US Nat team season 21

[Kekipi]

S21 RACE 1 -- Mombuey - Ribeira Sacra)





Simon Yates in 2016 Vuelta victory on the Mombuey - Ribeira Sacra stage

Alessandro De Marchi in 2018 Vuelta victory on the Mombuey - Ribeira Sacra stage

Stage results for team USA

10   Gilbert Workman (Thorboassonarvesen), 29, 0: 24", 120 pts      
14   Ryan Granaman (Plopsala), 25, 0: 30", 80 pts

Country standings after 1st race

1 Italy 400 pts
2 Estonia 390 pts
3 Switzerland 335 pts
4 Great Britain 240 pts
5 Australia 220 pts
6 USA 200 pts   

[Kekipi]

S21 RACE 2: Lézat-sur-Lèze to St-Lary Soulan (Pla d'Adet)



Best results for the team:

17 Ryan Beckham (SPORTLIFE)
25 Ike Middleton (Plopsala)

Comments: Riding S1 with 0 eps resulted in captain Beckham, and all his helpers, getting dropped by the 77-rider lead group.  In the four mountain sections that followed, I hoped for a rally in the four mountain sections that followed.  What happened is that he had three helpers in S2 (@:39), three in S3 (@ 1:06), but none in S4 (@ :41), the result of a tactical miscalculation by his coach, who should know better.     

In the team standings, the USA is in 9th with 240 pts.  Italy (700 pts), Great Britain (600), and Norway (530) are the current top three.

[Kekipi]

S21 RACE 3: Monfort L'Amaury -- Amilly



Best results for the team:

11 Bruce Saucedo (TeamSerfin)
36 Kane Crickton (SenzaSellino)

Comments: With two sticks wind blowing, I had the team ride more aggressively at the start so as to avoid getting dropped. Success in S1.  The drop came in S2, with cap Saucedo riding @ :24 with three helpers.  These four stayed together in S3 (@ :20) and S4 (@:15).  Crickton, save for a mechanical in S4, probably would have finished in the top 30.   I was happy with the results, esp given that last season we were shut out in the sprint stage.   

In the team standings, the USA is down a place to 10th with 350 pts.  Italy (980 pts) stayed in the top spot, with Switzerland (665) and Holland (620) rounding out the top 3.

[Kekipi]

A very low number of 19yo's (for Australia) so far this season.

Twenty-five may be low, but the # for the USA is even lower (16).    Even more of a concern is that eight of the 16 are from a brand new team that has not entered any races and probably will be a ghost.  As for the rest of the U24s for the USA, there are

• 62 @ 20yo
• 23 @ 21yo
• 71 @ 22yo
• 13 @ 23yo

[Vos]

It is 24 now, and that current number will be reduced to 16, if AA and me fire their Australian 19yo's.

But a very good comment of you about "ghost-teams".
Because in most previous seasons that I was NT manager, there were 1, 2, or 3 starting teams, and therefore much more 19yo's.
This influenced my (mis)perception that there are a very low number of 19yo's this season.

For you to compare, the Australian sizes of the age-groups :

19yo =  24  ( incl. 8 that most likely will be fired )
20yo =  32  ( incl. 1 Aus. ghost team )
21yo =  35  ( incl. 2 deleted Aus. ghost teams, all are free cyclists )
22yo =  52  ( incl. 3 deleted Aus. ghost teams, all are free cyclists ) --> this generation was my last time as NT manager, what explains my misperception.
23yo =  37  ( incl. 1 deleted Aus. ghost team, all are free cyclists )

[Kekipi]

S21 RACE 4: Banyoles -- Banyoles



Best results for the team:

17 Walter Coburn (ChronoTony)
78 Martin Sutton (VILLESVENSKAS)

Comments: Time trial results are fairly predictable in the sense that you know what you're going to get and what you're not.  For us, TTs are opportunities to give experience to riders, particularly from teams who have been racing their USA guys.  Speaking of racing, Australia has been training and racing its TTers, evidenced by a massive haul of 1300! pts this time.         

In the team standings, the USA is down a place to 11th with 390 pts.  As anticipated, Australia vaulted into the #1 position (1900 pts), while Italy dropped to 2nd (980 pts) and Great Britain (900) moving up to #3.

[Kekipi]

S21 RACE 5: Tereul -- Tereul



Best results for the team:

8 Bryan Whisman (ICSluj)
44 John Hamilton (Skrimshaw)

Comments:Whisman had help in every section which certainly helped him to a top 10 placing.  My mistake was not letting Hamilton ride free. He was capable of scoring some points.

In the team standings, the USA is down a place to 12th with 530 pts.  The top three are Australia (2150), Switzerland (1115), and Italy (1110)

[Kekipi]

S21 RACE 6: La Ravoire -- Vaujany



Best results for the team:

6 Shane O'Neil (FaltososDeChigre)
19 Ross McDermot (Frier_Accounting)

Comments: O'Neil, last season's winner of the Mountain-Hills stage, had help in all four preliminary sections but he was not in the front group in any of them.  I suppose if he had been, particularly in S4, he might have repeated as stage winner.  A sixth place finish isn't bad, though. It is always good to get a free rider in the points, and that was the case for McDermot this time. 

In the team standings, the USA moved up a place to 11th with 710 pts. A good placing in the final flat cobbles race could result in a top 10 finish for the team, which is what we're shooting for.  The top three teams, by the way, are Australia (2300), Italy (1310) and Switzerland (1215).

[Kekipi]

S21 RACE 7: Giffoni Valle Plana -- Frosinone (Italy)



Best results for the team:

10 Ryan Carpenter (Marcatone_Due)

Comments: Carpenter rode the five sections @:28, :29, :32, :27 and finished with a surge @ :12.  Whether or not that was the best he could do, I dunno, but I was satisfied with his result.

In the team standings, the USA could not move up into the top 10 and remained and finished the season in 11th with 830 pts. This was a drop from S20 when the team finished 4th with 1165 pts.   Congrats to Australia for winning its 4th consecutive team title and its umpteenth overall.   The Down Under Dynasty could go on for a while.