think?) He rides Classics and tours, but he excels at the TDU and similar small tours.
His build well out-muscles those of his sprinting colleagues, but the weight doesn’t seem to drag him down. His core strength appears superb even at his maximal output mid-sprint, and his injury history is minuscule.
Greipel isn’t a sprint finale maniac though, which puts him out of the Mark Renshaw/Graeme Brown category of apparent operation-self-destruct. This may be the reason he doesn’t win as many Grand Tour or classic bunch sprints as he’d like, where the stakes and danger are emphasized. This last theory though, I don’t buy.
It isn’t fear or self-preservation holding him back. Nor do I believe it’s the relatively small size of his quadriceps that keeps him from further success (remove sentence if you remove picture please). I just see Greipel as more of a ‘strong man’ over a ‘pure sprinter’.
The early season races with their less in-form pelotons have slower sprints. Greipel prefers this, a hard stage followed by a slower but coincidentally more powerful sprint finish.
You see there is actually a difference between speed and power. Speed is aerodynamics, drafting, ‘slingshotting’ off a wheel, etcetera. Power (strength) sprints are a mixture of nothing more than being god-forsakenly strong.
Power sprints, let’s say 1700 watts at 60kmh, are different to a Cavendish-style sprint who may only produce 1600 watts but lower and of a higher cadence, producing 65kmh and a faster acceleration.
This week Greipel has ridden everyone off his wheel with brute strength in each of his attempts. The man is strong and I hail him. We should all hail him, because it’s been a while since such a hugely successful sprinter was such a polite, humble guy, without public outbursts of frustration or anger.
The other story from stage four was that of Damien Howsen and his goosebumps, who paired up with the one and only world road cycling champion Philippe Gilbert in the breakaway, exposing just how easy it is to wake up and realise your dreams are coming true.
The story of stage three’s escapees would have had each and every Australian and Belgian citizen screaming at the screen willing the duo onward to survive, but unfortunately it wasn’t ever going to happen. The peloton had little to worry about in bringing the breakaway back to the peloton today.
Gilbert lumbered his way through 118km of breakaway, shoulders rocking and expression scrunched. I’ll be game enough to say it was Howsen who assumed the position of head train driver for the day though, as Gilbert prepares for a long a presumably prosperous season in Europe and beyond.
January based form is uncommon for a top European profession, which is why we didn’t witness Gilbert riding away solo, single-legged, to a multi-minute victory. These are the types of things we are used to seeing The Belgian Rainbow do, but unfortunately today he lacked such ‘punch’. Regardless, the two were only caught with 6km to go after a valiant effort by all.
Next up we strap ourselves in to stage five:
Old Wilunga.
Queen Stage.
Lactic-hemorrhaging, stem-chewing, pig-rooting.
This will be the day that decides the tour. Will stage three victor Tom-Jelte Slagter take home the cake? Will stage two champ, and current leader Geraint Thomas, rise as the cream? Will an anomaly mess with my assumptions? Stay tuned.
Follow Adam on Twitter @adamsemple
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