RACE 1 :
SALLANCHES
20ºC
Sallanches, French Alpes, very near to the borders of Switzerland and Italy,
Let's refresh the memory in hills races. The last time I was NT manager I wrote this before the pure hills race ;
There was no real hills race in previous season 10. In season 9 there was a Fleche Wallone hills race, but zero points for Australia.
In season 8 the same FW race and just 30 points. In season 7 there was a short pure hills race and 70 points were scored.
We have to go back to season 6 to see a good result of Australia in the hills ; 7th and 150 points in a pure hills race of 254km.
But I assume the situation changed since season 6 and the results of recent seasons are more applicable.
Together with the fact that the Australian hills specialists are not high ranked ( nrs 32, 38, 58, 86 and 88 ) ; the expectations are low.
And after this pure hills race in season 11 ;
Excellent race of the helpers ánd an excellent result of the Australian teamcaptain, he is just the nr 38 in the golden hills ranking.
6º John Jones 
I must mention that this was an exceptional good result and most likely a very lucky race.
I guess that in the following season 12 teamcaptain John Jones had not a lucky race with a 27th place outside the points.
In previous season 13 the new teamcaptain Gerard Shields did much better with an excellent 9th place in also a pure hills race.
It seems to me the Australian hills-situation improved compared to many seasons before.
Also to be seen in the golden hills ranking, now that is better than what I mentioned in my quote.
Now they are the nrs 16, 24, 30, 44, 80, 95, 108, 128 and 129. So we have 9 golden hills specialists at the moment.
But the last ranked is listed as flathills-specialist and not really suited for this pure hills race.
Australia starts this season with the strongest team possible, therefore 8 out of the 9 golden cyclists are selected.
For all 32yo's this will probably be their last NT race, so I expect they are now motivated to be good helpers for one more time.
Coleman and Shields are the best, almost no difference in my estimated GV for this specific pure hills race in France.
So, I'm still a little in doubt who to make the teamcaptain.
For now, the tactics are made with the much younger Shields as teamcaptain, because he did great in previous season.
The goal in this NT race is to achieve a top10 result again.
If this is a too optimistic goal, I expect some points anyway, because Australia improved in hills races by now.
But there is always the possibillity of a tactical faillure(and 0 points) in NT races, I experienced that many times, let's hope this race goes well.
Just one place left for an xp-cyclist.
And that is for the 24yo flat-cobble specialist Keith Hunter, who will be important later this NT season.
Australia NT selection :
Gerard Shields ( 25 ) Quickstepbronx
Vinnie Coleman ( 31 ) galegospolabici
Zack Walkins ( 25 ) Quickstepbronx
Herbie Fredickson ( 24 ) MarquinaTeam
Austin Burton ( 32 ) Facha_Bartolo
John Jones ( 32 ) KunTeam
Royce Henderson ( 32 ) Handest
Tyler Walker ( 32 ) NervionBike
- - - - - - - - - -
Keith Hunter ( 24 ) catapunchimpon
