The Combuijs Capers

[Combuijs]

The fourth stage in the Vuelta to Baiona saw Yvo de Cleer finishing 19th in the same time as winner Andrus Heinsoo (Vitimper).

Julius Maalderink obtained 10th place in the 5th stage to Lloret de Mar. That was a very good ride, but if he had finished one place higher he would have been rewarded with a sponsor deal. Winner of this stage was Zatarra's Martin van Groningen. We will send him a nice Magnum bottle of Combuijs Honey Ale...

Yvo de Cleer finishes 23rd on the Coll de la Gallina, which takes him to place 20, more than 6 minutes behind leader Ed van Vliet (AJFactoryCycling), the winner of the stage.



We have sold Eddy Room for a substantial amount to crack team AJFactoryCycling. It will be nice for Eddy to be part of a winning team. It is the biggest outgoing transfer for our team so far.

In the Giro di Lombardia these riders go for points:

81 Tristan Prins
82 Carlo Bemelmans
83 Oliver King
84 Valentin Litenko
85 Sam Parker

These riders will do penalty training in the WC time trial in Lisboa:

81 Robert Brubaker
82 Koen Helder
83 Eelco van der Laan
84 Damien Lambert
85 Valentin Litenko

And hopefully these riders don't get a hunger knock in the WC race in Hamilton:

81 Carlo Bemelmans
82 Koen Helder
83 Oliver King
84 Adam Neeskens
85 Tristan Prins

[Combuijs]

The mountain time trial up the Angliru saw Sam Parker finishing 25th, which was a little surprise. Yvo de Cleer did not do bad either, but failed this morning in the hill sprint stage to Santiago de Compostela. In the GC he is now 26th and it is hard to see him finishing in the top 20. The Vuelta will be decided tonight, it's between Adam Roethlisberger (Rekutxuteam) and Robrecht Kemperman (Flying Wheels).

[Vos]

And hopefully these riders don't get a hunger knock in the WC race in Hamilton:

81 Carlo Bemelmans
82 Koen Helder
83 Oliver King
84 Adam Neeskens
85 Tristan Prins

You have feed them well from the Combuijs-car : Bemelmans was the only rider with a light bulb in this WC road race.

[Combuijs]

In the last stage of the Vuelta to Lleida Dénes Nemcsik was 24th in a free role. Yvo de Cleer took 25th place in the GC 10 minutes after winner Adam Roethlisberger (Rekutxuteam).

In the Giro di Lombardia Tristan Prins did traditionally very well and took 6th place.

In the World Championships we usually don't do anything worth mentioning. In the timr trial Oska's Gerald Vercammen became world champion, in the hill race the title went to Gaël Gilbert (Codex). The Hamilton Spectator though was most impressed by Carlo Bemelmans whose tactical finesse brought a glowing reference and place 18.



Final standings for season 4:

1º      Flyvende_hjul   13492   4   5   4   
2º      Wiggo_pupils   12070   6   6   3   
3º      CyKings   11469   3   1   9   
4º      °Peachy°Melocotons   9288   4   2   4
5º      CobbleCrushers   9104   9   4   3   
6º      Rekutxuteam   8151   4   2   1   
7º      AJFactoryCycling   7657   3   3   4   
8º      Codex   7476   3   3   0   
9º      Yvo_Meppelink_ProCycling   7110   3   3   7   
10º      Atlantico   7040   1   1   3
11º      Combuijs   6745   0   4   1   
12º      CrossAndGo    6658   4   3   0   
13º      ProdopingPong   6317   2   3   2   
14º      SPORTLIFE   6109   3   3   3   
15º      SentinelChickens   5836   1   3   4   
16º      BLOEMENAANDEMITTE   5727   0   0   2   
17º      SaulSalinasTeam   5534   5   2   3   
18º      Oska   5467   2   2   2   
19º      Psychoedge   5424   0   1   2   
20º      IKIBASQUE   5351   5   3   1   
21º      CC_Porco_Jones   5235   3   4   0   
22º      CaptainOrange   5153   0   3   0   
23º      Caracoles   5085   3   0   5   
24º      LOSRAYOSDELARRY   5075   0   1   0   
25º      Matterhorn   5045   1   2   2   
26º      Thorboassonarvesen   4976   2   4   1   
27º      Zatarra   4931   1   4   1   
28º      Facha_Bartolo   4816   3   1   1   
29º      galegospolabici   4718   0   1   1   
30º      DeRodeVod   4503   0   2   3   
31º      skunk   4465   0   2   1   
32º      Denver   4395   1   0   6   
33º      TeaMetal   4364   3   4   3   
34º      Turrones   4169   1   1   1   
35º      TeamRHB   4104   1   0   2   
36º      Cabrasverdes   3850   0   0   1   
37º      azerite   3623   1   1   0   
38º      Vitimper   3541   2   2   2   
39º      IntellinetCyclingFF   3252   5   2   1   
40º      Antequera   3107   1   0   0   
41º      Cycling101   2660   0   0   2   
42º      $Tourmalet   2619   0   0   0   
43º      Senglarsdeflandes   2163   1   2   0   
44º      Milanezen   1996   0   0   0   
45º      Frier_Accounting   1492   0   0   0   
46º      Ciclokillers   1302   0   1   0   
47º      TipiCyclingTeam   1206   0   0   0   
48º      Calde13   1117   0   0   0   
49º      Vivoteam   830   0   0   0   
50º      team_piroshki   488   0   0   0   

In the end we just fell out of the top 10 with an 11th place. It is actually the same place as last season, although we score some 100 points more now. Flying Wheels has regained the title, congratutulations to them. AJFactoryCycling was again the best Dutch team, although their season was worse than the last one. Sportlife had a terrific end of the season, as usual, and finished 14th. Zatarra managed to stay from relegation with place 27. A really close shaving for De Rode Vod who in the last kilometer managed to stay on the World Tour.

Individual standings:

1º      Mike Bauer   22   5158   CyKings   1   1   2   
2º      Adam Roethlisberger   22   4630   Rekutxuteam   4   2   0   
3º      Ketil Fossum   22   3045   Thorboassonarvesen   2   4   1   
4º      Yannick Pierre   22   2645   CobbleCrushers   5   0   2   
5º      Mihkel Väli   22   2631   Atlantico   0   0   0   
36º      Arjen Rutte   22   1301   Combuijs   0   1   0
44º      Oliver King   22   1146   Combuijs   0   1   0   
49º      Chester Laybutt   22   1108   Combuijs   0   1   1   

This season Mike Bauer managed to beat Adam Roethlisberger. We now had three riders within the first 50, albeit on lower places.

Our team points overview at the end of the season

Arjen Rutte   22   1301
Oliver King   22   1146
Chester Laybutt   22   1108
Julius Maalderink   22   943
Carlo Bemelmans   22   641
Tristan Prins   22   407
Yvo De Cleer   22   342
Garret Rose   22   170
Adam Neeskens   22   156
Sam Parker    22   150
Dénes Nemcsik   22   123
Robert Brubaker   22   112
Ørjan Henningsen   22   38
Thomas Freitag   22   8

Eddy Room scored some points too, but he is not in our team anymore.

Well, we can't wait for season 5. Let's see if we can finally get to the top 10 on the World Tour.

[Combuijs]

The 5th season has started in Stirling and we wish all teams a satisfying season and lots of second places!

In the first cup round we had Continental Pro Tour team  ValeronIdolo as an opponent in a cobble hill race. They had 1 specialist, we had 5 and that made the difference.

1 Adam Neeskens
2 Chester Laybutt
3 Julius Maalderink
4 Garret Rose
5 Julius Wiegel   

In the next round we are up against fellow World Tour team Caracoles in a time trial. They have a better time trialist than we have, so this might be our earliest exit in the Cup...

11 Robert Brubaker
12 Koen Helder
13 Oliver King
14 Sam Parker
15 Julius Wiegel



Chester Laybutt was a surprise British selection for the first national race. All we can say is that he did finish in the end...

According to Adelaide Now Julius Maalderink is an iconic sprinter. As he already was an iconic hill and cobble rider he is now the second Combuijs Honey Ale rider who is iconic in three skills, the first being Oliver King.


They also think that Garret Rose is capable of winning silverware on the cobbles.


These riders are upside down at the moment:

311 Carlo Bemelmans
312 Robert Brubaker
313 Thomas Freitag
314 Dénes Nemcsik
315 Adam Neeskens

These riders will start the European season in Belgium and Italy:

311 Julius Maalderink
312 Koen Helder
313 Ørjan Henningsen
314 Adam Neeskens
315 Julius Wiegel

And these riders will be looking for the sun in Paris-Nice:

311 Tristan Prins
312 Carlo Bemelmans
313 Robert Brubaker
314 Yvo de Cleer
315 Dénes Nemcsik

We will go for individual stages there.

[Combuijs]

The fourth stage of the Tour Down Under to Hahndorf brought our first points as Dénes Nemcsik picked up a 26th place.

In the monster time trial around Adelaide the differences between riders were very small and Robert Brubaker scored his first points of the season with place 21.

In the first serious race of the season, De Omloop het Nieuwsblad, we had a overnight change of leadership when we switched to Adam Neeskens. He did do well with a 9th place, but he was disappointed to finish right behind Zatarra's Rolv Sele.

In the second serious race of the season, the Strade Bianchi, leader Julius Maalderink fought himself to place 9, while freebee Julius Wiegel finished 26th. Not the results we are used to in this race, but then we had no sponsor deal for it for the first time in three seasons.

In the first stage in Paris-Nice, a time trial to Saint-Etienne, Robert Brubaker scored a 21st place again. He knows his place in the time trial peloton now...



Division standings after the second stage in Paris-Nice:

1º      Flyvende_hjul   1524   1   2   2   
2º      °Peachy°Melocotons   1137   2   0   1   
3º      CobbleCrushers   1047   0   1   0   

15º      EuskaPiero   558   0   0   0   
16º      SPORTLIFE   552   0   0   0   
17º      CrossAndGo    487   0   0   0   

19º      PDM_cycling_team   472   0   0   0   
20º      Combuijs   466   0   0   0   
21º      Atlantico   458   0   0   0   

Flying Wheels have found their form early and also Sportlife has a better start than usual. We are still in a kind of startup mode...

The Nice Magazine proudly told the world that French rider Damien Lambert is a huge talent. That more or less compensates the way he was forced into our team...

[Vos]

No worries, Combuijs, soon your team will do way better as mine because you have a few very good cobble-hills riders.
But as usual, watch out for the "catching up" mentality of my team in the 2nd half of the season. 
Have fun and good luck this season !

[Combuijs]

In the final stage of Paris-Nice (to Nice as it should be!) Yvo de Cleer gets 17th place, while Mike Bauer wins the GC.



Division standings after the first stage in the Tirreno Adriatico:

1º      Flyvende_hjul   1987   1   2   2   
2º      CyKings   1738   0   0   0   
3º      °Peachy°Melocotons   1425   2   1   1   

15º      AJFactoryCycling   757   0   0   1   
16º      SPORTLIFE   755   0   0   0   
17º      SaulSalinasTeam   746   0   2   0   

28º      Facha_Bartolo   508   0   1   0   
29º      Combuijs   499   0   0   0   
30º      Atlantico   498   0   0   0   

These riders have to choose between the Tirreno and the Adriatico:

281 Oliver King
282 Yvo de Cleer
283 Thomas Freitag
284 Garret Rose
285 Julius Wiegel

Oliver King is our GC man and our only goal in the Tirreno (and the Adriatico)...

Tonight these riders will get some extra training in the cup:

11 Robert Brubaker
12 Koen Helder
13 Oliver King
14 Sam Parker
15 Julius Wiegel

[Combuijs]

In the Cup Robert Brubaker did what he could but he was 6 seconds short of Caracole Atanasio Ferrero, so we have had our earliest exit in the Cup ever...



In the Tirreno Adriatico Oliver King did not score points, but he is now 16th in the GC on 1:24 behind Pomilles Balear Vital Jeronimo. We aim to half his position...

The Gazetta della Sport have now rated our team as 35 stars, when in fact we only have 19...


They think Julius Wiegel and Julius Maalderink are capable of winning silverware when riding on cobbles:


These riders are going to wriggle their way to San Remo:

351 Thomas Freitag
352 Carlo Bemelmans
353 Julius Maalderink
354 Adam Neeskens
355 Dénes Nemcsik

While these riders will have to find their way to Harelbeke:

351 Chester Laybutt
352 Julius Maalderink
353 Adam Neeskens
354 Garret Rose
355 Julius Wiegel

An early sun will be there in Catalunya for:

351 Valentin Litenko
352 Ørjan Henningsen
353 Julius Maalderink
354 Sam Parker
355 Arjen Rutte

Valentin will be our GC man for the first time in his career, Julius will go for the second stage.

[Combuijs]

In the one but final stage in the Tirreno Adriatico to Montecassino Oliver King finished 20th.

In the last stage to Pomarance Oliver King finished 28th and that was better than most GC riders.



So indeed he managed to half his position in the GC to place 8, 1:46 after, who else, Mike Bauer. And with that we have sealed a sponsor deal with Galp, so we have a happy team now. Galp, as we all know, is a Portuguese energy company, and we hope we can spend some more energy now in the races...


Division standings after the Tirreno Adriatico:

1º      CyKings   2554   0   0   0   
2º      Flyvende_hjul   2266   1   2   2   
3º      °Peachy°Melocotons   1768   2   1   1   

12º      Yvo_Meppelink_ProCycling   1053   3   0   0   
13º      SPORTLIFE   1014   1   0   0   
14º      CrossAndGo    1004   1   0   0   

24º      LOSRAYOSDELARRY   725   0   1   0   
25º      Combuijs711   0   0   0   
26º      Astanadena   709   0   1   1   

Cykings, the Mike Bauer team, is the new leader, while we are still trying to stay ahead of the relegation line.

Having a new sponsor we have splashed out some transfer money for a new GC rider. We welcome American Will Miller, an iconic mountain rider, to the Combuijs Honey Ale team. He came over from Ares and he hopes to get a chance in one of the big Tours and of course he hopes to quench his thirst with a bottle of Combuijs Honey Ale. We only have to revise our season planning now.

[Combuijs]

In Milan-San Remo there again was controversy about riders not able to come back after a weak start. We did hot have that problem and Thomas Freitag finished 20th, behind winner Dimitro Isupov (Los rayos del arry).

In the E3 Harelbeke Chester Laybutt took up his favourite position again, 4th. Finally some solid points. Winner was Ketil Fossum (Thorboassonarvesen). Garret Rose in a free role picked up 18th place, while master helper Adam Neeskens just fell outside the points.

In the second stage of the Volta around Olot Julius Maalderink took a dissappointing 24th place while being leader. A bad start and a bad health did not help of course. Our GC man Valentin Litenko is on a suprising 12th spot, so this gives some hope.



Division standings after the second stage of the Volta Catalunya:

1º      CyKings   2709   0   0   0   
2º      Flyvende_hjul   2563   1   2   2   
3º      °Peachy°Melocotons   2208   2   2   1   

18º      CrossAndGo    1174   1   0   0   
19º      Combuijs   1169   0   0   0   
20º      FlyEaglesFly   1137   0   0   0   

22º      CaptainOrange   1042   0   0   0   
23º      SPORTLIFE   1036   1   0   0   
24º      PDM_cycling_team   993   0   0   2   

Relatively late in the season we have passed Sportlife now, so at the moment we are not doing that well and they are.

[Vos]

Great result and a lot of points in E3 Harelbeke, Combuijs, well done. 
I expect my team will be in the red zone soon. My cobblehills rider is not so good (33rd E3H) and I have no hills specialists.
But I expect enough points in the 2nd half of this season to stay in 1A.
And maybe a higher 1A final ranking this season as your team. Because 3 seasons in a row finishing above my team would be too much. 

[Combuijs]

In the GC of the Volta Catalunya Valentin Litenko is now 7th and with one stage to go a place in the top 10 should be possible, although the last stage is not his favourite one.

Diari de Tarragone thinks Dénes Nemcsik is capable of winning silverware in sprint races and that is a first for our team. They think Carlo Bemelmans is also capable of winning silverware but then on a hill parcours. Koen Helder is now also considered able to win some silverware but then on cobbles, while Arjen Rutte and Ørjan Henningsen are now iconic when riding over hills and Julius Wiegel is iconic in a time trial. And last but not least Oliver King is now an iconic hill rider, but also an iconic tour rider.




The iconic tour rider one and the silverware for hills is a first in our team too, but no doubt the Telegraaf will notice that tomorrow...

Bookmakers have noticed we win more often some personal challenges lately, so we really don't know why Sportlife thinks they will beat us this season...


Experts think however Will Miller is not highly talented.

The autumn edition of Gent-Wevelgem will be dealt with by:

181 Julius Maalderink
182 Ørjan Henningsen
183 Eelco van der Laan
184 Adam Neeskens
185 Arjen Rutte

We have some special interest in Dwars door Vlaanderen, so we take the Ronde van Vlaanderen a bit less serious this time:

181 Chester Laybutt
182 Adam Neeskens
183 Garret Rose
184 Arjen Rutte
185 Julius Wiegel

Escaping the riots in Catalunya we will travel to the Basque Country:

181 Tristan Prins
182 Koen Helder
183 Oliver King
184 Eelco van der Laan
185 Damien Lambert

Tristan is our GC man supported by Oliver and Damien and Koen and Eelco are there for decorative purposes...

[Combuijs]

In the last stage of the Volta Will Miller finished 25th in a free role, so he scored his first points for us. Leader Valentin Litenko lost two minutes, but still finished 9th in the GC, which was unexpectedly good. He lost almost 4 minutes on winner Adam Roethlisberger (Rekutxuteam). A bit sad he was two places behind Sportlife's Lorenzo Tafi, but you can't have it all, can you?

In Gent-Wevelgem Julius Maalderink finished on 6th place, which is very likely the place experts had in mind for him before the start. In a free role Arjen Rutte did become 17th. Cobble Crusher Yannick Pierre did win the race.

In the most important race this week however we hopelessly failed as leader Chester Laybutt dreamed away in the first two sections of Dwars door Vlaanderen. He recovered remarkably well and finished 9th, but Statoil thought that not convincing enough to sign a sponsor deal. Suprising winner was Tamás Hutai (Faltosos De Chigre).

Having seen the town hall of Waregem I can see why Chester was not motivated in this race...


Division standings after Dwars door Vlaanderen:

1º      Flyvende_hjul   3837   1   3   2   
2º      CyKings   3389   0   0   0   
3º      CobbleCrushers   3101   1   2   0   

11º      Thorboassonarvesen   1880   2   0   0   
12º      Combuijs   1841   0   0   0   
13º      Yvo_Meppelink_ProCycling   1837   6   0   0   

17º      Pomilles_Balears   1567   0   0   2   
18º      SPORTLIFE   1524   1   0   0   
19º      LOSRAYOSDELARRY   1522   1   1   0   

For a (very?) short while we are the best Dutch team now...

De Telegraaf acted as expected and noticed that we have an iconic tour rider, a silverware hill rider and a silverware sprint rider. No surprises there, but they also stated that Robert Brubaker is a time trialist capable of getting silverware and that we have a rider with medium experience. They did not tell who, but you can trust me if I say that is thanks to Julius Maalderink.

 

[Combuijs]

After a failure in the for us much more important Dwars door Vlaanderen it is only natural that in the less important Ronde van Vlaanderen everything went smooth with leader Chester Laybutt on place 5 and free roler Garret Rose on place 29. The race was won by Cobble Crusher Yannick Pierre.

Even the Gazet van Antwerpen has noticed we have a time trialer able of winning silverware.


And silverware flies around in the team: Arjen Rutte on cobble means we have now 13 riders able of winning silverware. If only they actually did win it and not use it while eating...



Let's see what Tristan Prins can do in the Itzulia...