Australia s18

[Franky]

Also the case in normal CFF races, not just in the NT races.
For example the Amstel Gold Race of this evening = 30ºC
The race picture does not show the sun picture, but for sure the sun icon is active now ; 30ºC and more =
So, always look at the temperature when there are 2 weather pictures shown. The cold icon is active with 10ºC and less.

 

[Vos]

RACE 4 :  Bellinzona


32ºC

Bellinzona, Switzerland,
The last 3 are selected ; the selection is complete now.

Difficult last 3 decisions, because ( in this order ) Julian Frances*, Steve Odom and Christian Pocock were extreme close to be selected.
Besides these 3 not selected, excellent TT specialists ; even 6 other Australians were very close too.
Extra info ; at the moment Australia has 30 golden flat TT specialists.

More info about this NT time trial in the previous preview ;
https://cyclingforfun.org/smf/index.php?topic=749.msg28301#msg28301

Australia NT selection :

Kirk Workman** ( 30 ) Aurora_Australis
Bud Mount ( 26 ) ChronoTony
Dean Shields* ( 31 ) Aurora_Australis
Kirk Clinton** ( 25 ) Aurora_Australis
Nobby Licuria ( 25 ) Aurora_Australis
Tod Henderson ( 25 ) Aurora_Australis
Peter Coleman* ( 31 ) HTCHungria
Charles Iverson* ( 30 ) PucelaBike
Walt Judd ( 26 ) RealMurciaCycling

[Aurora Australis]

Have you let the other NT managers know that they'll have to fight amongst themselves for the remaining 11 or 12 top twenty placings because Australia is taking 8 or 9 of them.  We need to do what they do in cricket, and have a second IX squad.

[Vos]

I estimate in this specific NT time trial ;
On a very lucky day, Australia can even have 12x points scoring cyclists, and on an extreme lucky day even 18x points scoring cyclists.
Of course, most likely a way too positive scenario ( but maybe possible ), the reality will be different.
But also the reality might be very positive, as you can see at the 7x bold made cyclists in the NT selection. I expect they will score points.
Although expectations hardly come true in a NT time trial ; luck can play a big role.

As current leader of the season ranking it might be even possible that we can afford to have a bad luck time trial.
So, if we have just a few points scoring cyclists, much less as expected, but Workman wins this NT race, then I will be happy already.

[Vos]

About the other, foreign NT managers ; all they do is asking if they can hire an Australian TT specialist for this evening.
I guess the not selected Australians are very wanted in the NT time trial selections of all other nations.

[Vos]

That 7x bold is on the save side of what I expect. I agree with you that if all goes "normal", it should be at least 8x or even all 9x.
But it is also "normal" that 1 or 2 out of the 9, will have a bad luck race.
Therefore I expect 7x, what is 1x more as the flat time trial of previous season.

[Vos]

We will see what happens this evening.
In CFF3 as Australian NT manager ; I had once a bad luck time trial with mechanical breakdowns and flat tires.
This is also a possibillity.
In season 11 --> https://cyclingforfun.org/smf/index.php?topic=656.msg23019#msg23019

[Vos]

Very small differences in this time trial, and unfortunately no victory of Workman.
Almost 9 Australians in the points ; Judd was very close, and Iverson had bad luck what most likely caused finishing outside the top 20.
Workman, Shields and Clinton dissapointed a bit, my expectations of them were higher.
NT race 4 results ;

1    Zehar Bottani      32   0: 00"   300      BlackHole
2    James Power      29   0: 00"   250      Rekutxuteam
3    Kirk Workman      30   0: 01"   225      Aurora_Australis
4    Ian Mikkelson      29   0: 03"   200      Caracoles
5    Isidro Murillo      32   0: 04"   180      IntellinetCyclingFF
6    Ruben Lutz      26   0: 04"   160      ChronoTony
7    Bud Mount      26   0: 05"   150      ChronoTony
8    Stijn Aalbers      29   0: 06"   140      ChampsElysees
9    Tod Henderson      25   0: 07"   130      Aurora_Australis
10    Shalva Makarov      29   0: 07"   120      TarracoCycling
11    Marcus Rodriguez      31   0: 08"   110      TeaMetal
12    Nobby Licuria      25   0: 08"   100      Aurora_Australis
13    David McDermot      33   0: 10"   90      Vitimper
14    Walter Coburn      26   0: 10"   80      ChronoTony
15    Jorik van der Toorn      33   0: 11"   70      WorldCiclyng
16    Anatoly Karpov      32   0: 12"   60      SentinelChickens
17    Peter Coleman      31   0: 12"   40      HTCHungria
18    Dean Shields      31   0: 13"   30      Aurora_Australis
19    Kirk Clinton      25   0: 13"   20      Aurora_Australis
20    Salamon Jordáki      29   0: 14"   10      Codex
- - - - - - - - - -
21    Walt Judd      26   0: 14"   0      RealMurciaCycling
27    Charles Iverson      30   0: 15"   0      PucelaBike
Iverson had a mechanical breakdown in s3.

Australia scored 695 points in this time trial. Thé rival Great Britain scored 560 points.
TOP 5 season ranking after 4 NT races ;

1.    1.645
2.    1.340
3.      830
4.      630
5.      550

Next week a flat-cobblehills race in France. It will be extreme hot with 39ºC, so I need to select enough water carriers.
The highest ranked GB cobblehills specialist has an active sun icon, ánd he is better ranked than the best Australian.
Maybe bad news. Although I cannot estimate if this is really bad, due to the different GV of this specific NT race 5, where flat counts a lot.

For now it seems it will be a battle for the worldchampionship between Australia and Great Britain.
But Norway and Spain have amazing cobblehills specialists, and with 2 cobblehills races to go, they might join the battle too.
Not what I expect, because both nations are far behind already, but it is possible.
What is the most worrying ( according to me ) ;
Great Britain will be amazing in flat-cobble race 7, and might gain up a bit in the next 2 cobblehills races.

[Aurora Australis]

It felt to me based on my cyclists' results as if the weather bonuses & experience were of little benefit.

[Vos]

Yes, I had this impression also, looking at all 9 selected Australians.
Although I'm not sure about the experience, it just seems like it to me.
Much more obvious to me ; the active weather icons were of less influence as normally.
What sucks, Australia could have really profited of the weather in this NT race. Probably we missed out many points.
Not good, because Great Britain is a very fierce rival in the worldchampionship battle.
The less weather influence in this time trial might have a big consequence in the end.

[Vos]

Australia u20 ( 58 cyclists )


To unexperienced managers ;
The season is halfway, and almost everyone stopped with recruiting and scouting by now.
Because 19yo's who enter the game so late in the season, have a very big training delay compared to other 19yo's.
It is still possible to recruit/scout a good 19yo the next few days, but this is exceptional and rare.
In my opinion ; after the Giro d'Italia it is a waste of money to continue with scouting/recruiting.

[Franky]

I will have to talk with Aropumarin...

[Vos]

RACE 5 :  Meudon


39ºC

Chatou, 18km west of Paris-centre, France,
In all my previous CFF3 seasons as NT manager we had 1 or 0 golden cobblehills specialists ; but not this season !
This young cobblehills generation looks good, and Australia has 16 golden cobblehills specialists at the moment.

This is not all, because we have some upcoming toptalents as well. For example the current numbers 1, 2 and 5 in the u23 Dream Team.
But no space for young talents in this selection ; Australia goes full power in the battle with Great Britain for the world championship.
Hopefully GB does not score many more points in this NT race 5, if so, probably it will be a silver 2nd place to Australia this season.

These 9 are selected. Some others were close to be selected too. Maybe they get their debut in the next race or in next season.
For sure they are good enough to be selected, but unfortunately I cannot select more than 9.
Nice to mention ; Dylan Lucas ( 23 ) makes his debut, he is already the 2nd best Australian cobblehills specialist in the golden CFF ranking.

In this specific NT race Dylan Lucas is the nr 7 according to my estimated GV.
The teamcaptain role is not certain yet, so, the strategy + tactics can be changed.

Australia NT selection :

Brooklyn Abolins ( 24 ) OphiukoCT
Marc Huling ( 25 ) Turrones
Nick Thompson ( 24 ) TeaMetal
Sam Rooney* ( 28 ) Agua_Verde
Bob Janson ( 24 ) Agua_Verde
Marc Ashley ( 25 ) TeaMetal
Dylan Lucas ( 23 ) Zatarra    ( debut )
Oliver Odom ( 24 ) Frier_Accounting
Ike Daily ( 24 ) TeaMetal    ( debut )

[Vos]

6º  Brooklyn Abolins ( teamcaptain )
9º  Sam Rooney  ( free role )
14º   Marc Huling  ( free role )
= 370 points ! 
Australia is even the nation with the most race points, and that in a cobblehills race, incredible !
Also very positive ; main rival Great Britain scored zero points.
Now the season ranking looks amazing with 2 more NT races to go ( cobblehills and flatcobble ) :

1º     2015 
2º     1340
3º     1150
4º       740
5º       700

[ophiuko]

Great results Vos! Championship is almost secured. The season is going perfect to be honest.