Season 24

[Vos]

TdF stage 10, hills ;
19º  Conti   0:27"
Good result, what even caused that Conti moved up 4 places in the final GC :


1º Daumants Simsons ( 29, OphiukoCT )  --> congratulations ! 
8º Yvo VanPaassen ( 33, LanihuliCycling )  --> congratulations with your best GC result in a big tour ! 
13º  Simone Conti ( 30, SPORTLIFE )

[Vos]

Clasica San Sebastian ;
12º  Reigersman   0:24"

[Vos]

   selection SPORTLIFE.

Title defender Ottar Granberg is not selected, because this BBT version is much less suited for him than in previous season.
It was not even in his season schedule, and with already 39 races he is of not much use as out-of-form helper.

In previous season a pretty strong BBT selection, and now it is the opposite.
Only Taglioni is selected again and suited for stage 4. Although he has no support and has to do it on his own.
Very cheap new buy Morse makes his debut for my team, but without a helper it might be impossible to score points in stage 2.
The remaining 3 places are for my climbers to gain extra experience, what is even the main goal in this BBT. 

71 Taglioni ( 30 ), cobblehills
72 Morse ( 24 ), silver sprint
73 Szõnyi ( 28 ), climb / xp
74 Beckham ( 28 ), climb / xp
75 Lewis ( 25 ), climb / xp

Good luck everyone !

[ophiuko]

Thanks Kekipi and Vos. Indeed the miracle happened on the stage 9, which was totally unexpected for me. It was extremely tight, Mariotti and Egle were excellent competitors.

Let's hope I can keep the winning rate. Next season my second generation make 24yo and it is going to be my first season ever fully competing.

[Kekipi]

   selection Lanihuli Cycling.

71 Tajan ( 25 ), cobblehills
72 Espinar ( 25 ), silver sprint
73 Hummelsby ( 33), cobbles
74 Millan ( 25 ), cobblehills
75 Green ( 34 ), cobbles

None of the ones selected can TT, but that is probably a dilemma many with GC aspirations face.  Otherwise, we hope to get decent stage results and perhaps some GC points from Tajan and/or Hummelsby, but doing so will not be easy.   

[Vos]

BinckBank Tour ;
Taglioni dissapointed, he could not even score points in his speciality and finished as 39º in stage 4.
The honor of SPORTLIFE was saved by the Australian Morse ; 27º in stage 2.
He already left my team for 9 times the amount that I paid for Morse 4 days ago.
Now let's hope that my Vuelta selection scores more than the total of 13 points in this BBT.

[Vos]

   selection SPORTLIFE

111 Boyar ( 29 ), tour
112 Reigersman ( 29 ), hillsclimb
113 Zeppi ( 31 ), tour
114 Caneschi ( 26 ), climb
115 Conti ( 30 ), tour

Good luck everyone !

[Kekipi]

   selection Lanihuli Cycling

211 Wagemans ( 28 ), tour
212 Tajan ( 25 ), hills/cobbles
213 Lyka ( 30 ), climb/hills
214 Karin ( 32 ), climb/hills
215 Haan ( 31 ), tour

After 4 stages, Haan is 9th GC @ 1:05".   He will ride with diminished form in the last three stages, so it will be a challenge to keep him in the top 10.  In Stage 3 (MDHHM), instead of riding Haan as captain, I gave him a free role and went for a stage result with Lyka (who did okay and finished 9th).  That decision probably cost Haan 20 seconds or so in the GC, but that's okay.  Fortunately, Haan will be in max form for the upcoming mountain stages (S6=MMMMM and S7=HFMFM), but he will not have a TC boost, so, particularly for S6, we are hoping his helpers can come through so he does not lose massive time. 
== GC Top 20 after stage 4 ==

1    Tigo Grein   29   OphiukoCT   0: 00"   
2    Lucio Cappanari   26   MarquinaTeam   0: 23"   
3    Piero Mariotti   27   ValeronIdolo   0: 52"
---------------------------------------------------------
4    Aziz Kavalerov   28   °Peachy°Melocotons   0: 53"   
5    Lukas Streller   30   ChronoTony   0: 54"   
6    Koen VanAmerongen   28   QuintoYtapa   0: 55"   
7    Raitis Olte   31   FaltososDeChigre   1: 04"   
8    Marcelo Bessa   30   Bergtoppers   1: 04"   
9    Wilco Haan   31   LanihuliCycling   1: 05"   
10    Mark Boyar   29   SPORTLIFE   1: 08"
---------------------------------------------------------
11    Elton Fevola   29   Bikeos   1: 14"   
12    Andrejs Podnieks   27   ICSluj   1: 36"   
13    Hector Zamora   29   LottoStelvio   1: 41"   
14    Tristan Min   32   Flyvende_hjul   1: 55"   
15    Filippo Pannucchi   30   Marcatone_Due   2: 02"   
16    Elias Bossov   26   MarquinaTeam   2: 12"   
17    Freek Schoonjans   29   Wiggo_pupils   2: 29"   
18    Oleg Danylovskyi   28   MortoviaCycling   2: 29"   
19    Juan Daniel Ayuso   28   Elgrand   2: 33"   
20    Angelo Zeppi   31   SPORTLIFE   2: 34"      

[Vos]

Vuelta stage 2, hills-sprint ( storm ) ;
11º  Boyar   1:03"

Vuelta stage 3, hillsclimb ;
5º  Boyar   0:22"
23º  Reigersman ( helper )   0:51"
30º  Zeppi ( free role )   0:58"

My team did not score points in hills stage 1 and also not in both TT stages 4 & 5.

Zeppi had a mechanical breakdown in stage 5.
Despite this, I hope he surprises in the GC in free roles, because he likes the cobblestones (= important in stages 8 & 9 & 10 ).
In contrast to teamcaptain Boyar, who will struggle there.
But Zeppi was a recent buy of 4 days ago, and therefore no TC bonus.
Boyar is also a new buy this season, he is 12 days in my team and this to him not so suited Vuelta was his only TC possibillity.
He really has to do amazing in the upcoming 2 mountain stages, to try to compete for a final top10 GC result.
Perhaps the competition is too strong, because he should have been higher ranked by now to compensate his cobble-weakness.

Vuelta TOP 11 GC, after 5 stages ;
1ºTigo Grein   29   OphiukoCT   0: 00"
2º  Lucio Cappanari   26   MarquinaTeam   0: 27"
3º  Piero Mariotti   27   ValeronIdolo   0: 33"
- - - - - - - - - -
4º  Raitis Olte   31   FaltososDeChigre   0: 43"
5º  Wilco Haan   31   LanihuliCycling   0: 47"
6º  Lukas Streller   30   ChronoTony   0: 52"
7º  Marcelo Bessa   30   Bergtoppers   0: 56"
8º  Koen VanAmerongen   28   QuintoYtapa   1: 17"
9º  Hector Zamora   29   LottoStelvio   1: 27"
10º  Aziz Kavalerov   28   °Peachy°Melocotons   1: 29"
- - - - - - - - - -
11º  Mark Boyar    29   SPORTLIFE    1:32"
- - - - - - - - - -
21º  Angelo Zeppi ( free roles )    31   SPORTLIFE    2: 51" 

[Vos]

Vuelta stage 6, mountains ( 1x wind ) ;
6º  Boyar   0:38"
30º  Reigersman ( helper )   1:37"
Masterhelper Caneschi had a complete off-day, but luckily back-up helper Reigersman stepped up and did a great job in the first 3 sections.
He even launched his teamcaptain into the s4 breakaway of just 3 cyclists.
Of course, Boyar was overtaken in s5 by real climb specialists, but a 6º place is a great result.

Vuelta stage 7, HFMFM ( storm ) ;
4º  Boyar   0:20"
To my big surprise the SPORTLIFE teamcaptain could not follow the s1 front group, and helpers Conti and Reigersman were in the front.
Also surprising ; Boyar could not return in s2, s3 and s4.
Too bad, because he should have been in the wheel of Reigersman who was in the s4 breakaway of just 10 cyclists.
Fortunately, out of form back-up helper Conti joined him in the 2nd group of s4, and therefore Boyar had an excellent final climb.
But very unexpected that he was riding almost the whole race isolated,
That Boyar (with active weather icon) was underperforming was shown by Conti, who had 95 form + much and much lower race GV.

Vuelta GC after 7 stages = 5º  Boyar   1:36"
But he fears the final 3 stages due to the cobblestones in it.
Free role Zeppi dropped to 27º GC on 5:39"
It is uncertain if he can score a few GC points, because he drops to 95 form in stage 9.

[Kekipi]

Vuelta stage 5, FFFHH TT (23k)

15º  Haan   1:04"

Our captain (six stars TT and Hills) did not score in the ST5 flat TT but did in this one. 
Vuelta stage 6,  MMMMM

33º  Haan   1:37"

Lyka or Karin would have probably scored if I had rode either as captain (or as free) but I decided to enlist them as helpers for Haan so that he could maintain his GC place. 
Vuelta stage 7, HFMFM

15º  Haan   0:41"

This was a good result given Haan's lack of TC oomph.   Going into the final three stages, which all feature cobbles, not a strength for our captain, we hope to maintain a place in the GC top 10.    As I mentioned before, Haan will ride with 95 form for stages 9 and 10, so that will add to his struggle against other GC guys.
Vuelta GC top 20 after 7 stages

1    Lucio Cappanari   26   MarquinaTeam   0: 00"   
2    Tigo Grein   29   OphiukoCT   1: 11"   
3    Lukas Streller   30   ChronoTony   1: 16"
---------------------------------------------------------
4    Koen VanAmerongen   28   QuintoYtapa   1: 31"   
5    Mark Boyar   29   SPORTLIFE   1: 36"   
6    Elton Fevola   29   Bikeos   2: 04"   
7    Aziz Kavalerov   28   °Peachy°Melocotons   2: 06"   
8    Wilco Haan   31   LanihuliCycling   2: 09"   
9    Piero Mariotti   27   ValeronIdolo   2: 11"   
10    Hector Zamora   29   LottoStelvio   2: 20"
---------------------------------------------------------
11    Oleg Danylovskyi   28   MortoviaCycling   2: 24"   
12    Andrejs Podnieks   27   ICSluj   2: 25"   
13    Tristan Min   32   Flyvende_hjul   2: 37"   
14    Raitis Olte   31   FaltososDeChigre   2: 44"   
15    Juan Daniel Ayuso   28   Elgrand   3: 19"   
16    Marcelo Bessa   30   Bergtoppers   3: 38"   
17    Kaido Kriit   28   CaptainOrange   3: 55"   
18    Elias Bossov   26   MarquinaTeam   4: 37"   
19    Filippo Pannucchi   30   Marcatone_Due   4: 55"   
20    Fernando Luis Corral   29   Bikeos   4: 55"
Twelve (12) riders in the current top 20 have the icon, so they have an advantage over the other GC contenders for the final three stages.  Shuffling will occur, no doubt.

[Kekipi]

Vuelta stage 8, HHFCCh

29º  Tajan (free)   0:23"
76º  Haan (captain)   1:25"

Haan fell a couple places in the GC and now sits in 10th @ 2:23".   Next up are stages 9 (CCCFF) and 10 (Ch x 5), with Haan riding both with 100/95 H/F.   

[Vos]

An good damage-control race of Boyar(+helpers) in cobblehills stage 8. He finished as 67º on 1:15"
As expected Boyar had to do it on his own in flat-cobble-sprint stage 9, and this was an unlucky race.
Because he had a crucial mechanical breakdown in s4 and finished as 2nd of a group. Almost certain he lost 0:26" extra due to bad luck.
Boyar finished as 74º on 2:12" and dropped to 8ºGC on 2:38".

Free role GC contender Zeppi was 59º on 0:56" in stage 8.
In stage 9 his form dropped to 95, what had a big negative impact on his performance ; 62º on 1:46".
Zeppi is now 17ºGC on 5:57".

[Vos]

Vuelta stage 10, cobblehills ( 2x wind ) ;
64º  Zeppi ( free role )   1:59"
81º  Boyar   2:53"
The SPORTLIFE-teamcaptain had no help and got a mechanical breakdown in this race,
what maybe costed him a final top 10 GC because Boyar came 10 seconds short to achieve this.
Zeppi moved up one place, and scored GC points despite all stages in free roles & without TC & last two stages with 95 form.

Vuelta final GC =
11º  Boyar   4:24"
16º  Zeppi   6:49"

[Vos]

   selection SPORTLIFE

Another recent new buy of a golden tour cyclist makes his debut in my team ;
Mike Milne ( 8,2 M ) was 8º in Catalunya this season in his previous team QuintoYtapa.
What is even the only result on his palmares, hopefully he can add some more good results next season.

But this Giro di Lombardia selection is posted as a tribute to Lasse Rønneberg.
Therefore he gets the backnumber that ends on 1, but of course he will not be the teamcaptain.
He was bought a few days ago to put him in my hall of fame.
His palmares in my team ; 5x GC podiumplaces little tours, 2x 5º GC big tours, 4º Frankfurt, and many other top10 results.
Victories = 4 stages( incl. 1x CFF record ) + Norwegian champion + Catalunya + Bronze Bike.

111 Rønneberg ( 34 ), tour
112 Boyar ( 29 ), tour
113 Reigersman ( 29 ), hillsclimb
114 Conti ( 30 ), tour
115 Milne ( 28 ), tour


Lasse Rønneberg ; born in Alesund, Norway