OPQS rider Niki Teprstra and Yoeri Havik went into the final Madison, on the final day of 6-Days Amsterdam, with a lap advantage on Saturday. The duo came storming back into the overall lead just in time after falling as far as 4th in the GC on Day 5. Thanks to great performances on Day 6, including a victory in the team elimination, the duo looked to be in great shape for the last event of an exciting 6-Days Amsterdam.
But Jasper De Buyst and Pim Ligthart were determined to battle back. The duo collected so many points in the final 100-lap Madison with their aggression, they surpassed 400 total points by the end of the race. But despite their best efforts, Terpstra and Havik covered enough moves to prevent them from neutralizing the crucial lap advantage, which meant an overall victory. Terpstra and Havik finished with 340 points and a lap advantage, while De Buyst and Ligthart finished 2nd with 405 points.
This is the second victory at 6-Days Amsterdam for Terpstra, who also won in 2011. OPQS now has 67 wins, in three disciplines, in 2014.
"I'm very happy with this victory," Terpstra said. "First of all, after the crash of derny pacer Cees Stam, who is my teammate Yoeri's grandfather, it was important to support my teammate. He wanted to continue the race despite Stam being in the hospital with serious injuries. He was really dedicated to getting the best result possible and it makes this victory that much more special for Yoeri, and also myself. I hope Cees is doing well and send him my best wishes. Second, it was a very hard six days and a spectacular final Madison. De Buyst and Ligthart kept attacking and attacking, which meant we had to struggle to defend our leadership. But this made it a great race for the public and for all of us riding. Finally, this is the second time I've won this race and as a Dutch guy, it's a great feeling to win in Amsterdam. I have a big smile on my face after a hard fought win."
6-Days Amsterdam FINAL GC
1. / Niki Terpstra/Yoeri Havik 340 points
2. / Pim Ligthart/Jasper De Buyst 405 pt +1 lap
3. / Nick Stöpler/Leif Lampater 256 pt +1 lap
4. / Alex Rasmussen/Marc Hester 269 pt +4 laps
5. / Melvin Boskamp/Jesper Asselman 159 pt +23 laps
6. / Denis Rugovac/Sebastian Wotschke 89 pt +23 laps
7. / Tim Veldt/Luke Roberts 171 pt +29 laps
8. / Dylan Groenewegen/Nolan Hoffmann 128 pt +33 laps
9. / Mitchell Huenders/Marco Zanotti 37 pt +35 laps
10. / Patrick Kos/Christian Kos 88 pt +38 laps
11. / Guy East/Daniel Holloway 47 pt +38 laps
OPQS rider Niki Terpstra and Yoeri Havik put themselves back in the top 3 of 6-Days Amsterdam on Friday, after winning two Madison events, the team elimination, and the first derny event at Day 5.
Terpstra was so strong in the first derny event that he lapped the field after reaching a speed of 70 kilometers per hour.
The duo are now 3rd overall after dropping to fourth the previous day. Terpstra and Havik led the race after Day 1 with 66 points.
6-Days Amsterdam, Day 5
1. Lampater/Stöpler 224 points
2. De Buyst/Ligthart 310 pt + 1 lap
3. Terpstra/Havik 261 pt +1 lap
4 Rasmussen/Hester 225 pt +3 laps
5. Rugovac/Wotschke 81 pt +17 laps
OPQS rider Niki Terpstra and teammate Yoeri Havik are now 4th in the general classification at 6-Days Amsterdam after winning the team elimination event on Thursday, which was worth 20 points.
The duo led the race after day 1, and after an accident on day 2 with a derny pacer that caused the race to be stopped, the two riders then defended their lead with 66 points at Day 3. They fell to 3rd overall.
6-Days Amsterdam Day 4
1. / Pim Ligthart/Jasper De Buyst 244pt
2. / Nick Stöpler/Leif Lampater 168 pt
3. / Alex Rasmussen/Marc Hester 190 pt +1 lap
4. / Niki Terpstra/Yoeri Havik 188 pt + 1 lap
5. / Denis Rugovac/Sebastian Wotschke 62pt +11 laps
OPQS rider Niki Terpstra, and teammate Yoeri Havik, remain on the GC podium of 6-Days Amsterdam due to some good finishes in multiple events.
Terpstra and Havik finished 3rd in the Supersprint, which earned them 10 points. The duo were in the race lead after day 1 with 66 points, and the second day was abandoned due to a serious accident involving a derny pacer. The pacer, Cees Stam, is the grandfather of Havik. OPQS continues to wish Stam the best as he remains in the hospital.
6-Days Amsterdam, Day 3
1. / Nick Stöpler/Leif Lampater 134 pt
2. / Pim Ligthart/Jasper De Buyst 180 pt +1 lap
3. / Niki Terpstra/Yoeri Havik 142 pt +1 lap
4. / Alex Rasmussen/Marc Hester 132 pt +1 lap
5. / Denis Rugovac/Sebastian Wotschke 37 pt +8 laps
The 102nd edition of the Tour de France was revealed today at the 'Palais des Congrès', and OPQS rider Mark Cavendish was in attendance along with Sport Director Wilfried Peeters. The 2015 Tour de France includes a total distance of 3,350km. There are nine flat stages, three hilly stages, seven mountain stages (five summit finishes), one individual time trial, one team time trial, and two rest days.
"I'm quite happy with this Tour," Mark Cavendish said. "A lot of the starts and finishes we've done before at past editions of the Tour de France. It's a flattish first week, which is good for the sprinters. There are few good opportunities for the sprint in the first week, plus two more occasions in the last 2 weeks including the Champs-Élysées. I won on the Champs four times and I'm looking forward to trying again. The number of chances for a sprint at this Tour are outstanding for me. This route will still provide some good finishes for the GC guys. I think it's a very nice route. "
The 2015 Tour de France opens with a 14km time trial stage in Utrecht (Netherlands). There will be plenty of sprint opportunities in the first week, however there could be echelons due to cross winds. There is also a finish on the Mur de Huy (1.3km, 9.6% average gradient) in Stage 3 that will surely bring some early fireworks within the peloton. There is also the Mur de Bretagne (2km, 6.9% average gradient, ramps of 15%) as a finishing climb in the 8th stage.
"It's still going to be hard, we'll still be going full gas every day," Cavendish said. "If there are windy conditions in any stages that first week, we've got the best team in the world to handle that as we've shown in past Tours de France. Omega Pharma – Quick-Step is filled with strong guys that know how to animate races, particularly in crosswinds. I'm more excited about those possibilities than nervous. This Tour leaves good chances for sprinters and plenty for GC riders as well. We're going to focus on what I need to do, and what OPQS needs to do to win some stages. Last year my team did great even without me there, and I was in great form before I crashed. So, I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do at the 2015 Tour de France with this route, riding for a strong team like Omega Pharma – Quick-Step."
However, the peloton will not reach the high mountains of the race until after the first rest day. Stage 10, from Tarbes to La Pierre Saint Martin, will begin the big climbing of the Tour. There is also 42km of total time trials in the race, but the final fight for the yellow jersey will not be a time trial before Paris. The GC contenders will instead face the legendary Alpe-d'Huez , which includes 21 hairpin turns and an 8.1% average gradient in 13.8km of climbing, in the penultimate stage.
Tour race organizers also revealed a new points distribution for the nine flat stages of the race that might change the fight for the Green jersey.
"It will be a nervous peloton with this parcours," Wilfried Peeters said. "Every day something can happen, as is the Tour tradition. The time trial at the beginning is not so long and it will keep the door open to the sprinters or classic riders to try to get the yellow jersey, especially with the second stage at Zeeland, that can be conditioned by wind, and the days after in Belgium. The finish on the Mur de Huy can offer a lot of possibilities to the classic riders, as will the day after in the stage with the cobblestone sectors. Then there is a stage with the Mur de Bretagne that can be the first arrival for riders who target the GC. Though the high mountains don't start until after the first rest day, there can still be differences made in the first week. The team time trial will be important before going into the Pyrenees. The last week is hard as it is every year. Every day the situation can change. It's an interesting Tour de France without a lot of time trials. The new system of bonifications can also play a role in the race. On paper it will be a spectacular Tour de France."
