AUSTRALIAN NT - Season 19

[Aurora Australis]

AUSTRALIAN NT - Season 19

A normal road near where I live : Queensland - Australia

Welcome to season 19.  After yet another NT championship-winning result by Vos (Sportlife), you have to put up with my efforts.  Besides having me instead of Vos, there are also several differences in the schedule that's not exactly to our best suit (ie no flat in the hills race), however we do have the bonus of some key cyclists being a season more mature so it works out.  The Brits still have their star NT manager in charge, so retaining the NT title will be the goal to beat them again.

Current Australian cyclist rankings below.

[Aurora Australis]

Race 1

Selections :
Dudley Judd   Manicomicos_Cycling_Team   31
Martin Hunter   Manicomicos_Cycling_Team   31
Gerard Shields   Quickstepbronx   30 (captain)
Zack Walkins   azerite   30
Herbie Fredickson   Spitz   29 (free role)
Fergus Emerton   Artxube   26
Norm Ryan   Artxube   26
Michael Odom   Manicomicos_Cycling_Team   25
James Bush   Antequera   23

Prospects: I possibly should have Zack in the free role position as clear 2nd best cyclist in the team, but Gerald needs a teammate going into section 5 for a hopeful podium position.  Top five should be expected, even if a little flat would have been better.
Note: a number of gold 26-27-year-olds should have been here, except with them having between 3-7 total experience they've killed their potential, and so the team isn't as strong as it should be.
23yo James Bush isn't that far behind, so he's got a selection as a semi-helper.

Results:
8th   Gerard Shields      30   0: 02"   140 points
In reality a mini-fail.

[Franky]

Hey! the result was not so bad for not posting it here!! hahaha a pure hills race is always complicated, 8th position is not sooo good, but not bad!!

We trust on you Aurora!!

[Aurora Australis]

It was poor Franky, the only correct tactics was the team leader had support all of the way through.  Anyway, before a preview of the next race, which isn't going to be as generous to us, here's the main u24 cyclists of note.

As usual, TT is covered well, and not only by me.  Cobblers is the worst category, and sprinter stocks being 22yo Cann (& maybe a 19yo).  There aren't many 19-year-olds yet (9), but most of them are on this list.

U24 Cyclists

[Aurora Australis]

Race 2

Selections :
Colin Mount   Teka   32
Keith Hamsten   Manicomicos_Cycling_Team   32
Ryan Henderson   TeamMajer   32
Jason Furey   CajaRuralZamora   30 (free role?)
Dudley Iverson   Manicomicos_Cycling_Team   28
Norm Bush   HTCHungria   27 (leader)
Martin Wilson   WinterIsComing   24

Two more to be selected, possibly including a 22 yo climber

Prospects: The two climb-flat-climbers in my team according to my calculations have better stats for this race than Bush, and the lower of these haven't been selected in the first Portuguese NT group (the Estonian NT team isn't selected yet), so we're going to need more favourable futures than last race.
Still tactics are to seek a near top result.

Results:
10th   Norm Bush      27   0: 44"   120 points
I guess I shouldn't be too disappointed given that my own climber who by my calculation has better stats than Bush didn't even make selection for Estonia, so they must be talented.

[Vos]

Thanks for the great lists, Aurora Australis. Nice to see that the most promising young cyclists are highlighted too.
Good luck in the NT mountain race.

[Aurora Australis]

Before we have to look at the selection of sprinters, let's look at the upcoming hopes in the u21 squad, which may help to guide some of us into promoting in certain areas yet to get a decent number of cyclists this season.

U21 Cyclists

see attachment

[Aurora Australis]

Race 3   

Selections :
Ryan Pierre   CC_Porco_Jones   32
Jasper Blair   Manicomicos_Cycling_Team   29
Anthony Fletcher   Quickstepbronx   26
Ian Hamsten   lasposturas   26
Leroy Ablett   lasposturas   26
Jasper Caan   SaulSalinasTeam   22

Three more to be selected

Prospects:The last sprinter stats I have on my computer has my old cyclist Aksel Myklebust aged 30, who according to my calculations was around 2.3av better than Blair, and over 3av better than Pierre (hot icon - btw Myklebust was a windy specialist).  If we gamble our tactics correctly we can do well, if we don't then we won't.

Results:
4th   Ryan Pierre      0: 00"   200 points
19th   Ian Hamsten      0: 25"   20 points

Better than a kick in the teeth.  We almost had it, our backup cyclists failed early in the race and kept going backwards, but at least Pierre was there to keep us healthy.
Next week should see us climb to third overall, with Great Britain to be the bookies' favourites for the title.

[Aurora Australis]

As we prepare for our favourite race of the NT season, here are the current 19-year-olds.  Weakest is cobbles, followed by hills.  Sacido is building a good group of sprinters (unsure whether he's purchasing), and we have the best climber for the season in Embley.

U20 Cyclists

see attachment

[Vos]

Thanks for the lists, AA. 

And a good amount of points in the NT sprint race, very well done !

Good luck with the time trial puzzle who to select as last ones, I know it is a difficult luxury puzzle with many candidates.
And of course good luck with Workman, the weather gods(2x) are in his favor. 
Hopefully he can win this NT time trial after being 2nd and 3rd in the 2 previous NT seasons.

[Aurora Australis]

Race 4   

Selections :
Kirk Workman   31   Aurora_Australis **x
Bud Mount   27   ChronoTony
Christian Pocock   26   Aurora_Australis *
Nobby Licuria   26   Aurora_Australis
Tod Henderson   26   Aurora_Australis
Walt Judd   27   RealMurciaCycling
Kirk Clinton   26   Aurora_Australi
Peter Coleman   32   WorldCiclyng

Final spot either Jason Duffy or Steve Odom.

Four more to be selected
96.25   Walt Judd   27   RealMurciaCycling
96.21   Jason Duffy   27   Shiro_Lions
96.09   Kirk Clinton   26   Aurora_Australis  xx
96.03   Steve Odom   31   Manicomicos_Cycling_Team
96.01   Dean Shields   32   Aurora_Australis x
95.79   Peter Coleman   32   WorldCiclyng *x
95.59   Julian Frances   29   Bergtoppers x
*weather bonus : x other weather

Prospects:Can Workman get the weather bonuses to work for him & win?  Who will make the next few days count & make the selection?  And how many can we get in the top 20?

Results:
1st   Kirk Workman      31   0: 00"   300 points
2nd   Bud Mount      27   0: 01"   250 points
6th   Nobby Licuria      26   0: 08"   160 points
7th   Tod Henderson      26   0: 08"   150 points
11th   Walt Judd      27   0: 13"   110 points
13th   Jason Duffy      27   0: 14"   90 points
14th   Kirk Clinton      26   0: 14"   80 points
17th   Peter Coleman      32   0: 14"   40 points
19th   Christian Pocock      26   0: 15"   20 points

[Aurora Australis]

While we're here the u23 TTers have had a few bit of rearranging already since we saw them last.

#   Score   Name   Age   Team
1   86.65   Jonny Alfier   22   Aurora_Australis +0.84
2   86.30   Eric Armstrong   22   Aurora_Australis +0.82
3   82.72   Gilbert Johnston   21   catapunchimpon +1.39
4   82.69   Lenny Taylor   21   Aurora_Australis +2.22
5^   81.30   Billy Janson   21   Aurora_Australis +1.93
6v   80.86   Bob Iverson   21   catapunchimpon +1.28
7^   80.27   Kirk Judd   21   Perseverance +1.78
8V   79.49   Alex Trautemberg   21   Aurora_Australis +0.74
9   79.43   Eddy Hines   21   Aurora_Australis +1.44

[Franky]

While we're here the u23 TTers have had a few bit of rearranging already since we saw them last.

#   Score   Name   Age   Team
1   86.65   Jonny Alfier   22   Aurora_Australis +0.84
2   86.30   Eric Armstrong   22   Aurora_Australis +0.82
3   82.72   Gilbert Johnston   21   catapunchimpon +1.39
4   82.69   Lenny Taylor   21   Aurora_Australis +2.22
5^   81.30   Billy Janson   21   Aurora_Australis +1.93
6v   80.86   Bob Iverson   21   catapunchimpon +1.28
7^   80.27   Kirk Judd   21   Perseverance +1.78
8V   79.49   Alex Trautemberg   21   Aurora_Australis +0.74
9   79.43   Eddy Hines   21   Aurora_Australis +1.44

Lenny Taylor, Bob Iverson, Randy Hooper, Stu Reid and Marcus Seaman, all of them 21yo TT from Manicomicos Academy now being developed in other teams

[Aurora Australis]

Lenny Taylor, Bob Iverson, Randy Hooper, Stu Reid and Marcus Seaman, all of them 21yo TT from Manicomicos Academy now being developed in other teams

Well Lenny is now the top 21yo TTer in Australia.

83.12   Lenny Taylor   21   Aurora_Australis
82.97   Gilbert Johnston   21   catapunchimpon

Anyway, one more TTer to be selected.

[Vos]

Great victory of Workman, and great points-scoring results of all 9 Australian cyclists. 
A total of 1.200 points !   This could be the most race points ever achieved by a nation.
But I have  no time now to search if this is the case, and I assume the ( old ? ) record was Australian already, also achieved in a flat time trial.

Australia makes an enormous jump in the ranking, and now 1st with a very big lead of 545 points towards nr 2 Great Britain.